Peerless 1893 by Cathead - 1:87 - sternwheel Missouri River steamboat

[Cathead]

I've made it about halfway through the decking. Just a slow process of cutting and laying planks one row at a time, trying to keep them parallel with the centerline. It's definitely more challenging with home-cut planks as every strip has slightly variable dimensions, so laying out each run is time-consuming. I'm definitely still an amateur at cutting out consistent scale lumber. Therefore this has been a lot more like planking a hull, in which each deck plank is a mini-project, than planking a deck with nice consistent commercial strips. So I end up laying a couple strips every evening, or whenever I can steal a bit of time. But here's what it looks like so far:

The photo makes it look better than it is; the work is actually pretty rough. The planks are thicker than I initially intended, and the surface is pretty variable. I intend to sand the deck down smooth once the planking is done. There are also some disturbing gaps between some plank edges that I expect to need some sawdust filler on. The good news is that (a) unlike a sailing vessel, most of this deck will be relatively hidden, and (b), it's supposed to look rough-built. 

 

You can see the two parallel lines of holes left in the decking, where the boiler deck support posts would go. If you recall the framing I built in the last update, I used that to lay out exactly where the posts should lie and carefully arranged the deck planking runs so that the post holes would fall within a single run of planks. 

 

I started at the center and worked my way out, to help ensure that everything stayed parallel to the hull. This has worked well, but its downside is that the "best" planking got laid down the center where it'll be mostly hidden while the most visible planking (along the outer guards) will be done with whatever dregs I haven't used yet. I may end up cutting some more planking to avoid this potential problem, as I can tell I'm slowly concentrating the most problematic pieces in the so-far-unused pile.

 

But it's progress, and I think will turn out well enough in the end. Thanks for sticking with the slow progress on this part.

 

[Cathead]

Main deck planking is almost done! One more run to go on either side, but I don't know when I'll get to it as I need to cut more planking to do this. I've learned some lessons doing this and cursed myself for some (in hindsight) fairly stupid decisions. I'll also need to improve my plank-milling skills moving forward as this deck is more forgiving than the rest of the model will be. But I'll write more about that when this deck is actually done. I just figured you all should get a progress report as it may be a bit longer before another, I have a busy stretch coming up. Thanks for sticking around...

 

[leclaire]

Eric,

 

I wonder if the builders of these boats were as worried about some imperfections in their work as we modelers seem to be.

 

Bob

[Cathead]

Well, my model's imperfections don't threaten to take me and my livelihood to the bottom of the river!

[Roger Pellett]

Looks good, Eric!

 

[mbp521]

I still think it’s impressive that you harvest and mill your own wood on property, then turn out beautiful work. 
 

-Brian

[Cathead]

Finally finished the main deck! This was delayed, in part, by yet more other projects, such as finishing the renovation of another bedroom by replacing drywall, repainting, and adding new window, door, and floor rustic trim made from cedar lumber cut and milled on-farm. This not only used up free time but made me less inclined to work on yet another wood project (the model). Now it's done, with window and exterior door curtains hung from cedar bars suspended on iron hooks made by a local blacksmith.

Anyway, I finally milled the last bits of deck wood needed, installed them, then started sanding down the deck. First, here's a clear look at the limitations of my current ability to mill precision scale lumber:

 

Those planks are all over the place in both thickness and width, despite using the NRG's depth gage made for the Byrnes saw. The good news is that this gives the model a very rustic appearance. I knew I'd need to do some significant sanding and just accepted that. I decided early on that I'd rather mill things too thick and sand them down, than deal with too-thin segments prone to breakage.

 

I took an orbital sander to this deck, starting with coarser grit and working down. I'm quite pleased with the final product, which I still need to buff by hand with very fine paper. You can see that the deck preserves its subtle camber even after sanding:

 

The sander made this mostly smooth, with just a touch of texture left where the biggest differences in plank thickness remain. This gives it a lot of visual appeal; as the viewing angle changes you can still see hints of shadows between different planks and it really pops and looks like a rustic deck.

 

This is a great example of an approach I've become comfortable with in modeling: focusing on what looks good/right over what's technically right. Any contest judge would instantly notice the inconsistent deck lumber thickness and some of the wider-than-scale cracks between individual planking runs. But visually, these create the impression of a rough-built vessel in the way that a truly accurate to-scale deck would not.

 

The photos don't really capture the effect fully, it really comes out in person, and I love it. The cherry wood is already halfway to the reddish color the deck should have (like my other steamboats) and I'm debating how far to go on further coloration (painting/staining/weathering) as the natural wood's variability brings out a lot of interesting complexity.

 

I was debating how to handle the boiler deck (next level up) as it's a much more fragile construction than this main deck, sitting up on its little posts with not much superstructure beneath it. If I were using perfect scaled planking from a commercial source, I'd  just built it in place. But since I've shown no sign of being able to mill consistently thin scale planking, I'm thinking about building the whole boiler deck as a separate piece off-model, sanding it down once it's built (but when it can sit firmly on a solid surface while doing so), then installing it in its precarious final position on the model.

 

Thanks for your patience with this slow build. It's going to be a while before more progress is made due to an imminent family visit (one impetus for the timing of that  bedroom remodel) and other commitments; fall is a very busy time on-farm between major produce harvest, start of bow season for deer, and various other commitments. I do appreciate likes and comments that remind me others enjoy this work as well!

[mbp521]

I feel your pain Eric. So many other projects keeping me away from my build, but I hope to be wrapping them up soon. To me, winter has always been prime building season. 
 

Beautiful work on the deck, the rough, rustic look brings out the true beauty of these boats. I do like your idea of wanting to build the boiler deck off the boat to save a lot of frustration of breakage when sanding the planks. I’ll be anxious to see the method that you will use getting all the posts lined up with the main deck below. I’ll just sit back and watch and learn. 😁

 

-Brian

[Cathead]

1 hour ago, mbp521 said:

I’ll be anxious to see the method that you will use getting all the posts lined up with the main deck below.

YOU'LL be anxious? 😁

 

Seriously, though, I don't think it'll be bad due to some pre-planning. You might recall that I already pre-built the base frame for the boiler deck, as shown in this previous photo:

 

I used this as a template to lay out the post-holes in the planked deck, which you can see drawn in on the sub-main-deck in the photo above. I also re-checked using the actual framing as I laid the decking, and checked again when I finished the main deck. Things appear to line up really well, such that posts inserted in the holes in the main deck ought to line up right with the beam junctions in the base frame for the boiler deck. That's the theory, anyway. 

 

 

[Cathead]

Also, while you all wait for more progress, here's a bit more geographic context. Mrs. Cathead and I were able to get away for a day-trip paddle on the Missouri River, on a stretch that Peerless certainly navigated many times (although the modern channel is very different). We did an easy 30 mile paddle, using Amtrak service that parallels the river to shuttle our vehicle.

 

Here's a couple towboats waiting on a sand & gravel barge to be loaded (I thought of @mbp521's current project when taking this shot):

Here's a representative view of river bluffs and sand bars; the river is very low as Missouri's been in various stages of drought for close on a year now, especially bad for most of this summer:

If you're wondering about the outriggers, we're testing them for longer trips. The Missouri is a large, fast, deep river with a lot of control structures and other hazards, including woody debris. It's also a very isolated channel with very little development, access, or services; when you're out on it it feels more like you're in remote Montana than the Midwest. We're highly experienced canoeists and Mrs. Cathead used to be a researcher on the river. For day trips these aren't really necessary but we're planning some longer multi-day trips, and once the canoe is loaded down with supplies, outriggers really add some safety stability. Even those towboats can generate large wakes that can be bothersome.

 

These huge drought-exposed sandbars make great napping points.

Even though the channel is very different now, maybe you can envision Peerless steaming along under 200-300' tall bedrock bluffs, dodging extensive sandbars blocking the old river's braided channel, and trying not to hit logs like you see above that could easily punch a hole in her thin hull. Just a fun image to hold onto while the build waits patiently to resume.

[Roger Pellett]

Very nice work as usual Eric.

 

I have two Old Town canoes that I restored a number of years ago.  The first is a 1916 Charles River.  My sister belongs to a canoe club in Pittsburgh started by Westinghouse Employees over 100 years ago.  Someone dumped the canoe off in the weeds next to the clubhouse.  My sister told me to take it before it was burned in the spring cleanup.  Restoration bordered on Abe Lincoln’s story about his father’s axe. New handle, new head, but it’s still my father’s axe.

 

The second is a 1944 OTCA.  I traced it back to a camp in upstate New York that was the inspiration for the movie Dirty Dancing.  Old Town wood canvas canoes are all stamped with unique serial numbers and production records are available on line.  Restoration was easier; replacement of several broken ribs, some planking, new canvas, and fixing some rot.  Photo below.

 

How does the Amtrak shuttle work?  I can’t imagine loading the boat on the train.

 

Roger

 

 

 

[Cathead]

Roger, sorry if this wasn't clear: we used Amtrak to shuttle our vehicle, not the canoe. Though I love the image of loading that thing into a baggage car! Basically, there are multiple towns along the river that have Amtrak stations and nearby waterfront parks with boat ramps. So first thing in the morning, I dropped my wife off at the upriver boat ramp with the canoe, drove down to the downriver ramp and parked the car there, walked over to the train station and took the morning Amtrak train back upriver (there are two trains a day each way along this route between Kansas City and St. Louis). We were on the river by mid-morning, and when we arrived at the downriver ramp our car was there waiting for us.

 

The funny thing, when it comes to asking about taking canoes on the train, is that this Amtrak route IS bike-friendly, and mostly parallels the 240-mile Katy Trail State Park rail trail that crosses most of Missouri. We've been using the rail line to bike the entire trail in four parts this summer, without having to stage or shuttle vehicles, because the trail connects to Amtrak stations across the state. We're 3/4 done, only one 60 mile segment to go that we'll hopefully get to this fall.

 

Thanks for sharing your canoes' heritage! Our canoe was once my mother's and I have a very long history with it, though it hasn't needed any restoration so far. She's still an active paddler in her mid-70s, though now she uses a small ultra-lightweight boat that she can still lift herself.

[Roger Pellett]

I believe that there are, or at least used to be, one or more trains in Canada that will carry peoples’ boats into wilderness areas.

 

The first canoe that I restored was a Shell Lake (Wisconsin) that I got in trade for a Folbot kayak.  It was a freight canoe with National Forest Service markings stamped into the keel.  I sold it a number of years ago.

 

Old wood canvas canoes have an interesting history. Old Town was just one of many builders and there were many variations.  They are also a joy to paddle.  Unfortunately, I can no longer lift them for transport.

 

Roger.

[GGibson]

Eric - Great job on the decking.  From a rough beginning to a nice sanded finish!  I'm enjoying following your progress.

 

And a great story regarding your canoe journeys down the Might Mo (and Amtrak and the Katy Trail)!  Some thirty years ago +/-, we biked with our young children for about 10 of those Katy Trail miles (20 back and forth) just outside Kansas City.  Always said we'd like to do more of the trail, but we got older!  Great that you and Mrs Cathead are enjoying it all! 

[FriedClams]

Wonderful progress, Eric.  She's coming along very nicely indeed.

 

Gary

[LJP]

Hi Cathead,

I missed your build until now but definitely will follow it.  GREAT WORK.  Love the topic - a model that others have not done before. Working from just photos is not easy.  This is especially true where the layout changes over the years and you need to decide what period to follow.  

 

Specifically I love how you built the guards.  These are a real pain to build.

 

Awaiting your next update...

LJP

[Cathead]

Thanks, LJP! Sadly it'll probably be a while longer before I can report progress, but I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

[kgstakes]

Just looked you up to see what you are building and it looks great!!  I see the build is in 1/87th scale.  I have a HO scale model railroad besides building the Mississippi riverboat kit and was wondering is your riverboat going to be part of a scene on a model railroad?  Or do you like to build in that scale for some other reason?

 

I'm not sure but I'm hoping that the Mississippi River boat that I'm building which is 1/80th, I'm hoping that I can use some HO scale figures to detail the boat with.  What is your opinion on that?  Is there some "period figures" in 1/80th that can be purchased some where?

 

Anyway, be interested to see more on your build, so far again looks great and I like the idea of using trees "materials" from your property.  Makes building more fun and enjoyable when you can say you made this from literally scratch.  "Log to Model" should be a tag line of yours. 

 

Keep up the good work !!

[Cathead]

Hey, thanks for checking in! The 1:87 scale was indeed chosen for a possible model railroad project that remains undecided. If you read through the beginning of the build log, you'll find a post where I explain this vessel's ties to local railroad history and how it might tie into a model railroad project. My previous Bertrand build (see link in signature) was also built at 1:87, for a similar reason, so this scale allows the Peerless to be comparable. Yet another reason is that, as you suggest, 1:87 makes a lot of accessories easier to obtain and use, whether figures, cargo, doors & windows, etc. The math on building in 1:87 is a bit awkward, but as you know, model railroaders manage it all the time.

 

I'd say that using 1:87 figures would be just fine in your case. The 1:87 figures would be slightly undersized for 1:80, which is also good as figures tend to be scaled for modern people sizes but 19th century people were noticeably shorter, so if anything one could argue it's more accurate than modern 1:80 figures would be. Also, the OcCre steamboat kit isn't particularly historically accurate or scaled (though it produces an attractive model), so it especially doesn't matter if the figures aren't perfectly to scale. I don't know about any 1:80 figures, but there are a variety of 1:87 "old time" figure sets available that would be appropriate for a steamboat.

 

I'll enjoy following along on your project and I hope you stick around for this one, which has gone on a longer hiatus than I intended but which is very much not abandoned. 

[wefalck]

The German manufacturer Preiser (https://www.preiserfiguren.de/) used to have a small series of figures of around 1835 (to match a model of the first German steam-train) and a larger one for the period around 1900. They are in HO (1:87) scale and I have not checked, whether these series are still available.

 

The closest in scale would be the British OO (1/76) scale and there are various manufacturers that make figures in whitemetal for the period around 1900, e.g. https://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/index.html. In terms of quality (animation, detailing, etc.) they don't match the Preiser-figures though, which is partly due to the casting process, I suppose.

 

The 1/72 softer plastic figures by HäT etc. (see http://plasticsoldierreview.com) are probably on the large side. But in the linked Web-site there is also an assessment of the 'true' scale for virtually all sets reviewed. Civilians though are far and few, as these aim mainly for the 'wargaming' market.

 

True 'wargaming' figures in whitemetal would be too big and they are too chunky for my taste anyway.

 

[Cathead]

Here are a couple HO sets I turned up in a quick Google search. One advantage of these is they're by American manufacturers and follow American clothing designs, whereas I've found that most European figures, not surprisingly, look distinctly European in styling. Which isn't to say you can't use them, it's just something to consider. Heck, maybe your story is it's carrying a bunch of immigrants! 

 

https://outlandmodels.com/products/old-west-people-figure-set-20-pcs-1-87-ho-scale

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3029

 

I know there are more out there because I've purchased others in the past, but you can keep looking. These just show it's possible.

[wefalck]

... however, if you look at period photographs, very few people did wear Holliwood Cowboy-dresses and Stetsons. Bowler hats and the likes seem to have been more common, even in the 'West'. 

[kgstakes]

Oh yeah!!  I'll continue to follow you on this build and others that you do and/or have done.  And especially thank you all for leading me to some figures I can use for my build.  As for the cowboy hats and such, a little creative "modeling" I bet I can change a few hats to bowlers.  Dresses now on the other hand not sure about but hey it's just plastic and a knife a little modeling putty and some paint and you can make anything "look" what you want people to "see".

 

Look forward to more great things and ideas.  Thanks again to everyone and keep up the great work that all of you do.

[wefalck]

Yep, with a bit of putty and a few tools, one can quite easily adapt commercial figures.

 

However, 3D-printing in acrylic resins is the future. It may be worthwhile contacting sellers on the commercial platforms, such as shapeways, in order to see, whether they can/are willing to print their figures in different scales. While upscaling or downscaling over a large scale range may not be feasible for reasons of resolution, a change from 1/72 to 1/80 or from 1/87 to 1/80 should not pose a big problem.

[Cathead]

18 hours ago, wefalck said:

however, if you look at period photographs, very few people did wear Holliwood Cowboy-dresses and Stetsons. Bowler hats and the likes seem to have been more common, even in the 'West'

Oh, I agree, you don't want a vessel full of cowboys. But I was referring more to the overall style of dress in the European figures, it still looks distinctly European to me, though I don't claim an expertise in these matters. In the same way that, even today, I feel like American vs. European styles of dress are fairly distinctive, even setting aside obvious stereotypes like cowboy boots.

 

I'd say let's get this thread back on track, but since I don't have any progress to report, I don't have much standing in that regard!

[Cathead]

Thank goodness for American Thanskgiving, which finally provided some free time to get back to this poor neglected model. After an excellent Thursday of cooking and eating, I was able to devote Friday afternoon to Peerless.

 

Although I had been working on the framing for the boiler deck, I decided I needed to complete the aft superstructure first (the short enclosed "building" that houses the engines, just fore of the paddlewheel), because the rest of the deck going forward anchors to this. Here's a reminder photo from the beginning of this log:

My initial plan had assumed I'd build this as a framed structure that I would then plank over. In part, this was because it's not square. The deck starts to angle upward here to accommodate the wheel, so while the fore and aft sides are vertical, the port and starboard walls are at an angle. I thought that framing this in would be the easiest way to handle that odd shape. This is where I mean:

But the more I thought about it, I was worried that a framed structure would be hard to make both strong and perfectly in-shape; even a small amount of deformation would be a problem as this anchors the entire superstructure. So I switched to making this from a solid block of wood that I would plank over.

 

To do this, I cut a rough block from the leftover basswood I milled early on in this build (the same as was used for the hull). I chose this because (a) I had it lying around already, (b) it's quite light so it won't make the stern too heavy, and (c) there's a certain symmetry to using the same method here as I did on the hull (solid block planked over). The basswood wasn't thick enough for the height I needed, so I glued an extra slice on top:

 

When this was solid, it needed to be cut to the proper angle to accommodate the aft rise of the deck. If you look closely at my drawn plan above, you'll see that I intentionally planned this rise to start at this building to make model construction easier. Fore of this building, the deck is flat, meaning I can accommodate this rise wholly within the building and not by having to bend the rest of the boiler deck. To make this cut, I formed a careful pattern of the angle needed, taking it directly off the model sitting on a flat surface and using squares, then used that pattern to set an angle on my table saw, then ran the block through to achieve a slight parallelogram shape. It's barely visible in photos but it's definitely there.

 

Next I had to alter the hull to support this block. I'd built the after superstructure area as an open frame on which I'd intended to attach vertical framing, but that left the interior open, with very little surface to attach this big block. So I filled this with a thin sheet of scrap wood:

Next I had to accommodate the port-starboard camber of the deck. This was another reason I'd initially planned on framing this, but it just took some careful sanding to introduce a subtle concavity to the bottom of the block. When I was satisfied it was close enough, I glued and clamped it in place. Not shown, I also set several brass pins in the base of the block to hold it securely in place. I don't care about the mini seams you see, because they'll be planked over.

 

This building has a small extension right at the stern (refer to the original photo at the top of this post), so I followed the same practices to make and install another block:

That concludes the basic structure for the engine house. So far so good.

Edited November 25, 2023 by Cathead

[Cathead]

Next, I started on planking over this structure. In the original photo at the top of the last post, you can see that the lower portion of the walls is painted a darker color, but I have no way to know what this color was (probably a dark red?). I decided to try making this segment from the same cherry lumber as the deck, and make the white-painted upper surface from something else. In part, this was because I had leftover cherry strips from the deck planking and didn't want to waste them as making your own lumber is a lot of work.

 

However, as you might recall from the decking, these strips are not as uniform in thickness as purchased wood. So installing them directly on the model would leave a very uneven surface, and I don't want to sand them down on the model. So I glued up some longer panels of about the right total height, using my magnetic jig, then sanded the panels down to a reasonably uniform surface.

 

I then cut two to length and glued them to the outside walls of the engine house.

 

At this point, by now evening, disaster struck when I carelessly banged the model against the workbench while rotating it and broke off one of the paddle wheel extensions:

I had always known this was a risk and tried hard to avoid it, but sooner or later one gets sloppy (or at least I do). I glued it back on as best I could, clamped it down, and decided I was done for the night. I may drive in a pin on both sides to provide a bit more structural support.

 

Today I hope to make further progress on planking in this structure. I'm also trying to decide whether to leave the "colored" panels in the natural cherry, like the deck, or whether to paint them a dull red to match the eventual appearance of the paddle wheel. The natural color is still intended to look like a very weathered old coat of paint or other sealant on the deck, but I'm starting to lean toward actual color for the side planking. Thoughts?

 

That reminds me, I also did some weathering of the deck before I started on the superstructure. I use pastels, as I have throughout my modeling "career".  Here you can see a side-by-side of the original cherry (left) and after some dark pastel (right):

And the full application:

I really like using pastels on bare wood as they bring out the texture in a way that paint does not, and that paint prevents if you put pastel over it. Here are a couple more photos showing the bare (left) and weathered (right) deck:

 

I personally quite like the look, but again am leaning toward painting the side panels. In part this is because the rest of the planking above that zone will be painted white, so a more consistent texture across the whole wall will look better (since the vessel didn't actually use two different woods there).

 

Thanks for reading this long-winded update, hopefully more to come later this weekend!

[Cathead]

Next I began building the fore wall of the engine house. I can find no photographic evidence for how this was set up, so just did it the way I wanted. I used a scrap piece of pre-scribed wood, since this isn't as visible under the boiler deck, and cut out space for a large double door in the center. I then carefully framed this with very thin cherry strips and cut a single door piece from thin scrap wood, which I scribed to simulate planking.

Next I took some very small scrap wood, painted it black, and began laying out framing and bracing for the doors themselves.

And here's the completed front panel with doors. 

As I began laying out the other siding panels, I realized I needed to alter the support beams for the paddle wheel. I'd made them wider than would easily allow the wheel's driver arm to pass, based on how the engine house structure came together, so I shaved them down a bit with knife and sandpaper. Here's a before and after comparison (from below) of the unmodified starboard beam and the modified port beam. You may not understand quite why I did this but it'll be easier to explain and show later on; trust me for now.

 

 

Next I began building planking panels for the rest of the structure, the same way already as described above. Here's the outcome:

 

As usual, close-up  photos show every flaw and bit of roughness, but this matches my usual level of modeling output and I'm happy with it. Consistency helps tie a model together.

 

In the stern shots you can see two dark slots; these are where the paddle driver arms would pass through the wall of the structure to reach the engines. As this is solid, I'm obviously not modeling the interior, so am just using black paint to suggest a void. It's good enough for this model's purpose and skill level.

 

The very stern isn't planked in yet because it has a different nature. It rises above this structure and the boiler deck (look at the original photo I posted earlier) so I don't want to install it until the boiler deck is in place. This will also be vertically planked instead of horizontal like the rest.

 

At this point I think I can start laying out the rest of the support grid for the boiler deck. The goal, as stated in earlier posts, remains to build this whole thing off-model and get it all nicely sanded and finished before it gets installed. 

 

Thanks for reading these all-of-a-sudden dumps of content! It's amazing what finally having a few days free can do.

 

[FriedClams]

Nice progress, Eric - looking good.

 

Gary

[KeithAug]

On 11/25/2023 at 6:41 PM, Cathead said:

As usual, close-up  photos show every flaw and bit of roughness

Eric - I had assumed it was intentional. My guess is that many of these working boats would have been built quite roughly. A high quality finish might detract from the authenticity of the finished model.