ZULU 1916 by Ras Ambrioso - 1/48 scale - sternwheeler

[Daniel Kimmer]

Ras, I am so envious of your skill. I have all the tools, (lathe, milling machine, soldering unit, etc.) but lack your skill. I'm 67 so I have time to improve.  I think the brass and all the detailed work truly makes for a great focal point and just looks fantastic.  Your model is a great inspiration to the many of us that lack the skill but can dream. Keep up the incredible work.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Thanks to all for the likes.

To Keith: I have the same thoughts often but never build anything twice. I take the mistakes as lessons for the future.

 

To Daniel: I joined this forum in 2019. At that time I operated with a +/-1.0mm tolerance. But by watching other people's work I was inspired to try harder and try to control my shaky fingers. I remember and advise from my shooting coach: "aim large = miss large; aim small = miss small". Since then, I have reduced my to tolerance to close to 0.5 mm. I still have to do a lot better to match guys like Valeriy and Wefalk.

[wefalck]

Yes, life it too short to build the same ship twice ...

[Ras Ambrioso]

This is what Zulu will look when all parts are put together.

After this photo, the paddles were painted and the engine mechanics and the steam piping was completed . First , the eccectrics.

Then the pitmans and the fitting of the cross tree in the engine cylinders.

An overhead look at the piping fore and aft.

Currently working on installing the buckets (aka paddles) in the wheels. Thanks for the likes and comments.

 

 

[FriedClams]

Great work, Ras!  The model has a very nice feel of authenticity to it. 

 

Gary

 

[FlyingFish]

Love all the exposed pipework Ras - looking good!

[yvesvidal]

40 minutes ago, FlyingFish said:

Love all the exposed pipework Ras - looking good!

Yes, I love it too. It is like a floating steam engine.

 

Yves

[KeithAug]

Nice progress Raz. The steam pipes must have kept the cabin warm.

[wefalck]

Not sure that the inhabitants would have appreciated this ... wasn't the boat operating in a tropical climate?

[KeithAug]

4 minutes ago, wefalck said:

wasn't the boat operating in a tropical climate?

I was trying a bit of irony.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Have to say that there was another build (I think Peerless) where the insulating of steam pipes was discussed. In Zulu the steam pies are supposed to be 3" (at scale would be 1/16"), the insulation would be 1-1/2"(at scale 1/32") with a total of 3/32" outside diameter. The tubing used is just that: 3/32". Therefore, consider the pipes are insulated and painted brass. 😏

 

[wefalck]

Just to mention and without wanting to imply anything, in the past I have simulated such pipe insulation with twisted strands of asbestos wool by winding cotton thread around the wire and soaking it in varnish:

[KeithAug]

4 hours ago, wefalck said:

winding cotton thread around the wire and soaking it in varnish:

That works well Eberhard. I will bank it for later.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Maybe I am getting lazy in my old age. I agree with Wefalk on his system. I have used before.

The African Queen

And Krick's Patricia

I have these model on the finished models gallery. They were done many years ago.

[Valeriy V]

Ras, your path of growth in skill makes me watch without stopping! Remarkable progress!👍

[Ras Ambrioso]

Thanks Valeriy: you and Wefalk are my models.

[Ras Ambrioso]

The construction of the paddles continues. I knew there was some use for those mini-cloth pins.

The finished product.

I am amazed I have not heard from any of my followers about the fact that the paddle wheel cranks could not complete a revolution. (See post # 94). While  building the hull I used two solid wood pieces to make the sponsons. I didn't realize that the cranks will actually rotate below deck. So I just painted a hole in the deck since this is a static model. Hope you don't mind. More forethought in the next build.

So here is the final setup of the propulsion gear.

To be continued.

 

 

 

 

 

[wefalck]

Yep, wooden clothes pegs of various sizes and ladies' hair clips are very useful to us too ...

 

I also shape their front for various applications.

[Cathead]

I am ashamed to say I did not notice that. Nice wheel!

[Ras Ambrioso]

The main construction is done and now it is time to make the accessories. Some have been built while I waited for paint to dry or glue to set. This week I fixed the railings on the boiler deck and started the dingy. I was going to use the mold I made for Amapá but I had a few Billings ship boats at different scales and checked them out with the plans.

 This whaler hull was just about right.

 

The stern was cut and a transom made from styrene was added:

The original Billings was modified to match the scale size of the dingy:

An here it is with its ancestor whaler:

Trim and painting will follow. Next the davits.

Thanks for the likes and comments.

 

[KeithAug]

Good progress Ras. I like your repurposing.

[Ras Ambrioso]

After several weeks with poor progress, today I achieved about 98.5% completion. Missing items are, the mast (stack) position light (that is now drying its clear lenses of gorilla glue) and its rigging. I could not make the decal for the white lettered  "ZULU" for the ships name so I and wound up getting the letters from Amazon. Also necessary will be a check out of the handrails that have been damaged by the fact that I built the railing before completion of other tasks in the corresponding decks. I also used an extremely thin (0.25 mm) brass wire. Should have used thin thread. Also, I skipped the galley stack.

 

But, I could not wait to show you the "Almost Finished" Zulu.

Expect to complete it early next week and I will prepare an album for the gallery. I thank all you followers for you likes and your valuable comments.

[Diver]

Excellent photo.  On first glance it looks like smoke coming out of the funnel.

[Keith Black]

Ras, she looks great!

[Ras Ambrioso]

Well, here it is. Zulu is now completed. It has taken me one year and four month to complete which is nothing compared with Wefalk and Valeriy builts. This scratch built model of an Indian river boat is now FINISHED.

 

 

 

I again thank all of you for the likes and comments. I learned quite a lot on this built and expect to do better in my next project: the fictional US Navy river gunboat San Pablo during the Boer revolution in China's as presented in the 1966 movie The Sand Pebbles,  starring Steve McQueen.

 

Ras

 

[JacquesCousteau]

Congratulations, it looks great!

[Glen McGuire]

A real beauty!   Wonderful work, Ras!

[Keith Black]

Ras, congratulations, she's a beauty. 

[yvesvidal]

A real beauty, Ras. And what an unusual model on top of that.

 

Yves

[Canute]

Excellent build, Ras.