Spirit of Mississippi by kgstakes (Kurt) - OcCre - Riverboat

[kgstakes]

Just started today with my river boat.  So far so good for never building anything like this before.  I've never assembled a laser cut kit before and everything seems to go together the way it's suppose to (so far).

 

I do plan on lighting it and have drilled holes in places that I may need wiring.  but for now this is what it looks like.  Not much but it's a start.

 

 

 

[Knocklouder]

Nice start.   I really like those river boats,got one in my stach as well. Good luck on your journey,  pulling up a chair as they say here !!

 Bob M.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Knocklouder
More info

[kgstakes]

Little further along.  For a first ship model I thought I bit off more than I can chew but I’m getting it.

 

 Hats off to all of you building ships, you guys rock!!

 

 Anyway,  here’s some pictures of where I’m at in this build as of today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob Fraser]

Pulling up a chair too!

Looking nice and neat.

The AL Mississippi was my first build.  I think the hardest part was getting all the stanchions to fit properly.

[S.Coleman]

Love it already. Makes me think about the time I built the AL Mississippi padddlewheel. Great memories. Looks like you are off to a great start 

[kgstakes]

I had a hard time with the bow and the compound curve that I had to I cut it all out and rebuilt it so I had just a simple bend to the bow.  Unless someone built this boat, no one will ever know and it made it simpler for me to build.

[kgstakes]

Oh and the instructions said to use contact adhesive (cobbler’s glue ??) for the deck boards.  I used contact cement and all the edges I had to go back and basically super glue them all down (kept lifting when I was sanding it).  I probably should of used 3M contact adhesive but I used some loktite brand.  Next time I use 3M or  wood glue or white glue and just do a little bit at a time and make sure all the edges are down tight.  
 

This build isn’t a race and I should of stuck with what I know works.

 

 What have all you used for glue to plank decking, walls, etc??

[Bob Fraser]

I used superglue for most jobs on my Mississippi, with PVA / white / wood glues where stuff needed a little joggling about to fix.

In hindsight I found superglue - CA - soaks into the wood, especially the wider grained ones like mahogany, and causes discolouration.

Next proper build it will be alphatic or white wood glues, and spend a bit more time clamping and waiting, with CA only where absolutely needed.

When rigging a touch of CA on the end of the rope, cut to an angle, makes a great needle point for threading blocks etc.

 

You're right, building these isn't a race.  Someone on here has the tagline "wood is patient" and it's right.

Not sure about Occre, but AL only supplied just enough wood without allowing for mistakes, save the offcuts as they can be used to plank the cabin walls.

 

Cheers,

[kgstakes]

The build continues

 

 have the deck and bottom done (that was fun) so next I’m going to give all of that a clear coat and then proceed on with the next part.

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

I did a minwax polyshades pecan stain.  It's a stain & polyurethane finish.  Basically, stain and finish in one step.  Did two coats on everything, sand between coats. (It's the same finish I did for my roll top desk).   I wanted something other than a natural finish.   Anyway, the hull is completed and now on to the walls, windows, doors.

 

Primed some doors and windows.  So, after painting them they will be ready to install when the time comes.

Here are a few pictures of my progress.

 

Oh and like a dummy, I forgot to thread wires for any lighting.  So, it may or may not be lighted.  Either way, it'll be a great model in my showcase anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by kgstakes

[kgstakes]

Before I start building up the sides, etc.  I seen that a few steps later it says to paint the bottom of the first deck.  Well instead of building it up why not paint it now.  So, I spend about 15-20 minutes  and masked everything but what I want to paint (airbrush).  I like airbrushing because it gives me a better finish than  brush painting and to me I can get a sharp edge between parts I want to spray.

 

Here is the result.  Comments?  Suggestions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

Have the first walls ready to install on the hull of the river boat.  Next up, next floor.

 

 Enjoy!!

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

I have made progress on the riverboat build.  This is but isn't about the model.  It's how a video of my wood shop "taken over" by this build.  I have things spread out but "slightly" organized. 

 

Enjoy the video and comment if you work area looks similar or am I just to spread out because I have the room.

 

 

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

Little bit more progress on the river boat.  First deck the only thing I have to do is the engine compartment and I believe that part of the build is done.  
 

Here are some pictures of my progress.  Since starting a new job my modeling has taken a back seat but will keep you up to date as I go.

 

Oh and I have started adding lights to each deck.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cathead]

Just ran across this, you're doing a nice job so far with crisp work. As to your earlier question I think most peoples' projects spread out to consume whatever space is available. Kind of like how widening highways just creates more traffic in the long run.

[kgstakes]

I’ll show a picture of what I did and maybe it will help others with a similar problem.

 

I noticed right off the bat that one side of the first deck where the paddle wheel attaches,  one side was lower than the other.  I thought as I build this deck out that I could straighten when I installed the rear braces for the paddle wheel.

 

 When I first put the braces on (gluing) nothing straightened.  So I thought what about some 00-90 bolts and bolt it to the wall and to the deck.

 

 Well what I actually did was I drilled hole in each side of the wall where the beam attached, drilled into the end of the beam and also down through the beam and deck.  Super glue a 00-90 bolt through the wall into the end of the beam (I made that hole smaller so I actually “threaded” the super glued bolt into the end of the beam through the wall), and then bolted with 00-90 n-b-w through the beam through the deck.  Made sure everything was level with each other and it worked!!

 

See picture of the finished “bolted” beams.

 

 

 

[Cathead]

Nice hack, it gives a nice "industrial" look to that area.

[kgstakes]

Well been building a little bit at a time and doing allot of painting - chairs, tables, beds, barrels, etc.

 

 here’s where I am so far.

 

 Also, if anyone has trouble painting those ?!$&!? Barrel bands try what I ended up doing. 
 

Place some masking tape on a piece of glass paint black then cut really thin strips (banding material).  Then what I did is all bands were on one end I super glued them in place.  After the barrel was done I put a coat of dull coat to take the shine down.

 

 If the bands are crooked don’t worry that ones just loose😀.

 

 Be ready to get your fingers full of super glue but the result is better than I could ever free hand paint.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by kgstakes

[kgstakes]

After some painting and searching through my “detail parts” bin I pretty much have the second deck ready to install on the river boat.  
 

still need to install the lights for this level but I’m getting there.

 

 

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

Little farther along on my build.  Second level pretty close to being done.  Lights are in first and second decks,  now a few more details for the second deck and then on to the next one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kgstakes]

Sorry everyone that’s been following, been side tracked with a new tool.

 

 Right now I’m working on what I call 3rd deck of the river boat.  Here’s how far I am so far and the deck is just sitting in the rest of the boat.  Looks crooked in picture that’s why.

 

Edited January 21 by kgstakes

[Knocklouder]

 

Very nice work.your attention to details is amazing.     

Edited January 21 by Knocklouder
Typos

[Cathead]

Technically that'd be called the hurricane deck, though this kit plays pretty fast and loose with reality so you can call it whatever you like!

[kgstakes]

Hurricane deck?  Can you tell me why they call it that?  lol do they can watch for hurricanes.

 

 Seriously though why do they call it that and is the “second” called something too?  What’s they others called?

 

 Thanks for calling me out on that, I didn’t know what it was called just assumed.

[Cathead]

Steamboats, like another nautical venues, had a lot of terminology that wasn't logical but just...was. The main deck is the main deck, which is logical. The second one is the boiler deck, although the boilers were never there (always on the main deck). The third deck is the hurricane deck. The fourth, if there is one, is the Texas deck.

 

There is no clear answer for any of these, though theories abound, but they were universally known and used. One argument for "hurricane" is that it's high enough up on the vessel to really start catching the wind. But none of these were assigned, they just developed organically into a universal idiom, and language doesn't always make sense.

 

For a loose comparison, think of the orlop deck on a sailing vessel. That word universally tells mariners you mean the lowest deck of however many there are, even though the word itself sounds nonsensical in English. Supposedly it comes from a Dutch word meaning "overlap", and there's probably some organic language development going on there that made perfect sense at one time (I don't know the detailed etymology). But, like lots of jargon, "orlop" or "hurricane" deck let us refer to a specific idea very concisely and clearly as long as we all understand the definition, regardless of how convoluted the origin story is.

[kgstakes]

It’s been awhile since I posted my progress (crushed hand and other things going on).

 

 Here is where I’m at so far next deck is on lighted and ready for the next part of the build.

 

 Enjoy the pictures