ELBE 1 1948 by Mirabell61 - scale 1:87 - Lightship

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

Today it starts with sawdust making.

 

The base construction plate was used fro the "Ergenstrasse", sanded over and fitted with frame-spaced little squarebar pieces that were glued on in place.

The keel with bow and sternpost ist cut out and glued together, also the reinforcement 13x13 mm squarebar with pushed in counter-nuts. ( for take up of the stand spindle later on ) is made and ready for assembly.

The "raw frames" are cut out from the 4mm ply sheet in order to have  more handable "tiles". Then holes were dilled, in to the outcut spaces of every frame.

Now the 16 single frame contours are carefully cut out, tile by tile in the good old hand jigsaw manner. I can imagine that those who are assemling kits comprizing laser cut frames are smiling here, but this is scratch-build

 

Nils

 

the shipyard build base with spacer lugs. This one is from former "Ergenstrasse"build, sanded over and equipped with new distance lugs. the frame spaces are taken from the sideview lines / frame plan

 

the reinforcement squarebar with pressed in counter-nuts

the lines for stringers were added on the frame plan

frame-outlines on transparent paper, with drawn in notches for the stringers later on

 

here the keel with glued on bow and stern. The cut outs take up the frames during assembly

rough cut 16  "tiles" for better handling

 

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

All frames cut out and (dry-fit) mounted with keel bow and stern parts. Nothing is glued together yet.

The stringer liners and the pine-planks can be ordered now. For planking I intend to do it with 1,5x8 and 1,5x10 mm planks. The stringers will be 2x3mm

 

Nils

frames kept down to the base board with clamps. Note the reinforcement squarebar 13x13mm, this gives a strong hold

all 16 frames set up

 

[KeithAug]

As usual Nils your productivity puts me to shame.

[Michel Bénard]

It's off to a good start.

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Keith and Michel,

 

Keith,

this was the easy and many times approved part of the early hull making ...

 

Michel,

now starts the part where I have to add balsa blocks or so, for doing the stern-roundings. Also some of the slots for the stringers have to be tuned for better and more accurate alignment.

 

Nils

[Wreck1919]

Moin Nils, nice to see another one starting from the keel up (or rather down😎). Please keep up the detailed reporting. 
Sascha

[Mirabell61]

many thanks Sascha,

sure, I`ll try to keep up with the detailed reporting. I also love to read and see detailed process of fellow builders projects, I think that is a splended and appreciated feature of this MSW forum.

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

have just received the wooden liners for the stringers and for planking. Also the plexiglass tube material for the light area on the mid mast has arrived. The the top cover for the light tower I made from brass sheet.

 

Nils

The planks are 1,5 x 8 and 1,5 x 10 mm, The stringers are 2 x3 mm

this will later on be the light on the lighttower, the cover I cut from brass sheet

beginning with the portside stringers. all frame top-sides have been glued to the lugs of the base board. before planking the frame edges will be carefully sanded flush with the hull outer contour

 

 

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

slow but steady, all stringers are on, I received the prop, and the "glassing" of the light-tower is fitted in to the top cover. One side of the hull has been sanded flush with the frame-contours.

 

Nils

the upper stern rounding will be vertically planked

 

 

 

the 4-blade brass propeller

the glassing per plexiglass tube fitted in to the top cover

 

all stringers on today

 

[Jim Lad]

Coming along very nicely, Nils!

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Thank you very much John,

I`ll make a sigh of relief, if the planking works out well later on

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

the first 7 planks (stb side ) as well as the build in of the bilge keel on that side are on, and the light-tower is further in process, the "glassing" still has to be shortend a bit.

I`ll continue with the port side planking to this degree, before moving to both bottom sides.

The bilge keel cuved flats are cut from 1,5 mm aluminium flatmaterial with an electric jig saw and glued in with CA, interlocking appr. 2,5 mm depth into the frame contour as well.

So far I`m pleased with the planking process, I think the hull will require a bit of "scratch-shaving" the surface instead of only sanding it afterwards, relating to the rather thin single layer planking.

 

Nils

a combination of 8mm and 10mm wide planks, all 1,5mm thick. The prior placed stringers are very helpfull for clamping the planks during assembly, and for keeping the hull-skin to true form.

 

the tower and the top cover are made from brass, the platform will have a ballustrade with wire-mesh. I intend to build the main light lenses from a glass honey-dip spoon.

Edited March 14 by Mirabell61

[Michel Bénard]

A job done quickly and well.

[Mirabell61]

thank you very much Michel,

 

Nils

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi Nils, great start on your Elbe!  These light ships are really interesting.  I visited the Overfalls a few years ago (it's in Delaware) and always thought these ships would be cool subjects to model - something different than the 5000 English war ships that are out there.  Looking forward to following along!

[Mirabell61]

Many thanks Mike,

exactly, these lightships have an own attract, I wanted to build the Elbe 1 since several years and always thought that it would be too ambitious for my capability, so now I`m going for it, inspired by the beautiful model built by Helmut Thomas, in scale 1:50, which brought the kick-off (see my introduction posting) allthough his project went over 4 years with many trials, ups and downs .....

My chosen scale 1:87 is smaller because the size of the neccessary display glass case for it  afterwards.

Nils

 

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

further progress in planking and lighttower in raw build.

I`m just thinking how to build the vertical climbing support ladders with their back safety harnesses, its probably going to be a trick soldering job

 

Nils

aft rounding with vertical planking prior to trimming

both sides with each 7 planks

a soldering job

 

 

metal combined with wooden supports, the conical part after trimming to the cylindrical housing

 

the railing is a "leftover" of my Ergenstrasse build

[Jim Lad]

Looking really good, mate!

 

John

[Veszett Roka]

Hi Nils,

 

will the railing covered by canvas or other material? The plan shows it something solid

 

[Mirabell61]

many thanks John and Veszett,

 

John,

I`m pleased that you like it

 

Veszett,

right, it should have been a wire mesh around the platform, but I just used what I still had in material box. The idea with the cavas is worth taking it up, thanks

on the enclosed pic you can see the original (right hand side) and as modeled by Helmut Thomas, a wonderful detailed gem

Nils

Edited March 18 by Mirabell61

[Veszett Roka]

Nils,

 

i'd go with bandaging gauze then. Thick paint will made it perfect.

[Mirabell61]

thank you for that tip Veszett

 

Nils

[Oboship]

Hi Nils,

How about cutting a tea strainer ("Teesieb") since you will be soldering anyway? Or something else that came to mind: cut a fly screen ("Fliegengitter") if  available?

I like the idea of your vertical planking on the round stern. Seems a lot easier than to bend horizontal wood strips.

Uwe

 

[Mirabell61]

Hello Uwe,

many thanks for your suggestion in cutting out a bit of mesh from household articles...

I had "Fliegengitter, Teesieb. etc." in mind first of all anyhow, but that would have required a round U-profile rail on the bottom side of the platform as well as an upside down U-rail on the top side  as to make a sort of a framework fot inserting the mesh. I was afraid that bringing in too much heat into the construction and that already placed soldering points would open uncontrolled. 

Yes I`ve been applying the vertical stern planking already on my other models, and it works well. I intend to bend the bumper-rails from halfround brass profile, at least in the rounding areas and the remaining side rails will be from same sized halfround wooden shape.

 

Nils

Edited March 19 by Mirabell61

[Oboship]

... yes, you are right of course, I did not think of the heat that soldering creates!

Uwe

[64Pacific]

Very cool project!

[Mirabell61]

Thanks Pacific,

I`m pleased that you like the recent build log progress ....

 

Nils

[Mirabell61]

Update

 

made a little dummy trial for the ladders and the back safety harness-ring in H0 scale

 

Nils

 

a 6mm wide brass ladder combined with 12 mm backrings (solder) will do ....

this enables sufficiant safe climb up

 

 

[Javelin]

Great to see another build of yours Nils. Always fan of a colourful odd subject, so I'm following this one with great intrest. 

 

The finest mesh I've used is a plastic teabag. Not sure if you can stil get those. That could be glued rather than soldered to the platform. Another fine mesh is stainless steel mesh from a splash shield from Ikea. Very cheap, very fine and strong mesh. Of course it would be more difficult to hold in place. 

Examples of both meshes are shown in my Chaconia build. 

 

Looking forward to more progress on this build! 

[Mirabell61]

Thanks for that idea Roel,

I looked up your "Chaconia build" also relating to the built in mesh, a great model I must say !

 

Nils