J H Crawford by LJP (Lawrence Paplham) - Scale 1:64 - an 1894 to 1898 Wisconsin sternwheeler

[wefalck]

I know a 95 year old gentleman in Germany who has made several display-models with fully feathered side-wheels soldered up from brass parts ... in 1:100 scale

[Cathead]

Your wheel looks great! Excellent detail and nice consistent construction.

[LJP]

Kurt,

 

WOW! I cannot believe anyone would willingly make a feathered side wheel.  I would love to have seen that in action! If you ever do attach it to an RC model, let me know.

 

LJP

 

 

[LJP]

wefalck,

 

In re the German gentleman, I am not certain if I am more amazed that he made several feathered sidewheels in brass, or that he did in in 1:100.  Incredible!

 

Cathead,

 

Thanks!  In our model boat club, we had one member a few years ago who used CAD and a laser cutter to do the wheels. Recently, another member drew and 3-D printed the entire sternwheel for the Delta Queen.  The 3-D is ridiculously detailed.  

 

LJP

[wefalck]

Source: https://www.arbeitskreis-historischer-schiffbau.de/mitglieder/modelle/bawaria/

 

Jig used in construction:

Source: https://www.arbeitskreis-historischer-schiffbau.de/mitglieder/modelle/wittelsbach/

 

[Keith Black]

That's incredible watch like workmanship, Eberhard. Really neat, thank you for sharing. 

[LJP]

wefalck,

 

I do not know how to even begin to describe how incredible that is!   Thank you for the two links, I encourage others to view the other photos. Small wonder Bavaria is headed off to a museum.

 

LJP

[LJP]

It will be hard to see when completed, but this is what the pillow block looks like. Still needs a grease cup/oiler. I tried to leave the keys where you typically would find them as they were used to tighten and true up the sternwheel. 

This is a temporary setup of the sternwheel with the starboard pitman connected to the crosshead by the engine. Lots still needs to be done. On this side, the engine piston is all the way forward so the crank is horizontal. The other side, when completed, the engine piston will be at exactly 50% compression- so the crank will be vertical. Again, this arrangement was used to keep the engines from locking up the sternwheel.  

 

Keith Black, I used the ArcherTransfers.com transfers that you told me about on the pitmans.  These are nearly impossible to see but the rivets (sorry wefalck, not nuts & bolts!) are resin but attach just like a decal.  Tiny but easy to apply. 

 

I still need to complete the port side, add the oilers, trim parts, paint, &c.  I will pull this entire assembly off so I can work on the rest of the engine room first. 

 

I wanted to get this out now, although incomplete,  because I have family duties that will keep me from working on the model for the next few weeks. 

[LJP]

Family duties took longer than expected.

The false stern panel also took longer than expected.  To get the false stern panel to fit within the sternwheel braces, I needed to deconstruct part of that assembly. I prepared a cardboard mockup of what the panel would look like and then built the panel.

I used dry erase lettering for the boat name and home port.  

 

The interior panel was white for the boiler deck although the panel is only currently at partial height. The main deck interior panel is painted yellow at the top and with a grey bottom.  This is the colour scheme that I noted at the Dawson City boat graveyard but also what was used on S S Moyie.

 

My intent is to leave the main deck panels off on the port boiler and engine rooms so you can see the interior boat detail.  I am not certain if I will also leave the port panels off on the boiler deck to allow visual access to the saloons and staterooms.  I have lots of time before that needs to be decided.

Next step is to build the crew quarters in the engine room.  
 

[LJP]

I have completed the crew quarters in the engine room.  The forward two rooms are set up as double bunk bed crew quarters.   The room to the right is set up as the engineer’s closet, and the one across is postal and regular storage. The panel on the back will eventually be used for the starboard engine room superstructure. I will leave the port side open for viewing. 

 

Another view but with the engine room work area & gauges.   The crew quarters do not reach the full height of the boiler room stringers.  This is by design.  The space above was used for numerous cables, pipes, &c.  

 

Now I would like to finish the engine room: place the machinery, finish the starboard superstructure, add in some pipes and detail.  
 

 

[Cathead]

That's some gorgeous detail!