Chaperon by CaptainMac - Model Shipways - 1:48

[CaptainMac]

Hello,

  I'm a new member. First post.

  Various builds on this site have turned up countless times in my searches over the years, so I decided I should just get on-board.

  I am not familiar with actually using the site, and I have never tried a build log before, but I'll give it a shot. I have certainly benefited from seeing the process and progress of others.

 

 

  My main thing is steamboats, namely paddleboats, and especially sternwheelers. Here, I'll be working on the Chaperon. I didn't get this model because it was the Chaperon, but because it is the most realistic looking, typical packet boat kit I've run across. I might even change the name. I will certainly customize it, adding my own modifications and "improvements" along the way, to make it my version of the ideal steamboat.

 

 

  The first thing I came to that "needed fixing" was the flat-topped bulkheads of the hull. The main deck certainly needs to have some camber to it. And all the other decks, for that matter! This will, of course, complicate things for me later on [which I seem to be good at doing].

  So, I scanned one of the middle bulkhead pieces, and traced it in CorelDraw on my computer, adding a camber line to the top. I printed out a bunch of these templates, rubber-cemented them to the front and back of sandwiched stacks of bulkheads, then sanded along the camber line, which is only between 1/32"-1/16" lower on the edges, but should be noticeable. [You can see one side done in the photo.]

 

  Well, I'd better stop here for now, to make sure this works...

Edited Monday at 07:44 PM by CaptainMac
My address was showing in the box photo, so wanted to crop it off.

[ccoyle]

Welcome aboard, and good luck on your project!

[Jim Lad]

Hello, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.

 

This certainly looks an interesting project.

 

John

[yvesvidal]

CaptainMac,

 

I have the same kit in my stash and will follow with a lot of interests, your progress. 

Yes, the Chaperon by Model Shipways is definitely the most realistic kit proposed on the market as the Occre and other Spanish kits are offering woods which do not match what was used to build these paddle boats, in the USA.

 

There are a few excellent realizations of the  Chaperon on that forum, and I invite you to look into them for ideas and inspirations.

 

Yves

[CaptainMac]

  Here are a few planking photos...

  First-two are the top row being put on:

 

  You can probably make out the slight deck camber that I added here, the original brown edges of the bulkheads still visible down the center:

 

  Current views of the hull:

 

 

 

-- Michael