Niagara by greatgalleons - FINISHED - Model Shipways

[Bill Hime]

AJ,

This is a beautiful build! The Niagara is one of my favorite ships, and a great history to boot. Definitely on my short list. I'm doing the Pride of Baltimore right now as my first ship build. If the Niagara hadn't been on back order it would have my full attention for sure.

Your work is first rate and a pleasure to follow. I love the free spirit. I too cannot look at anything without wanting to make changes .

 

On a personal note; Art always finds a way. It is not a part of who we are, it is what we are in that it defines our very being. Whether it be through a brush, pen, chisel or spoken word, our heart sees the world through our eyes. And it will express itself, even if only with a simple tear. That no man nor disease can take from you.

 

With great Respect,

 

Bill

[tongaman]

AJ

I dove in this morning on the stern and noticed a couple of misaligned pieces.  In the next 5 minutes i managed to break 4 of the stern pieces!  I think I need a gentler hand and more power tools!  Walked away to rejoin the fight another day.  Aargh!  Patience is a virtue I am getting my arms around.  This may be a longer build than I anticipated.

[greatgalleons]

so while I'm waiting for the hull planking glue to dry I'll work on the carronades just to keep some momentum going and hopefully have them ready when the time has come to place them.

[greatgalleons]

painting carronade and bases, the metal bands have been painted on with black ink, it's odd that MS did not provide the lazer cut metal bands for this kit like they do in their Syren kit, the roller castings have been glued on using superglue gel and wood glue.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

here are the components ,  upper and lower bed, quoin, eyebolt, eyebolts with rings are made from the strip of brass provided in the kit,  I have stained the brass parts with gun bluing solution.  the carronades are painted with gunmetal enamel paint.

Edited December 6, 2013 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

all together to simulate a actual cannonade

Edited March 28, 2014 by greatgalleons

[mainstay]

started the coaming and grating. the grates will be the natural color of the wood (sanded with 400 grit)  the coaming will be beveled and painted red. 

I too am building the MSW Niagara.  I am very impressed with the speed and especially the quality and neatness of your work.

 

This is my first POB model. I have run into trouble on the coamings and gratings. Glue joints fall apart when I try to sand my assemblies. Gratings won't stay together, come flying apart when I try to trim them to size.  I can't seem to get the holes in the gratings all lined up so they are square. Can't seem to build the coamings square either.  My tools:  making cuts with a scalpel and a jigsaw and using CA glue (after I sand off the burnt areas).

 

 How do you do this so nicely and so quickly?  Do you have a set of tiny tools for cutting and clamping? A set of jigs?

[greatgalleons]

Hey there Joe.    I made a small T-square out of scrape wood to butt each grating piece so they would stay even all across,   I also used a small pointed metal tip to apply a tiny drop of wood glue to each individual tip of wood on the grating pieces before aligning it to each other with the T-square keeping them in place.  it was very delicate work. The larger grating was completed in two separate sections and then glued together to make one piece.  After the pieces where complete I used 400 grit sandpaper to remove the unsightly burn marks from the surface.  

 

Make sure each piece is facing up in the right direction.  one side is completely flat and looks better than the other which appears to be beveled.  I think the lazer does not cut completely straight, its a little slanted. 

 

I also use a small metal file to smooth the edges all flat so they have no problem fitting in the coamings.

Edited December 7, 2013 by greatgalleons

[mainstay]

HI GG (not sure how to address you. GreatGallions is a big handle)

 

Thank you for the suggestions.  I will go back to work on them.  It is becoming clear to me that woodworking on this tiny scale is a craft distinct from macro woodworking. I must learn new methods and make or acquire new tools.

 

I am enjoying your log. Hope you weren't too badly affected by the storm.

 

Joseph Osborne

Carlisle, PA

[greatgalleons]

So now the hull has been planked and is in a rough state until I can sand and use wood filler.  the stern post is still not on the build yet until that area is cleaned up and smooth out nicely. 

[greatgalleons]

The raw planking has been sanded and covered with wood filler,  I chose interior wood filler since the exterior version is not as smooth to spread.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

wood filler sanded with 150 grit sand paper.  Will need to skim one more light coat of filler and sand again with 200 grit.

At this stage I will also add the stern post which was left off.

Edited December 11, 2013 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

The stern post in place,  a little more sanding and filler and it will be ready to paint.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[Sailor1234567890]

Smooth looking hull you've got there.

[greatgalleons]

here's my fancy waterline marker

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

after marking the line I used black ink to paint the hull above the waterline.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

I used taminya tape to tape off the lower hull for painting.  Last time I'll use that tape, it left a lot of adhesive after removal.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

lower hull taped off and painted

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

removed masking,  paint is krylon hunter green satin.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

I have placed pin striping tape to out line the boot topping ,  the light green paint will butt up to the dark green paint since it has a slightly raised edge and should not go past  onto the dark green.  this pin striping tape works so much better and leaves no adhesive behind..   I used to use it on all my custom motorcycle paint jobs. great stuff.

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

I'll let the paint cure for 24 hours and lightly sand and use a satin clear over the black  and green paints.  just on the area below the gun ports to the keel. and the transom

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

working on deck furnishings,  waiting for hull paint to dry

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

time to make the rudder,pintle , gudeon

 

I used the brass strip in kit, pressed an indention in it and drilled the holes

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

used a nail from kit and soldered it into each ,

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[ZyXuz]

brilliant work on the painting! and I love the capstan

[DaveGrady1]

Hi

Have been following your build with great interest.  Great work!  I have just purchased the MS Niagara , but haven't started it yet.  I am just starting the rigging on my MS Bluenose, but am finding this a huge challenge.  Not too steady with the hands and my knot tying skills are less than adequate. 

[greatgalleons]

placed the rudder on,  I almost went blind trying to attach the eye bolt to the chains, 

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

added the grating to the deck

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

tiller

Edited March 27, 2014 by greatgalleons

[greatgalleons]

Hey there davegrady, I have a few ship builds under my belt  and I have found this kit a bit challenging, I would not recommend it for a first or even second build.  I have built the bluenose2 and know the rigging well,  this Niagara kit has much smaller pieces and is much more accurate to detail.  Rigging will take just as long to complete as the hull has.