The laser cut parts arrived yesterday and this morning I got to work. It was my day off, so I was able to get lots done. I started with making the ribs. I made a jig to cut the notches out on 17 of them at one time with the radial arm saw. That was fast. Sanded on a sheet of 150 double sided taped to the table. I glued the single water channel layer to the bottom, then clamped it up for a few hours. I used only one layer of 1/4" because I plan to use floor leveler for ballast and will add it while sloped for drainage. When that was dry I used a rib near each corner and fit the waterline stringer. I mistakenly sanded the edge of the stringer to 1/8", 1/4" is legal. This wood is between .2 and .210, the notches in the stringers and channel are between .207 and.217. Once the 4 were in there, I added the sub-deck and started gluing the rest of the ribs in with titebond2. I glued on top of wax paper. Worked out good. The rear of the base is not cut to fit yet. I'm waiting for the drive parts to get here first. Once all the ribs were glued I wrapped each side with a Spanish windlass and set bricks on top. When it was dry I added the deck stringer. This part will need to be tweaked for the kit, it was not sized exactly, and as a result it was slightly smaller than the other decks by about 1/8" Tomorrow I will sand what needs to be sanded and seal it with varnish. I am also working on the super structure separately. As it is steampunk and free to design, I'm having a good time with that. Practicality as a full size ship means nothing in this rule set!
Do you mean the base plate? I was just waiting on the drive gear to get here. I wanted to be able to fit it in, then cut. Or did I miss something else?
I got some more done. I filled in the bow section, and I coated the whole thing with JB Weld Wood restore/hardener. I was going to try the stuff that SteveT44 was trying, but the bottle on the shelf at the store had hardened. This stuff stinks awful and I had to wear the mask I use for car paint. I like the rasp and the file for the rough shaping, then I used 80 grit cut from a belt sander belt. It's what I have, not a choice. The nose is not finished in this picture. The hardener goes on easy, but working time is very limited before it gets sticky, drips solidify or congeal fast. I sanded them off today and was more careful with touch ups. It looks a little like varnish, but it sure doesn't feel like it. Tomorrow I skin the sides and get cracking on the fantasy, whimsical superstructure. The drive parts should be here the beginning of next week and sea trials maybe by Labor Day weekend.
I know! I know! In my defense, it does say bow and stern in pencil on the top. I'm trying hard to get it finished by the 15th for the battle in MN with the Port Polar Bears.
I was out there again today. Friday and Saturday I was just plain wiped out from working in the heat. I started the superstructure, it will be hollow. This is the first time I have used Sigment, I kinda like it. I got one side sheeted. It was tight on height. I wanted more towards the top, the bottom will get a small strip on it anyway, as there would have been another 1/2" of water control channel. The ballast will firm it up. The forward section of the superstructure will be three short layers with the turret and a single or maybe a dual bow chaser on the third deck. Most likely a single and the stern would then get a triple. the bridge will be towards the center of the two different size boxes and higher than the turret. Future plans are for a camera to go in there with a transmitter for viewing and recording.
Yep! I think it's a great beginners hull. No complicated ribs, fill in or compound curves. Just one piece of balsa per side, I wish the silk span was longer but thats not too hard either. I can't wait for the hardware to get here so I can do float trials and set the weight up.
Well I got to work on the pickle some more this week. I got the stern figured out, motor placement prop placement and the hull pretty much closed up below the waterline. That little triangle was removed before gluing of the shaft log. After that I turned my attention to the rear triple turret. I wasn't going to make a rotating turret and since it's Steampunk I can make it however i like. So I did. I wanted it adjustable and easy access to the o-ring. It isn't quite finished in this picture, I'll clean it up tomorrow. You can just see the prop and rounded lower part of the hull. It's smoother than it looks, wood color and lighting make it look sloppy here. Lots of shaping still to go, but this was to check functionality.
If it were up to me, I would mount those triples as close to the deck as I could. You want it to look cool, but make it as effective a fighter as possible. The closer to the water you can mount the aft cannons, the flatter the trajectory. That means your effective range is very close, to several feet away.
Thank you, I will do that. Right now nothing is glued down, and there is room to move and plenty to cut. Rules state 1" max from the barrel to the deck it is mounted on. I can flip the mount and that will cure that problem, and just rework the superstructure a bit.
That turret looks like it was never designed to rotate. While I know most combat models don't have rotating turrets, almost all historical ships did, and the look of our models tends to follow that. This feels kinda like the 1888 designed Dynamite Gun Ship, USS Vesuvius. Very steampunk!
I plan on adding dummy guns in turrets and casements. I was hoping to have it ready for the 15th in MN, but I think I'll just go and watch. I don't want to rush and it's fun building it without the demand of making a specific ship.
Update: Sheeting is done, bow and stern solid areas done, refitted the main deck and built a rudder. Also packed the stuffing tube and painted the hull for flotation trials. The razzle needs to be touched up, but my good brushes are among the missing, so go easy on me, it's for fun and not a museum. Being Steampunk and fantastical, my colors match the oceans in it's world.
I reworked the razzle paint a bit, hoping for more of a turn of the 20th century look and less of an early Aztec.
I got more done, but not as much as I wanted. I was flat on my back for a few days with back problems, now rolling along again. I mounted the cannons and the base of the super structure to the deck. I painted the smokestack, which will double as a recovery float. Krylon spray paint does not melt pool noodles. I had to cut the brace from the subdeck, and I'll have to add something to make up for it. I ordered the straight magazines and I didn't think of the subdeck. The front cannon position is now in redesign mode. I'll try some 5-minute 2 part epoxy for the motor mount and get that done over the weekend. I also painted the waterline on. Float testing of the hull revealed a total weight of 14lb and an ounce or two, with 9.5 for gear and ballast. It also showed a few small leaks.
