Shipbuilder Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) The steel-hulled British barque East African, completed by Robert Duncan, Port Glasgow in 1895. With a gross tonnage of 1,731, the East African had a length of 252.5 feet, and a beam of 39 feet. When completed, she was decorated with painted ports, but in later years, the hull was painted grey for economical reasons. In 1911, the ship was sold, and renamed Risor, later Skomedal. She was converted to a hulk in 1918. The model will show the vessel as new, with painted ports. It will be a full hulled type with furled sails. I started construction a few days ago. The basic hull has been assembled using the bread-and butter method. It will be in a dispaly case rather than a bottle! Bottled models are rather too difficult for me! Edited March 4, 2016 by Shipbuilder Landlubber Mike, IgorSky, prutser and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kelly Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Hi Bob "It will be in a dispaly case rather than a bottle! Bottled models are rather too difficult for me! :o" I am sure that with your skills you would be more than capable of managing a SIB. However, I am a firm believer in doing what suits you best and your models attest to you being very good at what you do. I am sure this will be a fine model as are all the others you have shown on this forum. Bernard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 Thanks Bernard, I would have no chance with a bottle - don't have the right temprement. I just couldn't be bothered trying to make it all fold down and up again. I don't like knots which is why I never use them, and all the rigging is wire glued on. It looks pretty rough at the moment, but very soon it will smarten up! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2016 Did a bit more hull shaping. Added clipper bow, and stern post. Still looking a bit rough, but not as rough as yesterday. Bob jerry552, IgorSky and JesseLee 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 Sunday, March 6th, 2016 Some progress has been made with the clipper bow, and raised forecastle. The scored maindeck, and forecastle decks are in position. The bowsprit is temporarily in its socket, but will need to be tapered down quite a lot before it is fitted permanently. The next task will be to fit the raised poop and counter stern, and then the bulwarks along the maindeck. Bob John Zuch and IgorSky 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 I have now done a lot more smoothing and shaping, and the hull is beginning to look a bit better. As far as general interest is concerned, this one is proving to be a bit of a "damp squib." But I feel that it is going to be a "good one." I particularly dislike this stage of a build where it is all a bit of a mess and dust everywhere due to the shaping and smoothing. But I am not far off the "fitting out" stage, that I can begin after the bulwarks are fitted and the hull painted. Bob IgorSky, John Zuch, JesseLee and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2016 Bulwarks fitted and final smoothing complete. At the local ship model club today, all it achieved was blank stares, and not a single comment! So I guess this one is now confirmed as a "damp squib!" I will push on and complete it though! Bob John Zuch and JesseLee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSiemens Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 I don't know about a damp squid. I think she's coming a long nicley. The bulks look great and she has some nice lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Thanks, maybe popular here, but elsewhere very little interest. I have asked a few modellers why, and the answers are usually the same. Too small, and cargo-carrying merchant ships simply do not have the "romance" of warships! When the local club puts on exhibitions, most vistors would just pass them by with a casual glance at most, and head for the larger models, bristling with guns, fancy carvings and flags! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exwafoo Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 Must have been the 'big is better' brigade Looking good to me. Alan JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JesseLee Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 I can't understand that. Big has it's merits but so does small. It's harder to include more detail the smaller it is. As for "romance" any tall ship at sea does it for me. Warship, cargo ship, it doesn't matter, I love it all. Your modeling is outstanding to me. Jesse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 Thank you. It has always been the same though, whatver the size. Commercial merchant ships will always take a "back seat" when compared to warships. Apart from the ever-popular Cutty Sark and Titanic, of course! The general public, the world over, seem to make it a point of honour to refer to merchant ships as "boats," but you never ever hear them referring to large naval vessels as battleboats, warboats etc, although the gunboat is legitimately named! The reason I am here, and not on other forums, is because we all specialise in small to miniature models, and are not generally under the thumb of "kit" manufacturers who now dominate all other fields of ship modelling! Bob JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 I have now fitted the poop half-round, and poop deck planking. The side plating to the forecastle has been fitted. The portholes are simply drilled in and look neat enough. The black bulwarks have been painted, and the decks varnished with picture varnish. The bulwark panels look a bit messy in places, but this is of no great concern as in that area, they will be hidden under the rope coils. If you peer at it closely enough, the deck planking has becomre visible since it was varnished. You will all be aware how close-up images can make the work look pretty awful, but when more detail is fitted, it will look a lot neater, as people tend to look at the model as a whole, rather than focussing on one particular spot. The next task will be to fit the white belt of plating with the painted ports on it. Then the hull plating below that, paint the lower part with red oxide, and finally, the grey between the ports and the red. Finally, make and fit the rudder and figurehead. Then the more intersting work of "fitting out" can begin. Bob John Zuch, jerry552 and JesseLee 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSiemens Posted March 14, 2016 Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 As far as the earlier conversation I agree. We have had a people's choice type award in our club and the same few people always won because they built massive ships of the line with tons of guns. The ships in bottles get noticed because of the wow factor of fitting a model into a bottle but that's as far as they look. Miniatures are hardly noticed. I think people probably associate them with toys and don't realise the inovation that goes into them. I also like not being constrained to kits. I tell people all the time the best part about scratch building is the freedom. You literally can do anything you want. I think people view as more technical then it really is. The deck does look great. I see what you mean with some mistakes. A few lines aren't quite as even as they should be. I've started planking decks with this method and the hardest part is making those darn lines evenly spaced. You are right though with the fittings no one will notice. It's takes a macro photo for us to notice. JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 I often see things in the macro image that I had not noticed in the model. This allows me to go back and correct things before it is too late. So, the digital camera is a very useful tool, apart from its more obvious uses of just taking photographs! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) After looking at the last images, I decided that the bulwark panels were not good enough, so I removed them! The new ones were to my old pattern of white panels on a brown background, rather than the other way round. As the actual panel colour scheme on the East African is not known to me, this area is guesswork only. I have now put the painted ports on one side, not the easiest of tasks. It requires great care, but I am happy with the result. After the ports are on the other side, I will plate the hull below them, and then complete the hull painting. Bob Edited March 16, 2016 by Shipbuilder jerry552 and JesseLee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasseur Posted March 17, 2016 Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 Looks a lot better Bob! Nice sharp lines ... Well done* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 Thanks, i am now 15.6 hours into the build, spread over 11 days, average 1.4 hours a day. I should speed up a lot after the hull plating and painting is complete. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSiemens Posted March 17, 2016 Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 Looking good. I find the hull itself to be the most tedious. Deck details and rigging go much faster for me. It sounds like you may be the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 Yes indeed. I find the masting & rigging very easy. Also, I find steamers very much more complicated than sailing ships because of the numerous decks, rails, portholes, boats, ladders, windows, deck machinery etc. East African will soom be progressing a lot faster. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 I have now put the painted ports on the port side, and plated the hull with alternate strips of writing paper. When painted, this will give an accurate portrayal of the raised and sunken strake method of plating that was always used in iron and steel sailing ships of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The next task will be to spray paint the red oxide underwater colouring. Then, the grey area, between the ports and red oxide, will be painted on by hand, and then, the black stripe under the ports will be added. The outside of the hull will be completed by the addition of the rudder and figurehead. Bob John Zuch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 I have now painted the hull. I still need to make and fit the figurehead and rudder, then I can get on with the deck fittings. Note the plating strakes showing up to just the right amount. Bob IgorSky, JesseLee and John Zuch 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JesseLee Posted March 18, 2016 Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 Wow! Looking great. The detail is awesome! Jesse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) I have now made and fitted rudder, figurehead, bowsprit and hawsepipes. The model is now fixed to the building board so that I do not need to touch it during the rest of the build. The boring part is now over, and the more interesting work is about to begin. Bob Edited March 19, 2016 by Shipbuilder JesseLee, IgorSky, John Zuch and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Although I don't appear to have done much in the last few days, I have assembled the display case, complete with its wood moulding around the base. As far as the ship is concerned, I have fitted the poop and forecastle bulkheads, complete with portholes and doors. The portholes are again, just drilled in. The rope coils have been fitted along the inside of the bulwarks in the way of fore, main and mizzen masts. Three short mast stubs have been fitted in the hull, and the three lower masts have been temporarily slid over them. The next task is to make and fit the pin rails round the base of each mast. Then I can move on to the rest of the deck fittings.. Bob JesseLee, Landlubber Mike and John Zuch 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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