Ilmarinen, the first steamboat in Finland [COMPLETED BUILD]

Moxis said:
Already for many years I have been interested about Ilmarinen, which was the first steamboat in Finland. She was a side wheeler, length x beam 26,2 x 4,0 metres and built 1833 in Puhos, Eastern Finland.
For many years Finland had been supplying timber into St Petersburg (Finland was part of Russia those days). Normally this was achieved with sailships, and journey from eastern Finland into St. Petersburg could last several weeks. At the beginning of 1800 however information about steam powered ships reached Finland too, and a young sawmill owner Nils Ludwig Arppe made decision to have such a boat built locally to shorten considerably the time of transportation.
So in 1833 a new ship was built. She was equipped with a side lever steam engine producing 34 hp and made by Alexandrowski mechanical workshop in St. Petersburg according to plans and instructions of Mr Matthew Clarke from England. She had an open hull so that the boiler and steam engine were easily visible.

Unfortunately not much information has been remained about her, after many studies I found only a few paintings but not enough to start building:

View attachment 147166


But then, when trying to find more information of her, I contacted the Naval History Society of Finland asking possible drawings for Ilmarinen, and it was a big surprise that they had quite nice drawings of the ship and it`s machinery. So finally the build could be started.

View attachment 147167

View attachment 147168


My intention was to build the model in 1/24 scale. So I took the drawings into professional photoshop and asked them to print the drawings in this scale. That went well and in a couple of days I had beautifully printed drawings and the build could be started.
The main idea is to build a radio controlled model of her. Because the steam boiler & engine are very well visible at the ship`s hull, I plan to build her a working engine, powered not with steam but with an electric motor which will be hiding in ship`s construction so that it looks like the steam engine is powering the sidewheels. I hope this main idea will be successful. That we will see in the future.

Anyway the build was started in a usual manner by first preparing a steady base out of thick plywood. Bulkheads were cut of balsa plywood and attached into base, and planking made with strips sawn of aspen.

Making templates for bulkheads of cardboard and using an illuminated desk:

View attachment 147174



Bulkheads attached into the baseplate:

View attachment 147175
Click to expand...
Hallo Matti alias @Moxis ,
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Enjoy your day
Birthday-Cake
How is your work on the Ilmarinen going? I hope you are still working on her. Would be great to see an update
 
Looks great, I revise my estimate of overall length it must be at least 2000mm or more, I am interested to know what wood you used to build her, such a contrast between her nude and painted states. If she is to have an electric motor does that mean she will actually get into the water? I am a bit confused when you say she is destined for a museum. Whatever congratulations on a fine model and some nice looking workshop tools as well. Tony
 
Thanks for your comments and questions Tony!

The overall length of her from the tip of bugspread ( not sure if this is the right word) into stern is 1200 mm.
Bulkheads are sawn of balsa plywood, which is soft, strong and very easy to work with. Planking is aspen, I bought a lump of wood from a timber company and did sawing into 2x6 mm planks by myself.

She had an electric gearmotor with max speed of 150 rpm which was located under the foredeck, and drive from there was made under the port side internal planking with a horizontal 6 mm roller chain into a pair of sprockets, from where a short vertical roller chain was used to power the side wheel shaft.
And yes, the first idea was to install radio control equipment and use her in water too, but when the museum insisted to have her into their collections, I changed plans and removed motor, power train, smoke generator and electronics, because when standing at museum vitrine, they will be never used in this ship and can be utilized in another model. Here is a link into the museum:

www.savonlinna.fi

RU

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www.savonlinna.fi www.savonlinna.fi
 
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Thanxs to the birthday-reply, your build-log took my attention. Nice to see the build of your steamboat side-wheeler. During your build I was not a member of this fantastic forum.
But now I have seen: my compliments for your build from the plans.
And great your model got to the museum. You must feel honored.
Regards, Peter
 
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