The Great Republic 1:48

I have a confession to make. I didn't hit a lick at the GR this whole past week. As I said before bad things come in threes and the third thing was my sciatic nerve went crazy and laid me up for the whole week. I am better now but it sure hurt bad for awhile. So there is no progress on the GR at all and everything sits as I left it last week.
Looks like I'll have to try it again this week coming up. Cheers!
 
It's been two weeks since my last post and it took every bit of that time to finish the second deck. Guess I was too optimistic on the time it would take to finish this dek but it's finally done and looks pretty good I think. The next deck will be at the sheerline and I'll need to level out the sides so the line is equal on both sides. It's close now but I can get it refined a bit too. I have given up on installing any cargo on these decks. The decks are way to big and I just can't bring myself to spend the bucks for that. I also think the cargo would add a lot to the weight of the model and it's going to weigh enough as it is. I've let the second deck run into the stern area since there is more room at this level than below.The sheerline deck will have housing cabins on it so there will be some cargo area below it under the rear cabin for the Captain. I still don't know what this area is supposed to look like but I'll know pretty soon. Another thing is the stanchions for the next deck. They are all turned posts in the plans so I'm going to try and figure out a way to turn them all the same. May as well learn how to do this now as there are turned stanchions all along the upper rail too. However as soon as the decks are complete to the sheer plank level I'll be able to turn the hull over an start on the planking for the outside.
Meantime here are a few pis of the latest progress.
#1) Stem to stern picture of the semi finished second deck. Still need the holes drilled for the masts.
#2) Stern section with the second deck extended to the stern frame. The lower deck was stopped by the mast step framing.
#3) The second deck extends into the very stern area with more cargo room. It's narrow back there.
#4) Bow to stern. The larger holes are for the water tanks which I think I'll fashion from brass.
#5) A shot showing the interior under the second deck.
#6) the lower cargo area but not enough room to get a good picture.

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Rob or Rich once suggested making a special blade from a piece of steel for turning multiple stanchions. Can anyone elaborate on how to go about making such a blade? Can these blades be bought? Not sure where to start and what kind of metal to use. Pete
 
Norgale said:
Rob or Rich once suggested making a special blade from a piece of steel for turning multiple stanchions. Can anyone elaborate on how to go about making such a blade? Can these blades be bought? Not sure where to start and what kind of metal to use. Pete
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You can simply use a hacksaw blade. Or suitable hard steel metal. By using a Drexel cut off disc… cut the profile into the blade after you modify the blades end to be flat. Cut the spindle profile into the blade…….. making sure to create a cutting edge in the profile. Then chuck up your dowel into a drill motor and as it turns, drag the new profiled blade against the dowel till you carve the profile into the dowel. Repeat till you have enough.

Rob
 
Hi Rob. The hack saw blade is a good idea. Hadn't thought of that. I'll try to use this small wood lathe that I bought and see if it will work. I could hold the cutting piece with some clamps for a handle. I'm sure having fun now. I'm trying to find something already made for the stanchions and some smaller ones for the upper deck railing. Takes 38 on the deck and about 80 for the rail. Be nice to find them already made. Pete.
 
I guess time flies when you're having fun and the last few weeks have flown. The GR is in a state of limbo for a bit while I arrange for another supplier of basswood sticks. I have found a website by Handley House that sells Midwest basswood strips and they also sell their own brand, presumably manufactured by themselves at slightly higher prices. I'm not out of lumber yet but I have been waiting several weeks now for a Midwest order and some of the new Handley House sticks to see what they are like. I read an article on line about the trees that basswood is made from and it shows about four different trees that basswood is cut from. I wondered if the wood from one tree is different from the wood of another tree when you try to use them together. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Been doing a lot of outside work lately as the weather has been sooooo nice. It's summer time here now while the rest of the country is covered with snow and ice so now is the time when we get to go out and play without roasting in the sun, Consequently work in the ship yard has slowed quit a bit and so have my reports to you. However I am doing some night work on the third deck of the GR and there are a few pics attached. I decided to turn the stanchions myself since no commercial products seem to be available. I'm just turning the main stanchions down the middle of the third deck since they need to be fatter than the already made items that I manged to find. I did find 1/4" turned stanchions from Handley House since they carry a lot of doll house building items. They will do well for the top deck and the top railing but the lower ones on the third deck needed to be 1/2" and that's what nobody seems to make. Also the stern is being filled in on the inside but that has a bit to go to be finished. After this third deck is finished it will be time to turn the hull over and start working on the outside hull planking. The fourth deck from the planksheer up will have to wait for the hull to be planked first. That's all there is for the moment. Pete

PS; I just turned 83 and I am shocked that I have lasted this long.

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Pete,

I’m not sure what article that you were able to find, but the Wood Database says that Basswood can be mistaken for woods of the Aspen species aka Poplar. IMHO, Aspen is an inferior wood to Basswood. It’s much softer. I also have a piece of wood that I suspect is Cottonwood which I also consider to be an inferior species. It would not surprise me if hobby suppliers are substituting the alternative species under the name Basswood. When you get your lumber, look up Poplar and you will find an article about how to determine which of the two species that you have.

Roger
 
Thanks for that Roger. Midwest has always been my brand for lumber and Northeastern, now out of business, was another. Handley House I had never heard of but they are in the doll house business so I wouldn't have looked there for lumber. I came across them while cruising the internet for the stanchions. Actually they carry a lot of different lines and lots of items are good for ships and railroad models including electrical gadgets and a bunch of LED lights. I may go for some lighting in the hold and in the cabins etc. but haven't decided that yet.
 
Kurt Konrath said:
You might look at Doll House Supply companies, as many of them have premade columns for railings in various scales.
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I have checked with doll house sites since I found Handley House and the scales are 1:12, 1:24 and 1:48 with the larger being the standard scale for these houses. I just couldn't find the right item for the stanchions so I made my own. The upper decks use a smaller post for lighter loads and I was able to get what I wanted in that scale. You'll see them on the upper deck when I get through planking the outer hull sometime this year.
 
Norgale said:
I read an article on line about the trees that basswood is made from and it shows about four different trees that basswood is cut from. I wondered if the wood from one tree is different from the wood of another tree when you try to use them together. Does anyone have any experience with this?
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Yes - happy birthday! The best timber sold as basswood is probably European Lime, Tilia.Cordata - there are several closely related species plus hybrids. This video is about carving in this material - a favourite of Grinling Gibbons, a Brit described as the Michelangelo of wood-carving. I have set the link to start at the point this is mentioned.

 
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