ZHL Royal Caroline Kit, scale 1/30

[neptune]

I have been putting off doing this next part, lots of compound curves, because I added an extra piece to the
transom I cannot use the wood rail supplied in the kit, but have to make a wider one from scratch, I decided
to make it from 1mm marine ply, you can cut this ply with scissors, and build it up in lamination's.






This is the part given in the kit, it is made of pear wood, I used it to make a wider template for the taff rail.






The new template for the rail.




cutting out the part from the 1mm ply, you can see the wider lines marked on it.





I cut a piece of ply to the shape of the inside of the transom and pinned it temporarily in place, it marks
the overhang of the rail on the inside.




another view

 

[neptune]

the first layer of 1mm ply attached.

 

[neptune]

The second layer attached, I showed to my dog and he said, Rough Rough,
once its had its final layer and been sanded and painted it will look the part,
but my dog will still say Rough Rough,

 

[neptune]

This is the third and final layer of the transom capping rail.





I was going to try and put the final layer on in one piece, but ended up doing it in two havles, this is the 1mm
piece of ply lying in front of the transom.




gluing and clamping the starboard half.




rear view





with the clamps removed, still has to be sanded yet.





Transom view.

 

[neptune]

transom view with both sides attached





Port side view, the bottom of the rail has to be trimmed.





Starboard side, the rail on this side has been trimmed.





This shows the holes drilled for the stern lanthorns holding wires, I had a little bit of a problem earlier on in the
build when I accidentally connected the wrong battery and blew all the globes, so I had to remove the back part
of the quarter deck to get access to remove the blown globes, see this pic and the next.





So I'm thinking what to do, I have made another section of deck that will sit over the hole and I was going to
run a small quarter moulding along the front edge, the other option is to put a piece of ply into the hole level
with the deck sitting on a couple of false beams, and then re plank the complete deck, see the next couple a pics.





The new section hasn't been varnished yet, and the skylight does sit along this deck edge, so I'm thinking this
might be the best way to go, I might make up the sky light and put it in place just to see what it looks like.





Another view,

thanks for looking in,
best regards John.

 

[Peglegreg]

G'day John
This might be an idea that you have thought about, why don't you leave that decking lay down and don't glue it on. That way you'll have a way, in the future to replace any burnt out LEDs. With the skylight in place it could be used as a handle to lift that piece of decking up. Etc.

Just s thought mate!
The capping on the transom looks heaps better and after it's painted black, it would be 'just dandy'!
Havagooday tomorrow
Greg

 

[neptune]

Thanks for the suggestion Greg, but the deck will be fixed permanently in place, as there is no way I would be able to access the leds in the cabin, if they do blow,

best regards John.

 

[Maarten]

Hi John the triple layer of 1 mm ply came out very nice, good solution. Curious if the standard part wil fit at my model.

 

[neptune]

G'day Maarten, it depends if you have added any thickness to the transom, my part was pear wood and as I was just trying to see how it fit it snapped in two places, I CA glued it back together on a piece of glass, and used it to mark out the new wider template for the ply wood, so if you are going to try using yours give it a good soaking in hot water,

best regards John.

 

[neptune]

Before attaching the transom rail, I realized that there was no way I could solder the Lanthorn wires to the brass
tubes I had built into the transom, so after attaching the rail, I drilled new holes through the top, then with a ball
milling piece in my dremel I hand routed down the inside face of the transom and through the deck, sanded most
of the varnish off the planks on the inside of the transom, then I fed new wires down through into the space below
the quarter deck, I will only be having lights in the Lanthorns and the main cabin.










I tied a knot on the ends of the wires so they will not disapear into the hull, and had the wires long enough to
reach the back of the main cabin, plenty long enough to work with easily, then I glued a piece of .6mm ply to the
transom taking care to keep the glue away from the channels with the wires in them.





Then I gave the edge of the rail two coats of black, and when dry I replanked the transom, so the idea is that
when I am ready to attach the Lanthorns I will pull the wires up a bit and solder the ends on the Lanthorns to
them and then pull them down into place using the skylight hole.
I am still wondering about the piece of deck, I would like to set it level with the rest of the deck, but I wouldn't
have enough of the same planks to re plank the whole quarter deck again, so I think the easiest way is to have it
sitting on top of the present deck and have the front of the skylight level with the front edge of the deck, and run
a small moulding across the front of it, i will do a mock up and see what it looks like.

 

[Uwek]

A lot of work - great work.....

 

[neptune]

A lot of work - great work.....

Thank you Uwe,

best regards John.

 

[neptune]

I thought as I was working on the quarter deck I would construct the skylight and see
how it would fit in with the new deck section




These are the parts for the skylight





and after gluing and varnishing the two frames together, I painted the lids and added the glazing, the lids are
just sitting in place, trying to decide whether to leave them open or shut.





another view.

 

[mrshanks]

John - your carvings are awesome!!!

 

[neptune]

John - your carvings are awesome!!!

Thank you Mike, I wish I could claim them as mine but all I have done is clean them up and wax them, thank you for your likes and comments,

best regards John.

 

[Peglegreg]

G'day John
Why don't you use the hinges in the kit?
It would be good to see if can work it out and make them, for the rest of the RC builders using your brilliant step by step instructions.

Havagooday mate
Greg

 

[neptune]

Hi Greg, no I won't be making the hinges, I don't see the point, because if I make them
and I want to show the skylight lids open I will have to glue them in place anyway and
that sort of defeats the whole idea, maybe you can give it a go on yours, ,

best regards John.

 

[paulv1958]

I agree with Greg,
make them stiff and you can re position the windows any which way. or use a mini prop to hold them open.

 

[neptune]

So I decided to go with laying the aft part of the quarter deck over what is already there.




So I scored a line through the front edge of the planks and removed the small pieces





Then I glued a plank across the end, after which I glued the skylight frame work to the front edge, and painted
the interior black, the false deck is not yet glued in position, it won't be till the lights have been rigged.




The skylights in position, but not yet glued





another view on the ship




the deck has to have another coat of varnish yet. the Jury is still out on the matter of the hinges

 

[Peglegreg]

There's a loud noise outside your house, and when you looked out,

there's a huge crowed of modelers chanting......

We want hinges, We want hinges, We want hinges........​

I wonder, who spread the word?......

Havagooday mate
Greg