Paddleducks
Paddler Modelling => Construction => Topic started by: Don on March 03, 2011, 09:53:19 AM
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I'm building the Paddle Steamer Presto. She was built as the Fergus by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow in a very short time and was launched in Dec 1863. She was purpose built to run the Union blockade. She reportedly made 20.5 knots on her trials. She made three runs through the blockade. The first two runs were to Wilmington. On her third run to Charleston in early February, 1864 she ran up on a wreck in front of Confederate fortifications on Sullivan's Island on the north side of the harbor entrance. When the sun came up the next morning she was still stranded and came under fire from Union batteries on the South side of the harbor entrance and by Union monitors. She was a total loss but most of her cargo was recovered by the Confederates.
I live only a couple of miles from where the Presto was destroyed so I was thrilled when I found these plans on EBay (see picture). I don't have much modeling experience. This is my second attempt to build from scratch. The first attempt was a failure. After getting the plans, I ordered a set of paddlewheels made by Graupner for their Glasgow Tug kit. The size of the paddlewheels set the scale at roughly 1:40th. This required me to upscale the plans by a factor of 2.3 resulting in a length of 64 inches.
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A beautiful ship. Look forward to seeing the model.
Andy
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Don has posted a number of photos in his gallery - You can find them at:
http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=123;u=2067
Regards
Eddy
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Don has posted a number of photos in his gallery - You can find them at:
http://www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=123;u=2067
Regards
Eddy
Thanks Eddy. Good pictures.
Beautiful job Don. Have you posted video anywhere? Had a look on YouTube but nothing obvious.
Regards
Andy
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Andy,
I have not made any videos of the model but would like to. My problem is I don't own a video camera. I'll have to borrow one some time.
Don
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April, 2010: In the picture you can see that I have all 26 bulkheads up on the keel and have started the planking. I used bass wood. Here's where my inexperience caused some problems for me. After raising all the sections the keel hogged a bit forward. I was able to straighten it out, but it is still a bit hogged. It is not very noticeable, but since I know its there I see it everytime I look at the model. Also, I did not line all of the sections up exactly which resulted in some imperfections in the hull and deck. I guess I can do better with my next build. Also, I did not try to put any camber in the deck because I though it would complicate things too much. Maybe I'll try that next time as well.
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You should be proud of your work on the Presto Don. It's a superb model!
Every time you build a model they get just that little bit better than the last one - However I doubt you'll ever build a perfect model that your happy with in every respect! I've been building models for 40 years and there is always something that I could have done better, or that I know I got wrong!
As the builder, all the little imperfections are obvious to you, but rest assured, the majority of people that look at it will never spot them!
Regards
Eddy
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Eddy,
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I'm sure you're right. I am doing a pretty good job of not letting the imperfections ruin the fun. I have a little rule I follow. I don't go backwards! If I make a little mistake I resist going back to make it exactly right. That way I keep moving forward and learning. I really am enjoying this, and it has taught me something I'm applying to other parts of my life. The lesson is this - You can accomplish great things if you just keep working at it.
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Now this picture is one month later in May 2010. I am pretty much finished with "planking" the hull. I was trying to build the model the same way the ship was built so I used large "plates" of bass wood to simulate the iron plating used to build the real Presto. The plans do not show the complete planking plan, but they do show that the plates were overlapping and that there were 4 to 5 plates used to cover from the keel to the bottom of the bulwarks. The bulwarks on the real ship were made of wood. I do regret how I used two rows of narrow strips to cover gaps in the planking. These resulted in two rather prominent "bulges" that run lengthwise above and below the waterline. These really should not be there. That's another lesson learned and something to do better next time. At this point I was getting really excited because I could see the beautiful lines of the ship and her long, narrow form taking shape.
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...She was built as the Fergus by Alexander Stephens and Sons in Glasgow in a very short time and was launched in Dec 1863. ... She reportedly made 20.5 knots on her trials. ...
:o unbelievable! In 1863? I'm shoked. She was a fasted ship of that time.
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Yes, I was surprised too. Just as shocking is the fact that the ship was built in just six weeks!
I found this information on the internet at a very informative book that was on-line about the builders titled "A Shipbuilding History, 1750-1932 (Alexander Stephen and Sons). Here is the quote from Chapter two:
In the same year, 1863, in answer to the demand for blockade runners for the American Civil War, the paddle steamers Fergus (the Fergus was later renamed the Presto) and Dare were built in the record time of six weeks, the former doing 20.5 knots on trial.
Here's the link:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/wiki/A_Shipbuilding_History._1750-1932_(Alexander_Stephen_and_Sons):_Chapter_2
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Another month later and its now June 2010. The picture below shows the model waiting to be loaded back in the car after I took her to our local swimming pool to see how well she floated. I nearly ruined the model on this day because I had not sufficiently waterproofed the hull (long story) and water seeped into the wood. The planks along the bottom of the keel near the rudder separated and the rudder post curved significantly to one side. Luckily I was able to straighten everything out. I later waterproofed the hull by applying a product called Glovit made by West Marine. It is an epoxy based product used to waterproof real boats. I applied two coats inside and out. It was easy to apply and worked very well, but it was expensive ($60 US).
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July, 2010: Here you can see I have painted the hull in light blue. My reading told me blockade runners were painted in light grey and light blue because these colors were found to make the ships nearly invisible at night. This might be a bit too blue, but I think it looks good. I then started working on a simple (to match my skills) drive system. I purchased the Dumas 12v motor that is gear reduced to 147 rpm. Dumas says this motor is matched to their Mount Washington paddle steamer so I figured it must be close to my needs. I purchased the sprockets and plastic chain from Motionco. I was really pleased with how easy it was to work with their chain and sprockets. Here's their website: http://www.motionco.co.uk/.
I wasn't sure how fast the paddle wheels needed to turn. On the internet I found a reference that stated the Waverly does 18 knots at 56 RPM so I decided to shoot for that and give it a try. I bought two 6 volt batteries and wired them in series. Luckily, I found I was able to fit the batteries in the two openings in the deck that would later be covered by the tops of the boiler casings.
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Hi PD's......Don....you will find a number of threads on model paddle shaft speed in the forum :gathering ....some suggest actual multiplied by the square root of the scale :porkies
But........many examples come in using a speed controller & running from approx 150 RPM down
Your own trails will confirm a desired result which involves....
Paddle diameter, number of paddles, paddle width + desired vessel speed..so you could simply wire your batteries in series to commence your trials....... :beer ....Derek
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Thanks for the note and guidance Derek. I should have joined Paddle Ducks much earlier and sought this advice and knowledge. It would have saved me a lot of time.
Don
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August 2010. The attached photo shows the boat on our local pond at speed on trials. My initial trials in the local swimming pool showed that 57 RPM did not move the boat along very well. So, I put a larger sprocket on the motor output shaft and got the RPM up to around 115 RPM. You can see in the picture that at that speed the boat makes a nice wake and appears to move close to scale top speed. I was real happy with how the boat moved through the water. With no decks, bulwarks or superstructure the boat had a low center of gravity and little surface area for the wind to push around. I knew all that would change when I added decks, bulwarks, funnels, but I was also comforted by the knowledge that blockade runners were purposely built low to the water with little superstructure to make them more difficult to detect.
This is where I learned that scale rudders do not have enough surface area to give a model boat a good turning radius. I may retrofit with an extended rudder similar to Connaught at a later time.
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Don, unlike boats with props, paddler rudders aren't really in the flow of water from the paddle wheels, so they are always poor at turning - That is also true of most of the full sized vessels!
The slower you go the less effect the rudder will have, so try to keep the power on at a reasonable level when turning - Of course increasing the rudder size will definitely help! If it's still poor at turning, you could look at installing seperate drives to each paddle wheel, and use a mixer, such as those made my ACTion Electronics http://www.action-electronics.co.uk/mixers.php
Regards
Eddy
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Eddy,
Makes perfect sense when you think about it. With a screw in front of the rudder, the prop wash gets to push on the rudder. So, now I'm not as concerned about the turning radius of the model and will probably keep it like it is. I'd say it turns pretty well for a paddler.
Don
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September, 2010: See attached photos. Now that I have the motor and paddles moving at a good speed I moved on to covering the paddleboxs. These were a challenge for me but I was happy with how they came out. I left slots in the paddleboxes where the steps are going to be. My theory was that these would make it easier to align and mount the steps when I got to that part of the build. I also stepped the two masts and was ready to move on to the decking after this.
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Hi PD's......Don....looking at your posting 000001.jpg of the rudder.....the rudder image is loosly triangular in shape :hammer
A very simple alternate variation/fix would be to produce a "barn door" rudder [rectangular of square] in profile....if you kept to the same envelope dimensions you would have approx 30% more rudder surface area & hence proportionally better steerage
Keep the :kewlpics coming.....Derek
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October 2010: You can see here that I'm planking the deck. It took a while but I'm happy with the result. The model is big enough that I was able to use the openings in the deck for the cabin between the paddle boxes and the cabin house aft, along with the two openings for the two boiler casings to access the motor, batteries, ballast and steering servo. There appear to be a few advantages to building big. The disadvantage will come when I'm finished and ready to display it. Where am I going to put it?
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Still October 2010. I have finished covering the deck now and have moved on to making the bulwarks. On the real ship the hull was made of iron and the bulwarks were made of wood. On the first picture you can see where I tried a bit of nibbing into the king plank on the foredeck. It came out pretty well for my first go at it, but I could use more practice. Unfortunately, the best run of nibbing is covered by the turtleback now so you can't really see it. Oh well, I know its there!
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November 2011: Work continues on the bulwarks and on the sponsons. It was relatively straight forward and fun to do. I especially enjoyed making the part of the bulwark that curves out onto the sponsons. I think these graceful lines are one of the most beautiful features of the ship. I also finished making the grating that comprises the sponsons.
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This is a very nice build and a beautiful model.
What are the spaces between planks on the paddlewheel top/back covering for?
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I made the spaces for the steps that went up the paddle boxes. I had never built a model like this and I was afraid the steps were going to be difficult to align. You will see in later pictures how it looks with the steps in place. I'm not sure this was a good method. It worked well and came out fine, but I don't think it was worth the extra time. If I were building the model again I would do it without the spaces.
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Thanks!
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I'm following this build with just as much interest as all the others - including my own ;D
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I'm following this build with just as much interest as all the others - including my own ;D
I always enjoy the build threads, to me it's the most interesting part of the forum. I only wish that more people would take the time to do it! We can all learn from the methods used by others....
Regards
Eddy
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December 2010: OK, the bulwarks and sponsons are finished. Now on to the turtleback. "Turtlebacks" were fitted to many blockade runners to help them cope with the large waves they encountered in the open Atlantic. Presto's bow was covered with a wooden turtleback. It looks like the turtleback probably made it more difficult for the crew to enter the forward hatch to get to the forecastle. But, this is a blockade runner, they were made for speed, not comfort. In the third picture you can see I finished with the turtleback and moved on to the pilothouse and cabins. You can also see the framing for the widows that looked down on the engine. One of these days I want to see one of the surviving direct acting steam engines like on PS Waverly. I'll have to plan on making a trip to Glasgow!
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PDs,
I borrowed a poor quality video camera and took a quick shot of Presto making a high speed pass. At the end of the run I put the helm all the way to starboard and you can see how she responds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjx1yKMhOlY&feature=feedwll
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Hi Don,
Very elegant! She has a great looking bow and paddle wave pattern.
The full rudder looks very scale ... will we be seeing her at Paddler day ?
Nice work!
Regards,
Kim
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Looks so elegant and so unhurried easy lady. :sunglasses
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Hi Don,
Very elegant! She has a great looking bow and paddle wave pattern.
The full rudder looks very scale ... will we be seeing her at Paddler day ?
Nice work!
Regards,
Kim
I'm afraid not Kim. I don't have the funds right now to afford a trip over to that side of the Atlantic. Perhaps in a few years after I get my daughters through university!
Sincerely,
Don
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Hi Don,
Very elegant! She has a great looking bow a+++nd paddle wave pattern.
The full rudder looks very scale ... will we be seeing her at Paddler day ?
Nice work!
Regards,
Kim
I'm afraid not Kim. I don't have the funds right now to afford a trip over to that side of the Atlantic. Perhaps in a few years after I get my daughters through university!
Sincerely,
Don
Hi Don,
I congretulate you to this very well built and fascinating model. Where one can get a plan of this elegant ship?
I am also very interestet about ships of the civil war.
My presentation of the 1 : 48 model of blockade runner "Hope" you find at "construction" at September 07 in 2008.
Sincerely
Tom
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Hi Don,
Very elegant! She has a great looking bow a+++nd paddle wave pattern.
The full rudder looks very scale ... will we be seeing her at Paddler day ?
Nice work!
Regards,
Kim
I'm afraid not Kim. I don't have the funds right now to afford a trip over to that side of the Atlantic. Perhaps in a few years after I get my daughters through university!
Sincerely,
Don
Hi Don,
I congretulate you to this very well built and fascinating model. Where one can get a plan of this elegant ship?
I am also very interestet about ships of the civil war.
My presentation of the 1 : 48 model of blockade runner "Hope" you find at "construction" at September 07 in 2008.
Sincerely
Tom
Tom,
Thank you for you comments. I am glad to get them, especially from a great model builder like yourself. I noticed your outstanding model of the PS Hope some time ago. It looks to be a stunning model, especially with the steam propulsion.
I got the plans for the Presto (built as the Fergus) form a dealer on eBay. He has another set of plans for sale now. Here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/sidewheel-steamer-fergus-dare-ship-boat-model-boat-plan-/200586283938?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb3dfcba2
He also had plans for the Hope for sale but I don't see then now.
The plans also depict the PS Dare which was a sister to the Fergus except she had a quarterdeck instead of a deckhouse.
I hope you get the plans and decide to build a working steam model similar to Hope!
Sincerely,
Don
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Hi Don,
thank you very much for your kindly words and the information about the plan.
I think, also your model is really breathtaking and I will expect the day, when it will be finished in it's whole elegance!
Tom
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January 2011: I've been working on this model steadily for nearly a year now. This is the fun part. In the first picture you can see that I've nearly finished the cabins in front of the paddle boxes and the pilot house to include the hurricane deck on top of it. I used painted paper stock to make the trim. In the future I think I'll stick with wood. When those were complete I started on the paddle box steps. I was dreading these for some time thinking they would be difficult, but they were not difficult at all - just took a while. The slots I left in the paddle boxes helped immensely with the alignment and as a result they are straight and stout. I also built the two casings for the boilers and the smoke stacks. The casings are a complex shape so I built up the rough shape with bass wood and then carved it out. You can see how far they stick up out of the deck because of the ship's low freeboard.
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Hi Don,
Really enjoying your build thread, she looks fantastic, and sits so well on the water.
Her "Clyde built" lines really stand out on your model.
regards
Clark
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Hi Don,
Really enjoying your build thread, she looks fantastic, and sits so well on the water.
Her "Clyde built" lines really stand out on your model.
regards
Clark
Thank you Clark. These were beautiful ships and I am glad you think I'm doing it right. It is ironic that you live close to where the Presto was built and I live close to where she was wrecked.
Sincerely,
Don
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February, 2011: I completed the aft cabin house which was relatively easy. Again, I used card stock to make the trim pieces. I also made my first skylight. In the second and third pictures you can see the model on our local pond again. I decided at this point to go with a light grey color above the top rail. I think it looked better than the single light blue color. The only reference I found that discussed the real ship's color was a report from a Union Army officer who witnessed the ship's destruction and wrote in his report that she had white smoke stacks. A Boston Herald reporter who also witnessed the ship's end described her as "a splendid looking side-wheel steamer, with two smoke stacks and rakish masts". The Scotsman from September 15, 1863 reported, "...and a very fine new paddle steamer named the Fergus, of 100 tons, which is said to have great power and to sail very fast, have cleared for Nassau, and are manned by picked crews of thirty hands...."
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The details on the cabins look very nice.
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March 2011: Work on Presto continues. In the first picture you can see the model loaded in the back of my van and ready to go to our nearby pond for an early morning swim. The boiler casings/funnels are removed. I can put my hands in the resulting hole for a good handle to lift the boat. The batteries for the motor also go through them. You can also see the hatch for the aft fire room just behind the pilot house and off to starboard. The hatch to the forward fire room is in front of the galley. In the second picture you can see the boat at full speed and making a nice wake. In the third picture you can see that I added the steering wheel, binnacle and the vents for the boilers. I ordered the vents from Cornwall model boats. They were made by RB. I had to add extra length to them because they were too short. The binnacle was also made by RB. I also made a funnel for the galley stove.
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OK so now its April and I'm still attending to all the little details. I found some nice ladder kits that were very close to the scale of the model. I can't imagine making these myself, but I know there are skilled modelers out there who do. I also used "Britannia" strips to make three mast bands around each funnel. I fabricated the two exhaust condensers from bass wood. In the third picture you can see the forward condenser jutting out in front of the funnel. It looks to be about the size of a barrel. I would think that a return pipe of some sort would need to run from the condenser back to the water supply, but the drawings/plans don't show anything, so I'm not sure how these would function. I know very little about steam engines and I haven't been able to find any pictures of exhaust condensers like these. If anyone has any pictures of condensers like these please post them. I'll appreciate it.
In the first picture you can see where I started on the railings around the hurricane deck and paddle boxes. I used brass stanchions and brass rod for the rails. I hated to paint the nice brass light grey, but a blockade runner would not leave that much reflective metal showing, and I figure they were probably made from iron anyway.
In the second picture you can see the model on my local pond. Even though the model is not finished, I really like taking it to the pond for a spin now and then.
Don
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The small details make her alive
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that picture of her on the water really does you justice. great work indeed
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I appreciate all the nice comments from PD members.
It is pretty much down to the small details now. Mostly the rigging, railing etc...
You can see in the second attachment a good picture of Presto at speed with some more details added, namely the railings along the paddleboxes and hurricane deck, and the stanchions on the turtleback. I also made the crows nest on the foremast. You'll also notice portholes in the forecastle and in the cabins and head forward of the paddleboxes. The third picture shows the detail of the foremast and some of the rigging. This is the first time I've ever made spars. I found it to be very rewarding and not too difficult. Rigging the deadeyes and then the shrouds was a bit of a challenge but not too bad after I learned a trick or two. The first picture is a close up of the bridge area. I replaced the 8 spoke wheel that I first put on with a 12 spoke wheel. I think this one looks more scale. Further aft you'll note the davits for the boats. I think I'm going to have to build the boats because I can't find the right scale and size to fit my model. That will probably be the last thing I do.
Don
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Have you checked the Quaycraft range of ships boats Don? They really are super quality!
They are stocked By Model Dockyard here in the UK - http://www.model-dockyard.com/acatalog/Quaycraft.html
Regards
Eddy
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Have you checked the Quaycraft range of ships boats Don? They really are super quality!
They are stocked By Model Dockyard here in the UK - http://www.model-dockyard.com/acatalog/Quaycraft.html
Regards
Eddy
Thanks Eddy. Found one that looks like it will work well. That will save me some time!
Don
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Fellow Paddlers,
I'm somewhat sad to announce that I'm finished with my build of the PS Presto. I'm happy with the way she came out. I ended up building the lifeboats myself and I enjoyed doing it. They were like little models in themselves. The model looks superb on the water and makes a nice wake. On the downside, she takes up a lot of room in the house because of her large size. I had a case made specially to protect her and bought a large piece of furniture to rest her on.
I'm glad to see Bernie is building a smaller, more manageable version. I can't wait to see how she comes out. She was a beautiful steamer.
I attached some pictures of the completed model in her case and on my local pond.
Paddleducks rule!!
Don
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Hi Don
Your superb model looks absolutely splendid in all locations!
As I have said somewhere else, she has been an inspiration to me in the last year and I doubt if my smaller version will come out anywhere near the quality of your lovely model.
When I started out on my model I, like you, would have found the size at normal model boat scales would have produced a result too big for my already boat-infested home! However there are some real challenges at the size I have selected and I have had to work hard to fit everything in...not a problem you might have had!!
Anyway, I am sure you will soon be inspired to begin your next project. There is plenty of potential in the history of where you live...how about a 'Hunley' or a 'Chicora/Palmetto State'?
Cheers.......Bernie
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Bernie,
Please keep us up to date on your project.
I am going to take a break from ship building for a while now and concentrate on other pursuits. My next model will be another paddler. There was also a side wheel steamer named "Chicora" during the American Civil War. She was built of steel in 1864 in Liverpool. Unlike Presto she survived the war and became an excursion boat on the Great Lakes. I attached a picture of her in post-war superstructure.
Don
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OK Don
I wasn't aware of the paddler 'Chicora'. If she was a blockade runner she must have been very lucky to survive given the high freeboard and superstructure...she would have been easy for the Feds to spot and hit?!
I'll be posting further progress on here soon but I've been a bit slowed up due to my wife's hospitalisation and recent home return....I had to get out my nurse's uniform!
Best Regards...Bernie
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Bernie,
The picture I posted is of the Chicora after the war when she served as an excursion boat on the Great Lakes.
During the war the ship had very little structure above the weather deck and she looked a lot like our Presto.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Don
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Hi Don
Thanks for that which explains everything!
No progress to report over Xmas as I have been de-focussed by the presence of my grandchildren for the Holiday period!
Likewise a Happy New Year to you and your family.
Cheers....Bernie