Making odds and ends....

[Eddy Matthews]

After making a 1:12 scale oil lamp for one of my projects, Stuart Badger has generously agreed to do some tutorials on making those odds and ends that cannot easily be sourced from our normal suppliers. Only hand tools will be used, so we can all duplicate what he does (hopefully), but of course that also means that some bits will be impossible, so please be realistic on what you ask for!

Stuart used to make this sort of thing professionally, so he knows what he's talking about!

So he needs suggestions from you! What would you like to see made, what scale? If possible, include a photo of the item.

Remember that these will be tutorials, so don't expect Stuart to start making bits specially for you and shipping them around the world!! The idea is for him to show you how to do it, so you can make your own!

I already have a list of things I'd like to ask about!

Regards
Eddy

[Talisman]

Good idea and thanks Stuart.
Perhaps you can give advise on best way to make scroll work, for example the boxes for my Talisman.
Many thanks
Kim

[Stuart Badger]

Now - I can attempt this one but there are certain requirements. You need a decent photo or drawing and I need to know what scale you are working to.

Normally I would make scrollwork either (if large) by carving in pear wood, or by carving in wax making a plaster or plasticine mould and using casting resin having melted the wax out for medium size scroll work.

I can show you how to do it just using plasticard and a craft knife - but I do need a drawing or photo with some detail!
Stuart

[R.G.Y.]

I am buy no means a professional, but a method I have used i small scale is to cut the shape from paper, and building the layers up,(like decoupage) sticking them with p.v.a. then varnish. see my GLEN USK paddle box on my album. R.G.Y.

[Talisman]

Normally I would make scrollwork either (if large) by carving in pear wood, or by carving in wax making a plaster or plasticine mould and using casting resin having melted the wax out for medium size scroll work.


Stuart

That will do for me Stuart, thanks.
I will have a play about at making my own. I havent got around to upscaling my drawings yet and the scroll work is towards the end of a very long list at the moment.

[Eddy Matthews]

Stuart,

I have no idea if this is possible using only hand tools, but one thing that I always have problems with is ships wheels..... Many of the older paddlers would have huge wheels, often 6 foot in diameter or more, and nothing is available commercially.

So lets assume I wanted to make a 6 foot diameter wheel with 12 spokes at 1:32 scale - Can this be done without resorting to a lathe etc?

By ships wheel, I obviously mean the wheel used to move the rudders, NOT the paddlewheel....

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Perfectly possible Eddy!

Give me a few days and I'll put something together - I haven't ALWAYS had a lathe. I'll assume you want a wheel with wooden spokes, maybe a double with central pedestal?

Stuart

[Eddy Matthews]

Great news Stuart!

Yes a wooden wheel, to suit pre 1900's paddlers....

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Hi PDs, here is part one of how to make a ship’s wheel. I have decided to split the method into 2 halves otherwise the post will be VERY long.

The steering position on a ship has always assumed an importance greater than just the place where a course is set and held. It is the place where man demonstrates his power over the elements – and as such ships wheels are often more ornate than they need to be. Many early ships had enormous wheels, some over 9 feet in diameter. The reason for the size was to achieve leverage to operate the rudder without resorting to complicated gearing or ‘engines’ to operate the rudder. Generally a large wheel operated the rudder directly. A large wheel could be spun quickly and, in heavy weather there was room for 2 or more crew members to lend their strength to the task. Some ships had 2 or even 3 wheels in tandem on a common shaft.

Eddy wanted a 6 foot wheel in 1/32 scale with 12 spokes. At this scale we need a wheel rim of about 2 ¼ inches or 56mm. One cannot buy a wheel this size at a model shop. Normally I would use a lathe for this project– but we don’t all have one so here’s how to do it using hand tools only.

I will show how to make the rim only in this post using 2 alternative methods. First we need a drawing. You do NOT need CAD or anything complicated, Take a pair of compasses and draw a circle the diameter you require for the OUTSIDE of the wheel rim. Keeping the compasses set to the same distance, mark the radius around the diameter of the circle, using your first mark as the compass point position for the next, keep going  – you will find it divides the circle exactly into 6 segments. For a twelve spoke wheel repeat the process starting halfway between two of your previous marks. If you have a drawing board you can divide the circle up by using a vertical, a horizontal and a 30/60 degree setsquare.

You should now have a drawing like photo shipwheel 018. (This also shows some of the materials needed)

Place the drawing on a block of wood and position pins around the circle as shown in photo 023,

We are going to laminate the rim using thin ply, I have used 0.6mm ply sheet cut into widths ALONG THE GRAIN so that the strip bends easily. The strips I used are 4mm and 6mm wide. The narrower strips are used on the outside and inside of the wheel to provide a ‘step’ with the wider strips between them. (see photo 018).

Place the first strip (a 4mm one) in the circle of pins allowing about ¾ inch overlap. Make sure the strip is touching all the pins and mark the overlap with a pencil on the outside and inside of the strip. (photo 020)

We need to make a scarf joint so that we end up with a continuous ring with no ‘step’. to achieve this mark the angle of the joint by making a line from the end of the overlap to one corner at each end of the strip (make sure you mark the angles so that when the strip is formed into a circle the two angles meet up) if you roll the ply on a soft surface such as a mouse mat you can put a curve into the wood to help the strip sit easily inside the pins – ( photo 021-022). Carefully superglue the two angled faces of the joint together and you should end up with something that looks like photo 023.

Support this ring on some small pieces of scrap ply to raise it so that the next ring that we are going to place inside this one forms the ridge on the outside of the wheel when it is finished. Place the next strip (6mm) inside the first ring and mark it so that you achieve a butt joint that is tight enough to ensure that this ring sits flush against the inside of the first (photo 024/026) I usually apply the superglue using a pointed stick and the end of a pencil to hold the strip in place while gluing.

When you have built the rim up to the desired thickness mark off the spoke and handle positions using the drawing as a guide and remove the rim from the jig (photo 027) Mark the centre line for the spokes and hand grips as shown in photo 028. Then using a hand pin vice drill the holes to locate the spokes and hand grips around the rim – be sure to keep the holes centered and true to the centre, otherwise the finished wheel will look uneven. (photo 029).

The second method to produce a rim involves wrapping very thin strip material around a former (in this case a spray can cap!) and supergluing it as you wrap. This method works well but does require VERY thin strip material and you may have to soak it to prevent splitting. See photos 032/033. When you are satisfied with the construction sand the finished rim by rubbing it in a circular motion on sandpaper placed on a flat surface until the faces of the rim are smooth and ridge free.

So you should now have a finished rim! Next time I will show how to make and fit the spokes and handgrips, and finally the construction of the hub and pedestal.

[Eddy Matthews]

Brilliant Stuart! So simple, yet so effective.... I can't wait to see part two of the article and the completed wheel....

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Ship’s Wheel part 2.

Hi PDs

Having made the rim of the wheel we can now start on the spokes, hub and handgrips. I had a bit of a challenge with this as I discovered I didn’t have any largish diameter dowel in the house and it’s impossible to get here! I did find however a little wooden capstan in my scrap box. I don’t think it’s a cheat to use it – in fact if you purchased one from your model shop it would make an ideal hub. I have made the handgrips – but again proprietary belaying pins for period ships would make excellent grips and would save you the trouble of making them.
I have used the second rim I made as our cat has decided that the first was a superb toy and has hidden it in the house somewhere!

I used bamboo sate skewers for the spokes – twas all I had! Tooth picks would also be a good choice - the wood is hard and takes a good finish. I waxed the rim first to avoid damage by trying to varnish or finish it once the wheel was assembled. In fact this applies to all the components, it’s best to do any varnishing or waxing BEFORE you assemble the wheel.

I marked the spoke positions on the hub by placing it against the drawing and drilled shallow holes for the ends of the spokes – if you wanted you could use card or wood discs for the hub and ‘sandwich’ the spokes to save the fiddly business of drilling – again use the drawing to line everything up. Place the rim on the drawing and insert the spokes and mark the length, then remove them and trim them about 1mm undersize, this is so that when you assemble the wheel the spokes will be slightly below the level of the outside of the wheel. Place the wheel and hub on the drawing and insert 3 untrimmed spokes equidistantly – this is all you need to get the wheel centered to the hub DO NOT GLUE! Then insert the rest of the spokes and glue these to the hub. Remove the long spokes, trim to length, insert thru the wheel rim and glue to the hub. You can now use a very small bead of superglue in the holes around the rim to secure the spokes – as they are recessed this will keep the rim clean.

To make the handgrips I place a piece of 3mm dowel in the chuck of my battery drill having marked the length for the grips (about 5mm). A WORD OF WARNING!!!! Do NOT use a mains drill and do not lock the drill to be permanently on, use your left hand to hold the drill and operate the trigger and rest it on a flat surface, use your right hand to hold the tools. If this does not feel secure DO NOT CONTINUE! Using a round file, sandpaper and a craft knife one can use the drill like a miniature wood turning lathe to produce the shape you want. Make sure that you can replicate the shape of each grip so that they are all the same. There is no point in making really fancy parts if you can’t achieve consistency. Once you have made twelve handles trim off the excess dowel and sand the ends smooth.

When you are satisfied with the grips using tweezers and superglue assemble them in their holes around the rim.

I used a drawing pin to replicate a brass centre to the hub, I hope the photos are self-explanatary – if anything isn’t clear just ask!

[Talisman]

I like that alot.

A guide to planking a deck would be very useful to myself Stuart if you had time.
Many thanks
Kim

[Eddy Matthews]

I can't get over just how simple things look when you see an expert doing it!

I'll most certainly be having a go at making a ships wheel for my next project - In fact it would also be a great technique for the paddlewheel frames on one of the early paddlers!

Many thanks Stuart

Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Thanks Eddy, glad it was useful!

Talisman - I can certainly do something on deck planking, but it is actually quite complicated. Decks vary in construction depending on the builder and the type of vessell. It's something I'd like to save till later if that's OK as this thread was really meant to be for small items for our models. I WILL do something on decks but at the moment am working on my computer desk as my workshop is still on the wish list! and I don't have the space at present, besides which I daren't do too much sanding around the computer.

Watch this space.

Stuart

[Talisman]

No problem Stuart. i have read been told to cut planks and put black card between them but would really like to see how its done before i try it the way i think it should be done. No point re inventing the wheel so to speak.
Will pester you again at a later date then, If thats ok?
Kim