Irish Royal Mail Steamer Connaught build

[Stuart Badger]

I shall shortly be starting the build of RMS Connaught. As I am still waiting for the workshop construction to start I thought that I would begin by making the deck house, funnels, paddle wheels etc - subject to available materials.

I intend to keep a build log and wondered if it would be of interest to you all?.

It is going to be a very long term project and there may well be gaps between events of some few weeks! I am going to build her to 1/32 scale - so it's going to be a long slow job.

If interested let me know and I will document the build as I proceed.

All the best

Stuart

[Eddy Matthews]

I know it's always Little ole me that replies, but yes, YES, YES!

I'd love to see it all documented Stuart! I just wish that more people would do it.......

Regards
Eddy

[Talisman]

Yep, think i said it somewhere else.. I'd definately like to see your build documented.


 

[derekwarner_decoy]

Yes please Stuart....I followed your last build  with great interest.........Derek

[djcf]

Me too, she's a lovely subject for a model. Looking forward to your build

Clark

[hucksdad]

Stuart:  By all means, please do the build thread.  I have the feeling I will learn a lot and pick up some tips and tricks from following your complete build from plans to launch.

David

[mjt60a]

....I intend to keep a build log and wondered if it would be of interest to you all?....

Yes indeed, absolutely, I look forward to seeing how the build progresses, as I did with the waverley one 

[Stuart Badger]

Hi PDs

here is the start of the Connaught build - now this may not be as interesting as you hope BUT I have had a very successful day!

When ever I have built a model in the past I have been dissatisfied with the look of the glazing. If the material used is totally transparent to me it always looks too shiny and 'plastic'. trying to dull it down usually just results in a mess. If the model is to be lit from within then really clear material shows all the bulbs and gives a 'glare' to the effect. A frosted or slightly matt glass will give a much softer and realistic effect. Also many old steamers had frosted glass with etched designs on them so I wondered how I could also replicate this. Finally the connaught's clerestory windows over the saloon have protection bars set under the glass at a scale distance apart of 2.5mm - I really couldn't see myself cutting hundreds of lengths of miniscule brass wire, painting it and setting each bar in place - so the following is what I have come up with. I won't bore you with the hours of experiments!

Clerestory glass bars

I produced a drawing of the bars on the computer (you could use word or any simple drawing programme) to A4 size. I then printed this onto a piece of A4 overhead projection film suitable for inkjet printers. I took a standard plastic laminating pouch and cut it along the top seam to produce two sheets. I then placed the sheet on top of the printed side of the OHP film (be sure to place the face of the pouch that would have been inside the pocket against the OHP film - otherwise it wont stick!). Then it was run through the laminator. Result? A sheet of imitation glass complete with bars (far finer than I could have drawn) Which I can then cut into pieces to fit in the deck houses.

If you use a MATT laminating pouch you get FROSTED GLASS! The beauty of this is that inkjet inks are not very waterproof, but everything printed on the OHP film is sandwhiched under a layer of plastic and cannot get wet - it also means of course that you can use colour where you perhaps need painted window bars etc.
Etched glass designs

The windows in the doors to the Connaught's saloons measure 10mm X 20mm to scale. I reduced the image of a City of Dublin Steam Packet Co crest on the computer and converted it to grey scale then drew a frame the right size around it. Having printed it out to check for size and detail I then used the same technique as for the bars ie printed it onto OHP film and then laminated one side of a matt laminating pouch to the printed side of the film.

I was really pleased with the result - a set of etched glass door panels with the company crest to 1/32 scale.

I hope the photos are self explainatory - sorry the last one is a bit out of focus - I was rather excited.

Soon I will start the wooden structures for the clerestories and the main saloon. Then I can fit my windows.

All the best

Stuart

[Talisman]

Hi PDs

here is the start of the Connaught build - now this may not be as interesting as you hope BUT I have had a very successful day!

Are you kidding Stuart?
If this is the level of detail we can expect then I'm excited too!

My Kids ( young teenagers) have a word they use at the ski club when someone pulls a new trick or does something really impressive. They describe a good performance as being SICK - i found my self using the word at the end of reading your post perhaps I'm not as old as i feel.

Great start and feel inspired to up my game.
Good work, looking forward to the next post.
Kim

[Eddy Matthews]

An extremely good idea Stuart, and I have to admit its one I would never have thought of!!

Just one question, have you tried any glues on the laminating plastic? I can see it might be a real pig to find something to stick to it?

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Yes Eddy

UHU will stick it (the laminating plastic)- although not as well as you would think and a thick cyano works - but I shall probably use a spray contact adhesive. I shall mask the areas of the glass that I don't want glue on.

The OHP film will stick very well with UHU (it actually dissolves the material!) so it depends which way round it's installed for the best effect - haven't worked that one out yet!

Stuart

[Talisman]

Stuart have you used this stuff?
I use it on OHP transparency to wood and find it is very strong and dries very clear.

http://www.supergluecorp.com/zap/zap-glues/formula-560-canopy-glue

[Stuart Badger]

Wow! thanks!

Never even heard of it - next time I'm ordering stuff from the UK I'll get some.

Cheers

Stuart

[Stuart Badger]

Hi PDs!

Well, I've finally actually started cutting and glueing wood together for Connaught! I have revised my scale somewhat and am building her at 5/16 - 1 inch, 1/32 scale was just a wee bit to big.

Ros my wife has been instructed to gather the materials for the paddlewheels after several long conversations with suppliers in the UK. She should return at the begining of October with the necessary ingredients.

So in the meantime I have made a start on the saloon and engine room skylights. They are of 0.7mm boxwood strips in various widths to simulate the victorian panelling. I will have to finish these including sealing and varnishing before I can glaze them and ft the brass safety bars over the windows - so just a general shot to give you a taste and to convince me I have ACTUALLY started the model!

All the best

Stuart

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi PDs!

Well, I've finally actually started cutting and glueing wood together for Connaught! I have revised my scale somewhat and am building her at 5/16 - 1 inch, 1/32 scale was just a wee bit to big.

I think you'll find 5/16" - 1 inch is a bit bigger than 1:32 scale Stuart! I assume you mean 5/16" to 1 foot? Even at that it comes out at about 9 feet long!!

So in the meantime I have made a start on the saloon and engine room skylights. They are of 0.7mm boxwood strips in various widths to simulate the victorian panelling. I will have to finish these including sealing and varnishing before I can glaze them and ft the brass safety bars over the windows - so just a general shot to give you a taste and to convince me I have ACTUALLY started the model!

All the best

Stuart

Looking really good..... It's all those little bits where I start to lose the will to live! Maybe I should do as you have and make them first whilst I'm still full of enthusiasm?

Regards
Eddy