Princess Elizabeth build...

[mjt60a]

Had a go at making the star centre (as I've seen it called in Paddle Wheels before) out of styrene, cut out four discs with the compass cutter then four strips and filed to shape, drilled holes to take brass tube and glued the whole lot together. I used 2mm styrene but looking at the finished (apart from drilling holes for the rods) item it may be too wide to get into the space between paddlewheel and sponson edge so I might just make another from 1.5mm

[mjt60a]

...also made the master rods which will be glued into the holes in the star centre. They are 1.2mm brass rod with brass tube soldered on one end, cut down with the cut-off disc then another brass tube inserted in the end for strength and to give a smooth surface for the bearing (bit of brass tube on the float) to run in...
... I used a scrap piece of balsa and two nails to hold it together, drilled holes in the tube and put the rods into them. I tried to put the 'bearing-size' tube in at this point but couldn't get it all to stay together while soldering so had to settle for filing the inside of the tube out aftrwards and gluing the bearings in. As soon as the metal was hot enough to melt solder, the balsa burst into flames so I'll probably soak it in water for an hour or so beforehand next time! (this is trial and error in action  )

[mjt60a]

Over the sunday I re-made the star centres from thinner styrene sheet and with the bit that the master rod goes into extended outside the circle (I think it looks better like that). I fitted the master rods so that, with the star centre actually on the paddleshaft the outer bearing is at the position of the float pivot bearing. It will of course be ahead of it when fitted on the ship and due to the distance between the 'feathering rod bearing and the pivot bearing on the float, it will push the float arm out a little bit. Some photos taken with the wheel in various positions and with the star centre about 5mm ahead of the paddleshaft show how it should work on the model...

[mjt60a]

...there is room to move it forward a bit more if necessary but I think that looks about right. Moving it forward further would make the floats more vertical when they enter and leave the water - until at some point they either hit the wheel spokes or the feathering rods - and I have the feeling they shouldn't be too vertical or they won't provide any forward motion for part of the time they're in water (they won't provide any resistance to the engine either which is good in a way...but..) I feel they should enter and leave at an angle similar to a propellor blade so while moving downward and later upward, they'll be contributing something..... I may be completely wrong about that though!!!

[Talisman]

A lot of work done Mick, not be long till shes done?
Regards,
Kim

P.S. - even the little fish looks impressed   

[mjt60a]

Hopefully not too much longer, I have next week off work so should be able to get some done then, otherwise it's an hour or so after work with 'long' jobs done at the weekend when I have enough time to see them through. I'm going to get back to the wheel components at the weekend and probably complete them, try to make the funnel and boiler casing in the week and look into fitting the engine and battery at some stage too. For now I'm going to have a go at the bridge and wheelhouse, construction will be similar to the deck shelter...

[mjt60a]

Didn't realise how complex and time-consuming the wheelhouse would be - still, it has to be done at some point, so it isn't wasted time.
Here's the incomplete item at a stage ready for painting before fitting windows and stuff...and propped on the ship in more-or-less the final position, just to see how it looks...

[Stuart Badger]

Lovely work Mick!

All the best

stuart

[PeeWee]

great looking work, would love to see a full ship view.   

[mjt60a]

Thanks, I'll try to take one later but there isn't room where I have it at the time (on top of the TV to make more room to work on the parts) Have just put the first paint on the wheelhouse, needs another coat or two I think as the edges of the black styrene still show - but I didn't want the paint to run!

[mjt60a]

... I've thought of a possible way to attach the star centres to the sponsons and still have them removeable, brass collets are soldered to brass strip (with the screw hole downwards!) which is bent to the shape shown... I found some old light switch boxes and plan to remove the threaded brass inserts that the screws go into, hopefully these can be epoxied into holes in the frame under the sponson and light switch screws cut to length and used to secure the whole assembly in place. The collet can then secure a short length of rod on which the feathering mechanism rotates..... let's see if I can build it! 

[mjt60a]

I made five of the feathering rods today and fitted one of them.... to my slight disappointment they're about 1.5mm too long 
all isn't lost though, I can easily make the star centres again and this time drill the holes closer to the middle, it's much easier than making more rods and I'm running out of brass tube whereas I have plenty of styrene sheet.
For those who want to see the whole ship so far, I put a picture on photobucket - http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x66/mjt60a/new%20project/fullship01.jpg

[mjt60a]

Done a bit more to the bridge, glazed the windows using bits of CD case, this covers all the interior wall including the door openings and the inner wall and doors will be stuck to it. Also made the decking for the bridge wings and stained it 'dirty' colour using water with a little black poster paint, when fully dry it will be stained with a used teabag to give it a bit more brown colour (although, if I hadn't done the sponson decks already I'd leave it grey, as it is now) I already traced the inner walls (on thin styrene, with a pin) before glazing and have made the side pieces and began painting them....
...on the paddlewheels front, I made 11 more of the long pins to retain the paddles but need 10x 10BA nuts before I can assemble them, still need to make the new smaller star centres and 5 more feathering rods - or just make 10 of the correct length!

[Eddy Matthews]

The bridge is looking really good Mick....

Where do you get the jewel CD cases? I haven't seen any for ages! And what glue do you use to stick them in place?

Regards
Eddy

[PeeWee]

looking good,  nice idea using the CD cases. 

Eddy, at work we by them from CPC i think £10 will buy around 100.  if you want further info let me know.

regards