Saito Delta Queen Build

[kurlander]

I am now in the process of putting down the roof of the first deck but now will have to figure out an easy way to remove the rest of the decks for battery changes or other material such as smoke generator, sound module and lights.

[kurlander]

As I wash showing off my boat, I was asked about the roughness of the edges between the hull and deck. My reply was "one has to go to the real boat to see what rough is".
I then realized that most people have never been on the boat and had a good look at it.
Previously IR3 at the beginning questioned why Saito planked the front deck for he thought it was steel. I also made a mistake for I said the deck was painted black.  Actually the DELTA KING has the black deck and the DQ has the red deck.
When I went visiting I found that the whole deck of the DQ is wood up to the stern paddle wheel. The paddle wheel  section is all steel.
IR3 was partially right for there is a steel plate on top of the wood down the center of the bow that holds the anchor and post for the catwalk. To my surprise I found that the deck is not visibly bolted to the hull. The deck sits on a lip and then welded tabs spaced about three feet apart are bent over to hold the wood down. The enclosed photo will show this with the raised steel on the wood. The wood has seen so much water that it is slowly rotting along the edges.

[kurlander]

It is time for me to present some of my build since my last post.
I have finished the first deck and started on the second deck and found a conflict. The second deck blue prints do not come close to what the boat looks like now.
I read the history of the boat and it stated that there was a dance floor used as the boat crossed San Francisco Bay.
My last visit to the boat showed no such area but I put it at the back of my mind until now when I am building that deck. It was that then when the blueprints were made but not now.
The front lounge area has been moved back about 30 feet and replaced by a storage cabinet. 

[kurlander]

It is to cold to work in my unheated basement (this morning when I came downstairs it was -13 F and the wind chill -38F outside) I have brought some of my work upstairs.
I took apart several DVD drives I had sitting around an retrieved several small motors for the radar units The Queen has two because of the smoke stack.
It is to cold to work in my unheated basement (this morning when I came downstairs it was -13 F and the wind chill -38F outside) I have brought some of my work upstairs.
I took apart several DVD drives I had sitting around an retrieved several small motors for the radar units The Queen has two because of the smoke stack.
For Christmas I received a dashboard camera which I will place in the pilot house and record the boat ride. It was suggested that I get a transmitter and then watch the ride in real time. I nixed that for the time being for I would have to carry a small tv receiver while operating the boat and it would have to transmit over 150 feet.
My first problem was to figure out how to make the windows for some are curved at the top with a small stained glass window on top while others are basic windows.
For the stained glass windows, I took a photograph of the ones on the boat, enhanced it in Photoshop and then miniaturized it to the size I need. I then placed as many as I could on a 4 by 6 inch card and then printed it on shiny photo paper. I then cut out the frames, painted them and glued them over the pictures.

[kurlander]

My next challenge was the regular windows. All windows have venetian blinds so I started to look for pictures of blinds. None fit the bill so I closed all the blinds in my house and took the photographs. That did not work for there was reflections. I then waited till dark and turned off all the lights except two, one on each side of the window and with the camera on a tripod and no flash, I took the photograph and it worked. I enhanced it with Photoshop miniaturized and placed as many as fit on the 4 X 6 card just like the stained glass one.
I took the same photograph and repeated the process for the curved windows.
My next challenge was the stairs. This was easier than all the rest. After I found out that I have fat fingers, I went to the local hobby store and went through their great model train set area and found pre made stairs that just fit fine. They are made by Plastruct in California and come in different sizes. Their website is plastruct.com if anyone wants to see their catalog.
Once I make all the windows an doors, I shall start gluing them on the walls.

[kurlander]

Being still cold outside and in my unheated basement I chose to concentrate on the radar system. There are two radars revolving due to the smoke stack. From previous posts on the internet the motors opening the tray on a DVD/CD unit on your computer runs the same speed. I had several old such units in my attic so I took the units apart and now have several motors. Now I have to put a revolving unit on top of them.

[kurlander]

While certain people are enjoying a heat wave, I was in a minor snow fall with the wind chill at -2F..
My wife lately has been making snide remarks about me moving my basement workplace up to the dining room.
Ignoring remarks, I have finished one side of the boat and the stern.  Today during a snow powder I made the vending machines at the stern (not seen by lookers) and now will build the bench so that children could watch the wheel and not get wet.

[kurlander]

Got several of my figures for my boat today.
Enclosed are the figures.
First we have a photographer taking a photo. Second is a person eating a Hoagie ( Linda said it looks like Chris Christy the governor of New Jersey ,Political joke). We then have a person sitting on the bench and then a loving couple sitting on a bench and then a couple walking.
This is the second deck. I will have to work on the next two decks

[the bombus]

why is the sprite vending machine upside down 

[kurlander]

It is not glued down on the boat yet. I put the vending machines in to compare size.

[kurlander]

I am almost done with the second deck. Had to assemble the parts in the cold basement to see where to cut the staircase holes were to be cut.
I then had to figure out how to turn the boat and the expected lighting system on and off so that I can assemble it at home and turn it on at the pond. Decided that I would not put in the stairs at the back on each side behind a railing leading to the main deck and put in two rocker switches.
The back splash board on the blueprint did not show where the windows were to cut so I took a photograph I had of the boat and with Photoshop made it fit the blue print and marked it. For glass I used the clear plastic from one of my CD-DVD cases.
I enclose several photographs.

[kurlander]

Thought I would show some progress on the Delta Queen before I leave to see her tomorrow.
Thought of the problem of gluing down the guard rail for the blue prints show that they are square posts but my photos show that they are round. I think Hartman had a problem with the posts so he made them square for stability.
I found tubing small enough so that when I get all the steps from one deck to the next squared away I will mark the spots for the posts and push a pin through from the bottom of the deck up and cut off half of the pin on top and then push the post on to it.
On the top of the post I shall cut a pin short and put down a pinhead and paint it brown. For the posts holding up the next deck will have the same pin inserted
I did find another figure for the boat and will put her on the top front deck.

[kurlander]

I finally got some more work done and took some photos. The delays were that there are no instructions so I had to figure out how all things should fit and did I do some deep thoughts. The first deck could almost not conform to today's boat for the King and Queen were ferry boats and the first deck carried cars and they did not have that many windows.
My problem came up when I started to figure out how to light her since every deck will be screwed down to the one below.
I have added some photographs.

[kurlander]

More photos

[kurlander]

I am now looking for a RC controlled on off switch for the lights. I am using the Hightek 6 channel transmitter so any ideas will be appreciated.