Mississippi river boat

[kurlander]

Had to break the news to the wife that we will be going to Chattanooga Tennessee  in the second week of March for me to verify some data and take several photographs of the Delta Queen, and will "HAVE" to drive through Paducah Kentucky "US QUILT CAPITAL OF the USA". It took 5 minutes for her to pack her bags while doing back flips.
As a reply about smoke stacks, I am using a tube from the hose of my small shop vac for it is almost the right diameter and tough plastic. A 2 foot 1.5 inch diameter tube weighs 4.2 ounces so it would not be heavy.
The tube should handle the heat for the smoke generator is made of the same material.
You could go to the lumberyard and check out their PVC pipe sizes.

[Jaydee]

Thanks Kurtlander
No I have the funnels under control now I just wasn't sure if there was going to be a heat problem with the smoke generators. This will be my last post for a couple of weeks as I am going to test out my new car on a trip to Canberra. I have been busy this weekend, working on the paddle wheels and some other items, and in my spare time I have started reconfiguring the Lego windows that another PD put me onto on E-bay, I have had to cut and re-glue them to get them to the size that I require I have 112 of them done so far only a few more to go.  I still haven't had any luck sourcing doors with shutters yet I need 40 of them. As I was saying I have been busy working on my paddle wheels the first photo shows the component parts are completed only need a clean up. the 2nd shows how they will go together. the other photos are of the windows. I will get back to work on the hull as soon as I return home.

[DamienG]

Some really fiddly work looking good.

[Jaydee]

Well Pds. 
I am back on deck again after our trip, doesn’t seem to be much happening on this forum since I left, so here is a bit of an update, I have completed the paddle wheels and started fitting out the machine tray with engine and paddle wheels and that’s about it for now I hope to get stuck into it properly now that I am home again.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Evening Jaydee......

 The Gem horizontal twin cylinder D/A engine [3/4"x 3/4"] will provide a huge torque moment @ the engine shaft

 Please forgive my impertinence.......  ...but will that second o-ring be able to transmit the low RPM speed & power required?

 [with your build.....I am guestimating say 0.18 steam HP @ the paddle shaft @ say 100 RPM...........please do not confuse this with 1HP=750 W @ 1440 RPM]

 [alas the manufacturer has stopped production of this engine & has declined to offer any output power detail for this engine or the vertical rendition]  ....Derek

[Jaydee]

Good question Derek
Being new to this game I am following the manufacturer of the engines advice and making the system so that it dose not Jamb up if it gets into weeds in the waterway. this is all changeable to ribbed belts if the need arises.  I have a ribbed belt from the engine to the bottom shaft it's only a matter of changing the 2 pulleys to ribbed gears. I am not sure about the RPH of the engine yet so I might have to change the gearing anyhow. I have only used the pulleys because I already had them but the system is completely changeable. 

[Jaydee]

Just a quick post as I have been working long hours and not much time for the boat, I get a 6 day weekend this Easter so I hope to get stuck in I am Just about to post the last few photos that I have taken and hopefully get the engine assembly back to miniature Steam for the plumbing this week.  I also started assembly of the rudders they turned out alright and I hope they do a better job of maneuvering than the single rudder that is on the plan.  I hope to complete assembly of the hull this weekend so I will post some photos of the modification that I have done.

[kurlander]

While having NCAA Basketball withdrawals I started rereading the construction posts to see if I could come up with ideas for my boat.
I do not know what the slop of the bottom of the hull at the stern is on the Robert E Lee but on the Delta Queen the rudders are right angle triangles with the 90 degree angle is at the back of the hull giving each rudder maximum steering control.
Seeing the posted photo of the boat led me to believe because of the two stacks, it had two engines,one for each paddle and used this method to turn by slowing down one of the engines. This was the turning method before the bow thruster was invented.
While in deep thought, I was trying to figure out how to glue 600 guard rail posts and deck support posts onto the decks. Came up with the idea of using 2.4 mm tubing for posts. After marking the spots, I drilled with the Dremel holes the size of pins. Then pushed pins through the holes from the bottom of the deck and gluing with a dab of super glue. I will drill holes in the deck above to hold the support posts.

[Jaydee]

Hi Guys
 Sorry for the long delay between my last post and this one but problems came up that could not be ignored and these kept me out of the shed for over a year.  But I am back now a rearing to go  I just retired from work last Friday and will slowly get back in the groove.  I am not sure where I left of with the posts I will have to read through them and find out if anything is unanswered. I have spent a couple of hours making up a new aluminium machine tray and had done a bit of work on the paddle wheel housings, and will get some more photos posted asap.