Latest state of construction of my 'Isle of Wight ferry'

still sanding the hull at the moment (most of the back 2/3 is done) but just tried all the parts together again to see how it's looking. Also made most of the paddlebox vents, just needs 5 curved strips which follow the contours of the opening (and run across the white strips) and the name in raised letters (from slaters 'alphabets'  model rail station nameboard making set)

Your steamer looks really good, can't wait to see what its like when its finished

I just finished (or so I thought) sanding the hull and began painting it, funny how a coat of primer shows up imperfections you didn't think existed...
...by the way, made some progress on the paddle vents;

They are really neatly done vents Mick - I'll bet there was a lot of swearing and cursing getting all those parts neatly aligned so all the gaps were even!

Extremely well done mate

Regards
Eddy

Well,...they're not really quite as straight as they look in that picture, seen up close the spaces are really not very even at all but as the whole lot is to be painted black (with gold lettering and 'outline' stripes) I wasn't worried about getting them perfect...

Painted the hull yesterday;

I could have sanded it completely smooth but took the unusual (possibly unwise!) decision to leave some imperfections for 'weathering'. It looked OK in primer but the black paint has a glossier finish and they show up more than I expected. Hopefully, when I find some place still selling lettering, I can coat it with matt varnish and it'll look OK again.... :roll:

Here's another view...

That paint coat looks really good, and theres the one thing I'll be good at when my modfel is finished...painting! I love to paint models! But aside from me lol your steamer is looking really good!

At first glance, I haven't made much progress since last time (had other things to do as well...) but that's because most of it has been fiddlydetails that don't at first seem important but need to be done before they're inaccessible for ever.
I've made top frames for the sponsons which will be covered by deck/roof but were necessary to hold their shape (I used a very thin styrene for the walls because it's easier to bend) portholes and the small side vents to the lavatories, also two bulkhead lights near the door (which is actually in the hull) then painted the white part - still have to make handrails that run around them and the 'coiled rope design' in the centre of the paddle vents - should have done so before painting!
In the forward saloon, I've made and fitted the window frames plus tables and chairs from toothpicks, matches and balsa (not looking forward to doing the same on the much longer aft saloon!) and still have to add deck supports and lower part of the deck vents where they pass through to the lowest deck (these will hide the threaded rod with which the superstucture is held in place using a nut epoxied inside the cowl vents)
Here's how it looks now (if you were a drowning 1/32 scale swimmer) - http://www.btinternet.com/~mjt60a/models/images/freshw_waterline.jpg (a link, it's a little too big to attach to the message)

Are you going to fit a sail?
The Freshwater became the Swanage Queen, didn't it.
I saw the Swanage Queen off Sandbanks when she was operating out of Bournemouth, with a sail hoisted forward. I think these were know as steadying sails

A good point but for the moment I don't intend to fit a sail. Many of these steamers do seem to have a sail slung from the foremast (at least in pictures I have of them) but I just want to get the model working to start with.
Freshwater did become swannage queen (first Freshwater, then Freshwater II, then Sussex Queen, then Swannage Queen) but this is from books and photos I have, the ship was scrapped in 1962 when I was only 3 years old so I never saw it. I would like to know what was the 'port of registration' (COWES? SOUTHAMPTON? POOLE?) anybody know?

Latest on the construction of my ship;
I'm finding more and more that I have to build the fittings I need as most of those I used to see on sale in model shops are no longer kept in stock (about half those shops are gone now too...) and even if they were, chances are they'd be the wrong size or style or something... so I made a whole lot of portholes and various vents and the navigation lights, some are fitted to the model and some ready to be used when I get to 'that stage'
I've now attached the sponsons to the hull but still have to add the deck area around them and the roofs (the forward parts are made but can't be attached yet) I've just fitted the portholes and to my surprise I can see through them to the interior so I'm going to have to do something with that too instead of just stuffing the wires for the lighting inside....
here's a couple of pics showing the port sponson and the cowl vents I built (in the case of the smallest pair, modified shop-bought ones)


More later when I have something to report  

Your steamer is looking good!

One thing I love about Aussie river steamers was that only one had portholes!!!! That will save time!

This week I made and fitted the drive shafts and rudder tube, made them using a length of brass rod that fits the hole in the paddlewheel, brass tube that fits closely over the rod and another tube that fits over the first tube. The largest tube is cut to the required length then the smaller tube inserted to about half an inch inside each end as a bearing and to maintain a space between the shaft and outer tube (both parts cleaned and coated with flux first) then soldered in place with plumbers solder and sawn and filed off flat. I'd normally use a butane blowlamp outdoors for a heat source but as it was freezing and snowing I used the gas cooker, it worked perfectly well and leaves both hands free to hold the parts in pliers over the flames or hold one part and the solder. I then filed another short piece to fit against a hole cut in the outer tube, temporarily attached it with twisted wire and soldered that on as a lubricating point (a brass shaft in brass bearings - although it turns slowly compared to a propeller shaft, it's bound to be prone to wear so I intend to fill the shaft with grease). Some brass wire I'd bought (for hand railings) was supplied in a plastic pipe with a rubber cap which by a lucky coincidence is perfect as a cover for the lubricating point and can be filled with grease and squeezed to force it into the shaft tube.
Also fitted all the portholes but think I'll try to represent the bolts on the ones in the hull using bits of toothpick or something....
Also had a go at the design in the centre of the paddlebox....it'll be OK when it's painted gold (I hope..)
Just started on the sponson decks (for want of a better word) portside one is almost done and the starboard is about ready to attach but I still need to fit the mooring bollards and build the supporting structures underneath - probably use coathangers - plastic ones for the iron H beams and wire ones for those rods that form a triangle to the hull...pictures to come!

...one of the driveshaft assemblies (needs some bracing - maybe a vertical plate at the inboard end which also holds the motor)

...and a view of the port sponson with the wooden structure around the base of the paddle drum (but still requires mooring bollards and the protective strip which runs all around the 'deck' edge)

Well, since I've run out of suitable materials to carry on with the sponsons (until I go to the modelshop, tomorrow probably..) I've been doing some more work on the forward saloon. Here's the interior;

Interior with lights and wiring fitted into the deck support structure;

...lights are white LEDs, resistors are fitted in the companionway to enable them to work on 12volt supply.
Here's a test of the interior lighting;

...couldn't get the camera to focus through the windows...
Here's a test of the interior and exterior lighting;

...those were just connected directly to a battery, I have to wire them properly through switches and fuses but I'm happy with the way it looks so far