Yesterday I worked on the paddle wheel mechanism of my second Nile River paddle wheel boat and this pretty much brings the model to completion, save for a little bit of painting of the paddle wheel and several other bits and pieces.
The day before, I figured out a way to add actual brass handrails around both decks. I found some 1/16 brass tube at Hobby Lobby that was the perfect size to pair up with posts made from wood kabob skewers. It was tedious trying to drill holes into ten pillars and then grinding out the diameter of the whole with a rat tail file. Then I was fishing through my box of drill bits and I found a 1/16 drill bit which meant that I only had to drill one hole in the post and do it rather quickly. Next I threaded the brass tube through the post holes and this worked to perfection. I did run out of tubing and so I had to substitute some brass wire for the back end of the boat. It looks ok but I think another trip to Hobby Lobby will give me the small amount of brass tube that I need to finish the job.
I have left the boiler exposed so that it can be seen. The assumption is that this is how the boat would look before the war began. I also have some Britains mealie bags that I can place in front on the boiler to protect it from projectiles. The mealie bags are removable, of course.
Next up: three more dhows for the Dervish side.
cc
She looks excellent Jim and will certainly stand out on the table.
ReplyDeleteThe brass rod really works. I went shopping yesterday for a bigger drill bit for a job I had in hand having also tried to enlarge holes the hard way. It's a small world.
ReplyDeleteStephen
It is amazing how having the right tools makes a difference in doing the work. It seems obvious, but it's something that I seem to overlook far too often.
DeleteGreat looking ship model, I love all the small details.
ReplyDelete