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Author Topic: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius  (Read 18520 times)

Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #25 on: December 30, 2015, 12:40:26 pm »

Christmas gets in the way but at last the test tank is free and available and so a water test to see if the hull floats. 

And it does without a leak, needing over 6kg of lead acid batteries to bring it down to a reasonable water line.  Still a scruffy hull but it shall be painted black above the waterline and I think anti slug tape below the water line to give the semblance of a copper bottom.  It's fantastic stuff, water-proof and has created  a barrier against leaks in a number of model boats.  In this boat it should look rather splendid, left copper coloured.  The wheels will be red as will the funnel when it gets to that stage.

So we start to model the decks and deck houses.....

unbuiltnautilus

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #26 on: December 30, 2015, 01:40:30 pm »

and I think anti slug tape below the water line to give the semblance of a copper bottom.


Now that sounds interesting...tell us more?
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #27 on: December 30, 2015, 03:03:57 pm »

It is self adhesive copper tape of different widths.  Available in garden centres but cheapest off that internet auction website.  Slug tape is what you would search for. 

It sticks to most things and is waterproof and can be smoothed out nicely.  It can look like plating when painted and I'm hoping it will look like the nailed on copper sheets of a Victorian ship's bottom. 

Brian60

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #28 on: December 30, 2015, 05:19:22 pm »

That sounds interesting product, have you any photo's of it on a hull? Seems like the ideal stuff for my next build which will feature a full plated hull (overpainted of course).

NoNuFink

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #29 on: December 30, 2015, 08:18:22 pm »

Just as a matter of interest, Is copper coloured the right colour?
'Cos it occurs to me that having covered a ships hull below the waterline in copper, and then sailed it in salt water for a few months, the colour would be more like verdigris.  i.e. speckled greenish.

NNF
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #30 on: December 30, 2015, 08:27:40 pm »

You're absolutely right of course.  But I don't know what they do to this copper because it seems to spend all winter round plant pots in my garden staying a brilliant copper colour and not stopping the slugs! 


What could one put on copper to give it a coat of verdigris?  Would a gentle acid - vinegar or something do it?

Norseman

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #31 on: December 30, 2015, 09:24:36 pm »

I believe it can be done with Miracle Grow but not done it myself. If it works then at least you haven't got a chemical to dispose of ... well not a noxious one I suppose.


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ballastanksian

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #32 on: December 30, 2015, 10:34:38 pm »

Yes, I think many of the patination fluids are a bit bad for the environment, but I cannot say  for today as I have not dabbled with them for twenty years or more since college.
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NoNuFink

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2015, 12:31:42 pm »


What could one put on copper to give it a coat of verdigris?  Would a gentle acid - vinegar or something do it?

Salt?? - though if it stays copper coloured on plant pots all Winter it probably needs a mild abbrasive applied first and possibly a long wait.

NNF
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JimG

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2015, 01:40:18 pm »

A ship that is actively sailed will not have any verdegris on the copper plating. The water washing past the hull keeps the plating clean, it's only on the museum ships that never move you get the green colour. The plating will be a dull copper not brightly polished. Also as the copper plating was produced in batches which were not identical you should have a patchwork effect of different shades over the hull bottom.

Jim
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #35 on: December 31, 2015, 03:39:54 pm »

So a coat of black matt humbrol paint and a copper bottom.  You see the plates in the first photo and what a different vessel it looks given a waterline and a coat of paint in the second.  Third picture shows the over shiny bottom which needs something doing to it.  Interesting Jim, but what can we do to give it a dull copper look.  Maybe a copper looking paint or a matt varnish?

barriew

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #36 on: December 31, 2015, 06:56:17 pm »

My experience with slug tape, in its original use  ok2 , is that it very quickly dulls if it gets wet.


Barrie
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ballastanksian

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #37 on: December 31, 2015, 08:14:40 pm »

Tamiya Smoke airbrushed over the copper might dull it down especially if mixed with some varnish. This is a black-brown wash that Tamiya sell for automotive model weathering to heat tarnish chrome exhausts. They do red blue and a few other colours as clear tints for painting car lights etc.
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #38 on: January 09, 2016, 05:46:39 pm »

I'm afraid there is nothing dull about this boat's bottom at the moment!  But we will explore the possibilities soon!

So paddle boxes in place, plywood sponsons and plastic card and as you can see  a few ribs and bulwarks in place and the beginnings of the poop deck railings and masts and bowsprit stepped temporarily. Compare with the picture of the model of the Sirius, though as I've said before this is  a generic example.  I haven't chosen a name as yet.

And while I'm thinking of it, does anyone know a source of 1/48th scale Victorians?  O gauge model railways would do perhaps.  I think a crew and a few passengers should look the part

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #39 on: January 09, 2016, 06:48:33 pm »

For figures, try   www.acstadden.co.uk    and his range of 1/43rd (0 gauge) figures, some likely candidates for both categories there.
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #40 on: January 09, 2016, 09:45:06 pm »

For figures, try   www.acstadden.co.uk    and his range of 1/43rd (0 gauge) figures, some likely candidates for both categories there.


Just the thing!  Brunel can take command on the bridge and we can have some stoic looking ladies promenading the poop with bewhiskered husbands!  Thanks for passing on this website!

Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #41 on: January 13, 2016, 08:16:46 pm »

Coming along a little further - now this is what I like - a little decoration, saucy figurehead, and a bit of brass, a few deck houses emerging as well......

ballastanksian

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #42 on: January 13, 2016, 10:36:47 pm »

There's nowt like a mutton chop:O)

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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #43 on: January 23, 2016, 10:44:29 am »

It's coming along a bit!  Now really beginning to look the part.  I've done a lot of looking at pictures in books to get the sense of the layout of the decks and cabins and companionways.  It is interesting how busy the deck can appear on a ship that has no deck houses.

So the basics of the standing rigging are up.  I'm going for a simplified rig as it's got to sail and suffer the bangs and bumps of transport to the pond and sailing on the high seas.  Still there are the appropriate dead eyes on the shrouds.  Running rigging will be even more simplified.  Three spars on the main mast and a boom on the mizzen and hopefully I will still be able to get down the hatches and change the batteries.

And I'm building a smoke machine to produce some vapour out the funnel. A water mister that arrived from Hong Kong yesterday costing £1.49 including postage, seems to produce volumes of thick fog when connected to 24volts.  Very exciting!  I just need a small water tank to put it in to....

ballastanksian

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #44 on: January 23, 2016, 02:53:40 pm »

Wow, you have charged ahead with the build Edmund! I am interested to see how your sailing system works out for when I get on with Rupert.

She only has one mast, so it won't be as extensive as your rig that's for sure.

Lovely work, Can't wait to see it on the water; still or in motion.
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #45 on: January 23, 2016, 06:50:29 pm »

How's the Rupert getting along?  I presume she is the 1872 version of the warship?  There is something very characterful about these 19th century ships.  Looking at these models takes one back to an age that can never be returned to.  Museum ships don't quite do it.


Still looking for a name for mine.  The Dundee company of ship builders in the 1830's Adamson and Borrie built three steam paddle steamers in 1836 - 1838.  Forfarshire - from which Grace Darling was able to save some of the passengers a couple of years later when wrecked on the Farnes, the New Athens, a reference to

Edinburgh and a book that had come out about the town in 1837 and the ship the Sea Horse whose general arrangement plan I photographed earlier from a book i have.  Which one should it be?


Anyway back to Rupert, I see you left us mid build last June or so.  Have you had a chance to do more work since?



ballastanksian

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #46 on: January 23, 2016, 10:12:33 pm »

I am in the process of remodelling the mounts for the conical shaft housings before I start to fibreglass the hull. I still plan to get the destroyer finished first and then straight on to Rupert.

Regarding names, Forfarshire has that wonderful link to it that would make every RNLI lifeboat modeller proud despite the tragic circumstances that so often spur people to form Institutes and Societies that serve to better our world. Seahorse is a nice name that would catch the general public's eye.

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dodes

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #47 on: January 25, 2016, 08:03:16 pm »

Found this pic in "The First Atlantic Liners", better in the book of a replica built of the vessel a few years back.
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Edmund

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #48 on: January 25, 2016, 09:17:10 pm »

One wonders what became of the reconstruction. It is rather splendid isn't it?  Perhaps someone knows?  It was built for a film I beleive. 


There is one bit of the  original Sirius left I have discovered in my research.  The paddleshaft is on display in Monkstown County Cork near where the ship was lost.  The shaft was re-used as part of the machinery in a local factory for many years, before being "rescued " and put in a local park.

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Re: A nineteenth century steamship, PS Sirius
« Reply #49 on: January 26, 2016, 05:25:12 pm »

Wish all the best with the project, a very interesting build look forward to seeing it at Wicksteed.
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