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[SteamboatPhil]

Absolutely fantastic !!!

[crabbersnipe]

Just discovered this build and wow, hat off - what a stunner, just love the deck planking and the shell plating, but really, everything is just beautifully rendered. Very interested in your vacuum technique for making the life boats and the venting cowls, could you  tell us a little more about your process ?
Thanks a million, Eric

[Brian_C]

set 12 of my mauretania build,   nearly all completed on boat deck and promenade deck,  all lifeboats and davits completed now  with all guide ropes on funnels ,,, the hole of the top deck inc the funnels all lifts off to get access  to batteries and motors and radio gear and ballast,   i will post an update on how the lifeboats and vents were made using a home made vaccum  form  and any comments on how to and how did i,,, or any other comments about the build are most welcome,  regards brian O0

[tonyH]

Really superb and she'll look absolutely at home on the water. Just 2 questions Brian. Why? and having seen mention of her in 2007, when did you start?
Cheers and, er, what next?
Tony

[Brian_C]

hi tony,  yes a i started mauretania in 2007 and got the hull completed  in 2010 but my health took a turn for the worse and spent a lot of time in and out of hospital and got the all clear in 2013,   but in that time til now i have built  boston typhoon at 52",  a 1910 brixham fishing smack at 5ft long,  trawler st finbarr at 50",  trawler gaul at 52",  a three masted barque at 5ft long,  a maggie m at 33",  a clyde puffer  north light,,,    i started back on mauretania  a year ago on 23rd march at start of lockdown 2020,,, then was taken back into hospital with stage 3 kidney disease,  (CKD)  doctors and consultants informed me that i have between 3 to 5 years left if i stick to the diets and fluids im supposed to,,, so since march last year i have spent all my time completing mauretania,,, the last pic in this set is the state of play i restarted the build and has come a long way since last march,   lock down was so hard for me living alone but i beat the boredom  by nonstop work on mauretania,    being on my own has its bonuses,  no earache over the mess on the floor or no nagging over the time i spend on the models,   im my own boss lol,  ,,,  now i can work the hoover,  learned how to use the washing machine,  use the iron and i can cook really good now but still hate making the bed lol

[tonyH]

Hi Brian,
I'm always grateful, as you and many others probably are, to have such an engrossing hobby that has kept us relatively sane and solid over the last 15 months, notwithstanding other problems we may have. Whether it's solo or with the grudging OK from whichever boss It also seems that the build standards have also gone up with the patience we've had to adopt. I must admit that I'm lucky in that I can shy well away from the washing machine and/ironing but I suffer the job of chef gladly in return.Lovely work and, as I put before, what's project X in planning?
Cheers
Tony

[Brian_C]

Hi Brian,
I'm always grateful, as you and many others probably are, to have such an engrossing hobby that has kept us relatively sane and solid over the last 15 months, notwithstanding other problems we may have. Whether it's solo or with the grudging OK from whichever boss It also seems that the build standards have also gone up with the patience we've had to adopt. I must admit that I'm lucky in that I can shy well away from the washing machine and/ironing but I suffer the job of chef gladly in return.Lovely work and, as I put before, what's project X in planning?
Cheers
Tony
[  hi tony   my next project is a 53" trawler, westella,  a hull based trawler built in 1959 by cook welton and gemmall on the humber and owned by j.marr and sons,  she was sold in late 70,s and renamed sea shepherd, converted for the protection and study of marine creatures,   she rammed the pirate whaler sierra and while in harbor sierra was scuttled by limpit mines and  said to have killed over 25000 whales,    sea sherherd was scuttled by her captain in harbor at portugal and then raised and sold for scrap.   i sailed along side westella many times in late 60,s and early 70,s around north cape,  bear island and iceland,   she was a great sea ship and was on board her a few times in honingsvaag and rekiavik

[tonyH]

Hi Brian,
She's got really lovely lines, even allowing for the battle scars to the bow!
The plate stitching is very obvious so do you reckon you'll follow that?
CheersTony

[Brian_C]

work nearly completed now and most of the deck fittings and rigging nearly completed, 

[dodes]

Am lost for words, the build is superlative of a very beautiful old ship. Are you going to fit lights inside for the portholes, just I remember seeing a picture of her when she arrived for demolition and a night time pic was made with all her lights inboard on, it was very impressive. But your work is fantastic, hope she goes to Wicksteed this year and I can make it there to see her.

[steve mahoney]

Great fleet! And you've really done the Mauritania justice. Super work.

[awvs]

Hello Brian,
wonderful, superb, incredible. 


Wilhelm

[kevin547n]

Stunning work, and so sorry about your health


Can you please explain how you made the portholes 600 plus of them

[Brian_C]

hi kevin, the portholes were made using 6mm and 5mm brass tubing,  parting the 6mm tubing off on the lathe at 5mm and parting the 5mm tubing off at 4mm,  then slotting the smaller 5mm into the larger 6mm tube,  the inner tube should be app 1mm  recessed inside then i used liquid glass, mixing enough to fill app 100 portholes to the top of the inner rim of the porthole to simulate a recess to the outer brass tube then after 48 hours i usually had to top up the portholes due to shrinking as the resin cures then after another 48 hours they are ready to start fitting into the hull and using an epoxy clear resin to wipe the inside of the ports while inserting them into the hull and leaving them raised out from the hull app 1mm,           i usually made about 100 per night,  the resin is a milky white color when mixing but it dries clear when cured   yes i have thought about the fitting lights into the hull and it works well,  but not sure of  fitting them into the hull   (i dont intend sailing mauretania) in the dark   lol     hope you can understand my explanation of the port hole procedure,  it was a boring job to do but its all part of the build to finish the model to the best of my capabilities, 

[Stuw]

Wow! I’ve come across from the pleasure boat section and stumbled on your epic construction! Sorry to hear about your health. You have done an incredible job with this amount of work! A few portholes would be enough for me, but 600!


I’ve come back to model boats at the start of Lockdown and it’s helped me take my mind off other things when we’ve not been out and about much in the last year.


Who needs lights! As you say, she won’t be sailing in the dark...


Once again, wow 

[rwjenkins]

What a fantastic model!  Building a large Mauretania model has been a lifelong dream of mine, guess I should get started on it one of these days.  Where did you find the plans?

[Brian_C]

the plans were purchased from the discovery museum in newcastle upon tyne,  there were 6 sets of plans at over 9ft long and the hull frame drawings,,, the plan drawing shows what you get but on seperate sheets,  the cost of the plans were app £180 00  also there is a 16ft model of her in the museum so i took app 100 pictures from all angles to help with the build

[steve mahoney]

Congratulations – that is a fantastic result.
Can we have some more photos please?