1/200 Pre dreadnought battleship IJN Mikasa after 1905

[Joelle]

Hello fellow modelers.

I’m back from vacation.
To ease back into things, I’m picking up right where I left off. I am finishing up the port-side torpedo net shelf and its associated spars.
As a result, there aren’t too many new photos today.

Once again, I fashioned cable tensioners from the shortened railing stanchions and attached them to the individual spars.



And so, without further ado, I present to you the result of my efforts.



This phase of construction was actually a bit nerve-wracking, due to the somewhat bumpy road leading up to it.



But this way, I can now wrap this up and attend to the remaining details. There are still plenty of them left.



Last but not least, here is a picture of the three midships gun port lids, which are now also hanging on the port side of the casemates.

[wefalck]

Well, yes, the torpedo-nets were/are fragile items on both, the prototype and the model. Well done

[Joelle]

Many thanks, Eberhard.
It was all actually very delicate, and I’m glad to have it behind me—thanks in part to your bit of help.

To get back into the swing of things after my vacation, I’m starting with a small detail that was still missing:

The “crown” for the funnels.

First, I cut out all the individual parts for the funnel grating.



Once again, a very delicate piece of work.

You have to be extremely careful when sanding down the connection points where the tabs held the part in the sheet.

Assembly is easier after that. I used four small strips to ensure the ring lay flat while I glued the struts in place.



And slap it right onto the funnel.



Here is another question for the maritime experts among you.

I had always assumed that those frameworks were for canvas covers designed to form a funnel shroud and protect the boiler from rain.

However, even in port, the boiler was rarely allowed to go out completely, as the ships had to constantly generate steam for the electrical generators (lighting, radio, pumps) and to maintain operational readiness. Consequently, a framework with a canvas cover would have burned up or been ruined by soot.



So, here is my question:

Are these perhaps splinter-protection grilles rather than supports for tarpaulins? Did they serve to prevent enemy shell fragments, debris, or masts collapsing during combat from falling into the boiler rooms?

Or were they makeshift frameworks that simply remained in place throughout the ship’s active service, ready to support the tarpaulins used during periods of complete decommissioning—such as a months-long stay in the shipyard or during cold winter lay-ups?

[wefalck]

You are right, when 'commissioned' the boilers of ships (and of locomotives for that matter) were kept hot, because a boiler has to be heated rather slowly to avoid cracks, particularly at the joints of steam- and smoke-pipes. However, when decommissioned, the fires were cleaned out. Also, during peace-time not all boilers were necessarily running, just the ones providing the steam for the necessary services. Boilers require periodic cleaning to remain effective. During those times the funnels would have been also covered.

[Joelle]

Thanks again for that very informative explanation, Eberhard.

I had suspected that it had nothing to do with splinter protection; it would have been too delicate for that, and the structure would have needed to be much more robust.

So, its primary purpose was to support removable weather covers when the boilers were out of service. During normal operation, the framework presumably just stayed in place while the tarpaulin was removed.