Uss Columbus 1819

[threebs]

I was making a display of various rifle shells, I had removed the gunpowder and primers from about 12 different caliber rifle shells and put the powder in a baby food jar. I needed to clear space on my dads work bench, and as I leaned toward the tool box with a few tools to put away a few slipped from my grasp and fell to the steel work bench top I had placed my left hand out for support as I leaned to the tool box, right next to the open jar of gun powder. As fate would have it the falling tools sparked on the bench top and one fell into the jar. It flash exploded and stripped 3 fingers on my left hand of the flesh to the bone, no tendon damage so after a couple of surgeries and some therapy I had full use of my left hand. I did this when I was 18 a day before I was to graduate from high school, I was in surgery at the exact same time as the rest of my class was in commencement ceremonies.

[threebs]

I have a little build station on an end table next to my couch where I sit with my leg up. I constructed all of the half doors and the hinge straps from here. I super glued all the straps to all the doors, then soldered the hinge pins to the the ends of the straps. The heat melted most of the straps off ans I had to re glue almost all of them over. I Used a fresh bottle of super glue and they do stay on better than before. The last photo shows the straps with pins soldered on, after the heat melted the glue.

[JIM BAUMANN]

very impressive production line-- and impressive repeatability!!!

Bravo!
JIM B

[threebs]

thank you Jim, It means alot to get these little encouraging comments, Merry Christmas!

[carr]

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[threebs]

These plastic side hinge pin pieces should be the last bits to glue onto the gun doors. That is 4 each for the 32 double doors and two each for the 34 sigle doors, you do the math, I would be to intimidated if I actually knew how many it was, lol!

[JIM BAUMANN]

sheesh!

dont do any maths!


JB

[threebs]

Painted doors and hinge ends. now I have to seize the lift ropes to the eye bolts lots of tedious time consumming work, sigh, I LOVE IT!
Also my new toy!

[threebs]

Now that my ankle is better and I am out of my cast, my "winter" outdoor chores need to be addressed. So, my ship modeling has slowed, but not stopped. Before I put the gun port doors on, some of the ports have a rain gutter if you will, above them. I am trying to bend polystyrene into a circle and some how heat it enough that it retains that diameter without melting the plastic. Tried a hair dryer with some success but it seems to need justa little more heat, perhaps running a soldering iron around the outside edge? What do you guys think?

[carr]

..

[threebs]

The hot water method worked great. Finished Port side gun port doors and rudder. working on Starboard door now. Will be making lower masts and tops in the coming days

[carr]

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[threebs]

Yes it is white, The British also changed to white Under Nelson to white. I have read the red was to mask the blood splattered on the walls in battle. Nelson said something like the not seeing the blood diminished the sacrifice the sailors gave in battle

[JIM BAUMANN]

great chequerboard effect- !

--- a lot of work there ....

Bravo!
Jim Baumann

[Propman]

Now that is ship / model building.

Keith

[wefalck]

Nice and persistent work

BTW, as a controllable heat-source I use a hot-air electrical 'reflow' soldering-station. The temperature can be preset from around 100�C to 420�C, which avoids melting or burning materials. They are cheap (around 25� on the bay) and I am using it a lot for all sorts of heating jobs.

[carr]

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[threebs]

I have been making progress on the masts and to some degree the Tops.

[threebs]

was not quite done yet the fore and main top masts are just getting roughed in. The fore top mast tapering in the lathe went like I had never taken a break from doing the Pennsylvania! I surprised it went so that it went so well the first try!

[threebs]

And,no,the masts are not bowed, that is just an effect the camera angle gave them, just in case anyone noticed and had questions.