The Ship Model Forum

Battlefleet models produce a delightful little kit of the little coastal steamer SS Pearl
This kit was reviewed right here at MW.com


http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html


and a fine rendition of this diminutive ship was built by modelchum Peter Fulgoney

Peter's SS Pearl

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Now then...--and having read contemporary descriptions of these vessels and having studies countless photos of early steam driven merchant ships- and having studied the fine and inspirational models of merchant ship master Bob Wilson

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=38508

It is my contention that .....

although the General Arrangement ( GA) plasn often show these vessels with sailing rig... that in reality sails were seldom used for actual propulsion.... steam having quickly becaome reliable by this time.

HOWEVER... I reckon that in a rolling beam-on swell sails would often have been used for their steadying effect to inhibit excessive rolling....

I used this valid (in my view! ) pretext when I built the BFM Trap steamer Drumgeith

http://modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/ ... index.html

This little project is also intended as a distraction from the 'serious' business of trying emulate every minutia on some obscure warship-- ....as is my usual wont...

So rather than slavishly building a replica of SS Pearl--which Peter Fulgoney already has done rather well ... I shall use the kit as my basis for a bit of freelancing--or in common parlance:

.....making it up as you go along!!

Firstly I reshaped the stern with filler to make a more elegant counter; and also will induce a more pronounced sheerline; this has been achieved by gluing small blocks of styrene for and aft--when pulled done in the centre with the to-base securing screw it will give a more accentuated and in my view rather pleasing sheerline...
Not working to exact plans and photos to try and recreate a 1:1 scale ship, but rather giving reign to my whims is a new experience for me ...( in modelshipbuilding anyhow .. !!


we shall see if this will all work out!!

JIM B

I am sitting here scratching my head wondering how a piece of resin like the photo shown can be turned into something wonderful like the finished product. This was at Telford last year, and while I missed chatting to Peter, its a great looking ship, just love those sails and rigging it makes the whole thing come alive.

I...I'm shocked, absolutely shocked! WHO ARE YOU?!

Progress has been satisfyingly brisk!

I added some underwater hull on the stb side so that the vessel could heel a little in the breeze and beam-on rollers

The ship was mounted using a screw to pull down the midships section and create the desired sheerline

I cut off some of the wt doors and substituted some PE from Voyager.

I made the traditional for that type of vessel wood panelled bridge surround using some WEM Ark Royal catwalk PE.

The wheelhouse was constructed of 1/350 handrail, subdivided with stretched sprue, the gaps in-filled with white glue.

With paint on it looks quite effective!!

Scupper doors made of paper have been added to the hull sides , hawsepipes drilled and most of the deckpainting completed

More soon

JB

Hmm, not your usual way of doing water! What are you using this time?


And needless to say, the ship looks great.

Indeed Timmy it is a different watermaking method-- an experiment if you like ... with matt acrylic gel..

we shall see what happens...

Meanwhile I have been doing stuff...

The sometimes hazardous journey from Bridge to foredeck- bypassing the low lying well deck which in a seaway could have a lot of water sluicing around or even be partially awash...- on SS pearl and many vessels of here era could be effect by use of the raised catwalk.

I made mine of a strip of brass PE waste, to which were added GMM goldplus railings and some 1/350 twin bar rail cut down carefully to make the legs; numerous testfits were required...
The wheel house gained a roof made of paper infused with CA glue


More soon....

The kit funnel was fine in its own right-however I desired mine a bit taller still in keeping with an old photo in a 1930's book-

'Shipping wonders of the World' ....--- a most worthwhile tome indeed to browse .!

A new funnel was made of copper tubing which had the opening thinned down further and the steam pipe separated further in accordance with a GA plan of Pearl- the upper bracket being made witha droplet of white glue

The accommodation aft had the 2 x large engine room vents added( BFM resin items)
These were drilled vertically to create a hole and then had the edges of the mouth thinned down by hollowing out with a bur-tool held in a pinvice


The foredeck had the handrails added--and the beak steel wall increased in height .windlass furnished with brake handles, anchor chain ( twisted wire ) and a vent made of solder wire ( core drilled out) ; anchors were added and the stairway handrails made of fine 1 bar railing.
The ships boats required cradles --these were made of (WEM Askold) PE parts and davits bent out of wire

view from the port side-note the small skylight added( cut down PE radar )


Once the boats have been installed....

I may have to revert back to working some more on the Vladimir Monomakh ....

as I am awaiting some fine tapered brass masts from BMK--along with the tapered brass spars for Vlad M....

then again...

I may need in the meantime.... to start a third project...

Jim Baumann

Slow down bloke - its not a race
The hull colour looks great I've been trying that sweeping down look with a brush, then realised I got a better result by brushing down with a matt varnish, have you decided what the sails will be made from ? Looking good Jim, very good in fact.

Looks great Jim!!

I have been wondering about the surge in Pearl sales.

Harry

Having been rather distracted by 1;1 scale ' real !' work....,

caring for 4 year old daughter whilst Mum was away fro 2 weeks in Germany..
.... progress on the model has inevitably been a bit slow....


Nevertheless a few snatched moments resulted in some open ship s boats being made with separate thwarts, some finely tapered masts ( BMK from Germany) being installed and a bit of sailmaking ...

The furled sail on the middle mast has been made of white glue and can be seen while wet - ergo white ) The sea has had a first coat...
more soon..

Very interesting model...

But I would like to know a bit more about the ship...
If I am honest I do not exactly what am I watching?
It is nice but... What is that ship? What cargo carried? Who was the owner? What were the calling ports? etc etc

This vessel must be located in a determined epoch, country, traffic, etc. A minimum information that any modeler must have in his mind to build the ship.

Sometimes we believe that only warships must be object of rigorous study... We must refuse that wrong ideas!

Guest; you missed further up:

So rather than slavishly building a replica of SS Pearl--which Peter Fulgoney already has done rather well ... I shall use the kit as my basis for a bit of freelancing

Hello Guest!

My purpose as stated above:

==> This little project is also intended as a distraction from the 'serious' business of trying emulate every minutia on some obscure warship-- ....as is my usual wont...

So rather than slavishly building a replica of SS Pearl--which Peter Fulgoney already has done rather well ... I shall use the kit as my basis for a bit of freelancing--or in common parlance:

.....making it up as you go along!!

------------------------------------------------------
So....alas I disagree with you in this particular case ...!

In this instance my model is not of any specific prototype, merely a facsimile of a type....

My model ship has not even yet been give a name.... (!!!) -

- she is currently a generic rendition of a small British coaster of the latter transitional period of sail and steam... the sails are not being used solely for propulsive purposes, .( although the wind direction aft of the beam may assist a bit )

--but to assist to steady the wallowing roll that this type of vessel was prone to ...

However -if it will help assuage my apparent guilt... lets assume she is carrying gravel!

Cheers

soon back the serious business of building the minutia of old warships!


Jim Baumann

Jim...
How many tonnes of gravel (or any other heavy cargo) can carry this ship in full loaded condition?

Jim-

These links have been sitting in my favorites folder for a while as inspiration for future projects.

Knowing that you like the sail to steam transition I thought you might enjoy as well:
http://www.fineartemporium.com/se-Mohrmann-JH.htm
http://www.fineartemporium.com/Werdere-1.htm

Best regards
--Scott

Great link, Scott.

A little inspiration for my next steamer!

Well,..despite my real-life distractions I did succeed in completing this wee shippy!

Finally invented a name for my fictitious ship

SS FELICITY of Southampton.


She flies the 'Red Duster' ( Merchant Ensign )

and is see here on passage with a quartering sea from Falmouth to Southampton , July 1901...

I enjoyed most --as ever-- doing the rigging and the colouring of the sea...

It was also an entirely new experience for me to create an amalgam of ship's characteristic's of her era.!

Hope you like this flight of fancy!

Jim Baumann

Hi Jim,

even though SS Felicity is fictive, she looks great

Looks Great , Jim!

I think all you need a photo backdrop of the Hotel in Agatha Christie�s �Evil under the Sun� for the perfect setting of a red sailed boat.

JIM BAUMANN wrote:Hope you like this flight of fancy!

Great "little" build, Jim!