SS Xantho, Western Australia's First Steamship - Scratchbuild - 1:100

[Bandsaw Steve]

That’ll be it! 👍

 

Thanks @Iceman 29

[ArnoldAmbrose]

19 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

once again I smothered the structure in automotive bog filler.  By the time this is finished I swear this model will be more filler than wood.

Gidday Steve, what's a model for, if not to hold quantities of bog filler together? In your case anyway. 😁 And I agree, the hull does have a nice curve to it.

       I used your idea of an insert to get the bow shape on my new build of HMAS Vampire, but I used styrene instead of brass. Hopefully it'll work.

 

19 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

itching to get her scuba diving ticket

Many years ago in Esperance my father had a scuba outfit. For two years I had no ambition to use it. (The water's cold down there). One day I got talked into it - I used it twice and promptly went and bought my own set. I wish your daughter good luck and loads of fun when she gets her ticket.

       Regards, Jeff.

[albergman]

Hi Steve

 

Glad to this one is back on the bench ... sure had a long gestation!   It's a lovely little ship and I'm keen to see what you do with it.   

 

Frank

[Bandsaw Steve]

Anniversary

 

Some of you may be aware that I'm a bit of a sucker for an anniversary.  Right this moment 9:40 PM on 13 Nov 2022 WA standard time it will be 150 years - to the minute - since Xantho cast off at Port Gregory on her final voyage.   To my knowledge this anniversary will go completely unmarked. In fact, I suspect that even the staff at the Maritime Museum might not have noticed it. Consequently, the weight of commemorating the first ever attempt to use a powered vessel to export mineral product from this state falls on my shoulders. I have held off hitting the 'submit' button here on BM until this very moment to mark the occasion.   

To put the importance of this event in context... Xantho sank under the weight of 83 tonnes of lead ore.  In calendar year 2021 Western Australia shipped 844 million tonnes of iron ore worth $137 billion Australian dollars. The total value of all minerals produced was $211 billion Australian dollars.

 

https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/western-australias-economy-and-international-trade#:~:text=The value of Western Australia's,per cent to %24231.5 billion.

 

So despite the fact that Charles Broadhurst had bad luck that night 150 years ago,  he was certainly onto an idea that was going to become a very big thing in the future of this state.

 

So what progress have I made on this model of his little ship?

 

Here's where I was up to at the end of the last post.

 

Some work on the decks was due.  Here I'm using a needle and an incra-rule to scribe a series of equi-distant and parallel lines to represent deck planking.

 

This process was remarkably easy and can be recommended as a satisfactory way to produce a good starting point for a fairly convincing looking deck.

 

I think you can all see where this is going...

 

and I've done something similar over the poop deck.

 

The four rather prominent wash-ports along the side of the vessel need to be cut out, although in retrospect I might have been better off cutting these before I glued the bulwarks in place.

 

In any case it was nothing too difficult. I just bored some 'easer holes' though the bulwarks then used a razor and some dymo tape to fully delinate each hole, the cleared out the hole with a fine chisel.

 

Here she is with the decks and some preliminary cut-outs of the hatches loosely fitted.

 

And here she is with - yet another - layer of primer applied.

 

Don't worry about the very roughly formed masts. At this point they are just there to give a bit more of a  'visual impression' of what the ship will look like when complete.

 

So there we have it!

 

SS Xantho 150 years on.  Gone but not forgotten. 

 

I might have a swift glass of port to mark her passing. 

 

Best Regards,

Bandsaw Steve.

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

15 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

I might have a swift glass of port to mark her passing. 

That's a very good idea. 🍷 And congrats on marking the anniversary, although the expression "Happy Anniversary" doesn't seem quite appropriate considering the circumstances. It's good that someone acknowledges these events.

She's looking better with each post. Regards, Jeff.

[Bandsaw Steve]

10 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

It's good that someone acknowledges these events.

 

Thanks mate. I think so too!

 

It doesn’t need to be a solemn ceremony or anything too complicated or involved, just a mention in a conversation or a letter to a local newspaper or a post on-line can remind us that, wherever we live, there are always stories that add local interest and colour.

[Courageous]

Looking very nice and smooth. I might need to find one of those incra-rule weapons.

 

Stuart

[Bandsaw Steve]

 Difficulties...

 

The only small step forward in this post is that the first coat of Tamiya Deck Teak yellow has gone onto the decks. No problems there.

There are however two significant difficulties with this build that are forcing me to have a rethink. Both of the difficult spots are shown in red markings on the picture below:

1. I have not thought carefully enough about how to represent the bow and stupidly just left a gap in the forward bulwarks that I thought I would 'just work around' later once I've worked out how exactly to build this part.  This is a mistake as I'm now completely unsure about how to correct this gap while still making a feasible looking structure.  There are other more subtle difficulties with the construction here also - so I'm worried that in the end the whole bow is going to look odd.
2. The contours around the stern are clearly very wrong. Even after packing a whole lot of bog filler in the recess in the hull below the poop deck the hull contours still 'undercut' far too severely. I've discussed this with Ross Shardlow who politely agrees that the shape in this area is wrong.  To me it's clear that  I've misread the drawings; when making the hull cross sectional lines I've interpreted a rubbing strake on the plans as a sort of 'chine' (a sharp line of hull contour change). In the view below the blue dashed line tries to give a hint of what the 3D shape here should look like.  

 

In addition, recently I have had the opportunity to view first hand some of the extraordinary work done by the late, and very great, Mr Brian Lemon;  arguably W.A.'s greatest ever model builder. Brian was a true master of maritime model-building, specializing in small working vessels of all types. The first thing that struck me about Brian's models was not just their extraordinary quality but also their size.  Apparently he mostly aimed to build his models 'about 2 feet long', and adjusted the scale to fit. He was concerned that models that are too small did not allow him to show all of the details that he wanted and did not allow fully satisfactory construction methods.  I'm tending to agree with him. By comparison my efforts to date on this are looking shabby. 

 

So - currently this project is a little bit delayed as I do some thinking... with two major errors in play it might be easier to start again?

 

As some of you might recall, originally I was going to build this in 1/72... 🤔

 

Bandsaw Steve

 

 

 

[Malc2]

Hmm tough call.

You have invested quite a lot of time in the current model, so I can see the reluctance. The stern is just a case of adding more filler, so simple to do, the bow I guess would mean joining thin sections which could bite you later on?

However......! If you do choose to start again you will find it surprisingly quick to get back to the current stage and you will be much happier with the result.

I have been where you are with a car body, and I can say its was worth the restart.

 

Malc.

[hendie]

not great news Steve but at least you have discovered it now and have a chance to rectify it. On the plus side - you could have a spare Xantho to practice your techniques on

[Bandsaw Steve]

Good points @hendie and @Malc2. 
 

One thought that has occurred to me is that about 80% of the problem at the stern would be hidden if I made this a waterline model… 🤔

[Bandsaw Steve]

I am starting to see this model being finished as part of a diorama, perhaps Xantho being loaded prior to her fateful voyage. 
 

Then I can reassess if I have the mental energy to do a full-hull model in 1/72. The museum probably won’t take a waterline model or diorama but it will be a good dry run. 

[ColonelKrypton]

49 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

Apparently he mostly aimed to build his models 'about 2 feet long', and adjusted the scale to fit. He was concerned that models that are too small did not allow him to show all of the details that he wanted and did not allow fully satisfactory construction methods. 

 

Steve,

 

It is unfortunate where you build is now at, I think you sort of painted yourself into a corner. Not insurmountable but does require some thought.

 

As to Mr Brian Lemon's thought, I would have to agree on his thinking of scale. I had arrived at similar thinking some time ago although I still tend try and fit things into existing holes, human nature I guess. There is something to be said for keeping every build to the same scale if you are concerned about continuity between subjects but the reality is that some subjects are sometimes just too big or too small for a given "standard" scale.  I think we are sometimes just too limited in our thinking and need to more readily explore other paths.

 

I had never heard of this gentleman before and quick search found a couple of interesting tidbits, mostly from Model Boats magazine. A very interesting and talented individual indeed.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Steve, I'd be very reluctant to start again, after all the work you've done. Having said that, there's a model ship I'd like to do in the near future, and if I do it'll be my THIRD attempt at her.

But I think you need to consider how you'll feel at the final completion  -  possible regret that you didn't cut your losses and try again if you can't fix these problems to your high standards. I also think that Malc2 raises a good point:-

1 hour ago, Malc2 said:

However......! If you do choose to start again you will find it surprisingly quick to get back to the current stage and you will be much happier with the result.

You've already done a lot of the thinking and planning. And while you COULD hide the underwater hull if you waterline her there's still that bow issue.

 

I agree that larger models allow for more detail (it's why I abandoned the first attempt at the ship and doubled the dimensions on the second attempt) but it also forces your hand a bit in that you probably HAVE to add extra detail to prevent the model looking too spartan and bland. I guess the trick is finding the right balance.

 

I'm sorry, this probably isn't much help, it's your decision I'm afraid. Good luck with it.       Best regards, Jeff.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Xantho III

 

For the reasons stated above I have decided to start again...

 

Naturally the decision is entirely my own but of all the comments above this was perhaps the most influential:

On 26/11/2022 at 21:27, Malc2 said:

If you do choose to start again you will find it surprisingly quick to get back to the current stage 

 

This comment rang-true to me and I really started to think that it would actually be quicker, and certainly simpler and more satisfying, to just start again and take advantage of everything I had learned on the previous attempt. So one day when I was in the mood I just got started. I've chosen to stick with 1/100 scale so this really is just a direct replacement of the old model.

 

So, here it is folks the start of my third attempt to build the SS Xantho. (Well it's really just the second attempt since the first model was really a preliminary mock-up.)

 

There's not much point in writing about the process in great detail since it's fundamentally very similar to last time. I'll just point out things that I've done slightly differently this time.

The first thing is that I've cut the prow and the figurehead into the main central frame of the ship. Last time I used a piece of brass sheet metal because I thought wood wouldn’t be strong enough but this new figurehead has stood up remarkably well to all of the ensuing work and handling.

The second major change is that I'm using 3mm MDF for all of this skeletal work. The main reason is mostly experimental to see how MDF (which is very cheap and readily available) compares with the Paulownia wood that I used last time. So far I'm quite impressed. The main technical advantage with MDF is that it has no grain. My scroll saw just loves cutting this stuff.

 

This time I've been much more careful to ensure that each of the sectional station shapes are cut 2mm smaller than the plans indicate. This will allow for the thickness of a 2mm thick balsa or plywood skin that will applied to the entire hull and should leave a nice smooth finish.  I'm also going to try to represent a small keel running along the centreline of the ship and am attempting to make it an integral part of the ship's structural frame.

Following the recommendation of @Bertie McBoatface I have invested in some 'Titebond' aliphatic woodworking glue, for which I am now a keen advocate. In fact you could say I'm emphatic about aliphatic. 😬

 

Unlike last time I'm carving the bow out of solid wood. Last time I left a big gap at the front of the ship that I intended to 'sort out later' but when the time came I realized I had no real idea how to do that.  This time I've planned ahead a bit better.

 

Last time I forget to add the 'do not remove' red paint on all of the final surfaces that I don't want to sand away accidentally.  This time I remembered. I think it looks quite fetching with the red against the pale beige of the wood.

 

Now, once again, I filled in all of the spaces between the frames with balsa and carved, whittled and sanded away any unwanted material while trying to keep the red edges of the frames intact.

 

This time I made the stern contours a bit more generous.  This was the area where the previous model was most clearly wrong. This time I'm determined to make something that looks a bit like what might be found on a real ship.

 

This looks a bit more promising...

 

Still not perfect but certainly much better than last time.

 

One thing I have learned this time around is that, if using thin materials - like 3mm MDF - for the skeleton, you must not pack the balsa blocks in too firmly because if they are pushing harder on one side than the other they can push on the centreline and warp the entire ship into a banana.   I made that mistake in this case but spotted the problem quickly enough to extract the offending blocks before the Titebond set too firmly. The keel is now pretty straight, but not perfectly so. Lesson learned!

 

The whole process is fairly simple and progressed quite quickly.  Any huge excess lumps of balsa can be removed easily with chisels or a Stanley knife.

 

Then move to a rasp and sandpaper.

 

Which leaves this.  Note how for various reasons some of the red 'do not exceed' markers have been 'exceeded'. 🤔

 

Here she is again from a different angle.

 

She's definitely looking much better than she was at this point last time, and I have not yet used a single smudge of filler! To get to this point was remarkably quick and also quite fun.

 

Next up I'm going to try to skin the hull, a process which I have never done before.  There are still one or two issues with this hull that the next steps might - or might not - be able to address. If not, I've been thinking about of how I would do this job again.  So Xantho IV is not necessarily out of the question! 😱

 

We shall see.

 

Best Regards,

Bandsaw Steve

 

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

35 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

Unlike last time I'm carving the bow out of solid wood. Last time I left a big gap at the front of the ship that I intended to 'sort out later' but when the time came I realized I had no real idea how to do that.  This time I've planned ahead a bit better.

 

Sound move. I believe I took the idea of the balsa infills that I'm currently using from you, so thanks for that.

 

She looks a very sound base for development now. Do-overs are always better, we should make at least two of every model...

[ArnoldAmbrose]

38 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

if they are pushing harder on one side than the other they can push on the centreline and warp the entire ship into a banana. 

Gidday Steve, I have heard of 'Banana Boats' but didn't know how they got the name. 😁 

 

       Despite me saying earlier that I'd be reluctant to start again I think I agree with @Bertie McBoatface above in your decision to start again anyway. You wouldn't have been happy now with Xantho II. Xantho III hasn't taken very long and I think the hull form looks good, not that I know much about that era of ship.

 

41 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

So Xantho IV is not necessarily out of the question!

The Bandsaw Shipping Line? 🙂    Don't discard Xantho II, you just never know if you can use it later.

       Good luck with this. Without rushing her do you think you'll make it in six weeks, without jeopardizing the completion of your others? 

 

Regards, Jeff.

[Bandsaw Steve]

1 hour ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

 

       Good luck with this. Without rushing her do you think you'll make it in six weeks, without jeopardizing the completion of your others? 

 

Regards, Jeff.

Not a hope in hell that Xantho will be finished but the PZH 2000 is sooooo close to finished that I’ll let you yell naughty words at me if it’s not there at WASMEx. 👍

[JohnWS]

2 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

So, here it is folks the start of my third attempt to build the SS Xantho. (Well it's really just the second attempt since the first model was really a preliminary mock-up.)

Third time's a charm?  🤞

 

John

[ArnoldAmbrose]

53 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

the PZH 2000 is sooooo close to finished that I’ll yell naughty words at me if it’s not there at WASMEx. 👍

I'll hold you to it. If it's there, I'll buy the coffee. If it's not, then it's your buy I'm afraid. 😁

Regards, Jeff.

[theskits62]

Great to see this project moving forward again (even if you had to go into reverse briefly). Looking great.

[Brandy]

4 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

I made the stern contours a bit more generous. 

A polite way of saying "she now has a much bigger bottom"? ( That was not the word I typed!)

Sometimes it's better and quicker to just do it all again from the beginning instead of trying to correct what you've done. By the look of it, this is one of those times.

 

Ian

[Malc2]

Looking GREAT!

It's kinda frightening to think I am responsible for causing you a pile more work......!

Malc.

[Ray S]

Xantho MkIII is looking good Mr Bandsaw. I think doing the pointy bit up front in wood was a Good Move. I like the blocking-in trick with the balsa wood. This ship has good lines.

 

All the best for the rest of the build,

 

Ray

[Courageous]

Glad to see this back on the go Steve, even if it is a Mk.III (or IV). Looking good so far and may it continue.

 

Stuart