Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: olicana on 21 February 2024, 01:48:49 PM
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Last week I scratch built this Nile paddle steamer. It's mainly cardboard (including the paddle wheel and boiler) and some MDF decking. There are also a couple of plastic teaspoon handles, some Perry plastic figure bases and some tacks involved.
As a real steamer I don't think the design makes much sense (for a start, there is no access to the upper deck and I have no idea how the boiler would connect to the engine room) but, for a wargame model, it works and looks the part. I hope you like it.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5csHtwL5Pe-i12GGsSguUAtZJzVmIK5oCxKMiSYOx09WJT0T1qKz97JzKsjTpEtaw7lquBQWOsjcLlvF_mXT4NqYedtl5KVRvclQA8mPRJwJUFRNSs_WidCdDrN9gMoBJlD0dw1J-GtJBmYlQ9oFvdT_H2GDMLjx1IJgHex_DjMNdEmg0L0H3x6nRrq4/w640-h480/IMG_4945.JPG)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxu6YDJWE0Xcm8408kEz03LUZFf_Ddkr9B3pLKzTy6R-COV6LknMQdoSu_6P8Mz6zIXxaufwTQLSxeL06x5bqzIFLJQo5ZUxeassd_eNsZEsk7Tg7fyRExayuw0G2Jq6x-r3MahYy3gk_ilaNw8LdEgZG-YrzZi1uZ0B4K_iXL3xRxSxmuQPug6vlhKU/w640-h480/IMG_4948.JPG)
note tack and card railings. The boiler is card / paper (fin and skin affair), buttons and the funnel is a pen.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3B8lCmx9J993WuTM_w8pAD0fW0bHXJqzo5h1TAf71XDLDwtu6uBQE0iRDOFPABQ6CEtMWMKQ9QTor6P4mdCUDUO3LkN-2nTbCodTwFCazYcqOJ7Z8csHRxr7S-GfApo2ltTCyLNgWr7kVi207GhbD1okXyVN01qBdwBTnjel_P-1CWlJdZQhVr4GOUxg/w640-h480/IMG_4950.JPG)
Another shot of the paper boiler
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-y88urz34-JXGg4B3giQTyDr11sVslFDqYugn-5bHmY3yXk_OYJ5-RWUCoO7eP_WELik5mapWweY4RbJEVjwfeLtAKyETo6G5Z7gTZRdGxTtTJ68aTStWecKXtSBaIXlfeWz5aryPWxssQtg5BYzBjQQ6r-EEsdeBRaE0g78VwOR0CdS66nGf8f7PFzo/w640-h480/IMG_4953.JPG)
I'm very happy with the cardboard paddle wheel - for one thing, it's much stronger than it looks. However, if I make another I will use match sticks rather than card for the spokes. The arms are plastic teaspoon handles (are they made by PDT or is that PDT = Plastic Disposable Teaspoon?). The drive shafts are Warbases Gribeauval limber shafts left over from a conversion job. The froth and foam is cheap sponge.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE99FxsXmFcz-eo7wRuXYS78g3gS0n6BDhXe34XaCVmX3FX7W7QUYjks3es0rFsUIRA_Bvb3pioXJrNVo1LfdS5a4GZOqBeUX_2hyphenhyphen4p6o6csSA9Hr243WMcoaS8WwO4ziyM6oldpCyoLk3thH_V2IbYl3pRdqgnyi20AGDaZ8SjjTISX_W0Px1EDqbykc/w640-h480/IMG_4952.JPG)
The adhoc 'boiler plate armour' is pastic Perry bases drilled along the edges. Barrels are not scratch (Renedra) but the crates are - MDF and card.
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Looks great 8)
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Made from cardboard :o
Amazing!
T
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Very nice.
Boiler îs to generate steam - just need a pipe below deck to transit the steam to one or more pistons that turn some sort of shaft(s) that will turn the wheel. Steam locomotion is both fairly simple - and somewhat complex. Only challenge might be if the steam has to travel so far it starts to cool so much it loses its force to drive the pistons. So, maybe the steam pipe needs to be well clad in some sort of insulating material. But since it is below deck you can just assure us you did just that and we won't be able to question your veracity!
The real key is the ability of the vessel to carry miniatures and your first photo clearly shows it can do so.
PDT = "Powered Direct Transmission" (though I have no idea really but it sounds good for the application) :)
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One thing not shown is the name (name added later than photos). She's called the "Heru-Pa-Kaut".
That's a random Egyptian female fertility god with a fish on her head.
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Excellent work! Love it. :-*
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That is a splendid model! Perfect for gaming!
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Wow!! Great job!! Very creative and I bet a lot of fun to build. I imagine you will get lots of table top time with it too...well done!!
Regards
Hitman
😎
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Beautiful build and very nice painting :-* :-*
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Looks like it's straight out of the movie Khartoum good job.
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Loving it! 👍
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A superb job Sir!
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That looks great, a lovely build. Is it based on the Gary Chalk plan?
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It is based on photos of that boat. I liked the use of the main deck to house a visible boiler - as I wasn't doing a lift off second deck.
My next steamer will probably be a three deck stern wheeler with a full length 'palisaded' open plan third deck with striped 'lift off' awning - giving about 8" of troop space. The bridge will be at the front of the third deck. The two lower decks will have a walkway with railings running along on each side of its 'cabins'. It will be twin funnel. It will be the pretty much the same length as this one (13" approx) but slightly wider. Overall it will look pretty high out of the water - possibly more the Thomas Cook Cairo steamer than the smaller Khartoum steamer end of the spectrum.
After that I'll do a fairly large twin masted dhow. As I'm only doing the early campaigns that will, except for three or four 'towed whale boats', probably cover the riverine stuff.
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If you didn't tell us that it was scratch built with cardboard, I would have thought it was a kit! Amazing work! Now I really want to make a paddle steamer (even though I don't currently have troops to go with it ;D)
If you're really bothered by the lack of access to the top deck, you can always add a little (removable) staircase on the front - I've seen a few paddle steamers where the only top deck access is on the very front... or we can always imagine its there.
Didn't know you can get mdf decking - that would be a game changer for me so I don't need to make and glue my own planks on decks! Do you know any places that sell it in 15mm?
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I 'etched' my own planking with a Stanley knife and steel rule.
For 28mm planks the ruled cuts were 4mm apart. Then I angled the bade and bevelled these cuts to create the 'gaps' between the planks freehand - this was easier than it sounds as the blade naturally follows the initial cut but you do need a very sharp / new blade for this job.
It's much quicker than gluing the planking on.
Agreed, laser etched sheets of planking would be useful. I'm pretty sure Martin at Warbases would do it (bespoke) quite cheaply and would probably add 'eyes' to make the planking even more wood-like. I've had bespoke stuff made by Martin before and was delighted at how cheap it was. My last bespoke order was for four-part 'casualty' clocks graduated to 20 - they had to be designed and made bigger than the smaller 12 point ones in the catalogue and weren't that much more expensive. Send him an enquiry by email.
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Nice work on your paddle wheeler, look forward to seeing your next boat…
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Lovely paddle steamer.
You’ve done a great job, in getting a useful piece of kit to the table.
Keep up the good work 👍
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Thanks for detailed explanation olicana! Will definitely try my hand at hand etching for my next deck. Did you use standard balsa or some other wood?
I'm in US, so I'll need to look for business similar to warbases on this side of the pond. I'm sure there are some small businesses here that can do custom work like that. Worst comes to worst, I can bite the shipping cost and order from Martin :)
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Wood was 2.5mm MDF. For sheets, look up picture framing materials online. Pretty cheap in ‘wargamer quantities’.
I buy in bulk from a picture framing friend. Five 3’ x 2’ sheets for around £25 ($30). Have a chat with a local art and craft store - they generally have this kind of stuff available through their suppliers and will order it for you.
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I’ve also decided to build a dhow next. This week I made the gun and ‘Arab’ crew - an old fashioned ships cannon (redundant optional barrel from a 6pdr, possibly a 6pdr) plus some simple Perry plastic conversions for the crew.
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I’ve also decided to build a dhow next. This week I made the gun and ‘Arab’ crew - an old fashioned ships cannon (redundant optional barrel from a 6pdr, possibly a 6pdr) plus some simple Perry plastic conversions for the crew.
I'm quite looking forward to this. Lovely stuff, takes me right back to the days of Major General Tremorden Rederring in the very best ways.
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Lovely looking it of kit. :-* :-*
World's largest pedalo.
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That's great work. Nice details.
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That boat is most certainly impressive. Well done!
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Very fun model — let the diplomacy begin!
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I did a post on this Nile steamer a couple of months ago but can't find it to update it so forgive me for putting it here under a different title. This isn't just the same post rehashed, this is a link to my blog post (today) on an illustrated guide to how she was built out of cardboard and MDF (mainly) completely from scratch.
Anyway, the link:
http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-haru-pa-kaut.html (http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-haru-pa-kaut.html)
some pics, more at link
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorI5aRxeo83_qQ93NZU9Spu0TyTTgGcGVPKUsxZSW5R1UMK8fqHq9FRk-rRc-agaJ5qBdrhRm7uejrs1blckFot25Yi1ByyDF57bC58PwtqcSCzD10aMbctownai5OBz9rY_7IPeOnmAAS5LqSemVFOppp8ohtMfLN7W3_SL5dSEsYRO2FqZG7ZPy9y0/w400-h300/IMG_4935.JPG)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UeauElyuDyWfFHaHdqBTTuN8Q6s8Wvrhe0nJ-gC5FCFxZvSWbYNuepsJlSrpzHouN_bawGTxnY1Gle_JZWmr6LJXUY1jEKyeupxr1mstkn6eSWFvcTDd7hcNQEEkOifM15fzGYMnV_Agxc2tmG0VdSNkzAs8AjDrOtb_U8iNYbzPdPo7Zpie6mF6ds4/w400-h300/IMG_4929.JPG)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7pS9rEVzyrxBUxrZ_tMuT_HjMgOPJWaBky9QivBkPH-UTnqsDqWECcJ16B2c1qlM2ie381sZ93nCctSyjU4oHkgytBphwzpDoEqwOPFEp9RrSYOICELM1lJSWeGE6nfbxQt5jAhjwn4xyp-tzOEal-TL9g4aGlYl7t5NKqbVv-89NtwNb69866XDlFU/s2048/IMG_4926.JPG)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4MjYOqVTuARWyUQC5f0Mbry9fGnx6n1WprJMPrsZF6YqvdDc2Jh-rzM34Bck_FBU72KNV-NROlHHdH1zNQpKqTlzICxY15HWIcMQiisgeimh5jtTpHbtE47cZ7sRFoXw2hGg3Ziete87axZK110gdfvYnGNfsmFQdNMQI4tyfOagSFAqOHy7x5WOKEE/w400-h300/IMG_4931.JPG)
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Nice clean build and painting.
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Well done.
Love it. :-*
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Great job! I gotta get off my butt and make one for myself!
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Lovely work! Wouldn’t guess it was scratchbuilt, looks better than some stuff I’ve seen being sold online lol
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Great stuff 8)
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Browsing the Colonial board, I noticed the two threads in this topic and took the liberty to merge them, as it is such a nice ship. I don't know what it is about this Gary-Chalk-esque steamers in that they never cease to charm, even after all the ones people have built and shown over the decades.
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A great looking model, and although you pointed out some minor inaccuracies, it looks the part!
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Most excellent. As I'm on a terrain kick, one of these will have to be next...
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As a real steamer I don't think the design makes much sense (for a start, there is no access to the upper deck and I have no idea how the boiler would connect to the engine room) but, for a wargame model, it works and looks the part. I hope you like it.
why not add a (sealed) hatch to the back of the top deck, suggesting that access to the top deck is through a ladder in the enclosed engine room? it would give some added verismilitude, without hindering the ability to put troops up there.
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@mithril, that’s a really idea!