# Harlech Castle 1894 - 1934



## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I have just completed the display case and sea. Side panels are hiqh quality acrylic. Inner base is edged with bevelled hardwood similar to mahogany and French polished. Sea is plasticine painted by wife. Sea edging is twisted 24swg enamelled copper wire. Display case quadrant is 18mm pine veneered with steamed beech and case edgings are also veneered with steamed beech. Bottom is cardboard covered with green felt.

This type of case is my own design. Don't like making them, but commercially produced ones are far too expensive.

Can settle down and complete HARLECH CASTLE to go in it now!

Bob


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## Fred Wood (Jul 8, 2005)

Those cases you make are peices of workmanship in their own right, let alone the models that they contain. I only wish I had a similar talent!


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks, with the cases it is more equipment than skill though! I cut the corner mitres using a "chop saw" that is set exactly to 45 degrees, so I couldn't get it wrong anyway. The four pieces of quadrant are then glued together using corner clamps that maintain the 90 degree corners. When it is dry, I cut the acrylic panels with a small hobby bandsaw, drill countersunk holes holes in the bottom edges and screw them onto the base quadrant from the inside of the case. The panels are also glued along their edges with Evo-Stik for extra strength. Then I cut the inner base to be an exact fit in the case whilst the top is still open. The bevelled mahogany (or whatever it is) is purchased with the bevel already on it. The corners are mitred with the chop saw and glued to the base (working through the open top. This ensures a perfect fit). Then the top acrylic sheet is glued on. The edges have strips of veneer glued along them and when dry, it is all sanded down and sprayed with clear lacquer. When the wood work is all dry, the plastic protective backing to both sides of the acrylic is peeled off leaving a clean case.

It doesnt't take all that long, but has to be spread over four days:

Veneer and assemble quadrant.
Cut and fit inner base and edge with bevelled wood. Stick top on.
Veneer case edges
Sand and spray all woodwork.

Each day takes about 90 minutes, but each process must be left to dry thoroughly before going on to the next stage.

Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

The ship herself is rapidly movng towards completion now and I am in the process of "fitting out."
Bob


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## jerome morris (May 27, 2008)

Bob, Thanks for using a american coin. Now I'll have a better idea of the sizes.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I usually use the quarter for close-ups of bits & pieces as most of the interest in this type of model comes from the USA!
Bob


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## rknibbs (Mar 11, 2006)

Hi Bob
Do you make your own ventilators?

Robert


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Hi Robert,

Yes I do. They are made from brass. The cowls of the large ones are turned on the lathe and then soldered to the top of the shafts. Not avery difficult task, but a small lathe is required (I have a Unimat SL). The smaller vents do not require a lathe. I stick a paper telex punching to the top of a piece of thin copper wire and form the cowl with a bit of white wood glue on back. Then spray paint it - very effective

If you click on Miniature Merchant Ships, below, you can see some more models.

Bob


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## jerome morris (May 27, 2008)

Bob, I have a customer here in the states that is wanting an O-scale 500' cargo ship for his model railroad layout. Model will be around 9 feet long.
Should be a neat project.
So yes, cargo ships are big here.


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Jerome
That is enormous, rather you than me! I would not know where to begin.
Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

I would have completed it today, if I had not had to take the car in for a new clutch that involved a 2-mile walk back from the garage and a 2-mile walk back to collect it - good exercise though!

Anyway, here is the current progress. I still have to fit the big square topsail and a couple of jibs on the foremast, and the spanker, gaff topsail and staysail on the mainmast. Should be complete by tomorrow afternoon. Not a great deal of interest in this one - in fact the display case seems to have been the main focus of attention!
Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Completed it late today, thank goodness. Was getting a bit fed up of it in the end - but looks good.
Bob


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Just taken the final pictures.
Bob


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

Beautiful model Bob, I wonder if those sails, gave the Chief Engineer a negative slip when she was loaded?


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

In my early days in U-C, some of the older men had sailed in the ships when they set sails. I heard that some chiefs didn't like them at all (not surprisingly), and would pour a bit more smoke than usual out to muck them up! 

Some ships that appeared to have sails perfectly stowed were cheating. They were not sails at all, but carefully cut and sewn canvas bags filled with straw and lashed to loook like utter perfection in sail stowage!

They were sometimes set when engine failure ocurred, but it seems they would only give steerage way in a gale!


Bob


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