LV-87 AMBROSE, Digital Navy, 1:250

[Heiner]

Hi there!
In April we had a contest at kartonbau.de with lighthouses and lightvessels, and as usual I didn´t finish in time, but this way I am free to present the build to You. I hope, You find it worth Your while.

[Heiner]

The model was released in 2001 and is one of the first downloads on my HDD, since I took up cardboard-modeling. It´s a shame, that she had to wait so long. I changed a few things in the first place: the skeleton is thought to be made of 1 mm-cardboard, which I think exaggerated, considering the size of the hull. Instead, I laminated 2 sheets of 160 gr-cardboard, which is still strong enough to prevent any bending, giving it time enough to dry.

[Don Boose]

Hi Heiner.

I'd love to see the images of your Digital Navy lightship build, but there are still no images attached.

Nonetheless, I have made note of your recommendation concerning the thickness of cardboard you used in your framing.

Don

[Heiner]

Hi Don!
These days a lot of formerly easy things got complicated - it seems, that uploads from Germany to the other side of the Atlantic now belong to them. I will try tonight, when there is (hopefully) less traffic...
When I´m done, I will post my drawings as well, the are adapted to the new thickness.

[Heiner]

It seems, that the day before labour day finally a few lock-downed home-offices shut down for the weekend - anyway, here are the missing pictures.

[Heiner]

First thing I do, when beginning a new model, is to search for informations about the original. The vessel was built in 1908, so the hull was riveted and showed clearly his plankgangs. I wanted to do the same and drew the hullsides anew. Besides, I wanted the lettering closer to the original and considered to open a pair of doors on one side (which didn´t happen, as I was running out of time).

[Heiner]

Closing the hull was proof of my experience with the framing: the fit of the parts is close to perfect, any fault of the hull is of my own doing. The one exeption is the bridge, that lacks a fourth bulleye at the front, which I have added here. At that, I put some steps below the bridges door, which make more of a difference than the size of these parts indicate.

[Don Boose]

The images were worth waiting for.

Very nice work so far.

Don

[Heiner]

Nest came the deck houses. What I found on photos is a pair of rollers at the backward corners of the machine-house. I made these from 1 mm polystyrene round strips and inserted them before closing the deck and preparing it for the decklights.

[Heiner]

Hi Don!
Thanks for Your appreciation, I´m glad I can show them here! Next comes the windlass and the smoking stack on top of the central deck house. I added the first lasercuts here, a ladder at the back of the stack and some parts of the windlass. It´s a pity, that I don´t have any more pictures of the windlass, there seem to be lots of details on it.