Steam Steam Towboat Towboat TAURUS Towboats, like the TAURUS, were a familiar sight in every American harbor and navigable tidal flat at the turn of the century. Graceful, yet functional, they pulled large liners and pushed heavy barges with ease. Dur- Model Shipways ing the 1930's, steam engines lost ground to Diesel propulsion, and by the 1960's the steam units were all but gone. A few steam tugs survive today as museum relics.
Instruction Manual The Steam Towboat Taurus By Erik A. R. Ronnberg Jr., 1978 Instruction Manual Update By Ben Lankford, 1995 The Model Shipways kit is based on the tugs Betsy Ross of Philadelphia, 1903, and the Sommers N. Smith of Boston,1887. Photos No. 2847 and 2156A, respectively, are in the collection of the Steamship Historical Society, now in the library of the University of Baltimore. During the original development of the kit, Mr. Ronnberg was assisted by Mr. Willie Dunne, Mr.
CONSTRUCTION STAGES & TABLE OF CONTENTS Brief History Introduction/Credits Before You Begin What You'll Need to Start Construction How to Work With the Plans & Parts Painting & Staining the Model Cover Pg 3 Pg 5 Pg 6 Pg 6 Pg 7 Stage A: Shaping the Pre-Carved Hull Pg 8 1. Shaping the Outside of the Hull 2. Carving the Bulwarks and Deck Pg 8 Pg 8 Stage B: Completing the Basic Hull Pg 9 1. 2. 3. 4.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN The model is a waterline type ( no hull below the waterline ). At 1/8" scale, it makes a fine shelf model mounted on a "sea" baseboard. It can also be used effectively in an HO gauge model railroad setting. Although HO is 1/87 scale, 1/8" ( or 1/96) is close enough for the HO layout. What you will have is slightly smaller boat. This kit contains a solid hull which has been machined carved from select, medium hard, fine grained basswood.
HOW TO WORK WITH PLANS AND PARTS Before starting model construction, examine the kit and study the plan carefully. Familiarizing yourself with the kit will serve two purposes. First, it will let you determine that all parts have been supplied as listed. And second, you'll be surprised at just how quickly handling the parts allows you to better understand the kit requirements. Try to visualize how every part will look on the completed model. Also, determine ahead of time what must be done first.
PAINTING & STAINING THE MODEL It may seem strange to begin an instruction manual with directions on applying the finishes to the model. Not so! Much time and effort can be saved, and a more professional result can be obtained, if the finishing process is carried out during construction. Paint the various small parts before they are installed on the model. The painting sequence must be a well thought out procedure, otherwise you may have difficulty as you proceed with assembly.
STAGE A FIG. 1 – Hull Sections at the Bow, Amidships and Stern SHAPING THE PRE-CARVED HULL Keep bottom edge sharp Sharp edge 1. Shaping the Outside of the Hull The outside of the pre-carved hull can be shaped very easily with a sanding block. About all you need do is even up both sides with a sanding block. The stern has vertical sides down to a sharp edge, then tapers back to the waterline. Sand the bottom slope to obtain the sharp edge.
grating step aft. Square these areas and sand the deck smooth (see Figure 4). FIG. 6 – Planking the Deck Waterway strip Scupper slot Decking At this stage, the hull is fully shaped. Go over the entire hull with sandpaper, using #220 grit for the final smoothing. Be careful not to round the upper edges of the rail, the hull angle aft, and the bottom (waterline). These should be sharp corners.
FIG. 9 – Installing the Bitts and Bow Post FIG. 10 – Main Cabin Panel Construction Vertical panel Mark with pencil Horizontal panel Belt rail Coaming Window Door STAGE C FIG. 11 – Adding the Steering Linkage MOUNTING THE HULL If you are going to mount your model on a baseboard, as opposed to using it in a model railroad layout, now would be a good time to do it to prevent details from becoming damaged during handling. The kit includes a wooden baseboard.
FIG. 12 – Adding the Cabin Top FIG. 13 – Beveling the Pilot House Shape to fit window Mark Fit FIG. 14 – Completing Assembly of the Pilot House Window Step cil, then drill holes for the rail stanchions and the towing light mast. FIG. 15 – Vent Pipe 7. Pilot House The pilot house is also a machine-carved structure. It is cut out in way of the windows so you can look through the opening. You may need to trim the opening so the windows fit properly. Paint the interior black so you can't see the wood.
stowage chest aft of the smoke stack. Glue with epoxy to set them securely. 13. Rail Stanchions The rail stanchions fit into the holes you drilled on the cabin top. After gluing, feed the brass railing wire through the stanchions and touch with a little super glue. 14. Running Lights and Eagle Make sure you have the lights painted the correct color. Remember Port (like wine) is red. The eagle is installed on the pilot house front. 15. Name Boards and Lettering You could name this boat anything you like.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Brady, E. M., Tugs, Towboats, and Towing. Describes operation of modern tugs with many glances backward at steam units. Good stuff on towing gear and techniques. 2. Lang, Steven, On the Hawser. A tugboat album offering a varied photographic overview of tugs through time and in most regions of America. 3. Campbell, G. F., The Neophyte Shipmodeler's Jackstay, Model Shipways, 1962. Describes modelwork of a general nature, drawing examples from many types of sailing ships.
TAURUS INSTRUCTIONS FOR LASER-CUT CABIN AND PILOT HOUSE The TAURUS kit has been modified to include laser-cut lifts and cabin tops for the main cabin and pilot house. These laser-cut parts replace the solid wood machine carved structures supplied in earlier kits. These instructions apply to assembly of the laser-cut parts. Once assembled, refer back to the Instruction manual for addition of siding, windows, and doors. Cabin lifts 1/8” thick 8 required Cabin top 1/32” thick 1 required MAIN CABIN Step.
MODELER'S LOG Date Time Notes 15
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