Summary of the content on the page No. 1
Steam Towboat
Steam Towboat
TAURUS
TAURUS
Towboats, like the TAURUS, were a ing the 1930's, steam engines lost Technical Characteristics:
familiar sight in every American har- ground to Diesel propulsion, and Scale: 1/8" = 1' 0" (1:96)
bor and navigable tidal flat at the turn by the 1960's the steam units were Length: 9"
of the century. Graceful, yet function- all but gone. A few steam tugs sur- Height: 3-1/2"
al, they pulled large liners and vive today as museum re
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
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, M
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
CONSTRUCTION STAGES & TABLE OF CONTENTS Brief History Cover Introduction/Credits Pg 3 Before You Begin Pg 5 What You'll Need to Start Construction Pg 6 How to Work With the Plans & Parts Pg 6 Painting & Staining the Model Pg 7 Stage A: Shaping the Pre-Carved Hull Pg 8 1. Shaping the Outside of the Hull Pg 8 2. Carving the Bulwarks and Deck Pg 8 Stage B: Completing the Basic Hull Pg 9 1. Installing the Stem Pg 9 2. Installing the Rubbing Strakes Pg 9 3. Planking the
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
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 ef- fectively 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. This style hull provides
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
HOW TO WORK WITH WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO START CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND PARTS The following tools and supplies are rec- Note about Glues: White or Carpenter's Before starting model construction, exam- ommended for the construction process. yellow wood glue will suffice for most ine the kit and study the plan carefully. Fa- Modelers who have built before may of the model. Five-minute epoxy pro- miliarizing yourself with the kit will serve have their own favorites. vides
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
PAINTING & STAINING THE MODEL It may seem strange to begin an instruc- This seals the edges so the color paints Bulwarks inboard: Buff, grey or red tion manual with directions on applying won't run under the tape. Floquil flat oxide. the finishes to the model. Not so! Much finish or crystal cote will do the trick. Stern grating: Dark brown holes and time and effort can be saved, and a more Spray Painting: Spraying techniques lighter brown top surface. professional result can be obtained
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
STAGE A FIG. 1 – Hull Sections at the Bow, Amidships and Stern Keep SHAPING THE bottom edge sharp PRE-CARVED HULL Sharp edge 1. Shaping the Outside of the Hull The outside of the pre-carved hull can be shaped very easily with a sanding Softer block. About all you need do is even up edge both sides with a sanding block. The stern has vertical sides down to a sharp edge, then tapers back to the waterline. FIG. 2 – Variations of the Stem Sand the bottom slope to obtain the sharp edge. Fi
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
grating step aft. Square these areas and sand the deck smooth (see Figure 4). FIG. 6 – Planking the Deck Decking Waterway strip Scupper slot 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 bot- tom (waterline). These should be sharp corners. Before proceeding to the next stage, it would be a good idea to drill a couple of pilot ho
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
FIG. 10 – Main Cabin Panel Construction FIG. 9 – Installing the Bitts Vertical panel and Bow Post 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 Eye Chain good time to do it to prevent details from Rod becoming damaged during handling. The kit includes a wooden baseboard. For
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
FIG. 13 – Beveling the Pilot House FIG. 12 – Adding the Cabin Top 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 FIG. 16 – Boat Covering Cover 7. Pilot House The pilot house is also a machine-carved structure. It is cut out in way of the win- dows so you can look through the open- ing. You may need to trim the opening so the windows fit properly
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
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 stan- chions 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
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
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 photo- graphic 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
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
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 sup- plied in earlier kits. Cabin lifts These instructions apply to assembly of the 1/8” thick Cabin top 8 required laser-cut parts. Once assembled, refer back to 1/32” thick 1 required the Instruction manual for addition of siding, window
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
MODELER'S LOG Date Time Notes 15
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
Other Fine Kits from Model Shipways BLUENOSE RATTLESNAKE Model Shipways Kit No. MS2130 Model Shipways Kit No. MS2028 SULTANA WILLIE L. BENNETT Model Shipways Kit No. MS2016 Model Shipways Kit No. MS2032 OUR GUARANTEE If less than delighted, return your purchase within 30 days in original condition. CHARLES MORGAN BENJAMIN LATHAM Model Shipways Kit No. MS2140 Model Shipways Kit No. MS2109 PHANTOM EMMA C. BERRY BEDFORD WHALEBOAT USS CONSTITUTION Model Shipways K
