Hi again,  I have been fitting some of the smaller fittings to the boat. First thing is the emergency aerial on the engine casing. This was used if the boat capsized and the main whip antennae were snapped off.

 

 Martin: How did you make the rivets Mike?
Mike: The "rivets" represent the stainless steel bolts that hold down the engine covers and are made from 3mm diameter toys eyes, commonly known as "google eyes". they are sprayed silver and when in place look like bolt heads, simple really its just a matter of looking at common items in a different way. The "black guillotine" is the emergency aerial as I said mate!!!!.
 

 

Next items were the boathooks and their mountings.

 

 

I also have fitted the piping for the screenwashers and the wiper blades to the front of the wheelhouse.

 

 

 

 I have solved the problem of the aerial mountings, two M4 nuts brazed together at right angles to each other whilst balanced on top of each other!! That is some balancing act!!

 

 

This shows the nuts after brazing together.

 

 

Several melted nuts and burnt fingers later enough of the fittings have been made to produce the base fittings for the wheelhouse roof aerials.

 

 

After cleaning up the fittings are fixed to their bases and are then ready to be fitted with the aerials and mounted on the wheelhouse roof.

 

 

Here we are again, the wheelhouse aerials are completed and fitted.

 

This first picture shows all the aerial parts ready to fit on a shot of their locations on the real boat.

 

 

This is a close up of the base fitting of one of the three aerials on the roof ( yes I know the roof needs dusting!!!!!).

 

 

 

Close up of the Sat Nav system aerials.

 

 

Two general views of the complete aerial fit on the wheelhouse roof.

 

 

 

Hi Martin, a few days ago you asked me how I made the dummy rivets/bolts for my model, well as I said then there is no big secret just a different way of looking at life!! I have just done another batch of 100 for the model and here are the pictures.

 

BEFORE:  4mm glue on "google eyes" on double sided tape ready for conversion.

 

 

 

AFTER:  Sprayed silver and ready to fit onto the model!!

 

 

As the Mersey model has nearly 800 visible stainless steel bolts then this is the quickest and cheapest way of making them. The eyes cost me about 90p for 150 from a local craft shop!

 

 Mike         True Mersey Lifeboat Nutter!!!!!