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Author Topic: RNLB Helen Wycherley  (Read 148346 times)

gribeauval

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RNLB Helen Wycherley
« on: June 23, 2008, 11:16:53 pm »

Now the drifter is finished I can get back to building boats I love........Lifeboats!
I have now started the second model for the gentleman who bought the RNLI boathouse at Whitehills, Scotland. This is the last boat stationed in Whitehills before it was closed and was a 47ft Watson cabin class named RNLB Helen Wycherley.

Unlike the Self righting lifeboat I have already made for him this one will be a working r/c model.

The keel has been cut and placed on its building board to keep it straight and vertical (I hope!) until all the frames have been added over the next few days and the stringers glued in place to give a rigid structure which will then be double diagonally planked as was the original boat.

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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2008, 08:00:46 pm »

Now have all the frames in place ready to chamfer their edges and fit the stringers that will support the double diagonal planking. I will be using a grp superstructure (made by Models by Design) as the basis for all the detailing as the original was made from aluminium and unlike using wood will require less finishing to give the correct surface.
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moller62

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2008, 02:57:39 pm »

Your work always look impressive, i'm looking forward to follow your build O0
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2008, 08:29:40 pm »

The most important stringer on the hull , the deck level stringer, has now been fitted to the frames. Get this one wrong and you end up with a lobsided hull and have to start again! :o
I have also fitted fore and aft deck beams sanded to match the sheer of the hull, added a flange (the thickness of the deck) and produced a wooden 'angle iron' that is curved to match the sheer of the boat and makes the frames rigid. This has allowed the top edges of the frames in this area to be removed so that access into the hull can be achieved. Now it's down to fitting the rest of the stringers then it's on with the planking!
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2008, 08:08:06 pm »

Whilst awaiting delivery of the small tropical rain forest that will be the stringers and the planking for the hull I decided to fit the deck and the coaming for the superstructure to stiffen up the whole thing. This was done with 1/8th lime planks and sheet. When completed and sanded down the grp superstructure is now a nice fit and the frames are now nice and stiff with no tendency to warp.

The last picture shows the rain forest that was collected from my supplier this morning. 8)

It's now on with adding the stringers then the planking. :D
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2008, 11:31:44 am »

Over the past few days I have fitted and faired the stringers needed and now have a rigid, lightweight frame. Only one frame needed a small adjustment to give the smooth lines of a Watson lifeboat hull. I have also started to turn the 'rain forest' I bought into a hull and the first planks have been fitted, only a couple of hundred left to go!!
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bbdave

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2008, 11:24:25 pm »

How's the build going? i'm thinking of building a watson so interested in the hull planking specialy the tunnels
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2008, 02:22:12 pm »

How's the build going? i'm thinking of building a watson so interested in the hull planking specialy the tunnels

Very Slowly!! Two reasons for this; 1) I have been on holiday and 2) The first layer always seems to take forever as you can only add one plank per side at a time. The top layer will be faster as the planks can be pinned to the first layer. The tunnels are planked fore and aft as this is what the cross sections show and diagonal planking in them would be almost impossible! Whilst waiting for the planking to dry I have also made the rudder which not only steers but can be raised when needed as the blade slides up and down on the square shaft.
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bbdave

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2008, 11:58:23 pm »

What timber are you using for your planking? I've had the watson drawrings out this evening she may be moving up the to do list  ::)
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2008, 11:01:45 am »

What timber are you using for your planking? I've had the watson drawrings out this evening she may be moving up the to do list  ::)

I always use lime for the planking on my hulls that will be painted. I buy it in sheet form (usually 1/16th x 3 in x 36 in) and cut the planks as I need them ( usually 3/8th" wide). I like the way it bends both dry and wet without wanting to split and it finishes well.
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2008, 07:33:59 pm »

At last, the final planks of the first layer have been fitted !! Next job will be a thin layer of filler to correct any irregularities in the hull followed by sanding to a decent finish then the cloth interlayer will be fitted. After all this then the top layer of planks can be started. :o

One thing I like about the double diagonal planking is that the inside of the hull also looks good. The bottom picture shows the area that will contain the motors for the boat.

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Roger in France

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2008, 06:39:10 am »

....and a very serviceable boat stand, Mike! Which, I assume, is a temporary arrangement!  ;)

I do agree that the diagonal planking looks good. It almost seems a shame to conceal it when the exterior of the hull is completed.

Roger in France.
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2008, 01:18:03 pm »

....and a very serviceable boat stand, Mike! Which, I assume, is a temporary arrangement!  ;)

I do agree that the diagonal planking looks good. It almost seems a shame to conceal it when the exterior of the hull is completed.

Roger in France.

Yes Roger, simple stands not requiring any building by me (except cutting a couple of slots in the ends) available free at the supermarket and a form of recycling !  ;)
Yes it always seem a pity to cover up the nice patern of the planking. However you can still see the 'ghosts' of the diagonals on the outside of the hull after painting on most boats built like this, it's just that they aren't very pronounced.

Mike


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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2008, 07:21:45 pm »

The hull has now been coated in filler and nearly all of it sanded off to correct the minor shape faults, I looked like a snowman this morning covered in white filler dust!! The running gear was also positioned to check that the props rotate without hitting the sides of the tunnels and to take the measurements for the propshaft supports. Next will be the gluing in place of the cloth interlayer tomorrow.

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2008, 07:29:29 pm »

Looking good Mike  O0
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2008, 10:04:49 pm »

The hull has now had its cloth interlayer glued in place. This was fitted onto the hull whilst wet and after drying for about 15mins it was glued in place by stippling pva though the cloth. After leaving to dry overnight the excess was trimmed off and the top layer of planking started. In the tunnel the props were re-inserted  to check that they were still able to rotate freely. More planking to be done this weekend! :(


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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #16 on: August 17, 2008, 08:55:26 pm »

The planking is finished at last!! Now the hull looks like a Watson hull. I have also made and fitted the outer shaft supports and the shaft exit covers. The keel doublers have been glued in place, on the original boat these were cast iron and gave the boat its stability.

Next on the agenda will be the fitting of the bilge keels and the deck level belting.

 
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2008, 03:29:00 pm »

Laminated and fitted the bilge keels. Also the hull has had a couple of coats of sanding sealer before starting on the primers. The rudder was also checked for fit and clearance ready to cut the holes for the control rods.

Next will be the wooden belting at deck level then it's primer,sanding,primer,sanding, pri........... :-\
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dan

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2008, 04:41:02 pm »

hi gribeauval,

nice job on the planking  O0 its looking really good already, i cant wait to see it once its completed!  whats the rudder made of is plastic?

cheers, Dan
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #19 on: August 19, 2008, 07:49:50 pm »

hi gribeauval,

nice job on the planking  O0 its looking really good already, i cant wait to see it once its completed!  whats the rudder made of is plastic?

cheers, Dan

Thanks for the comment Dan.  ;)

No the rudder is made from ply(the blade) and brass (the sliding sections, square shaft and reinforcing strrips)

   Mike  :)
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dan

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2008, 08:15:31 pm »

wow even that is a work of art, shame no one will see it doing its job
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2008, 11:46:39 pm »

After much bad language, pva and superglue the wooden fender at deck level has been steamed, bent, hammered and nailed into position. To get the correct shape several different shaped pieces of wood have been used. The bit at the pointy end (technical term  8) ) was moulded from milliput and at the blunt end (technical term again!) the box that covers the steering gear has been started. This will be completed when the hull has been painted as the rudder will not be fixed in place until then. When it stops raining it will be a case of primer. sanding, primer, sanding, prim........ ::) until I am happy to finish the hull in blue and white.
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furball

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2008, 01:40:32 pm »


Is that belting big enough? On the couple of 47' Watsons I've seen it's much deeper - somewhere between a foot an eighteen inches admidships, and a lot of it is painted blue so you can't see it very well when looking down on the boat.

I've been hunting aroung the web too see if I can see antthing that shows it, with no luck - but I've got some pictures at home that I'll scan (Frederick Edward Crick - ex-Lowestoft).


Lance
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2008, 02:54:12 pm »


Is that belting big enough? On the couple of 47' Watsons I've seen it's much deeper - somewhere between a foot an eighteen inches admidships, and a lot of it is painted blue so you can't see it very well when looking down on the boat.

I've been hunting aroung the web too see if I can see antthing that shows it, with no luck - but I've got some pictures at home that I'll scan (Frederick Edward Crick - ex-Lowestoft).


Lance

The belting as fitted scales out to 13" deep which is correct for the Helen Wycherley.


Mike
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gribeauval

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Re: RNLB Helen Wycherley
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2008, 08:20:31 pm »

The hull of the 'Helen' now has had three coats of primer with much sanding in between and will now be allowed to harden off whilst I have a few days holiday. Next job will be the painting of the blue/white on the hull.


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