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[barryfoote]

Mike,

I have been following this thread with great interest, but now feel I just have to comment.   Absolutely awesome workmanship. Thanks for the lessons....

Barry

[Martin (Admin)]

Those 4 bow and stern thruster posts seem very small! 

A beautiful piece of workmanship again gribeauval, did you have any problems
gluing the 2nd player of planking 20 the cotton cloth?

[TugCowboy]

A stunning example of craftsmanship, you really set the benchmark with this one!
I look forward to watching it develop further as I can tell the finished article is going to be a true thing of beauty.

Alex

[DickyD]

When are you going to do one like this Mike ?  :angel:

http://www.srcmbc.org.uk/movie_files/mflv_rowingboat_ralph_lg.html

[gribeauval]

Mike,
I have been following this thread with great interest, but now feel I just have to comment.   Absolutely awesome workmanship. Thanks for the lessons....
Barry

Thank you Barry, it's nice to be appreciated. 

Those 4 bow and stern thruster posts seem very small! 
A beautiful piece of workmanship again gribeauval, did you have any problems
gluing the 2nd player of planking 20 the cotton cloth?

Stupid boy Martin! RUFFLE HOLES!!
No problem with the gluing as the cloth layer is done using pva and the same again for the top layer so no compatablility problems at all.

When are you going to do one like this Mike ?  :angel:
http://www.srcmbc.org.uk/movie_files/mflv_rowingboat_ralph_lg.html

This is already at the experimental stage to sort out a realistic slow action for the rowers without them seeming to go beserk to make any headway!

[tigertiger]

Looking great as ever.

I am slowly getting more of an underastanding of the hull construction process.

Do you glue the planks on with PVA as well?
Is this the same for both layers. If so how long does it take to go off. So you can stick on the next plank (first layer)?

[gribeauval]

Looking great as ever.

I am slowly getting more of an underastanding of the hull construction process.

Do you glue the planks on with PVA as well?
Is this the same for both layers. If so how long does it take to go off. So you can stick on the next plank (first layer)?

Yes Tiger I use pva for both layers. I use a 'fast grab' water resistant pva but I still have to wait about 2 hours per plank with the first layer before I can remove the clamps to fit the next plank. With the second layer I can pin the planks in place to the lower layer so things go much ,much faster.

Mike

[gribeauval]

With fingers and toes crossed I have just removed the masking from the hull after painting the blue section over the white. Again luck was on my side and no blue where it shouldn't be!! The belting will be painted red in a day or so when the blue has had time to harden off.

[DickyD]

Nice bit of painting Mike. Will have to get you to pop round and do mine when I'm ready. 

[gribeauval]

I have fitted the rudder and completed/painted the steering box to match the hull. The belting has been painted in its characteristic red. Whilst all this paint has been hardening off I commenced the fitting of the control gear. The radio support plate has been glued in place and the rudder servo connected to the rudder linkages. The motors have been connected to their gearboxes (3:1) and installed via universals into the hull. They are wired for inwards rotation as on the full size boat. The speed controllers/mixer will be fitted next and I will then have a working model lifeboat hull.   

[LOGOPOLIS]

love the work on the lifeboat, great finish to the hull.
maybe a daft question, but you bought the superstructure, why not the hull as well?
say all that work.

will look real nice in the water

[gribeauval]

love the work on the lifeboat, great finish to the hull.
maybe a daft question, but you bought the superstructure, why not the hull as well?
say all that work.

will look real nice in the water

Because the original hull was double diagonally planked from wood and the original superstructure was made from metal. So why have all the trouble of sealing/painting the cabin to look like metal when grp is easier to paint!

Also I like building hulls in the correct manner.

Mike

[LOGOPOLIS]

thanks for the update, is the Grp hull wrong, as i am interested in building one, if so where can i get plans

cheers

[gribeauval]

thanks for the update, is the Grp hull wrong, as i am interested in building one, if so where can i get plans

cheers

I don't know anything about the grp hull from Models by Design where I obtained the cabin moulding, as I haven't seen or measured one, sorry. :(
Do not know where you can get a 'set of plans' as such. It took me 6 months to piece the information together from many differing sources to be able to produce the hull plus the boat is still in existance in private hands. On advantage of Watsons from this period is that they mostly had hulls of the same basic shape.

Mike

[furball]

The MBD hull isn't bad (I got one from whoever had the mould before Metcalf had them) - the only problem I had with it is that the deck is bonded to the hull, and in trying to get the deck-edge/belting to the correct profile, the deck separated so I had to join them back together.

In a complete reversal to gribeauval, I kept the hull & threw away the cabin moulding and build my own...

The hull did come with a basic drawing, but I sent off to the RNLI for a proper set, got GA, sections & hull lines.


Lance

[gribeauval]

Back on the subject.

I have started the bases for the bulwarks. I traced the exact shape of each of the sections of the deck edge and steamed, bent and pinned the base sections in place. When they had cooled and dried out the lower section of the bulwarks was glued in place. After allowing them to set the sections were trimmmed to size, glued and pinned onto the deck. To help maintain the relative position of the stern sections the first of the upper layers was glued in place.

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

That's a nice piece of steaming. Looks very good and tidy. Well done

ken

[Peter]

Mike,

Another fine build.

But, if I may be allowed one 'off topic' question, where is the 'New Mersey'?

Peter

[gribeauval]

Mike,

Another fine build.

But, if I may be allowed one 'off topic' question, where is the 'New Mersey'?

Peter

Glad you like her Peter.

I havn't had any time to work on the monster lately, still sorting out the drive system .

[gribeauval]

The steaming/bending of the main sections of the bow and stern bulwarks has been completed and they are now ready for the addition of the inside framing over the next two days. The stanchion foundation supports that run between the bow and stern will also be fitted.
Whilst waiting for all this steamed timber to dry and the glue to set I have finished the fitting out of the inside of the hull. I now have a running, controllable (I hope!) lifeboat hull !! 'Sea trials' will take place when the rain stops long enough for me to find where the road ends and the lake begins!!

[DickyD]

NO NO NO to neat and tidy Mike.

Excellent job though.

[gribeauval]

NO NO NO to neat and tidy Mike.

Excellent job though.

It has to be neat and tidy Richard ! The whole lot has to fit under the cabin floor as this boat will have a detailed interior. 

Mike

[DickyD]

Would expect nothing less Mike.

[gribeauval]

Been back to hacking bits of wood around today to make the bow section of the bulwarks. On the original boat (picture 1) this is a large lump of bronze with holes and rollers. Not having a foundry to cast one handy I made mine from wood. This means that if it turns out to be cr*p then I just cut some more wood!

The main sections were cut, drilled and the basic shape built up from strip (picture 2 and 3). When the glue had set the gaps were filled with epoxy putty to give the approximate shape (picture 4). The whole block was then attacked with files and grinders and after a couple of hours the result was picture 5. It was then primed and painted in dark bronze and positioned on the bows of the boat. The bow roller has yet to be added and then it can be fixed in place permanently (picture 6).

[gribeauval]

The bow block has now had its roller fitted and the whole unit fixed in place. All the inside framing and supports of the bow and stern bulwarks have been cut, bent and pinned in place to give a very rigid top edge to the boat. I have also made and fitted the side toe boards with their inset fairleads that will have the stanchions bolted on later in the build.