Topic: Rother Class Lifeboat "RNLB Duke of Kent" (Read 29748 times)

Charlie · « **Reply #100 on:** September 19, 2018, 11:12:21 am »

Over the years i have collected a fair few postcards of Rother Class Lifeboats. The top 2 are of the Duke of Kent. Can anyone tell me the names and stations of the others? If you have any other postcards featuring a Rother, feel free to post them here

minimariner · « **Reply #101 on:** September 21, 2018, 04:35:39 pm »

If you can post the op numbers you want info on.

17-09 · « **Reply #102 on:** September 21, 2018, 08:54:45 pm »

Hi Charlie
This is a picture of my Rother, The Hampshire Rose, Walmer lifeboat, I totally scratch built her in the early eighties as a labour of love. It took me five years to complete and 3500 hours. Nothing was purchased.
You can see the extra protective strakes along the lower hull and the smaller ones near the bow to protect the hull when running over the shingle beach at Walmer. The thinner bow protection strips were to protect against the recovery bridle which was secured to the forward ruffle hole then up to the bow where it was secured.
Some boats had a complete extra panel of timber attached instead of the individual strakes.
Kind regards 17-09 .... Alan

Charlie · « **Reply #103 on:** September 24, 2018, 11:24:58 am »

That is a great looking model. I love how you have her displayed on the Turntable. I was thinking of doing something similar with mine as the station at Eastbourne had a similar setup to that at Walmer. Did you ever exhibit your model some years ago, possibly at the Model Engineer Exhibition? I have a vague memory of seeing a model much like yours, on display there.

Charlie

17-09 · « **Reply #104 on:** September 24, 2018, 05:10:52 pm »

Hi Charlie,
Yes back in 1986, the MEE at Wembley Conference Centre....is that really 32 years ago? Silver Medal.
She is now on display in the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club in Dover.
The turntable is on it's concrete base and also has a section of the roller slipway modelled which the boat runs on before before gliding over the "woods" down the beach and into the sea. The beach is also to scale and taken from Walmer beach near to the low water mark where the shingle is much finer.
You can clearly see the extra rubbing strakes that protect the hull from the beach, also the smaller ones near the bow which protect the hull from the recovery bridle that is fixed through the ruffle holes then secured up in the bows. Some boats had a full sheathing of timber over the lower hull to do the same job.
I loved building this boat which is totally scratch built, even the chains!
Sorry about the picture quality which is not good.
Regards Alan (17-09)

Charlie · « **Reply #105 on:** September 27, 2018, 12:16:14 pm »

Hi Alan,
A Silver Medal at the MEE back in 1986 would have been no mean feat. Those were the days when this was the premier competition to enter, and standards were very high. I'm sure i have a photo or a magazine article with a photo, which i will try to dig out at some point, and post on here.

I have had a few days away in sunny Portugal playing Golf with the lads, so my progress has slipped somewhat!

But i have now got back into it. The 2nd layer of planking inside the propeller tunnels is now completed. And this morning i was attempting to mark out the position of the outer layer of hull sheathing that protects the underside whilst being launched or dragged over a shingle beach. This had to be done from photos as the plans don't show this.

Neil · « **Reply #106 on:** September 27, 2018, 02:02:45 pm »

I am in awe of your building and the finished hull...……….just superb craftsmanship.

17-09 · « **Reply #107 on:** September 27, 2018, 03:10:36 pm »

Charlie,
I totally agree with Neil, that is some fine work, well done.
I must admit to bread and butter constructing planks of Ramin then fairing my diagonal planking into them on the tunnels.
I also had the good fortune to have the real boat only 4 miles from my home and spending hours measuring the features you now need.
I well remember having the drawings laid out on the turntable when some engineers from the RNLI turned up to do some repairs, not knowing me they asked how we were going to sort out the problem....I had to admit to only being a lifeboat rivet counter and making a model of her.
Regards Alan (17-09)

17-09 · « **Reply #108 on:** September 29, 2018, 08:37:29 am »

Hi Charlie,
Thanks for your comments regarding my “Rother” model where you mention the Silver medal, I hope I am not going “off piste” here and feel sure Martin will move this post if I am.
Back in the eighties you could only get one Gold medal in each class, Silvers were all of a certain standard which allowed you to be considered for the Gold. There were quite a few sections of the model which were judged and given points which amounted to a Silver medal, from these the judges awarded one Gold.
There was no Lifeboat trophy at that time.
The judging at the MEE has always been a subject that has had a lot of correspondence over the years, who would be a judge? Perhaps Colin Bishop might comment.
Keep up your build and perhaps enter the MEE with one of your excellent models, the Hampshire Rose is currently operating as a tour boat from Ilfracombe.
Regards Alan (17-09)

derekwarner · « **Reply #109 on:** September 29, 2018, 09:05:12 am »

Alan.....I am sure Charlie won't mind your comments......

As I read them, you are simply reporting from a humble perspective on a build and the Judging criteria of the day

Congratulations on your work prior to 1986

Derek

Charlie · « **Reply #110 on:** October 01, 2018, 09:40:44 am »

Hi Alan - i am always interested to hear other builders experiences, so please keep on going off-piste!

Over the weekend i gave the hull a coat of filler, and a rub down. Most of the gaps, cracks, pin holes and undulations are now pretty well smoothed over. Now i can crack on with applying the planks that make up the hull sheathing.

Canterbury Coxswain · « **Reply #111 on:** October 01, 2018, 02:39:16 pm »

Hi Charlie,
That has to be the neatest wooden hull build I have ever witnessed!! Give it a final sand, teak oil it and use it as a piece of 'modern art' - it's far better than anything that wins the Turner Prize!! What a lovely shape, especially those tunnels. Enter it next year and you should [if there was any justice in the world] win it. Then get back in the workshop and make another for your 'boat build'. Seriously, that's proper boat [and model] building. Congratulations - an aspiration to us all.
Kim

Neil · « **Reply #112 on:** October 01, 2018, 11:17:04 pm »

Quote from: Canterbury Coxswain on October 01, 2018, 02:39:16 pm

Hi Charlie,
That has to be the neatest wooden hull build I have ever witnessed!! Give it a final sand, teak oil it and use it as a piece of 'modern art' - it's far better than anything that wins the Turner Prize!! What a lovely shape, especially those tunnels. Enter it next year and you should [if there was any justice in the world] win it. Then get back in the workshop and make another for your 'boat build'. Seriously, that's proper boat [and model] building. Congratulations - an aspiration to us all.
Kim

I totally agree...…….its beautiful.

Charlie · « **Reply #113 on:** October 03, 2018, 04:32:18 pm »

This is how i believe the planking should be applied. There is a bit of guesswork here, since i haven't got a photo showing the complete underside, and the plans don't show much detail.

captain bligh · « **Reply #114 on:** October 03, 2018, 10:20:45 pm »

Be a shame to paint that workmanship

looking good !!

Charlie · « **Reply #115 on:** October 04, 2018, 10:47:25 am »

There is still some work to be done to finish off the propellor tunnels. Where the keel meets the top of the tunnel planking, there is a triangular profile section. Hopefully you can see this in the photos. I think I will try making this out of a single plank of Obechi.

Charlie · « **Reply #116 on:** October 26, 2018, 06:42:12 pm »

Some progress has been made in the Shipyard! The 3rd layer of 'Partial' planking has been completed; the bases for the Bilge Keels have been fitted; the Prop Tunnels have been completed with the addition of the triangular profile section, and the hull has been filled and rubbed down to a satisfactory finish. So today the hull was turned over, and the frames were cut down to deck level.

Charlie · « **Reply #117 on:** October 27, 2018, 09:01:29 pm »

Hull now trimmed/sanded down to deck level.

Charlie · « **Reply #118 on:** October 27, 2018, 09:13:59 pm »

One of the next jobs will be to make the Bilge Keels. I'm undecided on how to create these so far. I was thinking of making a pattern and mould, and then cast them in white metal. However I don't think that would pour well, since the metal will likely harden before it reaches the bottom of such a long thin mould. Now I'm thinking of fabricating from brass strip. Is there an easier way to make these?

Canterbury Coxswain · « **Reply #119 on:** October 28, 2018, 11:31:25 am »

Hi Charlie,
Just a quick thought - could you 're-fabricate' / machine a piece of 'O' gauge or larger scale brass railway track? Even, in the old days, a curtain rail was brass and of similar cross section. Just a thought and 'starting point' to get the ball rolling and the solution for you. That's the great reward from this Forum. However, I'll keep it to the 'front of my mind' when sitting in heavy traffic!
Cheers,
KIm

Charlie · « **Reply #120 on:** October 29, 2018, 11:57:03 am »

Hi Kim,
Thanks for the suggestion. The Bilge Keel certainly has a similar profile to Rail Track, so that could be a possibility. I reckon i would need a Milling Machine to cut out the oval shaped slots in the 'Web' part of the section, something i don't currently posses. Do you have any advice about how i may slip the purchase of one through our weekly 'Housekeeping' budget without it being spotted?

Charlie

Canterbury Coxswain · « **Reply #121 on:** October 29, 2018, 02:43:37 pm »

Charlie,
Here might be some suggestions:

'it's a small machine that will fit into my workshop [out of the way and not cluttering the house!] that will make items thinner or else drill various size holes through them, thereby not requiring me to get local shops or firms to do the job to an inferior standard, at a higher cost and invariably having to wait a longer time than it would take me .
'it can be used on any kind of rigid material that requires altering in the kitchen, bathroom, vanity mirror / worktop, lounge, dining room, utility room, loft, spare room and hallway or stairs. It could even be of use to me in the workshop, so would not be money wasted, more like 'money in the bank'' .
'it would give years of service and pleasure - much the same as me! '
'my friend Kim, whom you have met, never wastes a penny more than necessary and even he has one, his wife having bought him a lathe for his sixtieth birthday which does the same job, but to round items .'

Seriously, if none of these work, you are always welcome to come across to Canterbury and use mine, whenever.
Another suggestion is that some extruded 'H' section lengths of plastic could do the job, but two or three lengths might need to be joined to get the overall length. I do have some of this size in a dark grey [it had to be that colour!!]. A search on Google of the cross section dimensions required might come up with the answer.
I wish you well in your endeavours - you might need to change the birthday from sixty [that was eleven years ago now!] to your next one or even as a Christmas present!!
Kim

Charlie · « **Reply #122 on:** October 29, 2018, 04:15:37 pm »

Excellent tips indeed! However i think i will avoid going down the machining route, except as a last resort. I still like the idea of casting them, and i'm thinking that if i have the mould positioned horizontally, with multiple pour points, then a successful pour might just be possible. If the White Metal doesn't work, i could then try using a Casting Resin instead.

Charlie

swiftdoc · « **Reply #123 on:** October 29, 2018, 09:15:17 pm »

I my case Kim‘s tips worked. I bought a lathe and a milling machine last year and if you want to go this route, I would like to encourage you. There are some very helpful tutorials on youtube and an excellent small book for the ‚mini lathe‘. Making your own bits is also very rewarding. I would not want to miss that experience. All in all working with those machines is not as difficult as I thought it would be and I had definitely no knowledge before.

Regards

Arno

Canterbury Coxswain · « **Reply #124 on:** October 30, 2018, 10:30:33 am »

Charlie,
Two further points for consideration:

If the bilge keels are in cast white metal this will quite 'a weight', which might give a 'lurching' effect in anything other than a calm water - creating a pendulum motion. The weight might be better served lower and on the keel in the centre line. Remembering this is a model and not the actual vessel with natural low, central weight [the engine].
Casting white metal - in my experience - can be, in its own way of materials, quite expensive too. However, when casting a long length it will need to be poured across the whole length in one go, so that the metals from different 'entry points' are still molten and will 'join' to each other. If not, you might find they will part at the 'joints' at the least provocation.

I would rather mention this now before any outlay has occurred. Maybe the cast resin would be better, but potential knocks in this area [both in and out of water] need to be thought of too.
I'm sure it will get solved in the best possible way for you. It was good to hear from Arno [Swiftdoc] too.
Kim

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Author Topic: Rother Class Lifeboat "RNLB Duke of Kent" (Read 29748 times)