Topic: Martin's Moutfleet Highlander Puffer Build (Read 105824 times)

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #125 on:** June 23, 2008, 05:50:12 pm »

Bradders and I had many, many long arguments over the final finish of the hatch.
Should it be black or tarpaulin colour?
Should it be clean or stained?
Should it be open or closed?
Should it have cargo showing or not?
What, if any, cargo should be showing?
If not, should you be able to see into the hold?
What colour should the hatch planks be?
What glue should we use? Etc, etc....
But in the end, there was a simple solution.... Bradders did what he wanted to do! ......

The white stuff is PVA "canopy glue" that dries clear.

The "tarpaulin" was glued down with very slow set superglue, stretched and held in place
with straight edge ( with selotape on them) and clamped in place for 24 hours.

........ and I had to go and find out how to "get stuffed!"

Cargo · « **Reply #126 on:** June 24, 2008, 11:44:21 am »

Quote from: Martin - Forum Admin on June 23, 2008, 05:04:23 pm

Next thing to attempt was the aft stanchions and rails.....
These a while metal and although the rails are made of soft copper, they are
much harder harder/stronger than the white metal stanchions , so care has to
be taken not to force or bend them.

It is maybe better to use stanchions made out of brass. The white metall is to soft.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #127 on:** June 24, 2008, 03:28:17 pm »

Next to be tackled were the convenience & the companion way hatch (s***er/toilet/head & stairwell hut).
Again the instruction leave yo much to your own imagination as to method of construction, so if it looks
right, it probably is right.

These were my attempt at simulated hinges.... would have been acceptable on a large scale boat!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #128 on:** June 24, 2008, 03:44:32 pm »

"Construction" of the campaign way hatch...

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #129 on:** June 24, 2008, 04:24:17 pm »

A lick of paint and they look OK.

(They look different colours as some are taken under flourecent light and some are flash.)

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #130 on:** June 24, 2008, 05:03:23 pm »

Getting back to the cabin (superstructure) and wheel house...
(First contruction steps can be found here: http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/Builds/Puffer_Jan/Part_6.htm)

The Fibreglass cabin needs to the sanded back a bit and cleaned to create a clean gluing surface
and later, painting.The white metal fittings are glue on with thick superglue, everything else slow set
2 part epoxy.

Decide where you want the hand rails to be and drill holes for the 'storm rail stanchions'.
Remember to allow gaps for the ladders rails... I didn't. You will also have to start thinking
ahead where things like the steering chains will orientate as the 'down pipes' also cross the
hand rails. This involves marking out boundaries of the wheel house floor and the the steering
chain run. Mine didn't match up to the plans but Bradders put that down to my "ignore the plans"
approach!

Fitting the doors is simple enough... I got the fitting wrong 4 times... and theirs only 2 of them!
Remember the doors fit vertically to the keel, NOT the deck......... make that 5 times!
Oh, and the door hinges are towards the bows not the stern.......... 6 times......
My hinges are made of copper wire as Jan wished the doors to be functional.

You will also have to start thinking ahead where things like the steering chains will orientate as
the 'down pipes' also cross the hand rails. Again, all fittings are perpendicular to the keel, not the deck.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #131 on:** June 24, 2008, 05:31:53 pm »

Right the wheel house.
Bradders and I had a fearful argument about who was going to build the wheel house.
I argued that I should do it as I had already started the cabin, Bradders argued that he wanted it done right! >:(
In the end I got to build it as he was going off on holiday for two weeks... which was a holiday for me too!

Grab up all the wood but be carefull not to mark up the printed side as this will only be varnished not painted.
Farley straightforward construction methods here, PVA wood glue or thick superglue, reinforce the corners, sand
everything until it fits, make sure everything is square and vertical. The top of the cabin in meant to be parallel to
the keel, so I worked to that. As I figured out that the wheelhouse would be on and off 'like a fiddlers elbow', I
covered the cabin roof with cheap selotape and superglued the floor down to that to give me the slight starboard
to port curved floor and worked up from there. to ensure the wheelhouse sides fitted perfectly, I used a small
torch to look for gaps underneath the walls.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #132 on:** June 25, 2008, 05:48:37 pm »

Continuing the Wheelhouse build.....

Framework, door jams, handrails cut and fitted.

Holes for window frames cut to match each frame.... they were ALL slightly different sizes. >:(

2 part thin roof cut and glued down.

Consideration of the work light, Jan preferred the original white metal one supplied with
the kit... which I decided to make work ... big mistake! ( The one on the right.)

The ladder was a bit of quandary, it a bit short and the feet are at the wrong angle.

Inside painted with satin / dull white ( to tone it down a bit ).

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #133 on:** June 25, 2008, 06:16:32 pm »

Time for some electrics.....

On Jan request, I decided that all the original white metal light fitting could be made operational....
... but then again, I'm a very optimistcal type of bloke... naive too!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #134 on:** June 25, 2008, 06:16:52 pm »

Right, time for some paint. Jan opted for a dark wood, "grey" and cream colour scheme.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #135 on:** June 30, 2008, 05:26:14 pm »

I had "a bit of trouble" with the wheelhouse roof.... about 5 weeks worth of trouble!
I started of with Tamiya paints and as you can see, it didn't take to the wood well.
I was brush painting but even after 6 coats, it was still patchy ?!?!?!
I tried sanding and solvent cleaning back to the wood but 3 attempts later, still patchy....
Bradders informed me "that it was all my fault", (a stock saying between us now) and
said he would spray paint it. Two attempts at spraying later, it was pronounced that
"the paint was bad." We bought another bottle(ette), immediately the difference
was apparent - the paint was bad!

I was sort of happy with the finshed....... but it did look crap!
[/color]

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #136 on:** June 30, 2008, 05:54:00 pm »

I wanted to shave some sort of texture on the wheelhouse roof and hid the wood grain.
My first bright idea was painted sandpaper... easy enough!...... No!

First job, remove the secondary roof and clean up......

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #137 on:** June 30, 2008, 06:00:13 pm »

So now it's just a simple matter of paining the sandpaper, job done!

.....and when it dried!...... Oh!

Take it off and try again...

Used the ~@%$]*&!!! wrong pot of paint again by mistake!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #138 on:** June 30, 2008, 06:04:25 pm »

Well this stupid! It's a 6 inch piece of wood and I can't paint it!
You know the old addage, "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid ) will I thought I'd do the other thing!

How about using sand for texture!!!

Only trouble was, you'd cut your fingers off if you went anywhere near the thing!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #139 on:** June 30, 2008, 06:09:40 pm »

Another brainwave, TEXTURED PAINT!

Naaaaaa! Looks like a badly Tarmaced road!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #140 on:** June 30, 2008, 06:22:45 pm »

Clean it all off again, wipe it down with turps and leave to dry on an a clean cloth.....
"What about a tarpaulin roof!?!" Yeah! That'll be easy to do!

Bit of cardboard, bit of cotton (my workshop t-shirt), bit of PVA glue, splash it all over!

That's rubbish!...... :-\

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #141 on:** June 30, 2008, 06:26:43 pm »

OK, back to basics, paint a piece of wood with good paint, glue it down......

Well by now the paint was good but the roof wood had just about had it! :'(

GaryM · « **Reply #142 on:** July 05, 2008, 01:18:41 am »

What about a piece of wet and dry paper?

Gary

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #143 on:** July 08, 2008, 06:04:31 pm »

Hi Gary,
It was 'wet & dry' I was using!

OK so back to square one, a new clean piece of ply. To make it more interesting I thought I would add two battens to make it look more interesting. A long discussion with Bradders but this time I won... or Bradders couldn't be bothered with me any more.

A couple of coats of GOOD paint and it started to look OK...... 3 weeks after my first attempt! >:(
( The piece of cardboard is a spray apron. )

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #144 on:** July 08, 2008, 06:18:11 pm »

Next adding frames and shelves to the interior.....

Oh course remembering to forget to paint the top of the woodwork which I now could not get at!
How did I do that? Easy! Being totally immersed in the build, in my mind, I though,
"As I hadn't fitted the door, I could always walk in the wheelshouse and touch up the paintwork
when I've nearly finished the build."

...well it seemed logical at the time.... or maybe it was all the paint fumes!!!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #145 on:** July 28, 2008, 03:58:57 pm »

Once the interior was ..... sort of finished, time to paint it all again in light grey satin.

Next trick was to add the electrics. It was decided that although LEDs are preferable
for low current drain and extreme longevity, incandescent 6 volt grain-of-wheat bulbs run at 4.5v(ish)
give a lovely "oil lamp glow."

The wheelhouse lighting consist of:

2 x 6v grain-of-wheat bulbs for internal lighting
2 x 6v grain-of-wheat bulbs for navigation lights
1 x 6v grain-of-wheat bulb for spotlight
1 x 6v grain-of-wheat bulb for stern light.

The 2 interior illumination bulbs were glued in place with "canopy glue" which is a white PVA type
glue that sets "almost" clear!

The more observant Mayhemers will have noticed that the roof has been suddenly removed.....
....this is the FIRSTlighting installation attempt.... to be followed by 5 or 6 more re-installations
as the build progressed!! >:(

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #146 on:** July 31, 2008, 06:17:47 pm »

With the majority of the structure of the wheelhouse finish, next was the furnishing's,
a wheel and binnacle. The wheel and gearing are just a set of white metal castings .
NOTE! Be careful the wheel handles break off very easily!

This is version one of the binnacle.....

Bradders said it was too fat ( or I was....), so I I mad another one.....

Too thin, version 3 came out all right though!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #147 on:** July 31, 2008, 06:20:16 pm »

Being a bit of a smart ass, I thought I could get a light into the binnacle.... do binnacles have lights in them?

The stern and search light modifications ...

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #148 on:** July 31, 2008, 06:28:05 pm »

The finished items...

Then common sense kicked in and I painted the steering gear satin and gloss black to simulate
working metal and grease.

catengineman · « **Reply #149 on:** July 31, 2008, 08:10:08 pm »

To your question about lights in binicals..

Yes there is a light to eluminate the compass rose

Great jub there

R,

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Author Topic: Martin's Moutfleet Highlander Puffer Build (Read 105824 times)

Cargo

GaryM

catengineman