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[Nige52]

I have owned quite a few full size boats in my past, all speedboats or day cruisers, but I'd love to model my favourite, it was a small Norman 17 cabin cruiser made in the late 60's and berthed down at my local canal in the countryside.
To look at it was very dated, rounded bulbous cabin, similar to the old fashioned caravans you used to see knocking about, but it had character and charm. I don't believe a kit was ever produced for this model so I intend to make my own.....

When I bought the boat, it was on a trailer in a boatyard and the then owner had spent a lot of time and money building what I can only describe as a shed on the back of it.... Inside was lined with a grey velour type material and very luxurious, but it felt that you were inside a velvet wardrobe when tootling up and down the canal, so I and with the help of some family, took it all apart and tried to get the boat back to original, or at least back to being a day boat...

My question is, does anyone have any photos of the Norman 17 they would like to share? A friend has given me a small wooden hull which will do the job, but it's the superstructure or photo's thereof that would be good. The hull I have is only about 17" long, so the scale will be a very easy 1" to the foot..below are some pics  

[triumphjon]

looked better without that hideous wheelhouse !  i will ask around some of my full size boating freinds see if anybody has some photos you could borrow . is there an owners club for the normans ?

[MikeA]

hi nige. ive never owned one of these but i thought this might help, its a restoration project of a full scale one:

 http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056217528

hope its of some use to you 

[Nige52]

Thank you both 
I had come across that restoration job in my searches and it is very useful to see the boat stripped as it were. All I need now I suppose are a few pics of a finished boat so that I can begin work 

[funtimefrankie]

http://www.normanboats.co.uk/

 

[6705russell]

Hi Nige

I to owned a Norman, i think i have some drawings for various Norman boats, i will ahve a look and see what i have...

Russ

[6705russell]

Hi Nige

I to owned an old Norman which i was renovating, in the end i sold her though and bought a Shetland....

Russ

[Nige52]

Nice one Russ, great little boats eh?  

Now, as I'm not a builder, more of a sailor.....how would you re-create the rounded cabin? I have thought of carving balsa wood...but is there a better way? And the windows are also convex.....hmmm

Oh, a friend has given me this hull for restoration 

[MikeA]

how about vacumforming one nige  

Seriously, carve the the cabin out of balsa then make a vacumm forming machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhajk_IDTUo

if you use see threw plastic just paint the cab and the round windows will allready be made   

see threw acrylic:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clear-Acrylic-Perspex-Sheet-Plastic-297-x-420-2mm-A3-/250927407464?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3a6c706168

video how to make one a vacuum former:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CGfoxnKaQ

[Nige52]

Hi Mike,
I had considered that option, but it does seem like a lot of extra work just for a one off.....hmmm.....maybe it's a goer......let me think 

[Patrick Henry]

Careful...you know what happens when you think!

[MikeA]

Hi Mike,
I had considered that option, but it does seem like a lot of extra work just for a one off.....hmmm.....maybe it's a goer......let me think 

well if you think about how much work you would have to put in to make a rounded cabin out of wood. framework, planking, sealing etc. then making the the glass windows!! i thiink the combined time would be the same, and you get a vacumm former at the end for other models.

[Nige52]

Ha ha Rich, you're right, I think too much  

OK, so will a home made vac former form 2mm thick sheet? Or can it be thinner? Where's the best place to buy? Questions questions....


EDIT:
I've just realised we have a gas oven....with bottom burners, so it looks like this is out of the equation now......

[MikeA]

we did vacuum forming at school. it work by stretching the plastic over the shape your making, but as a result the end product is thinner than the original sheet. I cannot see why it wouldnt work on 2mm plastic. Vacuuming formaing has better results on more rounded shapes, this boat cabin is ideal really.

[MikeA]

does it have a grill? proper vacuumer formers have a pull over grill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqAtiawy81g

[Edward Pinniger]

Oh, a friend has given me this hull for restoration 

Interesting, that looks a lot like mine: http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=33493.0 - I'm fairly certain it,'s from the exact same kit design the internal hull construction is identical as is the shape and size.
Any idea where your friend originally got the hull from? I'm interested to know the origins of this particular hull design - it's definitely a kit, but also definitely not an Aerokits product though the cabin design is very reminiscent of their (larger) Sea Scout.

Back to the original thread topic, it may be dated but I quite like the look of the Norman 17 (minus the "shed"!) - it has an almost Art Deco streamlined look to it with the rounded cabin front.

[Circlip]

You could mold a top from epoxy. Shape the top from "Pink" foam and laminate an epoxy resin top from it.

  Regards   Ian.

[Nige52]

Thank you for the suggestions so far lads!
Edward, looking at mine, it's identical to your photos I'll ask my mate where he got it from but I doubt he'll know what it is...

I think I might go with Mikes suggestion of vac forming. I have a home made vac former in the shed which I made 3 years ago to mould aircraft canopies, it's just about big enough to do the cabin for this boat....all I need to do now is make a plug  

[MikeA]

DOH Nige you couldve told me you done it in the past before i started looking for info on how to make one good luck with it anyway. at least if you can use your oven you could allways blag the use od someone elses oven

[Nige52]

Yes Mike, there's not a lot I haven't done in the past....

I've just found out the vac former I made for the small cockpit canopies, but it's too small......

[MikeA]

make another one then. id put more holes in it though rather than one big middle one. but meh thats me

[Nige52]

You don't need more holes Mike, the male plug sits on some risers and the suction is then directly under the plug, instead of spread out all over the platen, which weakens the suction power..

[MikeA]

well still consider this method. I think it will have great results and will be cheaper too