Hi Bunkerbarge, thanks for the reply. You sound as though you are very knowledable on the Model Boat side, tell me have you been
modelling long and if possible would you be willing to pass on any build tips at all?
Have you come across the Lady Jane in your dealings with boats at all, what do you think to the kit overall and even the steam plant
that comes with it. This Steam Plant will be the first one I have bought which is made to fit and suit the manufacturers hull kits.
I don't know about you but on this I went for a Vertical Boiler rather than the long Horizontal type which I thought might just
take up more floor area and not allow for any additional fittings to be added if needs be, what say you? I can still change my mind
and go the other way, so any help would be appreciated.
I welcome guidance from experienced chaps on anything like this and look to avoid making any mistakes as one goes along.
As for the CHIMAERA, well it certainly looks the business and if I can get time to finish Lady Jane I will certainly be in the market for
one and then I can really take my time and do a good job.
The 'Grapevine' as we all know can be as long as it needs to be with Stuart Models and Cheddar products finally hitting the shelves
when everyone thought it wasn't going to happen, so don't knock it, it is only a matter of time like all good things.
I would like to hear from anyone who has built the Lady Jane Kit please, with any tips and info that they have on the build. I look forward
to it and thank you in advance.
Merry Christmas to all and Have a Good New Year Too
Cliff
Hi Cliff,
I'm afraid my model boating experience pales into insignificance against some of the more seasoned modellers we have contributing on here. I have been modelling all my life, initially plastic, but I have dabbled in a lot of areas and never really settled into anything permanent until the last few years when I took a liking to model boats. I found I could put all my previous experience with RC planes, plastic kit techniques, scenic work with railways and Scalextric and engineering together into one project so I started the Ben Ain.
I see a lot of model boats that are superb technically but leave a bit to be desired as regards the detail of the model and a lot of very good models that are not the most reliable technically and it made me realise that if I could bring the two together I may be able to put together a good model. Anyway that's the theory but I'm still working on it!!
I'm afraid I haven't come across the Lady Jane kit so I can't comment as regards quality of the model and what you get for your money but I do now have a fair amount of experience with the steam plant, having owned three of the engines and played around with various configurations. If you PM me with your e-mail adress I will give you a bit more detail of my experiences.
As for vertical as opposed to horizontal, it oviously depends on the restrictions of your own model but I have always preferred if possible to use a horizontal boiler for the simple reason of improved stability generated by having the centre of gravity that little bit lower. If your hull is a bit cramped though you may have not alternative than to go for a vertical unit with a reduced footprint.
I would strongly advise looking into all possibilities though as regards the accessories available for the plant and determine before you commit to the installation what you require out of your plant. I particularly want mine to be reliable and easy to use so I have fitted a heat sink between the seperator and the gas tank, to warm up the tank, a pressure regulating valve on the gas tank to control the gas pressure and a Cheddar Electronic Gas Control Valve to save precious gas and reduce the undercooling effects of the evaporating gas. I have also fitted a manual feed pump and an internal feed water tank.
These items all determined the internal layout of the model so it is important that you decide on what you want your plant to do and so what accessories you need to fit before putting the bits into the hull.
