Topic: Thames barge 'Lady Jean' (Read 10555 times)

Popeye · « **on:** February 09, 2015, 07:11:12 pm »

POST 1.
POST 1.
‘Lady Jean’ is a 1:24 scale Thames Barge based on a GRP ‘James Piper’ ‘rocker’ hull moulded by the late lamented Tony Williams’. Its all-up weight is 11lbs, including radio, battery and a detachable 6lbs fin keel. The model has a 1.5 inches draft, rudder and sail control – mainsail, staysail and balloon jib(spritsail rig) – only and can be sailed either staysail or spritsail rigged.
Paintwork is Halfords’ Acrylic car sprays over-sprayed with Humbrol Enamel Matt Varnish.
Subject to my very limited grasp of IT, and assuming senility can be held at bay for long enough, I hope to post a selection of photos of the model as and when time permits, culminating in action shots when the weather improves.
Now to the moment of truth:-

john44 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2015, 10:59:38 pm »

Very nice boat Popeye, looking forwards to the on the water photoes.

John

Popeye · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2015, 01:32:06 am »

POST 2.
Clever me – I’ve mastered photo resizing

[size=78%].[/size]
[/size]Deck caulking[size=78%].[/b]
Cotton thread was stretched taut between shallow slits notched at scale planking widths at both ends of the 3mm. ply decking before being fixed in position with several coats of brushed epoxy resin. The end result was ‘wet & dried between coats, being careful not to remove the raised threads, before the ply was trimmed slightly oversize and glued in position. Subsequent application of successive coats of paint, rubbed down between coats, produced a reasonable simulation of a painted deck.[/size][size=78%] [/size]
[/size]Sail control.[size=78%]
An easily removable module was fabricated incorporating a Hitec sail winch, a spring tensioned pulley, traveller guides and travellers. The module was screwed to brackets in the hull following which the sail sheets (lines) were attached to the travellers, Small stoppers were tied to the sheets to limit maximum sheet length thereby simplifying the hassle of trimming the sheets to their correct lengths.

Captain Povey · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2015, 09:55:11 am »

I vey nice piece of work there popeye.

Popeye · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2015, 10:12:28 am »

No chat from now on – just pics.

Captain Povey · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2015, 11:31:49 am »

Great detail. Where did you find the crewman and cat? Graham

smileyjon · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2015, 01:59:13 pm »

She's just lovely . . . well done !

Popeye · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2015, 03:18:28 pm »

Quote from: Captain Povey on February 10, 2015, 11:31:49 am

Great detail. Where did you find the crewman and cat? Graham

PM me for information.

derekwarner · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2015, 08:28:27 pm »

Very nice...beautiful work Popeye

.....

1. is the steering by an angular bevel gear quadrant mounted on the rudder shaft....then driven by a small bevel pinion on the steering wheel shaft?
2. I can see she is radio controlled
3. please tell, what is the connection drive between the servo & the steering wheel shaft?

Derek

Popeye · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2015, 01:37:45 pm »

Quote from: derekwarner_decoy on February 10, 2015, 08:28:27 pm

Very nice...beautiful work Popeye .....

1. is the steering by an angular bevel gear quadrant mounted on the rudder shaft....then driven by a small bevel pinion on the steering wheel shaft?
2. I can see she is radio controlled
3. please tell, what is the connection drive between the servo & the steering wheel shaft?

Derek

Rudder/servo control couldn't be simpler and is standard set-up for all AMBO (Association of Model Barge Owners) barges that I'm aware of.

Pics illustrate how it's done. Apologies for poor quality - I was stressed coz SWMO had just informed me that I was required to accompany her on her daily retail therapy session

.

Popeye · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2015, 01:45:01 pm »

Post 4.
[/size]

[/size]

Popeye · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2015, 03:28:43 pm »

Post 5

derekwarner · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2015, 11:24:49 pm »

Nice snaps Popeye.....so

so the ship's wheel is just not connected to the tiller

Hope you enjoy your wife's shopping extravaganza

.......so does she actually purchase any item's or is it just a look see?

.... Derek

MikeK · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2015, 08:50:16 am »

Quote from: derekwarner_decoy on February 11, 2015, 11:24:49 pm

Nice snaps Popeye.....so so the ship's wheel is just not connected to the tiller

Hope you enjoy your wife's shopping extravaganza .......so does she actually purchase any item's or is it just a look see? .... Derek

When I built 'Will Everard' I constructed a system I had read about consisting of threaded rod, traveller, a motor and microswitches which made the ships wheel also turn with helm changes. Looked great on the bench but in practice it was far too slow to make it safe to sail on a concrete sided lake and let's face it - who the hell was there to see it in the middle of the lake !
Tore the whole lot out and used the same rig as Popeye with a false attachment on the bottom of the rudder with some area ahead of the rudder shaft to give a balanced rudder and take the strain off the servo

That said, my modelling standards fall way short of yours Popeye, she's a beautiful model

Mike

Here is the link to previous post with a few pics and conversations about building these lovely craft :
http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2780.0.html

Popeye · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2015, 12:50:24 pm »

Post 6
[/size]These are the last pics I'll be posting until the weather improves sufficiently to wet the latest baby's bottom and to get some sailing shots.I apologise if I've gilded the lilly, so to speak, by posting so many photos and for unintentionally using some pics more than once (I plead senior moments in respect of the latter).[/font]
[/size] Suffice to day that Thames barges are delightful subjects to model and to sail, and there is a wealth of information available from AMBO (Association of Model Barge Owners) for those who are tempted scratch build a barge. What's more ,there are still numerous barges in service - many of which use Maldon, Essex, as their home port - whose owners are not averse to letting one clamber over and photograph - if asked nicely.Roll on Spring

.[/font]

pugwash · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2015, 11:27:54 am »

Popeye I think you have done an excellent job - particularly like the quality of
the sail stitching as this can so often spoil a model with sails
Geoff

Popeye · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2015, 09:15:28 pm »

'Lady Jean' finally got a wet bottom this weekend and I was very satisfied with the result - sits well in the water,no trimming required, she's bone dry inside and has neutral helm. What more can a happy modeler ask for.

Attached are several shots staysail rigged and, weather permitting, it'll be sailed spritsail rigged next week.

Watch this space.

john44 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 27, 2015, 08:17:18 am »

Brilliant modelling skills once again Popeye, She looks as good in the water as out of it

John

Popeye · « **Reply #18 on:** May 05, 2015, 03:46:55 pm »

Have just put 'Lady Jean' through her paces, spritsail rigged.

Wind was gusty and at times she was reluctant to go about which I put down to too much sail area up front: it was only when she was removed from the water that I discovered that I hadn't clipped on the rudder extension. Silly me.

Once this error was rectified she proved to be be very responsive to the helm and looked really good on the water despite the gusty conditions .

She's now set up for the Season, so roll on those lazy hazy days of summer.

boneash · « **Reply #19 on:** May 05, 2015, 05:45:20 pm »

Popeye,

She looks superb and pretty realistic, I having done many hours on a 12" to the foot one,
But... have you got the lee boards on a servo too? as all the shots are on the 'uphill' side and I cant see whether the board is down.

Popeye · « **Reply #20 on:** May 05, 2015, 06:00:49 pm »

Quote from: boneash on May 05, 2015, 05:45:20 pm

Popeye,

She looks superb and pretty realistic, I having done many hours on a 12" to the foot one,
But... have you got the lee boards on a servo too? as all the shots are on the 'uphill' side and I cant see whether the board is down.

Thanks for the compliment Boneash. If you previously sailed on 'Centaur and/or 'Pudge' (Thames Barge Trust) we could well have been shipmates

.

The leeboards are dummies. She's got a 6lbs lead filled fin hanging below her keel which keeps her on the straight and narrow.

boneash · « **Reply #21 on:** May 05, 2015, 06:17:21 pm »

Yes mate, Centaur is my main love.. Stan Yeates was a very good mate of mine for many years and he and Chick, his wife, took her all over this country and some of Europe for many years carrying varied cargoes.
We, a group of old yachties from my yacht club, managed to take Stan on her for his last summer on this world which was a real privilege.

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Author Topic: Thames barge 'Lady Jean' (Read 10555 times)