Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: rmaddock on June 10, 2011, 04:59:17 pm

Title: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 10, 2011, 04:59:17 pm
I've just received my new toy!

Courtesy of Mike Mayhew of Waverley Models (http://www.waverleymodels.co.uk/INDEX.asp), it's a GRP hull for a Morecambe Bay Prawner......affectionately know as "Nobbies".

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF4889.jpg)

Now to work out what to do with it  {:-{

I'm hoping to go and have a good look at a local restored boat called Hearts of Oak and base by model on that.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/IMG_3758.jpg)
I've shamelessly borrowed this picture. I bed the mercy of the owner and will remove it on request. As compensation, I'll mention that the boat is owned by a trust which can be found on Facebook....I've no personal link with them though.

So, I'll have to get busy whittling. :D
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: Brooks on June 10, 2011, 07:00:22 pm
Looks like a beautiful boat. Hope you post photos of your build.

For us dialup guys, could you please post small versions of your photos that we can then click on if we want to see larger copies, thanks. These 2 shots were fine, I am just thinking about various boating threads I have had to abandon because the photos take too long to load.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on June 10, 2011, 07:13:02 pm
Looks like a beautiful boat. Hope you post photos of your build.

For us dialup guys, could you please post small versions of your photos that we can then click on if we want to see larger copies, thanks. These 2 shots were fine, I am just thinking about various boating threads I have had to abandon because the photos take too long to load.

Never fear Mr Brooks, I had intended to post only thumbnails from now on. These big ones were just a teaser  %)
I shall try and post my progress but I can't promise that it'll be very fast.
Title: Standing start.
Post by: rmaddock on July 31, 2011, 02:28:35 pm
As it's now the holidays, and I've finished and submitted my essay, the time has come to do some serious work.  :D

First things first, a stand. I don't have any lines for this model so I've had to invent the shape for myself.  I've jury-rigged a drawing thingy...as shown below. It's hardly precise but worked well enough for what I was doing.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5133.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5133.jpg)

It produced a series of dots which I joined...being of simple mind.  O0

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5135.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5135.jpg)

Et, voila!  Some cardboard templates for a nice stand.  8)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5137.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5137.jpg)

I'll have to dare the cellar next and see if there's a suitable bit of wood, or three, down there. And then I'll have to see if I can synthesise (sorry, been writing academic papers) all the jig-sawing advice you've been giving me to make a straight cut.  {:-{
Title: From cardboard templates, to boat stand, via Ikea.
Post by: rmaddock on August 02, 2011, 02:39:05 pm
After taking much advice about jig-sawing from another thread, I've cut out the stand proper.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5147.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5147.jpg)
And here, with the Nobby delicately balance atop.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5148.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5148.jpg)
Nothing's sanded, glued or screwed yet, but you get the idea. It needs a little fairing (faring?) with a file or rasp to fit the hull contours, and if I can find the router I'll tart up the edges, but I'm rather pleased with it.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: Brooks on August 02, 2011, 03:00:33 pm
Thanks for showing your neat way to take off ship's lines.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on August 02, 2011, 03:10:20 pm
Thanks for showing your neat way to take off ship's lines.
You're very welcome, but it's not all that accurate. I was intending to use a small spirit level but I couldn't find it :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: BlueWotsit on August 07, 2011, 06:54:11 pm
Heres a picture of my Prawner - this is the original that Mikes (Waverley Models) moulding was cast from I believe (I didnt build it I hasten to add).

I thought he had plans for a Prawner, it would be well worth asking the question.

The one thing I would give careful consideration to is the location of the rudder servo - I have had to replace the original one recently and how it had been installed was a nightmare to resolve.

(http://s4.postimage.org/2115946c/P1060172.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/2115946c/)
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on August 13, 2011, 05:54:04 pm
Hi Wotsit!

I knew that the hull was cast from a real model...I can well believe it's the one you've got there. It looks fantastic! I'm quite inspired.

Thanks for the warning about the rudder. I actually invested extra money for Mike's patent prawner rudder servo installation...hopefully it'll make things easier. It certainly copes with the rather extreme rake on the rudder post an limited space.

Cheers!

Robert.
Title: Cross-brace
Post by: rmaddock on August 14, 2011, 10:26:47 am
As I understand things, one of the first things I need to do if fit some inwales to the GRP hull at deck level.
Before I do this, however, I'm putting in a temporary cross-brace at the (approximate) mid point to keep the hull from spreading or contracting due to the inwales.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5468.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5468.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on August 25, 2011, 04:55:22 pm
I've applied the first glue! HOORAY!  {-)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5537.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5537.jpg)

A nice bit of 9mm ply in the bows as per instructions.  I've roughly carved slots into the back edges to take the deck supports.  There's another piece to go in the stern.  I know it looks very, very boring to everybody else, but can you not feel that first actually gluing thrill?  :embarrassed:

The pegs are resting on the moulded ridge that runs round the outside of the hull...I must learn the proper names for things. Anyway, there are 3mm spacers on the ply piece to allow for the ply sub-deck and then cosmetic planking to go on top. It should all then line up.....fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 02, 2011, 03:42:15 pm
More progress!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_P7090013.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=P7090013.jpg)The deck supports have gone in.

Having jumped the gun asking about motors and the like, I thought I'd better see to the ballast first, and that meant working out a waterline. Before that, I wanted the rudder fitted.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_P7100015.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=P7100015.jpg) I bought the rudder kit from Waverley Models with the hull. It came with a nice brass bottom bracket. I've let this into the keel with my mini grinder (not Dremmel) and glued and pinned it into place.  Then it's all been smoothed out with filler.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_P7100017.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=P7100017.jpg) The rudder tube has been glued in but is yet to be properly faired.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_P7100018.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=P7100018.jpg) I added some fake planking lines to the ply rudder and reshaped the bottom edge to follow the line of the keel.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_P7110019.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=P7110019.jpg) Finally, I've tried to mark a waterline with tape (it's the lower edge as seen here) based on what drawings I've got.  It seems to leave the boat sitting very low in the water. In fact, the top of the rudder tube is underwater  :o I think it might need a slight rethink.  Perhaps I could extend the tube upwards although there's not much room below the deck. Otherwise I'll lover the waterline.

Having said which, the pictures of the full-sized boat show it floating very high anyway. I guess the waterline is for when fully-laden. So I could waterline it as is but ballast it to float higher. Hmm.  {:-{
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 02, 2011, 03:44:38 pm
Do people think that running the waterline level with the top of the hull strakes would work?
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: sinxalot on September 03, 2011, 12:56:16 am
the straight waterline looks fine ,just lower it  an inch or two the upper tip of the rudder should be just under the water :-))youre doing a fine job on a really beautifull sailing hull,a real boat with loads of character, unlike the modern,look alike sailing machines that I have,now I want one! :}
Cheers Col
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 03, 2011, 10:30:53 am
Thanks for the kind words Col.  Your opinion is much the same as mine vis-a-vis the water line. Dropping the back end would certainly make the WL level with the strakes too.

Somewhere in this house (is everything imaginable) I have a laser level. If only I could find it, it'd make doing the water line so much more accurate.  Unfortunately, if you count the cellar and attic (and you must) then we've five floors of junk to search through.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 03, 2011, 07:33:49 pm
YES!

I have found my laser level and all thanks to Scottish Power!  O0 I went into the deepest, darkest room of the cellar to read the electricity meter and, on the slate cold table was my laser level. I have no idea why it would be so far from civilisation.  >>:-(

Anyway, I'm happy now. Once I've fitted a prop shaft and primed the hull I'll be able to mark on a properly level water line.  :-))
Title: Happy bunny!
Post by: rmaddock on September 04, 2011, 05:51:20 pm
I've been to see the real boat!   I phoned the person in charge last night and my luck was in. Normally, she'd be on a mooring out in the channel but, due to engine problems, she's tied up to a pontoon instead.  I asked nicely and was given permission to go and pay her a visit.  :-))

I've taken LOTS of pictures...of everything...from every angle....until my wife was begging for mercy. I must go back again with a ruler next time.  :embarrassed:

Here are a couple of samples:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5558.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5558.jpg)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5568.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5568.jpg)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5572.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5572.jpg)

I'm glad we made the effort as I've already spotted one major difference between her and the model; namely that the deck is a lot higher than I thought. So alterations will be required. At least I hadn't fitted much yet.

I had been wondering about modelling her as she was originally, or as she is now. However, having seen her, she's lovely as she is. There's nothing modern about her so I'll go with what I've got oodles of first-hand data for.
Title: Level Headed
Post by: rmaddock on September 06, 2011, 06:00:14 pm
Okay.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5651.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5651.jpg) Hull levelled.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5650.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5650.jpg) Laser level set up and levelled with line-projecting prism attached.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5654.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5654.jpg) The projected line was adjusted and the hull raise at one end to achieve the desired waterline.  The masking tape helps the laser light to show up on the black GRP surface. I drew onto the tape with a pencil and then cut the desired line with a knife and steady hand. repeat on other side.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5655.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5655.jpg) Et voila! A level water line. Cool.  I've sprayed the top (so far) with a matt primer. It's actually quite a good finish for an early 20th century working boat so it might not get any shinier.  Mind you, I think the stern might to too high...especially once I've raised it to a scale position.

The decoration is partly a P.R. exercise. When discussing the boat the other day, my wife said: "Is that the ugly black lump in the dining room?"  :o  And wated to know where the glossy, sleek boat that bears her name had gone.  :embarrassed: In consequence, I thought a little bit of paint wouldn't go amiss.  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: sinxalot on September 07, 2011, 07:40:10 am
she's looking good :-)) amazing what a touch of paint does,the waterline looks good too!
does the full size boat have canvas over the deck, or just bare planks?
Cheers Col
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 07, 2011, 09:16:07 am
Hello Col. Thanks for the comments.
Yes, I've always found painting (or otherwise covering) models to be fantastic. It makes all the component parts into a whole. Since the photos, I've painted the lower hull a sort of mid grey....which looks rather good too.
The deck was bare boards. Surprisingly narrow which accounts for the apparent smoothness.  The deck's painted a sort of creamy beige colour. According to the history of Nobbies book, that is an authentic colour scheme.
Title: Ballasting
Post by: rmaddock on September 07, 2011, 11:37:24 am
Right! My eldest started high school today, I was awaiting two sets of essay results and my back was hurt. It started out a bad day.
Number one disappeared into school before I could even say goodbye.  I've managed to walk my usual running route without my back hurting. And I've passed both essays!  :-))
So now I can get on with the new boat for as long as I've got left before I have to go back to college.

I've making a plug for casting the ballast today.

My own calculations tell me that her all-up-weight should be about 11kg. This, rather coincidentally, equates to just about 1 litre of lead. Now, I know I've got other weight to include eventually so I won't put a whole 11kg of lead in. Instead, I've mixed up 750ml of plaster for the plug. That should be about 8.5kg of lead.  I've got 1.2kg of battery going in if nothing else and I can add more to get balance right anyway. Should it prove too much then the removable weight should be drill-able.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5662.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5662.jpg) So here she is, with 3/4l of plaster going off in the bilges. I lined the inside first with special plastering membrane  {-) (that's cling-film to you).

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5663.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5663.jpg) I carefully teased out the film to try and get a smooth(ish) finish and also held the ends slightly high to stop the plug getting ridiculously thin at the ends.

Now, I'm twiddling my thumbs.  %)
Title: Hull Modifications
Post by: rmaddock on September 07, 2011, 03:31:51 pm
Having seen and photographed the real boat, I realised that Hearts of Oak is slightly different in design from the model I've got. She's slightly wider at the stern and slightly higher at the bow. These things I cannot easily mend...nor do I want to.
However, as mentioned earlier, the deck is far too low. On the real boat, the deck is 6" above the hull moulding, not level with it as per the model. Also, said moulding continues lower at the stern on the real boat so that it almost touches the bottom edge of the counter.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMG_3752.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMG_3752.jpg) This shows the line of the moulding on the real boat.

I was going to put a picture of the model here, but photobucket wont upload it.....BAH!

So, I think the order of the day is to grind the moulding off the stern and replace it. Then, I'm going to attach a 16mm strip inside the gunwales all round atop the already glued spruce bearer. This will give me my deck line. However, the ply plate in the stern will have to be allowed for as this follows the undesired line of the moulding.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5667.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5667.jpg) This shot of the bows shows where I've marked where the deck line should be.

Forgive me if all of this is dull, I'm really talking to myself.  :embarrassed:

PS, I managed to get the plaster ballast plug out in two pieces....could be worse.  {-)
Title: Re: Hull Modifications
Post by: tigertiger on September 07, 2011, 07:54:50 pm


Forgive me if all of this is dull, I'm really talking to myself.  :embarrassed:


You are not alone.
At time of this post the thread had received over 740 views.
Title: Re: Hull Modifications
Post by: rmaddock on September 08, 2011, 06:40:50 pm
You are not alone.
At time of this post the thread had received over 740 views.

But how many of those survived the experience?  %%

I've been back to the docks, in the sunshine, with a tape measure today.  8)
Title: Plastic Surgery
Post by: rmaddock on September 09, 2011, 03:48:35 pm

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5723.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5723.jpg)  I bit the bullet and took the not-dremmel to the hull this afternoon.
I've removed a section of the moulding around the stern as planned. The replacement will follow the line of what's left and be much lower.  What a glorious mess it made in the cellar! I had to shower and change afterwards......and yes I was wearing a mask.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 09, 2011, 06:31:48 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5722.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5722.jpg) Also today, armed with my newly taken pictures and my natural male ability to multi-task O0 I have been planning out the deck fittings.
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 10, 2011, 05:26:09 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5726.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5726.jpg)  New moulding (nothing more exotic than balsa) steamed and glued into place.  That and I've had to remove all my model stuff from the dining table since we've got friends coming round for dinner this evening.  >>:-(

I was reading the post in which people were showing off their sheds and attics and such like. I'm very jealous  :embarrassed:! Mind you, I've got acres of cellar and attic myself I'm just too disorganised to have turned them into anything useful. I'd have to fit lights into the cellar first and that would take up valuable building time! Catch 22 situation, me thinks  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: sinxalot on September 11, 2011, 02:41:31 am
the moulding steamed in quite nicely :-))sometimes I've had trouble getting balsa to bend successfully,probably due to the grain!
don't get too jealous of building sheds,mine is absolutely freezing in winter and an oven in summer,I wish I had a cellar :}
Cheers Col
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: rmaddock on September 11, 2011, 11:16:33 am
the moulding steamed in quite nicely :-))sometimes I've had trouble getting balsa to bend successfully,probably due to the grain!
don't get too jealous of building sheds,mine is absolutely freezing in winter and an oven in summer,I wish I had a cellar :}
Cheers Col

I did fours years of a violin making evening class in ages past (still haven't finished a violin) so I became a dab hand at bending bits of wood.  :}
As to cellars, I'm almost feeling inspired to sort mine out. It has three rooms and the one at the back already has my dibs on it. It just needs the lights and jacuzzi installing  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby
Post by: Beachcomber on September 11, 2011, 12:02:02 pm
There is a great book which may be of help with your building, it is called "THE LANCASHIRE NOBBY"  by Nick Miller.
  ISBN 978 1 84868 490 4.  Loads of photographs  drawings and information. Published by Amberley Publishing
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 11, 2011, 01:13:26 pm
Thanks Beachcomber,
A well thumbed copy already resides in the reading room (aka bathroom)  :D
It is, indeed, an excellent book and very informative.
Cheers!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 11, 2011, 01:15:59 pm
Has a moderator changed the title of this thread? Not a problem, I just wonder if I'm imagining it  {:-{ %%
It is more informative this way....but less amusing  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 11, 2011, 05:28:42 pm
I'm having a wonderfully constructive day.  :-))

And destructive too  O0

I decided that what I'd glued in so far was completely wrong  :((  So, with my non-dremel I cut the gunwales down to the required depth above the mouldings, removed the wood work and fitted it again flush with the deck level.  I've also fashioned a new ply insert for the stern.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5728.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5728.jpg)

It's now possible to see what the counter's going to look like  :}

The nest thing is to sort out the mess at the bows.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5729.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5729.jpg)

This horrible lump of GRP has to go!  <*<  I assume it's something to do with the process of taking a completed model and making a mould from it.  At the same time as smoothing all of this out, I want to surgically implant a big chunk of wood type material into the bows to which rigging and bowsprit rings can all be bolted.

This is what I'm aiming for:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5562.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5562.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: sinxalot on September 12, 2011, 08:02:57 am
so the hull moulding came "with warts an'all"lol {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 13, 2011, 02:26:37 pm
The "warts" are no more.  <*<

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5733.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5733.jpg)
As you can see, I've glued in a ply foredeck thingy.....cool! I've also taken the mini-grinder to the bows  O0  Two aims. One was to grind away the "wart" the other was to allow me to insert a new, wooden bow post. This'll get shaped eventually and should be nice and solid for the fore-stay and bowsprit......fingers crossed.....hopefully.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5731.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5731.jpg)
I've included a couple of high-technology retaining widgets.....aka wood screws....in the back of the new piece.  I'm planning on pouring a quantity of epoxy/filler into this space to lock everything together.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5735.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5735.jpg)
It's turning into a boat!  :o
Title: Very exciting day!
Post by: rmaddock on September 14, 2011, 05:39:38 pm
Another good modelling day! And I hardy feel guilty at all that I still haven't finished painting the bathroom.  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5737.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5737.jpg)
As predicted, I filled the bows with sticky stuff which, with the magic of crossed fingers, should hold it all together nicely and probably qualify it for ice-breaking duties.  %%

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5741.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5741.jpg)
As I've now cut the ballast plug into two parts, I will be able to get it in and out with deck beams (etc) in place so I could see no reason not to start on said beams.  I began at the bows.  I'm putting the mast in the position shows on the plans, rather than the scale position - although I haven't measured that so it could be the same anyway. This choice was made so that the hull will balance as designed. I'd rather it sail well than be accurate in small circles  :o  I also decided to rake the deck from the centre line outwards. Looking at the plans and the pictures of the parent model, it appeared to have a flat deck. I, however, am feeling masochistic about this build.  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5739.jpg)
And then, because I could, I sort of jury-rigged things together just to get an idea of what the finished article might look like. Does anybody else do that or are you all super-patient?  The temporary bowsprit and mast are the length as per the plans.......I'll find out what the scale sizes would/should be later on.  The boom should protrude about a scaled foot beyond the rear counter; small boat LOTS of sail!  :D

Sorry to those of you who get your t'internet via a wet piece of string. I fancied a BIG picture of this one.  :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: tony23 on September 14, 2011, 07:10:09 pm
Wow, coming on nicely also keep up with the bigger pictures I don't like looking at the small ones  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on September 14, 2011, 07:22:58 pm
I might not have commented so far, but I - for one - am loving this build.

Looking great!

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 14, 2011, 07:47:50 pm
Thanks both!

BTW, the small pictures are "clicky" into BIG pictures.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 14, 2011, 08:33:17 pm
Last one for tonight.....honestly. I've got to stop now...even I'm exhausted now.  I've just shoved the boys off to bed. My professional wife's out at some seminar or other organised by her professional body (Behave!  :police:). Not that I can complain as it's been paying for the toy boats for years. However, I've had no reason to stop this evening....'till now.

My Tesco's calzone is almost ready...no salad involved due to absence of wife. And, I'm running out of spruce strips. So, unless lastsecond.com have got a new instant modelling supplies home delivery service, I'm going to have to stop.

Meanwhile, the deck beamage expands ever stern-wards (can you tell I've had a glass of wine? {-) ) Note the extra cross brace. This is to hold the sides of the hull apart where the chain plates will be since the deck beams will only work against the weight of the deck, not against squeezing. I've departed fron the plans again my shortening the distance from the mast to the cockpit to be more scale....there's little more than a foot on the real boat and twice that on the plans.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5743.jpg)
Big picture, just for SpamCanMan  :kiss: (sorry, it's the wine  %%)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Brooks on September 16, 2011, 03:43:08 am
Gosh, she's looking good, Sir. You are brave with the rotary tool :-). I knew a violin maker, his other hobby was ice boats (we have a great iceboat reservoir here in Montana).
Title: Re: Very exciting day!
Post by: CJ1 on September 16, 2011, 08:17:20 am
And then, because I could, I sort of jury-rigged things together just to get an idea of what the finished article might look like. Does anybody else do that or are you all super-patient?
No, you are not alone and doesn't she look good.
I seem to spend half my modelling time doing it! I can't help myself. My grand father used to make models professionally and never did it. Not even to see if parts would fit together after he had made them. He just knew that they would work. It was so frustrating for me to watch him. Only at the end would he bring everything together and instantly a complete boat would appear out of a bundle of bits.
Chris
Title: Re: Very exciting day!
Post by: rmaddock on September 16, 2011, 11:27:47 am
Only at the end would he bring everything together and instantly a complete boat would appear out of a bundle of bits.

That's either torture or masochism.....or possibly both  :o {-)  I think that it's the little glimpses of what could be that keep me going.

I have now run out of wood  {:-{ I went to Barrow for some more yesterday but the model shop never opened. I gave them the benefit of the doubt (it was 1/2 day closing) and tried again today. They didn't have what I wanted.  <*< It looks like a tripette to Lancaster might be required; 15 miles as the crow flies but more like 40 thanks to geography. Hey ho.
Title: Pontification
Post by: rmaddock on September 16, 2011, 06:26:16 pm
For want of wood, I've decided to pontificate a bit instead.
Since some questions have been asked about scratch building in the past, I thought I'd try to demonstrate my own, idiosyncratic methods. Not that I'm setting myself up as any sort of expert 'cause I'm not. However, I wanted to show that you can, to an extent, make things up as you go along.
So, here's how I put the deck beams in for a raked deck without any plans for such a thing.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5744.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5744.jpg) First, I laid a long straight piece of precision equipment (aka a spruce spar) along the centre line of the deck.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5745.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5745.jpg) Doing this shows how much rise the deck needs to have from the gunwales to the centre.  Having already cut seats in the gunwales for the deck beams, I inserted various thinknesses (why doesn't the spell-checker like this word?) of "stuff" under the beam until I found one that was just right...not too hot and not too cold.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5746.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5746.jpg) This 'Goldilocks stuff' was then restrained across the hull next to the deck beam position.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5747.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5747.jpg) This gives us a level to which the deck beams should be angled. Here they can be seen very badly cut out and fitted so as to be level with the top of the guide strip.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5748.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5748.jpg) Extra slots have been cut for the lengthways spars and glue applied.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5751.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5751.jpg) And this is where I was when the wood ran out  :((  The half card circle shows the shape of the front of the cockpit. It'll run right back to the rear cross-member.

And with that, I shall shut up. Appologies if you've heard it all before or were offended by either my method or presumption.

Have a good weekend!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on September 16, 2011, 11:19:04 pm
Apologies? Forget it, you are doing what we all do - make it up as you go along and talk like you know what you are doing!

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Patrick Henry on September 17, 2011, 07:55:05 am
Mr Maddock, sir...


If they are of any use to you, I have a set of scanned line drawings for a Lancashire Nobby, plus I have a copy of the souvenir booklet issued by the Mersey Nobby Association back in July '86. (Pic shows the booklet outer cover) A kind person sent them to me when I had this mad idea of building one, but I found I was way out of my depth with all that wood, so the paperwork was filed away and forgotten about until I read your post just now.

(http://s2.postimage.org/1uk1d91ic/Nobby.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/1uk1d91ic/)


Rich
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dondecap on September 17, 2011, 10:02:51 am
hi mate.
that's coming along nicely :)
watching with interest.

regards
don
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 17, 2011, 10:57:42 am
If they are of any use to you, I have a set of scanned line drawings for a Lancashire Nobby, plus I have a copy of the souvenir booklet issued by the Mersey Nobby Association back in July '86.

That's an uncommonly kind offer Rich. I love to have them but I'd hate to be taking anything from you under false pretences. I'm not sure I'd make any more use of them in the long term than you would yourself.

I must admit to getting increasingly "in to" these little boats. Having read the history and stood on the decks of the real thing.  I have also been honoured by the trust who own Hearts of Oak with a standing offer to actually go sailing with them next season. I am so excited it's like being a kid again.  O0  It's her 100th anniversary next year and they're planning, amongst other things, to sail her back to Ulverston for a visit to her town of birth. It'd be cool to be involved with that.

Cheers!

Robert.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 21, 2011, 09:55:08 am
Bah humbug!
Living in the sticks is lovely 'till the first opportunity you have to go to a model shop see it closed for the day because they haven't heard of the modern 24/7 world!
Of course if I, personally, ran a model shop then I'd want a day off myself but that argument doesn't extend to anybody else!  >>:-(  %%  :embarrassed:  {-)

Still, I'm going in tomorrow too so I only have to wait a little bit longer.  %)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 23, 2011, 04:04:36 pm
I had an hour (or four  >>:-() to spare between lectures yesterday so, amongst trips to the model shop, I went to the Maritime Museum in Lancaster.

As I'm rapidly becoming a Nobby Anorak (there's no current law against it) I took some photos of Things Of Interest (sorry for the capitals, we're reading Winnie the Pooh here).  They're not the best pictures as they were taken on my phone, but bear with me.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/IMAG0032.jpg)
This is a scale model of Crossland's boat building shop, as was, in Arnside. They were one of the more famous Nobby builders.  You can just about make out the shape of a prawner hull underway in the larger shed.  Sorry for the picture here, it was in a dirty glass box...I did my best Sir.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0022.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0022.jpg) These were some of their actual tools and some half hull models. (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0021.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0021.jpg)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0029.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0029.jpg) They loved their boats so much that when they weren't sailing them, they sailed model ones instead.  This is a pond yacht of the period showing exactly the sort of non-scale hull changes that we'd have to make today for a model.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0028.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0028.jpg)And this is the sort of boiler that they carried aboard to cookt he prawns on their way home.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 23, 2011, 04:09:20 pm
A few more. I may be violating somebody's copyright printing these...they were on display. I apologise if I am doing and would remove them if asked.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/IMAG0035.jpg)
Here are some more pond yachts being played with  :} Relatively recently in this one.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0036.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0036.jpg)Many Nobbies were used for tourist trips and I love this photo: (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMAG0034.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMAG0034.jpg)

And finally, for the lifeboat enthusiasts amongst you, I present the William Priestly, a Morecambe Bay Prawner converted for service as a lifeboat! Ta da!
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/IMAG0038.jpg)
Sorry again, couldn't get a better angle that this  :embarrassed:
Title: Meet Jim
Post by: rmaddock on September 24, 2011, 12:41:59 pm
Captain Jim has been for his first inspection visit. Don't ask me why he's called Jim...he just is. Something about the moustache I think.  {-)  He's just over 5'6" by my reckoning.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5752.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5752.jpg)Anyway, here he is standing on the steering platform at the stern and also having a look a-mid-ships. (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5754.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5754.jpg)

He's also having a really good look at the hull lines and rudder setup....as you would.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5756.jpg)

I hope he's happy with the build so far. He looks the strict, critical sort to me.  {:-{
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 24, 2011, 01:50:13 pm
And this is Jemima!  She's been "walking out" with Jim for some time. She's quite posh but was orphaned when her parents were nibbled to death by an Okapi.

She's wondering about marrying Jim but thought she should pop down into the cockpit and check out his king plank first.  :o

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5760.jpg)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5761.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5761.jpg) I think they've reached an agreement. I wonder where Jim's right hand is?  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 24, 2011, 04:46:40 pm
Back to the serious stuff. Between oiling the bathroom floor and sinking anchor bolts into the garden walls, I've started to fettle the rudder mechanism.

As previously mentioned, I was concerned that the top of the rudder tube was rather low against the waterline.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5757.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5757.jpg) So, I've extended it upwards a bit. First I cut the rudder shaft so that it was as long as possible, but I could still get the control horn over the top.  Then I cut a new piece of tube to the right length and slid it down. A larger sized tube collar has then been slipped over the top of the join.
It's been slavered with glue and I've also put a cross brace in to support the top of the tube. (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5766.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5766.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Brooks on September 25, 2011, 12:19:43 am
Neat Museum, thanks for the photos. You will have give them a photo of your boat on the water, which they can stick up next to their pond yacht :-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 28, 2011, 01:15:18 pm
Thanks Brooks, for feeding my narcissism.  {-)

Today.....brace yourselves......Today, we have steerage!  O0 8)

Along with the hull, I asked Waverley Models to supply me with their Heath Robinson designed steering gear.  The traditional Nobby counter stern doesn't leave a lot of room for normal servo connections so Mike had come up with an alternative.

He supplied two special pulley wheels, one for the servo and one for the rudder and cords to connect them. The cords are then guided betwixt the two by copper tubing.  The plans have the servo in the middle of the boat but I decided that I'd try and tuck it away under one edge of the deck.  I'll put a bit of non authentic woodwork in there to screen it later on.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/steerage2.jpg)

As you can probably see  :embarrassed: I'm experimenting with lathering everything with P38 filler. It's an experimentally slipshod construction technique I'm pioneering!..although it looks disturbingly like the pink stuff the dentist used to use to take moulds of my mouth when I was a lad.  {-)  I have, of course, already fitted a receiver and tried it out. FABBY! It's almost finished!  {-)

I was hoping to get to this stage before the week was out. I'm due to start my final teacher training placement next week and I think the boats might have to go away for the duration. Not that the college have managed to find me anywhere to go yet. >>:-(  So please don't be alarmed if I stop talking to you any day now......

I'll be back!  8)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: tony23 on September 28, 2011, 05:22:08 pm
Mmm, not sure that's the best place for that servo how will you get to it if you have any problems
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 28, 2011, 06:12:43 pm
The cockpit's open, the servo'll basically be just out of view but still accessible.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 01, 2011, 11:35:20 am
I've mocked up a bit of the deck and cockpit.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5771.jpg)

The servo in question is behind Jim there.  Once there's a combing round the cockpit the servo wont be terribly visible.  Then I'll arrange some set-dressing over it too and it should be reasonably well hidden.  I'm only going for semi-scale here, but I want it to look good so I'm going to apply mock-planking to the inside of the hull within the length of the cockpit....there's a bulkhead at either end so no need to go overboard.  At the moment, I'm cutting out card planks and taping them, temporarily into the hull...as you can see in the picture.  I'll then put soft balsa ribs in down to floor level....represented by the metal rule.

FYI: this is the real interior (only shot I've got) and shows the look I'm aiming for. (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_IMG_3759.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=IMG_3759.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: nhp651 on October 01, 2011, 04:14:01 pm
Robert, pm me your email address, I might have some photos that you might be interested in for your build project.

neil.
Title: A question for people
Post by: rmaddock on October 06, 2011, 05:10:08 pm
I need to put false ribs into the hull.  They need to be about 10mm thick and 15mm wide. They also need to take quite an extreme curve.  I don't have any line drawings for the hull so I can't cut them to shape....which leaves bending them in place.

I've tried with solid balsa but bending it enough doesn't seem do-able.  Laminations of thin balsa will go but the ribs'll end up looking like plywood.

So, the question is, what else could I use?  It doesn't have to have any strength but it does have to look solid and be paintable.  Would some sort of foam be workable?

All sensible suggestions considered.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on October 06, 2011, 05:40:53 pm
I'd vote for laminate thin balsa strips of the right width. If you're painting them, it'll look like wood. And you can always tack the laminations into place with superglue rather than something slower, like PVA. Should be speedy to do, and look good too.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: nhp651 on October 06, 2011, 06:57:15 pm
if you go to a good decorating shop, robert, you can buy a small tool that looks like a load of needles in a line held together by two strips of metal...it's a tool for taking templates around skirting boards and other such strange shapes......it can be used on the inside of your hull to take an accurate shape of the moulding, and then you can draw that shape onto a piece of ply or other timber for an accurate fit....ask for a "template guage" a very handy bit of kit to have.

neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 06, 2011, 09:04:41 pm
if you go to a good decorating shop, robert, you can buy a small tool that looks like a load of needles in a line held together by two strips of metal...it's a tool for taking templates around skirting boards and other such strange shapes......it can be used on the inside of your hull to take an accurate shape of the moulding, and then you can draw that shape onto a piece of ply or other timber for an accurate fit....ask for a "template guage" a very handy bit of kit to have.

neil.

I've seen those, yes. Perhaps I should finally acquire one.  I can feel a trip to sunny Barrow-in-Furness coming on in the morning. <:(
Title: My Birthday came early!
Post by: rmaddock on October 11, 2011, 06:05:37 pm
As it's now less than a month 'till my Birthday, I thought I owed myself a present  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5778.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5778.jpg)

Three lovely new winches.  I realised that I was busy fitting out the inside having given little thought to where all the gubbins would go.  So I bought said gubbins and can now figure out where to put three winches and associated closed loops without its looking a terrible mess in the open cockpit. Under the floor perhaps?

I've made a bit of progress on the false ribs too. They'll need a bit of filling but should look fine once it's all white-washed.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5777.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5777.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: tony23 on October 11, 2011, 11:56:03 pm
not sure you will need three winches possibly would got away only using one.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 12, 2011, 06:59:25 pm
not sure you will need three winches possibly would got away only using one.
Oh, I know I could "get away" with one...... %%
Title: I'm glad I waited
Post by: rmaddock on November 12, 2011, 07:06:24 pm
I'm glad that I hung fire on the interior.
Last weekend we managed to visit her and see inside!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5786.jpg)

A modeller's delight! Well, mine anyway. Where I'd been anticipating bear boards and little else, as you can she she's all ply sheet inside. Not pretty but, as I'm trying to build her as she is now, very, very convenient  :embarrassed: There are plenty of things to hide my servos and the floor's higher that anticipated too. In addition to that, there are benches down the side forward of the engine. They might make nice battery compartments.  And, with luck, I should be able to fit a motor into the motor box.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5789.jpg)

This is the bows....occupied by Thing Two. I could quite imagine spending a weekend in there and we were surprised by how much light came in through the little glass lights in the deck above.

I can't promise much progress in the near future.  I'm on the final block placement of my teacher training now. Three weeks down, five to go. I'm exhausted and seem to have no spare time at all.  Still, my choice. I must be balmy  :o
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: NottsRog on November 29, 2011, 08:16:41 pm
Hi There
Interesting to come across some models of morecombe bay prawners.

This reminds of our visits to a Classic Sail event that used to take place usually in July each year during the late 1980s and 1990s.

This was organised by the East Coast Old Gaffers Association and comprosed a week of sailing and racing and evening entertainment.

One of the most successful yachts competition wise was a morecombe bay prawner, named 'Deva' which usually carried a distinctive red jib sail,  not to mention the skippers secret weapon of a watersail rigged under the boom.

Definitely fun days
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 29, 2011, 08:23:37 pm
Hi There
Interesting to come across some models of morecombe bay prawners.

This reminds of our visits to a Classic Sail event that used to take place usually in July each year during the late 1980s and 1990s.

This was organised by the East Coast Old Gaffers Association and comprosed a week of sailing and racing and evening entertainment.

One of the most successful yachts competition wise was a morecombe bay prawner, named 'Deva' which usually carried a distinctive red jib sail,  not to mention the skippers secret weapon of a watersail rigged under the boom.

Definitely fun days

Cool! I'm hoping to get a sail on the Hearts of Oak next year...fingers crossed. According to my research, the fore and mail sails were traditionally red. For some reason though, the top gaff sail (don't know the proper name) was natural colour.

The end of my course is in sight and I'm starting to think about the model again. Of course, I'll probably go and do something silly like get a job in the New Year. That'd put a spanner in the works.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: NottsRog on November 29, 2011, 09:11:25 pm
[Cool! I'm hoping to get a sail on the Hearts of Oak next year...fingers crossed. According to my research, the fore and mail sails were traditionally red. For some reason though, the top gaff sail (don't know the proper name) was natural colour.

The end of my course is in sight and I'm starting to think about the model again. Of course, I'll probably go and do something silly like get a job in the New Year. That'd put a spanner in the works.

The sail above the Main sail is in fact called the Topsail, usually abbreviated as  Tops'l

They were a common sight and used on many gaff rigged vessels,  in particular the Thames Barges,  who often sailed with just the Tops'l set so as to catch the wind blowing above the land ,  when sailing up a river where the wind down at waterlevel might be rather light
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: tigertiger on November 30, 2011, 11:53:16 pm
... According to my research, the fore and mail sails were traditionally red. For some reason though, the top gaff sail (don't know the proper name) was natural colour.

Thinking out of the box, and turning things upside-down to see them from a different perspective.
For some reason the fore and mains were red.

I think the red is due to the treatment of the sails with a witches brew to keep out the worst of the weathering from water and salt. It would also add a lot to the weight of the sail. The tops would not get as much water and salt and would be less in need of treatment.
Just a thought, out of the box.

Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: tigertiger on December 01, 2011, 12:02:15 am

... the Thames Barges,  who often sailed with just the Tops'l set so as to catch the wind blowing above the land ,  when sailing up a river where the wind down at waterlevel might be rather light

Thinking out of the box again. In addition to the above:
Thought 1/ Most ships would be pictured/drawn/photographed where there were more ships (man thinks, I want to draw ships, where shall I go? Lots of ships at Tilbury, I'll go there). Lots of ships equals difficult navigation and a need to see 360 degrees, if the main and fore are not essential stow them.
Thought 2/ On a short haul, and when being anywhere near ready to load/unload (dock vicinity) get the non-essential sails stowed early.
Thought 3/ I think the sprit or booms may also have been used as derricks.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 01, 2011, 06:11:02 pm
Steady on there Tigertiger! You'll wear your brain out with all that thinking!  {-)

The Nick Miller books says that the sails were treated with tar, followed by boiled oil and then ochre.
Title: Back in harness!
Post by: rmaddock on December 29, 2011, 06:27:00 pm
Okay, I'm back!
14 in-laws nearly did for me over the last few days but I have made it through and started on the Nobby again.
First off, Father Xmas was good to me:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5852.jpg)
Next, as an upshot to my casting sand queries elsewhere, I've ordered a kilo of bentonite clay to make my own green sand. I seems worth a go to say a chunk of money and I'm not after anything wonderful results wise.
Next, I've sketched out a new floor plan based on my measurements of the H.o.F. I've mocked it up in card and begun to glue in some new floor beams. I know it's not a "floor" but I'm distinguishing it from the upper deck.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5853.jpg)
Title: Grumpy scrap man
Post by: rmaddock on January 12, 2012, 11:39:43 am
I've just been to the scrap metal yard behind the house.  :D

I've acquired 10kg of lead. It cost me Ģ14.40 including VAT. I don't think I'll get mad at that. Not as mad as the metal man himself seemed to be. He obviously did not want my business this morning and was taking it out on his (obviously) long suffering wife in the office.

I've also now got my 1kg of bentonite clay.

I can feel the purchase of some silica sand and a solid but cheap pan coming on.  The large gas burner that I used the last time has died the death. I'm wondering if a BBQ will be hot enough to melt the lead. Hmmm.
Title: A very manly afternoon!
Post by: rmaddock on January 14, 2012, 04:10:38 pm
I've just spent a very manly afternoon casting ballast.....well, half of it anyway.

First, I mixed up my DIY green sand:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5855.jpg)
Not very green, is it? With the builder's sand fresh from the bag it seemed to have about the correct consistency so I didn't add water. Oh, I did 10kg of sand to 1kg of bentonite clay. It's a bit more than the 8% I've seen talk about but not by much.
Next, the plaster plug went into the bottom of a make-shift wooden box:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5854.jpg)
Note that the bottom of the box is not attached as you need to remove it later.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5856.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5856.jpg)Then, using a stick to tamp things down, I filled the box with green sand making sure to work it well round the plug until it was full to the brim. (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5857.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5857.jpg)
Then another board is put on top and the whole thing slipped over whilst holding the breath.  O0
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5860.jpg)
I removed the plug by the simple expedient of sticking something pointy into the plaster and lifting it out.
I was not unimpressed by this first effort  :-)) and so ploughed onwards.
I used my trusty old Coleman Peak One camping stove to melt the lead in a normal domestic pan. I went for steel as I was a bit worried aluminium might not be up to it.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5863.jpg)
I've no pictures of it being poured as I was busy  >>:-( However, it was not too hard. The pan was, of course, heavier than you expect. I simply poured gently directly into the mold and a few minutes later........
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5864.jpg)
It doesn't take long to solidify so I didn't have to wait long either to see if it had worked:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5867.jpg)
YEAH!
And, finally, here are the ballast and plug together. I think it might fit.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5869.jpg)
Title: Dodgy videos
Post by: rmaddock on January 15, 2012, 12:09:11 pm
The Things and I have made the other half of the ballast.  I thought it was the sort of thing that would expand their horizons. They're quite impressed that you can do real metal work in the back garden. Anyway, this time we shot a couple of videos. They were done on the mobile phone so they're not the best quality but still an interesting record I think.

First, the pouring of the lead:
http://youtu.be/Bq9BylD_6g8

Then the removal of the finished item from the mould:
http://youtu.be/_JiQLF7KWBQ

[as an aside, is it possible to put YouTube videos in these posts as something more than just a link?]   
Not at the moment ... Sorry.           Ken

Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 15, 2012, 01:57:04 pm
Thanks Ken. Never mind.

I've done the bath test! YEAH! It's funny, it shouldn't feel so important but the first time a model floats is brilliant. It ceases to be a thing and becomes a living boat......and no, I've not been drinking.

Two more videos....the first is the newly ballasted hull in the Morecambe Bay tide simulator.  She lifts herself from the sand beautifully.
http://youtu.be/ImxwlcflpMQ

The second is when she really floats.....I got quite excited.  :embarrassed:
http://youtu.be/k_oNg_urx88
Title: Prop, shaft and motor!
Post by: rmaddock on January 17, 2012, 12:04:32 pm
Less than a month into the year and it feels like Christmas again!  :embarrassed:

That lovely postman brought me a package from Cornwall Model Boats this morning; contents, one Raboesch propshaft and matching prop.  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5883.jpg)

The shaft I chose, Raboesch Waterproof Propshaft 290mm M4 HERE (http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/Raboesch_Precision_Propshafts.html) is waterproof and also adjustable in the length department. I thought I'd go fancy as the shaft and couplings are all below the waterline. Belt 'n' braces  O0

The prop, 40mm M4 Threaded 4 Blade L/H Brass A-Type HERE (http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/R147-M4.html), is larger (by 5mm) and has more blades than scale. Again, I wanted some usable power but I could always change it later.

The positioning of the prop is about to scale......I'm not going to get hung up on it......and would allow for a few more mm of prop if I wanted them.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5886.jpg)

This picture shows the other end of things.  The motor is positioned approximately where it needs to be to fit under the scale motor housing; the horizontal beam aft of the motor will form the edge of said housing. As you can see, a fair amount needs to be lost from the prop shaft....hence getting the adjustable one  8)

Note also the tailor made ballast.  :D
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 17, 2012, 04:00:12 pm
Not the most elegant of installations, but the propshaft's shortened and installed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5889.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5889.jpg)

I've also faired it into the hull outside and am not displeased with the result:  8)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5887.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5887.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 19, 2012, 01:47:00 pm
I've soldered Action Man's supressor kit to the motor:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5891.jpg)

I've also taken receipt of two pulleys and a matching belt courtesy of MotionCo (http://www.motionco.co.uk/).
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5890.jpg)
Many thanks to those who posted the link on here  :-))
Strangely, the aluminium pulleys are cheaper than the plastic ones. The site also has an excellent calculator which, given the pulleys and belt chosen, give you the distance between the centres; great for choosing the correct belt.
What it didn't do was warn me that the motor shaft is 6mm, not 4mm. Duh!  :embarrassed: That's the sort of mistke that my wife likes to keep reminding me of  <*<
I'm wondering if I can drill out the centre or if I should just order a bigger one.
Hmm.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 19, 2012, 02:10:26 pm
What the hell! Ive ordered another one. I choose not to keep track of how much these boats actually cost to build. It'd be frightening.  %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on January 19, 2012, 03:25:07 pm
Shame you didnt ask if anyone could've drilled out for you, I could do it, save a few pennies to spend on other boaty bits.

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 19, 2012, 04:36:23 pm
Thanks for the thought Ian. Sometimes I think I live in a little too introverted a universe for my own good.

I was a bit concerned that drilling it out wouldn't leave much material, especially where the locking screw is, but I suppose it could have been worth a try.

Next time I'll ask  :embarrassed:

Since the last post, I've been liberally, if inellegantly, fitting motor bearers.  Lathering all this pink stuff everywhere always seems to result in something straight out of an Alien movie  :o
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5892.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 20, 2012, 01:34:55 pm
I do like a bit of jury-rigged impatience satisfying  :D
The new pulley arrived this morning. 10/10 for Motionco's service  :-))
So I've jammed it all into the hull and stuck wires between all the components. Obviously all black wires as that's what was to hand. The final installation should look a bit more organised but I couldn't wait to watch the prop go round.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5893.jpg)
I started with a 12v 1.2Ah battery but got only noise and little movement from the motor. So, I dug out the 7Ah battery I used to use to start model aircraft. That did the job! I assume the other just needs a bit of a charge.
So, now it all goes round but is rather noisy...as you can hear in the video. Does it sound right to people? I suppose there's nothing but resonant surface around it right now.
http://youtu.be/mfbb8GF8eBM (http://youtu.be/mfbb8GF8eBM)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: HS93 (RIP) on January 20, 2012, 03:05:31 pm
is everything free turning and have you put n amp meter in line as it sounds tight on start up,(well it does to me), can you not get rid of the geared motor and just use the belt drive , I have used them on a few models and they are very quiet, your boat will probably  sound better  when you get it all decked etc keep up the good work and posts

Peter
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: thelegos on January 20, 2012, 03:32:13 pm
As peter says it does sound tight. I assume the long shaft is unsupported at the end we can't quite see, Is the belt too tight and pulling the prop shaft across against one side of the bearing?
Roger
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 20, 2012, 03:53:18 pm
The long shaft is unsupported and due to get "removed".  The belt isn't very tight but I've no idea how tight they should be.
The ammeter says 1.1A (approx) at full forward and reverse.....with no load on the prop'.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: thelegos on January 20, 2012, 04:50:02 pm
I have one of those motors and recall they do have quite a bit of gear noise, I've just been and tried it again and I think some of what you can hear may well be from the gear reduction on the motor.
I would probably remove the belt, run the motor to see how it sounds, check the shaft is nicely lubed up and running free, attach the belt and experiment with the motor position to find the optimum. If you screw it down with round head screws there will probably be just about enough play to shift it a little either way.
Roger
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 20, 2012, 05:06:10 pm
Roger, Roger!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 20, 2012, 06:31:20 pm
It would seem that most of the noise is the motor itself...and the gears of course.  With the belt removed it's still noisy.  I might try putting some rubber under the motor mount but I suppose that once it's all boxed in it'll be better.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: thelegos on January 20, 2012, 07:34:47 pm
The hull will be more rigid when you're finished, it's acting like a soundbox at the moment. I guess you could always change the motor to direct drive and modify the gear ratio through the toothed belt system, from what I can see in the pics they are the same size at the moment. If it's just to use in an emergency then hopefully you'll never fire it up!
Roger
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 21, 2012, 04:53:47 pm
I'm steamnig along now!  :}
Now that the motor's in, I've been fettling the cockpit interior...or starting to anyway.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5895.jpg)
Using my usual rule or thumb/make it up as you go along planning system, I've put deck beams into the hull. The red card then served as a starter template for the sides.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5898.jpg)
Half a deck has been roughed out and the new cockpit side inserted.  Now you can see how my rudder servo is nicely hidden. Towards the bows, where Jemima is standing, there are horizontal benches that reach under the deck to the hull sides. There will then be a bulkhead (with door) forward of that into the cabin.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5899.jpg)
A second side was rustled up, mirror image style, from the first. Jim seems quite happy with the work so far.  :-))
And so am I. These spells of sudden rushing progress make up for the slow drag that model making can sometimes be. Right now, it feels like the whole boat will be finished this time next week!  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 23, 2012, 01:25:19 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5910.jpg)
He never smiles! There's no pleasing some people.  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 23, 2012, 04:07:42 pm
Well you might as well know that you have scuppered my good intentions
to work this afternoon - I started reading your build and look at the time.
Nice work and a nice thread all round  :-))

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 23, 2012, 05:16:03 pm
Well you might as well know that you have scuppered my good intentions
to work this afternoon

Well thank you for the kind words Dave but I shall never, NEVER appologise!  :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 24, 2012, 12:26:51 pm
In my current life role as a newly qualified unemployed primary school teacher  <*< I'm finding lots of oportunity to get on with this model.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5914.jpg)

In this picture you can see how I've planked the bulkhead. The planks are lime and that's as smooth as they're going to get.  I'm after the work-a-day fishing boat look that the original manages; so no lovely smooth finish for me.

Also visible is one of the magnets that are going to hold all the insides together. The plan (what there is of it (and I'm making it up all the time)) is to have all of the cockpit interior held in with magnets so that it can be easily removed - unlike the bonnet of my Volvo at the moment....but that's another story.  >:-o  That way, I should be able to get at, and maintain, all of the rigging lines that are going to have to be squeezed in there somewhere.

Lunch time!  O0
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 24, 2012, 07:52:41 pm
Gosh I have been busy! So much so, that poor Jim's quite exhausted!  {-)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5918.jpg)

This whole boxy assembly is held in, as promised, magnetically. So, now you see the motor.....now you don't!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5917.jpg)

That perked him up again.  %)

There follows a wide(ish) shot of the real boat's cockpit....so you can see what I'm aiming at. As mentioned earlier, the motor enclosure is bigger than scale to get the motor in...shame but, hey, beggars can't .....'n' all that.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF5786.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: nhp651 on January 24, 2012, 09:10:40 pm
looking very very nice indeed, looking forward to seeing her sailing.

neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 26, 2012, 02:31:33 pm
So, the engine cover's been given a hardwood edging and had the finger holes drilled:  :-)
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5921.jpg)
And, I've finished planking the bulkhead. Included in this is the (very) small door into the cabin.  :} I've made this bit up as the door wasn't in place when I visited the boat and so I've no idea which way it should open. I've guessed outwards as the mast would be in the way otherwise.  The iron-mongery is made from thin ply and bits of sawn-off metal control rod (left over from the dark days of model planes).
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5920.jpg) (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5919.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5919.jpg)
Is it my imagination, or is Jim looking a little happier? Perhaps he's looking forward to being able to lock himself and Jemima in there?  %)

Oh, and one of the front road springs broke on the Volvo last night.  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 26, 2012, 08:09:25 pm
More progress........ :}
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5922.jpg)
With the bulkhead sorted, I've moved on to the benches that go under the decks.
I used my contour gauge to get the shape of the ribs, transferred that to card and then to ply.
The rear edge of the vertical side piece has been trimmed back to be almost in line with the engine box, as per the original......you can just see it at the bottom left of the picture.
As shown, the bench is actually too high. I need to drop if down behind the vertical by a couple of mm so that I can put pine slats on it up to the level it's currently at.

I love the way it's coming together right now.  8)

I'm itching to buy some dark grey/blue paint for the floors and sides so that it really starts to look like the real thing.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: nhp651 on January 26, 2012, 08:38:51 pm
that really is looking beautiful, Rob.

I love to see nice woodwork on a model.and that is very nice indeed.

neil./
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Welsh Wizard on January 26, 2012, 09:59:25 pm
Now this is bring back Fond Memories of childhood !! Grandfather who was a lobster fisherman in Pwllheli North Wales owned a Nobby a it was called Shrimp Girl,funnily enough it was brought from Morcame I often wonder where she is now.Remember many a time going out with him and the greatest treat and boy did it take a lot of persuading was hoisting the mainsail and sailing home back form fishing.
Keep up the good work


Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 26, 2012, 10:15:23 pm
http://www.cimwch.com/hen_luniau/pwllheli/hen_luniau_cychod_pwllheli.htm

picture 21 is called Shrimp Girl?

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 26, 2012, 10:17:02 pm
and picture 23
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Welsh Wizard on January 26, 2012, 10:54:50 pm
Sugar Ive been on that site many a time and have missed those boy oh boy Fond memories and I don't mind admitting it bought a tear to my eyes,I had Forgotten one fact it was Ifan Henry who originally bought her then Grandfather WJ Gould who then bought her from him,I will try and find some photos of her and post up here IF I find them.....MANY thanks for that


Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 26, 2012, 11:00:07 pm
Just occasionally things work out well WW :-))

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 27, 2012, 10:58:17 am
I love to see nice woodwork on a model.

When it's finished Neil, I'm going to send all the parts away and have them cast in real resin and then painstakingly apply a wood effect paint job!  {-)

Now this is bring back Fond Memories of childhood !!

Dave, I'm glad to have brought back fond memories for you  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 27, 2012, 01:02:43 pm
cast in real resin

But real resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of coniferous trees.
So wouldn't that still be a genuine boat made from trees?  %%  %)

Neil's right though - you do do nice work. :-))

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 27, 2012, 01:10:00 pm
Thanks!  :embarrassed:

One of these years I'll learn to just accept a compliment.  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 31, 2012, 06:10:01 pm
I've done the second side of false ribs and planking and a second under-deck bench:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5980.jpg)

This side was much quicker! It helps to know what you're doing.  O0 {-)

Then, because I just couldn't not do it  :embarrassed: I whittled the other side of the ply sub-deck.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5983.jpg)

 :o :o :o :o :o :o O0 O0 O0 O0 O0 :} :} :} :} :} :-)) :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 10, 2012, 10:54:56 am
Progess has been a bit slow of late. Having finished my teacher training last month I find myself unemployed.....or at least back to house-husbanding. I've been trying to volunteer at local schools but of the 9 I've contacted so far, only one has even deigned to reply...and that in the negative. So the wind has been a bit out of my sails, as it were. That and the fact that I've hit one of those thinking about it spells that models, or scratch built ones at least, seem to include. Just how to I sort the running rigging?

Yesterday though, I dragged myself back to the build and sorted an extension to the rudder shaft.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5989.jpg)
I've drilled the shaft propper and glued a piece of rod through it (a cut-off piece of control rod). Then, a suitable piece of slotted tubing fits over that. By this means, I'll be able to have a removable but "working" tiller. The plan then will be to fashion some cunning scale sailing type of cove who'll bend in the right places and can hold the tiller.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5990.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5990.mp4)
The picture here is a clicky link to a video! I put a piece of wood on as a tiller just to see. There's quite a lot of movement and I realise that my skipper will have to be quite flexible indeed.
Title: Washing the curtains
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 12:16:20 pm
Today I find myself unexpectedly washing the curtains  :embarrassed:

I did the classic slapstick turning the jar of paint upside down whilst I forgot I was holding it.  {-)

Hey ho. %) They probably needed washing anyway.

I've been slapping some paint on the nobby's interior. Crown Old English White, to be precise. Left over from decorating the house.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6039.jpg)

It'll need at least another coat and I may rub the balsa ribs down now that the paint has lifted the grain.....but the effect's going to be spot on....in my humble opinion.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 12:17:10 pm
PS Thank goodness for sealed wooden floors!  {-) {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on February 22, 2012, 12:33:19 pm
Hi Robert!

Our boats are at a similar stage. You can almost (but not quite) think of her sailing, as each pitfall and problem gets ticked off the list of those jobs that need done.

Keep it up! She's lovely! (And who cares about mere curtains when there's boat-building on the menu?)

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 12:49:53 pm
Thanks Andy...for the pep-talk. I am, indeed, at the stage when it all seems to go so slowly.
I was very, very tempted to put her on the water at the weekend. We went down to the pond in Barrow and I thought seriously about taping the decks on and balancing a battery in there somewhere. I managed to restrain myself though.

I'm also at the stage of trying to think of everything I need to do before I put the decks on. Obviously, the winches all need to go in but I also need to put some chainplates on whilst I can still get at the insides of the hull. I'm not sure how to attach those yet. Drilling through and bolting them seems obvious but I've read that drilling GPR hulls can cause cracks. I presume I could expoxy some ply doublers inside to avoid this though.

Is it still HMS Dreadnaught that you're working on? That must have a few fiddly bits.  O0

STOP PRESS......

Your post has just incited me onto fleaBay to order some pulleys for the winch setup. I shall blame you when Issy asks me what the credit card bill items are.  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 06:07:36 pm
A quick trip to B&Q and a "tester" pot of Crown's "New York" is now in my possession. It looks a pretty good representation of the real boat to me.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6042.jpg)

I'll need to find a load of pine-type planks for the tops of the benches now. I might have to savage some unwanted furniture.  :D
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on February 22, 2012, 08:30:41 pm
lolly ice sticks - maybe from Asda, better than eating twenty ice lollies  %% ooh brain freeze :o

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 08:42:01 pm
lolly ice sticks - maybe from Asda, better than eating twenty ice lollies  %% ooh brain freeze :o
Dave

Brilliant Dave! I never thought of lolly sticks.  :-)) I can feel a trip to The Range coming on.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on February 22, 2012, 09:43:09 pm
wooden stirrers from mcD's or starbucks or costa - ideal for that kind of thing - free as well.

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2012, 09:45:02 pm
Not free as I'd have to buy a cup of coffee.....not through any moral principal so much as addiction  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on February 22, 2012, 09:47:29 pm
Ah, but, if you are in need of a coffee fix anyway, the stirrers are an added benefit.  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on February 22, 2012, 10:01:09 pm
Some Mayhem threads have stirrers  O0 :embarrassed:

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: triumphjon on February 23, 2012, 07:42:29 am
nice to see your progressing well with your build , i restored an old 1920s hull last summer which i also converted to being radio controlled . one thing i did do was to seal the deck to hull with bathroom sealant , and screw it to the hull , which has ment im able to remove it for better acsess to the rigging routes . my rudder is also above deck , we made a custom brass tiller arm that sits at deck level and ive attached a stainless steel cable through a hole each side of the tiller , around a pulley at the edge of the deck before going below deck to a servo with a double sided servo horn . jon
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on February 23, 2012, 06:16:07 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6042.jpg)

Awesome!  :-))

I don't know about "pep talk", but there are times when we need to "step back" and not focus on our own shortcuts and faults. See the whole thing afresh, you know?

This boat looks simply fantastic. You are getting there.

As to the Dreadnought, she lurks in the attic, and everytime I go up there (which is surprisingly often!) I tell her "she's next" after Racundra. But - blimey - after a year "off her", her decks and the work done so far do look better than I remember.

Keep this up!

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 24, 2012, 11:18:56 pm
Issy has been hosting the local ladies drinking reading club evening here tonight. So, I have been relegated to the bedroom...which just happens to be where my modelling stuff is  :-))

I quick trip out this morning found me the owner of a large number of rather crude lolly sticks. I don :-))'t mind the crude though as that's the look I'm after.  So now, after several hours, my back aches but I have planked the benches.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6045.jpg)

It's not perfectly to scale but I'm very pleased with the results. Once they're varnished it'll be super.  :}

Here's Jemima inspecting the works.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6050.jpg)

The only problem is that everything is becoming a very tight fit in there. My plan to be able to (dis)assemble everything easily is getting shaky.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 27, 2012, 01:13:09 pm
Because I'm scared of actually starting in on the sail servos etc  :embarrassed: I'm doing lots of fiddly detailing instead.

So today, whilst not making my fortune on fleaBay, I've been making some of the cockpit controls. I've half done a set of switches on one side and have done the throttle lever shown below; all whittled from ply and cocktail sticks. {-) This side still needs an instrument panel and a single push button too. It's quite crude but I'm happy with the fake screw heads. I hammered the indents with an old allen key before turning it to a round, and then made the slots with a tiny screw-driver that we got from a Christmas cracker  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6052.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 07, 2012, 02:26:44 pm
Okay, okay!  <*<  I've moved back to the serious stuff again. I am tackling the winches.  :-))

Well, the foresail ones anyway....the others are still being "thought about".  :embarrassed:

So, I have created...with my own hands...a pair of "trays" that will slot in under the foredeck:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6139.jpg)

Right now, they are simply balanced in place and braced with a piece of wood and some pegs.  Later, they will be properly held in using magic.  %%  The idea is that they will be removable. Not easily though. The mast will have to be taken down and all the interior removed but they will then fit through the cockpit should any repairs be required.

As you can see, the port side fore-sail winch is in place. I've made a closed loop system running up into the bows:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6140.jpg)

The travel's not huge but should be enough....I hope  %)

There'll be a second such winch on t'other side and the mainsheet setup will go underneath somewhere. Following the "other" conversation, I'm favouring using a larger diameter disc on the servo and running the closed loop along the full length of the bottom of the hull.....I left that clear for just this purpose. 8)  I shall also mount much of the elec-trickery underneath these trays.

I'm beginning to sympathise with the submarine Johnnies trying to squeeze everything in. Next project? Something with no cockpit....perhaps one of those nice, modern warships that's all superstructure and internal space?  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 10, 2012, 05:35:48 pm
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........................."

That's not going to be anything like enough travel.  <:(  Time to think again.....and old aluminium arrows are springing to mind. Bend one of those and and the knot could go right through and down the other side and you'd get twice the travel.

Anyway. Meanwhile I thought I'd have a go at whittling some chainplates from brass.  This is the first effort:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6141.jpg)
And, in my humble opinion, it's pretty good  :-))  I just need to figure out how to put the kink into it half way down.  %%  Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
FYI, this is a picture of the real chainplates. I've made mine slightly wide to be true scale but they are a working part and will have to take real strain. Do people think that 6mm x .3mm will do? Personally I think my brazing will fail before the brass.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5678.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5678.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dlancast on March 10, 2012, 09:38:16 pm
Sir,

Really enjoying this build and your attention to detail.  You inspire me... who knows, some day I just might build me a sailing model.  Looks like a ton of fun.

Regards,

Dennis
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: nhp651 on March 10, 2012, 10:50:44 pm
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........................."

That's not going to be anything like enough travel.  <:(  Time to think again.....and old aluminium arrows are springing to mind. Bend one of those and and the knot could go right through and down the other side and you'd get twice the travel.

Anyway. Meanwhile I thought I'd have a go at whittling some chainplates from brass.  This is the first effort:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6141.jpg)
And, in my humble opinion, it's pretty good  :-))  I just need to figure out how to put the kink into it half way down.  %%  Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
FYI, this is a picture of the real chainplates. I've made mine slightly wide to be true scale but they are a working part and will have to take real strain. Do people think that 6mm x .3mm will do? Personally I think my brazing will fail before the brass.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5678.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5678.jpg)

I think you've done a super job there, and seeing what thelads use down Fleetwood lake..that brass will take the strain quite easily.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on March 11, 2012, 09:05:22 am
Those chainplates and brazing will stand more load that you may think. Of course, you could always make another for destructive testing, just to put your mind at rest.

When I built my full size clinker dinghy, the glue that was recommended was advertised as giving joint strength greater than the surrounding wood. Cynical? Moi? So, I made up a test joint, allowed plenty of time for full strength, placed it on two bricks and drove the car over it.

They were right! The joint was unbroken, the rest of the wood was a plie of splinters!

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 13, 2012, 07:09:33 pm
Thanks for the moral support chaps!
I must admit that I'm struggling with this model just at the moment. I'm having one of those go-slow periods where I can't find the way forwards.
Hey ho.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on March 13, 2012, 08:03:41 pm
Well it's been a good build to follow so far.
Maybe you're just not drinking enough.
It sounds like a two bottles of Red problem to me O0 :}
You'll get there.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 13, 2012, 08:07:21 pm
It sounds like a two bottles of Red problem to me O0 :}

 :-)) Dave, you sound like my sort of man!....in an entirely manly way, of course  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 23, 2012, 03:09:40 pm
In the spirit of ignoring the stuff I can't do right now, I've been fitting some chainplates:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/P3230002.jpg)

They're okay, but I'm not overly impressed with my handy-work.  The plan is to fill the screw heads and file them smooth to look like the bolt heads on the original. Then it all needs to be painted up in aluminium......or some such. I mocked up a small length of deck to try and get the hight right.  I got it half right  :embarrassed: The screws go through clearance holes in the plates and hull and then into chunks of ply on the inside.  I've angled the plates for standing rigging coming down from scale height hounds.

What I'm really doing is trying to sort all of the things that need doing before the deck goes on. These are part of it, the bollards/posts will be next.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 23, 2012, 03:43:02 pm
I've got a matching pair on the other side too now!  O0
Title: Utility bollards
Post by: rmaddock on March 28, 2012, 02:19:03 pm
This morning, because the sun was shining so beautifully, I closeted myself away in my dad's garage with his table saw.  Not long after that, what I think was probably an old "utility" table (and was certainly broken) has turned into some handy strips of very well aged oak.  O0  All in the various sizes that just happen to match my modelling needs.  :}

My first effort from this source has been a deck bollard...is that the correct term do you think?

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6162.jpg)

This photo does not do my craftsmanship  :P justice.  The wood has actually been carved to match the original boat...see the thumbnail below.  It's shown here in-situ with the ply underdeck and a bit of false edging for size. Once painted off-white I think they'll look good. The bottom in set straight into the 8mm ply sub-foredeck which is epoxied into the bows so should be solid enough.  Not that this one will take any weight, but another two (one larger) will have to support the back of the bowsprit.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5580.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5580.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on March 28, 2012, 03:24:08 pm
Ah, found you again after the meltdown
Good idea using scrap furniture - but I can usually never tell one wood type from another.
Looking forward to seeing more from you (is that a new avatar?)

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 28, 2012, 03:46:17 pm
Hello Dave,
Yes, new avatar....just to confuse you! It's a chap called Peter [mumble].....can't remember his name right now. He was the first owner of the hearts of oak.
I'm no expert on wood but I think this is oak. It's certainly very hard....it's going to have an authentic finish to it  :embarrassed: I can well see why carpenters never did complex carving in oak.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on March 28, 2012, 07:29:36 pm
: I can well see why carpenters never did complex carving in oak.

I don't think those that carved Kings College, Cambridge ceilings and cloisters would quite see it that way, Rob.......some of the finest and sharpest carving in the world are done in English Oak, %% %% %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 28, 2012, 08:18:15 pm
Yes Neil, I am aware of that having once been a chorister in Cartmel Priory. Oak does carve very "sharply" but that tends to be what they do with it....sharp. My understanding is that it's not the material of choice for, say, a bas-relief carving......but I'm prepared to be corrected  <*<

What I do know is that this wood laughs in the face of sand paper.  I may have to get my scrapers out  :o
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on March 28, 2012, 08:51:15 pm
no matey......you are quite right.........I was just having a larrrffff.

However, the older the oak gets the harder it becomes, unlike most other timbers which soften up with age., and if it's off some old furniture, it'll be a ripe old age now, neil. :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 28, 2012, 09:20:29 pm
Whilst at Cartmel  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartmel_Priory) they rebuilt the bell tower innards. Part of the job involved removing the original oak beams and replacing them with steel (later seen to be a major mistake). We "volunteered" to help carry the beams out of the church. They were about 1 1/2' square and 20' long; ten adult men could barely lift them. The weight was fantastic.
Title: "Whittle while you work.........der, de dum dum, der, de deeeeee!"
Post by: rmaddock on March 30, 2012, 01:13:23 pm
More whittling! I've stopped messing about with the Stanley knife and broken out my Grandad's chisels and gouges. Much better  :D

These central pair are what hold the back of the bowsprit in place.  For all the massiveness of the timbers, there will be two quite small brackets on them through which a steel pin will pass.  I've tried to recreate the angle in the two pictures but I don't suppose it'll work.....distortion due to range variation 'n' all that  %%

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6164.jpg)(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5580.jpg)

I can't help feeling that my woodwork looks too chunky.  {:-{
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on March 30, 2012, 09:08:51 pm
I think you've got it spot on Rob.perfect in fact.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on March 30, 2012, 11:05:32 pm
I think
But we know that Neil has a high temperature today and is full of drugs. %%

It will look perfect when painted up.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 31, 2012, 10:26:19 am
Thanks chaps! For future reference I'm more than willing to accept drug induced complements. :embarrassed:

I had sort of reached the colour conclusion myself. The colours now make it look different.
Title: Fife Rail
Post by: rmaddock on March 31, 2012, 12:37:29 pm
I've now whittled the fife rail.  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6166.jpg) (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5565.jpg)

Once the deck's in place I shall be wedging the crosspiece into place...real woodwork!  %%

The dining room floor's beginning to look very ethnic.  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF6167.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF6167.jpg)
Title: WoW! It's a Prawner!
Post by: rmaddock on March 31, 2012, 01:49:28 pm
WoW!....as the yoof of today are want to say.
I caught a glimpse of the nobby out of the corner of my eye just now and suddenly felt I had to cobble everything together for a look and......
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6168.jpg)
IT'S A PRAWNER!!!!!!!!!  :o :o :o :o :o  O0 O0 O0 O0 O0  :-)) :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on March 31, 2012, 05:28:34 pm
It certainly is!  :-))

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 31, 2012, 05:37:16 pm
Is my brain going, or has the forum moderated my use of initials. In the previous post I most definitely used, twice, a three letter term beggining with the same letters as "orange marinaded goose". What it now says is Wow?
And all I was trying to do was be a little street and hip  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on March 31, 2012, 07:05:33 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6172.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on March 31, 2012, 07:16:10 pm
Yep ssA comes out as "bottom" - perfectly good english word

I'm editing now to say I didn't put bottom.

So for example you can't come down the hill on an ssA but you can on an bottom - which is a nonsense.
Title: Fairleads
Post by: rmaddock on April 04, 2012, 05:59:16 pm
Right!  :D

I've (just about) got my head round the sheeting arrangements now. I'm waiting for Pj Sails to let me order some deck blocks but it seems quite slow. Anyway, I feel confident enough to fit some fairleads into her.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6177.jpg)

These are the first two. Made from brake pipe, they'll be cut off flat level with the deck planking once it's done.  The rectangle at the bases mark the position of the wooden fairleads ont he real boat.  I might make them a little wider than scale but, whatever, they'll cover up the end of the copper tube.  I'm hoping that it'll not be too obvious that the sheets are coming up from below decks.  You can see where the second set of sheets will be further forward next to the holes already cut for the deck-lights.  I'm currently gluing extra woodwork under there to support the piping.

It's exciting!  :D O0 :embarrassed: %%  I'm struggling to stop myself gluing everything together now and regretting it later.  >>:-(
Title: Tiller
Post by: rmaddock on April 05, 2012, 03:46:10 pm
I've been brazing again  :D

I've tried to make the tiller iron:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6179.jpg)

The wood here is just any old piece but is the correct length.  The ironwork isn't the perfect shape; the real one is more square but I'm working from round pieces. A bit of filing should make it better though.  The top of the rubber post slips over the inner working with a bayonet fitting so can be removed.

There's a little video of it all waving about too: (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF6181.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF6181.mp4)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on April 05, 2012, 04:39:43 pm
Looks good, nice 'royal' wave as well.

Get a nice shape carved into that tiller arm and it will be the dogs danglies.

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 08, 2012, 05:51:55 pm
Get a nice shape carved into that tiller arm and it will be the dogs danglies.

Something like this, Ian?
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6183.jpg)
 :-))
I'm loving this recycled oak.  O0
Title: Cor! Look at the drums on that!
Post by: rmaddock on April 10, 2012, 03:09:10 pm
I'm finally biting the proverbial and fitting some winches. These are the foresail winches; starboard and larboard.  8)
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6184.jpg)
They're mounted so that they screw to the rails from the back...so, I'll be able to drop them out for repairs once the deck's in place. That's the theory anyway.  The drum's are just below the level of the deck and the closed loops will run under the deck to almost the back of the cockpit.

Having cobbled it together, I realise that I'm going to have to do something to route the jib sheets around the winches and to the through-deck fairleads. Maybe a little pulley on the hull side or a bit more pipe. Not an insurmountable problem though.  The third winch needs to go lower down in the middle. The sheeting will have to go round either side of the mast and all the way along the boat under the floor. I've figured out that if I put a pulley right up on the stem then I should get just about enough sheet travel.  I might need a bigger drum or I might go with one of Action Man's servo jiggery-pockery things to increase the travel.

Through the planning of this build, I've been concious of how a lot of the additional weight is going in forward of the CofG.  What batteries I include will probably go in two matched packs under the benches down the sides so they shouldn't be too bad. However, I'd be amazed if I don't end up having to cut some lead out of the front and shoe-horn it into the back before this saga's over.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 14, 2012, 10:58:23 am
I got a packet from the US of A this morning.  :-))
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6186.jpg)
Bought from Long Beach RC (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/LongBeachRC?_rdc=1) via fleaBay. It was a bit of a punt ordering from so far afield but I was annoyed at the local costs and lack of internet ordering so, sorry if you're offended by my not supporting local business.  :P
Anyway, they seem lovely and came very quickly and he even refunded some of the P&P too.  :D
As you can see, more Heath Robinson-esque plumbing work has been going on. All three winches are nominally in place and I just need to sort the sheeting out.
I wish I'd ordered more block and tackle now.
TTFN.
Robert.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on April 14, 2012, 12:31:35 pm
Something like this, Ian?
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6183.jpg)
 :-))
I'm loving this recycled oak.  O0

Thats just the jobbie - very nice
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 14, 2012, 01:49:23 pm
Thanks Ian.

People often come on this forum and ask how you connect up winches so here's a little video of how one of mine has been installed.

http://youtu.be/wKu33Wkgmlk
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on April 14, 2012, 02:49:22 pm
Very good! I hope the stuntman got paid!  :-))

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 15, 2012, 06:41:36 pm
Very good! I hope the stuntman got paid!  :-))

He gets board and lodging. Anything else would be spoiling him  :police:

I had a gratifying day today.  There was a meeting of the trust that owns the real Hearts of Oak this afternoon.  I thought it an occasion to cobble together as much as I could and take the model down to show them.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6195.jpg)
I taped on all the decks and jury-rigged mast, boom and bowsprit in approximate proportion. I also added a bit of string rigging....just to get the idea. Anyway, they loved it. Thought it was fantastic. Said all the right things. I'm not at all dis-chuffed with it's reception. I now have a special request that the model attend the 100th birthday celebrations in June on Peel Island.....so no pressure to get on with it!  The other good thing about today is that I now know that the boat fits into the car fully rigged.  :-))

PS, do you like the thoughtful way that Skoda added a hook to the boot specifically for hanging my transmitter case from?  O0
Title: Compromise.
Post by: rmaddock on April 21, 2012, 03:44:13 pm
I'm loosing the will to do this entirely properly and I'm getting increasingly desperate to see this boat on the water so I'm cobbling the sheeting system together as quickly as I can.

The main sheet is now in place. The travel is probably rather limited and I may never be able to run really well but, then again, I've read that these old gaff boats weren't often run anyway. The rig would tend to induce an uncomfortable wallowing roll on a run so they normally stuck with a broad reach. That sounds like a good excuse to me! I shall stick to it!  O0

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6199.jpg)

So, under the foredeck we have the winch (the left hand one as seen here). A pair of copper pipes route the sheet loop down to the level of the lead ballast.  I intentionally left this area completely clear so that the sheets can run under the floors.  You can also see the main sheet coming off the winch loop down there.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6197.jpg)

Astern, there's a single block to hold the winch loop. It's held on the string tied around the copper tube and is out of site below the motor in this shot.
The main sheet itself goes through that self same pipe. You can just see the flared end at the bottom of the alien-esque slump of epoxy. It's routed up to deck level and emerges just behind the wooden bollard. Again, I'm hoping to hide it under a coil of rope - or some such. From there it'll go to a block on the runner on the counter top and thence to the boom.

I'm sure the friction is awful and it'll last less than 10 minutes but I don't care.  :embarrassed:  I'll just motor around the lake like many real size yacht owners do anyway.  >>:-(
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 23, 2012, 04:27:54 pm
Damn!  >>:-(

I've just dipped my varnish brush in my mug of coffee!  <:(
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on April 23, 2012, 04:33:55 pm
What tastes better?
Varnish or Coffee?

Fight !!!
 %% %%
Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 23, 2012, 04:37:53 pm
I have to admit that the varnish rather put me off the coffee.....so I made some more! Hooray! Gotta feed the habit.  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 24, 2012, 08:23:14 pm
Following Ian's advice on the availability of "saddle" battery packs, made to order, from the lovely chaps at Component Shop (http://www.component-shop.co.uk/index.html), I've started planning around two 6v packs wired together in two halves as a 12v pack.

Clear as mud? Good.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6200.jpg)

In this picture, I've placed a mock-up of a standard 6v NIMH battery pack (the white cardboard box). I'm pleased to say it fits beautifully under the side benches.  This will also bring the weight well aft...something I was concerned to do.

So, now I only have to work out just how much juice I need....or perhaps just buy the largest capacity batteries that I can!  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 25, 2012, 11:34:04 am
Scrap the previous thoughts.

It's just been pointed out to me that the winches need to run on 6v, not 12v! Duh!  :embarrassed: At least I found out now.

So, one 12v battery and one 6v battery are the order of the day.

I've just performed a test tank power consumption test. The results are that the motor draws slightly below 1.4A at full throttle in either direction when in the water.  Based on that, I don't need a terribly huge and expensive battery to get a decent running time from the motor...the amounts used by the rest of the Rc system will be negligible since the winches will have their own supply.

What I also noticed is that she is getting heavy.  Nobby's seem to sit at a slightly bows high angle normally so I think that taking some lead out of the bows before the decks go on might be the order of the day.

The third thing (no, this isn't the Spanish Inquisition) is that she so wants to be out on the water! The bath was not big enough. She's alive and wants to run free on a lake!  O0
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on April 25, 2012, 03:46:55 pm
The third thing (no, this isn't the Spanish Inquisition)

Now that would be fun - having to produce your build logs in a Monty Python Theme :}

Mr. Praline: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this ESC what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the  Blue Chinese ESC ...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'ESC's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: All right then, if ESC's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Blue Chinese ESC ! I've got a lovely fresh Lipo pack for you

Dave %)

Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on April 25, 2012, 04:12:31 pm
Can I have some of whatever Dave is on?  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 25, 2012, 05:38:56 pm
 {-) {-) %% %% %% %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on April 25, 2012, 05:41:08 pm
Railway Tea ????

Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on April 25, 2012, 07:08:48 pm
Just Drunk on Life lads
........ and daft as a brush.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on April 26, 2012, 12:21:50 pm
Scrap the previous thoughts.

It's just been pointed out to me that the winches need to run on 6v, not 12v! Duh!  :embarrassed: At least I found out now.

So, one 12v battery and one 6v battery are the order of the day.

Not necessarily.  :-))

I'm using one of these (http://www.cmldistribution.co.uk/cml_product.php?productId=0000005987) in Racundra to allow my 12V powers everything 7.2AHr huge lead acid battery to output a solid 6V for the radio, ESCs and winchy-side-of-things. It's good for 5A = plenty. It's also small, light and cheap.

I think it's a better solution than doubling up the battery supply.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 26, 2012, 05:17:12 pm
Thanks Andy,

But I have already jumped into the two voltage solution with both feet and my credit card.  O0

Plus, the two battery setup actually suits the boat well.  I think your Racundra actually has more space below decks than my Nobby. I couldn't get a bit lead-acid battery in mine unless it went under the fore-deck and threw all the balance out.

Thanks though.

R.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 28, 2012, 06:47:58 pm
A good day! A lovely package arrived this morning courtesy of the Component Shop (http://www.component-shop.co.uk/index.html). Excellent service from them again  :-))

Two batteries, some wire, some connectors an inline fuse and holder......oh, and some servo wire extensions.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6203.jpg)

This is the starboard side 12v installation for driving the auxiliary motor. Action's ESC has been velcro'd where shown to keep it in the air and out of the way of the sheets.  I need to aquire a couple of toggle switches tomorrow as using the Tamiya connectors to switch on/off is not going to be practical.  You can just see the end of the 12v battery under the bench and the fuse which I've let into the battery wires.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6206.jpg)

And this is the port side 6v setup.  The Action P92 sits at a nice rakish angle with the Spektrum Rx next to it.  I've made a small hole in the bench planking so that the aerial can stick through.  Again, a little toggle switch on this side will soon be added.

So, all in all, it's coming along nicely.  I need to add some wires to the motor terminals (I've tested it today with jump wires  :D) and tidy everything up.  Then I'll give in to my urges  :embarrassed: and glue on the decks  O0
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 29, 2012, 04:12:37 pm
I've glued the first half of the deck down....
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 29, 2012, 05:16:28 pm
Now I've glued the other half down!

...but I'm not shouting about it as that way, the things I'm sure I've forgotten to do can't leap out and shout; "Ah, ha!".  %)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 30, 2012, 02:10:39 pm
More progress  :-)) I'm loving it!  :}

First, I've cut and filed the fairleads flush with the decks.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6208.jpg)

Then, the king plank has gone down on the deck.  These are lime and will be left fairly rough...as per the rest of it.  {-)
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6209.jpg)

I'm making progress and loving it!  8)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on April 30, 2012, 04:45:34 pm
Looking good!

Are you going to caulk the planking? Does it nib into the outer planks?

(All excited)

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on April 30, 2012, 05:09:04 pm
Hi Andy,

If by "nib" you mean does it get neatly cut into outside edge planks then...no.  It also won't be caulked.  Here's a picture of the real boat:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5565.jpg)

As you can see, the whole deck is painted. The planks appear to just butt up against each other anyway.  I'm planning on leaving it rough enough to see the planking lines though.

Both the ply underdeck and the lime planks will run right to the edge. I then hope to trim them to be just proud of the hull and thus leave the slight edge visible in the picture below the gunwales.

A lot of effort to paint it over but, hey ho, that's the look!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 02, 2012, 10:55:19 am
Takes time this planking business.... %)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6210.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 02, 2012, 07:20:07 pm
HOORAY!

The last bit of deck planking just went on. It's looking SUPER!  :-)) :} 8) :kiss:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6215.jpg)

For those with a toolish bent, note the chisel. It is one of those that I inherrited from my Grandfather. He got it from his father who was a cabinet maker. He got it from his father who built boats on the Tweed. You can see the family name stamped into the handle. Nice.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 07, 2012, 07:33:17 pm
More lovely progress today.  I like this bit of the build when it looks more and more like the real thing.

Having sanded the deck flush with the hull sides (further study of the photos showed that it wasn't slightly proud after all) I came to fit the deck coaming.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6220.jpg)

I made this little jig. It's two thicknesses of the lime planking (the coaming) plus a thin piece of ply for the gap and a spare piece of scrap to line it up with the hull.  I used this as a guide to drive in some small pins along the coaming line.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6221.jpg)

First one, and then a second strip of lime were glued against the pins.  Note that the stem piece has also been cut down to size.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6224.jpg)

Once dry, I marked the location of the freeing ports and drilled out the ends and middle.  A quick bit of scalpel work and some filing later and they look LOVELY!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6226.jpg)

I'm very chuffed indeed with the results.  O0
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on May 07, 2012, 08:54:21 pm
Looking good, will we see her on the Park lake this year?

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on May 07, 2012, 11:00:08 pm
I'm very chuffed indeed with the results.  O0

I would be too - can't wait to see you get her wet.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 08, 2012, 04:24:08 pm
I would be too - can't wait to see you get her wet.

Dave

Thanks Dave  :-))

Looking good, will we see her on the Park lake this year?

Ian

Well, there is a secret time table Ian. The real boat's hundredth anniversary takes place on the 10th June and I'd like to have the hull complete by then for display purposes. I'm not sure that the rigging can happen in that time frame. So, she could appear on the pond motoring about long before she appears under sail  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on May 08, 2012, 07:38:05 pm
Where will it be celebrating its birthday?
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 08, 2012, 07:44:16 pm
Where will it be celebrating its birthday?

On, and around, Peel Island. I'm not sure what the detailed plans are just yet but it will be open to visitors.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on May 08, 2012, 07:48:54 pm
Sounds good, will try to get there.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 09, 2012, 02:09:22 pm
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6227.jpg)

This is the second attempt at the counter coaming. The first lot was too far outboard....my precision gauge (see earlier posts) failed me  :((
Hey ho.

As you can see, Jim is now wearing his cap at a more jaunty angle - it must be spring. Jemima, on the other hand, is still patiently waiting for the tour of his cockpit.  :-X

Thank heavens for Tesco clothes pegs, eh?
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 11, 2012, 02:23:57 pm
Next, the cockpit coaming.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6230.jpg)
First, I packed the underside of the edge with scrap balsa to give the coaming something to stick to.
I sanded the curves to profile using a handy postage tube that I knew would be useful. It also served as a good former for bending the wood.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6228.jpg)
First, I steamed and bent some "weffer thin" ply.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6231.jpg)
This then glued quite nicely round the curve.
The same was repeated at the front, and then the top layer of lime planking was bent and glued onto the ply.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6234.jpg)
The gap in the ply will be partially filled but only down to deck level. This will (hopefully) allow the inner fittings to slot into the lower edge of the coamings.  It won't look absolutely perfect but I have to be able to get the inside out  %% whatever. Once it's all painted up it should look fine.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on May 11, 2012, 03:11:15 pm
It won't look absolutely perfect but I have to be able to get the inside out  %% whatever. Once it's all painted up it should look fine.

Your hands on so must know best but (and I'm not trying to be negative here) my recent experience with paint was that
it is spectacularly good at enhancing imperfections <:( My painful lesson in better prep and having a daylight examination
pre paint.

Cracking job you are doing by the way. :-)

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 11, 2012, 03:59:36 pm
I know exactly what you mean Dave. However, in this instance, I'm going for the roughty-toughty work-a-day boat look so imperfections are not a problem.

Vis-a-vis the paint, I meant more that it'll look increasingly like the real thing once the paint's added. The coaming is painted white inside, against the dark grey of the interior sidings so it should draw the eyes from the joins (fingers crossed  :embarrassed:)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 13, 2012, 12:08:07 pm
 :}

I've glued and wedged the fife rail into position!  :-))
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6235.jpg)
As well as gluing the rest of the coaming into place.
I'm now into the process of fitting a capping strip to the coamng.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6237.jpg)
This is made from some of the wood left over from the marblehead. It's not very easy to bend and this is the first time I've had to resort to pinning things into place.
I also pinned a finger at one point.  <:(
Next will be a little filling, some varnish and then the final paint colours....but not today.
As I type, I'm sporting by best M&S, 3-piece, linen suit (bought for a sino/french wedding in Paris last year - I wanted to look very English :embarrassed:). I hope you're all feeling as honoured as you should! It's my younger brother's 40th Birthday today.
Being 40 myself didn't seem like a big deal. Having a "younger" brother who's 40 seems like a VERY BIG deal  {:-{

Perhaps it's time to build that competitive RC racing boat?
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 14, 2012, 05:41:39 pm
I have to report the commencement of operation "Find The Dining Table!"  :embarrassed:

I spent today filling, sanding and then wiping down my wood work. The Hearts of Oak then, with cleared decks, moved into the futility room for painting!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6246.jpg)

Well, varnishing first off. As you might be able to tell, I used coloured filler on pale wood. But I don't care as it's all getting painted anyway.  She looks nice standing in the clear though and now I have to find the dining table.  :((
Title: Goodbye shiny woodwork....
Post by: rmaddock on May 16, 2012, 05:50:10 pm
Goodbye shiny woodwork.... :((

Hello grey world!  :}

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6251.jpg)

I love paint tester pots.  :-))

Whoops! Just realised that I shouldn't have painted the legs of the fife rail.  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 19, 2012, 12:54:22 pm
The tester colour I tried for the decking looked a bit insipid. I didn't like it.
Then, I remembered! The kitchen just happens to be painted "Vintage Trawler Decking"  :o  (My eldest is looking over my shoulder and has just asked if "that is actually the colour of the wall?"  %% Is he really mine?  {-))
Anyway, it's much better and really brings out the blue in the grey. No, honestly!  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6253.jpg)

I think some satin varnish on the grey will finish it off nicely. (Now he's correcting my bl**dy spelling and being sarcastic at me.) ("Who's he?".......argh!)  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 19, 2012, 04:39:01 pm
A bit more filing and finishing is required, but here is the first of the fairleads.  Whittled from oak, you can see the fake sheet on the deck behind and the real one coming up (subtly I hope) from below decks.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6255.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on May 19, 2012, 05:39:39 pm
(subtly I hope)

Very subtle - Touch of the Paul Daniels prestidigitation there .....
I like it, not a lot, but I like it, (funny how I remember ancient catch phrases but not what I intended to do two seconds ago)

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on May 20, 2012, 11:05:57 am
A bit more filing and finishing is required, but here is the first of the fairleads.  Whittled from oak, you can see the fake sheet on the deck behind and the real one coming up (subtly I hope) from below decks.

Very good. I think that works really well.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 20, 2012, 05:08:59 pm
Very good. I think that works really well.
Andy

Thanks Andy.  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 21, 2012, 01:40:13 pm
If I thought the fairleads were fiddly, I now know better!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6257.jpg)

One cleat down, three to go.  %%
Mind you, I shouldn't complain. I always find that it's these little bits of "trim" that really bring a model to life.

Any suggestions on how to simulate the brass screws that should hold all these pieces to the decks? I'm thinking of using thin brass rod as pins through the deck. This would help to hold things in place and I might be able to get some sort of grove into the top end to simulate the screw heads. Hmm.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on May 21, 2012, 09:13:07 pm

they look superb...are they oak.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 21, 2012, 09:22:44 pm
they look superb...are they oak.
neil.
They are indeed Neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 25, 2012, 10:49:14 am
Today I've made a lead cap for the king-post on the foredeck. I'm rather pleased with it. What's the proper name for somebody who works lead? I'm sure there must be a traditional one.

Anyway, I started by taking a lump of redundant lead ballast and hammering it out 'till it was thin(ish) and flat(ish) on the anvil of my little vice.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6307.jpg)

Then I cut it to size with a pair of common-or-garden scissors...
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6309.jpg)

Before finally tapping it into shape!  :-))
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6310.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 27, 2012, 06:02:30 pm
More whittling and wire bending today.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6311.jpg)
I've added the two additional cleats...you can only just see them in this picture. I think they must be for the main sheet. I've also made the two deck sockets, either side of the tiller, which hold the "A" frame for supporting the boom. And, in case that wasn't enough, I've fabricated the traveller rail for the main sheet.  It needs a couple of collars on its horizontal section but is otherwise looking good.  8)
Next to go on here will be a block under the tiller to cover the hole in the deck. She also needs an eye bolt in the deck near the starboard bollard as well as both bollards being drilled for a metal bar.
....and then a million other "small" jobs.
Are you expected to do "small" jobs by your other halves? I know I am. Small is a deceptive word I find  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on May 27, 2012, 07:48:05 pm
Today I've made a lead cap for the king-post on the foredeck. I'm rather pleased with it. What's the proper name for somebody who works lead? I'm sure there must be a traditional one.

Plumber, surely?  ;)

Looking good there. Having visited the grave of Racundra's Master & Owner this weekend, my build-batteries are recharged, and I'll be catching up with you soon!

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 27, 2012, 08:09:37 pm
Plumber, surely?  ;)

Looking good there. Having visited the grave of Racundra's Master & Owner this weekend, my build-batteries are recharged, and I'll be catching up with you soon!

Andy

I knew about plumber (plumb=lead etc). I suppose back in the days when job titles were being invented that plumber was probably just that.
As to a spur to working faster, I've got the boats 100th birthday in two weekends time and a request for the model's appearance.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on May 28, 2012, 10:53:38 am
I knew about plumber (plumb=lead etc). I suppose back in the days when job titles were being invented that plumber was probably just that.

Hi Rob,

Plumber's are still required to pass rigorous competency tests in leadwork, they are talking about removing it from the syllabus though, which is a shame.

Have you got a calendar of events for Hearts of Oak's 100th, or is there a link to one?

Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 28, 2012, 11:16:10 am
Have you got a calendar of events for Hearts of Oak's 100th, or is there a link to one?

Hi Greg!
The HOO Trust are woefully disorganised on that front. I'm not sure of the details myself. I know that the anniversary itself is the 8th of June. The 9th, Saturday, will be a sailing day, and there's supposed to be a party on Peel Island on the Sunday. The ferryman has been retained to run people back and forth as well as to the boat for visits.  For the duration of the weekend, she's going to be on a deep water mooring just off Peel, rather than her usual tidal home.
I'll try and get more details since I'd like to know more myself.
Cheers,
Robert.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: unbuiltnautilus on May 28, 2012, 02:55:53 pm
I have just caught up with this thread, what a lovely looking model, reminds me of when I were little and crawling round inside one of my dads old sailing boats. It even looks like it would smell of 'old sailing boat', well done, loving it.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 28, 2012, 03:42:23 pm
I have just caught up with this thread, what a lovely looking model, reminds me of when I were little and crawling round inside one of my dads old sailing boats. It even looks like it would smell of 'old sailing boat', well done, loving it.

Thank you, kind Sir.  :embarrassed: :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on May 28, 2012, 04:25:14 pm
What a shame, the weekend our car has to go to the big garage in the sky and there's something like that going on!! Typical! You will have to get plenty of photos with her and Peel Castle in, plenty of history between the two of them. You won't know what to do with yourself with all the boating you'll be getting in over 9th-12th of June.....!

Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 28, 2012, 09:50:01 pm
You won't know what to do with yourself with all the boating you'll be getting in over 9th-12th of June.....!

Indeed not. We've just returned from a family taster evening at the Royal Windermere Yacht Club. That was lovely. They took Issy and I out in two Flying Fifteens and the boys went in an Optimist each.  Must to number one's delight, he and the club commodore won the evening's racing.

Anyway, back to the real world of models  %% today's progress:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6313.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 30, 2012, 04:09:43 pm
Dear Aunty Mayhem,

I'm worried that I might be turning into a rivet counter. Today, for instance, I found myself making false wood screws from 1mm brass rod; each one slotted at the top with a small file. I've been making these for the fairleads on my model boat.

Should I be worried? Will it affect my romantic prospects? Should I get myself measured up for an anorak?

Yours,

Robert.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6331.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on May 30, 2012, 04:50:28 pm
Dear Rob,

I am really sorry to have to tell you that it is too late to help you with this problem.

You have been displaying anorak and rivet counting tendencies for some time now, we did hope you would grow out of it but, clearly the little boy in you is too dominant.

The only solution is to carry on regardless, in the knowledge that you are not alone in this affliction and that there are therapy establishments around the country where you can exorcise your demons, temporarily, they NEVER go away.

As for romantic prospects......................they don't understand your affliction so I am afraid you also have a problem there.

Yours with deepest sympathy

Auntie Mayhem
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 30, 2012, 04:54:40 pm
 {-)
Ah well, at least I've already had offspring.

Meanwhile, the cleats (on one side) are now also "screwed" down and this picture shows them off to better effect than that above.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6332.jpg)

They're probably slightly over large for scale purposes but I wanted to be able to see them....artistic licence 'n' all that  :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: vnkiwi on May 30, 2012, 08:38:54 pm
Brilliant screws, really make the difference.
Can I place an order for 1000 for my next build?
well done
vnkiwi
 :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on May 31, 2012, 05:24:43 am
Should I get myself measured up for an anorak?

Dear confused

Your question reveals you are not yet ready for the shiny anorak - anoraks must be overly large or severly tight.
Your romantic prospects may improve with a rod better than 1mm in diameter.
Lastly you can only really achieve rivet counter status when posting on someone elses build (try it with Neil's {-))

Aunty N'
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on May 31, 2012, 08:20:25 am
Lastly you can only really achieve rivet counter status when posting on someone elses build (try it with Neil's {-))

Aunty N'

Oiy............. wots all this about then!!!!???? %% %% %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: unbuiltnautilus on May 31, 2012, 12:07:56 pm
Regarding the 1mm 'screws'. You only truly earn your anorak status if all the slots line up.
Regards,
An OCD Screw Head Slot Aligner %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on May 31, 2012, 05:17:25 pm
 {-) {-) {-) {-) {-) {-)You're all as potty as me  :-))

Regarding the 1mm 'screws'. You only truly earn your anorak status if all the slots line up.
Regards,
An OCD Screw Head Slot Aligner %%
You may be underestimating my problem. I might have lined all my screwheads up with those on the full size boat!  %%

Your romantic prospects may improve with a rod better than 1mm in diameter.
Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!  :embarrassed:

Brilliant screws, really make the difference.
Can I place an order for 1000 for my next build?
well done
vnkiwi
 :-))
Of course you can.....and I can charge Ģ1 each for them. Payment in advance, of course.

Now, wonder at the fake sheeting arangement!  :o I'm quite pleased with the effect.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6333.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: vnkiwi on May 31, 2012, 07:22:55 pm
(Now, wonder at the fake sheeting arangement!  Shocked I'm quite pleased with the effect.)

Just love it, this is looking so coooooollllll. However

The screw on the port fairlead is quarter turn different than the full size boat photo from previous posts, others look about right though.
Exit stage left muttering - 'Now where did that courier pidgeon go'
 {-) %)
vnkiwi
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 08, 2012, 12:40:04 pm
So, the counter-top is about complete....apart from running rigging of course.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6335.jpg)


(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5558.jpg)

All in all, I'm pleased with the results.  She looks convincingly like the real boat...if a little fresher.  There are differences caused by the hull's shape not being exactly right. The model's counter is, for example, narrower and longer than the real boat so the A-frame sockets have ended up much closer to the edges that they should be.

I haven't figured out how to do the lettering yet. It's all in different fonts and sizes which'll make it complicated to order and, again, I'm confident I can't do it by hand.

I'm 3/4 disappointed and 1/4 relieved that tomorrow's sailing of the real boat has, almost certainly, been called off. The weather forecast is not good.  Apparently, recent work carried out should make her capable of sailing in the F6 winds expected but nobody has tried the new setup out in lesser weather and it's too risky. I think I agree. Sunday's frivolities should still go ahead, however. The model will be making a guest appearance at the party on Piel Island. You can see the island HERE (http://goo.gl/maps/Z1fl). The party's about 14:00hrs and the ferry will be running from Roa Island should anybody be passing  {-) If you know the area, you'll know why passing here is funny.

Cheers all!

Robert.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on June 08, 2012, 04:38:18 pm
Sail ain't my thing but I really like what you have done with your build Robert, and your event timing has been great too

Ha - Bob .......... now I can't think of that name without hearing Blackadder say it O0 {-)

Re Lettering - it does look like a standard font with some italicisation - with a decent picture I'm sure it could be identified and printed for you.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on June 08, 2012, 06:39:52 pm
Rob,

re the lettering, you could do it yourself using a computer, print onto water slide paper and bob's yer auntie. This way you get exactly what you need.

I've used this method, works well.

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/.Inkjet-Water-Slide-Decal-Paper_151.htm

Was it tomorrow, or sunday the birthday event?

Ian

Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 08, 2012, 07:21:32 pm
Thanks Ian, I thought there might be something like that around. I have placed my order for a whole 2 sheets! I'll have to think of lots of other water slides I'd like so as not to waste any at that price.

It should have been a day of sailing tomorrow (Sat') ultimately taking the boat to a mooring near Piel.  This is what has been cancelled.  The Sunday events are still on and the timetable (as per email to me from the acting skipper for the day) is as follows:

Quote
1300    Muster early at the boat to dress overall and rig bowsprit and sails.
 
1400    Boat floats, pick up dinghy, motor to Piel, pick up a mooring and go ashore to the party.
 
1530    Return to boat, set sail and do sailing demonstration in Piel Roads.
 
1630    Pick up a Piel mooring, land everyone not taking the boat back to its mooring.
 
1830    Mooring up crew return to boat.
 
1900    Back on mooring.
 
1930    Walk ashore.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 09, 2012, 07:54:24 pm
Jury rigged and ready to party  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6336.jpg)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6337.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on June 09, 2012, 08:46:19 pm
That looks the dogs danglies - well done that man!  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 10, 2012, 10:52:43 am
Thanks,
It's not too bad although the temporary spars look horrible. They at least give an impression of shape.
What  can't decide is if I should leave it as seen and attempt the ferry crossing fully rigged, or take it down a bit first. Hmm? How lazy am I feeling?  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 10, 2012, 06:25:28 pm
"Hearts of Oak" (white) and "Ruby" (green) in the Walney Channel off Piel Island this afternoon.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/HOOandRuby.jpg)

 :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: bbdave on June 10, 2012, 07:41:20 pm
Regarding the 1mm 'screws'. You only truly earn your anorak status if all the slots line up.
Regards,
An OCD Screw Head Slot Aligner %%

This is true i've spent many an hour lining up slots on a friends Daimler armoured car but as i told him surely if this is a real one the screws/bolts are right %%!!

Cracking build by the way i have another Orion hull coming next week (to add to the coble and small clinker boat) so fingers crossed another build thread of old sail type will begin hope i can do as well as this.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on June 10, 2012, 09:52:35 pm
STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!............she is probably the nicest model I have seen built on these pages, Rob............and a true credit to you...............you must be very proud of her indeed.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: bbdave on June 10, 2012, 10:27:58 pm
Just a side note you mentioned not having full travel sheets to run i've been told not to do a full run in a gaffer because a gybe can prove fatal to such a powerful rig so i would avoid them  :D

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 11, 2012, 08:14:34 am
Just a side note you mentioned not having full travel sheets to run i've been told not to do a full run in a gaffer because a gybe can prove fatal to such a powerful rig so i would avoid them  :D

My thinking exactly Dave. It was all planned out in minute detail, don't you know.  :embarrassed: {-)

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!!............she is probably the nicest model I have seen built on these pages, Rob............and a true credit to you...............you must be very proud of her indeed.
neil.
Thanks Neil.  [WhisperedAside]Should have gone to Speksavers![/WhisperedAside]
But seriously, thanks. All heaped praise and encouragement gratefully received.  :-)) Especially after seeing the real thing in action yesterday and realising what a task of spar making and rigging is still ahead of me.  :o
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: bbdave on June 11, 2012, 04:46:20 pm
I'll watch your spar making with interest as i'll be undertaking this soon (so don't mess it up :})

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 11, 2012, 10:40:54 pm
Warning! Video contains gratuitous scenes of vintage sailing  :police
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on June 11, 2012, 11:00:18 pm
Has it been moderated then? I see no video {-)

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 12, 2012, 04:06:02 pm
Sorry. I realised that it still had my inane gibbering on the soundtrack and deleted the link 'till I'd deleted myself  :o

Try again:

http://youtu.be/mbOOYzuZb_8
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on June 12, 2012, 05:09:09 pm

What lovely restful scenes ,   :-)   Nice video Sir.


ken
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on June 12, 2012, 06:23:28 pm
Nice video, looked like a good day. Pleased you had good weather for it.

I would have been down except mrs wanted a trip up the lakes, so we ended up at Coniston and bumped into Gondolier88 at a little steam boat gathering he organised.

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 12, 2012, 06:56:57 pm
I know all about the Gondolier and his steamy boats. My dad and I went out in his sailing boat on Coniston yesterday and purposefully "bumped" into them.  It was only our inability to sail upwind that stopped us joining their picnic....we'd never have got home again.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: bbdave on June 12, 2012, 08:07:31 pm
Great film perfect weather they look great together but the Hearts of oak does have her main set better :-))

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 12, 2012, 10:14:24 pm
 :} :-))

Now, advice please?

I need to fashion a chian pipe for the fore-deck:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/tmp.jpg)
The pipe itself needs to be about 5mm in diameter and bent through a tight 90 degrees.  I've tried and failed to bend brass tube and I'm not sure I feel like whittling one.
Does anybody have any cunning suggestions as to how I might make one? The bend at least.....the rest I can probably sort.

Cheers!
R.

P.S. Bed time!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on June 12, 2012, 11:24:54 pm
If it doesn't need to be functional, then I'd vote for Milliput.  :-))

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 13, 2012, 08:20:01 am
If it doesn't need to be functional, then I'd vote for Milliput.  :-))

Andy

Ah, now, Andy. I hadn't even thought down those lines. Lateral thinking 'n' all that.  Now all I need is to get near a Milliput shop  {:-{
Cheers!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on June 13, 2012, 08:25:28 am
Have you tried bending plastic tube? Run something inside - like bending springs, warm up gently and bend away.

You could pack brass tube with sand, make sure its well packed in, then you should be able to get a bend without kinks.

Alternatively, you could mitre two bits of tube at 45deg and join. Not quite what you are looking for, but it does look ok.

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 13, 2012, 02:46:37 pm
For now, I'm busy cobbling together the "iron" work for the bows.

This is the hoop for the bowsprit...
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6340.jpg)

...and here it is wrapped in string and shown in approximate position:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6342.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 15, 2012, 01:58:12 pm
This morning, I bought myself a new toy necessary tool  :D

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6343.jpg)

Courtesy of which I have just brazed together what I shall call the stem-iron for the nobby. It's busy pickling in a nice warm bath of citric acid as I type.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6344.jpg)

WARNING!

The springs in crocodile clips do not react well to the heat of a brazing torch and "let go" just when you think you've been really clever cleaning and fluxing and fiddling the whole thing together.  <*< <:( >>:-(
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on June 15, 2012, 05:13:26 pm
just when you think you've been really clever   <*< <:( >>:-(
{-) {-) {-) ;D
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: bbdave on June 15, 2012, 08:21:19 pm
What are you making your spars from?

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 15, 2012, 08:34:05 pm
What are you making your spars from?

Dave

I haven't decided yet......but I will be making them from square stock so as to get authentic hounds.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 16, 2012, 03:49:50 pm
I am, again, supposed to be formulating a job application  >:-o

So, on Ian's advice  %) I have been printing some water slide transfers.  {-)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6345.jpg)

Principally, these are the lettering for the nobby, carefully prepared on cheaper paper. I've tried to fill the gaps with things that might come in handy.

I'm impressed with the quality of the printed images. Nice and crisp. I need to varnish them now before trying them out on the model....fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on June 16, 2012, 05:02:42 pm

Just as an aside.

Could you tell me where you obtain Waterslide printable transfers please.  I have printable transfers but they are on glossy paper. They looked Ok but started to curl off the boat within a few days.

Cheers

ken
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 16, 2012, 05:09:26 pm
Just as an aside.

Could you tell me where you obtain Waterslide printable transfers please.  I have printable transfers but they are on glossy paper. They looked Ok but started to curl off the boat within a few days.

Cheers

ken


Ken, I refer you to Ian's previous post on this thread...shown below... :-))

Rob,

re the lettering, you could do it yourself using a computer, print onto water slide paper and bob's yer auntie. This way you get exactly what you need.

I've used this method, works well.

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/.Inkjet-Water-Slide-Decal-Paper_151.htm

Was it tomorrow, or sunday the birthday event?

Ian

's not cheap though. Ģ1.59 per sheet...hence my efforts to fill all the available space.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on June 16, 2012, 10:23:28 pm

I must improve my speed reading. Thank you for showing me, I really like making my own labels.

Cheers

ken
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 22, 2012, 01:29:04 pm
She's been back in the bath today  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6375.jpg)

With the Gammon Iron (I knew there was a proper silly name for it) complete and "roped" and some things which nod vaguely at the concept of deck light in place, we've done another flotation test. This time, all the batteries were aboard so she's at full motoring weight....if not sailing weight.

I was concerned that the larger 12v "power" battery would cause a list to starboard but nothing is noticeable. Phew!  O0

However, we are a long way down at the stern  {:-{  This is the bow:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6378.jpg)

And this the stern:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6379.jpg)

Apologies for the poor focus....I was more worried not to drop the camera in  :o

Now, the real boats do float low at the back but I'm not sure about this low.  We could be in danger of water ingress through the rudder tube.  I could put lead back into the bows again and bring the whole thing down. I suppose that the rig will supply some weight forward of the CoG.  Right now, I'm minded to just stick it in the boating lake and see what happens  :embarrassed:  I've always left myself the option of taking lead out from the back but I don't want her to become unsailable.

...although I do want to apply a little varnish to things first...I'm getting impatient  :police:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on June 22, 2012, 02:06:31 pm
Now then, Lovely Boy, Shoulders Back ........... in my best Windsor Davies voice (Ain't Half Hot Mum)

Maybe you've just reached the stage where she has to be all kitted up and in something deeper than the bath before you can see what you need to shift a little?

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 22, 2012, 02:10:12 pm
Maybe you've just reached the stage where she has to be all kitted up and in something deeper than the bath before you can see what you need to shift a little?

You're just trying to get me into trouble Dave! Put it in something deeper than the bath? ARGH! The terror!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on June 22, 2012, 02:28:55 pm
ARGH! The terror!

Two bottles of Red will sort that - and today we will be looking through the Montepulciano Window {-)

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 22, 2012, 03:56:03 pm
and today we will be looking through the Montepulciano Window {-)

Ah, those rosé coloured spectacles.  {-) {-) {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on June 22, 2012, 11:36:59 pm
Mmm. I've had similar issues with Racundra. She's not "down" by the stern when loaded in her 4/5ths-built state, but she's physically easier to ballast near the stern, bringing that down. So I've left the ability to pile chunks of lead into the forepeak, which might well be necessary at the end of the day - but seeing Hearts of Oak here, she's not got her bowsprit, mainmast or sails on, and is not being "driven", all of which will sink the bow end that little bit more.

I'd wait until nearer sailing time before worrying too much, to be honest. And if - though it's unlikely - she does end up a wee bit stern heavy, that's effectively moving the centre of effort aft, which will make for a little more weather helm = always better than lee helm.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on June 23, 2012, 11:10:22 am
Thanks Andy :-)) I'm generally minded to do nothing about anything anyway. {-) My Dad says he'd like to start publishing a magazine called "The Complete Apathete", but he can't be bothered.  {-)

Right now, she's having a few coats of satin varnish to seal everything in. The lettering looks great now. Then a final coat of deck paint to flat that and a trip to the pond might be in order.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 08, 2012, 05:38:24 pm
If you're at all interested in what I got up to today, you might want to...

...CLICK HERE!!!!! (http://youtu.be/NCKgPKH2RnU)

 :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on July 08, 2012, 07:30:56 pm
She looks great, sits on the water nicely.

With luck we will see her at the club waters soon?

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on July 08, 2012, 09:26:40 pm
Superb, Rob.......lovely.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Shipmate60 on July 08, 2012, 09:29:53 pm
She looks good and turns well.

Bob
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on July 08, 2012, 10:41:16 pm
I can't believe I have been watching your build for a year
I would pay you for all the enjoment but my e-wallet is jammed again. :embarrassed:

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 09, 2012, 08:13:16 am
 :}
Thanks chaps!

She looks good and turns well.
Bob
I was not displeased yesterday.  She has wonderful weight and presence on the water, sits well and moves in a nice scale manner.  I think the power level's about spot on.
I had expected her to drive to starboard under power as the prop is off centre. Indeed she does but the effect is so marginal as to hardly matter.

What she needs now is at least one crew-being and, as commented on YouTube, a mast and some sails.  She's very low to the water as is and not much of a sight.

I can't believe I have been watching your build for a year
I would pay you for all the enjoment but my e-wallet is jammed again. :embarrassed:
Dave
Cheers Dave! A year's dead fast by my standards so far. My previous build was, on the entertainment front, like one of those American sit-coms that goes on and on forever. It's good for a while and then they've used up all the jokes and you'd eventually pay not to watch it.

With luck we will see her at the club waters soon?
Ian
Well Ian, you never can tell.   :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 15, 2012, 03:40:02 pm
She looks great, sits on the water nicely.
With luck we will see her at the club waters soon?
Ian

Now are you a believer Ian?
Title: Ever wondered what the dining table looks like?
Post by: rmaddock on July 15, 2012, 05:07:00 pm
Have you ever wondered what the dining table looks like?  :embarrassed:
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6403.jpg)

I have finally pulled my finger out of where ever it was and put light and power into the cellar room destined to be the model workshop!  :o O0
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6406.jpg)
Lovely, eh?  It's not exactly damp but things can go a bit dodgy if left down there for a long time. Lack of air circulation if nothing else I suppose. I'm not sure what I should do about that. Should I run a dehumidifier from time to time?  Plumb in some air circulation perhaps?  Industrial buckets of that moisture absorbing gel stuff...the name of which currently escapes me?

The rest of the cellar still needs a bit of work.
(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6407.jpg)
The wine rack is dangerously empty!  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on July 15, 2012, 06:36:33 pm
I can now categorically state that this model is better in the flesh (?) than in the pics.

Looks real nice on the water, just needs sails now - whats the delay Rob?  :-))

Well done that man!

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 17, 2012, 01:01:23 pm
I can now reveal that the square stock for spar making has been ordered and is eagerly anticipated.

18mm for the mast, 14mm for the bowsprit, 11mm for the gaff and 10mm for the boom.  I was surprised at the gaff being thicker that the boom but it seems they were tapered towards the ends...not just a straight spar.

So, I shall have to get my whittling head on.  The first move, I think, will be to take each corner off the square to produce an octagon. Does anybody know if there's a quick, rule-of-thumb, type of way to mark those lines out? Or will I have to work them out?
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 17, 2012, 01:51:43 pm
In answer to my own question, I devine that I need a "spar gauge" as below:

http://www.pettigrews.org.uk/lm/page030a.htm (http://www.pettigrews.org.uk/lm/page030a.htm)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/spar-gauge-theory.gif)
Picture courtesy of the above linked webpage.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on July 28, 2012, 11:13:57 am
I am now in possession of mast and spar stock!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6408.jpg)

These have been produced specially for me, from hand selected spruce, by Mr Dennis Nixon of www.twigfolly.com (http://www.twigfolly.com/). A very nice chap.  The lengths look beautifully square and straight and now I've got no excuses not to get on with it!  O0

Hey, it's raining again! Good thing nothing important's going on in the world this weekend.  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on August 01, 2012, 05:03:31 pm
Ladies and other Mayhemmers, I present to you...a miniature spar gauge!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6499.jpg)

Poorly soldered but beautifully formed  :embarrassed:  ;D

It's made with the regulation 7:10:7 spacing. Actually, it should be 7.07:10:7.07 but even squinting I can't find that scale on my ruler  {-)

We're off for a week's holiday soon and I thought I'd get this ready to take with me. Last time we were away, I was working on large bits of boat that had to stay at home so while the things were painting War Hammer and Isabelle was making jewellery, I got very good at thumb twiddling.  <:(  This time though, I will have the means to whittle spars with me  :}

Watch this space.....
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on August 01, 2012, 06:24:19 pm
Nice one, cant beat a bit of whittling to pass the time, just go easy on the beer/wine or else your spars may come out oval!

Ian
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on August 01, 2012, 10:11:17 pm
and a sticky red too - ouch  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on August 02, 2012, 08:51:13 am
Nice one, cant beat a bit of whittling to pass the time, just go easy on the beer/wine or else your spars may come out oval!
Ian
:embarrassed: I may not be as old as some folk on this forum Ian, but I am old enough to know that alcohol before the evening just puts me to sleep for the duration and makes me grumpy  %%  I shall confine my whittling activities to the daylight hours.
and a sticky red too - ouch  :embarrassed:
I think every scratch built boat needs a bit of the red and sticky somewhere in its fabric.....gives it soul, don't ya know?  %)
Title: I'm back!
Post by: rmaddock on August 12, 2012, 05:54:05 pm
Well, we made it into Wales and back again alive!  I must say, it's a very beautiful part of the world and we had, completely randomly, picked a rather good spot in which to stay.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC00521.jpg)

We "did" Snowdon...on foot, before you ask...as seen above.  We went up the Rhyd-Ddu path and, as it scared me too much, down the Snowdon Ranger path. A fantastic day out.  The sun has shone on us all week and so very little spar making has happened.  %)

But some did!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6500.jpg)

Seen here on our return, I managed whilst away to use my gauge and rough cut the bowsprit to an octagonal profile. The gauge is fabulous.

Now, today, I've further roughed it to 16 sides and then a sort of round.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6503.jpg)

As I type, I'm waiting for the glue to dry on this!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6504.jpg)

A rubber clad drum to fit in the power drill.  The plan is to use it to turn an inside out sanding belt and so get a proper shape on the spar.

Watch this space........
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Artistmike on August 12, 2012, 06:29:12 pm
The bowsprit is looking good ! And tell your dad he looks good in those sunglasses ! .....  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on August 12, 2012, 07:41:24 pm
And tell your dad he looks good in those sunglasses ! .....  {-)
I beg your pardon?  :o Do I sound that young?  That's me in the dark glasses!  {-)

Anyway, the rubber jobby ( :embarrassed: ) doesn't work well with my single speed drill. Far to fierce.  I ended up simply clamping the end of the sanding loop in the work bench and doing it by hand. It worked quite well.

Anyway, a little more fettling and sanding and it fits!  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6505.jpg)

I must remember to cut a slot in the outer end for a sheave.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on August 12, 2012, 11:13:46 pm
Hi Rob,

She's looking great! I'm glad you went the right way and used square stock for the mast- you're right, she deserves to look 'just right'. The spar gauge looks very dangerous- almost like you plan to use it in the future....!

We'll have to catch up soon. It's Windermere Steamboat Rally this coming week by the way- should be a few round Fell Foot/Lakeside on Monday and Wednesday at least if you fancy a day out (check weather first!!)

Keep up the good work, she really is looking fantastic.

Happy floorspace in the basement by the way :-))

Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on August 13, 2012, 06:59:49 pm
Spurred on by my bowsprit "success", I decided to tackle the mast.  It's a thing that will make the boat...give it its finished proportions.

So, first I planed the wood down to the 18mm I wanted (I had them cut slightly oversized).  The top of the mast tapers to about half its main diameter.  I marked and then cut this taper first.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6509.jpg)

Next, as shown above, the spar gauge was employed on the tapered section. This was then carefully cut to eight and then sixteen sides as with the boom before being rounded off with sand paper.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSCF6510.jpg)

Not bad, eh?  You can see where the hounds will be left square just below the tapered section.  The next job is to do the parallel rounding of the lower mast.

Simples! [squeek!]
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on August 13, 2012, 08:51:36 pm
Very nice, good to see there are no red stains about. :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on August 15, 2012, 08:32:13 pm
Very nice, good to see there are no red stains about. :-))
No red stains.....yet.

A brief hiatus (again) whilst we climbed Helvellyn yesterday.  Why does the mist only ever clear when you're already part way back down again?  Still, the mid-afternoon full-English was a nice reward  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5648.jpg)

This is the Hearts of Oak's mast as it stood earlier this year..I understand that lazy Jacks have since been added.

And this is my mast to date:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6511.jpg)

I'm busy drilling for the, currently, temporarily fitted eye bolts.  The next thing will be to fit oak cheeks and bolsters to the hounds and then try to get a good shiny finish on it all.

I can't help thinking that my mast looks stockier than the real one. I suppose it is, in that I've knocked 20% off the height so as not to over-power the model.  There's also the fact that this is a gaffer and I'm more used to looking at the Bermudan rigged Marblehead in the bedroom....which is much taller in proportion (and fact).  There's no model sail plan with the hull and drawings (unless I've lost it) so I'm going to have to mock up the sail plan soon to get the CoE right. Then I'll be able to determine the correct gaff length.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 14, 2012, 09:30:56 pm
The real boat's been on Country File. You can still see it on iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01mm6wd/

Shame they're shamelessly motoring about.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 17, 2012, 01:42:24 pm
Progress is slow at the moment.  The summer has been full of "other" things to do.  I'm also angling after a new camera for my birthday and there was much sucking of teeth when I mentioned price  :embarrassed:  I am, therefore, saving my pocket money (no honestly, I'm given pocket money) and flogging stuff on a certain auction site to try and make the purchase happen.

So, meanwhile, little has been done, and nothing, spent on the good old nobby.

However, I have, just today, glued in a mast step.  It's made from ply and epoxied/pinned straight into the lead ballast.  I'm hoping that this will be solid enough.  Once the standing rigging's fitted the step wont need to do much anyway....famous last words >>:-(

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6594.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: sailorboy61 on September 17, 2012, 02:07:11 pm
Keep your eyes on that auction site for a camera.

Picked a faulty spares/repairs one up earlier this year, only needed the battery charging doah!! Ģ100 worth for less than Ģ15 including the postage    :}   :}   :}
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on September 17, 2012, 04:34:53 pm
I am, therefore, saving my pocket money...

You don't have Ģ19500 (http://www.dickies.co.uk/used-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=3262620) handy, do you?  %)

(I'm sure they'd take an near offer!)

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 17, 2012, 08:26:05 pm
You don't have Ģ19500 (http://www.dickies.co.uk/used-boats/searchfullspecs.php?DocumentID=3262620) handy, do you?  %)

(I'm sure they'd take an near offer!)

Andy

Go on Andy, do tell. What little something has caught your eye.

...before you get excited though, no, I don't have Ģ19.5k lying about. Sorry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on September 18, 2012, 08:36:56 pm
Click the link in my message above yours! (It's one for sale!)

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on September 18, 2012, 09:10:25 pm
Ah! Right! Links  :embarrassed:

Yes, that's quite nice, isn't it?  I don't think people would be happy if I bought it though. <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 17, 2012, 02:32:09 pm
Time to make the standing rigging  O0

I've been experimenting with attaching deadeyes to steel cables and the result so far is this:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF6640.jpg)

Now, I was thinking of splicing the wires properly but there are so many strands and it's all so stiff and fiddly that I gave up. I'm going instead for the model plane solution of wire binding and solder (solder yet to be applied).  Then I'll smooth it and bind it neatly in something like white cordage...as per....'n' all that.

Even holding them against the boat looks satisfyingly cool  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on October 17, 2012, 11:03:27 pm
It's nice to see an old favorite back O0

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 22, 2012, 07:58:43 pm
Thinner wire on order. What I've used is too thick.  I think it'd look okay visually but it's very difficult to work with and by the time all the eyes are round the mast head it'll be an inch thick  :o
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 28, 2012, 05:46:49 pm
The new wire has arrived and I'm heroically modelling in the face of a horrible cold and a sore back.  What a martyr to the cause I am!  Is there a medal for such dedication?

Anyway, the wire I had at first was 1.5mm, the new stuff's 1mm only and seems better.  It still looks the part but is much more workable.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/006.jpg)

The deadeyes have set into the wire much more neatly.  I've not attached the lower ones yet so it's jury rigged into position for now.  As mentioned before (I hope you've been paying full attention  <*< ) I will bind the bindings with some sort of white/cream cordage.  I'm wondering about trying embroidery silks for this job.  I'll be able to get some subtle colour and can separate the strands to get the thickness I want.  I'm also wondering about using it for the lines between the deadeyes...it's quite strong stuff.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/008.jpg)

Up at the hounds, we should have to separate eyes but I've decided to do a single split splice between the two shrouds.  This is to reduce the thickness of the wire around the hounds...I don't want it getting too bulky.  Obviously, there are ends to trim yet.  8)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on October 29, 2012, 11:40:59 am
All the fixed rigging has been made now to the first stage at least.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/007.jpg)

Bottle screw courtesy of RBModel (http://www.rbmodel.com). They share my initials so they must be good  :}

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/011.jpg)

I'm always amazed at how much these little things make a model look "right" and I've not been disappointed here.

Now I have to figure out how to make the brackets to hold the lower deadeyes.  No rest for the wicked, eh?  :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: DickyD on October 29, 2012, 12:12:23 pm
Nicely done, very neat. (http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/DickyD_photos/Smileys/tumb.gif)
Title: I've made a bit of a gaff
Post by: rmaddock on October 31, 2012, 10:45:41 am
No, honestly, I've made a gaff and I'm proud of it!  {-)

According to Nick Miller's book (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lancashire-Nobby-Nick-Miller/dp/1848684908/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351680113&sr=1-6), the gaff's quite a complex spar, starting (at my idiosyncratic scale) at 9mm at the mast, widening to 10mm in the middle and then narrowing to only 7.5mm at the far end.  :o   I know I've posted about spar making before but please excuse me for repeating myself; there don't seem to be many posts about it on here and somebody might find it useful.

So, one starts with square stock, planed down to slightly over the maximum diameter:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_10_31_029.jpg)

I used my Peter Plane (my favourite tool) to reduce the square sections to those listed above.  The spar gauge (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=30888.msg383047#msg383047) is then used and, by its nature, copes with the change of section.

Then, the spar is planed down to the pencil lines giving it an octagonal section.  After that the new edges are planed again to get closer to a round.  I did this by eye but with full size spars I understand then often mark them again.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_2012_10_31_028.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=2012_10_31_028.jpg) (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_2012_10_31_030.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=2012_10_31_030.jpg)

If you click on the first of the above pictures you should be able to make out the taper. By the second it's ready for sanding.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_10_31_031.jpg)

So here it is, round(ish) and sanded and tapered  :-))
Title: Fiddly!
Post by: rmaddock on November 14, 2012, 05:05:28 pm
I've made my first, prototype block  :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/DSC_0118.jpg)

This is the gaff uphaul block...real one shown here:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSCF5599.jpg)

I'm quite pleased with my first try.  It work very nicely.  Of course, it needs cleaning up and a drop of varnish spreading about....and some rust adding  >>:-(
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on November 14, 2012, 05:13:35 pm

Looks great :-))

Come on then only 20 more to make %%

Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on November 14, 2012, 05:30:06 pm
 That's Perfick. Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Stormbringer on November 15, 2012, 08:40:35 pm
really good  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 15, 2012, 08:43:58 pm
Thanks chaps  :embarrassed:

And Ned, don't be silly! Now I've made one I'll simply send it to China to be copied and mass produced for 5p a go.  {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on November 24, 2012, 10:41:51 pm
Hi Rob,


You do know Nick Miller is a local man- have you met him at all when you've been hanging around HoO? He's a very nice guy, with heaps of knowledge on local boats- he gave me couple of handy bits for my 1:1 Windermere Skiff. He's also a naval architect, so is a very handy guy to know when it comes to modelling. Oh, and he also builds models...!


I can pass on your email to him if you wish, I'm sure he would be in touch. He might pop in at my regatta next year too, so he can see her on the water when you bring her to Coniston in May!


I'm pleased your rigging is coming together so well, it will absolutely make the boat.


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 25, 2012, 01:20:30 pm
Hi Greg!

No, I didn't know Nick Miller was a local man...although it doesn't surprise me.  I don't know if I've bumped into him at HoO meetings but I've taken that book and nobody jumped up and claimed to have written it  {-)

By all means pass on my email.

Today, I am tidying up the standing rigging...photos to follow soon  :-))
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 25, 2012, 02:20:15 pm
As promised to Greg...

Here is the forestay:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/2012_11_25_110.jpg)

As you can see (and as I think I suggested) I didn't try to splice the tiny wires but rather bound them with copper thread (from speaker cable cores) and then soldered them.  In the above picture, they are at the stage of having been filed down to a sensible shape...my soldering having been a little creative :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/2012_11_25_112.jpg)

Then I painstakingly bound each one with cordage...as per the original.  I had bought some Amati 1.6mm hemp rigging rope (http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/amati_rigging_thread.html) for the working rigging and split some of this into the four cores to use for this purpose.  It looks quite convincing I think.  I have to admit to cutting corners again by super-gluing the ends rather than finishing the whippings off properly.

The following "clicky" thumbnails show the top of the forestay at the hounds and two of the finished deadeyes...all finished in the same manner.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/th_2012_11_25_113.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/?action=view&current=2012_11_25_113.jpg)  (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/th_2012_11_25_114-1.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/?action=view&current=2012_11_25_114-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on November 25, 2012, 07:24:51 pm
Very nice, well done that man!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on November 30, 2012, 11:15:10 am
So, all of the 2mm nuts and bolts finally arrived so the rigging is UP!!  :-)) :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/2012_11_30_125.jpg)

A very old tin of aluminium paint is going service as a galvanised finish on the brass work.

And before anyone mentions it: yes, I know that my rope work betwixt the deadeyes is not the "proper" way to do it. It is, however, the way it's been done on the real boat.

Anyway, as a totally objective observer, I'm very chuffed with the finish indeed!  O0

Next, I think that the wooden jaws for the boom and the metal saddle for the gaff are in order.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on November 30, 2012, 11:55:19 am
so you should be chuffed ........chuffed to bits.............it's beautiful, and giving me a great deal of info as to how to rig my lifeboat.
cheers.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 02, 2012, 09:11:51 pm
Well Rob, your next mission is for sale :-)) ;


www.intheboatshed.net/2012/11/23/nobby-quest-for-sale-whitehaven/# (http://www.intheboatshed.net/2012/11/23/nobby-quest-for-sale-whitehaven/#)


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 05, 2012, 07:54:16 pm
Manfully ignoring Greg's attempts to get me to buy real boats to take to his regatta, I have pressed on with the Nobby.  ;)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC_0142.jpg)

I have whittled the jaws for the boom!  As this is a working part, and potentially subject to some forces, I decided to make it out of ply.  To this end, I laminated to thin pieces together before cutting the two jaw halves.  This will result in something that doesn't bear close inspection by rivet counters but should serve it's purpose. :embarrassed:   It needs pegging for added gumption and the other end of the boom needs the thingumies that I can't think of the name for.....sort of half violin shaped things with sheaves in that are part of the sail reefing system.  I can't be bothered to dig out a book and look it up right now. <*<

I've also started on the saddle fittings for the gaff...as you can see.

My progress has been slow this last week or so since I have been doing proper canoeing at the weekends...which has resulted in me needing to make modifications to our wooden canoe instead of getting on with proper work. {-)
 (http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/PC020023.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on December 06, 2012, 05:03:34 pm
Very nice, and where was the pic from the proper canoe taken?
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 06, 2012, 07:53:21 pm
Very nice, and where was the pic from the proper canoe taken?

It was taken on the tongue-twistingly named Blelham Beck where it runs through the NT's Low Wray Campsite into the North West corner of Lake Windermere.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 06, 2012, 09:46:56 pm
It was taken on the tongue-twistingly named Blelham Beck where it runs through the NT's Low Wray Campsite into the North West corner of Lake Windermere.
For those of us a little further away and with pretty sketchy geography, that is in the north west corner of England.
Looks a lovely spot, thanks for sharing...
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 06, 2012, 11:11:20 pm
Shame you weren't there the week before- you could have paddled up to the front door of Wray Castle from there (well, almost!)


A great paddle in summer- it feels like going through a rainforest- a great campsite too, sorry for unabashed NT publicising!


Good to see you getting some on-the-water time.


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on December 06, 2012, 11:12:19 pm
For those of us a little further away and with pretty sketchy geography, that is in the north west corner of England.
Looks a lovely spot, thanks for sharing...
It certainly is, and a little  quizz here for all those who know the English Lake district, and those who think they might, and Rob and gondolier88 are  barred from answering this question...............
How many lakes are there in the English Lake District.........only ONE  answer per person..........get yer atlas's out.
neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on December 06, 2012, 11:30:15 pm
one!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 06, 2012, 11:33:42 pm
 {-)  Too many Cumbrianites on here obviously!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on December 06, 2012, 11:41:55 pm
{-)  Too many Cumbrianites on here obviously!
Oh Bummer...............forgot about him {-) {-) {-) {-) {-)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 07, 2012, 01:04:48 am
Having absolutely NO idea of the answer to how many lakes, and unable to find an atlas as I have gone all electronic, I can only offer the "tricky" answer:
There are NO "Lakes" in "The English Lake District" - however there is one "Lake"....
Likewise there is one "cow" in "scow" etc.....
 
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on December 07, 2012, 02:05:48 am
Meres, Tarns, and Lake Bassenthwaite?

I have some great memories of that area; an outward bound course and some visits there with my wife ...... Long before I turned back into a frog.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on December 07, 2012, 02:09:38 am
Always wondered how many tarns have fish / are fishable? Not that my knees could get to most of them now, but I always thought that a good challenge.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 07, 2012, 07:39:59 am
Dave,


Quite a few as it happens, most tarns below 2000ft that have a decent stream to a lake have got fish in, mostly Trout. We do very well with Cormorants and Herons round here however, and they do their bit to help keep stocks down.


There are a couple of tarns that were stocked as part of an old estate, I'm no fisherman, but a good friend of mine is, and he regularly fishes from them.


As far as tranquil fishing in serene locations goes, it's difficult to beat Yew Tree Tarn, about 4miles north of Coniston, early morning in summer it's magic.


Sorry for the complete and utter wasting of your thread here Rob- perhaps a new thread in chit chat for Lakes lovers?


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 07, 2012, 12:00:58 pm
Sorry for the complete and utter wasting of your thread here Rob
<*<

As it's my thread, I'll answer the question if I want to!  >>:-(
There is only one "Lake"; namely Lake Windermere.  The others are "waters" or sometimes "meres".  As in Coniston Water, Brothers Water, Ullswater etc.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/IMAG0331.jpg)

This was the view of the Coniston range as seen from the Duddon Estuary this morning taken with my rubbishy phone camera.  I must fashion a parcel shelf for the Berlingo and then I could leave my nice new Nikon in there and not miss these opportunities. ARGH!  Why do so many Berlingos seem to be missing their parcel shelves?  Is there a secret horde of them somewhere?  %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on December 07, 2012, 03:36:41 pm
<*<

As it's my thread, I'll answer the question if I want to!  >>:-(
There is only one "Lake"; namely Lake Windermere.  The others are "waters" or sometimes "meres".  As in Coniston Water, Brothers Water, Ullswater etc.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/IMAG0331.jpg)

This was the view of the Coniston range as seen from the Duddon Estuary this morning taken with my rubbishy phone camera.  I must fashion a parcel shelf for the Berlingo and then I could leave my nice new Nikon in there and not miss these opportunities. ARGH!  Why do so many Berlingos seem to be missing their parcel shelves?  Is there a secret horde of them somewhere?  %%

they're all up in the lakes Rob.....being used as scree sliders, lol.
 
by the way........Windermere is wrong matey........it's already been answered correctly........Bassenthwaite Lake was the right answer {:-{ {:-{ {:-{
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 07, 2012, 05:54:23 pm
Right!  :police: Back on topic drat you all!

As I mentioned (if I can remember that far back) the next item on the "to do" list is the metal saddle for the gaf/mast junction.  You can see it in part in this piccy:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/th_DSCF5599.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/?action=view&current=DSCF5599.jpg)

So, I started off trying to make it out of little fiddly bits all soldered together. It didn't work  <:( and somewhere along the line I seem to have burned my left index finger.

Then I had the idea of using five long brass leaves held together with two bolts, soldering it all and then cutting them to length. So, five interleaved bits of brass (I realise there's no scale here, for reference the bolts are M2 x 10mm):

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC_0177.jpg)

I then soldered the ends on. I started with the curved saddle itself, jamming the whole in my mini vice to keep them together. That worked  O0 .  Then I tied everything together with thin wire before balancing and weighing it down in the right place and soldering the gaff strap on.
Ta da!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC_0180.jpg)

The arms were then cut to size and rounded, and a hacksaw run down the slots to remove the naughty solder that had run into the gaps.  And here is the finished item fitted and in place:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC_0185.jpg)

It needs proper cleaning and smoothing now, and there's some surface texture to add on as well as a couple of rings to tie the parrel bead (I can see a raid on my wife's jewellery making kit coming on) rope to.  I'm rather pleased though  8) and make no apology for my repetitive self satisfaction on these pages  :P
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on December 07, 2012, 06:58:03 pm
no apology for my repetitive self satisfaction on these pages
You really need a Parrot for that - 'Whose a Clever Boy'
Nicely done - I like the way you solved it too.

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on December 07, 2012, 07:14:12 pm
Thinking outside the box. Love it. I had a pic missing off my phone and didn't get it for a bit. Then the pic appeared and eureka! Smart.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 07, 2012, 09:21:31 pm
So, what's the clever boy got up his sleeve for scale leather....? %)  The saddle looks lovely- are you going to paint the fittings to look scale galvanised, or just polish and leave 'natural'?


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: EDWOOD on December 07, 2012, 09:30:35 pm
are you sure its not bassenthwaite lake
regards ted          by the way very nice prawner


Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 08, 2012, 01:46:21 pm
So, what's the clever boy got up his sleeve for scale leather....? %)  The saddle looks lovely- are you going to paint the fittings to look scale galvanised, or just polish and leave 'natural'?
Greg

Well, I've got some scavenged leather which I liberated from an old Pouffe on it's way out to the tip. It's very thin and in several colours...I might see if that'll do. I might be able to scrape it even thinner.

As to paint finish, I'm thinking of aluminium first (sort of galv'ish) with matt black over the top and then a bit distressed to let the alu' show.

The next step is to get back to block making.  I've just studied my pictures and, in order to be able to raise the gaff (and by extension a sail) I'll need 5 more blocks; four single and one double.

And I must make a start on training the hamsters. Hey! If dogs can drive cars I sure hamsters can sail gaffers  {-)

http://youtu.be/72igAtfEOVQ
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 08, 2012, 11:09:30 pm

Rob,

You must have seen Stuart Little, little mousey has a veritable Vendee Globe around the lake in the middle Central Park, so yes, it is definitely possible.


I can see ali' primer working ok, many Windermere boats have 're-galvanised' their fittings with it, but I wondered if, dependant on your solder's melting temp., you could dip them in molten Zinc (415deg.C), replicating true galvanising. I would think 500g would be more than enough, old sacrificial anodes etc. could be a good source.


A lot of work in those blocks, but worth it, they do look great.


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 09, 2012, 11:43:18 am
Rob,
You must have seen Stuart Little, little mousey has a veritable Vendee Globe around the lake in the middle Central Park, so yes, it is definitely possible.
I can see ali' primer working ok, many Windermere boats have 're-galvanised' their fittings with it, but I wondered if, dependant on your solder's melting temp., you could dip them in molten Zinc (415deg.C), replicating true galvanising. I would think 500g would be more than enough, old sacrificial anodes etc. could be a good source.
A lot of work in those blocks, but worth it, they do look great.
Greg

Thanks for the hot dip suggestion Greg but I think I'll save that level of detail for the next model..."maņana" 'n' all that  {-)   Especially as the bit in question is slavered in black paint anyway.  You do want it finished in time for your regatta don't you?  Stop making silly delaying suggestions then!  <*<
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 09, 2012, 03:20:56 pm
Oops, yes, of course...... %)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on December 09, 2012, 03:26:30 pm
And do not spend all day hamster training when you have a model to finish. :D

Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 11, 2012, 06:07:34 pm
More soldering (or is it brazing?).  Anyway...I've added more detail to the saddle mostly by soldering but with two small strips of plastic glued on as well.  It's looking rather sculptural  :}

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_08_178.jpg)

Then, just to please Greg, I hid it under a couple of coats of paint (dutifully handled too early for an authentically distressed look  {-) ) and with some leather thrown in.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_09_179.jpg)

And then, being who I am (don't ask) I had to jury rig it onto the mast!  :o

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_11_182.jpg)

I had to go back to my reference pictures here as with the gaff all the way up to the hounds, it didn't look right at all.  Looking at the pictures of her sailing (the real one that is) with the mainsail fully up, the gaff only reached 3/4 of the way up to the hounds.  It look better this way.

I'm avoiding making the blocks. Can you tell?  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 11, 2012, 06:10:06 pm
FYI:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/HOOandRuby-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 11, 2012, 08:37:03 pm
You were soldering- brazing is bringing the metal up to red hot (like when silver soldering...!)
It does look great, even the paint is passable :-))  The sail on the full size in the pic above looks quite a small area for a boat of her size- have you got any broadside pics to compare to from when she would have had her original set?


With the gaff jury rigged the beauty of the wood you've used for the spars shines through- they really do look great. I wonder if they would have been varnished on the original boat, or kept continually oiled?


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: pugwash on December 12, 2012, 12:33:18 am
Rob How big do the parrel beads have to be - I find lots of small fittings in the flytying section of the
local fishing shop or beads (for aerial insulators) in the sewing shops. Saves getting grief from SWMBO
Geoff
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 12, 2012, 01:12:45 pm
I shall try again.  The interweb wouldn't talk to me reliably this morning and I ended up posting parts of things, deleting them and going off in a huff.  <*<

But now I'm back and this time it's personal!  {-)

You were soldering- brazing is bringing the metal up to red hot (like when silver soldering...!)
It does look great, even the paint is passable :-))  The sail on the full size in the pic above looks quite a small area for a boat of her size- have you got any broadside pics to compare to from when she would have had her original set?


With the gaff jury rigged the beauty of the wood you've used for the spars shines through- they really do look great. I wonder if they would have been varnished on the original boat, or kept continually oiled?


Greg

I think I was brazing Greg.  I had the pieces all balanced together with flux paste and bits of solder and then heated it all from below in a general fashion.  Brazing sounds better anyway.

I don't know what the original treatment on the spars was, perhaps I'll see if any of my books mentions it.  As to sail areas, here's a picture of her on her launch day back in 1912...you won't get more original that that!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/HO007BesideAinsliePier.jpg)

The sail does look bigger and the gaff higher.  Still, a smaller sail area in a scale model is not a bad thing.

Rob How big do the parrel beads have to be - I find lots of small fittings in the flytying section of the
local fishing shop or beads (for aerial insulators) in the sewing shops. Saves getting grief from SWMBO
Geoff
Geoff, thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't thought about fishing shops for that sort of thing.  The beads need to be somewhere about 4-6mm. I might get a selection (assuming they're not expensive) and see what looks right.

Cheers all!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 12, 2012, 09:42:47 pm
It must have  been pretty calm on launch day to allow all that sail up at the pier!!!
That photo should be an excellent source for sizing the sails. There would presumably be some measurements in the picture that you would know. If not, assume the ladies standing on deck are 5 foot 8 and you wont be far wrong.....
Another source of beads would be from the junk jewellery department.....
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 21, 2012, 11:37:55 am
Hello again!

I haven't been avoiding you, I've been building blocks elsewhere on the forum (HERE (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=40851.0)) but now I'm back on task....if I was ever off it.

I have been whittling various shapes and sizes of block and can now raise the gaff in authentic fashion  :}

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_21_250.jpg)

As you can see, I couldn't resist adding some other bits of string to get an idea of what she'll look like under sail and I'm very, very happy.  8)

And the Fife-rail is starting to look very authentic too  {-)

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_21_251.jpg)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 21, 2012, 12:17:26 pm
Congratulations on the tutorial on block making - beautifully photographed, well documented, and the end result is true craftsmanship - really excellent work!!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 23, 2012, 08:32:11 pm
Hi Rob,


Great to see her rigged, the coils of rope on deck look just perfect. You should go into supplying your model rigging fittings!


Greg
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 24, 2012, 02:22:44 pm
You should go into supplying your model rigging fittings!

Yeah...just before they lock me up for endless mad cackling  %%


MERRY CHRISTMAS WORLD!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 24, 2012, 03:42:30 pm
Now, once the blocks were up, I had stopped modelling for Christmas.

But I just couldn't let it lie  :embarrassed:

I've been plotting sail plans:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_24_252.jpg)

Thanks to my other favourite Nobby book, "The Lancashire Nobby" by L.J.Lloyd, I've been studying standardised sail plans and trying to match them to the model.  As we have guests due to arrive NOW, I shall hold fire on creating full sized paper/card templates to check for Centres of Effort (and all that).

Merry Christmas AGAIN!!!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on December 24, 2012, 05:27:07 pm
eye, good ol' Len Lloyd, he used to bore the pants off us at Fleetwood club every single winter when we used to have nights where we'd get each other to speak on a topic of interest.........some sharp whit would always say to Len......"now Len................. you haven't told us how to calculate the centre of G and the metacentre of a ship for a while".....he knew they were taking the mick, but it was they who would suffer as he would then go into the process in great deapth......and would string it out for at least two hours, lol......those nearest to the door would get to the pub before closing time......those that weren't would inevitably fall asleep...........god bless him.....he was a character.

on a serious note...........there were no lines ever taken from a nobbie in history and no nobbie was ever built from plans and lines....just the craft master builder who drew them out on a floor........the lines in that book were taken personally by Len over a period of weeks from a specific prawner using his perps, horizontals and levels, and put onto a scale graph in a notebook that he kept.I know as he roped me into standing with the pine perpendicular poles one Saturday on a very cold day......never volunteered again,lol

He then took the measurements and transposed them into the lines you have today, and all the lines ever seen these days in books about the nobbie/prawner, are taken from those original measurements he took.......he was a very bright man, and a good, just and considerate man too.....It was a privaledge and I was glad to have known him for a good number of years.

neil.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 26, 2012, 07:22:05 pm
In the ongoing spirit of putting the model away for Christmas, I have made progress today {-)

I've made some mock-up card sails for her:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/DSC_0313.jpg)

Superb!  :-))

These will do double service.  First, I will use them to calculate the CoE of the rig and then, when I'm happy with that, I'll use them as templates for the real sails.

Their size and shape is, naturally, a compromise.  Having reduced the height of the rig for scale reasons, I can't simply copy the sail plan.  Rather, I've measured from the model and then tried to capture the general line and "feeling" of the sail shape - for example the way the lower edge of the jib goes across the bottom corner of the stay sail.

For now though, the bits of card are staying put as I like looking at them.  :embarrassed:
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 26, 2012, 10:22:21 pm
.......  Having reduced the height of the rig for scale reasons, I can't simply copy the sail plan.  Rather, I've measured from the model and then tried to capture the general line and "feeling" of the sail shape - for example the way the lower edge of the jib goes across the bottom corner of the stay sail.

For now though, the bits of card are staying put as I like looking at them.  :embarrassed:
I agree that it is looking very nice indeed, well done.
Be wary of the overlapping sails - while it looks "right", you may find it technically quite complex to radio control your overlapping jib. It is for this reason that the common RC sloop rigs generally have a self-tacking jib with a boom instead of an overlapping soft footed genoa. You may however be able to pair up the jib and staysail and radio control them as one, similar to how flying jibs are often done on the RC square riggers.
It may also be that you will need to winch the mainsail separately to the foresail pair (jib & staysail) to enable you to steer........ I understand this is the case with the RC square riggers - the rudder has only a minor effect on the steering and the sails need to be swung to steer....
 
 
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 27, 2012, 11:38:28 am
Mr Penguin,

Thanks for your warning, but you've been a bad boy and not done your revision!  <*<

She's already fitted with a grand total of 3 winches; one main sheet winch, one port foresail winch and one starboard foresail winch.  A cunning bit of computer trickery is already in the tube to allow realistic tacking of the foresails; i.e. there will be a "tacking" state in the system where both winches are fully wound out. On leaving the tacking state, one side will winch in under stick control.  At the moment, this will be proportional to the main sheet but I'm wondering about using something like a flap knob to allow be to alter this...effectively moving the CofE backwards and forwards in flight.

Your point about getting the sails across each other may still be valid though...I shall give it a go and see what happens.  I can always make the sails smaller.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: gondolier88 on December 27, 2012, 01:26:20 pm
I look forward to seeing this system working, it should look very realistic with the foresail able to let fly with both winches out, then hauling back in on the other side. It will be one of those that all your thinking should pay off nicely, but if it doesn't it's going to be a pig to try and find where it's not working properly.


It just gets better and better this little boat.


Greg


PS. check this out; http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?88301-Cockle-Replica-Post-1 a lovely bit of inspiration if ever there was.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on December 28, 2012, 03:17:20 am
Mr Penguin,

..... you've been a bad boy and not done your revision!  <*<

She's already fitted with a grand total of 3 winches..........

Your point about getting the sails across each other may still be valid though...I shall give it a go and see what happens.  I can always make the sails smaller.
Oops, thought I had been right through the thread, missed that section completely....
The two separate winches for the forward sails should be fine. That should also deal with overlapping sails I would imagine. I had assumed you would be working on one winch for main and one for jib & staysail...
This will be a great vessel when completed, you are doing a terrific job...
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on December 28, 2012, 08:21:18 am
Oops, thought I had been right through the thread, missed that section completely....

I forgive you  ;)

This will be a great vessel when completed, you are doing a terrific job...

Thanks.  Personally, I'll be staggered if any of it actually works.  :D
Title: Calculating my Center of Effort
Post by: rmaddock on December 29, 2012, 07:34:48 pm
Having carefully marked the sail templates whilst in situ, I stuck everything together in as minimal a fashion as possible.
I then punched some holes around the perimeter and arranged to hang the whole thing from a pin in the best room wall  :embarrassed:

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_29_315.jpg)

A plumb weight (aka my multi-tool) dangled and its line marked in pencil on the sails.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_29_316.jpg)

Repeat a number of times at different angles.

Then, using the super piece of ali curtain rail that came to light in the cellar, join up all the dots!

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2012_12_29_317.jpg)

It was very gratifying to observe that all the lines crossed in the same place. Phew!  {-)   Now, this is the Centre of Effort (CoE) for this rig.  I need to check the drawings and see if there's a centre of lateral resistance (CLR) marked..otherwise experiment and find it.

As I understand the theory, you optimally want your CoE to be slightly behind the CLR.  This means that the wind tends to push the back of the boat out and thus the bow upwind.  This is called weather helm and a bit of it is a positive safety feature in full sized boats.  If the wind gusts suddenly, it's better to be pushed into the wind and stall than out of it and blow flat.

Of course, all this counts for naught as they're static CoE and static CLR.  All bets are off when the boat's moving  %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Kim on December 29, 2012, 11:01:17 pm
Interesting, I thought that CoE would be better plced directly above CLR in model boats ..
a bit like the ballast debate in model boats ... fast roll = better stability .. but out of scale ...blah ...blah
Then their is the 6 degrees of freedom ....
 
But hey, regardless you have made a fine job of her and i'm sure she will sail just fine!
Regards,
Kim
Title: Re: Calculating my Center of Effort
Post by: dreadnought72 on December 30, 2012, 09:20:32 am
Of course, all this counts for naught as they're static CoE and static CLR.  All bets are off when the boat's moving  %%

And heeling - the CLR can move fore or aft when the hull's not vertical.

But finding the CoE that way is a neat job. Are you going to do it for other sail settings - reefed, no jib, etc.?

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Lothar on December 30, 2012, 04:06:27 pm
Very good shown and explained!
 
But shouldn't be the COE in front of the CLR? When I design my yachts, I put the COE abot 8 percent or more of the waterline-length in front of the CLR. This make stabil sailing boats.
 
Regards
 
Lothar
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on December 30, 2012, 08:09:31 pm
In full-size sailing it's unsafe to have lee helm - the CoE infront of CLR. A little weather helm - CoE behind the CLR - is preferred.

With the rudder set to neutral I'd sooner have the boat turn slowly into the wind and the sails stall, than turn away from the wind and ultimately gybe.

Having never sailed a model sailing boat things could be different ... but I'm unsure as to why they would be. There is the possibility that your vessel's CLR moves in front of the C0E when heeled, close-hauled. A bath check may be in order?  :-)

Certainly my dinghy sailing experience made me realise that the Enterprise (http://www.sailenterprise.co.uk/) I had, required severe mast rake aft to move the CoE back far enough, else the rudder was all-but stalling when close-hauled = inefficient.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Lothar on December 30, 2012, 10:41:51 pm
Yeah Andy,
 
for full size boats You must be right. I haven't much experience on real boats.
 
For a model the circumstances may be different, because the skipper doesn't feel the pressure on the tiller. The model-skipper isn't able to act, if there is coming gusty winds. He can only REact and this is always to late. So You will get a boat, which may sail not to bad upwinds, but very nervous with half wind or downwinds.
 
This all depends on books of the 1970's by F.K.Ries (he was one of the godfathers of German modelsailing) and my own experience in designing model-yachts.
 
I just try to help....
 
Regards and good luck!
 
Lothar
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Kim on December 31, 2012, 09:11:38 pm
I mentioned 6 degrees of freedom,
When the hull heels we change the waterline shape and if heeling to lleward the response is to sail to windward ?  so maybe coe ahead of clr is prefered in rc when we can't shift balast?
 
regards
Kim
 
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Lothar on January 03, 2013, 10:42:19 pm
Well,
 
may be I don't understand English good enough. Sorry for this.
 
Here is the actual sketch of a really good sailing yacht as it can be seen sailing here:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNuCEQ5D2Js (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNuCEQ5D2Js)
 
Please notice the boat built from oak.
 
The sketch:
 
(http://s1.postimage.org/za5pa173f/Schwerpunkte.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/za5pa173f/)
 
Lothar
 
 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on January 03, 2013, 11:22:48 pm
Lothar,
 
Thank you for the beautiful video - they are lovely boats....

I am not sure if the method rmaddock used for finding COE is actually valid when you have overlapping sails as these genoa-rigged boats have.
While the Nobby has some overlapping sail, it is only a small percentage of the entire sail area, while your boat has a large percentage of the sail area overlapped.

Perhaps it may be more accurate to find the COE of each sail and then combine them taking the comparative sail areas into account.... this works of a simple Bermuda sloop) rig but with these more complex sail plans I am not sure...
I am not an expert, just thinking out loud ok2
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on January 03, 2013, 11:37:41 pm
I am not sure if the method rmaddock used for finding COE is actually valid when you have overlapping sails as these genoa-rigged boats have.
While the Nobby has some overlapping sail, it is only a small percentage of the entire sail area, while your boat has a large percentage of the sail area overlapped.

You may have it here, Mr Penguin.

1/ The taller, high-aspect ratio main is more efficient than the foresail. => moves CoE aft.

2/ The overlapping genoa creates lift itself, but is designed to accelerate air over that main, making the main provide more power. => moves CoE aft.

I suspect, Lothar, were we to test your vessel in a wind tunnel, the true CoE is much further aft than basic area calculations would suggest. And therefore your Rule of Thumb for CoE/CLR placement works in practice.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Lothar on January 04, 2013, 06:58:16 am
Well,
 
the COE's are are calculated for each sail and afterwords added. I cannot explain in english, but I am working as a plant designer at CAD every day, believe me, I know hat I am doing if I calculate a Center of gravity of a sail area.
 
Please keep us informed, what is the result in sailing with the COE behind CLR theory. Be sure, I am very interested.
 
Tonight I found something on the net. It's in German, but explains all. Maybe somebody is able to translate.
 
http://www.minisail.ch/de/werkkunde/stabilitaet/stabilitaetballast.htm (http://www.minisail.ch/de/werkkunde/stabilitaet/stabilitaetballast.htm)
 
Best regards
 
Lothar
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 04, 2013, 12:09:31 pm
It's making my brain hurt  %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on January 04, 2013, 07:44:40 pm
Might I suggest a bottle or two of the Red sir  O0

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on January 04, 2013, 09:41:07 pm
Not sure if red wine will sop your brain hurting {-)
There is a good discussion of this at http://pages.swcp.com/usvmyg/sails/sail1.htm (http://pages.swcp.com/usvmyg/sails/sail1.htm)
The image attached (borrowed from that site) shows how the combined COE of two sails is offset to the larger sail. With this simple bermuda rig, the reference point for all measurements is the tach of the jib.

 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on January 04, 2013, 11:03:08 pm
It's making my brain hurt  %%

Mine too............I haven't got a scooby doo what these guys are on about................and I have a mizzen a main and an aft sail to worry about on my lifeboats.........don't think I'll bother calculating anything except how long the receiver battery will last %% %% %% %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on January 04, 2013, 11:35:28 pm
Don't get hung up on the technicalities of cofe and clrs. They are static and approximate starting points. You've built a nobby, they sail, yours will too. Sailing is all about playing with balance. Reef the main, you get lee helm so strike the jib, you get the balance back. Ever lost your rudder and got back without it. You can when you have to. Stay calm, drink the wine.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on January 05, 2013, 11:23:04 am
Ahhhhh.

Wise and calming words from the Bard of Caernarfon.  :D
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dcmccubbin on January 24, 2013, 12:19:41 pm
Greetings - I came across your forum while looking for help rebuilding the model I have. It was built by my Great-Grandfather about 1883 in Annan. That's a beautiful boat that your working on.
I'm trying to figure out the details to get the sails and rigging for the model I have. Your post number 351 on 12/24/2012 cought my attention. I'm thinking the page from "The Lancashire Nobby" that your notes for your sails is sitting on may be a big help. It looks like the title of the page is "Sail Plan for a 31 Ft Annan Trawl Boat (a Solway Nobby) c. 1897.  Would it be possible for you to post a picture of that page? 
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 07, 2013, 03:01:37 pm
I saw this in Conwy today and I thought of you. She's the "Helen II". Looks like a complete piece by piece rebuild.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 07, 2013, 04:10:54 pm
I saw this in Conwy today and I thought of you. She's the "Helen II". Looks like a complete piece by piece rebuild.
Jerry.

Nice!  I saw a couple in the sea 'round North Wales but not this one.  Why have you posted the picture upside down?

Progress here has slowed almost to a stand-still as I'm pouring my efforts into building a new canoe right now - full size, giant model building!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 07, 2013, 04:59:54 pm
It's not upside down. The grey planks are the old originals. They've replaced the keel assembly complete, then they replace the timbers and finally replace the planks. That way they keep the shape and end up with a new boat. The council's paying I think.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: boatmadman on February 07, 2013, 05:53:06 pm
It's not upside down.
Jerry.

Hmm, the sky is upwards where I live.. :-)) ..
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 07, 2013, 06:03:22 pm
You've got me puzzled now. This is a screen shot of my page. Is yours different. My keel on the bottom.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on February 07, 2013, 06:19:50 pm
Did you select 'Antipodean' before posting  O0   O0   O0


Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: mrpenguin on February 07, 2013, 10:20:43 pm
I am in Australia - looks  OK to me (grin)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 08, 2013, 09:29:06 am
The plot thickens!  This is my screen shot...

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/screenshot_zpsa921e835.jpg)

 %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 08, 2013, 09:46:39 am
How very strange! How many other pics on here are inverted? It might explain some of the confusion and strange replies seen on here. I've probably mentioned on this thread earlier but just in case, I used to sail on a nobby out of Pwllheli called "Nancy". She was converted for cruising with a coach roof. She had an 18 bhp Petter twin diesel mounted on the center line driving a wing screw on the starboard quarter via 5 linked belts acting as reduction gear. She carried a tops'le but there was only one guy available with the experience to set it so not used very often. She looked great when all sail set.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Netleyned on February 08, 2013, 10:24:26 am
Might be ok in the Southern Hemisphere, but at 53.33' North in both East and West Hemispheres it be assupwards  %% %%


Ned
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: vnkiwi on February 08, 2013, 10:50:58 am
is upside down in NZ, as well   :-))
cheers
vnkiwi
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on February 08, 2013, 11:15:30 am
Upside down here too  %)
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Neil on February 08, 2013, 11:24:56 am
And in Fleetwood where we used to build 'em, sometimes upside down tooo %% %% %% %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 08, 2013, 11:42:19 am
We haven't all slipped into the Twilight Zone, have we?   :o
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Norseman on February 08, 2013, 02:24:00 pm
I think we should meet up and chat about it over a pint  O0
Just having a problem deciding where would be central to us all?

Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Stavros on February 08, 2013, 10:10:19 pm
How very strange! How many other pics on here are inverted? It might explain some of the confusion and strange replies seen on here. I've probably mentioned on this thread earlier but just in case, I used to sail on a nobby out of Pwllheli called "Nancy". She was converted for cruising with a coach roof. She had an 18 bhp Petter twin diesel mounted on the center line driving a wing screw on the starboard quarter via 5 linked belts acting as reduction gear. She carried a tops'le but there was only one guy available with the experience to set it so not used very often. She looked great when all sail set.
Jerry.

Jerry can you remeber if Nancy was registered Co 123 asa Grandfather has a Nobby and was called Shrimp Girl, I am just wondering if she has been renamed .It was defo in the 70's as I used to go lobster fishing with him on her,and rember well sailing down towards Butlins camp with him and my parents under Full sail....HAPPY DAYS indeed
 
 
Dave
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 08, 2013, 11:27:00 pm
Stav, this was late 50s early 60s she wasn't registered as a fishing vessel but previously would have been CO. she was owned by Peter and Joyce Chadwick. Peter is famous for getting his hand caught in the belts and ripping all the fingers off. My dad wrapped his hand in a tea towel and put the fingers in a packet of frozen peas and drove him to Bryn Beryl. The little one was missing so while the doc sewed his fingers back on dad rushed back to the boat to look for the pinky only to find Suzy the Jack Russell licking her lips and looking sheepish so he lost that one. Miraculously the operation was a success and he regained the use of his replaced fingers over the next few months.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Stavros on February 08, 2013, 11:34:54 pm
Thanks Jerry Now why do the Chadwicks Names ring a bell with me.....I can reacall Grandfather (William Gould) who used to be a Cox of the Pwllheli Lifeboat recalling a story of the fingers as if he was here now and I wasnt to go...in HIS WORDS.....RUDDY NEAR THE ENGINE
 
 
Dave
Title: Adventures in Sail Making
Post by: rmaddock on June 26, 2013, 12:51:39 pm
Hello All!

I'm back!

I've started sailmaking  :o   Probably not very well but, hey ho!

I'm using straightforward cotton sheeting and cotton thread.  The fabric's been dyed what look a reasonable colour and I've started sowing false seams onto the mainsail.  My reading tells me that traditional English sail panels were 24" wide.  At my scale, and allowing for seams, that's as close to 60mm as makes no difference.  So, 60mm they are.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2013_06_26_1359_zps971b26d7.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/user/rbm109/media/Nobby/2013_06_26_1359_zps971b26d7.jpg.html)

For once, the sewing machine's cooperating.  It's not the best stitching but I'm pleased enough for a first attempt.  Yes, I know that  the stitching should also be coloured. Tough!  Anyway, it looks rather smart like this.

Next, I'm working on the hems at the edges.  I've allowed for a 4mm hem - far too big for scale but realistically achievable.  I've found that I can press an edge in against my long metal ruler using the iron.  It makes the hemming slightly less fiddly.  Then I've sown and overlocked the hems....well hem.  I've only done one so far.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2013_06_26_1360_zpsb5d9dfd4.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/user/rbm109/media/Nobby/2013_06_26_1360_zpsb5d9dfd4.jpg.html)

I had to make the sails at this point as I need to fettle all the rigging and tackle and I need something to hold all of that in place  O0
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 04, 2014, 07:11:18 pm
Goodness, my build log has dropped of the first page  :o   Time I got on with it  <*<

The delay has been down partly to my spending time building a canoe and partly to my foolishly having caught a job...as a primary school teacher.  It's taking up rather a lot of my time but I decided that I must squeeze some modelling in somewhere to keep myself sane.

So, I have progressed a bit with the sails.  I managed to get a device for installing ridiculously small eyelets and have employed it on the mainsail to not un-pleasing effect.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/2014_02_01_2598_zps5b8f5d7b.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/user/rbm109/media/Nobby/2014_02_01_2598_zps5b8f5d7b.jpg.html)

It's now bent onto the gaff and mast in a scale manner...although the gear for attaching the ends of lines isn't there yet so there are a few ugly knots.  The sail looks much better now that it's stretched out properly.

If I could just sort making the jib and stay sail I'd be in business.....except for all the other jobs.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 04, 2014, 08:43:37 pm
Overlocking! Now there's posh for you isn't it boyo. Welcome back matey. Work is the curse of the modelling classes. When you coming by yer then?
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: longshanks on February 04, 2014, 10:55:13 pm
Looking good

" a device for installing ridiculously small eyelets " .  .  .  . do please explain!

Its a problem I've come up against with  my cutter

Cheers longshanks
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 05, 2014, 02:07:55 pm
" a device for installing ridiculously small eyelets " .  .  .  . do please explain!

I got a set of these: http://www.fiskars.co.uk/Crafting-Sewing/Products/Punches/Eyelet-Setter/3133-Eyelet-Setter-Pack

I ordered them from somewhere across the pond via a certain auction site...much, much cheaper than buying locally.  I've only tried out the 1/16th one yet but it seems to work very nicely.

I think the eyelets are too fine for the cloth I'm using though.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Brian60 on February 08, 2014, 11:45:20 am
Nice to see the build progressing again and look forward to seeing more of it.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 22, 2014, 04:11:39 pm
This week I am mostly......

.....sewing bolt rope onto a stay sail.

(http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq277/rbm109/Nobby/IMAG0992_zps088d3fdf.jpg) (http://s455.photobucket.com/user/rbm109/media/Nobby/IMAG0992_zps088d3fdf.jpg.html)

This is not the most gripping of tasks but is a constant reminder of how my eyesight is no longer what it was. <:(

I've had a problem with the sails in that they stretch when I've been machining the hems.  This has lead to me having to try and scrunch them up again as I attach the bolt rope - hence the safety pins and lines of running stitch.  Not the most elegant effect.

I'm giving the DIY sails a proper go though before throwing in the towel and letting somebody professional make them for me.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: dreadnought72 on February 22, 2014, 07:53:26 pm
Boltropes!

I know that horror.

What I did for Racundra's boltropes was to gently stretch the sail (using two clamps) "beyond" the edge of a piece of wood. I then stretched the boltrope gently taut so that it lay next to the hem. And then sewed about a foot at a time.

The end result? Boltropes firmly attached to the hems, and no tendency for either the sail or rope to pinch the other.

But it is a frustrating task, I grant you.

Andy
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 23, 2014, 11:01:33 am
Andy, That sounds an interesting idea.  However, the amount of stretch in my ropes seems very little compared to the amount in the fabric.  I'm not sure I could stretch the rope far enough.

The next time I make any (ha!) I'll try using thin strips of bias binding along the edges before sewing. Next time  %%
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Brian60 on February 23, 2014, 01:09:47 pm
I've got all this to come on my build :embarrassed: Maybe I should defer to she who must be obeyed and let her do the stitching :-)) Keep us updated on how the sewing goes!
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: Jerry C on February 23, 2014, 01:22:35 pm
Suggest, when you sew the hems use short length, narrow width zigzag stitch. Let the machine feed the material while you guide it. Don't hold back on the material, just steer it. Take it slow, it's much quicker than hand sewing. Finally pre-stretch the bolt ropes for a couple of days by hanging them from the ceiling with a weight on the bottom. There is a stitch on most machines that sends one stitch wider than the rest which if used with a special foot will guide material and rope and can be set to pick up the rope every few stitches. Because they both go through the machine together they both pick up the same stretch. Takes a bit of practice though.  Love the colour.
Jerry.
Title: Re: Nobby - Morecambe Bay Prawner
Post by: rmaddock on February 23, 2014, 04:37:40 pm
Thanks for the pointers Jerry.  Unfortunately, the problem occurred earlier, at the folding and pressing of the hems stage.  They were already stretched by the time the sewing machine was brought too bear......and I did use a machine. I'm not a total nutter.  O0 %%