Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: polobeer on July 30, 2007, 10:47:17 pm

Title: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on July 30, 2007, 10:47:17 pm
Dear Mayhemmers,

Me again with yet another question! Could anyone give me advice about building the Billings Boats St.Canute tug (the plank on frame bit especially). I've never built this type of kit before but I feel confident that I could do it. If anyone has any advice/photos/experiences I'd be very interested to hear.

Cheers
Simon  ??? ::) ???
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: slewis on July 30, 2007, 11:09:58 pm
Simon I think you are looking more for how to plank on frame advice than how to build different models ? Am I right ?

Shane
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on July 31, 2007, 09:27:21 am
Dear Shane,

Thanks for your message! In answer to your question, yes I am looking for assistance with plank on frame construction, but more specifically, I would like to hear about experiences with regards to the subtle aspects of this particular model.

Best wishes
Simon  ;)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on July 31, 2007, 12:27:03 pm
Hi Simon, I built the St Canute about a year ago and there were no particular problems apart from trying to work out the shape of the stern around the prop tube area. I resorted to using filler to get what I thought was the right form. I took a lot of time over the planking and only did a few at a time per side per evening. There is a good illustration and information on this site on the 'Build a Bismark' thread by Martin. It is quite a small model so there is not much room for any extras such as a sound module and speaker. Decide early on if it going to be powered as converting it afterwards would not be easy.  There were some small parts missing from my kit but I was able to replace them by making them on my lathe. The lathe was also useful for getting the parts of the funnel to fit. I also glazed the portholes bu using them as the punch on the plastic sheet over a soft piece of wood. The following are some pictures of my nearly completed model and as you can see it is quite detailed. I must confess that I did not put thread between the deck planks to simulate caulking as I am a bit lazy. Cheers Graham. :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on July 31, 2007, 01:18:53 pm
Hello again Simon. The following are some pictures of the St Canute internals from which you can see the planking and one of her sailing at the Model boat Mayhem weekend. Cheers Graham  :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on July 31, 2007, 02:50:07 pm
Dear Graham,

What a lovely model you've made! It looks superb! Many thanks for your kind assistance here - the information and photos you have provided will be invaluable. It was the stern area of the hull which most concerned me as it must be quite tricky getting the lines/profile just right.

With best wishes
Simon  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on July 31, 2007, 04:49:48 pm
Dear Simon, I am happy to have been be off assstance. If you do decide to go ahead with this model and I can be of help let me know. Cheers Graham. :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: RickF on July 31, 2007, 05:49:33 pm
Simon,

Will you be building "upside down" (keel uppermost) or "right way up". Either way, make sure you use a good firm building board. Get the keel blocked and screwed straight and vertical, then glue the frames in square. Leave plenty of time for the glue to harden before beginning planking.

Try and plank evenly - corresponding planks on each side of the hull. Once again, leave plenty of time for the glue to harden. DON'T RUSH THINGS.

There are several examples of plank and frame builds on the forum, including my own modest effort (Torpedo Boat 80). Everybody has their own way of doing things and most of them work! Good luck.

Rick
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on July 31, 2007, 07:31:32 pm
Dear Rick and Graham,

Both of you have been very helpful indeed, so much so, that I now feel confident enough to have a crack at this attractive tug kit. I really feel the prototype stands out from the crowd with its "unusual" shaped ice breaker bow and quaint livery. One question I forgot to ask was, are there various options for covering the bare wooden hull once sanded, etc to water proof it and protect the wood? If so, which option would be the "easiest"? You will be the first to see my attempts at building the kit! Many thanks to you both, and if I could ask you for advice (should I get stuck in the future), that would be great.

With best wishes
Simon  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on July 31, 2007, 11:21:10 pm
Hi Rick, With this kit the keel is in two parts each half of which is nailed to a board before adding the formers so there are two halves to plank and I started the planking from the deck line down to the keel. It is very important to get the two halves aligned before gluing them together to form the complete hull.

Simon I relied on glue, filler, primer and paint to seal the hull but also lined the inside with nonails adhesive.. Others on this site have suggested otherways of sealing hulls but so far the planking has not moved and she has not sunk or shown signs of taking on water. Good luck with your build. Graham.  :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: RickF on July 31, 2007, 11:33:05 pm
Graham,

Interesting way of doing it! As I said, "everybody has their own way of doing things and most of them work". I have never considered splitting the hull longitudinally, but I can see the logic behind it. Food for thought......

Simon,

Good luck with the build - keep us posted and take some photos. With my hulls, once they are planked, I give the INSIDE a thick coat of two-part resin - I use Z-poxy,which is model aircraft stuff - and use sanding sealer on the outside, followed by primer, rubbing, more primer,more rubbing and so on.
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on August 01, 2007, 09:38:00 am
Dear Rick and Graham,

Many thanks again to you both! I will definitely take photos whilst constructing the model and post them on the forum. The beers are on me fellas!

With best wishes
Simon  :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on August 25, 2007, 11:49:16 am
H Simon, Following up your pm I am posting some pictures of the inside of the St Canute with all the stuff loaded ready for sailing. I hope they are of some help. I will post a copy of the plans next week. Sorry for the quality it was the best I could do with the equipment I have. Cheers Graham. O0
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on August 26, 2007, 10:22:36 am
Dear Graham,

Your internal photos of St.Canute are excellent and very helpful - Many thanks again! Attached are two pictures of my St.Canute just after I won it on Ebay. As you can see it needs a fair amount of work to complete. I've started restoring the model and the third picture shows the first stages of this process, the first coat of green paint (after I gave the boat a thorough cleaning)! Apart from adding missing details and r/c equipment, the hull needs water proofing on the inside as well (which I've been busily working on). I will remove the old "St.Canute" name stickers that can be seen in the photos and paint the name on by hand, plus add the "missing" patch of black paint on the bow. As I progress I will post more photos.

Best wishes, Simon  :D
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on August 27, 2007, 08:15:58 pm
Hi Simon, Thanks for posting the photos of your St Canute. I think she will clean up very well as it looks as if very few parts are missing. So with a winch, rear raised deck and a bit of rigging she will be complete. Cheers Graham. O0
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on August 28, 2007, 08:34:11 am
Good to hear from you Graham. I've continued to sort the boat out over the weekend; another coat of green paint; applying weather-proof PVA glue to the inside of the hull then gloss yacht varnish, and re-fixing some of the fittings. It's beginning to take shape. Photos soon.

All the best
Simon  :D
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on August 28, 2007, 10:51:31 pm
Hi all
I have read the entries on St.Canute, and will enclose a picture from the 50`s showing St.Canute/Sct.Knud with damage to the rudder being towed by 2 small boats!!
Regards
jan
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on August 29, 2007, 11:33:28 am
Dear jan,

Your photos of Sct.Knud are really excellent! Keep them coming because they are very inspiring!

With best wishes,
Simon  O0 O0
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Archibald H. on September 06, 2007, 04:13:07 pm
Hi Simon,
I've finished mine about a month ago:

(http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/3707/vilcadetailgy8.jpg)

You can see more pics of the build here:

http://www.modelbouwforum.nl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=53816

This is an interesting link about the real thing (now called S/S Stockvik).
http://www.tugboatlars.se/Stockvik.htm

And apparently she's back under steam, very impressive:
http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w244/Ackebooa_stockvik/?action=view&current=Stockvikteaser.flv
Some changes I did was making a new cardboard funnel in stead of the plastic one provided and new plastic vents in stead of the brass ones to make her less top heavy. This improved the stability a lot. I replaced the steps on the sides of the superstructure with ladders for easier acces to the inside.

As you can see I renamed her 'Vilcabamba' and have no use for the decals that were included in the kit. If you're interested you can have them. Just let me know.

Lots of succes with the restauration.

Regards, A!H
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on September 06, 2007, 04:50:10 pm
Hi A!H, That looks like a very impressive build. Interesting that you also had problems understanding the construction of the towing hook as I did also and I am not sure I got it right. You have a very good point in replacing the funnel with a less heavy one. I wish I had thought of that. Cheers Graham. O0
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on September 06, 2007, 06:18:06 pm
Dear Archibald H,

Many thanks for your posting and the offer of the decals. I think I'll be alright in this respect, but it was a very generous offer. Your model of "Vilcambamba" looks very nice indeed and the funnel made from card is an interesting idea. Your photos are also excellent (plus the links). I will post some more photos of my rebuild soon so watch this space!

Kind regards and thanks again  :D :D
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Archibald H. on September 06, 2007, 11:44:11 pm
Hey Simon,
no problem, if you change your mind: there not going anywhere for the moment  ;)

@Captain Povey
Yes Graham, that towing hook was a bit of a mysterie. Luckily there are forums, one of the best things on the internet.
I had problems with the stern too. I used balsa blocs to make a form I was satisfied with. I found it impossible to accomplish that with planks . . .
All in all it turned out okay. Still waiting for better weather for it's maiden trip.

Cheers, A!H
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Archibald H. on September 08, 2007, 07:43:42 pm
Hi all,
today I found the time and the right weather. I was surprised about the stability. Very manoeuvrable too, for a rudder of such a small size.
After half an hour the fuse blew :o. Perhaps it had something to do with the speed controller, it happened when I changed rather quick from forward to reverse. Maybe the fuse was rated to low . . .
All in all I'm quite satisfied.

(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/363/vilcafrontkp0.jpg)

(http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2729/vilcaprofkd4.jpg)

(http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6448/vilcabackhb1.jpg)

Regards, A!H.
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on September 08, 2007, 08:46:42 pm
Hi A!H, Very nice pictures there. She looks really good. Shame about the fuse. Perhaps the prop got caught in some weed which momentarily caused an overload? I notice that your model has the front spar fitted. Is that your addition or part of the kit as I did not see it on my plans but have seen it on some other models. The video clip on the Stokvik site is very interesting and I had assumed it had been taken during the journey from England to its present rebuild dock. Cheers Graham. :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on September 08, 2007, 09:16:03 pm
Hi Archibald
Very nice looking model you have there, hope you solve the fuse problem ?

Hi  Graham, the derrick was removed shortly after St.Canute started for Fowey HS along with the fenders, even for some time the lifeboats was removed from the ship, I enclose a photo from Fowey showing St.Canute without the items I just mentioned.
Jan
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on September 08, 2007, 09:29:01 pm
Hi Jan, Thanks for the info about the derrick I do not think I will add one now. O0.  I have looked at the last picture you posted several times and had not noticed the lifeboats had been removed. :embarrassed: Time for a new pair of glasses I think.Cheers Graham  :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on September 08, 2007, 09:40:23 pm
Hi Graham ;)
Thanks for the suggestion to get glasses, but are we talking about the same picture??you better take a second look, because I firmly believe the boats are missing ::)
Jan
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on September 08, 2007, 09:52:09 pm
Hi Jan, Yes perhaps I did not express myself very well. It is me that needs the glasses not you as it was me that failed to see that the boats were missing.  O0 Cheers Graham
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on September 08, 2007, 09:59:49 pm
Hi Graham ;D
Oh yes it it always difficult to know the precise meaning in a foreign language, but when I reread your letter I understood, the first time I just read the words :)
Have a nice evening
Jan
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on September 09, 2007, 09:32:15 am
Hello Archibald H, Captain Povey and janjac!

AH, your photos of "Vilcambamba" look very good indeed; you've painted the model superbly, demonstrating what an attractive little tug Sct.Knud/St.Canute/Stockvik really is. CP, I have been planning to put the front spar/jib on the mast (as seen in several of JJ's excellent black and white photos), even though it may not be prototypical for St.Canute during its China Clay days at Fowey; also, there is another feature that is not included in the Billings kit (as far as I'm aware) which I would like to put on my model, this being the small jib/stabiliser with rigging at the rear of the funnel. You can see it clearly in prototype photos; JJ, have you any idea what this feature is? I think you modelled it on your lovely Sct.Knud?

All the best Fellas and keep those photos coming!!!
Simon  :D :D :D

Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on September 09, 2007, 09:36:59 am
I suddenly seem to be an "Able Seaman" again (I've just noticed it); I was a "Leading Seaman" before the Forum went down recently; any ideas why this is?

Simon  :(
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: Captain Povey on September 09, 2007, 03:41:50 pm
Yes after the shut down Martin realigned some of the catgories. Cheers Graham
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on September 09, 2007, 09:47:12 pm
Hi Simon and all
Thanks for the nice words, I enclose a photo of what you referring to ( I hope) from the original Sct.Knud, and yes I have this feature on my model, the problem with having many photos of the real ship, is that you end up finding lots of details you need to put on your model :laugh:
Jan
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on September 11, 2007, 11:38:52 pm
Dear janjac,

Good to hear from you and many thanks for the photos; yes, that's exactly what I was referring to. Do you know what it is (excuse my ignorance!)?

With best wishes,
Simon  ::)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: janjac on September 12, 2007, 09:45:28 pm
Hi Simon
Nice you could use the pictures , I have many other pictures from the time in Denmark but none of them show any use of the "Flagpole" I think it was placed there to be used for signal flags, I will ask a member of the crew who sailed with Sct.Knud in the 50`s, the next time I talk to him.
Jan :)
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: polobeer on September 13, 2007, 01:45:20 pm
Many thanks for that jan!  ::)

Best wishes
Simon
Title: Re: Billings Boats St.Canute tug
Post by: RobinStobbs on December 29, 2007, 07:38:29 pm
G'day to you all,  My model of the Sct Knud dates back some 37 years and shestill goes strong! She is not to exCT SCAle having been built fron scaled-up plans from a centrefold (!) in, I think, Ships Monthly.  However, I'n not about to fiddle with what I have.  I had the luck to see Knud and go aboard her when she was an exhibit of the sadly belated Exter Maritime Museum - at that time I examines Biiliings kit model and was dismayed to note that this had a circular funnel whereas the vessel has an oval (perhaps an ovoid) sectionn funnel..  I'll post a few pics of my model one of these days.  BTW, I also have a serious problem with models of working boats looking like daddys' plastic yacht and so I have deliberately added scuff marks and deck stains etc to my model.

At present I am about to reach the end of major work on a 1:32 scale model of CF Kayser, one of the twin screw steam tugs of the SAR&H based in Port Elizabeth during her working life.  My magnum opus - over six years and about 2500 hours in tha making she's almost 1450mm LOA and a displacement of 60+kg!!  I'll be posting a couple of pics later.  Should anyone want to make a model of this vessel (or her sister ship T. Eriksen) or the small tug 'William Weller' I have the builder;s drawings and would gladly pass them along.