Topic: "Northumbrian" (Read 122234 times)

MikeK · « **Reply #75 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:56:09 pm »

My fault Greg

memories of a childhood treat to 'drive' the ferry ! I have just Googled 'what is a cracket' to draw a complete blank so that is an achievement in itself ! A cracket is a small stool. My interpretation is an oblong wooden structure with a flat top and side strengthening pieces and a small banana shaped hole in the middle for carrying purposes. it probably started off as something completely different in the mists of Geordie furniture ! As for the rice pudding I have a vivid mental picture of a small white, with blue enamel piping dish, with a rice pudding in it ; presumably given to the skipper as part of his bait by the missus !
The wheelhouse looks great Bryan, I like the ingenious use of the Araldite top ! I wonder when the ferries had radar fitted, sometime after my rice pudding experience, I bet !

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #76 on:** June 25, 2009, 06:14:24 pm »

I was happy enough with the "bowl" of rice-pudding....but now you want a "wedgewood" version! What next? A silver spoon, or will a pair of chopsticks suffice? .....or, perhaps being the "street urchin" you say you were, maybe fingers were the "tool of the day"?. BY.

Roger in France · « **Reply #77 on:** June 25, 2009, 06:24:20 pm »

Came up Portsmouth Harbour the other day on a ferry from France. Passed by "Fort Grange" and thought of you Bryan....and I was supposed to be on leave from Mayhem !

Roger in France

MikeK · « **Reply #78 on:** June 26, 2009, 08:24:37 am »

Quote from: Bryan Young on June 25, 2009, 06:14:24 pm

I was happy enough with the "bowl" of rice-pudding....but now you want a "wedgewood" version! What next? A silver spoon, or will a pair of chopsticks suffice? .....or, perhaps being the "street urchin" you say you were, maybe fingers were the "tool of the day"?. BY.

Huh ??

Bryan Young · « **Reply #79 on:** June 26, 2009, 05:23:33 pm »

So sorry Mike, I dashed down to the ferry landing stage as quickly as I could. But you had gone. All that was left was an empty bowl and a spoon. At least (being an urchin) you did'nt pinch the stool.

MikeK · « **Reply #80 on:** June 26, 2009, 05:51:04 pm »

Just beautiful ! I feel very honoured - a piece of my childhood locked away for posterity

Hopefully I will get a chance to see the finished model on the water one day
I don't know about pinching the stool, suffice it to say that the blame for any window broken in a 5 mile radius of our house was automatically laid at my feet ( wrongly of course !

)

Thank you Bryan

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #81 on:** June 26, 2009, 07:09:55 pm »

Mike. Right. Now we've got that little lot out of the way, can I please get back to building the ruddy thing!
Spent all day drilling tiny wee holes and stuffing tiny wee eyelets into them (the holes) in the "buoyant" seats. Drilling the holes is no problem...but penetrating the hole is a bit of a hit and miss affair. But such is life. Numerous suggestions have been given to me, ranging from the use of a suitable funnel to an outer ring of a fine but curved filament. None of which really works. So I guess I'm back to using Mk.1 eyeball (note the singular). Of course, I'm still avidly awaiting the arrival of the small boy for his second helping. BY.

DickyD · « **Reply #82 on:** June 26, 2009, 07:21:47 pm »

Excellent Bryan I have been waiting to see how the cracket and bowl of rice would turn out.

catengineman · « **Reply #83 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:09:15 pm »

Quote from: Bryan Young on June 26, 2009, 07:09:55 pm

Mike. Right. Now we've got that little lot out of the way, can I please get back to building the ruddy thing!
Spent all day drilling tiny wee holes and stuffing tiny wee eyelets into them (the holes) in the "buoyant" seats. Drilling the holes is no problem...but penetrating the hole is a bit of a hit and miss affair. But such is life. Numerous suggestions have been given to me, ranging from the use of a suitable funnel to an outer ring of a fine but curved filament. None of which really works. So I guess I'm back to using Mk.1 eyeball (note the singular). Of course, I'm still avidly awaiting the arrival of the small boy for his second helping. BY.

Have you though to use the little tool that dressmakers use to thread needles

MikeK · « **Reply #84 on:** June 27, 2009, 08:31:19 am »

After mini rice bowls a few eyelets should be easy ! Ok, ok only joking !!

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #85 on:** June 27, 2009, 05:07:55 pm »

Quote from: MikeK on June 27, 2009, 08:31:19 am

After mini rice bowls a few eyelets should be easy ! Ok, ok only joking !!

Mike

Sitting here a bit goggle-eyed after fitting 350 of the damn things today. I thought 500 would be sufficient. Wrong. I need another 200 to finish the job. (I forgot about the 6 at each end of the 18 seats ....buggeration). This particular task is becoming something of a test of my fortitude and bloody-mindedness. And I've still got to rig the lifelines through them with "hand-grips" in each loop. Why did I ever start! I'm really at the stage of build where just about everything is a bit of a trial, now the main "structure" is just about complete. As ever, your comments (and those of others) help immensly...even if only to give me a bit of a giggle. BY.

MikeK · « **Reply #86 on:** June 28, 2009, 09:00:20 am »

As long as you are still talking to us that's the main thing ! I can't quite picture what the eyelets are representing on the rafts but no doubt we will see on the next update. Was it those ferries that had the wooden bobbin thingies on the bight of the grablines, or maybe I have seen them elsewhere

Sorry it's a bit early and I didn't read your posting fully re the handgrips/bobbins - it was those ferries !. That will be off to the handicraft shop for suitable beads ? I made the rollers around the gaff jaws on the barge with them (parells are they called ?) They were a nice dark brown and cost very little for thousands of them !

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #87 on:** June 28, 2009, 06:37:05 pm »

Quote from: MikeK on June 28, 2009, 09:00:20 am

As long as you are still talking to us that's the main thing ! I can't quite picture what the eyelets are representing on the rafts but no doubt we will see on the next update. Was it those ferries that had the wooden bobbin thingies on the bight of the grablines, or maybe I have seen them elsewhere
Sorry it's a bit early and I didn't read your posting fully re the handgrips/bobbins - it was those ferries !. That will be off to the handicraft shop for suitable beads ? I made the rollers around the gaff jaws on the barge with them (parells are they called ?) They were a nice dark brown and cost very little for thousands of them !

Mike

Yep. Thats them. Except that I couldn't get brown ones so mine are a sort of iridescent turquoise..they have to be painted black anyway. The 1mm eyelets do exactly the same job as they do on a ships lifeboat....hold the grablines together. Normally I don't do any modelling on a Sunday (shades of Merlina Moucouri), but I'm a bit fed up with reading all the things I never wanted to know about somebody called Jackson. BY.

Bryan Young · « **Reply #88 on:** June 28, 2009, 09:53:24 pm »

Quote from: catengineman on June 26, 2009, 09:09:15 pm

Quote from: Bryan Young on June 26, 2009, 07:09:55 pm
Mike. Right. Now we've got that little lot out of the way, can I please get back to building the ruddy thing!
Spent all day drilling tiny wee holes and stuffing tiny wee eyelets into them (the holes) in the "buoyant" seats. Drilling the holes is no problem...but penetrating the hole is a bit of a hit and miss affair. But such is life. Numerous suggestions have been given to me, ranging from the use of a suitable funnel to an outer ring of a fine but curved filament. None of which really works. So I guess I'm back to using Mk.1 eyeball (note the singular). Of course, I'm still avidly awaiting the arrival of the small boy for his second helping. BY.

Have you though to use the little tool that dressmakers use to thread needles

Yes I have. But that little gizmo will only come into play when I start reeving the things. Ta for the thought. BY.

Bryan Young · « **Reply #89 on:** June 29, 2009, 06:00:45 pm »

Mike: so sorry to read that the little grey cells have forgotten how grab-lines were (are?) fitted. Perhaps this will jog the memory. Also remember that all the visible fittings you see here are on all 4 sides and "double-layered".

MikeK · « **Reply #90 on:** June 29, 2009, 06:20:15 pm »

Thanks Bryan, I was thinking more of lifeboat grablines, it all becomes obvious from the photo. I had a bit of a start when I saw the kid at the aft end, but then thought it couldn't have been me with that posh coat and no raggy ar--d trusers. He must have been from the North Side !

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #91 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:27:12 pm »

The young lad is the son of the photographer. The photographer was Bill Thompson (normally known as Cap'n Bill) of TMBC. Bill built a model of the Northumbrian entirely out of tin plate some 30 years ago. Without his contemporary photos I would have had a real uphill battle with "only" the builders drawings to rely on. Bills model was (is) at 1:36 scale. Bill was also quite well known for his humorous and informative articles in the late 1970s issues of Model Boats. He's still an active member of TMBC although he must be approaching his 120th birthday by now. But truly, I couldn't have built my model without his input. BY.

Bryan Young · « **Reply #92 on:** July 07, 2009, 08:21:12 pm »

Time for another update for those who are interested. Seems to have been a lot of work and time for little result. Tried to grab a few "rays" between noisy "showers", but constantly forced to retreat to the workshop.
A niggle. Why can't I buy a paintbrush of quality that just fits a Humbrol tin? I'm fed up with shaving the larger ones and then not being able to reach near the bottom of the tin.
Still searching for decent quality "G"scale figures (unpainted)...but not metal ones. As I need a lorry for the deck, I think I'll buy one of the "EMHAR" Bedfords. Look good to me.
The pics:-
2488a & b show seat layout, painted and ready for rigging. One is completed. (The missing one on the stbd side is being worked on). The longer seats are 7" long and have 68 of those little eyebolts each. Never again.
2489a
Pillars fitted (removeable if required). Handrails around stairs done. Not happy with the top one on the port side, but it was well and truly fixed when I noticed the "droop". Happens to all of us I suppose, at one time or another.
Funnel bands fitted. 2 layers of overlapping "strip" topped with half-round section. The for'd rails have yet to be extended to the wheelhouse

MikeK · « **Reply #93 on:** July 08, 2009, 07:35:45 am »

Now I understand the eyelet 'trials' even more ! She's looking beautiful if that's the right word for a hard working old lady, every picture evokes a quick flash of memory of some trip over the river.
One thing, just how are you going to manhandle this large girthed lady into the lake ? It looks a bit much for one person ?

regards

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #94 on:** July 08, 2009, 05:32:23 pm »

Thanks again Mike. Heaving it around is not a big problem although a bit of a clart. Lift the funnel and the back end of the passenger deck lifts off. Inside the "engine room" area is a fixed handle. Lift that and the whole upper deck lifts off. Leaving an empty hull. 2 spring loaded handles fitted to bulkheads enables the hull to be transported to wherever (the water I hope....if the council have cleared the weed before it's ready for launch). Once in the water the ballast can be put in, deck replaced and the funnel deck plonked back on. And away we go. The bare hull with motors is only about 15-20 lbs. However, I'm debating (with myself) the feasability of building a launching trolley. I guess launching from a trolley wouldn't be too difficult, but recovery may take some practise! Made the funnel "top hat" today from aluminium. Nice sharp edges to catch poking fingers! Cheers. Bryan.

MikeK · « **Reply #95 on:** July 09, 2009, 08:33:21 am »

Well you certainly thought ahead (must try it myself sometime !) Following the 'to the lake procedure' conjured up that ad on the tv for the car that transforms to a robot and then back again

Has the Tynemouth lake got sloping sides ? I cannot remember, if it has then a trolley may be preferable to a dunking if the sides are slimy

Looking forward to the next update

Mike

Bryan Young · « **Reply #96 on:** July 19, 2009, 07:57:22 pm »

Willing to chance another poetic epistle from "Bluebird"...
Pic 2410a just shows how it's coming together.
2498a is the "Fire Engine" as it was called in 1930 (and wasn't ever updated as far as I know. From the looks of it I would think it was a steam device. Could be wrong. I would have thought that water / foam would have been better, but who knows.
2508a ..the stbd. seats are more or less done.

MikeK · « **Reply #97 on:** July 20, 2009, 08:10:24 am »

Looks better and better, Bryan. When she's finished I bet the Shields Gazette/Cookson Country (and the local Northside evening paper ?) would be interested in taking some pictures for publication, there's a lot of Tynesiders still around with very fond memories of those ferries.

Mike

gondolier88 · « **Reply #98 on:** July 20, 2009, 02:33:18 pm »

Just wonderful Bryan- having never seen these boats your model leave nothing to the imagination- can just see the pall of smoke puthering from the funnel on a drizzly day on the Tyne as the Morris minors, Minis, Austins, ERFs etc roll on and off.

Do you weather your models artificially or will you leave the weather to do it for real?

Greg

PS thanks for the explanation of a cracket mike.

MikeK · « **Reply #99 on:** July 20, 2009, 03:07:36 pm »

You are welcome Greg, I never realized it was so little known until on here.

Mike

News:

Author Topic: "Northumbrian" (Read 122234 times)

Roger in France

catengineman