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[Lochen]

A mortal sin.................I havent done any real work on this project for a few months now. I've lost interest I guess....................so,

She's up for grabs folks, very much as seen in the pictures although the main cabin top is now in primer and the wheel house cabin has had brass handrails and new window glass fitted and been varnished.

All the bits are present although some of the smaller parts are broken. The old transom has been removed and retained as a pattern for the new one, as has the deck.

THIS IS A DONATION project for someone, so she's FREE. Just cover my postage costs and she'll belong to the first individual to post in here, the main thread, so all is transparant, fair and visible.

Cheers
Barry

[gondolier88]

Hi Barry,

PM sent regarding the model- I would prefer not to discuss details on the forum.

Greg

[kno3]

I hope someone will take it and finish it, it's too nice to be left like that.

[Lochen]

Looks like Greg might be interested, will let everyone know soon

[Lochen]

Yup. It now belongs to Greg 

Thanks to anyone else who showed interest.

[Underpressure]

Greg, you had better keep us posted on the continued restoration 

I was VERY tempted, but I REALLY don't need another project right now, what with the Puffer and the River Queen and the launch and the..........

Neil

[gondolier88]

Hmmm I might do Neil, wouldn't want to distract you from your projects though!


With Barry's permision I would like to carry the thread on that he has started- it's the same boat after all and it would be handy to have the full restoration recorded at the same place.

Upto you Barry?

Greg

[Lochen]

Absolutely Greg! I was going to ask that you do just that.

First things first though, Ive been responding to your pms but you dont appear to be getting them.

Im packing the boat and all the bits up tonight and it will on its way to you by Tuesday at the latest

Cheers
Barry

[mogogear]

Such nice forum courtesy Barry to help keep a boat on the road back to the water.

.Good Luck greg I will enjoy watching the progress

[Lochen]

Has it arrived Greg?

I know it was later then anticipated being posted, apologies for that, just let me know it arrived safely.

Ta
Barry

[gondolier88]

Hi Barry, Everyone,

Sorry to take so long getting back- only just got broadband on after moving 5 weeks ago- BT employ some people that can only be described as idiots!

The boat arrived safely, again thanks very much Barry, a very generous and difficult to execute gesture, and the amount of protective cardboard was very impressive indeed!

I have spent a few nights since it's arrival working on it and thinking of the layout that will best suit it being steam powered eventually.

First I must explain to people that Barry had made a really wonderful start on the boat- removing the transom, horrible deck, priming the superstructure and sorting out most of the fittings, including the wonderful model Hotchkiss 6 pounder- all cast brass and even has scale recoil action and loadable locking breach!!!

I must say I wasn't expecting the boat to be quite so large, or built so heavily- a real scale build. However, the way in which the boat had been built and finished left a lot to be desired- the planking had huge gaps in it (although it is triple planked so it wouldn't have leaked (badly!?) ), the decks were thin fragile plywood that had 'biro' decking and the transom, well the picture speaks for itself!

The tinplate superstructures are a real rarity and will look great when finished, although I've taken the very controversial decision not to use the tinplate stern cabin that came with the boat, again wonderfully detailed, but it's construction was pretty slapdash, so I've recycled the beautifully replanked (thanks Barry) curved roof and put teak sides on as per the original.

So, apart from cleaning the hull thouroughly of the awful bitumenous fibreglass stuff on the outside and the aluminium motor bed and bits and pieces in the hull that's pretty much where I'm upto at the moment.

I've included a couple of pics of the test tank at the bottom of our garden, sorry, the River Crake at the bottom of our new garden!

Greg

Pics are to follow this reply.

[gondolier88]

First couple

[gondolier88]

Just to give a sense of scale, the old boiler in the pictures is 10" x 4.5" dia.

[gondolier88]

A few more...

[gondolier88]

And the test tank

[Underpressure]

Never mind the boat (very nice BTW), with a test tank like that you need a fly rod 

[mogogear]

Your replacement work on the transom looks wonderful

[gondolier88]

Thanks guys, not a fisherman myself, but we get migratory trout coming up from Greenodd and the Furness, my manager on Gondola has a licence to catch them so i'll be nabbing one if he catches a couple!!!!

The transom needs the vertical planking finishing and then I have ripped some thin seasoned oak veneers to diagonally finish it as per the full size practice.

Greg

[benjaml1]

Looks great.... 

[gondolier88]

You know, the more I work on this boat the more I feel I need to do the right thing by it- so I've been doing some research into the original spec of the full size pinnaces- or as mine has a gun on it- a 'picket boat'.

Some digging on Wiki' on the steam plant drew some very interesting diagrams of the original boiler (I have included the diagrams- copyrights with Wikipedia)- a Mumford 3-drum WT with coal firing then changed to oil firing.

I have also found that there is a treatise on 'Steam Picket Boats of the Royal Navy' by N B J Stapleton, so i've found a copy on Amazon for £35- original signed copies are now going for £120+ so I think I got a bargain. Hopefully this will allow me to make the model as realistic as possible, and also should be an interesting read.

Greg

[kiwimodeller]

I have wanted to build the Picket Boat version for several years, talked to Metcalf Mouldings and then to Models by Design obout the 50" glass hull but each time the freight costs killed the idea. While doing so I did a bit of looking for other plans etc and found an article and plans in Model Shipwright about the 46' Admirals Barge version which looked the same at first glance, even to the gun mount, but had a counter stern rather than a straight transom and also had an ornate carving of a fish on either side of the back of the cabin. Obviously there were several variations on the theme. Very jealous of your good fortune in acquiring such an unusual model of a great looking (in my opinion) boat. Keep up the good work posting the story of the rebuild. Cheers, Ian.

[gondolier88]

Hi Kiwi,

This is an offer to you, and anyone else if there is sufficient interest-

I can take the lines off this lovely model and transfer them either as a physical drawing in the post- or if you are familiar with Delftship I could send you a file of the plans for the boat after i've put in the offsets?

My prefered method is drawing, but as I say, if there is sufficient interest I will upload the offsets onto Delftship and email them.

Greg

[kno3]

I'd love to have a Delftship drawing of the boat, thanks for the offer!

[boatmadman]

Nice project Greg, are you going to build a suitable scale boiler as well?

Ian

[gondolier88]

Hi Kno3,

Well, you make one person, if I can get another five interested I will do it- taking offsets is such a bore so I need some incentive- unless a drawing would be acceptable?

Ian,

Yes, I would very much like to make a scale Mumford 3-drum WT boiler, it wouldn't actually be such a difficult proposition, and I prefer watertube boilers anyway- just need a reliable feedwater plan...!

Greg