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[Tritsch]

Having finally managed to find out how to resize photos (and hopefully they are the correct size) I thought I would say a bit about the model drifter I am making.

It all started with getting a plan MM2396 of the Pride o' Fife (steam trawler/drifter) three years ago then getting it photocopied down to size to build a waterline model for my OO scale model railway. Then earlier this year I thought I would build a radio controlled 1/32 scale one. Apart from building a couple of aero engined model hydroplanes over 50 years ago, my boat building experience is limited to finishing off a part-completed Billing's L'Etoile that a friend gave me a couple of years ago. 

I had read an article about building a tug "Craig" where the hull was planked in balsa and then fibreglassed, so I used this technique for the hull and so far have made the hull, fitted the motor etc, bought a Planet T5 which correctly wiggles the rudder and starts and stops the motor and am now starting on the deck and superstructure. I m learning as I go along with the help of this forum and magazine articles etc, so far lots of mistakes but nothing serious (I think)

I've attached a photo of the OOscale boat and where I'm currently at with the 1/32 sized one.

You'll have to excuse the mess on my work table

Tony Tritschler
Bungendore NSW

 

[DickyD]

Doesn't appear to be anything wrong with either of those models. Excellent.

Keep the photos coming as you progress, we love photos.

[dougal99]

Mess what mess?


Good work and nice photos, but mess ohhh no

[Tritsch]

It's a while since I wrote and progress has been made, deck fitted and other bits and pieces made

I'm trying things for fit here.  This is the new transparent funnel look - it was actually a tube of buttons originally (my wife put me onto them as a source of tubes).
I've also got a bit further with the deck and wheelhouse


Now for a question hopefully someone can help.

I have looked at I don't know how many pictures of steam trawlers and drifters, but find that few pictures show an anchor or how the anchor was held/lowered etc. A few pictures show a "davit" as for lifeboats right in the bows, but the majority show nothing. How did they raise and lower the anchor and where did they keep it?

Tony T

[octo]

To Tony NSW; Have you still got the article on CRAIG, it sounds interesting,if you have could you
 post  it somehow. the build you're on with looks very good  Tony UK

[Tritsch]

After looking at the photos I posted earlier tonight I realised that they are a bit out of date so here's the latest  - photo taken this evening.

Re the article on Craig, it was in the winter 2008  Tug and Warships Special of the Model Boats magazine.  It's an 11 page article.  Back copies are probably available. If you cann't get it then give me an  email and I'll see what I can do.

Tony

[rathikrishna]

Hai Friend...its a great looking craft...will you add some more pics here..?

[wbeedie]

This is my grandfathers old drifter most vessels would have used the capstan to haul the anchor up the the crew would lift it over the side and stow it near the bow of the vessel not  the best of pics to show but good for the stern detailing, this is an ex admirility drifter HMD Horizon built by Hall and Lewis Aberdeen in 1918 and so;d out of sevice in 1948

[Tritsch]

Thanks for the information about the anchor, I 've had difficulty finding a photo showing the anchor(s). I   did find pictures of a kit that shows what looks like a davit similar to a lifeboat one at the bow for lifting the anchor on board, but whether they all had this I doubt from the pictuures I've seen. 

(Just for interest our Oxford dictionary has as its first meaning for a davit  " a crane at ship's bows for hoisting anchor clear of side" and only secondly for ship's boats)   

I've made more progress, getting close to finish, still more rigging, ballasting, a case to make for it  and bits and pieces to do,  the main job being to make the dinghy/open boat, but now I've got the crew on board (courtesy George Turner)  things should move a bit quicker.

Tony

[tigertiger]

Lovely model, and for my mind a great subject. I love the lines of the old drifters.

[Tritsch]

Did you hear my sigh of relief. I have just managed to take the boat off the mould. I've never tried making an open boat like this before and wasn't sure whether waxing the mould with Dubbin would stop the glue sticking everything to the balsa mould or whether it would work. Well it worked although I had to cut away a lot of the mould before I could get it out of the boat.

Now it needs a bit of tiding up and finishing off. Its a bit bigger than it should be, about 14'6" instead of 13' 10"  (remember next time to make the mould even smaller), but it fits the space - just.

Tony T

[rathikrishna]

WOW..great work..

[Tritsch]

Well I have finally finished making my drifter and after having a bit of a carry on getting her ballasted OK I took her down to the farm dam this afternoon and she went fine.  It was a very calm day and the reflections were perfect, although the dam has gone down as we've had little rain over the last couple of months. Anyway I didn't get hooked up on the weed that's starting to show its heads above the water in places and I was very satisfied with my first R/C boat.

I've attached a couple of photos I took today.

Next model is the Cerberus, I've got the plans and some plywood for the frames, so now Leila is finished I'll get started on it.

Tony   

[Niall]

That looks very nice