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[RickF]

Thanks guys.

I have the drawing of the tubes (see below), so I know the dimensions etc. What is not clear is how they rotated around the fixed conning tower. There is a track on the deck, with wheels or rollers under the tubes, but no details of how the assembly pivots. I've tried Googling, but there is virtually nothing on these early 14" tubes.

Rick

[Stavros]

Why don't you contact the Naval Archives at Chatham Dockyard they surely will be able to help

[RickF]

Good idea Stavros, I'll drop them a line. I could do with another visit there - haven't been since HMS Gannet moved in! I've also contacted Explosion at Priddy's Hard.

Rick

[RickF]

OK guys, we've got the torpedo tubes underway - just waiting for info from the museums (don't hold your breath!).

What about the plating? Any ideas? I know RonH plates his with lithoplate, but what else has anyone used? Is it effective? is it worth it? are rivets visible at 1:48? Individual plates or strips along the hull? Somebody must have some opinions - "Mayhemers" usually do!

Rick

[Engineman]

What about the plating - for sure the hull should have it! The rivets are not visible at 1/48 as originally they had flat 'hats'. I will send you some photos of a torpedo boat of this era (french model). I guess this will help.

[White Ensign]

Rick, plating should be scale 1:48- but rivets will be definately not visible. Though in my opinion there is no need to make them.
About the plating- you could use litho but I wonder if this will be a boat for the glass-cabinet or for the pond. If for the pond, Litho-plate will be the first choice. If not, take standard sticker-tape (for adress-prints or similar) place them on the hull and paint them over. I have tried it, it works perfectly for me.

Hope this was out of any help,
Jörg

[RickF]

Thanks, Roman and Jörg. Your help, as ever, is appreciated.

This will be a - hopefully - working R/C model. I had thought to do the plating with styrene, or heavily varnished/resined card.

Rick

[White Ensign]

Rick, I am not sure if Card will be fine as the surface needs lots of sealing shifts......
But one thing came up to me: Have a try with the foil they use for commercial uses (to cut out companies names)... I know that it tapes like hell and is very easy to apply. Just have a try before if you can paint it and with which colour.

Hope it was an ignition....
Jörg

[RickF]

While we’ve all been in limbo over the last few days, there has been no excuse not to work on TB80. In fact, there is quite a bit to catch up on, once we get the "attach picture" facility back

I contacted Explosion at Priddy's Hard and Chatam Dockyard about the torpedo tubes. Had an acknowledgement from Explosion but nothing else so far. Perhaps I will have to take out a second mortgage and contact the National Maritime Museum!

As regards the plating, I am also building a 1:32 free-lance paddle tug (found an old hull that looked the part, so dived in). I intend using this as a bit of a test-bed for different materials. Roman - looking forward to seeing those photos you promised.

More to follow

Rick

[White Ensign]

Rick, there might be a source which could be out of help in the torpedo-tube case:
There is a weapon-museum in an old Fort in Essex, close to the Thames. Being a gog I have forgotten it`s name as I had been there this year in June. Although I have found a source for you which might be out of interest- hope you`ll find there what you need.
Try: http://www.dockmuseum.org.uk/text_only/links_text.htm

If you don`t succeed, leave me a note and I will contact my shipmates from the SWA.

Jörg

[Stavros]

White Ensign is it Coalhouse Fort that you mean,see even us Welshmen know this,and also did you know there are 2 lake available FOC for sailing on there,but beware they are sea water

[White Ensign]

Stavros, clever guy  ! That`s it!

[RickF]

Thanks guys,

I have contacted Barrow dock museum as Jörg suggested. Since I live in Norfolk I might have a drive down to Coalhouse Fort for a look round. Wasn't it on the "Restoration" programme last year?

Rick

[RickF]

Barrow came back to me. Can't help, but suggested I try the Archive at Glasgow University - looks like my research journeys are about to get much longer! I also seem to remember something on a Docklands website regarding the old Yarrow yard, so I'll have a bit of a dig there.

Is it just me, or do others get as much enjoyment out of researching the models as building or sailing them?

Rick

[White Ensign]

Hi Rick, the research is basic for a weel-done model. I enjoy the "hunt" for informations on a boat I`d like to built, even if it took months to get them all together.

Jörg

[gingyer]

hi there
was reading your posts that you are looking for plans/info for your torpedo boat. Yarrows and
the other Glasgow yards did give a large selection of plans to Glasgow University and Glasgow's Mitchell library. My friend got
drawings for a WW2 LST from the university and found them very helpful. 2 things you should know before contacting them though
1) When all the yards on the Clyde shut the drawing were split between the 2 establishments so it may take some time for them to locate the specific drawing required if not destroyed during the war
2) Watch what you order the initial cost of the LST drawings was to be £300+ but when checked my friend found that it was the entire drawings/ specs and other info. when they got the drawings what was actually required ( arrangements, waterlines,etc) it was only about £15

Yarrows shipbuilders Ltd are now Bae Systems Scotstoun and are still going and can be modeller friendly . I have friends that work there will ask them to see if they can get info also for you but they are snowed under with "that heap of C@#p" ( we know it as the Type 45's) and I don't even ask them about the carriers.

have included the web site for the Mitchell library

Colin

     http://www.mitchelllibrary.org/virtualmitchell/

[RickF]

Thanks for your help, Colin. Is there a contact at Scotstoun,should your friend not be able to help?

I will contact the Mitchell Library.

Thanks again

Rick

[gingyer]

Hi Rick
Will see if I can get a name and number for you.

Colin

[RickF]

Hi guys,

Well, Priddys Hard have replied. They tell me that the Naval and Military press have just reprinted a book originally printed in 1889 called "Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare" by Sleeman.  There is mention of the double revolving tube arrangement in there with a drawing.  I have ordered a copy through Abe Books, so we may soon have some information.

Anyway, now pictures are again possible, its time to catch up with the build....

Once the planking is complete and the glue has dried, the next step is to remove the hull from the building board and give it a good thick coat of two-part resin all over the interior.

The primary reason for this is to stiffen the structure. With 1/16” planking it’s very easy to do some serious damage while vigorously shaping and rubbing down!

Secondly, it provides the basis of a good waterproof coating for the hull.

At the same time the motor mount and the stern tube are set in position. The holes for the tube were, of course, pre-drilled in the frames before they were planked. I use a bit of brass tube to align the motor and the shaft

Once that is done, the bow and stern sections are fabricated from scrap balsa and the glue allowed to dry.

Next it’s on to the worst stage of any model - shaping and rubbing down the hull!

Rick

[RickF]

With everything dry and solid, it's time to begin the tedious process of shaping the hull.

First, the bow and stern are carved to shape and the whole structure is rubbed down with coarse sandpaper. Any obvious gaps are filled with car body putty - I like P38, which I buy at the local Halfords. Then the whole thing is rubbed down again, filled, rubbed down, filled, rubbed ……. God, it’s boring!

Between each rubbing, I like to give it a quick spray with primer. Again, I go to Halfords and use their red primer, which is also a good final colour for hull bottoms.

I find that the primer, apart from filling any small imperfections, helps show up major ones.

As a bit of light relief at this point, I built up the sheer in the bows with scrap balsa and added a 1/16” sheet “false deck”. Then it’s back to the filling and sanding!

Rick

[RickF]

Sanding and filling continue, and the hull begins to look like a hull at last. The perceptive amongst you will notice that it has also changed colour. I’m now using Halfords’ filler/primer, which is yellow. The holes in the false deck are for access – at the stern for fixing the prop shaft “A” frame; at the aft conning tower position for installing the steering chains and the big oblong one for access to everything else.

At this point I felt like another break from sanding, so I decided to make the conning towers.

I got some plastic pipe of approximately the right diameter – in this case cistern overflow pipe - and wrapped it with 10 thou plasticard to obtain the right diameter. I roughly built up the domed top with discs of plasticard, then applied Humbrol model filler.

When everything had set, I scraped, filed and sanded it to shape and gave it a coat of filler/primer. It was at this point that I realised I had assumed that the forward and aft conning tower were the same diameter. They are not. So I scrapped off the least accurate of the two and started again from scratch for the larger aft tower.

BTW, the book "Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare" by Sleeman arrived today. It turns out that the drawing of the double revolving torpedo tube is, in fact, the original of the GA of Torpedo Boat No 80, traced by Edgar March, which I used to produce my plans. Consequently it shows no more detail than I already have. Oh well, the book itself is quite interesting!

Rick

[White Ensign]

Hi Rick- go on and keep us informed! And keep your good spirit and skill! 

Jörg

[RickF]

Thanks Jörg, I think that I will have to “do my own thing" for the rear torpedo tubes, based on what drawings and photos I have got.

A few diversions from the project over the last few days, but I did a little metal-work and built the prop shaft “A” frame and fabricated a rudder assembly. The picture shows my interpretation of a sophisticated assembly jig!

Again the drawings are a bit sketchy as to how the rudder is hung, but I've got it how I want it. These items are now fitted to the hull. The next job is to build the turtle-deck on the forecastle and fit the cambered deck. Then we can look again at plating!

Rick

[RickF]

The Turtledeck

The first part of building the turtledeck is to construct the framework – 1/8” balsa. This is then skinned with 1/32” balsa.

The conning tower comprises a short parallel portion (built earlier) mounted on a tapered structure. I’m still trying to work out how the crew access this. The observation ports have been added to the tower and the tapered base built up from scrap balsa and roughly carved to shape.

The final picture shows the whole lot in position, with a coat of polyurethane varnish to stiffen things up prior to rubbing down. A bit of “scrap” conning tower is in place so that the real one will fit when it's finished.

[RickF]

A major setback!

I said above that I was still trying to work out the method of crew access to the conning tower. Well, I studied the plans in "Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare" in more detail and realised, yet again, what a bodge Edgar March made of the tracing he did for his book.

It appears that the conning tower is open at the rear and a section of the gun platform is hinged or removable for access!

So, it's scrap off the "solid" conning tower and start a rebuild. We live and learn.

Rick