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Author Topic: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER  (Read 24900 times)

Harald

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Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« on: June 04, 2011, 01:31:12 pm »

Hey out there,
I just received the kit from Mountfleet. In general it looks great, but I have two questions on the hull:
- there is a rubbing strake on the bow which goes up at the aft end. This looks quite uncommon for me. Can anyone proof this as correct for Clyde Puffers?
- The keel and the bottom are not straight/flat. Any hint, how to get this straight? My idea is to glue a strong piece of wood (e.g. 80mm wide, 20mm high) with polyester resin to the bottom?
Brgds,
Harald
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Roadrunner

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2011, 01:40:46 pm »

Not the first time i have seen a mount fleet with a twisted hull and inaccuracies on the mouldings, ( chairman of our clubs doing the danny boy from mount fleet, and hes not been impressed with the issues he's had)

You probably can straighten out the hull with a keel strip  pinning it through the hull ( trim off later) and a combination of bulk heads to keep it in the right shape GRP these parts to the hull and once set the hull should straighten out with any luck.

As for the rubbing strake im not entirely sure if its supposed to be there or not, it may be according to the plan but originaly i don't know i would have assumed they be straight along the hull not angled, but every puffer was different (no two alike) so it could have been on the one the kits based off, maybe some type of strake to aid in breaking ice being at the right high and angle  {:-{ after all it is a 'highlander'
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mikearace

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2011, 03:29:15 pm »

Unless its the camera angle, which it may be, it also seems that the upper most rubbing strake looks as straight as a donkeys hind leg
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Roadrunner

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2011, 03:56:52 pm »

I have to agree, the strake really is "xxxxx" as a fart, not uncommon for mountfleet I'm afraid, i have a feeling they blow the moulding out (compressed air) rather then use split moulds which if they do to early will make the whole thing 'off' as its still setting! i've seen keels bowed upwards you may want to check that, its a sure sign its been blown out rather then split apart, which may be the cause of the issues to start with.
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2011, 08:42:13 pm »

Hey,
the inaccurate hull is the one topic.

First question was, whether the marked strake is correct in general as it is going up from the stem as marked.
From my feeling this looks pretty wrong and I am considering to grind it off.
If somebody has a picture, that proofs it could be, then I can avoid that extra work.

Thanks for hints,

Harald
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Roadrunner

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2011, 08:50:57 pm »

On all photos i have found that would have relevance its not at that angle.. however i did say that it could have been on the one the plans were drawn up from as a possibility to be used as ice breaking no puffer was ever the same and some fitted out to deal with conditions locally to them so its is possible that it was on one at some point....

I spoke with Graham  & Tilly of the Clyder puffer exhibit they host ( they used to post regularly in MB mag) and was explained that puffers were build and modified to suit the needs of location, and loads they worked in. I will see him then on the 25 of this month as there attending our show, i'll be sure to ask if he's seen one with the strake at that angle.

Just google Clyde Puffers and look through the images  and see if you spot one with anything unusual that may give an explanation to its position and angle.

As i said i can only assume it was there as an ice breaking device.
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gingyer

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2011, 09:07:42 pm »

Harald the bow strake will be correct as roadrunner  pointed out each boat was fitted to the needs of the owners.
these ships were designed and used not to be unloaded on piers but on being beached and unloaded when the tide was out then
re-floated at high tide. if the ship was beached that stake could then end up level-ish
possibly allowing horse and carts down to unload with out hitting them.... %)

this picture here of a clyde puffer the strakes go all angles


My advice is it is correct and enjoy your build  :-)) :-))
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Roadrunner

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2011, 09:31:29 pm »

You could very well be right Gingyer, it would not surprise me to see a strake at that angle to stop damage from a horse and cart if beached, but i would have though it be longer as the cart would need to be half way down the hull to take the load off the dereck (think that the right term rather then boom) ?
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2011, 09:34:05 pm »

Hey Roadrunner and Gingyer,
I went through all photos on Clyde Maritime http://www.themackenzies.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/puffers/puffer_index.htm and you are right, there are examples as 'ALFRED' showing what I expected and 'DANE(3)', 'LADY ISLE (2)' having a strake parallel to the ballast water line. So it could be! I guess it is for berthing alongside the pier at ballast but not for ice.
Thanks for your comments.
Harald
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funtimefrankie

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2011, 07:16:56 pm »

Here's one at low tide....
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ooyah/2

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2011, 11:45:06 am »

Hey,
the inaccurate hull is the one topic.

First question was, whether the marked strake is correct in general as it is going up from the stem as marked.
From my feeling this looks pretty wrong and I am considering to grind it off.
If somebody has a picture, that proofs it could be, then I can avoid that extra work.

Thanks for hints,

Harald

Harald,
What you must take into account is that this kit is only representative of a Clyde Puffer, there never was a puffer named HIGHLANDER, the rubbing strakes were there to prevent damage to the hull when berthing at stone quarry slipways and along with the rough  weather in the West Coast to prevent hull damage.
When off loading on beached sand the derrick was used to off load into horse drawn carts and no damage was encountered by the carts.
In all of my researches when I scratch built my Puffer, which is featured in the steam section ,I have never come across the lower bow strake at the angle of yours,
You can have that strake but it is higher  at the bow dropping  to the stern more or less opposite to yours.

Having looked at the Mountfleet web site and the picture gallery the funnel should be at 90 deg to the boiler housing, the windows in the wheel house are wrong and should have much thinner window uprights and the toilet was never up on the bow of the boat but was mounted at the rear of the boat just aft of the boiler room door on the starboard side.

I live in the town KIRKINTILLOCH where many Puffers were built on the canal and we have a very good reference library which features many boats built here and no doubt if the Mountfleet model was further studied more inaccuracies would be found.
If you were to grind off the lower strake it may damage the plating pattern but no doubt you could rebuild them up.

Go ahead and build your model but it would never win prizes as a true to scale model as there never was a full size Highlander.
I don't know what you could do to straighten out the keel.

I hope that this will help you to decide on the inaccurate bow strake.

George.
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ooyah/2

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2011, 11:51:31 am »

Harold,
Here is a link to SPARTAN built at Kirkintilloch.  http://www.smha.org.uk/index.php?pr=Spartan  now at the Maritime Museum at Irvine.

Link to my puffer  Skylight in R&D not steam.  http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=24818.0
George
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2011, 05:48:41 pm »

George,

thanks for you reply.

It is not my goal to do an exact rebuild, but just a boat, that could have been build.
This strake just looks wrong from the angle to me and I ll probably remove it.

Brgds,

Harald
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ooyah/2

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2011, 07:45:19 pm »

Hi Harald.
 Sorry I didn't mean that you were going to build to exact scale but anybody who did wouldn't win any prizes.
Yes the strake looks decidedly odd and like you I would remove it.
It would appear that Mountfleet have taken a bit of artistic licence and designed the Puffer to suit themselves.
I don't know much about this model, what scale is it, all Forth and Clyde canal boats were 66ft long to fit into the lock gates.
I built mine to 1/2" scale giving a boat of 33 inches long and with the steam plant installed it still required quite a bit of ballast to get it down to the water line that I wanted.
Must say that it was a great little sailor, as a young apprentice engineer I used to spend my lunch break talking to the skippers of these little boats that docked at Kingston Dock in the center of Glasgow, dock now filled in and houses built on the site.
I look forward to your build and if I can be of any help let me know.
George.
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2011, 09:56:56 am »

I did it - Could not stay with this strake.

In addition I changed the transom and reduced the shaft bossing to the size of the propeller hub.

To flatten the bottom I glued a 10mm plate to it - at least helped a little. Also a partial bulkhead at aft end of the hatch helped to get the sides straight.

Brgds,

Harald
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2011, 12:23:02 pm »

Looking good, very good!   :-))

What is the new streak made of, plasticard & wood?

Also, you might want to beef up the lower rudder support beam, it's only made of money metal and very prone to bending / damage.
 http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=242.msg38959#msg38959
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #16 on: August 15, 2011, 09:45:21 pm »

Hey Martin,

Grinded the old strake and then first build up the shape with the plates with car filler. For the strake I used bend wood with super glue and then styrene angles glued with something called Ruderer L530. Finally the gaps filled with car filler.

Brgds,

Harald

P.S.
I met Jan some time ago and had a look on your build. This fixed the decision to buy the Highlander.
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Corposant

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2011, 09:41:57 am »

Harald

Impressive work so far! You obviously pay great attention to detail - and I for one am looking forward to watching the rest of the build.

The bilge pump would seem also to indicate that you plan ahead for all eventualities! Are you intending to operate it with an electronic sensor or a float switch?

Mike
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #18 on: August 18, 2011, 01:28:48 pm »

Hey Mike,

the pump is to simulate the cooling water circuit. On most pictures you can see the cooling water outlet.

Just received from the first 'yard trials' on our local 'canal'.

Engine works, steering gear via the chains worked and also the cooling water pump.

As you can see, I modified also the deck house (changed the location of the doors). I want to build an open steering bridge and still looking for sketches/pictures. Does anybody can help??

Brgds,

Harald

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Corposant

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #19 on: August 18, 2011, 03:06:26 pm »

Harald

My mistake! That's a good idea. Presumably you're drawing water in from below the waterline and passing it through a fliter. I'm in the process of fitting a bilge pump in my 1:32 scale Northlight but opted for a windscreen washer pump which turns out to be non self priming! I think it will draw too much current to have it running all the time, even at half voltage.

Your 'canal' makes her look as if she's sailing up the Amazon in the middle of the jungle! Having said that, she looks resplendent.

Your steering arrangement looks very cunning - are you using 2 servo's?

Like you, I have had to re-arrange the deck-house openings but in my case it's to accommodate the steering chain. (I'm also planning to drive the steering wheel with the same servo.)

Keep the pictures coming!

Mike
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #20 on: August 19, 2011, 09:08:59 am »

Hey Mike,

yes, I use two servos (where anyway in the box). It is to have plenty of space for stem generator. Still looking for a good solution on this as well as for a good sound generator.

There is no filter on the pump, just a 'normal' sea chest on port.

Brgds,

Harald

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Cargo

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2011, 06:43:18 pm »

Hello Harald,

good decision to rebuild the rubbing strake  :-))

Looks all good to me so far  :-)
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #22 on: August 21, 2011, 08:23:03 pm »

Hey All,

some progress on the superstructure.

This kit is really not for beginners. E.g. the aft tank. There is just a note on the plan: make a block out of 3 pieces wood. It would not fit to the dimensions. I did from Styrenen boards. I also could not find the description for the ventilator/air intake. The base fits for 8mm Pipe, the head for 6mm. I made a short fillet of 8mm wood and a 6mm brass pipe. There is a 5mm hole through the deck and the whole thing sits on a 5mm brass pipe - gives good strength.
At the steam whistle I cut the pin at the lower end and drilled a 2mm hole to fit the whistle directly on the rod. Now its also nice strong.
Several other bits which do not really fit - but anyway a nice kit!

Harald
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Corposant

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #23 on: August 21, 2011, 11:03:10 pm »

Harald

Impressive progress! Looks really good. Do you have 10 switches across the bulkhead or are they connectors?

Mike
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Harald

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Re: Mountfleet HIGHLANDER
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2011, 07:38:48 pm »

Hey Mike,

I hate to work on the electronics inside the boat. Therefor all electronics are mounted on an extra plate to be put into the forward part of the hold.

The switches are
- main
- receiver
- Motor
- Cooling water pump
- Steam generator
- sound
- whistle
- navigation lights
- other lighting
- spare
The last 7 can be switched by RC or via the manual switches

The idea is to have access to the switches without opening anything. The aft part of the hold will be partial open hiding the switches.

Holiday is over so the next weeks there will be hardly progress on the build.

Harald
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