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Author Topic: Bryan's 'Modellers Draught' 45ft Admirals Barge build.  (Read 81938 times)

TailUK

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #50 on: April 13, 2012, 03:52:15 pm »

About your dolphins!  Have you looked at Submariner's lapel badges. Here's an American one!  I don't know how big they are but they might serve your turn.


and that's what I get for not looking to see if someone else had already suggested it ... on page 2.  Doh!!!!
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #51 on: April 13, 2012, 05:00:40 pm »

TaiiUK.....don't fret about it! Actually you did me a bit of a favour. Having the "dolphins" on screen meant that I could enlarge and print. They really do bear out my earlier comments about the RN never changing a design that works (for good or ill, in some cases).
The tail on the badge seems a bit "twisted"....but that's no problem. But I'll wait and see what "Podge" shows me. So thanks to those who have taken and interest and provided some help, perhaps there could be a glimmer of light appearing! Still have to make the things though. The link that "Kim" included in the last post is really interesting.....but as yet I can't see how a set-up that is mainly a lathe and small(ish) mill/drill machine can be used to produce such a convoluted shape. Meanwhile, back to polluting the neighbours washing with P38 dust. Bryan.
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Capt Podge

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #52 on: April 13, 2012, 07:05:30 pm »

I'll be honest here Bryan - I didn't think the RN dolphins would be suitable for this application however, I shall see you on Sunday, bearing gifts....... :-))

Regards,

Ray.
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Kim

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #53 on: April 14, 2012, 08:29:39 am »

Hi Bryan,
Me, interested? .... You bet!

Regards the Try cut stuff i have offcuts that i could send down to you to play with.

Wax carvers / Dentist tools work on it rather well and the beauty is its re useable / re formable or you could be lucky and find say a brass master .. heat the master and depress into the material, let cool and hey presto a mould is born... But i'm never that lucky lol

Will send a PM with email address now-

Regards,
Kim
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #54 on: April 17, 2012, 06:21:48 pm »

In the time honoured fashion, I sprayed the semi-smoothed half plug with “paint”…to allow me to see the blemishes better. Without thinking too much about it I just picked out a can of Halfords colour spray (no expense, just from “stock”…but I suppose I’d better add £3 to the total (£66.40). When I re-commenced the rubbing down process I began to realise how resistant these modern car paints are to damage, never mind rubbing down. Like sanding a diamond. Mistake number 2 (?). Choose a softer non-gloss paint instead. So more expense required….£5 for “Wet’n’Dry” and a “Flexi-pad”. These little things tot up. Now £71.40. (But of course the £25 for the glue gun was “optional”, so it could be “only” £46.40.).
More expense…High-build primer @ £11.00
              White appliance paint  @       £7.50
Total so far……£ 65.00
White “Appliance” paint? That’s the name given to the paint used on ‘fridges and so on. I don’t need it yet, but as I was “up there” at Halfords  I though I may as well, petrol being the price it is. However. If you’ve never used this paint, and you wish to spray something white then this is the bees knees. Especially a white hull. I first experimented with this (with some trepidation) on the hull of “Bluebird of Chelsea” and was absolutely bowled over by it. Easy to spray. Quick drying. Tough as nails. I can’t recall how many years it is since “Bluebird” took to the water, but the “white” is still as pure as it was on the day it was first sprayed. No “yellowing”, shrugs off minor damage and all that. Try it.
OK. I promised you a “warts’n’all” build …..and as usual some of you sceptics have been proved correct about the “kink” in the sheerline margin (horizontal) strip. It  seemed all-right at first but during the initial rubbing down it became obvious that I’d made a small error somewhere. It proved to be at station no.8. At first I thought the 2 stations 7 and 9 were too high, which would make correction very difficult….but it was no.8 that was too low. Much easier to fix. The “displacement” was only 2mm, but photos really draw the eyeball to errors. All just goes to prove the old adage of “Measure Twice…and Cut Once”. Not an expensive error, but mentally and physically a “downer”.  No doubt there’ll be more to come.
  I won’t bore you any longer. BY.





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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #55 on: April 20, 2012, 07:44:03 pm »

I’ve been pondering long and hard about this keel and stem-post. The pair of them should really be only ¼” thick on the model. I wasn’t altogether happy about that as “pond damage” could foreseably bring unwanted problems. So I eventually decided on a base unit of ½” square and tapered towards the for’d end to ¼”. But then I realised that I’d have to make the keel/skeg in 2 parts. The nice flat “main” part of the unit, and a second curved section (the aft end). The easiest way of fitting these 2 bits was to dowel them to the base structure using 1/8” dowel. That worked OK. Then sort of “rough cut” the after curved section….similarly dowelled. Only the part of the curved section being trimmed to “almost” fit. Bedded the 2 sections down on to P38 and waited to see how it looked when set. A mess. More rubbing down and all that.
The photos show only the “back-end before final rubbing down, fairing in and priming. (Another aerosol of filler-primer required….cost now up to £76).
Honestly and truly, I’ve tried to keep the costs to a minimum commensurate with quality…….and also writing as if to a first time maker of a GRP hull who’d have to (possibly) buy all the stuff. Of course you can use cheaper materials, but I’ve learned over the years that going for “cheap” is not a good idea.
By now, and I’m not even close to finishing the “plug”, you may be beginning to understand why what a simple GRP hull costs so much. I’ve been with this thing for about a full month of “average” working hours. Those hours haven’t been costed in…work that out for yourself. Nor has power consumption…..as Mrs Y has reminded me! Next just has to be the stem. Also will have to be in 2 parts.
And don’t forget that you, your loved ones and the washing machine will wish that all this activity was taking place on some isolated island far from home. BY,
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HS93 (RIP)

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #56 on: April 21, 2012, 12:24:22 am »

Plenty off interest in this build , I enjoy all your posts and builds

Peter
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #57 on: April 24, 2012, 07:14:15 pm »

This hull is becoming a real pain in the butt. It’s not so much that I don’t want to do it, more an unexpected and subtle change in the shape of the hull where least expected.
Another weird thing is that no matter how powerful my new work lamp is, taking the plug out into sunlight shows up more flaws than I’d dreamed possible. After all, I’d rubbed down, filled and re-sprayed so many times that I thought that no more “faults” could be seen. Wrong. Tiny little nicks, hollows and bumps become earthquake size when viewed in proper sunlight. I feel a cloud of depression coming on. I really want to make this a “good” hull….but the damn thing seems to be fighting me all the way. Nothing for it but to just carry on, I suppose.
     I can imagine you all thinking “why do all this?” Well, mainly because of the longevity of a GRP hull. But equally important is the (eventual) realisation that it’s “my” model and not something at least half built by someone else. It’s also because if I want to build “something” there’s an almost 100% chance that it would have to be a “one-off”,  In the case of this particular model….I’m vaguely aware that hulls for this vessel are available. Most that I know of are at  ½” to the foot (1:24), whereas I want 1” = 1ft (1:12 scale). Also, the hulls I think I know of are modelled on the square transom version….and I wish to have the “spoon” tailed type. No argument. Have to make my own. Not that (in this case) I really want to do so, but needs must. Part of the “joy” of modelling?
I know that making ones own hull is not for everyone…..but nor is making a model that is simply a clone of almost every other model. Personal choice. But reading the many posts on this forum I can’t help but wonder just how interested some of the “builders” are in the vessel they are building.
   The 2 photos attached here are of the hull “plug” after being given a quick spray of the white “Appliance” paint. I’ve deliberately toned down the “whiteness”, otherwise all you’d see is a large white “blob”; so ignore the colouration….it is actually blindingly “white” in real life. Next stage? More rubbing down before final coats of the rock-hard white is sprayed.  After that? Heaven alone knows. BY.
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Norseman

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #58 on: April 24, 2012, 08:16:57 pm »

taking the plug out into sunlight shows up more flaws than I’d dreamed possible.

I've recently learned not to apply primer before looking at the surface in daylight.
It really looked fine in the shed under electric lighting. I won't forget the lesson.
Still enjoying your build too.

Dave
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #59 on: April 24, 2012, 09:17:25 pm »

Amazing what a change of "light" can show. But therin lies a conundrum.  Half the time in the UK the weather is either too wet, too windy or snowy. So a retreat to a "shed" is called for. Then after a few months of "hibernation" one can look at what's been produced and realis, with a sinking heart, that all loves labours have been lost (more or less). No wonder a sort of depression cuts in!
Muddle through, and just hope the man with the scythe isn't on his way towards you. BY.
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #60 on: April 29, 2012, 10:16:10 pm »

Now, this is probably an “odd-ball” post….but bear with me.
As some of you long time members on this forum may recall, in the past I’ve always made my own “plugs”,”moulds” and GRP hulls. But something called “time” has intervened. Some call it “Age”. A strange word that means nothing to those who have yet to encounter it.
But there comes a time when the word “Time” has to be acknowledged. I’ve heard the Word.
So I’m not going to go through the palaver and mess of making my own mould and hull this time. I reckon that having made 13 of the things is quite enough for an amateur such as myself.
This time it will be different.
If I made my own mould and hull I reckon that would cost me (roughly) around £150 or so for materials. Add a few more £ for brushes, rollers and acetone  then you could be easily looking at around £200…
Then add into that the cost of the “plug”……I’m looking at £80 now.
So from start to finish. Original “thoughts” through making a plug, mould and a final hull will cost you somewhere in the region of £300.
For a “one off” model hull that’s a lot of loot…….although the GRP hull still has it’s many advantages.
Now. Considering all that, and realising that there would be around 2 months or more of physical work involved…..how much do you think that it costs a “professional”? Two months work (salary). Heating, lighting, rent for premises…..the list can go on.
And that’s why the hulls you buy cost a lot. Something that would cost you, as an individual, about £300.
The only problem here though, is that the manufacturers may not be producing a hull that’s of the ship you wish to model. What then?
Then you have to get down and dirty.
I really admire those builders who can produce a superb “plank on frame” model, but to my way of thinking it’s all a bit of a waste of time……unless, of course the model is supposed to look like a wooden plank on frame boat. A bit daft for a model Container ship.
So…having made the “plug” for my Admirals Barge, I send it off to a “pro” to make me a hull.
Continue later. BY.



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Norseman

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #61 on: April 30, 2012, 01:54:17 am »

Hi Bryan

I understand what you mean. Two years ago 'time' had a little conversation with me. After thirty five years of working six and seven days a week
I stopped everything barr working my rostered hours. Life is a lot better.

Looking forward to your build too.

Dave
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #62 on: April 30, 2012, 06:58:22 pm »

Spent a fair amount of a really grotty weekend using the computer to re-size and print out the various drawings at 1:12 scale.....and the more I look at them the more complicated the whole thing gets. One "bugbear" is the sheer amount of windows in the cabin section. So I'm now toying with the notion of building the cabin section out of 1/16" clear perspex and adding the various bits of veneer to the perspex. Could work.
Until I printed out the drawings I hadn't noticed that the cabin sides actually lean inwards by a few degrees....another interesting problem to get over!
But although the model is really quite small at just over 50" long and 9" wide, the quantity of veneer required (inside and out) is a bit daunting.
I've also reached the conclusion that the polished brass funnel and its base is way beyond my capabilities.
So the final model will not be all my own work. Three members of Tynemouth Model Boat Club have volunteered their services to help me out. They will be named later in the build.
It seems "odd" to me that what appears at first glance to be a fairly straightforward vessel to build, suddenly gets extremely complicated when brought up to 1:12 scale.

I suppose perseverence is the name of the game. BY.
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tugs62

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #63 on: April 30, 2012, 07:50:04 pm »

ive been watching your build because ive got a set of plans and would like to build this but i think the hull is way behond me  i keep looking on ebay for a cheap one keep the good work up  :-)) :-))
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #64 on: April 30, 2012, 10:07:06 pm »

ive been watching your build because ive got a set of plans and would like to build this but i think the hull is way behond me  i keep looking on ebay for a cheap one keep the good work up  :-)) :-))
What scale are your plans? I suspect that they are at 1:24, making a model of around 25". Just look at the detail required if you double the size to 1:12. My choice, my problems.
The hull is a bit trickier than i thought it would be....but all the info re the lines and stations are on the plans. Look at the way I'm building it and perhaps convert some ideas to your way of thinking. Go ahead. Try it. BY.
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #65 on: May 01, 2012, 06:47:41 pm »

     Tuesday 1st May 2012. And still the full-frontal freezing wind doth blow.
And more expenditure . My local supplier of 1/16” ply didn’t have any so I finished up paying £8.50 for sheet 12” x 48” (normally I’d pay £7 for a 12” x 60” sheet). And a pack of Stanley knife blades at £3.20.
Total now up to £91.70. All those “little things” begin to add up.
Having used the computer/ printer scaling facility I’ve printed out all parts of the cabin….2 dimensional, obviously. Silly mistake no. “x”…I forgot to do a mirror image of the side elevation. No big deal, just another embuggeration.
By the way, the more attentive reader may have noticed that I’ve decided against making the “unit” from thin “Perspex”. It takes “glue” OK, but does have tendency to crack in odd places while being cut…and drilling small holes in it can be “counter-productive”…..hence the reversion to 2mm ply.
Todays main problem was how to transfer my scale paper prints onto the ply.
As an experiment (potentially an expensive one), I bought an aerosol of “Stick & Stay”. (another £6.00 making £97.70). The stuff used to stick photos etc to a backing board. Then simply stuck the drawings on to the ply and cut around the edges. A simple beginning. I guess the next stage will have to be cutting out the windows before cutting out the large aperture for the double sliding access doors on the rear cabin bulkhead. These 2 doors have slide within the cabin…although I’m not sure why that should be. …I think I may take the easier option and keep them on the outside….that saves making a triple thickness bulkhead.
The length of this cabin and open seating area is around 12.5” and as you (hopefully) can see, the “floors” are not at the same level. As I want to be able to remove / replace the entire unit in one piece for access, the interior side panels will have to conform to the shape of the hull. haven’t worked that part out yet.





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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #66 on: May 07, 2012, 05:25:34 pm »

I haven't abandoned you! Still ploughing along trying to make some sort of sense out of "things". The topside visible parts of the cabin bear no relationship whatsoever to the floor plans. All comes down to the hull shape. As soon as I get my hull (hopefully within the next week) I'll have a better idea of how to make this chicken fit into its egg. BY.
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Norseman

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #67 on: May 07, 2012, 07:23:35 pm »

I didn't feel abandoned Bryan, everything takes time to do properly.

Just going back to building costs - a full size sheet of 18mm mdf (and cut to sizes)
was far cheaper at B&Q today than it was for two much smaller peices. That's madness,
but worth knowing. I also bought the largest 6mm ply I could fit in the car.

Dave
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #68 on: May 07, 2012, 10:05:31 pm »

When I buy 2mm ply from my local supplier they are quite willing to cut me a sheet 12" x 72" either "long grain" or "cross grain" at £7.00. This is streets cheaper than the price model shops charge.
I've never really felt the need to use MDF in a model. But speaking of MDF.....it's long intrigued me....is there such stuff as LDF or HDF? Cheers. BY.
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Norseman

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #69 on: May 07, 2012, 11:09:58 pm »

The 18mm MDF is just for a heavy base board at 36mm - but it is going to be big enough for any build I might undertake.
I'm just preparing for an Xbow build. I got some advice I trust hence the base - it's probably a bit thicker than I was told
to get but that's what was on the shelf. LDF and HDF? No idea Bryan. I would worry about MDF and water but maybe
someone has had success sealing it?

Dave
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #70 on: May 14, 2012, 06:26:30 pm »

 I really thought that I had the cabin build sorted out.  But t’was not to be.
As soon as I started to put the bits together I realised that the plans, drawings..call them what you wish, bore as much resemblance to the real thing as a ghost does when wafting around an old castle. That is, 2 dimensional and ephemeral. Not a good start for a model.
So 3 weeks work was binned. Start anew.
Not really much financial loss as the 2mm ply will be used elsewhere. The only financial concerns at the moment is the cost of blades for the trusty old Stanley Knife. The life of the blades can be measured in minutes when cutting 2mm ply…. And at £3 per pack, it all adds up.
Eventually ….eventually (must be an age thing)…I realised that the only “constant” within the confines of the cabin was the width of the seats. This, in turn, told me where the “floor”(deck) of the cabin would have to be. This bears no relation whatsoever to the plan view at deck level.
So. In the “main cabin” the seats are straight (vertical) backed, and the seat legs are just far enough within the hull sides to be usable.
Therefore the floor shape tapers to suit the hull shape at that  particular level.
But the deck itself slopes upwards from for’d to aft.
And the rear section is totally different.
    Still plodding along (11th of May) . Bought some 0.8mm teak veneer ( at £4.00) and some more double sided tape (£5.00)
So let’s call it £105 so far.
But the cost of the hull, if I was doing it myself would be around £150. So expenditure can be realistically assumed to be £255.

Sorry if I’m repeating myself a bit here. Must be another “age thing”
Trying to describe the undescribable.....
    It’s been a while since I had anything useful to say about this build, but most of that time has been spent trying to make some sort of sense out of the various convolutions in the 3 dimensional shape of the cabin unit. Looks easy, but it isn’t…especially when I want to be able to remove/replace the entire structure in one piece.
  More cost.
Pick the bones out of this lot.
Obviously this is only the stbd side, with the front shown as a bonus.
The "broken" line is the line of the steering chain, so the actual deck level is the line immediately below it, all the rest sits within the hull.
Apart from the step-down into the main cabin, the entire thing is at different levels and also at different angles of "slant".
OK, that looks straight forward enough. But then the cabin sides slope inwards by about 10* from just above deck level, as can be seen on the cabin front b'head.
Then, however, the "vertical" bits of both the main cabin and the open-air" seating area stop at the seat back level becuse of the hull shape. So the decks have to be just wide enough to accept the seat posts, which in turn means a fair amount of unsupported structure until the whole thing is fastened together. Hence the idea of using "tabs". They "sort of" work, but I daren't use anything stronger than masking tape at the moment.
I'll attempt to get you a 3D photo soon.
Regards......a hungry and frustrated Bryan.





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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #71 on: May 29, 2012, 06:31:50 pm »

Time to continue. Sorry for the delay but "unforeseen" factors came into play.
11/12 of May. 2 months into the build.
Plodding along with the veneering and inset panelling on the aft b’hd of the cabin.
But more expense. £20 for 4 cans of spray varnish. “ of matte and 2 of satin finish, and a 12” length of small brass channel then will be used as sliders for the cabin doors.
Cost now up to £275.
Still think scratch-building is the “cheap” way of doing things? So far I’ve had less than £10 worth of “wastage”.
21st of  May. A glimmer (perhaps a Beacon) of light today. Apparently my hull is winging its way towards me. In the meantime much work has been done on the cabin section. Now I’ve called a temporary halt to this work …. Just in case I can’t get the “unit” to fit into the hull.
But the costs still rise. Another £20 for more Satin aerosol lacquer and “wood” mouldings for the fancy bits surrounding the cabin area. Now up to £295.
Actually it’s £300 as I forgot the plastic channel I bought for the window frames.
I’m unpleasantly surprised how much the cost of all things “modelling” have risen over the last couple of years (since I completed “Northumbrian”.
28th May and a giant step forward.
Today I took receipt of 2 GRP hulls. Two hulls? Yep. This came about because the original hull wasn’t delivered to me because the address label had been either disfigured or otherwise rendered unreadable in transit. So when I complained about late delivery” (a euphanism for “non-delivery) a second hull was made for me. Then the first one was recovered …so I’ve finished up with 2 of them. Lucky me.
As you know, these hulls have been made from my original “plug”.  The deal being that I would sell the plug for what it had cost me plus a free hull from the plug. Then the plug would belong entirely to the buyer. But I had another requirement. I wanted the hull that was delivered to me to be a “pre-production” item, showing the blemishes, faults and so on that I would see if I’d made my own mould. That way I figured that I could still call it “my hull”. Any hull made for sale will no doubt be made without the odd errors/blemishes due to my cack-handedness.
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Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #72 on: June 03, 2012, 06:54:29 pm »

Still plodding along.
Sunday, 3rd of June 2012.
Took a few steps sideways today. After marking out the housing positions on the rough cut deck and proved that the deck cabin I’ve spent (so far) about 6 weeks building would actually fit into the required “deck hole”. That’s to say that the unit will fit into the deck…but not into the hull. That was expected. But much thought and measuring is still needed . It’s the tapering shape of the hull towards the stern that’s causing me some grief. The rear cabin deck (the “open” part is about a foot higher than the deck in the main (covered) cabin. In “plan” view this 12” long unit tapers in a compound curve from front (7.5” wide) to the rear of the open cockpit ( at 5.5” wide).
After sticking the paper drawings to a sheet of 1.5mm ply, the various parts were cut out to “full” size. No adjustment being made for the thickness of the ply. I’d already decided to “lock” the various components together with a series of keys and slots. These are visible in the attached photos. So far so good. But how to disguise the keyed joints. I hadn’t a clue. So much for forward planning. But eventually (after some “refreshment”) I realised that the interior of everything should be veneered first. Time consuming, but both therapeutic and eventually quite satisfying. I’m using 0.8mm mahogany veneer for most of it, but using a slightly different shade of  0.5mm veneer for things like seat backs….or indeed, wherever I think it would look most effective. All clagged down with double side tape. Although the whole thing is taking an age, it would have been twice as long if I’d been using glue. Plus the fact that I know from past experience that the tape is more waterproof than even the so-called waterproof Evostick” offering. Just have to be careful with the tape as it sticks as fast as superglue….which is why I lay “oversize” and trim later.
   Veneering the “outside” brought a bit of a bonus. By laying the veneer oversize it became obvious that the veneer would cover the slotted holes and so disguise the method of attaching 2 bulkheads perpendicular to each other. Serendipity. An added bonus is that I can now use the slight remaining “stickiness” at the back of the slots to temporarily fit the various bits together instead of clarting about with masking tape and so on.
As with most veneers, this stuff gobbles up the first few coats of (spray) lacquer quicker than a hungry squaddie. At least 3 coats, all gently rubbed down, before I’d even consider a coat of “Satin”. I’m using satin ‘cos I really don’t think a model suits being done over with gloss. My choice.
The ¼” “battens” are the seat bearers. The seats being 1.25” wide ( only 15” in real life). The position of the seat legs will dictate the width of the deck at that point….which, in turn, will tell me where to do some cutting (I hope).
  The last photo is a not particularly good one of my funnel.
Being a sort of “monarchist” ( especially today), I’ve used a suitably adorned cigarette lighter to give a sense of scale/size. This was made for me by a fellow club member called Jake Kelso. I think he worked as a senior machinist at Smiths Docks since around the time of WW1. But he’s made a lovely job of the funnel and so I publicly thank him.
Still many miles to travel with this boat, but it’s starting to get interesting instead of just being a head-scratcher. BY.
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Notes from a simple seaman

Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #73 on: June 12, 2012, 06:44:29 pm »

It’s been a little while since my last post on this build, but the next few posts could give an idea as to what I’ve been at least trying to do.
The building of the main cabin and the “cockpit” continues, albeit at a snails-pace. Not through want of trying …more to do with the structure of the thing. Many hours of lying awake in the middle of the night wondering, pondering and rejecting ideas. The average sort of stuff a scratch builder does. My problem has been the 2 different deck levels and the way of getting a removeable unit to fit inside the hull.
Today I found the answer. Up until now I’d been working on building “downwards” from the cabin deck. But then it seemed obvious that once the main structure was made (but not fitted), then begin to build “upwards” and cut away the bits that didn’t fit into the hull.
Of course there’s a simple reason why “things” didn’t fit. I’d done all my measurements on the “outside” dimensions….before I had a hull. So a combination of my silliness and ignoring the thickness of the GRP hull almost drove me to tears.
Point to remember…..get the hull before you start making any structure.
If the weather hadn’t been so abysmal I’d have spent days just sitting in a deckchair feeling sorry for myself. But the cold, the wind and the rain kept me plodding along.
The main structure is all 1.6mm ply. If I was going to do this again I’d seriously consider using styrene sheet as a base. But I’m too far along now to change it all.
The prime veneer is 0.8mm mahogany, which looked fine until I gave it a coat of lacquer. Yeuch. So a tin of “Ronseal” Teak satin varnish was used over the mahogany. Sounds stupid, but it worked a treat.
The photo is of the interior port forward corner of the main cabin. No windows or mahogany seats fitted as yet. The little sticks are just there to hold the contraption together. It may be possible to see and understand why the hull shape dictates the width of the lower deck area.
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Notes from a simple seaman

Bryan Young

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Re: the start of a new build
« Reply #74 on: June 20, 2012, 10:50:11 pm »

I forgot to remind you that this “lump” is 13” long, 7” wide and 5.5” high….although only about 2.5” of that height will be visible over the main deck level. The prop shaft will have to run under this superstructure. Obviously, as we don’t want our Admiral and his guests to be obliged to witness “mechanical stuff”.
I’ve been browsing the various sites on this subject….and one that took my eye was (is?) a kit form of an Admirals Barge. Painted light blue. Looks horrible. But when reading Captain Stapletones book (RN and RFA Rtd), he does mention that some Admirals were allowed to paint “their” barges in whatever colour they desired. With the advent of people of the feminine sort into the RN, how long will it take before one of them becomes an Admiral and decides to have a pink one?
I know I’ve been banging on a bit about the shape of the inside of the hull dictating the shape of the cabin “lump” that has to fit within the hull.
At last I think I’ve managed it. This is just penchant of mine….that I like everything to be “removable” when needs be. So photo 1040 (the 1st one) is just trying to show how the unseen bits had to be arranged.  It would make for a much easier build if this cabin structure was simply built into the hull…permanently. But we all have our little foibles (?) and access to the hull interior is just one of mine.
   The second photo (1042) is really just to show the downward step from the cockpit area to the main cabin. Not all that successfully, I think. Perhaps the 3rd one (1043) will show the step better.
On (in?) the real boat the seats were supported by sort of normal chair legs. So looking under the seats would show the inside of the hull. That’s no good to me. So I decided to make the seats (benches) look as if they could also be used as storage spaces. This also stiffened the structure of the cabin “lump” Not so evident here is the sloping backrest in the aft seat of the cockpit.
My intention is to make cushions for the seats at some future date, but until then the bare varnished wood jobs will have to suffice. There are quite a few different woods used in the interior bit of this model. It doesn’t really matter what they are (Teak, Mahogany, Cherry and Maple), but they were chosen for “contrast”. It’s actually quite surprising how much the colour contrast between 2 apparently similar bits of wood changes when a coat of lacquer is applied.
The last3 pics are just record shots of the almost completed structure…except that the last one shows the fitted but incomplete aft bulkhead and doors to the cabin.
My original intention was to have the 2 sliding doors operational, but when I had a little think about it I realised it was all a bit pointless. Reason? Well, this boat isn’t exactly another “Bluebird of Chelsea” is it. Even though it’s an Admirals Barge it isn’t going to be loaded down with luxury. I might (repeat “might”) put a small table in the cabin …some of them did, but they were really all part and parcel of a major warship.
As an afterthought, weight on this model is going to be important. Although the model is 51” long, I reckon that if I work to an all up weight of 20lb I won’t be far off.
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Notes from a simple seaman
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