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Author Topic: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug  (Read 42656 times)

Arrow5

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #50 on: January 23, 2018, 03:05:55 pm »

OOH  :o , Is the copper tube funnel not a bit heavy to be so high ?  I use plastic denture tablet containers for similar vintage smoke-stack/funnels 2.5cm dia X 7.5cm long, easy to cut shorter. Cant take heat of course.   Vic Smeed was a prolific designer of model aircraft , his "Tomboy" was probably the aviation version of the Bustler. A Tomboy was my first model with an engine, an ED Bee ,1cc diesel.  A lot of pennies for a 15 year old schoolboy, Bought myself a nostalgia mug recently.
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Arrow5

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #51 on: January 23, 2018, 03:11:12 pm »

Plastic tooth tablet tube funnel
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #52 on: January 23, 2018, 06:05:47 pm »


That's still one of my all time favourite Springers!   :-))
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Arrow5

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #53 on: January 23, 2018, 07:50:56 pm »

"Just so Martin, the finest vessel in the coastal trade" ventured the old mariner , "just so" he followed with a hint of moistening eye, had a gold bead aboot her beam, painted oot `o my own pocket, man she wass sublime just sublime"  :embarrassed: {-) {-) {-) {-)
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Arrow5

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #54 on: January 23, 2018, 07:57:10 pm »

Willit, sorry for going off course, Martin started it O0 {-) . What about the weight of the lum ?
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #55 on: January 24, 2018, 01:47:09 am »

Willit, sorry for going off course, Martin started it O0 {-) . What about the weight of the lum ?
that's ok lol. I think it will be fine. Remember I am doing this model relatively traditionally. The funnel is brass tube, not copper, not sure why I said that. The hull has to be mightily ballasted to bring it down to its waterline so there's plenty of weight to counter it.

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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #56 on: February 01, 2018, 08:24:44 pm »

OOH  :o , Is the copper tube funnel not a bit heavy to be so high ?


Not a lot of Bustler progress lately, Christmas was a distraction and I've been setting up a Caldercraft Joffre I bought from a friend (now done).  However today I bath tested Joffre and before I pulled the plug I thought I'd see how Bustler's funnel affected it.  To my delight, it makes no odds at all to it, and she's not even ballasted yet!  The broadish beam seems to make it exceptionally stable.  Indeed, Joffre wobbles more (but not so its a problem).  It has also brought the bow down a tad so that's good, though there's still some way to go, hopefully the battery will finish the job plus any additional weight required.   :-))
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #57 on: February 22, 2018, 09:25:21 pm »

well the funnel is pretty much there bar the whistle.  I soldered on some rings and the vent and whistle pipes before giving it a coat of paint, in true Waverley style!  The bevelled top was arrived at by soldering on a ring before using some Squadron Putty to get the bevelled edge.  Its not perfect and I would have liked to get the paint a bit better but its turned out ok.  I've been setting up a programmable MP3 sound system for Joffre (Bustler will get one too) so they have been together on the dining room table today, quite a size difference!








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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #58 on: February 25, 2018, 09:41:41 am »

question for people regarding scale.


Obviously Bustler does not conform to any set scale, but I've been running the numbers against real tugs dimensions and it looks like it could actually conform to 1/48 scale, the same as Joffre.  Things like the bulwarks and hatches are the same size, and a 1/48 figure would transfer between the two ok, Joffre being a large tug after all.  I need to know this as it determines what size figures I stick on the deck, it also determines what I do with the bridge area (flying bridge vs wheelhouse).


thoughts?  In 1/48 Bustler equates to a 75 to 80 foot tug which is perfectly possible, the tug Margaret Ham being a good example of what I'm going for.


http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/margaretham1913.html
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chas

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #59 on: February 25, 2018, 03:03:33 pm »

I've just been reading Vic Smeeds original article on the Bustler. He said it was based on the Southampton harbour tugs. If memory and Google serve me correctly, that would be the Alexandra towing company, so 80 to 90 feet sounds about right. More importantly, I use the " if it looks right, it probably is" system.
  I'm enjoying your build, thank you.
Chas

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Colin Bishop

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #60 on: February 25, 2018, 03:43:45 pm »

Bustler is also very similar to the Red Funnel tug Canute.

Colin
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #61 on: February 25, 2018, 04:40:41 pm »

thanks chaps, I was concerned it would look rediculous next to Joffre and other 1/48 scale boats!

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tony52

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #62 on: February 25, 2018, 06:51:59 pm »

This is an interesting build of one of Vic's designs. Keep up the good work.

Tony.
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roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #63 on: February 25, 2018, 10:31:02 pm »

Hi Willit, you are certainly stirring up some old memories here.  Casting my mind back to sailing Bustler she bobbed around a lot.  I suggest that when you ballast her spread the lead as far apart as possible fore and aft.  This will give a more of a driving through the waves effect. 
The principle is the dumb bell effect in puttting weight at the extreme ends, it will need more inertia to move the hull about it's central axis than if the ballast was all in the centre of the boat.  I seem to remember using all the ball bearings from my Meccano set in the stern.
Something I saw on a Bugsier 3 tug was a rubber bumper mounted at the waterline.  This disturbed the bow wave and made that "moustache" that tugs from those days had.
carry on the good work,
Roy
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roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #64 on: February 25, 2018, 10:49:19 pm »

Hi Vanya you have a PM.
Roy
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chas

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #65 on: February 25, 2018, 11:04:15 pm »

That is really good advice from Roy. Changing the position of the ballast transformed a couple of my models. One is a small 16 inch tug and the other is the Revell corvette.
Chas

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Ianlind

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #66 on: February 26, 2018, 03:18:02 am »

This is a bit embarrassing, but as a kid, a lot of years ago, I started to build a Bustler, but as I had more of an interest in Sydney tugs, I built a different deckhouse and bridge. Back in those days it was really basic stuff and I had very little ability as a pre-teen, and the end result was pretty awful, but it did end up green and black! No RC in those days either, very basic controls. It never was completed, but still resides in the shed, as an example of how things can change with a bit of maturity and experience!

In 1981 I had improved my skills dramatically and built the Iron Cove. Back then no drawings for the ship were available, as a fire at the shipyard in South Australia destroyed all records, So I built the model off a General Arrangement drawing, and as there were no hull details available, I fudged it, and used a Moorcock hull. Totally wrong, as the Iron Cove has a Hydroconic hull rather than a standard round bilge, but once she's in the water it's pretty well hidden. The model was launched in 1982 and is still as she was back then, not that she see's much water these days. The Iron Cove was built to a scale of 9/16" - 1 Ft, as this scaled out correctly for the length of the Moorcock hull.
Ian
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #67 on: February 27, 2018, 04:53:27 pm »

That looks brilliant, you should definitely resuscitate it!


I have decided to stick with the 1/72 ish scale, it looked too weird with a 1/48 figure on.
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Ianlind

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #68 on: February 27, 2018, 09:29:03 pm »

G'day Willit,

Resuscitate the Bustler based one? Too rough to even consider, but I keep it as something I attempted as a kid. I did have a 1:48 figure on the model, so I'm guessing that was the scale it was at the time. That early model was all balsa, a timber I dislike intensely, since that first model I use real wood and plywood to much better effect and finish.

Ian.
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #69 on: March 04, 2018, 04:24:46 pm »

G'day Willit,

Resuscitate the Bustler based one? Too rough to even consider, but I keep it as something I attempted as a kid. I did have a 1:48 figure on the model, so I'm guessing that was the scale it was at the time. That early model was all balsa, a timber I dislike intensely, since that first model I use real wood and plywood to much better effect and finish.

Ian.


its good that you have kept it, its pretty damned good for a childs attempt, I would have been happy with that as a 10 year old.  :-))


I agree regarding balsa, I'm not a fan, it was fine for the basic hull shape but the rest of the model is ply wood.  Anything that isn't hull that is listed as balsa I substituted ply for.
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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #70 on: March 08, 2018, 12:19:21 pm »

I have been putting on the lettering on the hull using BICC self adhesive letters.  I probably should have gone for the next size down but I can live with it.  The name should be familiar to those who read the Discworld books.  The whistle has also appeared on the funnel.





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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #71 on: March 15, 2018, 10:28:48 pm »

little bit of work done this week, the railings have been soldered up and are currently drying out after a coat of paint.  The first mate inspects!


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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #72 on: March 18, 2018, 11:22:41 am »

I've been busy with the rattle cans.  The ventilators and handrails were treated to white paint and the superstructure to some Humbrol brown acrylic.  The portholes were made to be a tight push fit.  Starting to come together now, flying bridge next I think.  The pile of stuff on deck is a group of figures I got from ebay, from a Revell 1/72 U Boat kit, they have been given a less dangerous post!


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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #73 on: March 23, 2018, 05:12:34 pm »

today has been a rudder day.  This is was nice and easy. the rudder was made out of some brass strip soldered to a bit of rod, with a brass washer to prevent upward movement.  A nice Graupner tiller arm finishes it off  :-)  this will be covered with "summat".


its currently waiting for a coat of etch primer to dry then the rest of the paint can be put on.





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Willit

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Re: Vic Smeed Bustler Tug
« Reply #74 on: March 24, 2018, 08:59:15 pm »

painted and given a blast of Dullcote to match the hull  :-)


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