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Author Topic: Scuttles/Portholes.  (Read 2363 times)

Bryan Young

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Scuttles/Portholes.
« on: November 01, 2007, 05:46:18 pm »

 Why do so many modellers fit the scuttles/portholes the wrong way around?
Manufacturers of modelling items compound the error.
With a few exceptions (some fishing boats and "Gin Palaces") the flange is on the INSIDE of the bulkhead it is attached to.
There is a good reason for this which I shall come to soon.
From the outside all that can be seen is a very thin (perhaps 1/8") rim protruding about 1/4" outwards, surrounded by the usual 8 round-headed bolts. (After reading the "only for Engineers" topic I am wary about this...and how do you hold the "round" head when tightening up the nut?...)
The inner flange is a quite complicated casting. First, it has to hold and secure an opening "window" that in itself has to have a wterproof seal and fastening flanges. This is held on a cast bracket on the inside of the main flange. You may well find a "deadlight" also held by the same bracket. It should be obvious by now that all of this stuff cannot be fastened on the "outside". (The glass alone will be over 1/2" thick and has to be removable...more threaded castings.
To a modeller, scuttles may well look like simple things....but they ain't. Also, they have to be big enough for a person of (a bit over) average build. There are at least 20 "bits" that go into each scuttle...and they are heavy. Please put them on the correct way around! BY.
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Notes from a simple seaman

HS93 (RIP)

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Re: Scuttles/Portholes.
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2007, 07:25:07 pm »

  AH  So the apprentice put these in.

Peter
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Mr Whoppit

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Re: Scuttles/Portholes.
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2007, 08:59:18 pm »

Good evening my fellow modellers, hope you are all well.   

Just to bring to your kind attention there were other craft where flanges were used on the outside of the hulls to support the scuttles.  These were a lot of the wooden craft which were crafted during the period of hostilities during and after World War II.

I have enclosed two photographs:

1.    A Fairmile B under repair and if you look to the extreme right of the picture, you will see half of a scuttle opening, where the scuttle has been removed for repair.  You will see the ring and bolts on the hull side.

2.   A Fairmile D on close inspection of the hull sides you will be able to make out the supporting ring on the outside of the hull.   The reason for these supporting rings was to prevent the securing bolts from pulling through the wooden hull when tightened up.

yours sincerely
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funtimefrankie

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Re: Scuttles/Portholes.
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2007, 09:59:02 pm »

Canning.........
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Bryan Young

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Re: Scuttles/Portholes.
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2007, 06:18:50 pm »

Fine. I have no complaint about the variations. I did mention that some vessels had outside flanges, but on a couple of the later postings the outside flanges seem to be "additional", which seems logical on a wooden hull. The simple fact remains, that you cannot have a single casting that allows for an opening scuttle and deadlight if the main casting is outboard.
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Notes from a simple seaman

Bryan Young

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Re: Scuttles/Portholes.
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2008, 04:38:40 pm »

Came across this one the other day. It may be of some use to those of us who have never seen on "in the flesh" as it were.
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