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Author Topic: SS Master model - new construction  (Read 5439 times)

oldiron

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SS Master model - new construction
« on: December 24, 2007, 12:05:55 pm »

I thought I'd throw my latest project into the foray, here, for show and tell. I've got a model of the preserved Canadian steam tug SS Master under construction. Its 1/32 scale and I started using the Dumas Brooklyn hull. Its not exact to the prototype profile, but then again I don't have any hull profile drawings to scratch a hull to. The upper works is all scratch built from scribed wood. The stack is a wood core with styrene overlay. The vents are plastic tube with the bell made from kids plastic Easter eggs (at lest half the egg anyway.
  Power is direct drive from a car power seat motor (12V and lots of torque). The speed does get up a bit so wide open throttle and no load is not the way to go, however, I built his specifically for tug handling/towing competitions, and wanted the power to haul 300lb barges........she has it.
  Although the prototype has a towing steam winch,  I elected to go with bollards to keep things simple for the competition. The bollards are bolt to a brass plate on the deck. There is another brass plate under the deck such that the deck is sandwiched between the two brass plates. Therefore, if the bollards pull out, the deck comes with it. Not likely to happen.
  All the controls and such are on a separate removable board for ease of maintenance. Undo two plugs and all the electronics lifts out. I tried to keep everything simple.
 I entered her in her first competition this past summer and she did very well. Looking forward to the coming summer.
oldiron
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BarryM

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2007, 12:10:19 pm »

Oldiron,
Very attractive model with some of the crispest paint lines I've seen and lovely attention to detail on the rudder

Happy Christmas,

Barry M.
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2007, 03:09:12 pm »

Thanks for the complement, sometimes I wonder how much longer my eyesight is going to allow me to do it. My arms keep getting longer all the time.
  Anyway, I've attached photos of the "controls deck" for the master, both in and out of the boat. I've also attached a shot of the motor and prop shaft. I cotter pined all connection on the prop shaft. I didn't want to risk loosing out on a tow because my prop or some part of the shaft spun off. With a 3 3/4"" prop on the end of the shaft, there is a fair bit of strain on the various shaft connections. One of the beauties of the power seat motor is the square hole in the motor shaft. A piece of square brass drops in beautiful and no pining required.
  The ballast in the hull is shotgun shot, available at local hunting shops in 25lb bags. Its held in place with fiberglass resin poured all over it. It works beautifully. It can get anywhere into the hull and be made to fit whatever contour you want. I put the boat, with the marked water line, in the bathtub, and pur in shot in the appropriate places until the boat settles satisfactorily to the desired water line, then pour in the resin. The vessel stays in the tub until the resin sets up.
oldiron
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Barry

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2007, 12:34:54 am »

Nice looking model. Do you know what sort of car the motor came from and what sort of amps it draws?
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2007, 03:23:02 am »

Barry:

  Thanks very much. The motor was a power seat motor for a late model Canadian Chrysler car. i don't the model, but I imagine they are all similar. The current draw is very low, but I haven't got a reading on it. I'll hook up and ammeter in the next day or so andsee what I can come up with. I do know that I can run a 7AH battery all day on the it.

Oldiron
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Franklin

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2008, 12:48:04 pm »

Happy New year, How long is the model and how much does she weigh? I am looking to build something of that scale.

Very nice Job

Franklin
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2008, 01:10:06 pm »

Happy New year, How long is the model and how much does she weigh? I am looking to build something of that scale.

Very nice Job

Franklin

Thanks very much And Happy New Year to everyone too.
 She is about 40" and comes in right on 25lbs. A bit of a handle to get it in the water without following it, but it makes for a very stable boat and he big rudder makes her very responsive.

oldiron
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Franklin

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2008, 01:24:40 pm »

OldIron, Can you buy the Hull separately from Dumas or do you have to buy it as a kit?

Franklin
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2008, 02:06:08 pm »

OldIron, Can you buy the Hull separately from Dumas or do you have to buy it as a kit?

Franklin

I don't know. I've never tried to buy the hull separately. I bought the kit on Ebay for a really good price. Since our local club already had a Brooklyn, I wanted something different. Hence I "scrapped" the upper works of the kkit and just used the hull. I didn't even use the drive system, excpet for the bronze prop. My best advice would be to contact Dumas directly and see if they will sell the hull alone. It is fiberglass and well done.
oldiron
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Tug Man

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2008, 03:18:57 pm »

Dumas no longer makes fiberglass hulls for any of their boat kits. They stopped early last year I believe. What they offer now in their kits are vacuum formed hulls.
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2008, 10:49:34 pm »

Dumas no longer makes fiberglass hulls for any of their boat kits. They stopped early last year I believe. What they offer now in their kits are vacuum formed hulls.

Mores the pitty. Their Fiberglass hulls were good. I have no experience with their vacuum formed hulls, but I can't imagine they're an improvement.
oldiron
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Tug Man

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2008, 06:26:46 pm »

Oldiron they are not an improvemnt to the F/G hulls they made. I have their Rangely kit with a Vacuum hull I am almost afraid to touch it for the thinness. It boggles my mind why a company that made such great hulls would stop and surely hurt their own business.
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Edward Pinniger

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2008, 03:38:13 pm »

Very impressive work!
Your method of scratchbuilding the vent cowls seems to have worked very well (these are one of the trickiest fittings to scratchbuild, and commercial fittings never seem to be the exact size you need). I'll have to make sure I keep all the small plastic eggs I can find this Easter  :D
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2008, 01:34:13 am »

Very impressive work!
Your method of scratchbuilding the vent cowls seems to have worked very well (these are one of the trickiest fittings to scratchbuild, and commercial fittings never seem to be the exact size you need). I'll have to make sure I keep all the small plastic eggs I can find this Easter  :D

Thanks very much. I agree vents can be awkward. A friend of mine uses kitchen measuring spoons as another alternative for the bell on vents. They come out very respectable.

oldiron
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Edward Pinniger

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2008, 05:02:33 pm »

A friend of mine uses kitchen measuring spoons as another alternative for the bell on vents. They come out very respectable.

Now that's a great idea... I've already found plastic "desk tidies" (with an assortment of cylinders for pencils, paperclips etc.) are a very useful source of plastic tubes of various diameters/lengths for funnels, superstructure elements etc. This is how I built the funnel on my steam tug model.
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2008, 02:58:19 pm »

Update on the master construction. I've been adding deck and interior detail as time permits. Bult a windlass for the bow. The engine and large gear turn (when I get teeth cut on it), but it'll just be static. Fitted out the pilot house with a wheel and binnacle. I was trying to figure out how to get an earth magnet to rotate freely inside the binnacle so I could make a working compass. I've got a small earth magnet that will fit, but couldn't figure how to get it to float freely enough. The binnacle top is removable.
  The stack has been fitted with whistle and siren. All scratch built.
  The work continues.
oldiron
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SS Daring

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #16 on: April 23, 2008, 03:03:00 pm »

Fantastic work there oldiron!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to see piece of BC Coastal History being reproduced in such a grand fashion!!

Cheers!

A proud supporter of the SS Master Society!
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oldiron

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Re: SS Master model - new construction
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2008, 03:19:29 pm »

Fantastic work there oldiron!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to see piece of BC Coastal History being reproduced in such a grand fashion!!

Cheers!

A proud supporter of the SS Master Society!

Thanks very much, glad you like her. I've done it from photographs without the benefit of drawings, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of dimension. However, I appear to have captured her spirit which is what I ws after.

oldiron
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