72 Posts
34 Followers
497 Likes
Scratch built, Working Steam powered Drifter trawler LT100, to 1:24th scale.
LT100 My Way.
With this build log there is a lot of ground to catch up on I have been building this model for more than 20 years. I do not profess to be an expert builder, nor that this is an exceptional model, especially considering that this is only my second scratch built model.
However my intention is to build the best model I can (this is true most of the time). My first reasonable scratch build being a simple hard chine cabin cruiser. Most of the models I have built have been plastic kits.
My intention with this project was to build a working model without many compromises, that is to say when out of the water you would not be able to tell it is a working model.
I welcome constructive comment.
I hope people enjoy the journey with me.
Looking around for a scratch build project, something that wouldnโt take too long (ha-ha) or be too complex or too large, I found that I really liked the look of steam drifter trawlers.
A wooden prototype being preferred as I could build a model hull out of wood then build a steam plant to power it; therefore the model would have some similarity to the original even if internally it wasnโt a replica.
So the decision was made to build myself one, I started searching for suitable plans, this was in a time before the internet when things werenโt just a click away, therefore I relied on the couple of plans catalogues that I had in my possession.
Plans were found in the MAP Plans catalogue, then this project got off to something of a false start in 1990 with the purchase of a set of plans drawn by R. A. Neville to a scale of 1/24, from the Plan Shop in New South Wales Australia these are for a typical Wooden Steam Drifter.
I am not sure when these plans were first printed, however I have inherited a copy of Model Engineer published in September 1959 which is the first of 4 articles titled, How to build a Wooden Steam Drifter, written by R. A. Neville (I didnโt find this article until many years after starting work on this project!) I wasnโt quite happy with these plans, being more interested in building something that represented an actual vessel.
So I sat on them for quite a while umming and arr-ing, thinking they are not quite what I wanted.
Then to my amazement and elation, on the cover of Model Boats in April 1993 was a beautifully made model, that had been entered into Class C9 kit class at the 1993 Model Engineer Exhibition, of LT100 built by Robin Butler, winning a Silver medal, and guess what next month there were to be plans for this trawler, wow just what I wanted!
Life got in the way of hobby as it usually does and it wasnโt until a few years later in 1996 that I purchased the plans drawn of Formidable LT 100 by James Pottinger to a scale of 1/33, along with the book From Tree to Sea by Ted Frost, this is a wonderful book about the construction of LT 100 drawing from Ted Frosts memories as an apprentice ship wright.
The plans arrived, then I had them enlarged to what I thought was 1:24 scale, as mentioned earlier I intended to power the model by steam, I went off and measured the opening for the wheel house and I found I could comfortably fit the 3 ยฝin diameter boiler I was thinking of building through the opening.
Having no experience with steam at all, I imagined that steam plants would require quite a bit of servicing, with this in mind I thought it was important to be able to remove the entire steam plant easily for routine maintenance. Next step was to get some plans for an engine.
Probably in 1996, my dad and I went to Kilsyth (an outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia), where Live Steam Supplies of Victoria were, they specialised in miniature steam in all its aspects. Whilst there I purchased plans for a ยฝ in bore ยฝ in stroke, twin cylinder double acting oscillating steam engine designed by Basil Harley, published by Model Maker plans service.
Probably first printed in July 1983, I have the August 1983 Model Boats with part two in a series of articles to build the engine and boiler along with a 42in long steam launch, once again I didnโt find this article until much later after purchasing the plans even though this was a magazine I had bought!
I had already decided to make the centre flue boiler designed by Peter Arnot. Peter ran an excellent series of articles in Model Boats for a Vee 4 steam engine, boiler and associated equipment throughout the year of 1993, I intended to purchase some 3 ยฝin copper pipe as illustrated in the plan.
Unfortunately Live Steam Supplies of Victoria didnโt have any 3 ยฝin copper pipe, turns out this isnโt a size commonly used in Australia, what to do, luckily I had bought along the trawler plans and after a few quick measurements were taken, a rash on the spot decision was made, (this would latter cause problems).
I purchased two pieces of 4in diameter copper pipe that were cut to length, along with flat sheet copper for the end plates, smaller diameter tubing, a few packs of solder on nuts and tails along with other various items including a Cheddar ceramic gas burner.
The steam engine and boiler were started along with the work boat, work proceeding roughly in parallel.
Most people start with the hull, however I decided to start making the work boat first, my thinking being if I can make a small clinker built boat to the standard I wanted then the rest should be achievable, also I wouldnโt be in such a rush to finish what is really โjust a fittingโ for the project, therefore possibly doing a better job.
After reading the clinker-built boat section of โPLANK-ON-FRAME MODELS and SCALE MASTING & RIGGING Volume 2โ by Harold A Underhill a start could be made.
I wanted to use Huon pine, for most of this little boat, this is a very slow growing timber unique to Tasmania in Australia, which was used to build real ships and boats from, due to its ability to not rot even when submerged, it also has a straight, fine grain and generally pale in colour.
I made a start by spending a day at dadโs using his table saw to cut up some blocks of Huon pine into strips to make up a โkitโ of material.
This material I had bought back from Tasmania on my honeymoon, packed into our suitcases to my wifeโs bewilderment.
Then making a building board and formers from MDF (not the best material to use as the dust is very bad for you, I was unaware of this at the time). The keel was fabricated from several pieces of an unknown hard wood all pinned together with homemade bamboo pins, a Huon pine transom being pinned to the stern post also keel doublers attached for planks to rest on.
I would like to say that I could not have made the work boat without Harold Underhillโs book, there was a lot of reading then rereading combined with head scratching going on during the build. The main difficulty was to generate the shape of planks.
At one point I nearly scrapped the whole thing as I couldnโt seem to get the planking just right, however after some consideration I pressed on with the attitude it doesnโt really matter if this one is not perfect I will learn lesions in building it and I can always build another if it isnโt up to scratch.
Once templates were made the plank would be cut and steamed then clamped into position, left there for a few days then glued on with Cyanoacrylate and pinned to the previous plank, making sure not to pin it to the building frame.
After planking the hull was removed from its jig then ribs, benches, floor boards, rubbing strake and knees were added, some artistic licence was taken, I didnโt follow the plans completely choosing to not add grab lines like you would see on a life boat and a device that I was unable to determine its purpose mounted on the transom.
Next oars were made, these are not shown on the plans, I didnโt want to make paddleโs, so I looked through books that I have trying to determine proportions and came up with something that looks like an oar to me, I made these from Huon pine in two parts.
Next came the crutches and sockets, Brass tube was used for the sockets being fitted into holes drilled. Next the crutches, these were fabricated from brass wire and fine chain silver soldered together, when I am silver soldering small parts I use a technique my dad taught me.
That is to cut off the required amount of solder and once you have heated the flux a little to boil most of the moisture away, then place the solder using tweezers where it is required, the solder will stay in place because most of the moisture has gone from the flux, gently apply heat and you should have a very neat job.
While on the subject of soldering a low-cost alternative to fire bricks is to use what is called Hebel in Australia this is a lightweight product used in buildings and landscaping it is an aerated concrete sold in blocks.
Once the flux was cleaned up, they were painted black using Humbrol enamel.
Using a Teak coloured wood stain, I masked then stained the top strake down to the rubbing strake.
The inside and top strake now received a couple of coats of satin varnish. The rest of it received a few coats of Humbrol satin white airbrushed on.
In the end after it was finished, I hadnโt quite achieved what I set out to do however, I was quite happy with my little work boat even with its short comings.
Cheers,
Stephen.
๐ฆ๐บ stevedownunder
3 hours ago
5 Posts
9 Followers
48 Likes
Aeronaut Kalle
Hi yโall. I was lucky enough to sell a few kits I decided not to build, I got them over the past couple of years doing trades with my local club members. This allowed me to buy a few things for myself for Christmas without touching the family budget, and we could splurge a bit more on family and friends. Of course, thereโs no surprise, but then again its easier on my wifeโฆshe jumped thru hoops one year to get me a PAW diesel when I was still flying. She said it was an โadventureโ..
Anyway, once everything was said and done I had an Aeronaut Kalle under the tree. I resisted the temptation to look at the kit before Christmas morning, and told myself Iโd start on it later in the new year. Yep, 3 days after Christmas I had her on the bench. Iโm an addictโฆ
The Kalle is a nice kit. Thereโs some decent fittings, the wood is good, the hull, deck, part of the superstructure and deck are molded well from abs. It really and truly looks like a beginners kit, but thereโs more to meet the eye with the Kalle.
First thing I did was to cut the superstructure and bulwarks away from the molding. They are molded as one u it, and Aeronaut has very specific instructions on this procedure so the builder doesnโt cut off what looks like scrap. I rough trimmed the plastic parts for the time being.
The next step was to laminate and glue up the keelโฆand this is where I start to deviate from the instructions. You see, this kit is an original Kalle, which has been superseded by the Kalle II. The plans on my kit show a captured rudder, where the KalleII has a removable shoe. I decided to mod my keel to the later variant. I made that decision AFTER gluing the keel to the hull. It would have been easier to effect this change if the keel want glued on, but I have a Dremelโฆ..I turned out better than I had hoped. With the shoe cut out I built up the rudder and did a kind of hybrid install between my kit and the new variant. I also countersunk the screw holes I drilled for the shoe attach screws. Once I had everything jigged up I went ahead and installed the rudder tube. The rudder is wood, I think Iโm going to glass it for a better, sturdier finish.
I then turned my attention to the tube and motor mount. This is where it get interesting, the plans show a box frame installed in the hull, and a geared brushed motor bolted down to a lower plate. The newer kit includes a bulkhead mount for mounting either a brushed motor or brushless outrunner. The wood parts in my kit included that mount. Thereโs no mention of this part in either th instructions or plans, and in the call out illustration that part is not shown in the frame sheetโฆbut itโs there. So..I went that route.
The motor Iโm using is the same one I used in my Taucher, a Zippkits 650KV 36 mm outrunner. This is a good motor, pleanty of power without the usual higher RPM one usually sees in motors this size.I built up the frame with the bulkhead mount, and used the motor to jig up the stuffing box. Once I was satisfied with the alignment I epoxied everything down, then built a servo mount on the side of the frame for the rudder servo. The receiver and esc will be Velcro mounted to opposite sides. I then uninstalled the electronics so I could give the wood parts a coat of waterproof finish.
Thatโs where Iโm at now, next go-around Iโll reinstall my electrics then start the deck install, then I have to plank the deck.
Cash
๐บ๐ธ Cashrc
15 hours ago
1 Post
2 Followers
7 Likes
International Dragon "White Lady" DEN 166 1:6.
Pedersens & Thuesens Boatyard put the small town of Bramdrupdam on the world map when, in almost two decades, they built 97 of the world's finest dragons, with Olympic gold medalist Ole Berentsen's "White Lady" as the most famous.
Ole Berentsen, Christian Bรผlow and Ole Poulsen, Hellerup, won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 1964 with their famous D 166, "White Lady".
During the Olympic Games in 1964,
๐ฉ๐ฐ AllanM
22 hours ago
3 Posts
4 Followers
23 Likes
A new build
I will, most likely, have to rename this Blog, at some point.
In the mean time...please do not expect much for a while as she is in her very early stages.
First a disclosure: This hull was built for me by another gentleman. It was delivered in a not quite completed state. Therefore I have spent the last two month working on it to get to it's present state.
So.. what is it? She is one of four ships in a class that was later enlarged to around eight maybe ten members of the class. Her main armament was eight 5"/38 caliber twin turrets. She and her class namesake sister were both lost during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This ship is most noted due to the loss of an entire generation of one family, five brothers.
This should be enough for identification.
She is being built in my preferred scale, 1/48th or 1/4"=1'.
This ship was used for numerous camouflage scheme experiments and, sadly, there is little definitive documentation to pinpoint her second to last and last schemes carried. That said, my plan, subject to change without notice or reason, is to present her as she appeared following her New York Navy Yard overhaul, or perhaps as she may have appeared after repainting in Placentia Bay NewFoundland, 1942.
She measures out to 11' 3" and her power plant is to be two 24 volt Buehler motors.
Pictures of her and the build to follow.
Wish me luck please, she will not fit in my van....
๐บ๐ธ ToraDog
2 days ago