Before removing the motor mount from the base I've glued the securing nuts in place with epoxy. The keel and frames have also been glued together in readiness for planking, my timber order having arrived. The notches for the stringers have been filled with timber as I've decided on planking longitudinally and they are not required.

Chris

Drilled and filed the hole out for the P bracket. Had to move the motor a touch sideways to ensure the prop was central to the keel and the P bracket vertical. Disassembly and reassembly was carried out a few times to achieve this but happy in the end. Prop shaft tube was then roughed up and then glued in place using 20 minute epoxy.

About to order the timber for boarding now. Will probably use 3mm balsa which will be a first for me.

Chris

Today I ran a drill through the keel to open it up for the prop shaft tube and finished it off with a round file to get the angle right. I then cut off two of the legs on the shaft support to form a P bracket and assembled everything so that the position of the motor mount could be determined and the length of the tube and prop shaft marked. The motor mount was bolted down, tube and prop shaft cut to length and everything reassembled again ready for gluing in position.

Chris

Couldn't do anymore on my two boat builds in the run up to Christmas/after New Year so returned to my 1:10 Tamiya Unimog build which I hadn't touched for a long time. That is now a working rolling chassis which I road tested around the house. Body needs painting now so have put to one side again and returned to the boats.

The Raboesch prop shaft and prop having been received I've spent a couple of hours today sorting out and finding the parts required (spent ages trying to find the motor!) for the installation.

This build would have been fine with a brushed motor (as would the Fisherman) but I'm a big fan of brushless and have used them in all my builds. My experience with Overlander motors and HobbyWing ESCs has been good and I'm very happy with the slow speed performance in my River Cruiser with it moving away very slowly and smoothly.

The motor is the smallest I've ever used being an Overlander 2822/27 and the prop is a brass 20mm diameter.

Tomorrow I plan to work out the length of prop tube and shaft required and cut them to length.

Chris

I finished gluing the frames in place and so it is now almost ready for the keel. I say almost, as I need to order the prop shaft and glue that in whilst I still have good access. Need to order the balsa sheet as well which I will cut down for the planking.

So, that is as far as I can go for now so have returned to the Fisherman.

Most of the frames now glued to the deck so the shape of the hull is becoming apparent. Before starting assembly I did drill and cut out the keel in readiness for taking the prop shaft. This is a Radoesch of the same type that I'm using in the Fisherman, both of which need cutting to length.

Thanks Flaxybuck, I'm enjoying it as well. I used the shaped building board method on my Huntress and River Cruiser as well as they were built in the same way. It's a good way to build smaller boats and camber could be applied to the deck later if desired. I'm not going to do that though as the bow area is only small.

Chris

I am enjoying looking at this latest build Chris. I like the way you have shaped your building board to the deck shape thus enabling you to clamp the deck in place whilst the frames etc are put in place. The thickness of your keel and frame members will make a very sturdy boat.
Keep going, and good luck 😉

Assembly of hull underway.

Back on this build now. The work on the keel getting it ready to be fitted to the frames is a job in itself. Today has been spent gluing timber strips in place for locating the frames and providing more gluing area. Also been fitting the pieces of stringer between the frame positions to support the planking along the keel.

An order of timber and ply has arrived from SLEC in readiness for planking. Before then I've got to fix the frames to the building board and sand them to fit with the keel. Bit more involved as I'm using angled frames at the bow and stern.

Chris

The longer 4mm drill arrived and so the hole was drilled for the prop shaft. A base was then made for the motor mount and then I was able to assemble the prop shaft so that I could mark how much to reduce the tube and shaft by and cut them to length.

A splint was made for the coupling from strips of mahogany and tape to form a straight connecter and another piece of ply was added to the motor mount base to line the motor and prop shaft up and ensure that it turned freely. The propshaft tube was then glued in place with 20 minute epoxy.

Been doing a bit more on and off over the last few days on the keel. Whilst the drop keel itself will pass through the 9mm hull keel the sleeve won't as that's virtually 9mm as well so the decision was made to cut a section out of the hull keel. This was achieved by gluing a doubler to one side, cutting out the section with a razor saw and then gluing another doubler on. Once the sleeve is glued in position the void will be filled with P38 body filler.

I then started fitting some other doublers and drilling out for the prop shaft and for the bearing adjacent to the prop. Also made and fitted the base for the motor mount so that I can cut the prop shaft tube and shaft to length. Having to wait for a longer drill to arrive for finishing off the hole for the shaft though.

So.....!

Chris

Progress has been sporadic as I've had to do other things, as usual!

But I transferred my drawing to the mahogany hull keel using carbon paper again. I didn't know if the lines would show up Ok on the darker timber and had bought a white Sharpie - needn't have worried though as can see them fine.

I was going to use my bandsaw for the 9mm mahogany but after trying my scroll saw it cut fine and square (after previous setting up before I started this project). Changed the blade a couple of times to ensure stayed sharp and took it easy. Once cut out I sanded it with a range of PermaGrit tools.

The top pieces of the bow and stern were then cut out as I bought two smaller planks to do the job rather than one big one and these were then jointed and glued to the main part of the hull keel.

Couple of days ago I cut a building board from an old shelf and once the hull keel is finished I can start assembling that and the frames on the baseboard. This is a first for me, using extended frames as well as the other firsts I listed before! 😀

Hi Mike - I use Microsoft Visio which is a diagram and vector graphics package. It's not really the best program for the job but I used to use it at work for building construction drawings as our IT department in their wisdom wouldn't let me have CAD. It wasn't good for that either but being an architectural draftsman I made it work and when I got interested in model boats I started using it for that as well.

Since retiring I did buy TurboCAD so that I could produce 3D print files but I'm effectively learning from scratch even for 2D so it's gone on the backburner and I've gone back to Visio. I've got an A3 printer but I can export drawings I've done as PDFs etc.

This is a side view of Faun, one of my next builds, which I produced from my build drawings.

Hi Chris,
Just a quick question:
What programme do you have on your PC to draw the details?
Bb Michel-C.

On and off over the last few days I've sanded the frames to the lines and cut out the notches for the stringers.

Next job will be to cut the keel out from 9mm mahogany and fix the frames to a baseboard.

Chris

All frames transferred to 3mm ply and cut out with my trusty scroll saw ready for sanding to the lines.

Chris

Today I've started to transfer the frames to ply using my preferred method of carbon paper.

Chris

Hi Boatshed

Yes, Fairey are only really known for the models that have been built, originally the Huntsman 28 and 31 and Swordsman 33 and more recently the Huntress but they actually made a whole range of boats through dinghies, speed boats, sports cruisers and larger military craft.

I got interested in the history of Fairey which is one reason I'm building so many, but I'm only really interested in the wooden hull ones, so I'm building all the classic Faireys plus some little known ones as I wanted to build something different. I like speed as well but have included slower craft like the River Cruiser and the Faun and the motor sailer Fisherman, because as I said, they are different and as far as I know, haven't been built before. There is a yacht called Atalanta which I have thought about building but I'm all Faireyed out now! I shall use them on the lake but the slower ones are more about the build.

I do have a couple of faster ARTR plastic yachts and three RTR plastic race boats (which are in My Harbour) which I get my speed fix from and don't worry about them getting bumped!

Chris

Hi ChrisF,
I didn't know that Fairey built sailing boats and small day type boats, which is what I would class Fawn as.
But I think Fawn is quite cute. But sailing boats don't really do anything for me. Too slow for my liking really. But we all have different tastes and it would be a weird world if we were all the same.

Sadly I have always been a speed freak.
The Huntsman Style hulls I really like as they ride the water well and they are great for speed. I used to run 10cc Irvine engines in them up until our local waters banned IC engines. I an now going Brushless with most of my model boats. One ore two will still be brushed or even the old fashioned Taycol Supermarine. I am also very into the Vosper and Elco hulls. PT 109, and the RAF Crash Tender.
The old Aerokit's are also another thing I have a few of as well of a couple of ready ARTR model boats, and a couple pf the NQD cheapy boats that I am converting into proper RC instead of the odd RC that is fitted and also changing the motors to something a bit livelier. Speed again.
I came onto this site in the first place as it was for the RAF Crash Tender, then after a few years they then changed and brought in all types of model boats.
It took me a while to come to terms with the change, I didn't like it at first but it does seem to work very well. There are lots of different things happening on here.
I have learnt a lot since the change though.

Finished the hull drawings so have printed them out in readiness to make a start on what Bob calls making saw dust.

The prop shaft and prop arrived a couple of days ago to add to the parts list. There's also a photo of the the dinky little brushless motor I bought sometime ago. Obviously brushed would work fine but I'm a committed brushless man!

Chris

As I usually find when I return to drawings I find I need to add extra information or modify them when I start thinking about the construction again and this was true of these. They may not look it, as for clarity I've stripped away a lot of my construction build up, detail and stringer lines etc., but these have been the most complicated drawings I've produced and incorporates a number of firsts for me:

Non-hard chine hull - this is where all the work was and hopefully it works out
Plank on frame
Sails (as well as the motor)
Mahogany hull keel
Drop keel

This is going to be a quite an expensive build and I've just spent some more money on a Raboesh prop-shaft.

My method is to draw up enough to start building the hull (otherwise I'd never get started!) and then draw up the superstructure etc. as I go along - has worked for me so far!

This build can go one of two ways, either a success or an unmitigated disaster!

Chris

Hello Chris,
Just returned from the 4-day trip . . . 👍👍👍
I wish you good luck and thank you for the detailed explanation!
Your work is pure precision
I will certainly need some tips for the restoration of the 1975 ‘Optimist’ from Graupner. . .😊
Until then, a lot of water is flowing down the ‘Reuss’ (our river near Lucerne)
Best regards Michel-C.

Hi Mike

If you mean the top piece that will be fixed in place and then a bolt passes down into the keel. The top piece has all those bits and pieces on it because it is designed for the Dragonforce yacht where the top and bottom pieces are bolted together at the deck and the bottom of the hull - see photos. The top piece also accommodates the DF mast box but I won't be using that, I may cut it off.

The two parts of the tube/dagger box will be glued together to form a waterproof tube for the keel. Been doing a bit more on the drawings and it looks as though I can position the join within the hull keel and surround with epoxy as we do with propshafts etc. which will make it good and watertight. I did try and find an old/damaged DF hull so that I could use the enclosed tube that runs between the deck and underside of hull which would have been a good solution but no luck.

It's more complicated than a simple keel box because the boat has a protruding ballast keel which I'm making out of mahogany and the keel will pass through. I like a challenge anyway which is why I'm building this model and with power and sail.

Chris

Hey Chris,
I don't quite understand the bracket . .
In my opinion, I would be missing an intermediate piece, wouldn't I?
Do you have any more parts? I am very interested in how this is possible . . .
Bb Michel-C.

Can't spend much time on my models at the moment but last night felt the need to do a bit!
So I've started modifying the DF parts to form the keel box and taken measurements to see how it fits in with my drawings for the boat.

Modification of the bottom part was quite drastic so that it can be glued in flush with the keel to the hull.

Chris

Sorry Boatshed, I somehow managed to miss your question.

I've got five builds currently underway, including some painting to three of them. Just about to start another one, the Fisherman, and that will leave just one to start, the Faun - I've already done the drawings for it so will probably build it alongside the Fisherman. These are completely different to my other Faireys being plank on frame.

So that will be seven Fairey builds in total and plus the two Dave Milbourn Huntresses. I think I'll call it a day then as I've got other projects I want to build.

Chris

Hi ChrisF,
I am curious, How many Fairey Marine Builds do you actually have? also how many are finished??

The other Fairey Huntress prototype has now joined the fleet. Dave really went to town on the detailing of this model and even the seats hinge! The model is very closely based on the full-sized craft.

As well as being one of the build test prototypes for the plans that he produced (Sarik use a photo of it for the plans) the build also featured in a Model Boats Magazine Winter Special which I've used as invaluable reference, along with other build articles, in my own builds.

Chris

You and I have something in common. I have 4 hulls in various stages of construction. The most finished one is a tugboat I started in 1985 with my 7 year old son. He now works & lives on a tugboat. The model may be an antique before I am done! The next is a beautiful hull, the lines taken off a Sparkman & Stevens gaff-rig sailboat disintegrating in an old boatyard. The model sailed wonderfully, but I took it apart to add more detail.
Still adding ... on occasion. The others are mahogany runabouts, one intended as a model for a full-size build that likely will not happen. But hey - no bar bills!!

Bob - Yes, it will be good to be making some sawdust again (well for model boats) and I'm yet to try that bandsaw out!

Razor1955 - my retirement hasn't gone to plan either and in fact I've spent less time on some of my hobbies than when I was working!

Chris

Nice to know that you will soon be making some more sawdust Chris!

I have also been "enjoying" an overly long lay-off from model boat building , but hopefully things will improve for me in the near future so that like yourself I may be able to get started again this winter.

There are two Swordsman models that are more of less completed (structurally) and "only" need minor work and painting and some planking in my workshop (shed).

Stay in touch!

Bob.

You can't go wrong with the Fairey designs - such handsome boats. Even allowing for your "pause", your output is much better than mine. I thought retirement would give me plenty of time for building but it hasn't worked out like that - yet!

Thanks JB, will do.

I've actually got another Fairey in the fleet, a Huntress that was built by the late Dave Milbourn as one of two prototypes he built for the drawings he was producing for Sarik. I bought it off Dave some years ago and it set me off on my 1:12 builds.

This is the model on the left in the photo and is soon to be joined by the other prototype.

Chris

That's a nice collection Chris, looking forward to some videos.

JB

Stop it Will! How are you doing?

Fairey Bulldog, I had to Google that one! Probably not, as I will be all Faireyed out with the two future builds!

And one image looked similar to a Stiletto/Rapier.

Chris

No plans for building a Bulldog as well Chris? 😉

Future builds are the Fisherman 27 motor sailer and Faun 17 river/lake cruiser. Drawings were a challenge as they are not hard chine and especially the former as it was based on a design for a ship’s lifeboat which took some work to get it right. I say that, as I will find out when I finally start it! Looking forward to building something with sails.

The Faun was based on their 16' 6" Falcon sailing dingy and was designed for an outboard motor but some were converted to inboard, which is what I'm doing, certainly initially, as finding a decent outboard at the right scale is a bit of a problem though I have bought a couple of possibilities, we will see. The drawings were produced from the brochure.

I've already bought brushless motors for these models. Some might call them overkill for such slow models but my experience with the River Cruiser is that it runs very smoothly at slow speeds and I like brushless motors!

I’ve produced drawings for a non-Fairey, water-jet project but that will be a separate thread.

Fifth build was the Huntress 23 but not the usual one you see drawings and kits for. I wanted to build a model with a stern-drive and the long cabin version (which I prefer) had one. Being different I cracked on with this one and is the other that’s seen water but needs finishing.

Fourth build was the Huntsman 31. Originally started off as the rarer full open cockpit version (no aft cabin) called the Sport but as I sold my big 47” version and had a number of big cockpit models decided to change it to the usual aft cabin version.

Third build was the Swordsman 33. There are drawings for these but I modified them to produce the aft cabin version where the roof sits just below the coamings. Work stalled when I came to do the planked deck! Done now and at painting stage.

Second build was a diversion from my planned builds and is the River Cruiser. As said before it is from a prototype and I worked from a black and white photograph. Not too bad though as it’s based on a modified Huntress hull. I used the available Huntress drawings as a starting point. Brushless might sound a bit OTT but it performs very nicely at slow speeds and they are my go to motors - did think about brushed but couldn't find anything I fancied - I like the engineering of brushless. This is one of the ones to have had lake trials but still work to do.

First build was the Huntsman 28 which I’ve modified so that the whole superstructure lifts off. This was tricky as it has a full open cockpit and is slender at the transom and sides.