Cheddarman, 87 - wow! Happy birthday, Lew

Thank you Roy,

Vic Smeed along with Les Rowell (HMM, Aerokits, LesRo etc) were the two most influential and prolific model boat designers that influenced me the most during my formative years of the 1950’s and 60’s.

It is always nice to be reminded of them and the great service they provided to the model boating community.

Bob.

Hi Zooma thought you might like to see a photo I took in 2009, when Vic Smeed was one of our judges. This is the last public photo taken and often used. He died at 90+ a couple of years later. He is posed next to two of the yachts he designed called Panache.
Roy

I prefer to prick through the plan onto thin card and then joining the pin pricks together with a pencil before cutting the cardboard “to the line” with a craft knife.

The “template” produced this way can be placed on the wood and drawn around ready to be cut.

I keep all my templates in an envelope with the plan for future reference. Storing the templates with the plan makes it easy to recut a part if needed for any reason in the future.

This method enabled me to remake a model 50 years after I made it the first time around without having to transfer any information from the plans again (Vic Smeed Remora).

Whatever method I use to transfer bulkhead shapes etc, I always transfer them onto card first to make a template to work from.

This template also makes a good reference to keep with the plans if a future replica model is ever contemplated.

Cereal packets are my usual source of supply for this task as the card is just right for the job, and for components that are longer than the cereal box - I just tape some together (common practice when making a keel !).

Once the centre line of a bulkhead shape has been determined, I scribe a line on it so that the shape can be folded in half. Once folded, any differences between the two sides can be corrected to make sure that the bulkhead template is symmetrical.

This is essential if the hull is to be built “true”. If the bulkheads are not cut to be made symmetrical, it will not be so easy to align

What ChrisF said. I also would tape it around a dowel or anything fitting the intended bend when drying.

I bend mine over a kettle. Leave the top open so that it doesn't keep switching off. Wear safety glasses and cover your arms and I use oven gloves to hold the timber. Hold it in the steam for a short while and then bend it. Best to overbend it as it will spring back a bit. Might take one or two goes to get enough bend in it. I've used it successfully for bigger stringers and chine rails.

Just about finished cutting out all the bits so thinking ahead.
Where the 1/8" 1/4" Spruce Gunwale and Stringers come around the bow, it's quite a sharp turn so will need to "bend" the wood to prevent snapping it.
What's the easiest way to do this, soaking and heating? I don't have a steam facility.
Thanks

Might try the "rubber" (gooey) glue from the stationary section in a store. Apply lightly. Easy to remove.
Lew

John - I knew Dave as well and know that he was an advocate of liteply on many occasions. But I still won't use it!

In fact I have both of his prototype builds for the 1:12 Huntress which are my only models with any liteply in them.

Chris