Slowly making progress
It seems as I have not posted an update for nearly three weeks, so my apologies for being a bit lax. Nevertheless, I have not been slacking, it just seems that the tasks I have completed since last blog have been time consuming, and have not produced much of photographic interest.
The deck has been planked with 5mm wide planks and these have been sourced from slats from a discarded wooden blind, the finished stripped from its surfaces by belt sander, then fine sanded and cut into 5mm strips on the Proxxon circular saw.
The planks were butted edge to edge and stuck to the frames with Evo Stik waterproof glue, planking over the apertures for the forward hatch and mast box, leaving me to rediscover them later. Planking was taken as far as the rear of the cabin and then the rear section completed, by using the slats at full width, but scored at 5mm intervals to simulate planks.
As this wood is quite white I have just varnished it with Sikkens outdoor varnish, which is clear and water based and brushes are cleaned in water. Donโt like spirit cleaners these days.
A mahogany cover has been made for the forward hatch and has to be detachable for access to the Rx.
Following this work the floor boards were made for rear well and were built in three sections, two at the fore, either side of the engine, and one into the rest of the well to the transom. The boards, as used for the deck, were laid on .8mm ply to make life easy and to keep the shape.
The seating and back rests were glued to the formers and again using the wood from the slats but this time, stained as antique pine to match the boarding at the rear of the cabin. This will be varnished as above.
Finally the โengine coverโ has been built and finished with the stain to match. The top of the propshaft, with a rotating collet, is not fully covered and may present some health and safety issues, but people will just have to be careful!!
That just about brings me up to date now but would like to leave this gem with you.
From, โBuild Yourself a Model Boatโ, published in 1950. ---'In these days of motor cars and wireless sets, most men can solder.โ We still have the motor car and wireless sets, but can most men still solder?
Geoff.