18 hours after joining this site my email account is blown up with notifications, at least 2 pages worth, an ear full of complaints from the wife about that damn fog horn, and not even an auto reply from admin with a welcome......SMH

Hello gentlemen, Im the "Tapemeasureman" from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. A carpenter, remodeler by trade, Ive recently became interested in vintage model steam engines. It is my intention to build (at the moment) a simple hull / boat to be powered by one of my steam engines. To be more specific, a hull of repurposed, recycled sheet metal on the 18" to maybe 36" size range. It will be powered by a 1 or 2 cylinder STEAM ENGINE AND BOILER. My thinking currently is something along the lines of THE AFRICAN QUEEN, although with a more simplified hull design I can create with bought sheet aluminum, or sheet steel from recycled paint cans or some such, something fairly easy to work with, readily available and cheap. Currently I am more interested in basic function than strict detail or creating a scale replica. In short I want to build a simple working water craft to utilize one of my steam engines be it propeller or paddle wheel propelled I am open to any and all suggestions and directions as I am completely ignorant on this subject and seeking enlightenment, so any help will surely save me countless hours of the trials and errors of starting from scratch, all alone. Any help with hull patterns, alternate information resources, tips on working in the various metals will be appreciated more than you know, and will leave me forever in your debt and very grateful. Thank you in advance, hoping you are having a great day.