Broad Ambition - The Model

[grendel]

another slow trip  home in hot heat, with the aircon not working (needs regassing) and not a lot of progress on the models, just time to glue the plank on from shaping yesterday, it will be an early night tonight as the heat last night meant I woke at 4am this morning.

[grendel]

well at last the postman delivered the rest of the hinges I ordered, these are truly scale, next to the piano hinges the look tiny, they would scale to about the size of an average door hinge - there are 20 hinges in each of those little packets.

[grendel]

and the remaining area to be planked continues to shrink, another plank shaped and steamed and clamped in place, just 2 more after this has been glued, and they wont need shaping or steaming

[grendel]

after that work I was considering how I would attach the handrails to the roof, I thought I had 2 choices, I can either turn up some stanchions from brass, or I could see if anywhere sold anything suitable. 

then I had a brainwave, after researching chrome paints I decided I would have a try at 3D printing some stanchions - now these are small parts - even for a 3d printer, I printed 36  overnight to get 25 good ones (total material cost about 50p), these will need cleaning up and painting with chrome effect paint, but I am happy with the result - I may have a try at turning one up on the lathe at the weekend - just to see if it can be done, so I am not 100% sure I will use these - yet.

the  pen in the picture is to give some idea of scale.

[Hockham Admiral]

Is there no end to your ingenuity?    

[grendel]

15 minutes ago, Hockham Admiral said:

Is there no end to your ingenuity?    

I will let you know when I find the end :-) 

[MauriceMynah]

I found the end once, it was nice. :)

 

Seriously though Grendel, I've just been given the wood from a blind. Before I use it as kindling, is it of any use to you (or anyone else) ?

[grendel]

so back home and some of the handrail supports put on the long rails that I constructed, and that plank from yesterday glued in place.

MM, I have a big stack of blinds at the moment, probably enough for a dozen models, so unless you will be at the wooden boat show where I could pick it up then use it as kindling, as there is no point me making a trip especially for a blind.

[grendel]

tonight a plank is glued, no shaping, no steaming, one more to go after this.

[grendel]

yaay, we are there. Hull #2 has had the last plank installed. glued and clamped in place. tomorrow it can come off of the building board, then it will be sanding, filling, trimming - more sanding until I am happy with the shape, then will come the epoxy coat, and the prow can be fitted and shaped, we are at a milestone where I get space on the bench and both models can be swapped in and out a lot easier. though I do now need to find a space for this one to sit whilst not being worked on

[grendel]

Taa Daa, its all unclamped and coming off the build board now. the supports have been removed, but thats it for the moment, a busy day ahead, shopping, washing work clothes for next week, and I have the car booked in for an air con recharge.

[grendel]

well the air con regas didnt happen, there was no pressure left and they had run out of the gas they use to test the system. still shopping done and now getting to work. went outside to trim and sand the edges down to the top rail. managed to get that started before I was interrupted by the weather (started spitting with rain) a couple of planks near the front needed pulling back in place (with clamps and glue). first views of the inside of the hull also attached, remember on this model everything except the bulkheads and keel is lime recovered from wooden blinds.

[grendel]

storage problem resolved, a couple of wall brackets and the build board itself becomes a shelf - ready to take whichever of the models it needs to.

now to do some tidying up on the workbench.

[grendel]

tidying was done, then it was time to make a mess again. 

Out with the lathe, and chuck up some 10mm brass to have a go at creating a handrail support from brass, the picture shows the result next to one of the 3d printed ones.

The brass ones will be stronger but heavier, at the moment I am not over worried about adding weight, I am needing 2 lead acid batteries to get her anywhere near the waterline.

[grendel]

after making a second brass handrail support, more mess - this time in the bathroom, I am trying to ascertain the trim and waterline. 

firstly we tried with no ballast (batteries) I could easily power the boat using lightweight lithium batteries.

then with battery option no.1 ~ 2x 6V 10Ah batteries - giving 12v 10Ah - weight 1.93 kg each = 3.86 kg.

This was tried with one battery in front of the cockpit, one behind.

I then moved the forward battery into the 'heads' compartment to look at the trim.

then battery option no.2 ~ 2x 12V 7Ah batteries - giving 12V 14Ah - weight 2.2 kg each = 4.4kg

this was tested with the front battery in the heads. each time I took a picture to see how the bow and stern were sitting

 

[grendel]

now to go and look at my pictures to match my results to the real thing, to be honest ballasted up, there is about 1/2" (13mm) between marks at the front, and about 1/8" (3mm) at the rear between marks, I can use a laser level to get the line from front to back, for both the top and bottom of the boot topping

[grendel]

so laser level out and fixed, then the model was packed up to get the level right, masking tape has been used to mark the levels for the bottom and top of the boot topping

[grendel]

ooh good job I was paying attention, I have just redone the boot topping line, I didnt have the model level, this threw the line off, so I have just redone the lines.

lidls provided a nice self levelling laser line (a few weeks back, it looked useful so i got one) not only is the shelf spot on, but it has made this job a lot easier.

[grendel]

So, while taking my daughter to work this morning, I spotted signs for a dolls house and miniatures fair, I will be popping along later when it opens as they also work at 1/12 scale, so I may be able to source either fittings or fixtures, at least I will get to know whats out there with respect to 1/12 scale bits. meanwhile its time to make some more brass handrail supports.

[grendel]

so a few little extras have been procured, these are more akin to set dressing, adding those little touches that add realism, various drinking implements, and a few essential tools. I also found some even smaller hinges.

There was one item there - a one off hand built drop leaf table - fully functional, beautiful, but at £85 it probably cost more than the original, and wasnt a must have essential item, plus having now checked was a touch more ornate then the one on board.

[grendel]

well slow progress today, but progress all the same, we now have 5 brass handrail supports, and the red oxide coat has gone on the hull, the blue boot topping will be added after the waterline has been checked again, this will be about 1/2" (13mm) wide, so can cover any minor errors in the red oxide line.

the hull is now sitting on its shelf upside down to allow the paint to properly dry out.

[grendel]

well last night I was doing some thinking, and decided to have a go at making my own piano hinges. I can get small hinges, but not as piano hinges, so this got me to thinking, can i make my own on the 3d printer?

well I spent some time last night, drawing up the parts, then printing them out. they do need a little fettling with a small file as they are a fraction tight a fit at the moment, I have ordered some 0.8mm piano wire to make the hinges (I do have some 0.7mm pins but they wont be long enough for a longer hinge.

At least this way I can specify the width of the side plates to the width of the wood I am making the frames from. these are made with a 3mm side piece, I may be able to go to 4mm for these frames, if this works I may well print them in black to hide them on the model

[grendel]

so 3 hinges have now been fettled, and fit together, just got to wait for the hinges to arrive now.

[grendel]

Hinges now have short pins at each end about 30mm of pin at each end, these will be replaced when the longer piano wire hinge pins arrive.

the good part of this is that for every challenge this model throws at me I am managing to find solutions.

[grendel]

so last night I printed a set of hinges 25% bigger, I had some brass wire at 1.2mm which fit the hinge holes, so 3 larger hinges were put together this evening, then a further brass handrail stanchion was turned.