Member postings for neil howard-pritchard

thank you guys……….I only wished i'd kept them now, lol.

talking of lifeboats, just put a new album up of two sailing lifeboats I made 3 or so years ago.............I particularly liked building these as there was so much wood to colour stain and varnish.

You are far too gracious Paul..........but thanks for the vote of confidence.

stopped for a night at Lymm whilst on my way to Llangollen on my narrow boat some years ago..........remembered it as a lovely quiet peaceful area.........I felt totally out of place, lol.

.AYE, sorry paul, but wrong class Watson....that's the 46'9" or 47' boat.......its been so long since I posted a pic on here I've forgotten how to, but I have some pics of my prototype Watson lifeboat that Metcalf mouldings now produce, and although I based it on fleetwoods lifeboat it was actually the mary ann Hepworth that I photographed to design the lit.......I also have similar miniature plans similar to those paul showed you but of the 41' boat.if someone sends me a link again on how to post pics i'll scan them and do so tomorrow. thanks

it's sad, for the club and sad for modellers all.............I have been going off and on for the last 20 years and always enjoyed the show, but you could see the decline in recent years as decline in exhibits and people became apparent...............and last year was a big nail in the coffin when the lease holder decided to close the café eatery at the same time of the show instead of the closed season for refurbishment, and the only outlet for refreshments was a burger van.............with not the greatest of over inflated priced half edible burgers and dry tasteless on tap from Aldi cheap range chips..........the lack of queues said it all, lol.

I was talking to the ex chairman of the club mostly associated with putting on the show for many of its years, at New Brighton lake just after new year,

and he says the new management basically wanted shut of the show and made it difficult for the club, removing the storage facilities of their large docks, tankers and such, and other none helpful re organising and reduction of show areas, and generally just being unhelpful............and as such the club decided to pull the plug and to seek elsewhere for the future.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 20/02/2018 23:43:09

I cut my teath with kits on the billing Bluenose and agree, the instructions were rubbish, so ere the timbers, so were the fittings, etc etc, lol.........I struggled on and eventually made it a free sailing model with a drop keel.........it was ok but I learned a great deal about building models by building that model.

I also find, to their credit, they do do interesting and different low volume purchase boats that other kit companies wouldn't touch because of volume sold.

IT'S AS PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON YOUR FACES GUYS...............NOT HAVING STUDIED THE PIC OT THE BOAT BEFORE..........asked my daughter.......at the aft quarter of the bridge wheelhouse you'll find a tall rectangular "window" on an angle.......that and the corresponding one on the starboard side are the two access doors to the wheelhouse......the strange looking blob on the front of the door is in fact an epirb holder fixed to the hand rails and stanchions.

Try asking on either of these two sites david................ someone will have the definitive answer.... https://www.facebook.com/modelmacbrayne/?ref=ts&fref=ts or https://www.calmac.co.uk/fleet http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/gallery/​ that should keep you happy for a while.

DAVE, knowing something of Calmac ferries, you have picked one hard model to build there, with a great amount of detailing both sub deck and on deck and car deck, especially at such a small scale.

there was some time ago a feature article printed in model boats or possibly marine modelling on Loch Nevis which would be worth you reading if you wish to continue, and also there is a facebook forum set up especially for builders of Calmac and other ferries....worth you joining. https://www.facebook.com/modelmacbrayne/?ref=ts&fref=ts Good luck with your build though as they look beautiful on the water......from one Calmac lover to another.

    Have to say, what a beautiful model that Huntsman is..........There's a guy with one moored in Fleetwood docks marina........perhaps he would like a model of his boat.........I shall enquire for you..........stunning boats. hope she goes to a good home, my friend.

will you email me a couple of photos of it, and i'll drop a note off to him at the marina.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 17/11/2017 10:29:19

HI Dave

it is the Dave Metcalf ABS moulding set that Dave produced and I believe was written some many years ago as a build project in Model Boats magazine over a few months. perhaps Colin might be able to tie down what months and year...........think possibly in the early /mid 1980's.........and if not available in back copies it will be found on ebay by the numerous traders. I read it some years ago and found the articles interesting

I wasn't intending to Dave..........and will wait upon your advice.............you know I appreciate it and listen to you.cheers.

thanks for the confidence boost Ashley but you have more confidence in my engineering than I do...........I was a woodworker where we worked to the nearest 1/8 inch...........not thousands of a mm, lol.........think I'm going to stick with Dave's solenoid switches and his other components once I have the plumbing installed. the pump can be either, Ashley, and the inlet scoop will take tandem 15mm pipes into a Y copper fitting​, so plenty of water into the pump will be available.........but looking at the pump, I have an inkling that it would also fit better in the horizontal mode too..........hope to go over to Blackburn next week to have a look at one.........taking my boat for a dry fitting lol.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/11/2017 22:30:44

I presume I could use one of those manifolds with all taps open and put a solenoid valve at the outlet of each branch..............then I would have the boat under total control..............well that's the theory lol.............still got to master the voiths on the ferry, lol.

hey, Dave..............just had a look at those valves...............they look just the job for what I want........will have a chat with you about that set up.............and understand your diagram now that I've looked at the valves.....didn't know these things existed. cheers

someone on the US forum also suggested solenoid valves as well..............but haven't a clue what they are................will have to google them.............and as usual mate...............your diagram has me totally baffled.                                                                                                                                                                                             the outlets differed on all three boats that were jet driven,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Colin.....the Duke had them on the side, midships, for both for and aft propulsion with the forward propulsion ones under water. And the aft propulsion parallel to the water. the Queen was the same as the Duke but with the jet nozzles angled slightly downwards, and the City of Glasgow had the fore propulsion units  sited at the aft of the boat behind the bilge area where the hull becomes  more V in configuration and the aft propulsion nozzles were the same configuration as the Queen.                                                                                                                             and by fore and aft.....I mean the direction that they push the boat, not the position of the jet nozzles...............all very confusing, lol.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/11/2017 20:31:49

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/11/2017 20:32:26

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/11/2017 20:34:56

I've just been looking at cut off valves for water pipes..............has anyone come across these two manifolds for hose pipes and if so how stiff are those taps.

the reason of asking is whether a servo would be able to shift the tap..............this would be a dream come true if they could.

saw them on Amazon.

neil......................IF SO, I COULD MAKE DO WITH JUST ONE PUMP.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/11/2017 17:01:56

thought you were trying to pay someone to take that lord nelson from you for a minute, the way you've cursed it ever since buying it, lol.