Guardsman by Vic Smeed

Decided to build a wooden hulled version of Vic Smeed's attractive Customs and Excise Launch, Guardsman (MM1330). At 22.5" x 6" the model seems an ideal size for my next project.

The first stage is to trace and cut the ply centre keel from 1/8" ply, the hull bottom planks from 1/2" balsa and the bulkheads from 1/8" balsa.

Bottom planks now glued in place. Sanded level with the keel to give a good straight base for the bulkheads. Glue used was white Evo Stik Resin W. In a recent thread (What Glue) on this site, an Aliphatic glue was recommended and I intend to try this next.

Hello Tony

Looking forward to your build

I like the quaint boats of yesteryear, they are full of olde worlde charm

Bob

Hello Tony, nice to see you are building the guardsman , nice little boat, i have two sryrenehulls to start on a build for the grandson so will watching tour build with interest,...........Larry...

Thank you for the positive feedback. Bob, must say your Glasgow build is excellent.

Managed to glue the first row of bread and butter laminations at the bow and stern. Also fitted bulkheads 1 & 5. I will deviate from Vic's instructions here as he says to fit the rest of the bulkheads, whereas I think it would be best to complete the laminations first. The bulkheads would be a bit fragile glued in place until I am ready for the planking.

I will be taking a short break from this model for a short while whilst I go shopping for more balsa and a prop shaft which needs fitting before the stern laminations.

In his text Vic says the Guardsman is a Composite Hull. Can anyone clarify this. My understanding of a composite hull is shown in the sketch and would be used for Oil Tankers etc.

Thanks.

I think you are about right there, Tony

It' s probably an old term, nowadays composite would refer to FG and some thing else?

Bob

ps....Btw I hate balsa wood for boats!.......lol

bob

Yes, a composite hull combines different building methods and frequently entails bread and butter or block construction for the bow and stern with planking amidships. It is a very practical, economical and effective way of building a hull and is the method I usually use myself.

Unlike Bob, I am quite happy to use balsa as long as it is properly reinforced, sealed and protected but we all have our personal preferences.

Colin

Hello ,

thepost is starting to kick off all ready a lot of buildtips and notes ,

iam with Bob on balsa build and as Colin says its ok if sealed , but takes a fair bit of work,

i like plank on frame or styreen , or premade hulls , allso balsa is a bit on the costly side .......LARRY...

Larry,

You are quite right with balsa (and other materials) being costly. It would have been far more cost effective for me to have bought the styrene hull from myhobbystore. The hidden costs like petrol, bus fares, parking or postage (for mail order/online purchasing) have to be factored in. However, I decided to build this one as Vic's item in the 1982 magazine.

As Bob says earlier, a quainte boat of yesteryear, full of olde worlde charme.

Tony.

Hello Boys

Balsa wood is perfectly ok for authentic vintage models

Post a few more pictures, please, Tony

Bob