Birthday boat

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Thanks for the compliments!

I can now get on with the pretty bits, should be fun!

I'm quite glad that I'll be giving this one away, she's hard work getting in and out of my car, (only just fits) and down to the wharf. The birthday boy is a big strong lad with a station wagon!

The next boat will be a small electric!

Amy jane

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Thanks for the compliments!

I can now get on with the pretty bits, should be fun!

I'm quite glad that I'll be giving this one away, she's hard work getting in and out of my car, (only just fits) and down to the wharf. The birthday boy is a big strong lad with a station wagon!

The next boat will be a small electric!

Amy jane

[lnvisiblemanParticipant @lnvisibleman]

thoroughly enjoyed reading your build and very impressed with the results.

If only there was somewhere nearby that I could run a boat with an IC engine. Too many "greens" around here to allow that sort of hooliganism in public.

For " greens " read " KILLJOYS"

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Excellent job Amy,

It looks a classic example of turning a sows ear into a silk purse, judging by some of the bits you started out with. I have enjoyed reading your blog and was impressed by the pragmatic and practical engineering approach that you took. I look forward to the next one.

Gareth

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Posted by Amy jane September on 25/04/2014 19:43:00:

The next boat will be a small electric!

Amy jane

I doubt that very much – Great build looking forward seeing the finished result

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Thanks all.

High praise, given your splendid build, Gareth, thanks!

I agree with the invisible man, all this PC carry on really puts the wind up my skirt!

Honest Mark, The next one will be a small electric, but….. there is still that 500cc four stroke under Lynn's house…

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Well done, Amy J

It's a pity we can't see more pictures of your Masterpiece ploughing through the waves

Perhaps the recipient will post a few, when he's unwrapped it?

Your next build would be nice if it was a large sea going Thames barge or similar…..About 8 foot hull?

Something that calls for chunky planks, where you can show off your axe and boat knowledge skills?

All the best

Bob

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hello

Not much progress this week, I'm afraid. I made an air out let for the back of the engine cover, but didn't like it, so I ripped it off and started over. Second one was better.

And the beginnings of a cockpit.

I finally settled on a scale of 3"=1'. Makes her a 20 footer, a comfortable day boat for two, with room to sun bathe on the engine cover and space for a picnic hamper and a few bottles of wine…

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Hi Amy J,

well done indeed, very impressed with this one, be even more so imagining someone hanging on with clenched teeth attempting to keep the hamper and wine on board whilst hurtling over the briny at 20+knots. maybe a skier hanging on to the back?

As for that 500cc engine – put it in a motorbike – that's where we like our big engines over here, and I can already smell the Castrol R with only 4 weeks to go for the TT start.

Small electric, well I'm building a 3inch thames barge at present, small enough?

Kimmo

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi Kimmo.

Thanks for that, I'm really enjoying this build. I look forward to seeing your little Thames Barge, you will post a couple of pickies? She will be a delicate piece of work.

Speaking of bikes, Lynn has a 30 year old Honda TT sitting up in the shed, still going, even if she only rides it once every couple of years! (must hassle her about that, waste of a nice bike)

I think the 500cc will end up in Lynn's partners 18' foot launch.

( Castrol R…..can't beat the smell of castor oil…..)

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Don't forget the alcohol in the petrol!

That's the real smell!

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

A friend of mine years ago rebuilt at Tiger 100ss and ran it on castor, but it was expensive and gums up. He compromised by swapping to a normal straight 40 and put the preverbial egg-cup of Castrol R in the petrol to get that authentic smell.

I had an Ariel Arrow at the time so I am not sure anyone ever smelt the waft of the castrol….

Kimmo, 3 inches, yes thats fairly small.

Bob, Alcohol goes in the mouth, not to be wasted as a petrol additive.

Ashley

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi all.

A bit of time has been spent filling and sanding, bullwarks added to the bow (wouldn't do to have all those empty wine bottles rolling over board, would it?) The cockpit is ready for detailing, and a cardboard mockup of the wind screen made.

Happy now with the rear scoop, (The first one looked remarkably like a baboons face!)

Look Bob! A flash display stand! (made from the bottom shelf of Lynn's book case, I wonder if she has noticed yet)

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Amy. Not yer usual top..modelled on anything or just out the old brainbox?

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Amy

Your model has charm and novelty and would have made a lovely article for the ModelBoats Magazine

It`s not too late……..Have a word with Colin?

I like the stand, it shows off your excellent model in a very dramatic pose!

The rear vent would have looked nicer, had it been a sheet of louvres?…..You can them ready made

Would give your model…The Ferrari Look?

Still, a nice model though

Bob

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi Ashley, The model is kind of designing her self at moment, I'm just going with the flow…..

Thanks Bob, I did consider louvres, and they would have looked quite good, but opted for the scoop. I was quite pleased with the stand, gives the feeling of the boat flying along.

Very kind of you suggest it for the mag, but I'm sure Colin already has plenty of fine models lined up, judging from the work I've seen on the forum!

Amy jane

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

AND as Bob should know, your build has been publicly aired and so would not go in the mag as everyone has already seen it! This is why I have projects that remain anonymous, just in case they are deemed worthy of a slot amusing all and sundry.

The big LCT4 although novel by virtue of its size and no-draught design I thought was a bit too boring and plain for any sort of MB consideration so have outed it from the start..

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

AND as Ashley should know……..Great Eastern was publicly aired and still appeared in all it`s glory, several times in the mag!

Only pulling your leg, Ashley…….lol

I think Amy`s boat is really special and would make a good read……Yule logs, drift wood, choppers and axes etc all manner of recycled scrap…..home made props and clutches…….The perfect recipe……Ugly Duckling into a Swan!

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. A vessel that large and charismatic deserves to be in the mag several times if not more, especially as you altered it with plastic surgery to become a film star!

Unfortunately only two of my boats have become film stars and only in a small way.

An article by Amy could go along the lines of "Dugout to Riviera cruiser" although I think the use of flint tools in the initial tree stage were missing, but a small point.

Did or do you you use an ADZE Amy? this is a traditional boat building tool is it not ?for trueing up those Bilabong wood planks?? The heaviest thing I have used for shaping has been a hand held belt sander..a ferocious tool..on my Nelson, due to the thickness of plank on the bottom.

Ashley

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Thank you for your very kind words Bob, I'm glad you are on board!

Ashley, I haven't used an adze, though would like to give it a try! It was traditionally a tool for shaping heavy timber, much used for shaping keels and sawn frames, before the days of power planes and "ship" bandsaws. (these hand pivoting heads, and all the the changing bevels on a frame could be cut in one smooth operation. Quite a sight to watch!) I do use a broad hatchet rather a lot. This is a hatchet with an off set handle and the bevel ground all on one side, like a plane blade. A very handy tool! (I used it to carve the half model for the birthday boat)

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

I concur with Bob: this build should go to the mag when finished!

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

All this talk of adzes and yule logs reminded me of a trip I made to Dubai about 20 years ago. It was just before Christmas in 1992 when we were despatched to investigate an aircraft with flying control system problems. At one stage the customer said, not entirely tongue in cheek, that he thought there was a ghost in the machine, but it was probably just air in the hydraulic system.

On our weekend off we took the opportunity to have a look round the shipyard in Dubai creek where dhows were still being built by traditional methods, no modern machinery in sight. Here are a few photos.

Yes thats me in one of my hairy phases stood in front of some hefty sized chunks of timber.  I have no idea where they got the timber from, there are not that many trees in Dubai.

The slightly bizarre christmas connection was that we were working outside in temperatures of >30 deg C totally immersed in an arab culture but on return to our hotel near Dubai International Airport the first thing you saw on entering the foyer was an enormous christmas tree complete wih all the usual decorations and carols being played over the sound system.

Gareth

 

Edited By Gareth Jones on 15/05/2014 08:00:18

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

Hello Gareth,

Good job you informed us that the figure in the photo is you. I wouldn't have recognised it from the photo of you on this website. That aside, very interesting photos of all wood boats. Some of the wood looks like driftwood.

Tongue in cheek – you should have said that this was one of your model boats – that would have been impressive.

Ian

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hello All

Thanks, Diede van Abs. While I have no pretensions about the boat ending up in the mag, I'm very flattered that people think it is good enough!

Great photos, thanks Gareth. My sort of building yard! I've seen similar yards during my travels in Vietnam, a dozen or so years ago. In fact I saw just about every conceiviable boat shape and construction! Boats of rough hewn logs, with out a drop of paint, powered by a brand new Japanese diesel, with the throttle operated by bits of string, canoes hammered out of sheets of aluminium, boats of woven bamboo strips, sealed with road tar. (they were not small either) I was even taken several miles up the Red River in a 25' steel punt, whose engine consisted of a not so young woman and a pair of 20' oars! Fascinating stuff!

Right, on with the build.

Actually getting a little frustrated at only getting a few hours a week to work on the boat, but never mind, will get there in the end!

Made a start on the wind screen. Silly girl that I am, I decided it would have to be done in varnished Kauri. It's starting to become the most challenging part of the build so far! Once again I doth my cap to the skill of you fine scale builders, and humbly lay my hatchet at your feet!

I started buy gluing up the sides out of over sized bits

which I then cut down to size. The upper and lower cross pieces were made from two bits, finger jointed together.

here are the bits, almost ready for assembly. Just need to cut the rebates for the clear plastic.

I glued a thin plank along each side of the engine cover and cockpit coamings, which will be sanded and varnished in due course.

I thought it would be wise to make the cockpit removable.

Kauri is not the ideal timber for this. Although it is stable and close grained, it is quite brittle and splits easily.It has the most beautiful golden colour once varnished, and the close grain looks much more scale like.

Incidentally, I've been using my home made glue for quite a bit of this build now, and is proving quite satisfactory. It is resonably strong, and totally water proof. It costs about $16 a litre to make from readily available ingredients. (All three of them) Any one interested in the formula need only ask.

Amy jane

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Posted by Amy jane September on 16/05/2014 08:30:03:

Hello All

Thanks, Diede van Abs. While I have no pretensions about the boat ending up in the mag……

Shame, it would be something quite different from the usual articles, and would've made for some nice reading.

You take a radically different approach to the matter, and the end result looks stunning so far. I can't wait to see some hi-res photos of the boat once varnished (I take it you choose a high-gloss finish?)

[Author]

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