Brenda – A renaissance

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Just a bit of an update to show recent progress on this long running and intermittent project. The end might be edging into sight at long last.

Colin

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

A superb build Colin. The model should look good on the water and at it's best in the twilight with the lighting scheme which you described earlier.

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thanks Tony. There are also supposed to be free standing decklights on the upper decks. I might see if there are any suitable model railway ones that could be used. Or even dolls house fittings maybe.

All the fittings shown above are scratchbuilt but the two ships boats are from Quaycraft, fitted out with extra detail. I will use commercial fittings if it will get the job done a bit quicker! 1:48 scale is a bit bigger than what I am usually comfortable with as you cannot 'cheat' by 'suggesting' detail in the way you can with smaller scales, it has to be broadly correct.

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Very nice, Colin

A nice neat and tidy scratch build

Made any port holes yet……..On your new lathe?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thank you Bob. The portholes were fitted years ago. Not much cause to use the lathe at the moment but I did successfully turn up a pedestal in aluminium which was subsequently clad in wood strip to make the compass binnacle shown at the top of the fittings photo above.

It needed quite a high speed to get a smooth finish.

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bit of a puzzle that needs solving. The electric anchor windlass is shown on the plan and the photo below shows it on another model of Brenda that I took at a show a while back which is built to match the plan. I am currently building the windlass for my model but I don't understand the purpose of the upper shaft with two small gearwheels on it. Obviously it will rotate at a much higher speed than the mainshaft but there are no drums on the ends.

I thought it might be a way of locking the two sides of the windlass mechanism together in which case one would expect it to be possible to disengage it by bashing on the ends of the shafts to disengage the small gearwheels but there is no room to move the small gearwheels inboard as the winch casing gets in the way.

I've done a search on windlasses on the internet without success.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks,

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Our esteemed Editor seems to have cracked it. The upper shaft is for manual operation of the winch if there is a power cut! Obvious really when you think of it – but I didn't.

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Here is my version of the windlass, 1:48 scale. Not super detailed but in keeping with the rest of the model. The upper shaft has squared off ends for attaching a handle.

Colin

 

 

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 23/06/2016 11:09:55

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Colin,

Must be perfectly honest, seeing the windlass earlier in this thread was the description needed for the manual windlass recently made and fitted to my model Guardsman. The description of the top shaft being for hand use was the description needed to clarify mine. Yours has two gears for emergency hand use and an electric motor for normal use, whereas mine is single gear hand wind only.

Could I ask, what would my hand windlass normally be used for, chain, wire rope or rope? obviously attached to the anchor. I'm not of a nautical background, just enjoy building models of them.

Apologies for hi-jacking your thread and I'm going to 'steal' your anchor pattern to make mine.

Your windlass is excellent.

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Tony,

I'm not sure what the anchoring arrangements for something like Guardsman would be. Certainly there would be a length of chain at least as long as the boat itself and then maybe rope after that. The idea of the chain is to allow the anchor to lie flat on the seabed so that it 'sets' properly. The chain actually does most of the holding by its weight.

On windlasses like mine, the outer drums and the inner 'sprockets' for the anchor chain can be clutched in and out independently on each side. The chain is obviously used for anchor handling while the outer drums are used for line handling when warping or mooring the vessel alongside.

There are many different types. This page includes an exploded illustration of a windlass that looks similar to the one on Guardsman

**LINK**

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Still ploughing on. The foredeck is now pretty much completed and nearly all the fittings have been made for the rest of the model. Still some wiring, railings and miscellaneous items to sort out.

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Brenda made her maiden voyage today under the approving eye of Editor Paul Freshney at Fishers Green Club open day..She performed faultlessly much to my relief.

The water was a bit debris ridden so I need to get some more photos. Ashley, would you be prepared to help out one weekday soon at Bushy Park?

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 21/05/2017 19:14:16

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Kevin

What the Admiral hasn't reminded us is that today is the culmination of 25 years of research and building the model. She looks absolutely beautiful and is a credit to Colin's skills and dedication. More pictures, please. What next, though?

I wonder if in the future some knuckle-dragging monobrow will ask him where he bought it and how much it cost… It happens regularly to me!

DM

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 21/05/2017 19:17:22

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Somebody did ask me if it was a kit…

I hope to do a piece for the magazine with more building details.

Colin

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi ya Colin,

Credit to you she looks brilliant on the water that feeling when you first put the model in the water and you have so many eyes watching – its a weird feeling – cos you know you have checked everything on the bench and everything should go right – but that feeling when she sails off just perfect – great.

John

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Colin. Very nice. Assistance no problem. Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

A lovely looking model, Colin……….Not thrilled with the name though

Can we have a recap, Colin, please

Refresh our memories, if you don't mind

What type of ship is it?

Where have you got the info and dimensions etc from?

How long has the build taken?

I know, I could have found the info by wading back through the annals of time, but I have got that time

Many thanks

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bob, if you are doing a scale build you are stuck with the name.

Brenda was built by William Denny of Dumbarton for for the Scottish Home Department as a Fishery Protection Cruiser. Duties included rounding up illegal fishermen etc.

She was featured in the October 1977 issue of Model Boats together with a plan drawn by Phil Thomas. The original ship had a displacement of 457 tons with a length of 181 ft 9 in and beam of 26 ft. The model is 1:48 sale and 45.5 inches long.

The ship was extensively modified while in service in terms of equipment and colour schemes. I have chosen what most appeals to me.

After a long career Brenda was sold out of service for conversion as a private yacht . Not surprising given her lovely lines.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 22/05/2017 09:39:24

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Colin

The wide chimney is very attractive

What is the reason for the rounded off edges to the deck at the forward end?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The whaleback bow is intended to throw off water in rough seas to help keep the deck dry.

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Its called a 'Whaleback' and forms the sheltered portion of the forward deck on certain British fishing boats It is shaped so that water taken over the bow is more easily shed over the sides.

The design comes from older whaling boats and when low in the water looks like a whale ..hence 'Whaleback'

Paul

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

I took a look at the plan, which is one in my archive (but not the magazine item) and I must congratulate you on a superb build. It's nice to see a 'good' scratch built model in this day of RTR and ARTR. The future magazine item should make for good reading.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Took some more photos for the intended article this morning – here is one.

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

It may make good use of the whaleback in that mountainous sea

I have several models awaiting photographs….difficult…strong sun is no good, the day needs to be "just right".

I used to like the dirty white sheet they used in 50`s motorcycle road tests !!

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I never did finish off this topic as the model featured in the November 2017 issue, but just for completeness I have attached some images of the completed model.

Colin

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