Colin Archer 1:15 scale

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Good to see you back on this George.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The kit is supplied with ply wedges as a base for each hatch hinge. These are for non-operating hatches. I have made the hatches openable ( allways looking for trouble, and new ways to delay the build).

The present -full size- Colin Archer uses a beam across the width of the companionway to secure the hinges -on 2 of the 3 hatches. I have opted for a beam hinge support for all of the hatches. I 've used "Richard's" brass dolls-house hinges. Just one hinge on each hatch. The kit-supplied static plastic hinges (only 4 off) will be used outboard of the brass ones and will be cut in two -to allow the hatch to open. They will be painted brass or perhaps oldish, galvanised metal.

I think I'll be away for a while, planking the deck. There should not be any delaying tactics in that job……please. I won't be hinging the deck planks that's for sure, there's miles of them.

George

[Andrew BiggsParticipant @andrewbiggs29914]

This continues to look very impressive and a joy to see it being built

I’m sure it will sail very well

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Started 'walking the plank' 3 days ago. Rather a lot of interuptions by more important family 'thingys'. The requirement for extra hatches requires planking around the hatches, then over them…preferably without glueing them to the surrounding deck!

At this rate it'll be 2-3 weeks before it's all done.

George

 

Edited By Colin Bishop on 21/03/2022 09:41:56

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

At least yours are straight George!

It will be worth the effort.

Chris

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Yes, and in fact pure luck that the plank parallels the inboard hatch lines! Hope the others are also OK, did not think about that when marking and cutting out the hatches.

I notice though that I have duplicated one of the photos instead of posting all 3 of the latest album photos. Can't win them all.

George

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Lovely neat job, well worth the effort.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Now planking the port side! Had been going suspiciously well until I noticed I had started planking over the aft port servo hatch. Luckily only two planks glued, so I managed to prise them off before it was too late.

The shut lines where the deck planks touch the hatch planks leave a little to be desired, but I'll work on tidying them up when all the planks are done.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

See that I didn't phrase the above info' particularily well… Of course, the servo access hatches are to be planked…the problem was that I had glued the plank to the deck fore and aft of the opening -as well as to the hatch! This made the hatch rather well battened down.

George

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

Don't forget Clingfilm is your best friend when working on hatch's you don't want to be a fixture to the boat, she is coming on nicely

Regards Ray

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Have been doing it Ray. Think about you every time I see cling film BUT I have not used it every time, and have paid the price

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Well, the deck planking is finally in place. A few of fiddly thin wedges at the outboard extremes required some patience and more than one attempt to get them right.

The deck structures and steering well are just placed there for show. I'll have to get out the pencil sharpener and prepare for the 'caulking' proceedure. Grey cell is tired, so the rest of the afternoon will be with the Admiralty who has started talking about renewing the parquet flooring again. Had the same trouble last year when she saw rhe Fisher planking. Luckily prices have gone up considerably recently, so may be able to 'fend her off' with that arguement.

George

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Looking good George. Yes, my wife has being mentioning things that want doing around the house now that we're coming out of winter.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Increased parquet prices and reduced availability has postponed the threat. For the time being…

Meanwhile been 'caulking' between the deck planks. Not the best result but I could not face the thought of squeezing stained rigging thread between each plank from now until Xmas.

Have made a helmsman's seat for Chopper and a semi-scale instrument console which will become yet another -almost obscured- feature in the steering well. Some of the hatches need to be bent flat. The glue seems to have caused some warping.

George

Edited By gecon on 31/03/2022 13:41:47

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Feeling a bit lazy this weekend. Installed the main companionway steps. They have to be removeable in order to access the motor cover so they are secured by two short brass pins into the cabin sole.

The hatch hinges open to give a rather restricted view 'down the hatch'.

Catheads have been shaped and faired ready to go on the foredeck later.

George

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Nice to see some of that lovely detail.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I'm even starting to enjoy seeing some of the detail myself!

There will be some 'invisible detail' soon, in the form of wood-oil to saturate the planking.

Weather is not condusive at the moment, so maybe I'll locate something assemble in the meantime. There are dozens of small items to be prepared and assembled….dozens!

George

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello George,

Your planking looks great don't forget to do a sample of your deck oil ?? It's a lot of deck if you don't like the colour you end up with !!

Regards Ray

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Ray, many thanks for your input. Planning to use the same oil as used on the Fisher deck….colourless . Have seen another Colin Archer with a honey-coloured varnish which I might use after the oiling prosess. For the moment, a colourless varnish is also planned…as used on the Fisher. If that looks unacceptable, I may well apply the honey colour varnish on top to liven it all up a bit. The original CA RS1 in Oslo has in fact a honey coloured deck due to UV-ageing of the varnished pine/spruce? -I think. Due to some coloured wood being supplied in the kit, I have ended up with some pre-coloured wood on deck structures. So I thought that natural coloured deck planking might be best…..ie. not to add yet another colour on deck.

I will, as you suggest, make a test of the varnish -probably on the underside of the hatches -before going ahead with the whole deck.

Thanks again, George.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

My grey cell is definately showing signs of ageing. I note that an inordinate amount of time goes to thinking out the correct sequences for some build jobs. I am now pondering on the 'right' sequence for glueing and/or oiling bulwark planks, gunwales, catheads and capping rails AND adjusting some associated plastic parts.

The cell is boggle-ing a bit, so I'll log out for a while to avoid writing everything I'm thinking….as I am now buisy doing!

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Well, I managed to keep my trap shut for a few days and get some work done. But now I've made a slight blunder so I have to mention it just in case it saves someone else from doing the same.

To simulate caulking between the deck planks I have used a soft-ish HB pencil. While applying some wood oil to the gunwales and bulwarks sections, some wood oil also spread onto the planks on the outer edges of the deck planks. This shoud not a have been a problem as the decks were also going to be oiled.

BUT after a few minutes, when I wiped off excess surface oil, the pencil-line caulking started to smear over the planking . It seems like I can remove the smears with a good rubber eraser so I can tidy up the mess, but I will have to remove all the caulking and re-do it in biro ink.

I thought that I had used HB pencil-lines on the Fisher decks, but on deeper reflection it was probably my Parker "T-ball jotter" . Hope I can remedy the blunder during sunday.

The forecast was OK yesterday but suddenly the sun disappeard and it started snowing / sleeting so the boat had to be moved from the balcony and into the flat and is now under the kitchen ventilator to defumigate. Kitchen smells like a boatyard, I'm not at all popular with the admiralty for the moment.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Engine control panel and helmsmans seat installed in the steering well.

The steering compass is yet another almost-invisible photo-feature. Can see it a bit better by naked eye though.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I can't see much difference in the photo, but the deck has now been re-done with biro ink between the planks. A real nuisance to rub off all the pencil lines, sand off the decks to clean them, and re-do the lines with biro. I won't be building anything else after this one, but I least I have learned something…about time I suppose!.

I hope that solves the problem. If not, I'll skip the oiling job and go directly to 'GO'. ie. varnish! I have to wait for the sleet and rain to take a brake and give me at 10*C on the balcony.

'Going away' for another few days….

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Pausing between Easter eggs to publish a build update.

Capping rails are in place, catheads shaped, wood-burning stove produced and lowered into the fwd cabin. A throttle lever has been fitted to the cockpit coaming.

Atmosheric pressure (and temp) is rising slowly so hope to oil some deck structures and planks soon. Hope the biro deck 'caulking' survives the oil treatment better than the HB pencil lines!

George

Edited By gecon on 14/04/2022 14:27:58

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

You're not supposed to be eating your Easter eggs yet George!

Nice bit of detailing going on.

Chris

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