Colin Archer 1:15 scale

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Errr…. actually it wasn't my egg. Had to check that the Admiralty-egg was safe to eat -ie Covid free. So far, so good.

I'll go on a diet until Sunday then

Happy Easter,

George

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Caught my wife eating the sweets out of hers last night!

Happy Easter.

Chris

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Chris, at least she was kind enough to plunder her own! Admiralty has applied a sturdy lashing around her egg now -and tested mine for Covid!

Back to the grindstone… Forgot to add a flue to the top of the stove to let the smoke out! In place now. When the FWD companionway steps go in, there will be little chance for me to sit back and admire my efforts. But I have the photos at least. Furnishing the forward cabin was not actually planned -until Richard suggested it last year.

Looks like there will be some 'local global warming' this coming week, so hope to get the deck oiled and (maybe) varnished. Varnish is not exactly 'non-slip' when wet, but I want the deck to be 'non-absorbing' and I don't think the oiling process will be sufficient unless I apply the standard 10-20 applications.

New report in about a week,

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Did a lot of planning/thinking over Easter, but not much effective building. Posting the efforts anyway… Flue for the fwd cabin stove constructed and and installed. This can be unscrewed/removed to allow the bowsprit to be retracted onto the foredeck for transport. Made the bowsprit too! The large samson post (?) fits into the notch on the bowsprit when sailing with the jib hauled out.    

Local wildlife made a nest to hint that the build is going too slow.

Main companionway steps end in mid-air when the main hatch is removed.

Rather poor hanging gaslight beneath the main skylight. This will not be easy to see when the skylight is glued onto the main hatch…unless the hatch is liftet off!

Still not oiled the deck planking, but a test shows that the biro ink caulking lines do not 'run' when oiled. Thank goodness.

George

Edited By gecon on 20/04/2022 19:54:14

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

That interior really does look superb. I'm sure this will be the only example of this model with anything like that amount of interior detail.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

I thought you would like this photo from yesterdays boating session in Kent, the lesson here is have a small tab from the skeg to the rudder this one has caught up on the line under one of our marker buoys !! but all was well in the end

When I briefly owned and sailed a CA the bowsprit was spring loaded with an elastic band so when you bumped into something no damage was done and proved to be a great idea

Regards Ray

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Many thanks Ray, a 'tab' will be produced before launch. It'll work better than a submerged sign "Mind the gap".

George

[Andrew BiggsParticipant @andrewbiggs29914]

Ray

an interesting idea

your boat looks great, as does George’s.

Any more of it sailing?

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Andrew,

don't think that's Ray's CA. It's one he saw sailing 2 day's ago. I seem to remember that Ray's had a green hull.

Been thinking of ray's idea of a spring-loaded bowsprit, but there's very little space for aftward movement of the sprit on my boat due to the flue for the fwd cabin. Any way here in Norway I have not met a single other R/C boat while out with the Fisher or Comtesse so not much chance of stabbing a fellow boater! There are one or two CA builds in progress around the south and east coast (Norway) on the Model Yacht World forum, but they're not near me.

Not often I see a dinghy on top of the deck skylight, so I liked that. I'll soon have to get mine dusted off and lashed to the deck. I also intend to try to tow it as the full size version does.

Edited By gecon on 22/04/2022 04:24:19

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The CA doesn't look much different here, but the deck has now been oiled and deck structures have been glued in place. Still a few coats of varnish to go on, but that will be in a few weeks. Many assorted details still to be constructed and added.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The CA doesn't look much different here, but the deck has now been oiled and deck structures have been glued in place. Still a few coats of varnish to go on, but that will be in a few weeks. Many assorted details still to be constructed and added.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

As previously, there's not much new to see. I've been adding all sorts of tiny parts to the yacht, A few brass hoops to the masts. some cleats here and thereThey are supposed to be painted white, but I think I will leave most of them in real brass! Still pondering over that detail.

Started on the blocks. The kit blocks are plastic mouldings. I dipped them in teak stain and they came out looking a bit like the originals on the full size CA.

It is probably standard stuff for the experts, but for me this was brain surgery. After staining the blocks, they have to be drilled 1mm for the axles for the skieves (?) pulleys(?) and the axles have to be secured with a dash of cyano. Billing boats of course, keep all the above info to themselves! But they do give a drawaing of the block for the the main boom horse and that does help a bit.

Anyway there's only about 60 of them, so we'll be back in a week -or so.

George

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

your model just gets better and better George……..a beautiful build

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

They look very realistic George. By the way they are 'sheaves'.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Thanks Neil, I must admit that I'm pleased with the result so far, but it's a slow build!

Thanks Richard, looked in just now to correct that, but was too late. Went to CMB, looked at "Yacht fittings/blocks etc and there they were…. the "sheaves". Been in Norway and speaking Norwegian for so many years that I often either make a guess…or google for the correct spelling😖. Produces some "new" words at times!

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Had a go yesterday at adding the rest of the detail to 3 different sized blocks. Unfortunately I'm not as lucky as Neil and did not have a cuckoo clock chain dangling about. Made some different shapes of attachment rings from 0.8mm and 1.0mm brass rod. The kit includes som 3mm rings made of 0.8mm brass wire.

One block has been attatched to the top of the mast mast for a check. Not done a stress-test on it yet! The flying headsail will probably need a wire stay sewn into the luff and secured above the top block to take some of the load.

The CA kit was probabbly originally designed as a static model so I'm not sure how strong the riggging will be. I'm only a fair-weather yachtie so it'll probably be strong enough.

There is a total of 37 blocks of different sizes…from 4mm to 10mm. Not easy to hold and work on them.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Managed to make a hole in the thumb I need most for holding the blocks while working on them. Block assembly has been postponed.

Took a chance, and set up the long, thin things for varnishing -in the kitchen! Got a disaproving look, but no comments. Admiralty does not yet know that I need at least 3 coats of varnish with 12-18 hours between coats.

Extractor fan wizzing away for the first 4 hours after each application. 2nd coat going on today. Looks like the weather will be OK for the third coat out on the balcony tomorrow -and save my bacon…..but then there's the deck to do too. Can't afford any more diamong earings etc so I'll just have to take it like a man . Whatever that means.

Started on the 'babbling' habbit again, sorry.

George

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

No problem with that George, you're telling it like it is!

Pity about the thumb!

Chris

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Forecast better than expected. Managed 1st coat on the deck today. Hope to be finished with 3 coats on everything by Sunday evening. (note, absence of babble )

George

 

 

 

Edited By gecon on 19/05/2022 15:58:27

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Instead of waiting for the varnish to dry I dug out some previously painted windlass parts. I still need to study the drawing a bit more but I reckon I can make a windlass out of this lot. One of the rod dimemsions is wrong (1.5mm instead of 2mm)….but Billing is not going to trip me up on that one!…or are they?

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Colin Archer giving off heavy varnish fumes so had to besent down to the cellar store until next coat is due.

Meanwhile, had a go at assembling the brass and plastic windlass parts. The brass is supposed to be painted black, but I will probably leave it unpainted for a while. The shiny black 'teeth' on the cog wheels will need some wear and tear marks though.

I'll be logging off for a few days until the deck and masts have received all the required varnish applicatons,

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The Colin Archer has now had 4 coats of varnish during 4 days of 'varnishing-weather'and is back up from the dungeons after 36 hours of self-defumigating. Luckily the hatches are still removeable / openable!

Windlass is awaiting some 2mm brass nuts (in the post) for the ends of some of the brass rods but I could not resist placing it on deck for a visual check. The full size windlass is painted black all over, but I want some visible brass contrast so that it is not just a 'black blob' on deck.

Soon to add some detail fittings to the deck and capping rails.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Posting especially for Colin. This is a line gun, but it's often refered to as a cannon. Sorry Bishop, as is often the case, I couldn't controll myself.

 

Edited By gecon on 25/05/2022 19:48:35

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

That is a pretty cool detail, never seen that before

Are sails made in the kit ?? or are you sewing ??

Regards Ray

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Ray, I think that the line gun has been a feature of the kit from the very begining. It is on the deck of the original Colin Archer, though the kit version is not a true kopi of the full size one.

Sail material is supplied, and sewing lines are marked on the material. Sewing skills are never-the-less required to make up the sails. Enter… the Admiralty -I hope. I have mentioned this over the past few days in fact…..just to get her used to the idea.

George

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