Fairey Huntress Winter Special 2017

[RumrationParticipant @rumration]

PM’d you DM

[Byron Rees…(Ron)Participant @byronrees-ron]

Hi All,

The method of ironing a newly printed drawing onto the wood did work quite well and still does if you are using a printer or copier like a Xerox or Laser which uses dry powder toner in a cartridge. Modern inkjet printer inks are not so good anymore as they dry as they hit the paper and any chance of reheating them with an iron is gone before they leave the printer.

A lot of us have our printers set on 'Draft' print as well to try and extent the cartridges life as they are just a licence to print money, this will not allow the transfer of the image using an iron. I tend to fold the plan into A4 shapes and copy as many patterns as I can. these are then cut out roughly and stuck onto artists card using spray mount adhesive and then cut out to make patterns. A second plan can also be bought for cutting up as well.

Carbon paper is available on line and from Rymans and the like. My son who is a stone mason uses this method still to transfer designs onto to stone for cutting and carving.The old Tracing Paper (Not baking paper or greaseproof!) method from our schooldays still works too. Use a black ball point or fibre tip to draw the image and minimum 2B pencil over the underside. Works well.

Cheers……….Ron.

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

I used the second plan method for my Eezebilt PT Boat.stuck to artists card, then cut out with sharp knife and ruler. Picture Framers often have off cuts of the board for sale.

Would love to build the Huntress but perhaps I should build the Huntsman I have first.

Tim

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Bit of insider info – Slec will shortly start doing the laser cut wood pack for the 1:12 Huntress

Further bit of info – I picked up a set of CNC-cut ply parts for Huntress this afternoon at Warwick! How's that for being on the ball? Please don't pester SLEC just yet – we need to put some locating slots into the deck for the frames and draft the shapes of the skins. Leave it until after Christmas, eh?

Dave M

[RumrationParticipant @rumration]

Hi Dave,

You could post those to me so I can get started!

Get thee behind me Satan, I’m still determined to scratch build really. But it’s comforting to know that I’d it all turns nasty I can cheat my way out. I have bought enough wood to have several goes, but still not decided which scroll saw to buy. Too much choice!

Glyn.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Dave – your remarks above about slots in the deck concern me somewhat. As you know I am in the process of building the 1:8 scale Huntress and I was concerned that there was, apparently, very little support for the deck/frame joints and I was considering putting something like 1/4" square strips along each side of every joint to give more support and make the joint much stronger – comments please.

Glyn – I am using a Ryobi jigsaw (in a lovely shade of yellow) which, so far as I can recall, I would have bought at B&Q and it would not have been an expensive one. As mentioned previously by using a very fine toothed blade I find that I can cut quite accurately to the marked lines and then only require a light sanding with a Perma-Grit sander or similar. I also have a Proxxon hand-held belt sander which, being of German manufacture, was ridiculously expensive, but being quite small is fine for model boat building. Have a look at this – http://www.diy.com/departments/ryobi-500w-240v-jigsaw/586042_BQ.prd

Derek.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Derek
The slots are mainly there to locate the frames in the correct position on the deck. If you wish to reinforce the joints with strip then go ahead – it's your build. Just bear in mind that the angle between frames and deck is not quite 90°.

Glyn
Derek is building a model which is 50% larger than the original, so he has chosen resin-bonded birch ply for the deck and frames. You really do benefit from a powered saw for this material. However if you are sticking to liteply then it is easily cut with a Stanley knife – the snap-off blade "boxcutter" type is the one I use.

Dave M

[RumrationParticipant @rumration]

Yes Dave, using 3mm lite ply. I’ve a hand fret, a hand jig, as Derek is using. So I’ll manage ok. I still want a scroll for other things in pipeline. Oh course I have Stanley knives etc.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Many thanks, Dave. I don't want to add unnecessarily to this post but am I correct in thinking that in the early days of offshore power boat racing one of the Fairey boats was raced quite successfully by a lady with the title of marchioness or similar.

Did Slec have their new boat at Warwick?

Derek.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Off the top of my head I can't say for sure, but it does sound likely. There were some very 'apper clarse' owners; after all, the boats weren't exactly cheap. The Fairey Owners Club website gives some in-depth stuff on all the boats.
The Sportsman which Ian is putting together was Les Rowell's last design . It was on the stand but, as he says, it might end up like most of his models – unfinished due to lack of time.

More on this forum about the model here **LINK**

DM

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Thanks, Dave. I hope that Slec do bring the Sportsman out as a kit as, having seen it 'in the flesh', I think it would go on my list as the next model. I have had a look at your link and wonder why no one seems to have followed up on it.

By the way, a gentle reminder to cut some 'V' channels (or similar) in the 2 keel formers for the drill to follow for the rudder shaft and cut out channels, also in both, for the Propshaft 'P' bracket – you can't drill them out after you've clagged 'em together – don't ask how I know (I just put it down as mistake number one and too much enthusiasm to get it looking like a boat instead of a collection of various shaped pieces of ply). Keel formers (Mk.2) now cut out after consigning originals (nicely glued together) to the scrap box.

Derek.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Derek

Dave is always modest about his connections to nobility you might try looking up Lady Violet Aitken.

Paul

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Thanks, Paul. That's the lady I was thinking of. With advancing years my memory has deserted me.

Derek.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

From Fairey Owners Club page on Huntsman 28:

"Mention must be made of the lady drivers who took part in the various powerboat races, namely Lady Violet Aitken and Mrs Thelma Freeman in (606) 'Seaspray'; Pamela Campbell in Christina II; Peter & Jane Hicks in (215) 'Seven Dials'; Miss Penny Carter in (203) 'Flower Power'; Bobby Currie along with husband Charles in Swordsman (636) 'Sou Too' and finally John and Anne Craxford in Spearfish (no. 272) 'Ford Fantasy'."

I am neither remotely acquainted nor related to any of them, but the FOC members whom we did meet at this year's very wet BBQ at Hamble Point were a terrific down-to-earth bunch – despite one or two hyper-expensive sports saloons parked discretely at a distance….

DM

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ride the White Horses.

What offshore racing was all about.

As a child I suffered from some long term illnesses and missed a lot of school, I passed the time watching the short films used by the TV industry to fill the daytime gaps in transmission and one of these films inspired my imagination LINK and drove my early model building.

Even today the images can boost my blood flow.

Paul

Dave you shouldn't be so demure, you are lucky enough to drive an exotic supercar and you should be proud of it.

 

Edited By Paul T on 12/11/2017 19:00:15

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Dave you shouldn't be so demure, you are lucky enough to drive an exotic supercar and you should be proud of it.

You need some proper therapy, Paul….

Dave M

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Posted by Rumration on 12/11/2017 07:33:57:

Hi Dave,

You could post those to me so I can get started!

Get thee behind me Satan, I’m still determined to scratch build really. But it’s comforting to know that I’d it all turns nasty I can cheat my way out. I have bought enough wood to have several goes, but still not decided which scroll saw to buy. Too much choice!

Glyn.

Hi Glyn – I've just given the scroll saw a go (Record SS16V – £125) and it's pretty good. I've only cut a piece of 4mm ply to length but for a novice managed a pretty straight line – helped by the variable speed with which I started off fairly slow and took it easy. There was minimal rip on the bottom face which wasn't bad considering I was using the supplied blade. I'm ordering some Olson reverse or crown tooth blades that will be even better – not that it matters that much (but I've got standards!) given that usually you cut slightly away from the line and sand back.

They also do a bench drill for £110.

Once I've transferred the bulkheads/formers (Swordsman 33) to the ply I'll give it and myself a better test.

Derek – out of interest what thickness of ply are you using for the bulkheads. My Swordsman at 1:12 is not far off the size of your Huntress. I was going to use 4mm but it seems a bit flimsy so will increase to 6mm as per my 46.5" Huntsman. I'm not too bothered about the weight as I have a powerful motor and don't want warp speeds like Harry.

Edited By Chris Fellows on 13/11/2017 19:28:46

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Chris

Scroll saws are designed to cut intricate curved lines. If you want to cut straight lines in ply then a bandsaw is the kiddy. As regards ply thicknesses, don't loose sight of the fact that once all the bits are glued together a wooden hull takes on more strength than just the sum of its parts. If you use excessive thicknesses then all you add is unnecessary weight and expense. Think of a modern aircraft.
Your Huntsman is nearly half as big again as your Swordsman and was designed to absorb the vibrations from a thumping great big I/C motor, whereas brushless electric motors are totally smooth-running. I reckon 4mm is more than adequate for the frames and deck with decent glued joints.

Dave M

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Thanks Dave. The straight line was just me testing the saw by cutting off a length of ply. Obviously there are some straight lines to be cut but also many curved. I weighed up the pros and cons of a scroll saw versus a band saw and came down on the side of the scroll saw, certainly for now.

And for the straight lines I shall make one of your sanding tools.

Part of my leaning towards thicker ply is that my 4mm sheets are a bit bowed. I shall be selective as to which pieces I use!

Chris

[RumrationParticipant @rumration]

Just the email flyer for this weeks special buys at Aldi, guess what they are offering this:

**LINK**

Just not sure their tools are much cop (well if you want the it last, with regular use)

But it sure is cheap, with a blower and LED light. The wattage is up with the more expensive stuff though. It will have a warranty and Aldi is good at refunds, no hassle. You rarely are offered a replacement, as their aren’t any!

Decisions decisions.

Glyn

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Chris,

Sorry for the delay in replying but I see that Dave has answered your query. On his advice I am using 3mm birch ply for my 1:8 Huntress. Even though collected from Slec, my sheets were slightly warped. The only ones I was slightly concerned about were the deck, which I think will be okay once the hull is built up and the keel, which I have eliminated by careful cutting and glueing together so that the warps cancel each other out.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

I picked mine up from SLEC as well, from the show on Friday.

You'd think, that being made from laminations that it would stay flat, though of course the thinner boards have less plies.

I have read of flattening the boards by using an iron and a damp cloth which I might try if required once I've cut out the bulkheads.

Be interested in seeing some photos as you progress.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 13/11/2017 23:17:55

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Nothing really worth photographing yet, Chris and I will have to swot up on how to post photos as I have not done one for quite a while.

Derek.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Well, this is as far as I have got at the moment with my 34.5" boat (1:8 scale). The basic construction of he hull is virtually complete. I have sealed the interior with a hard polyurethane varnish and am in the process of filling and smoothing the exterior with a fine surface filler and rubbing back with fine sandpaper to try to get a really smooth surface ready for applying the GRP cloth. Has anyone any ideas about using a sanding sealer on the exterior and rubbing down again before applying the GRP cloth? You may be able to see that the prop shaft cutout in the keel is enlarged and extended (rather roughly) and also the extended hole in frame 4, as I wanted to be able to insert the shaft tube fitted with an oiler tube from inside the hull. I feel that a fast revving motor in a hull of this size would benefit from an oiler rather than the occasional smear of grease which would have involved removing the rudder and withdrawing the prop and shaft.

Derek.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Has anyone any ideas about using a sanding sealer on the exterior and rubbing down again before applying the GRP cloth?

Yes – don't. It's totally unnecessary because the cloth will bridge over any small cracks left after the surface filling, and there may be some incompatibility issue between the sealer and the resin. If you follow the instructions in the article you'll be fine. Incidentally I've just covered a similar hull in 54gsm glass-cloth, using Eze Kote. It's remarkably smooth after a couple of coats and a light sanding. **LINK**
Your woodwork is exceptionally neat, Derek.

Dave M

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