MOTOR SAILOR LIFEBOAT

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

this is a catch up build of a model I started last august and which is now within a couple of months away from completion.

it will be done in photos only, but the choice of boats was made by the organiser of the Lytham st Annes lifeboat museum who asked me if i could build a model for them, of the pulling/sailing Blackpool lifeboat Samuel Fletcher of Manchester.

and so i decided to build a model of the motor sailor Sir Fitzroy Clayton, FLEETWOODS LIFEBOAT from 1929.

Photos will follow as soon as i have uploaded them.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

scratch build of a motor sailor lifeboat

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

a

the two lifeboats I am modelling are this boat and a similar one

and this one

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

and the two began when I made a call to my friend Dave Metcalf who supplied me with two hulls and end boxes for a suitable boat to fit the models.

first task was to mark and cut away the "deadwood" recess for the propeller on the motor lifeboat

and then to fill in the tunnels with polyester filler for the sailing lifeboat, and then to drill for the prop shaft, before beginning a straight forward build of deck supports, and decking.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

an easy process done many times using my band saw and cutting sections of 10 x 10 mm obeche strips from a plank.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

 

then down to pinning and fitting the bilge skeg keels.

 

 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 31/03/2020 00:10:32

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

f

itting out the supports for the end boxes are shown in the last picture and the next one

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

then comes fitting of the end boxes and sealing them up to make air tight flotation aids to the lifeboats.

then it was a case of making up the deck fittings for the tow lifeboats…….the engine casing and cover plus the drop keel housing box for the motor sailor, and the two dummy drop keel boxes for the sailing boast.

plus at this stage i planked and caulked the decks [using aliphatic resin quick grab glue coloured with black ink to represent the caulking……….the messy job is easily sanded off later

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

 

next job was to make the frames for the side benches. these were made from 5mm square section obeche and glued together using aliphatic resin…….only 88 pieces to cut accurately…….I make a jig to cut them with a fine blade pad saw.

stained with mahogany colron water based wood colouring and fitted

then the flotation boxes were made from 1.0 plasticard, and being hollow add just a little more aid to keeping the boat afloat in event of an accident.  the boxes for the static sailing boat was made from solid obeche……….then both sets were sprayed white. 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 31/03/2020 00:32:11

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

and finally for tonight, the rudders were made from 100 thick oak planks, and cut and fitted to the receptive holes in the rudder skegs

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

You've got your hands full there mate?

They remind me of an old Lifeboat beached at Conway about 20 years ago

I got talking to the owner, who said it was the oldest lifeboat in the UK

Can't remember it's name now, but you probably know of it?

I think it's in a Museum somewhere now

All the best, Neil and keep safe

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

and you keep safe too Bob…….so long as we are sensible we shall all get through this surreal part in history……..and we probably the best hobby in the world to help us do so.

i'll find out what that lifeboat was called and where she has got too.

keep care of yourself old friend and see you at a show sometime when we have ridden this mess out……..and to all modellers everywhere……..TAKE CARE.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Found it Neil

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

cheers Bob………..I shall have a look at that one in greater detail………….wonder how far the restoration has gone.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

anyway…………back to the rapid catch up……I have gone just about as far as I can as to the build. there is very little now to construct, and all the rest is painting fittings or painting the boats…….and this is a problem, as we are now in lockdown and Halfords stores are all shut

and so it is down to detailing the "interiors"

the helmsmans gratings were added from plasticard and cro

sstitch matting.

then the end box grab rails added from resin castings I made, using original plasticard masters I made for similar models 8 years ago.

before making the signalling lamp masts and tabernacles using plasticard and chop sticks from the local Chinese restaurant.

 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 01/04/2020 23:46:51

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

next was to paint and detail the various tool and chart/compass boxes adorning the boats.

next came the kick boards for the oarsmen to strain their feet against. so were made from a picture framing moulding cut into thin slices and some 5 x 3mm mahogany strips cut on my band saw.

the veering down and towing bollards came next.

and lastly some detailing of the engine cover

and deck adornments including drain tube capping's, fuel caps and bilge pump capping's……..plus temporary fitting of the brass stanchions to the motor sailor……….the pulling /sailing boat will have white metal ones fitted when I can find them in my workshop………..but there's plenty of time for that the way this crisis is going. .

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 02/04/2020 00:03:16

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

finally, the masts were made for the two boats……….a fore mast with dipping lug sail and a mizzen mast with styay sail on a boom.

however it was found later after some research that the pulling and sailing boat only had a fore mast with dipping lug……however not that the extra sail. mast and boom will go to waste…my friend mick French in Cornwall has claimed the mizzen sail, mast boom and brass tabernacle for his Liverpool class boat.

all masts, spars and booms were hand shaped from square section Ash……….a lovely springy straight grained very strong timber.………it was formed into a round by my lovely little palm plane given to me some years ago just before he died from pancreatic cancer……….I love my hand tools, but treasure this one.

all fittings for the masts were turned on my myford lathe.

and then the sails were cut and sown from calico cotton by my ex wife, and I finished them off by sowing on the rope binding to all the sails for added strength,

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 02/04/2020 00:15:17

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

the next time I post, hopefully be to show some fine detailing and the hulls of the two boats painted in theirage related colours.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

You are making a quality job of both models……Nice to see

How long have they taken to build so far, Neil?

The late Les Jones would have been very interested in them

All the best

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I started the actual build of these two on Saturday August 31st, after receiving the hulls from Dave Metcalf 3 days earlier.

so not too long ago Bob……the 3 days in between were spent looking at the models, having the plans enlarged to full size 1;12 scale and reading the plans and planning the builds………..both slightly different in their approach.

the main problem was turning a twin tunneled boat into a single tunneled one with a prop shaft being set into the deadwood between the tunnels…….

once this was overcome it was really plain sailing .

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

and thanks for the kind comments bob…………appreciate them……..I am actually enjoying the build with all the wood work, and little grp work to do.

unlike the Shannon lifeboat, the last model I built x 2, lol.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thought it was about time I made a couple of building stands for the boats now that I am getting closer to spraying.

I don't build my stands as works of art or anything fancy…………just work horses.

I first cut out two card templates using French curves to get the templates,

before transferring to 10mm ply.

I then cut out the strips of ply for the bases

and the cross members, before gluing them all together using clamps to hold together

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 12/04/2020 22:05:05

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

They're more fancy than mine Neil!

Chris

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

yeh…but they might not work as good as yours mate, lol.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

well, if I do say so myself…….the boats fit to the stands perfectly.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 14/04/2020 01:11:41

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