My Clyde Puffer

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Decided if I`m going to scratch build again I`d better post in the correct place.

At the present time I`ve doubled the size of the plan giving a length of approximately 34"x 9". Just started tracing out the half bulkhead lines to transfer to card and timber.

I know a Puffer isn`t the most exciting of boats to build but I`ve always fancied having a go. A few new things to work out as I go along.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i loved building and sailing my Caldercraft kit, bought as a Christmas present way back in 1989.

great little boats with immense scope for detailing with a mind to doing so.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

I agree with you Neil about the detailing, that was one of the reasons for the choice of build.

This plans shows some detail but I shall look out for photos to have a better chance. The rudder will be a challenge as I`ve never built that type before.

Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Puffer models are very popular and for good reason. Huge scope for detailing and adding bags of character. We have one in my club with a steam engine in it and it looks superb.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by James Hill 5 on 21/10/2022 22:09:23:

I agree with you Neil about the detailing, that was one of the reasons for the choice of build.

This plans shows some detail but I shall look out for photos to have a better chance. The rudder will be a challenge as I`ve never built that type before.

Jim.

i steered mine by chain linkeage that ran from the tiller moulding, and through rubber grommits under the deck to a servo…………it worked really well, and i used to sail it regularly on fleetwood lake in all weathers, with decks awash at times…………

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

it was so good and watertight, and bouyant that on one occasion she was run down by a mates 7' long 1;48 scale HMS Amythist.

the bow section of the Amythist was clean over the hold of my puffer, like a scene from the film Enemy Below in the final scenes where the yankey ship rams the German sub………….my puffer was down in the water to the raised quarter deck…………and as he reversed his ship, my puffer poped back up like a cork with the water from the fore deck flowing out of the scuppers, and carried on as though nothing had happened……..

you have made a wonderful choice for a model.

good luck with your build.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 22/10/2022 01:15:55

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

a good book for both a read and for photos…..

The Clyde Puffer

by Dan McDonald (Author)

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thankyou Richard and Neil for your posts.

Richard, I wouldn`t be able to stretch to a steam driven model as I don`t really have the facilities at home to put one together and I would have thought a bigger model would be required. My boat building is very basic, not having a lathe or bandsaw etc, everything is done using a Stanley knife and hand saws and that sort of thing, so my builds take rather a long time,but I can understand the attraction.

Neil, Iv`e seen that book online when looking around for information on Puffers so I`ll make point of getting a copy as you`ve suggested it as a good source of the information required. I`m certainly looking forward making a start.

Many thanks both, Jim.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Jim,

Great modelling weather, may run some trains this afternoon

Your question on stringers being required? I would say not, but dependant on what material you intend using for the planks? my tug of similar displacement was 3/16" balsa glass clothed with the fine stuff on the outside and the heavy woven cloth and polyester resin inside. The keel needs to be stout enough just to carry the ballast required if your going to have her laden down to the waterline.

Balsa is not cheap these days having risen around 30% in price over the last couple of years due to supply issue's

The central section should be easy to plank, I start at deck level and work towards the keel, and from the keel to the turn of the bilge, this gives you nice looking topsides

Regards Ray

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Ray, I know what you mean about the weather. We had torrential rain here this morning and then lovely sunshine when it cleared. The resevoirs must be beginning to recover by now surely.

Thanks for your reply. Using the timber I have at home here, I will probably have 1/4" keel and bulkheads and the

choice of 1/32" or 1/16" planking. I`ll cut a couple of test planks first.

Many thanks, ( hope the trains are running on time. ) Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

A little progress on the Puffer.

Strange that after careful marking out and measuring, on the first dry fit, the curve of the deck didn`t look right so some ply strips were added to get it to how I think it should be.

I need to make a rudder at some point to see how I can attach it. I have an idea , but not sure if it would work. Be nice to try and chain drive it as per prototype. Another first for me.

Then comes the fun of planking. How I`m going to hold the hull needs a bit of working out.

Fun and games.

Jim.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

very nice woodworking………..lovely job.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thank you Neil. It`s a pity the plywood doesn`t cut that well sometimes. I used a jigsaw with a bit of a fierce blade on it so I was expecting something like that. Looking at your posts, I can see how busy you`ve been yourself,

Coming along nicely.

Jim.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Jim,

She is coming along nicely,, I'd put some temporary deck beams length ways to stop the bukheads moving when you start planking

Watching with interest.

Regards Ray

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks for that tip Ray,

I was going to follow the way you build yours upside down but with the deck being curved the way it is, and two different heights, it didn`t look quite so easy. If I can tie it all together somhow then turn it over I might have a better idea of what I can do.

Just painting the driver on the Cigarette then it`s finished. Did you varnish the boat after or just leave it as painted?

Been watching your latest build, nice looking boat.

Best wishes, Jim.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Jim,

I never bother to varnish or lacuer over enamel paint, unless I have used waterslide transfers

Regards Ray

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi Jim – in addition to the beams Ray mentions you could cut a piece of ply with a downstand at each end, screw it to each end of your hull and then to a batten on your baseboard.

This will be similar to how I did some of my Faireys though I cut it out as part of the keel. Allows me to work right way up and upside down. This will overcome the sheer/curve of the deck.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 21/11/2022 13:13:54

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Chris and Ray.

Chris, that`s an idea I hadn`t thought of. My problem is , the more I look at solving something like that the farther away the answer seems to get and you end up going round in circles! I`m not sure if I`m going to leave the side skin posts ( bulkhead extensions ) on at the moment as they are rather thick, and looking at the bbc4 documentary they did with David Hayman on the Puffers, the posts ( supports ) need to be thinner. I thought when eventually planking I could make the top plank include the the depth of the side skin. I`ve still got some cutting out to do yet on the rear bulkheads to site the rudder servo.

Ray, I remember you saying you varnished the flag on the Cigarette. just wasn`t sure if you included the rest of the boat. Question answered, many thanks.

Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Made a temporary rudder from hard board to see how things will line up with the rudder servo. I want to make the rudder from 2mm brass sheet, That way I can solder the bearings to the rudder post and glue the other part to the keel and pass a brass rod right through for the rudder to pivot on. Bearings will be brass tube with the rod passing through That`s the intention anyway. The top of the rudder has a bar through it which I hope to attach to the servo by chains ( if I can find any small enough ) or rod. At the moment the servo is where it is but I might change that position as progress is made. I need to get a four blade propeller , I`m thinking 60mm, the one in the picture being 45mm. The rear bulkheads need to be cut to allow the rudder linkage to pass along to the stern. Everthing is on a dry run still, nothing glued yet. Just need to get the brass sheet next to progress.

Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Finally got all the bulkheads glued in place and I`ve run a piece of string around to see where the high and low spots are to see what needs a bit added or removed to get things even. Side supports are a bit flimsy but I need something to attach the side planking to at that position. Need to mark the position of the mast while things are easy to get at. Also think I`ll make a card cabin and hatch to get some idea of where things will go.

Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

James, if you do a lot of woodwork, particularly of this type with lots of curved cuts in ply, I would wholeheartedly recommend a band saw. When I saw the blade on the one I received I was convinced that it would rip everything to shreds and leave a horrible jagged cut. I was absolutely amazed to discover that it cuts resin model railway buildings superbly and leaves an unbelievably clean cut. Putting a thinner blade in gives you even more flexibility for tight curves.

Of course you can't cut the centres out of a part and it might be considered expensive for a single project but you will have the machine for life and continue to be amazed at the quality of the cuts. Mine is an Axminster.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Jim, your bulkheads are more than tidy enough. I too, only had a jig saw available for the Fisher 34 build. My bulkheads were 9.5mm! waterproof ply, and did not look nearly as tidy as yours. Brings back good memories to see your hull in the 'dry-dock'.

As Ray suggests, I used two 5mm deck beams…er, longerons?…let into the tops of the bulkheads to stiffen up the whole structure. They will serve as support for the decks later in the build too.

Good luck with the build. I'll enjoy following.

I too, am running some trains! -in my tiny store room 'boatyard'

George.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

Hi there Jim

May I suggest that you open up the stern frames with either oval or circular holes. This will allow ventilation and also access as later dates.

The same would go for the bow bulkheads.

When I construct a hull, I use a building board (the same as Ray does). I build my hulls upside down with extended frames. I also add deck stringers either side of the hull. I would suggest you do the same as this would aide in keeping the frames in line and also a little more rigid whilst planking.

As for internally sealing hulls, I tend to use Zpoxy finishing resin. This is an epoxy resin which is actually waterproof. This helps not only to seal but strengthen the internals. I don't use matting.

Couple of pictures for you :

John

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Richard ,Gecon and John. Many thanks for your replies.

Richard , I fully appreciate your suggestion of using a bandsaw but I`m not sure my rate of build would justify having one. Using the jigsaw worked well for me in my rather confined space, but certainly I`ll be looking at a better selection of blades. I think decision time is fast approaching as to what to do with the railway. I think I need to shrink it.

Gecon, thankyou for your comments. I`m not a quick builder like Ray, so It`ll take me a while to move things along. Just ordered some brass rod for the handrails and hoping to send off for some brass sheet for the rudder this afternoon.

John, thankyou for your ideas. Now that I can turn the hull over I can get a better idea of how I can support it using a possible combination of what you,Ray and Chris have suggested. I`ll have a look at my pictures of the Pilot boat as well to remind myself how I did that.

Many thanks everyone, Jim.

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