My Clyde Puffer

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

I’ll try it here to see if that’s what’s doing it

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

hmm clearly not unless you’re using a different apostrophe to me!

like mebbe this

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

aha it’s not a regular apostrophe but a “back-tick” I think it’s called

on my (apple) keyboard you should use single quote (same key as double quote)

and avoid back tick (same key as ~)

 

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

and on a windows keyboard use apostrophe (same key as @) and avoid backtick (same key as | and ±)

it’s top left key on my keyboard)

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

Another thought

i have seen this problem when people use a word processor to write their post, then copy and paste onto the forum. Better to use a plain text editor instead of, for example, Word

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thankyou very much for checking my posting.

I’ve had a look back at my recent posts and it seems to be, as suggested, every time I use an apostrophe. I’ve used the key with the @ on it this time and that looks like it supposed to. I’m afraid I’m not as blessed with computing skills as some are on here, so this is another lessson learned. I’ll be more careful in future.

Many thanks,

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Jim,

Nice looking rudder job.  Very shipshape!  I’d definitely pin the hinges to the post as I’m not sure araldite likes being fully submerged for long periods.

What’ the run of your rudder chains.  Over or through the bulwark and over or under the rear deck?

Len

 

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Len.

Thankyou for your comment. I originally made a test rudder in hardboard  a while back and thought of a cross bar at the top to connect the chains to the servo. My thought then was to just pass the chains through the stern and simply couple up somehow. Then Colin posted a picture of his rudder assembly on his greek boat and it was basically what I wanted to do on the Puffer and his idea of guiding the chains through some tubing was a good one I thought.

The top of my servo is below deck height so the holes in the stern will be roughly 10 mm down from the deck. All this has to be measured out yet, and to decide how to attach the chain at either end. I thought Araldite would be ok in water , but as you say, better to be safe than sorry so pins will be going in.

Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi all.

Now that things are calming down with Christmas preparations, perhaps the modelling can start moving again. My construction stopped at the mid point of fitting a rudder so that’s next to complete. This morning a parcel arrived from Battlecraft with my 1/24 steam winch inside. I don’t know how they produce it, but it’s a very nice model. Hopefully the pictures will have posted. I need to up my game to scratch build anything that might be anything near as good as this , but it’s a target. We all do the best we can.

In the meantime, best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jim

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

That looks the business, I for one could never scratch build now have the patients to make one.

Fred

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Well, I had a go at creating a gallery but at present, no luck. Some of my pictures are on a file on the laptop,( not sure if that makes any difference) I realise what the picture posting symbol is but it didn’t show when in the create a gallery section so at the moment not sure where I’ve gone wrong. I’m definitely logged in when trying and can see the prompt instructions. I even filled them in and pressed create to see what happened, but with no picture , nothing there so I deleted.

Jim…………. I need to take computing lessons!!!

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Finally managed to progress a little bit over the last couple of days.

I’ve managed to make my version of the rudder being chain driven from the servo. Looking at pictures of Puffers, the rudder drive system was never really clear, so I just went for something simple.

I opened the outer holes on the servo arm, and using bits from the bits box, fitted a length of brass tube in the hole. Into that went a piece of aluminium ( slide fit) tube with a bore that gave me a slide fit for the brass wire connection to the end of the chain. The rudder end of the chain is taken through the stern to connect, via brass wire loops, to my own rudder head design. I made it all so that the chain can be disconnected either end, and the ruuder can come out should I have any problems.

The next step is to try and remember how to connect it up electrically so I can centralise the servo. After that I want t use some some varnish to waterproof the inside of the hull, then hopefully start more buliding.

Hopefully the pictures will give an idea of my attempt.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Very neat and should be reliable. Same system as my fishing boat.

Colin

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Colin, thankyou,

Your idea was what pushed me in this direction. I may put some sort of support under the chains even though they don’t touch anything, not sure yet. The cut out area needs tidying up a bit anyway. It surprised me how much the chain doing the pulling lifts up when under load.

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jim

That is very neat and tidy,

Fred

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Nicely done Jim.  Going to do something similar but mine’ll be above the deck.  Something I am going to try is to pull the chain vertically up through a solder bath to get solid push/pull rods that look like chains..  It’ll probably turn out to be a right disaster!

Len

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

@Len that sounds interesting – do show us how the results 🙂

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks Fred and Len,

Len, that’s another interesting way of doing the steering system. As mmcp42 says, it will be great to see how it all goes. For me, electricals is the next challenge.

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jim

So onwards and upwards it is then, you have reached a point that I have not got to yet, I always work on the principle of KIS when it comes to electrics, Keep It Simple just like me. There are people out there that can give you all the help and more you could ask for.

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Fred

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Something I am going to try is to pull the chain vertically up through a solder bath to get solid push/pull rods that look like chains.

Not sure why that should be necessary. If the connections between the servo and tiller arms are both taut then you have a naturally rigid closed loop whether you use chain, rod or flexible line.

Colin

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Fred,

The electrics always have been a challenge for me, but I’ve the Cigarette and Pilot Boat I managed to do alright , so I’ll look at them and refresh the memory. Time passing makes my memory lazy I’m afraid. Once I’ve positioned everything inside the hull I can varnish it then fit the deck, which I’ve already cut out. I’m also thinking of fitting doors to the outside of the hull where the water drains from inside. From pictures, some boats seem to have them and others not. It’s a bit more detail to add.

Jim.

[James Hill 5]

On James Hill 5 Said:

I’m also thinking of fitting doors to the outside of the hull where the water drains from inside. From pictures, some boats seem to have them and others not. It’s a bit more detail to add.

Jim.

Do you mean “freeing ports” Jim, openings to let water which lands on deck back overboard but without letting water in through the opening. I’ve just done mine.

Stephen

 

[James Hill 5]

On James Hill 5 Said:

I’m also thinking of fitting doors to the outside of the hull where the water drains from inside. From pictures, some boats seem to have them and others not. It’s a bit more detail to add.

Jim.

Jim, As Stephen rightly says these are “Freeing Ports” and are to drain water off the decks that may collect in heavy weather from seas coming over the gunwhales or rain.  There has to be some form of clearing this water from the decks as it will have an effect on stability as a result of what is known as “Free Surface Effect”.  The main methods are either the freeing ports with an external port door, which closes when waves hit the side of the hull to seal the port and prevent water getting on the deck that way, freeing ports without doors, these are usually in the form of slots in the hull at deck level which can allow water onto the deck but then allows it to quickly drain off again or, finally, deck scuppers, which are simply drains in the deck located usually in gutters that pipe the water outside the hull through internal pipes.  Finally there is the arrangement where the gunwhale is not an extention of the hull vetically but a completely seperate piece held up by the gunwhale supports with a gap at the bottom.

Freeing Ports with doors usually have a grid on the inside of the gunwhale.  Mountfleet will probably sell you doors and grids if they do them in the scale you want.

 

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Stephen and Richard,

That’s exactly what I meant, but when I was writing the post I just couldn’t  remember the name for them. Thankyou for jogging the memory, and the pictures. On the Vic Smeed plan I’ve been using it just shows a hole with no indication as to whether anything else would have been in place, so I suppose that’s down to the builder. Something else that’s seems different is that the plan shows an angled funnel where a lot seemed to be vertical. Not sure if there is any real reason for that.

Thanks for the information

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Jim

With regards to the funnel, may be the plumb bob was out of true LOL.

May be it was to remove the smoke away from the wheelhouse, would a straight funnel make the smoke have a downward flow, were an angled funnel make the smoke go over the wheelhouse?

Fred

[Author]

Posts