Thames Sailing Barge Stuff

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All & Dave,

I really never thought about about this build blog as being instructional !! But I guess it is 😄 so here goes, top tip for working on your hull which is quite big and holding it at a good angle for working upon isn't always easy. Use a length of rod or piano wire with a brass collet to make an adjustable stop to hold the hull at a good angle for working on .

This works well as we have a tube bonded into the hull for the keel retaining studding 😎,

Coffee stirring sticks make an ideal capping to the bulkwarks of vertical grain liteply. Regards Ray.

Regards Ray

[Dave SansomParticipant @davesansom26019]

Coffee stiring stick

Thanks for that

Dave

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Not having been out for a coffee since mid March my stock of stirring sticks is running low .

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

Yes I'm down to my last 500 !! Waitrose have stopped the free coffee 😕

I'm hoping to get on the water soon 4 boats to test 😄

Are you heading home anytime soon ? Or are you fully settled in Kent 😉

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Ray, I was talking to my daughter this morning and she says I should stay here unti the end of June at least, so I am having to think of my next build, maybe another DM kit.

Regards and good sailing, will that be local or Bluewater?

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

We should have been in Spain now 😢

I'm thinking of taking a fleet of new boats to the Military canal at Hythe for testing as Bluewater is shut & Cygnets have issues with works on the Mote Park lake.

Still pressing on with Portlight's leeboards she is steel I'm trying to give the impression of fabricated riveted construction actually 1/8" birch ply with 1 /32" ply overlays, getting a bit carried away 😄

Regards (furloughed) Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 10/06/2020 21:47:48

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray, it’s the seemingly little things, like rivets, that make e model look finished and lift it from just being a model to a scale miniature.

Regards and keep up the good work.

Eddie.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Careful Eddie, don’t start counting rivets…

Ashley

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

I Like what we call Cartoon Scale in model aircraft. The occasional rivet is great and it looks the part from social distancing!

Mind you Ray does seem to have time on his hands.

Tim R

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Thanks Tim,

Token gesture to scale effect 😄

Never thought I'd be looking forward to going back to work !!!!!!!

Started the YM Eventide drawing today looking forward to the build 😎

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Trial fitting of the Lee Boards, now i must get on with the rudder

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Ray

How come that the Lee Boards are not used on model races?

They would behave as a sort of keel and stop the side slip?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

Yes they would help against side slip, but insufficient righting moment for anything less than very light conditions, we do have an AMBO member who does it properly with independently controlled steel Lee Boards, but the barge won't point very well into the wind. goes really well running down wind

The first post on this thread shows the keels we use around 6 – 7 lbs

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Slightly off topic, but as it's the weekend I needed a change from model boat building all week, so as Ikea aren't making flat pack barges yet 😄

Decided my large tug Cullamix needs a decent barge to tow, as it seems pointless having a tug on it's own, here is the 80' Swim Head Barge @ 1/24th scale = 40" long by 11" beam. it should look the part mainly 5mm ply 😎

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

That looks good Ray, you will definitely need two of them.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

One will be enough for me 😄

Forward swim deck & Samson posts installed through to the base for strength from mahogany for towing, good day on the beach with the grandchildren in our bubble 😄😄😄

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Is that a portable bubble then? Will you b e fitting a fixed rudder to stop the back from swinging about?

Regards

Eddie

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

Yes we paid extra for the portable one 😄 the beach is the best place for social distancing.

The stern swim has a big skeg with external bracing 👍

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Latest progress, the rear fixed skeg with some brass strip bracing as per the full-size practice, and a few details for the foredeck, may get her finished tomorrow 😄 for a break from modelling I have bought a fishing rod, seems a good excuse to sit by the river for hours on end 👍👍👍,

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Blimey, Ray…..That hasn`t taken you long to build?

Are you going to fill it with coal?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

I'm going to call the barge" Four Days "

Yes I have 1/2 cwt of Welsh steam coal in the shed, it will be great for ballast 👍

I still have my grandfather's loco he built in 1946, it's On its second boiler 😄

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What Loco is that, Ray?

One of LBSC`S I hope?

Or Henry Greenley?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

It's a version of a South African narrow gauge loco the size of a 5" gauge but on 3 1 /2" gauge , 0 -6-0 tender engine, she comes out for the kids now occasionally 😄I

I am a massive fan of Curly's style of writing 👍

Regards Ray

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ray has just amply demonstrated the speed at which boxy things can be build in plywood..like, for instance, a small Titanic, or a barge even. It is a constant source of amazement to me that people are surprised at how quickly one can build stuff like this (not just you, Bob).

Looks good Ray, and one would be surprised if it DIDNT look good considering. It will be a work of art once splashed with (Matt black?) paint and fully laden with scale coal. Are you going to have the ballast, whatever it is, in a removable ….tub..or whatever Ray?

we made Noel build his barge large enough to fit the tug inside, to save on storage and I think I said it at the time, it does look much tooo big out of the water but once in and hitched up it looks spot on.

Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Great morning walk today along Iron Wharf boatyard at Faversham while taking pictures of Ironsides a steel tsb, the owner Toby asked my wife an I if we would like to come aboard ! We jumped at the chance for the full tour below decks as she is their liveaboard home. Very inspiring morning 😄 now where did I put Portlight !!

Regards Ray

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