Thames Sailing Barge Stuff

[Dave SansomParticipant @davesansom26019]

Morning Eddie

Thanks for posting your construction.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted

Dave on the Isle of Wight

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray, you must be a mind reader, that was going to be my next question to you, I am going to use a spare fin that I have for an IOM, and then adjust the length and weight to suit, so the size that you are using will be a great help.

Dave, I am happy to continue with a build blog, as long as others don’t mind.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Dave SansomParticipant @davesansom26019]

Eddie,the way I see it. 🙃

The more people read, there's more chance they might have a go

Me for one 😀

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Dave/Eddie,

Yes lets keep posting, as you say it may stimulate some new builds

My 30" barge keel is on page 2 of this thread as follows :- 1/16" steel plate 2 3/4" wide 8" long from the base of the hull to the centre of the lead which weighs 1 1/2 lbs, the leading edge of the fin is set back 3/4" from the mast position.

I built up the section shape, ply covered and glass clothed, as the pictures.

It's in a centreboard case arrangement for the fin like Tim is using on his Kimberley, cross drilled with a SS split pin to stop it falling out

Regards Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 21/06/2021 09:38:06

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray, thanks for that info, the fin that I am going to repurpose is 3 3/4" wide with a balsa core covered with two layers of carbon fibre set in epoxy resin, it was too flexible for the IOM that it was made for but should be fine for the barge when cut down by 5".

I have calculated the C of G from the Veronica drawings and the leading edge of the fin will be around 1" back from the mast, so hopefully about right .

How was your trip to Hastings, and did you get some photo's for future projects?

Regards.

Eddie

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

I have now fitted the keel to the building board, using four triangular pieces of wood to support and keep the bow and stern posts vertical, as there are no details for building a model I have marked all the main points of the barge on the keel, the hatch ends, the mast and the projected C of G, this will let me move some of the frames to the best positions for the construction of the model. Most of the frames are concentrated at the bow and stern to get the correct profile, the centre of a barge is a large rectangular box.

The frames are just dry fitted at the moment so that I can see if they are fair.

A thin spline shows that the sheer appears to be OK., with it touching the top of each frame under its own weight.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 21/06/2021 21:26:26

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

The first frame has now been fitted and glued in position, I have chosen one of the larger frames as it is easier to set it square across the keel, vertical and each side the same distance off the building board, I will use this frame to set all the others by sighting across the top and by measureing each one, so it has to be right.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

Your motoring ahead with the build, jolly good, I always work inverted on the board a habit I suppose, My latest ship I was going to do half bulkheads and stick the two halves together, but worried about creating a banana boat

Hastings was lovely the other day, just forgot to take my trunks & towel or I'd have been in the sea !!

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Ray, the tug that I built a few years ago and the fishing boat that I built last year in lockdown were both built with half frames and both appear to be OK, they don’t just go round in circles.

I’m hoping for a bit more warm and dry weather as I have yet to finish painting the second IOM.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

All the frames are now fitted with the inwales and chines fitted.

Everything appears to be fair and central to the keel, the next decision is the planking, what material and size to use, I will experiment with what I have in the ' I might need that one day ' box.

That left side chine is not really bent, it is just the angle of the photo.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi,All, The first layer of planking is now coming along after I had considered the options. The first was to use 1/32" ply as the base for balsa planking, as I did when I built Veronica, but I had some 1mm. x 5mm. bass strips left over from deck planking, after trying this at the bow and stern, getting it around the quite sharp bend at the bow proved to be fairly easy, after wetting the ouside of the strip and tapering it so that it followed the shape set by the frames.

The stern is fairly gentle curve.

The bow is consderably more rounded, but the dampened and tapered strips can be persauded to conform to the curve. Bass wood is close grained and doesn't split when pinned to the frames.

The main length of the strip then lays easily across the frames.

The top layer of planking will be of 1.5mm. x 6mm. bass wood, I will have to make a couple of jigs to form the curve needed at the bow after boiling the plank ends for a couple of minutes and clamping to the jigs and allowed to dry over night.

Regards.,

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi,All, The first layer of planking is now coming along after I had considered the options. The first was to use 1/32" ply as the base for balsa planking, as I did when I built Veronica, but I had some 1mm. x 5mm. bass strips left over from deck planking, after trying this at the bow and stern, getting it around the quite sharp bend at the bow proved to be fairly easy, after wetting the ouside of the strip and tapering it so that it followed the shape set by the frames.

The stern is fairly gentle curve.

The bow is consderably more rounded, but the dampened and tapered strips can be persauded to conform to the curve. Bass wood is close grained and doesn't split when pinned to the frames.

The main length of the strip then lays easily across the frames.

The top layer of planking will be of 1.5mm. x 6mm. bass wood, I will have to make a couple of jigs to form the curve needed at the bow after boiling the plank ends for a couple of minutes and clamping to the jigs and allowed to dry over night.

Regards.,

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

Are you planning to have double thickness planking ?? I can't think why it would be required , I know Richard Chesney's drawings show a layer of ply with balsa planking overlay, but non of Peter Simmonds Veronica's have 2 layers, just 1/16" ply and epoxy resin inside, I would think your build could be the same ?

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Ray, I hadn’t thought about a single layer, I will have to see how it looks when the first layer is finished.

I was thinking that a second 1.5mm. thick layer would make sure all the joints in the first layer were covered and I would have a good base for the second layer to fix to, and I am hoping to get a scale finish to the hull, with the planks and joints showing through the paint finish.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Eddie,

Please don't let my suggestion spoil your fun but I find planking a hull once is enough for me !

But you have the planked effect already and nobody see's the bottom, but if this could be awkward at the stem if you have allowed for a double thickness ?

Regards Ray (still raining)

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Is it raining? Or have you got a sprinkler aimed at the window?.

I have allowed for a second layer at the bow, but I might cut the ends of the first layer back to the first frame, this frame is solid so would leave a cavity that if water got in there will be no way out for it, a balsa block there would fill the space and give a good base for the top layer of planks.

You are right I do like the challenge that planking presents, I am hoping that this one will be good enough not to have to cover up.

Regards.

Eddie, in sunny Northants.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

The first layer of planks have now all been fitted to the frames.

A few places needed to be filled with some thin balsa and sanded back to give a level surface for the top layer of planks.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

The first layer of planks have now all been fitted to the frames.

A few places needed to be filled with some thin balsa and sanded back to give a level surface for the top layer of planks.

Eddie.

Edited By Eddie Lancaster on 05/07/2021 19:05:10

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Relax Eddie

You are doing fine. I am going for three layers of planking. The first as a base like you to fill and fair where necessary. The second layer of balsa to give me some thickness and backing to work with and a final layer of mahogany planking arranged as close to scale as I can.

Good stuff with the tapered planking.

The Veronica plans and presumably wood pack lack frames where the shapes are the most radical. Your plans are better in that respect.

The thing is that Ray could make at least three models in the time it takes us to make 1/2 a model. Ray has talent that combines velocity and quality.

For scale planking it will be the garboard that is the most difficult and sets the scene for the rest of the planking and they always start from wider planks and have some edge shaping. I am actively searching for some drawings of a planking regime for a TSB if anyone can help.

Best regards

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Tim, I am now thinking about the final layer of planking, as like you I would like to see the planking through the paint.

The garboard planks need to twist through 90 deg. at the bow, and will need to be formed on a jig after a few minutes in boiling water, the planks at the chine also need careful jointing both at the stern and bow.

I agree, Ray would be onto his next build and planning the one after that😄.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.again Tim, do these photo’s help? If you can download and expand them you can see the run and number of planks.

Eddie.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Chaps,

Thank you both for your comments about my productivity rate but I'm fairly rough and ready compared with you guys ! Trouble is I'm heading to burn out with the boats I normally turn back to the metal bashing (loco building) in the autumn, but who knows, thought I might buy some castings as the lathe is calling me

Regards Ray

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ray, I found when metal bashing that a casting could take a lot more time to turn into the finished item than a bundle of wood, and a lot of material could be liberated from a scrap bin with a small donation to the coffee fund.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

I think that planking around the bow is absolutely superb.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Richard, thanks for your kind remarks, I find that bass is easier to bend than balsa when wetted on the outside of the bend, the first planks are only 1mm thick, the second layer will be 1.5mm so will need a bit more help.

Regards.

Eddie.

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