Tin Plate Clyde Puffer

[Roger FugeParticipant @rogerfuge]

That looks great ,nice job

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Looking the business Len. Great watching it progressing.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Jim,

The prop came out at 46.5 mm which sounds big but I only intend a low speed.  Just wonder what size prop you’ll be using.

Len

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Len,

I’m afraid I cheated with my prop for the Puffer. I bought a Nylon , brass finish four bladed, 50mm diameter. Hopefully the picture shows you.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for that and well done on finding it.  It’s not cheating at all.  The only reason I made my prop was to get some idea of size and I can easily bend the blades to get the best pitch once she’s in the water.  I’ll probably end up buying the same item and turning it down a little.  it’s impressive how you can give Nylon an aged brass finish (the picture came out very well).

Len.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Len. I forgot to mention that I got my prop from Howes , if that’s any help.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Jim,

Had a look at Howes, found the prop and bought one.  Very inexpensive, I think the the postage was more.  I won’t be using it straight away but it’s a nice thing to have in reserve.

Len

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Just a progress report.  The stern bulwark supports were cleared and the quarter deck support plate soldered into place-

The propshaft was stuck into the shaft tunnel with silicone sealer and the drive gear fitted to the shaft. The picture also shows the motor that will drive it.  They came out of a scrap radio controlled car.-

Should be big enough and it’s only to be able to launch her this summer.

Len

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Len

That is looking good, Like the idea of using old car parts.

Fred

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Len,

Good progress being made. If you’re launching in the summer, I think you’ll be the first.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Might be so Jim, but looking at yours and Fred’s she be the roughest on the pond.  🙂

Len

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Len

I most definitely would say your puffer is more life like than mine, I know only one other person that has done anything like you.

Fred

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Len,

You build which ever way that takes your interest and you chose a way very different from most of us. You say it’s rough, but I bet when you put it on the water you’ll get a lot of interest, especially from the way it’s constructed.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Just a couple of progress pictures.  The quarter decks done and the lower bit of the superstructure.

Not a lot of detail but I just want to try and keep salient details.

Len

 

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Len

That is a work of art, I just wish I had the skill to do the things you are doing with metal

Fred.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

There’s no doubt about it…that wheelhouse almost looks like the real thing in unpainted steel !

You are an artist, Len.

Ashley

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Great job Len. I’ve said it to you before, I really like the different method of construction. When it’s all cleaned up it’s almost a shame to paint it.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Well, didn’t expect that reaction!  Thanks to all for your motivating comments.

Len 🙂

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Here’s a picture of mi funnel and the engine room top deck.  Some of the features are well over scale but I’m conscious of Ashley’s comment that scale details on small models don’t always work so well.

Just a small thing that might be helpful to anybody working in metal.  If you’re bending or rolling steel around a former, make the former 0.8 times the size you’re trying to get.  I’ve found it works well as a ‘rule of thumb’ for any steel up to 6mm plate.  It springs back to the size you want.

Now getting to the stage where I’ll have to make the deck and wheel house out of dead trees.  Not my comfort zone! 🙂

Len

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Just loving this, keep up the good work

 

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Just a couple of pics of mi engine room ventilator.

They are not hard to make in tin plate.  The trick is making the cowl but you must have specialist die tooling.  Here’s a picture of mine.

Just an old G cramp with a loose shoe.  The shoe edge was polished with a Dremel and the shoe stuck on the anvil with contact glue.  A bit of thin copper cramped up adopts a good cowl shape.

Len.

 

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Brilliant, and it’s made a superb job of the cowl head Len.  That’s the real pleasure of modelling for me, finding a way of doing something!

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Richard.  It would have been easy enough to spin the cowl up in mi lathe but I’m trying to keep mi boat a kitchen table job with hand tools only.  If it was a job needing exact scale dimensions then they would have to be spun unless you’re very lucky with the G cramp size.  Suppose there are a couple of things I should have also mentioned.  I don’t try and do it in one push.  I go half way and then take the plate out and anneal it before the last push home.  I also use some grease as a lubricant.

Len 🙂

 

 

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Great work Len, coming along really well.

I’ve had problems logging in again this morning. Finally it seems to have stuck. It’s a problem when you try and answer someone and can’t. They must think you’re being rude when that’s not the case.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Jim.

The login problem seems to affect me sporadically.  Had it about 3 weeks ago for no apparent reason and I never logout.  I’m sure Colin’s aware and it’ll eventually settle down.  I doubt that anybody thinks someone is being rude if they not posting.  Life is complex and there could be a million reasons!

Now here’s a question for all Puffer fans.  I’m two thirds through Neil Munroe’s Para Handy and Vital Spark stories.  In one of them ‘The Mystery Ship’ Para boasts that Vital Spark was a Q ship with Hurricane Jack and a gun crew from the Admiralty on board.

I have many books on Q ships relating to WW1.  Nothing relating to WW2.

Were Puffers ever used as Q ships or is it just Neil Munro’s sense of humour for Para Handy?

Len 🙂

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