Tin Plate Clyde Puffer

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Len,

Yes they were:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

Colin

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Colin.

I’d already looked at the Wiki site but nothing leapt out at me about any of the WW2 boats being Puffers.  I’ll try and check the boat names and see where that goes.  However, you might have set a hare running!  Instead of model coal in the hold, I’d much rather have a 4 inch naval gun!

Len 🙂

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Puffers would be far too small to be used as Q ships which needed to be fully seagoing vessels capable of absorbing severe damage and still fighting back. They could not have accommodated the armament needed either.

Colin

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Colin, now I’m all confused!  My question was:-

Were Puffers ever used as Q ships during WW2?

Your first reply was “Yes they were” with a link to the Wiki site.

Your second reply was “Puffers would be far too small to be used as Q ships (etc)”

Perhaps my mistake, I should have said ‘Q Boat’ instead of ‘Q ship’.

Len.

 

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Sorry Len, my mind was elsewhere I treated your question as ‘were there Q ships in WW2’ – senior moment!

Colin

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Not a problem Colin.  These Days I have senior hours!

Len 🙂

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Here’s some pictures of mi wheel house.  Just made of sixteenth ply wood, match sticks and very thin venere for the planking overlay.

The top comes off like a shoe box lid for access to the house internals for when it’s time to add glazing and all the other bits.

And here’s what it looks like roughly in position.

Needs a lot of finishing but I think it’s ok while I get the big picture.

The veneer planking was cut by feeding the veneer sheet through mi paper shredder.  Just lucky that the strip width it gave amounted to 8 inch planks at my scale.

Made enough in 10 seconds to do do the whole boat.

Len.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Len

That is looking good, I also like the idea to use your paper shredder to get your planks.

Fred

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Good progress Len. Far better than me at the moment. I’m just about to make the freeport doors using scrap bits of ply. If they don’t look right I’ll go back to plasticard. As I know the electrics work, they will get their final positioning later, but before I fit the deck.

Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Great idea to put veneer through a shredder!

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

One of you clever chaps recently posted a picture of a real Puffer deck mounted rudder control system.  I think it was Colin and I know Richard commented on it.  I just can’t find it!

Big plate across the stern deck and chains running under it.  It wasn’t on a basic Puffer thread so please put me out of my misery and give me some direction or post it here.

Len

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

It was me and Colin commented on it!  I posted a link to a Flickr picture:

Puffer Steering Gear

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Thanks Richard,

Len

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Bit of progress but not a lot.  The quarter deck is now planked and together with the wheelhouse held down with M3 screws.  The visible screw heads will eventually be disguised as bollards so I can put them in and out by hand.  With it all fixed in position I could start thinking about mi rudder layout and I’m going to try and copy the steering gear picture that Richard posted.

The tiller arm is a much filed and bashed about 3 amp plug earth pin.  I bought the chain from Hobbies advertised as 2mm brass.  Lovely stuff that’s very ‘free’ and I found it pulls around simple 3mm pins without any need for minute pully wheels.  However, it’s not all it seems.  Soldering up a length to make a ‘push-pull’ rod worked a treat-

-but something was hindering the process.  Turned out that the chain is not brass but brass coloured steel (very magnetic) and the coating was the initial problem.  Easy to overcome but it would have been nice to know up front.  I’ve contacted Hobbies and await a reply.

Len

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Len , It’s going to be interesting to see how you get on with your steering. Although I’ve used chains , mine’s a lot simpler than yours. If you manage to get yours anything like the real thing , we might all be changing!!! Best of luck with your attempt.

Jim.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Hi Len

Just were would we be with out the old 13amp plug.

When I do go to a car boot I try looking out for any old grandfather clock chain as I have used it for any number of things.

Fred

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Finally got mi rudder control sorted and I can now get on with the servo and the main motor.  Here’s a pic with everything left bright so you can all the gubbins.  I think when everything is painted black and weathered most of the detail will be invisible.  It certainly will be 10 feet offshore!

I mentioned in an earlier post that the chain I bought just turned out to be just brass coloured steel.  Turns out it’s a benefit!  With the plating stripped off the chain can then be coloured with no end of solutions.  Black, blue and brown from the local gun shop and Black-It from machine shops.  I doubt many boats had bright brass chains and painting them just sticks the links together.  The chemical treatments seems to keep them free flowing.

Len.

[Fred Ellis 1Participant @fredellis1]

Len  that does look good, I also like the idea of using blacking solutions to weather the chain,

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Fred

 

 

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

hello Len

been fascinating watching your progress!

in that last picture – are they pulleys for the chain or just fixed “rivets” (not the right word but hope you can see what I mean)

also is the chain drum connected to the ship’s wheel?

cheers

Mike

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

That’s impressive Len. Really looks the business. Would be great to see a little video of it finally working , but I don’t think it’s possible on the forum.

You might not see it ten feet off shore, but it will impress people when sitting on it’s cradle.

Great stuff…….Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Mike and Jim, thanks for your kind comments.  The chains connected to the tiller pass directly into the engine house via the U channels and will eventually connect to the servo.  The rest is just static ‘smoke and mirrors’.  I think it looks the part if you have bad eyesight

Len. 🙂

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Finally got mi rudder servo installed and the job works a treat or as Para Handy would say “As well trum wi’it”.  Proved to be a bit of a fiddle to get it all set up right and with hindsight I’d make the mounting differently but without any clean up here’s a pic.

The servo arm was replaced with a pully made from two tin can lids to keep the chains in line with the entry tubes and the spring keeps the chains nicely tensioned to avoid any slop in the system.  While getting it all set up my Turnigy servo tester proved invaluable and I’d recommend one all day long.

Len

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

cool stuff there

would be nice to see it working when you get that far!

cheers

Mike

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Great work Len.

First time I’ve seen a system like that, but you’ve proved it works.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Jim, not an original idea.  I remember similar systems described in old Model Maker magazines for the ropes on yacht rudders etc.  Nowadays you can get linear and full rotary servos for the same job but they’re expensive.

Len.

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