Tin Plate Clyde Puffer

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks Colin,

So easily done as you get older.  The balance system doesn’t work quick enough to stop the visit to the ground!

Jim.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The balance system doesn’t work quick enough to stop the visit to the ground!

Don’t I just know it Jim! That’s why Ashley kindly launches my boats for me so I don’t get wet!

 

 

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Sorry to hear about your altercation with the flower pot Jim.  Looking on the bright side though, the plant pot is OK!

Seriously though, hope you’re feeling a bit better.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks Richard,

My son made sure all involved at the hospital knew that thankfully, the flower pot was undamaged!!!

Hope to get back to modelling shortly. Very noisy down here at present as they’re practising for the Air Show next week, ( Farnborough ).

Regards         Jim.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Jim,

Late to this one !!  Sorry to hear you took a tumble !!  More water with the scotch is my advice 🙂

As you mentioned aeroplanes, here is my 18 year old granddaughter Emma at her first job having just left college and now working at Aero Legends at Headcorn and North Weald trying to organise these guys, what a dream job !! I’m a very proud grandad 🙂

The new 2 seater Spit Lady Luck cost £3million, money well spent 🙂

Regards Ray

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks Ray,

That’s a great picture. Lovely aircraft, One flew over the airfield this afternoon. You don’t need to see it, hearing it is enough to tell you what it is.

Hope you’re keeping well and enjoying life again,

Best wishes……….Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi all.  Been a month since I last posted anything.  First two weeks were all about garden projects but I did take mi Puffer sailing every weekend.  Then I joined Jim’s club and managed to fall over a stone wall I was repairing.  Blue light to the hospital and operated on the next day.  Broke mi left hip and wrist.  Apparently I now have a shiny new ball joint in mi leg and a wrist full of plates and screws.  Got out last week.  I can get about the house on a posh Zimmer frame and underarm crutches but mi left hand is a bit useless at the moment. It’ll all be right eventually.  🙂

As all I can do is sit at a table I thought I’d start finishing mi Puffer.  Stripped her apart which took ages and decided to finish the hull.  She needs the flushing ports, the rubbing strips and the eye for the anchor chain and painting.  Started with the anchor port and here’s the result using a Dremel with one hand!

Time for a rethink!  Two days later managed to clean up all the dross and decided to plate her.  Here’s the end result.

 

Given two hands I could have made an almost invisible repair but I can live with the plate.

Just old Puffer wear and tear or at least that’s mi excuse!

All for now.

Len

 

 

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Very sorry to hear that Len, what bad luck. These things can happen to any of us and the older you are the worse the consequences. Hope you make a steady recovery but it can be a long job unfortunately.

Best wishes,

Colin

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

Len

I think you do a better job with one hand than most of us can do with two!

cheers

Mike

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Colin & Mike,

Thank you both for your kind comments.

Hip should be good enough in about 6 weeks but mi hand will apparently take some 6 months.  Plenty of time to learn to learn some new techniques!

Len. 🙂

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Slow but steady progress.  The freeing ports are highlighted with copper wire and the small square holes give true drainage to the deck.  I don’t think I’m going to attempt any flap doors at least not yet.

The edges of the bulwarks have been wired to give a finger safe edge.  It should have been a easy job but with mi duff hand had to use temporary shoring and a load of clips to hold the wire in place.

Here’s the result which I think I can live with.

The last job was to solder in a series of ‘eyebolts’ along the inside of the bulwarks to anchor the rigging.  It was a small fiddly job but best done now while the hull’s in a mess again.

Now it’s time for the wood fenders and I can then start getting getting some colour on her.

Regards to all’

Len. 🙂

 

 

 

[mmcp42Participant @mmcp42]

Wowsers

very impressed

I’d be very happy with that

Well played sir!

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Amazed you are carrying on so well after all that Len. Respect and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Colin

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Colin & Mike, Once again thanks for the kind comments.  The truth of the matter is that at the moment there’s little else I can do!  Time just needs to roll on while all the bits stick back together so it doesn’t matter if a half hour job takes a whole day!

Len. 🙂

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Regards and very best wishes for a full recovery to both Len and Jim. My wife and I often talk to each other about trying to avoid such mishaps. But suddenly one is in the offing and there’s nought you can do to turn back the clock. Can never be too carefull.

Kind regards to you both,

George

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks George. The one thing I find difficult to comprehend is how quickly your balance system changes with age. Takes a bit of getting used too.

Nearly back building. Hope you’re progressing well Len.

Jim.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Have you checked the reason for your balance problems? Can be a virus which takes a while to get rid of. Can be the crystals in your inner ear/s and that are out of place, causing vertigo. This can often be fixed. Can be just bad luck too.

George

 

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

I know what you mean, but I think mine’s just old age.

Bought a few bits this week, but everyone seems to be out of the size of ships wheel I was wanting. I might have to resort to making one. Slow progress, but progress none the less.

Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Sometimes things crop up in odd places, such as the trinkets and gifts market.  Would this be any use:

Ship's Wheel Keyring

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks for that Richard. I was after a particular wheel , but Cornwall are out of them at present. I can do other things while I wait for one to re appear on their site, so all is not lost.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Jim,

You might find this interesting. It’s a picture of the wheel for my Puffer.  I thought I’d already posted a picture when I made it ages ago but obviously not.  It’s just a sandwich of 22mm fibre sealing washers and pins on a a cocktail stick all glued up and lashed with brown paint.  At my scale it’s about 3 feet diameter.

The old Model Maker and Model Boat mags describe this construction quite often and some where embellished to works of art.  What you see is as far as I’m going with mine.

Len. 🙂

 

 

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Have you tried “Hobbies”, they have a couple of Mantua ones:

https://www.hobbies.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=ships+wheel

or Mantua themselves:

https://www.mantuamodel.co.uk/

Or Jotika:

http://www.jotika-ltd.com/

 

just a couple of suggestions.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thanks again.

i found a Mantua one that will suit from Cornwall. I can start on the wheelhouse properly now.

Jim.

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Everybody,

Now walking without crutches but hand still duff.  Anyway, here’s a picture of the real progress.

The rubbing strips are on and painted white with the hull red and the uppers black.  After the first few sailings I decided she was over propped.  At full throttle she was off like a speed boat and had to be well ballasted to keep the prop blades just under water.  The prop was reduced from 45 to 42  mm.

This gives a lot more clearance, allowed me to remove some 300gms of ballast from the bow, level her by shifting the battery forwards and gain a pleasant increase in freeboard.  I’ll probably regret it but we’ll see!

The stern has had the most attention with the railings finally being done.  Not the best job but as good as they are going to get at the moment.

The verticals are bits of paper clips soldered into to rear deck and the railings are copper wire from heavy house cable.  Funnel is stayed with 0.6mig wire.  Bit of a paint job with some weathering applied to the ‘white’ wheel house.

All for now,

Len.

 

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Looking more like a Puffer now.  A paint job brings it to life.  Did you get any pictures on the water?

[Author]

Posts