Todays Boating

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

Ribble MBC use a floating cross for their tug football. Much easier to push around than a circular object since it has corners rather than a continuous slide-off surface. Vicious tackles are also possible, if not mandatory. Use in a shallow pool is advisable, since sinkings are also part of the deal.

Someone may have posted a YouTube video of their goings on from the various shows that they attended.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Good idea Malcolm. I will knock one up forthwith, as I have leftover 50mm polystyrene.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Chancing me arm by popping to pond. Looks like it will brighten up.

Looked at my “Devastation” yesterday with a view to breaking the old girl out and was miffed by the white paintwork that has well and truly yellowed over the years, that’s the trouble with oil paints.

Spent a few hours repainting the white bits with a gloss acrylic, and my word!, what a difference. Sparkly white again.

Have made a “y” shaped puck, as I had a circle of polystyrene not large enough to make a cross-puck. Test that out as well. 

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 11/05/2021 08:31:20

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Lovely morning…0900-1030. warm, sunny. On me own!! Stopped boating at 1030 and walked around the ponds.

Devastation looked nice in the sun, Hasty was a bit noisy and on further investigation at home it looks like the stern nylon shaft bearing is worn,//….. and green LCM.

Tomorrow if its nice if anyone wants??

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Another nice morning 10-11.30 with Trevor

projects and Stalwart .

Can report that tri-puck (three armed float) worked really well, so will paint it yellow. Recovery add-on for secret projects no better despite additional polystyrene at the front, so will abandon.

Having a puck more amenable to be pushed means that a dedicated “puck recovery” device will not be needed now, As a lander or any of the projects will be able to rescue the puck before it drifts right over the pond. The bright yellow will also aid recovery.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Just seen the various readers letters in current mag.

Generally supportive so thats nice.

However a rude woman was at the pond last Sunday and said (whilst looking at the special projects battling away on the water "but whats the point of them, I mean why bother??" oooh!!!!

I should have replied…why did you bother getting up today?? why did you bother coming to the park???

But I didnt `coz I am NOT so rude.

However., to the comments of "why build a flying boat that doesn`t fly"….I say….why not???? why does someone build a Fairey?? a Sub?? why build ANYTHING.

The Walrus follows on from my first non-flying boats, and then from various prop driven craft, so there is a pathway that has been followed. It isn`t an aircraft anyway..its a boat….and anyone who has seen it performing on the water will see exactly why I built it.

Ashley

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Ashley

Don't let it worry you. Yes- to some people we are adults playing with toys but I really don't care. I look at some of the things that others regard as being a good way to spend money, good TV to watch, good music to listen to, food to eat, things to do on holiday etc etc etc & I conclude that you & I are the only sane people left – and I am not entirely sure about you.

Yes some people are rude but that is their problem. It's your hobby so enjoy it.

 

Edited By Chris E on 14/05/2021 18:17:51

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

It certainly beats following a little white ball around until it falls into a hole in the ground !

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The opposite sex have their own special interests and distractions which we often find incomprehensible but each to their own and one should not criticise the other.

Mrs B and I have common ground in that she is an accomplished needleworker and I make and collect model boats. We both create nice things.Our house has examples of our respective work on display so we are both proud and happy. We respect and encourage each other's skills.

One wonders whether the lady mentioned by Ashley has any creative work to her credit or is she just a consumer of the work of others as are so many these days?

Regrettably, some people lead unimaginative and anodyne lives but we know better!

Onwards and upwards! (Well maybe not for non flying Walruses…)

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Ashley,

Don't worry about it ! It's usually a surprise when some one makes a comment out of the blue, If only life had a pause button ! it would give us time for that killer reply

Strength in numbers springs to mind , at Bluewater weekends 40 to 50 old boys playing boats ( in our groups of 6 ) People are very nice to us naturally as they say no one mess's with the old guys !!

Get a book of Winston Churchills famous one line put downs, and you'll probably never have to use them, also being in the building trade for 45 years helps

Keep on building the secret projects they are an inspiration to us all !!

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Ooops !

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 14/05/2021 19:56:50

[redpmgParticipant @redpmg]

Fellow model boaters look forward to your builds Ashley – and those are the people that matter when it comes to your hobby. ………….

I for one enjoy following your builds – on here and in the magazine.

Pity that there are miseries around who tend to spoil other peoples days but as my grand old mother in law used to say "there is always a fly in the ointment". Applies to all parts of life………..

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

My Grandma always used to say to me "If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all", although I prefer my own for use in such situations, "Part of the art of learning to talk is learning when not to".

Lets face it we see crocodile heads, Loch Ness monsters, ducks, geese, surf boarders and no end of cartoon characters on springers!  Does it matter? Absolutely not.  I just feel sorry for those who have nothing more constructive to do with their time than to write moaning letters to a magazine.

Edited By Richard Simpson on 14/05/2021 22:22:04

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Ashley

I had similar comments from a woman dragging her husband away from asking too many questions about my Model Slipway Aziz. She was muttering 'BoysToys' ! Which is what I had spelt out out on some signal flags from the mast.

Mostly I have had nice comments from anybody who has stopped to watch or ask a few questions.

It's a hobby, we do it to keep our minds working and for fun!

Tim

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Thanks chaps. Rant over. I may be more forthright next time.

on another note: There was a tiny drop of water in the aft “boot” of the Stalwart, not much at all, but there shouldn’t have been anything!

Investigation at home shows more than a few cracks and splits in the ply joints, a hazard when boats get a bit older .

I have given the complete underside a good coating of EzeKote, and will go over the splits a second time.

Although the EzeKote is a bit of a glossy-satin finish, I am going to leave it like that, and only re-touch the essential above water bits as they really need to be Matt. Once in the water the bottom becomes shiny with the water in any case, and I am not likely to be displaying it at as show any time soon!

Weather nasty…what hope for Sunday??

Ashley

[Empire ParkstoneParticipant @empireparkstone]

Tim

She is probably the lady who suggested that as the covid rolled on they were spending more time in the bedroom and should get some toys.He couldn't understand why after getting several she refused to use them he thinks the train set is brilliant

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i only ever had one person say that sort of thing to me, and he was dressed, like his annoying little offspring in a football shirt……….

probably thought he was being clever mouthing off in front of his kid……

and when he said "what do you get out of building a kids toy,"…

i just said……….."keeps me away from people like you"

he just stood there for a few seconds with his chin touching his knees and then walked off…………

never been plagued by morons since.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nice one Neil.

Funny thing is, when THE woman walked off and before we said anything a lady with a pram who was standing (socially distanced) near us said as she mooched off “that was rather rude, eh”.

Looks like it’s brightening up now, hopefully. Hopefully then, fishy and Stingray…

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sunday nice after all. Stingray great….fast, tiny amount of water from drive unit inside, fishy leaking (but ok before rudder servo gave up), projects and ferry.

I think I know where the water is coming in on fishy. It’s through the mouth, or at least, the joint between the bottom and top flat. Despite sealing this well so I thought it seems the most likely leak path, so I am running EzeKote in the joint, and hopefully that will be that.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Ashley, I am converting a static clinker built model of a lifeboat to a steam powered boat and did a basic bath test yesterday. Not surprisingly it leaked! So it will need a rub down and a coat of something to seal it. You use EzeKote a lot so I have decided to give it a go, mainly as a little research would indicate that it is very easy to use.

Do you have any hints or tips as regards the use of this product or is it simply a case of rub down and paint the hull with a couple of coats with a top coat of colour afterwards?

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Just to butt in. Like Ashley, I like EzeKote too as it is pleasant to use and will easily take a variety of top finishes.

However, on its own it is probably not a very good gap filler in the way that epoxy resin is and best used in conjunction with lightweight GRP cloth.

It may well work in sealing gaps in a clinker built hull but you might need several coats. You might be better off using epoxy finishing resin in that situation which will strongly bond the planks together.

Colin

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

The odd thing is Colin that I cannot see any gaps or even cracks in the planking anywhere so wherever it is getting in it is not a big gap. I might see something when I give it a rub down and then decide on what to use. If I do see something I might be tempted to use a filler before a couple of all over coats of EzeKote.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

EzeKote might well be the answer then as it is thin enough to get into those sorts of gaps.

I usually paint whatever it is with ezekote before applying undercoat (or even the other way round) as a belt and braces thing.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Thanks for the input gents.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hello Richard

If they are small cracks and you say you can't see them them I would recommend Captain Tolley Creeping Crack Cure.

There is a thread on the model engineering forum at the moment where there were all sorts of bizarre suggestions. It was a model submarine with leak problems. Click here to see the thread.

I described the properties of Captain Tolley. The advantage to you is that it stays slightly flexible and therefore will accommodate movement. You boat will have localised heat, maybe some steam and clinker hulls are usually built with quite light scantlings. Some movement is quite likely and not in itself a bad thing. Epoxy is great if you can encapsulate everything but retrospectively that is nigh on impossible. If (when) some moisture gets into the planks and they will swell. If parts are tied together randomly with epoxy the movement will translate elsewhere in new cracks.

If small weeps appear later, just a touch more Tolley's.

Tim R

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