TYNE Class Lifeboat build

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

just painted the narrow strip matt black that sits behind the weather screens that link up with the folding mast when in the raised possition.

 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 08/08/2021 16:19:19

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I started off this morning with some scraps of different thicknesses of plasticard and some odds n sods from my fittings box.

And slowly and surely came up with the instruments for the top of the consol of the Flying bridge.

The white metal throttles is the only thing I didn't make and think they came fom a Rother kit.

The rest I think I will need to duplicate for the interior when I finally get round to making it and so think I will cast these in rubber moulds to make resin copies.

There is quite a bit of detailing on the flying bridge,

So will crack on with more parts this evening.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

few more bits made for the flying bridge……..buttons and switches for the panels above the locker and frame for lifeboat detailing information, which is on the locker front.

also made for moulding in resin, two if the 3 loud speaker units, one attached to the radio waterproof box, one above as a relay from the cabin, and the other [ only casting 2 at a time in one mould ] for down under the main instrument consol for the deck crew.

all made from plasticard sheet and varius diameters of tubing and brass wire.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

all the little instruments and fittings for the flying bridge, and interior [as duplicates] to all that go on the FB. have now been detailed, nobs switches and such all added care of my little tube of waterproof fabric paint……even the hand sets for the radios have been cast from moulds and masters i made for a Models by design Shannon i built a while ago.

so i've fished out the Lego blocks and my plasticine and will be making the mould boxes to mould them in this afternoon. wish me luck.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Good luck!, although I suspect that you have done this once or twice before!

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Richard Simpson on 12/08/2021 13:33:44:

Good luck!, although I suspect that you have done this once or twice before!

i hate to think how many moulds and castings i have done and made since the master, gave me a lesson on how to make both RTV and Vulcanised moulds for fittings way back in 1983……..the master i am talking about was none other than Frank Hinchliffe.

he actually allowed me to load up and press two heated blanks with fittings for a new model he was developing, but for the life of me i cannot remember what model this mould as for……he was a great tutor.

anyway been working.

i have now put all of the fittings onto a raised bed of plasticine so that when moulded and then cast, the bases will be thicker than should be, allowing them to be sanded down flat ready for painting and installing…………i'll see by the end of the day.as they are all surface cast rather than in a split mould this time……..they will just peel off the rubber mould………..well thats the theory lol.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

the unvailing of another mould full of lifeboat fittings.

Just cleaned up the edges and over lay of rubber on the top of each fitting.

was a bit heavy handed with the amount of rubber i mixed but hey ho!

time to cast at the next break in Dalzeil and Pascoe.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

and the first cast turned out reasonably well with decent definition………..

the backing needs to be sanded thinner with abrasive paper.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

small and fiddly, but i have now sanded down the bases of each casting to the required thickness and will be going for a spray in the workshop before fixing to the flying bridge instrument panel.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

the mast and the grating have been "dry fitted" to see hat the assembly looks like, but all the parts excepting the rams for the mast and the ships wheel have been painted and glues in place, and to be honest, i'm quite pleased with what it has turned out to be.

just about to drill the wheel for a pin to fix to the boss and see what it looks like before painting tomorrow……….and then i'll touch up little bits that need painting before fixing in place the grating once and for all.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

couldn't find a casting of an earlier compass that i had, so had to make a new one out of some bits of plastic card, tube and the hood from a moul;ding of a spotlight i had spare.

as for the wheel i have fitted, at the moment i have reservations that it is too large, but as the wheel supplied in the kit of fittings i had to try.

i think it could be from either the Rother or Waveney lifeboats, that somehow got into the Macs mouldings set of fittings..

i think i am going to have to make a new one about 8mm smaller in diameter.

i do have a smaller wheel, but it is a 5 spoked wheel, and i'll get flack from the proverbial rivet counters. ………..so i think the laithe is called for.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Looking really nice Neil

No, not you, but you`re fascia and control area etc

Really splendid workmanship

Keep smiling

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thank you Bob,

Its thse little fiddly bits that i really love and enjoy using my noggin on how to make,

Plastic card and tubing usually comes to hand.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i decided this morning, and from photos of he steering wheel on the actual boat, that the wheel i had on the model was too large in diameter, and so i decided to adust the white metal one that i had.

However at the fist snip of the first spoke, the white metal just snapped off leaving me with a 3 spoked wheel.

which meant that i had to fabricate a new wheel from scratch. I desided to make it from 2mm brass rod and a centre boss of 8mm dia brass rod.

First job was to drill two holes in the 8mm rod at right angles to each other for the spokes with a 2mm bit. i used a brocken shortened bit to avoid whip and distortion…..worked a treat on the short bit. Placed the 2mm rod into the holes to make sure that the spokes were at right angles. Success..

i tried the boss and spokes against the ring, earlier formed from an annealed length or 2mm rod, and looked the part.

Tomorrow i'll turn the boss ready for silver soldering the boss and spokes together.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 15/08/2021 22:35:17

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Right……the ships wheel and making a smaller one.

1] the ring for the parimeter of the wheel was soldered together into one ring..

2] the boss for the centre of the wheel was turned in my trusty laithe, and sanded with a belt og 800 grade emery cloth. It had alreadt been drilled for the wheel spokes.

3] the spokes were silver soldered into the boss.

4] a measurement was taken of the inside diameter of the new brass wheel, and the radius was marned onto the top of my drill bit box with a hole for the centre spigot of the boss.

5] i then cut the spokes to the marked length with wire snips.

6] i set up the wheel ring and the boss with spokes and soldered together using silver solder.

7] cleaned it all up with needle files and then glued a little false nut onto the top spigot of the boss.

fitted it to the boat, and now looks far more realistic than the large white metal one that was in the fittings set.

anyone want a 3 spoked white metal steering wheel, free to good home lol.

flux paste added to joints.

comparison in size.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

the last part to make for the aft end of the Flying bridge complex was/is the back rest for the helmsman to rest against..

i was going to fabricate it from two layers of 4mm plasticard but i couldint find any anywhere in my scrap bin, bit what i did come accross where 2 fish hatches for an old bridge aft sider trawler that i built from scratch over 20 years ago.

i chose the larger of the two to fit the rear rail, and then put a top on it, before putting dome extra sides on it from 2mm plasticard. Then just sanded it smooth rounding off the corners.

it was then just a point of making the bracket that attaches to he rails and then the back rest itself. i used plasticard and added some tubing to act as clips to clip over the rals holding it in place.

the bracket will be painted grey when i touch up the rest of the grating/rails, before i glue the backrest to the rails and bracket once painted satin black, along with the ships wheel and compass binacle..

i then just have to screw and glue the mast and rams in place

once all done, the grating and rails will be glued permenantly in to position.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

mast fixed in place……….not one for gimmicks myself like folding masts………i never saw Fleetwoods boat with her mast folded down.

And so it was on to the 3 part wind screen…………….made from 1.5mm plasticard for frames and 1.00mm for the feet.

just an easy task of cutting out each section, shaping the camber on the base for following th line of the cabin top, and then gluing the strips on for the "feet" which will have the dummy hinges on thm for the two outer frames.easy peasy really……….but now beginning to look like a Tyne top, lol.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Even when you are building a kit of whatever medium I think the most rewarding part is when we build those little items from scratch. Looking at what materials will do the job best and how you can go about making something that you need is what gives me the most satisfaction.

The wheel is a huge improvement and sets the whole console area off perfectly.

Edited By Richard Simpson on 17/08/2021 22:55:59

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

it is all those little bits of detail that you put on the model yourself over and above, that make it your own, as you say, and the most pleasurable parts to build.

the wheel has been painted black along with the binacle but the dust from sanding other parts has gathered, so will need a dusting before i fix them in place,

 

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 17/08/2021 23:28:44

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Sights for sore eye, Neil

A wonderful thread indeed

Where is your model destined finally?

Bob

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thanks bob….appreciate all your comments guys………..keeps me going.

As for where its going Bob, on to my welsh dresser when finished until i have fitted her our with electronics, and then for testing. i am building her for the RNLI charity sail up Windermere end to end next summer 2022, which was supposed to have been last year postponed to this year, postponed until 2022 because of covid.

i would have used my motor sailer last and this year but that sold in march as we had cancelled by then. So my Tyne will take on the challenge next summer.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

but i think she will be staying with me as i normally show my boats at Fleetwood lifeboat day, and as she is a model of an ex fleetwood boat, along with my Shannon which is also a fleetwood boat and her replacement in 2016, they go together well.

I shed a few tears when she left the town 5 years ago. but she went to a good home up in scotland.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Those traditional boats are absolutely beautiful.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Richard Simpson on 18/08/2021 09:49:05:

Those traditional boats are absolutely beautiful.

i prefer them too, Richard………..far my character.

my next traditional is going to be the 61' Barnett class boat RNLB Princess Mary, based at Padstow for a number of years

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I'm facinated by your in-house production of detail parts Neil. Beautiful work, and a joy to behold.

George

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