Vic Smeed’s Silver Mist

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Ashley and welcome aboard the good ship……Silver Mist

It does make a nice change, building the right way up

MDF looks lovely and flat etc, but it is very dense and heavy and has limited use in model making?

It has it's real place in life in the furniture trade and at chuckin' out time, not much of the structure is worth recycling

Where would you say, MDF is most useful in your model boat building game?

Bob

 

 

Edited By Bob Abell on 14/04/2016 09:27:43

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

Glad to see SM progressing so well, the beauty of Vic's inwhales from sheet as shown on the drawing are the bulkheads are located and square, pictures of my smaller 30" at a similar stage with the keel on the board with timber blocks both sides to keep her straight. and then early planking in balsa of the easy bits.

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Ray

How did you like your SM being made from Balsa wood……..Rather fragile?

Will you post the next stage of your build, so that I can plan ahead, please?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Chief Engineer Bob Brunel

I would never have thought that a model builder of your stature and experience would crib off another craftsman's work.

What will the chaps on the shop floor say at brew time

Paul

Postman won't take the brown envelope as its to thick to post.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Errrrrrrrr…….Wot's up Doc?

There's no point in reinventing the wheel!

Also, I haven't seen the next three issues of Vic Smeeds instructions either

And besides, Ray and Ian are accomplished builders and may show me a trick or two?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

When we were at Haydock and you were demonstrating the twin twins in the VGC you told me that an old dog cant be taught any new tricks.

Also what does an experienced builder of your calibre need instructions for, you didn't have any for the Great Eastern and made a smashing job of that build. btw are you still receiving royalties from that show?

Dave M

Don't get to see the Queen…..she has far more sense.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What do I need instructions for?

I`ve just bought a handy Workmate to hold Silver Mist in a ship shape fashion and I had to assemble it!

Following the instructions to the letter…….It was an absolute pain!

No words……All pictures

It must have taken 2 hours to sort out!

Will be ideal for keeping the keel nice and straight………..Hopefully!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Nice piece of kit Bob, how level is the top surface?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

The top surface is not in the equation?

What are you on about?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Now then.!………I have a question for our resident Naval Architect……..Copy to Ray Wood

A few pages back, Ray announced that his lead ballast was only small

Because he had built his model from Balsa Wood……..Wrong!

Nobody spotted his glaring mistake?……..Not even………Sir Paul of Lymm!……….Boo!…..Hiss!…..Whistle etc

The fact that the boat was made of Balsa Wood……..Made matters worse!

It's the displacement that takes the Lead!

Come in Paul Thomason to bring some sense to my post

Only hope, I'm right here, otherwise I'll look a right Plonker!

Bob…….With egg on his face?

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

The planking on my 30" SM is 3/16" thick enough to sand and lose the joints with 2 coats of West epoxy resin on the outside and one inside this is a durable surface but you do need to warm up the workshop for it to set properly and not stay tacky as has happened to me in the past ! My view on strength is make the keel strong from ply as we all sail into the bank/jetty at some stage. If she was larger I'd have used glass cloth inside between the bukheads.

I used model aircraft grade wing skinning cloth & West epoxy on the outside my 48" HMS Diamond on 1/8" balsa planking and that is near bullet proof

The lead added to the bow of my model is only trim, I've used the 2nr 6 cell battery packs to achieve the waterline. You may need a small car battery in your located in the centre with you famous belt drive in the rear of the hull ?

Regards Ray

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

The top surface is not in the equation.

Bob

I presume that the boat will be built square from the top of the workmate.

If the top isn't flat and level you run the risk of incremental errors creeping in to the construction.

Nobody spotted his glaring mistake?……..

Displacement:

In basic terms Displacement = The TOTAL weight required to settle the boat to its design depth.

This weight includes the weight of the hull and superstructure, motors, batteries, ancillary equipment and finally ballast….the ballast is the extra little bit needed to settle the boat to its correct level.

I presume that Ray only used a small amount of Ballast because the rest of the model had sufficient mass (weight) to achieve the correct level. For example Ray could have used a couple of lead/acid batteries not only for power but also for ballast.

The fact that Ray used Balsa as opposed to Plywood or even Teak has very little effect on the amount of ballast needed.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Paul

The model is being built using the top of the bulkheads, using the shear as a sort of Banana datum!

It is clamped in the workmate with no reference to the top surface

But since you mention it……..I`ll set the bulkheads square with the WM surface

You never know, it may come in useful

Now for the other point……..

If Ray had used hardwood instead of Balsa………He wouldn`t have needed the 1/2lb ballast

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, but the ballast can be placed low in the boat while with a hardwood hull the weight would be more evenly distributed so the ballasted boat will be a bit more stable.

I used to see banana boats at Southampton docks, I think they built them using the normal methods though…

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Bob

If Ray had used hardwood instead of Balsa………He wouldn`t have needed the 1/2lb ballast

Are you sure?

This site provides the density of different timbers p/cubic m **LINK** so you can work it out for yourself.

Assume that both types of timber are cut to the same sizes and gauge but don't forget to include all of the glass cloth, resin or and other materials that are needed to seal Rays model (which are not required on a hardwood boat)

The result might surprise you.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Finally taken the plunge and glued up the framework

I`ve also glued in the top fixture for extra rigidity

The outer strips are only there to prove the hull curvature

The central vertical clamping bars are nice and strong and a good aid to the final alignment of the assembly

The next job on the agenda is to fit the top deck outer planks……….I think they are called "Inwhales"

I`m looking forward to that!

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Do the curves of the side planks look the same as those on the plan Bob, i.e. no flattening between bulkheads?

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

The inwhales shown on the drawing give the correct deck line & curvature so the planks follow, this must critical at the bows & stern. I would glass cloth the outside what ever the planking material to stop leaks.

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Colin

The plank line is a nice smooth curve

Don't suppose I could get a straight bit if I tried?

Imagine, a single bulkhead in the middle of a plank……….It would bend without any straights?

Ray, I've never used that type of glass cloth…….How does it sand?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

It really is finishing layer, sanding and filling and a coat of sanding sealer to lay the grain carried out prior to the glass cloth, the first coat fills the weave and the second produces a fine gloss finish, which you can flat down with wet & dry if you wish for painting. When applied to what is a compound curved surface becomes very strong and dink proof

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

After many hours of trimming, measuring, conjugating and just plain gorping, I finally decided it was time to glue in the first pair of inwhale strips

The strips are 5 mm sq and there`s space for four side by side

The best way to decide if the shape is acceptable, is to stand well back and view from all angles………Say a little prayer, be brave and throw yer arra`

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Very impressive Bob but it does seem to be a heck of a large model. Why did you feel the need for such large dimensions? I do like the design but my preference would have been for a smaller model really which would be much more manageable all round while still keeping to a relatively large scale.

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Colin

I'm very pleased with the build and it's Vic Smeed connection and thankfully the full length planking construction seems to be ok

I am finding it very interesting……..That's why I'm up at 5.30 this morning!

I enjoy seeing the planking progress

It doesn't seem too large a model to me though

We've got thick frost this morning……..Brrrrrrrr!

You should have seen the hailstone, yesterday!…….The side of small sugar lumps!

Have a nice day

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Got the inwhale strips glued in position now………..Six strips each side

Need cutting back and shaping at both ends……Then onto the main hull planking………Boy oh Boy!

Didn`t need so many clamps really

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Inwhales cleaned up………What an unusual stern shape?……..Makes a change, anyway

Can`t see the planks getting round the stern at the moment?

We`ll see shortly

Bob

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