Vintage Gentleman’s Cruiser

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Tut tut, Bob – My language strong? It could be much worse… I think it still fits in the "constructive criticism" corner?

I look forward to seeing the boat with a flatter roof and aft roofing built, and of course the chimney. I think that will improve a lot. You could even do a quick&dirty mock-up from cardboard, shouldn't take much longer than an hour and will give you a much better impression of how it is going to look.

Edited By Diede van Abs on 07/10/2014 16:22:01

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Diede

Don't you like my original design?

Paul

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Bob Well I had a good look back a this design and am a little perplected at the height of the cabin and its roof.

From the early pictures and too the photos taken recently your model looks just right from a distance and as we all know model boats are mostly seen from a distance .

If a 10000 people looked at the V.G.C. they would have many more ideas of shape and form ,usual excellent product from your stable.

Do your thing Bob Michael

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Mike

We like viewer participation at times, where ideas are welcome and even a bit of controversy!

It maintains interest

I'm building up the courage to cut the roof off at the moment!

There's no rush

Bob

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Paul,

There are things to your design that I like and parts that I don't like that much.

I am merely commenting on Bob's deviation and its consequences. I think that his boat will look much better once he has that aft roofing and chimney on.

My point was mainly that we are trying to guesstimate the look of the boat, but the whole rear is still missing! I am advocating Bob building the remaining parts of the structure and THEN look again, instead of jumping to conclusions NOW.

Edited By Diede van Abs on 08/10/2014 12:09:58

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Diede

Thank you for the honesty and saying that there are parts of the design that you don't like, I would really appreciate some honest feedback with reasons why you don't like certain parts.

Please don't worry about upsetting me or trying to find a way to soften the critique.

I cant improve my work without addressing problems (especially if I cant see the problems)

I agree with your comments about Bobs boat and that he wont get anywhere with the changed design until he has the courage of his convictions and completes the necessary alterations. 

All the best

Paul

Edited By Paul T on 08/10/2014 16:17:59

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Hi Paul,

What I don't like about your design is purely a matter of taste, really. I think the design of the boat is pretty much OK, except that I think the bow part is a bit too bulky. If you look at the original, you'll see that there is quite a bit of flare to the hull up to where the lower deck starts, which adds some elegance to it. I am missing that in your design…, however I can see where it is coming from (ease of building).

It is more that this type of vessel is a bit too sedate for me what I don't like about it, although I can appreciate a well built classical yacht (which is of course why I am still following the topic!)

Oh, and I think the raised foredeck part should go on a bit further back, or at least the hull should – creating some gunwales / bulwarks (how would you call it… damn foreign languages) between the high and low deck and visually stretching the bow even further. But once again – purely personal taste.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The original design as shown in the photos looked fine and I agree that a partially built model may not properly reflect this. If I was Bob, before resorting to the knife and saw, I would knock up a complete cabin assembly from cardboard or Cornflakes packets and get a better idea of how the completed model would look.

Like the vintage gentlemen these boats were built for, they do have an upright and traditional appearance about them which I rather like.

With regard to head clearance, in this type of boat the interior deck levels were not always where you might expect them to be with decent clearance in the wheelhouse being achieved at the expense of lowering headroom below which was usually only used for sitting and lying down anyway.

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Diede

Thank you for the comments the points that you raise are very helpful, I am happy to say that the bulwarks are part of the original design.

Paul

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Colin

Thank you for your assessment of what a gentlemans cruiser should be

'they do have an upright and traditional appearance'

with all of the chat and changes it is easy to loose sight of what an Edwardian cruiser actually is

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Boys

Just to let you chaps know that I am still here, taking it all in and making notes

Progress is a bit slow at the moment, working on the main deck

Really looking forward to making the rear section soon

Rest assured, it will be alright on the night!

Bob

[IAN_IParticipant @ian_i]

Hi Bob..

>>

Hello Boys

Just to let you chaps know that I am still here

<<

That's good to hear…look forward to seeing your modifications and end build.

Is it safe to come out of the bunker, now….lol ?

Best regards,

Ian

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ian

Just call it….."Constructive Criticism"……..and don`t mention the towing saga!

Now then…..

This is how I`m trimming down the roof section………With some reassuring accuracy!

The deck is now dead flat, so we can progress with confidence…..I may fill in the tops of the windows to get the scale appearance

And reduce the roof camber into the bargain

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Unfortunately what we have here is everyone giving their own personal view of what they would like to see. Nothing wrong with this of course.

BUT; Bob, you are building it and should go with a) the designers drawings or) what YOU want it to look like.

All this input is good stuff. Better than no input at all.

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ashley

What do you mean by encouraging personal views, if everybody gave their own personal view then nothing would get built as we would all be arguing about the distances between screw holes………Sorry is this the single sentence rebuke or are you expecting a whole paragraph as the lack of a disclaimer makes it very difficult to judge.

The serious bit.

Life is to short to worry about these things and my personal view (standard Ashley disclaimer inserted here) is that Bob is making a silk purse out of a sows ear……in short there is nothing wrong with taking an existing design and improving it (standard Ashley disclaimer) as long as its done tastefully……which would rule Ashley out anyway.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Get a load of this, Boys

Went to the woodshop today to get some thin ply for the curved roofs

They had none in stock….Oh no!

Guess what I bought instead?………Only a sheet of HARDBOARD!…..Yes…..Hardboard!

I had to get them to wrap it up in a brown paper parcel and sneak it out via the back door!

How the mighty have fallen, hey?

Bob…..Wearing dark glasses

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Mr Abell

Oh the shame…. can you imagine what your old woodwork teacher would be saying and as for Mr Brunel he must be spinning fast enough in his grave to power a small town.

Hardboard! hang your head in shame, how will you ever be able to show your face at club meetings?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Not to worry, Paul

I also bought a small offcut of 3mm ply and to my surprise……It`ll do the job afterall

I`ll use the hardboard to build a canoe

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Consider yourself redeemed and allowed to call yourself a craftsman again.

If you leave the hardboard out in the garden (where the neighbours can't see it) the rain will wash it away. To atone for the sin of even thinking about using hardboard you must wear a wood shaving shirt and beat yourself with a stick of mahogany.

Paul

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Gee… The rain still hasn't washed my canoe away…..been waiting 3 years now…..

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Amy

Antipodean hardboard must be made from stronger materials than the stuff we get in the UK, Bob would get better results building his canoe out of cornflakes.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hardboard would have been ok for the roof…..As a last resort, no doubt?

Here`s an early progress picture for the cabin experts out there

Looking better already?

Bob

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Absolutely, Bob. Now do a quick mockup of the chimney and the aft roofing, and you'll see that it probably all looks in proportion again.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Yes Bob it looks better with the roof on.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Last mock up for today

The chimney is looking too tall at the moment

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