Vintage Gentleman’s Cruiser

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Bob

The Fablon looks quite nice and although the grain is a little large it is only on the transom and would provide an impressive finish when varnished and detailed with gold letters.

It should be a great solution to decorating the interior.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Let the Purists turn away!

I am highly delighted with the Fablon solution to the cabin structure……The varnish has taken well and has done a very pleasing job in making the covering material easy to work and makes the covering acceptabelly durabell

We like to experiment with new ideas, it makes the build all that more interesting!

Before the Fablon is applied, all tricky areas and edges need to be painted with a good colour match of acryics

The edges can be firmly secured using a plastic ruler

Followed by a few coats of varnish

I am now thinking about covering the deck with a suitabell pattern…….Even light brown with ink planking

The hull will have a traditional filler and multicoat paint finish

Any comments, you chaps out there,, concerning this new finish?

Bob and Paul

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

Hi Bob

Have used Fablon, its superb but, can't make out in the pictures weather you have turned the edges over. This is a problem if the Fablon gets warm like in the sun in the car, it shrinks and becomes soft.

Try not to stretch the film as this makes it even worse.

Talking of gold lettering, why not cover with clear film, no mixing of materials and makes a very nice finish. Used this on my Huntsman for name boards and transom.

Used Letraset on the Fablon with book cover over, very good finish, 

Hope this helps

Mark

Edited By Mark Jarvis 2 on 13/11/2014 09:46:20

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Many thanks, Mark

It's comforting to know that it's been done before!

The raw edges are a source of trouble, but I'm hoping the varnish will cure the problem?

I'll put the test piece in the sun and see what happens

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sun ??? where you going to get that from, Bob??

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Work in progress

Back on the motor drives again……..The base is a bit oversize at the moment, as we don`t quite know how they will fit the hull

The pitch of the assemblies is 200mm

Timing belts will go from each motor shaft to the central shaft, front and back

Another Timing belt will go from the central shaft, down to the shallow angle propshaft….In the scuppers

This is like being back at work…….Only more fun!

Bob

Edited By Bob Abell on 14/11/2014 19:10:20

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

HI Bob

My suggestion of rolling the Fablon over the edges was to remove the need of varnishing, removing the possibility of reaction of the different types of materials.

As an alternative you could varnish to feel the ply, then apply the Fablon, belt and braces, wood sealed and finished in one go!!!!!

Mark

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Mark

You have just jogged my old memory box!

I will certainly pre paint the rest of the cabin!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Captain Ahabell

Those motor mounts are very chunky.

I understand why you have 'top and tailed' the motors but are you fitting bearings on the central shaft?

Jane hasn't forgotten about the letters, she has ordered some gold vinyl for the name but it hasn't arrived yet (Jane expected it this morning but it didn't arrive)

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

I will be fitting ball races on the counter shaft…….Since I`ve got some in stock

As mentioned earlier, the closest the drives can be, side by side, is 200mm

To get 160mm, the drives could be staggered…..But wouldn`t look very nice

The ABELL letters can be any colour

More progress pix………For my telephone admirer

The forward hatch is a taster for the forthcoming bling!

Bobabell

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Bob

Jane loves the cold frame and has offered to make some little lettuces for you.

The engine mounts are very impressive and Brunel would be proud of you.

Paul

Just because the pension people keep cold calling it doesn't make them telephone friends.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul…..Thanks for the jokes, folks

The front windows are just crying out for some hinged ventilation!

But bling time is a long way off at the moment

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Shop floor to Drawing office……Interesting situation

I hope to hide all the gubbins in the forward section, including all the batteries and this would obviously make the balance nose heavy

This would necessitate the motors to be moved aft and this would make the Abell drives visible through the windows, especially if they at illuminated!……Nice?

This would avoid the extra long prop shafts…..Nice?

Got a novel idea…….We could use quite short propshafts and for appearance, we could make up the difference using plain shafting and solid couplings……Nice?

Would just like to have your thoughts on this matter?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Paul

Got a real crazy idea!……..So what's new, I hear you ask!

We've got two drive sets……The first one could be classed as bottom gear, with the timing belts geared down….Nowt crazy about that…..I hear you say

The second drive set could classed as top gear!………What the…….?????!@£?%€¥$?

Don't poo poo the idea yet!…….If we were building a car, the idea wouldn't work

But we are using water as the drive source!

We would set off in bottom gear and engage top gear for maximum speed

The difference in prop speeds would cause a bit of drag, but it's worth a try?

By using equal pulley ratios, they can easily be put back to normal running

This crazy idea should get Kevin's tongue wagging?

Crazy Horse

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I`d really love to see a few more members, building this simple chunky boat…..As it is great fun and a completely different way of working from the normal run of the mill models

For a single donation to one of the selected charities……You could start right away!

Simply build the basic hull to Paul`s design and decide on the super structure later?

We have a choice of sizes available……Even a mighty six footer!

I rather like the idea of a five foot Ellie, myself……An attractive simple nice design

Go on!…..Bring the fun back into model boat building!………Build a whopper!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Bob

Far be it from me to poo poo your idea.

But you might want to consider how the difference in propeller speeds would require constant rudder adjustment to prevent the boat from going around in circles. A lot of power will be lost in just keeping the boat running straight.

As an alternative you could simply have matched motor drives and increase the voltage range, this would give you lots of low down power and plenty of options for higher speed.

However your wish to build a larger version of Ellie is a really good idea so just let me know when you want to start.

Paul

 

Edited By Paul T on 17/11/2014 15:56:48

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Shop floor to Cricut dept

Paul`s lady wife, has kindly produced the letters for the drive units

Very nice, Jane…..Just the right size and colour too…….Thank you

Can we have some numbers please?…..Same size…….1 2 3 & 4 and four arrows to denote motor rotation

Thanks a lot…….. Bob

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Bob What an impressive show of motors . Like the rivets .

I wonder how many copies will be floating around , many I hope Michael

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Many thanks Mike

The ABELL drives are my crazy pet idea, a little OTT perhaps, but they should look impressive, when seen, floodlit, through the cabin windows

I`m hoping they perform nicely and hopefully, sound different too

Keep popping in……..You`re always welcome

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. Impressive, very impressive. Thats a lot of oomph there and no mistake. I love the colour..it is reminiscent of BMC engine green…

Stick to the good old ESC and same gearing for each sets of motors. If you were to do the different gearing thing, the lower geared set would need a larger prop..

Making a variable pitch prop would be the thing I recon if you want to fiddle with ratios and so on.

Ashley

nb sticky back plastic!!! never mention HB again, eh ??

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

Pleased that you like the motor setup…..And the colour?

I created the colour by using a tin of navy blue and added all the yellows, oranges and gray tin lets that were lying around the paint store!

It's a great build, very interesting and ginormous!

I need my bumps feeling!

Bob

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Bob,

I can only agree with the previous comments – these two drives really look the thing, and the colour is just lovely! Perhaps not identical to, but absolutely reminiscent of a Myford lathe before they went over to blue … and that kind of green is, at least in this beholders eye, one of the loveliest colours that a piece of machinery can have!

I also just adore the lettering! Droolworthy is a word that springs to mind!

/Mattias

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Mattias

I am very pleased that you have made favourible comments on our thread…….much appreciated

I too, like this type of green for drives and machinery…..In the old days, it was known as Ral green…..Can't remember the actual ref number

Most Machine Tool makers adopted it as standard

I would like to take the opportunity of congratulating yourself on your latest build also

A very clean and pretty model

What will you build next?

Regards……Bob Abell

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Hello Bob,

You are most truly welcome — it is I who thank you (and Paul T) for a very interesting (and frequently very funny, too ) thread!

Thanks, also, for your kind comments on my ongoing Puffer-build! Once that one has been finished (I'm hoping for sometime in February/March next year), the next and most immediate project will be one called "redecorating the living room". My wife has made it quite clear that much as she supports me in my hobbies, an active build tends to gobble a pretty solid chunk out of my available spare time, which I can only say is a fair cop, so no new model project will be allowed to get under way until we've done up our living room.

Once that is past, though, I plan a short, land-locked interlude, in the form the recently relaeased Ebbro 1:24 plastic kit of a 1960s/70s vintage Reanult 4L (**LINK**). Not primarily because I'm all that much into plastic kits or cars, but because I want to try my hand at some weathering techniques, including rust, dust and grime, and am loath to attempt that for the first time in my life on a 500+ hours boat build. Also, remembering what my Auntie's 4L used to look like back in the day makes me think that particualr car will be quite fit for purpose …

After that: who knows! I don't, in the sense that I have not yet decided which potential project on my to-do list will come first, but among the types of boat model I'd love to build sooner or later are (in no particular order, as they say on Strictly) an Edwardian steam launch, James Cook's Endeavour (as a static model), a Stockholm archipelago or Lake Mälaren steam passenger boat (such as the Norrskär that was featured in MB some time ago), a Stockholm archipelago sailing firewood yacht (these used to bring firewood as deck cargo into Stockholm; see **LINK** , **LINK** and **LINK** for some photos), a Grand Banks schooner and finally the Moshulu (again as a static model).

In other words, I have ideas enough to last me a lifetime and a half …

Thanks for asking, and sorry for the temporary hijacking of your thread; I hope I did not bend your ear too badly!

/Mattias

Edited By Banjoman on 21/11/2014 09:07:48

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Many thanks, Banjo, for your kind comments and that you appreciate our occasional comical banter

You are obviously a skilled builder and must have made quite a few models in your time?

In my case, I was ordered to get model making again, by the Missus……To get me off the settee and do something to occupy my mind!

Bless her!

Bob

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