Vintage Gentleman’s Cruiser

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Not going any further at the moment

I took one look at the shapely bows and thought it may be a retrograde step!

What does Ashley have to say about this?

Bob

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

HI Bob

I think Paul is right, the wheel will spoil the whole bow of the cruiser, a towing handle would do the same job but would look so much better.

Also consider we don't have a launching ramp at Etherow. Waiting for the jib to be fitted for launching and recovery.

You would only need the towing handle from the car to the staging, possible to get occasional permission to launch from the walkway buy the cars, but you still need to get the boat into the water.

Mark

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Mark

The model will be launched and retrieved in the same manner as the Rescue Boat

Sliding on the reinforced keel edge

I've thinking about the front wheel again

I have a dream

I keep imagining the rim of the wheel protruding through the keel. At the moment the box is too broad and needs to be cut back drastically

Perhaps a steel wheel may be the answer, as Paul suggested

Or a simple brass strip screwed to the bottom?……..Like this idea, especially, if it looked like the rim of a wheel!

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. You have a lathe, make an aluminium one and turn a groove in the rim for a round rubber O ring or whathaveyou for a tyre. The wheel need not be very big at all, more like a castor. A ball affail set almost flush with the hull would do, and not destroy the hydrowotsists.

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ashley…….That's a good idea, but we've crossed our posts and I've trumped you!

I propose a solid skid, wheel shaped, screwed to the bottom of the keel

With this idea, there won't be any chance of a leak

I do like the O Ring tyre idea though……Thanks for the good suggestion, old chap

Bob

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Bob, I see where your want for wheels comes from but please, keep it as discreet as possible… it is such a nice looking craft, don't waste it with wheels and bits just for convenience!

So, try to keep the wheels as small as possible, and don't let them protrude too much under the hull and CERTAINLY not wider than the hull… you will always see that when going about, even if the wheels are below the water surface they will disrupt the flow at the stern.

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Bob May I make a suggestion which is just build a sled ,can be wheeled or not .Take your wonderful creation from its transportation ,draw to water slide into and remove .

No unsightly wheels in sight and displaying your VGC in all its glory and remember the RNLI use this method to launch and recover their boats (big and small)

Just a thoughtMichael

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks, Mike for your suggestion

We could make a roller skate type of sled with four wheels

It would certainly do the trick

Bob

[Mark Jarvis 2Participant @markjarvis2]

HI Bob

Its called a skateboard, screw your hull stand to the skate deck and its ready to go. Lots of the wooden ones in charity shops.

Have you seen my transport for Amsterdam, its a folding sack truck, can launch and retrieve from lake side. Only problem is the patent Duck and Goose wires.

Mark

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Etherow park has a number of sailing dinghies which I presume are put into the water down a slipway on launching trollies………..does the model boat club have access to the slipway? if so it would solve Bobs launching and recovery problem.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Paul

Only the big lake has a slipway and the club can only use the big lake, every blue moon

The modellers standing area is edged with timber, so sliding across it and into the briny….Is not a problem

Here`s a picture of the enthusiastic committee building the aforesaid wood surround

Just the job

Bob

[ChrisBParticipant @chrisb29081]

Evening Bob, if I understand your thinking on the front wheel problem, you are now considering a skid arrangement,raised from the keel and rounded ? If my understanding is correct, could this arrangement be adopted at the rear also :- incorporated into the skegs ( I think that's the name for the bit under the prop shaft?) to be "proud" enough to protect the props but also continue the curve to form the bottom of the rudder,( which was another problem you were thinking about)

Sorry if the terms are neither nautical or engineering, but I hope you understand the concept.

Chris

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello ChrisB

We need the rear wheels, as we need to pull the boat about 100 yards or so from the car to the launch pad

The front need not touch the floor really, but needs a wear point

Thanks for your interest

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I`m amazed that the schools don`t teach woodwork, metalwork or handicraft anymore and haven`t done so for the last twenty years

What are they doing instead?….I ask myself

In view of this, I intend to show more of how to do things during the build…..Especially the important areas, for those members wishing to catch up on their lost school lessons!

In most stages of the build you must build accurately and no ……."That`ll do" methods!…….Unless it will, of course!

Also squareness, parallelism, symmetry and neatness are essential requirements

The usual measure twice and cut once still applies

If you can afford luxuries, buy some machine tools…..Bandsaw, Vertical drill, belt linisher, tool grinder…….and most of all ………..Goggles and quality dust mask

Back to work…

Setting the motor base to the required angle is very important and is quite tricky at times

I used to have a motto at work….." If a dimension is important……Make it adjustable"

In my case with the motor drives, I`ve avoided any glued fastenings……..All the joints are screwed or bolted

Just in case we find a snag………There`s one lurking round every corner!

Picture showing how the to check one of the many dimensions on setting the motor base

Using packers to get the ref for the deck level over the coaming lips, using a straight plank and ruler…..As opposed to the squinting eyesight method

The angle is obtained from the propshafts, making the motor surface parallel by measurement

This job has taken many hours……But well worth it!

Bob

[CookieOldParticipant @cookieold]

Hi Bob , Lady Joyce is looking great your workmanship is 1st class , I agree totally with you about things being square and parrallel when it comes to prop alinement i made 3 mandrels on my perkasa to fit inside the propshafts and slide over all 3 motor shafts and as you say used packers under the motor platform to adjust the position and angle ensuring the mandrels rotated freely before the final fixing of the platform ( see my gallery )

All the Best Dave

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Schools treat teenagers like infants……………for example my son was doing GCSEs 18years ago and they spent 6 hours on how to wire a plug.

What a waste of time

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

By the time I was 16 I`d spent 6 months in each of the workshops……

Machine shop

Sheet metal shop

Welding

Pattern shop

Foundry

Blacksmith shop

Two years Engineering drawing

Must admit, it was a Technical School…….Do they still have them, nowadays?

Bob

What a difference compared to the schools of today!

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Hi all

Lurker stepping out of the shadows, for a bit anyway, then off again. For what it's worth, I like lurking, I learn a bit each time, which can only be a good thing. Any road up, I like the wheel thing, but not sure they are going to help launching off that dock. Looks a tad high up for me. Will the keel like being slid over that wooden step?

As to schools not teaching tech stuff, it's all coding and computer stuff. Gone are the woodwork and metalwork labs of my day. All the kids including very young uns know their way around an iPhone etc these days. We I'm off back to the shadows. See you next time.

Andy

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Lurkio

The boat will be launched, stern first and if the edging is too high, I'll make a ramp…..Problem solved

The keel will have a skid rail under the keel surface

All clever stuff

Call again, Andy

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Work in progress

Finally knuckled down and made the prop shafts, finished the motor base and ordered the final drive timing belts

The complete assembly is of screwed construction, just in case we change the drives, later on

We are slowly getting there

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Bob

Its difficult to see from the photos but are the motors all at the same height and angle?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

They will be all at the same height shortly…….They are only loosely fitted at the moment and are not in the correct position

Awaiting belt tensioning when the new belts arrive

Just testing the Kevins

Bob

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Bob What a proffessional set up with your drives ,most people on the forum will appreciate what you have created .

Now I think the model speed boat fraternaty should pick this up as I can imagine how they could use the system to great effect

A couple of brushless motors and catch me if you can Michael

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Mike

The fancy motor arrangement is really for show and interest only

Two motors would have been ok, but I like the engineering complication of it all and seems to go well with this chunky old boat

Will be nice just to see the pulleys go round?

Brushless motors may well be fitted later, if deemed necessary

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Said it before, love the motor colour. Makes them look real (as it were) . Fantastic. Needs to be on show or it will be a waste.

Dont like the wheels at the back or the chunky skegs. A launching dolly is the way to go. Nice clean hull then to make use of all that green power. Push boat into watyer let it float off dolly, drive boat back on dolly, pull out.

Ashely

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