Vintage Gentleman’s Cruiser

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Ray

Proof of the pudding……..

Lady Joyce is galloping along here, but the bow wave is hardly breaking into a sweat………Nautical term

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

She looks very fine, are you now building another cruiser in the same style ?

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ray

Yes, I've just started building a One Metre model of the same cruiser

Just for something to do and maintain an interesting chat line

I know Silver Mist isn't fully finished…..But it looks good enough for me

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

Good for you, any building is a struggle in this heat ! but the Americans had an eye for style, I'm trying to resist the urge to start an aeroplane at the moment, there must be something addictive in tissue & dope.

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Ray

I once made a 1/4 scale Piper Cub with a Saito 20cc four stroke engine

It flew beautifully and was a treat to fly

I was also a member of Woodford Aerospace club and flew off the ruways that the Vulcan flew off from

I also liked PSS and Slope Soaring

Happy days

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Just a work in progress post

Working down the framework, trimming up the formers and checking for squareness

I like start off right

Squareness, parallelism and true alignment etc are essential ingredients to the build

Sorry to keep harping on about it, but this advice is for those out there who like to see attention to detail

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Have you bought a brand new square just for this demonstration, what happened to the steel blocks and guesswork?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Paul

I've had the yellow square for years, the flat material is handy at times

Still got the steel blocks and guesswork to make sure!

We've got rain here now, but has not made a scrap of difference to the temperature!

It's still 23 deg

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Sweat Shop to Sweet Shop Manager

Former 2 is crying out for another stringer notch……..See photo below

What would Kevin do, in this instance?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

Who is Kevin ??

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Ray

Good question………I used to wonder about that

It`s only Paul weird sense of humour…….He`s referring to the Newbies and Lurkers

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

God bless Harry Enfield's fictional characters on TV

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

It`s a good idea to gang up the Formers into a block and check for discrepances

But in the days of CAD, faults apart from builders errors, are quite rare

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

These drawings are of a cruiser that's a close relative of you boat, taken from an excellent book of American boat designs from 1897-1942 "Designs to Inspire" by Anne & Maynard Bray. So many boats to build and so little time

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks for the info Ray

The upper drawing looks very similar to the VGC

I suppose in those days of cruiser design……..That was the style of the times?

No Fibre glass mouldings in those days

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Kevin

I needed a true flat surface to produce the keel bottom edge, as I intend to glue a hardwood strip along the bottom edge, to hide the ply layers

To check for flatness, swipe a straightedge across the surface and if the surface is flat, you will hear a squeal

I`ve sprinkled some sawdust to illustrate the action

To some members, this may sound a bit OTT, but what`s the point of a Datum edge, if you can`t trust it?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

There we go, boys……….The Third dimension sorted and glued

I like the idea that the setup is not screwed down at the moment

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Managed to fit a couple of stringers to firm up the framework before the glue dries

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Not a pretty sight

The forward stringers are shown as Breasthooks on the plan, but I`ve gone for laminated stringers

The ply stringers are quite fragile and one needs to talk in whispers, during bending sequence!…….Shhhhhhh

But once the glue sets, they`ll be as tough as old boots!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I can see a tricky area looming in the bows area

The upper stringer is acutely concave……..For Paul's silent running idea

The middle stringer is slightly concave and liveable

The bottom stringer is not fitted yet, but is convex!

Can you imagine a sheet of thin ply coping with that?

I know Lady Joyce worked out ok, but I think I had a magic wand at the time!

Need to try a ply sample and see what's what

Fingers crossed

I think Paul is hiding under the blankets at the moment?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

It`s looking reasonable

The bottom stringer actually collapsed under the load!………Will try a different material for strength, next time

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Paul here reporting all the news that is news from below the blanket cover (BBC)

Headlines:

STRINGER COLLAPSE…Shock news has been received from Bobs workshop where an insider tells us of a critical stringer collapse. The BBC has learnt that inferior materials have been substituted for a critical part and that the whole project might now be in jeopardy.

Other un-confirmed reports describe a series of near-miss incidents involving glue and cheap clamps but the management were quick to dismiss these claims and have issued a statement blaming the lack of tea and biscuits. Since Brexit the subject of missing tea and biscuits has been raised on numerous occasions but never has it been blamed for such a tragic incident.

In the light of this event the Prime Minister has broken off Brexit negotiations but has promised to buy some glue and fix it back on again.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Well that's gotten your attention at last

I've been up to me neck in glue and shavings at this end!

Fighting off wave after wave of Gremlins, hiding in the sawdust clouds

All is quiet now, while the glue dries

Picture to follow, when the air clears

Bob at the sharp end

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Censored photograph

Blood Sweat and Tears have been erased

The stringer planks are strips of 6 x 3 Fairy Dust ply

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Now you know why breasthooks were specified, there are a lot of forces acting on the bow and the breasthooks are intended to alleviate the problem by spreading these forces over a larger area.

What is that saying about horses and water?

Paul

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