Walbut Dream, a 1:12 scale narrowboat

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

I have just about finished a 1:12 scale narrowboat, which has taken me about a year to construct. It is 43 inches long and the internal layout is based on a composite of several boats that we have spent holidays on.

 

The hull was supplied by Deans Marine and is not normally advertised for sale as there is a minor moulding error in the bow rubbing strakes but this was easily rectified by sanding off the offending parts and replacing them with styrene strips of an appropriate size.

 

Since we wanted to fit out the interior with a representative layout it was a bit of a challenge to fit all the electrics in the back end. The battery fits under one of the rear bunks. The motor is a Graupner Speed 500E nominally a 12 volt motor but only running on 7.2 volts. The propeller is a 40 mm 3 bladed unit. A Raboesch bow thruster was also fitted but is normally switched off as the turning performance is quite good without it.

 

The sound unit is a small Action Electronics unit and is fairly quiet but adequate for this installation. The loudspeaker was originally going to be mounted directly under the engine access panel but ended up in one of the aft wardrobes.

 

There are several sheets of lead flashing under the floor to ballast the boat to what I estimated would be the correct level, based on some early bath tests. As it turned out it was a pretty good guess as I have not needed to change it in the end.

The cooker, fridge and microwave were purchased as dolls house accessories. All the cupboards, table, bunks and kitchen units were made from 1.5 mm ply.

My wife Elizabeth made all the curtains, mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows. She also made some 1:12 scale toothbrushes for the bathroom.

 

On the water, Walbut Dream has turned out to be easy to sail, quite manoueverable without the bow thruster but has very little freeboard so tends to ship a bit of water when the going is rough. Despite the flat bottom it does not roll much.

Edited By Gareth Jones on 14/04/2011 21:43:19

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

that’s lovely gareth…..takes me back to owning a 56 footer and the very happy times we had on her.

great memories,

neil.

 

 

http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail

[Tony BurtonParticipant @tonyburton83970]

Hi Gareth

What a beautiful superbly built narrowboat well beyond my capabilities…………….Well done

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Gareth, are you doing a build article on her for Model Boats? If not I think Paul Freshney would be very interested.

 

Colin

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

HI GARETH, what nice build and so full detail,

I am just finishing my narrow boat not a gin palace like yours, but a working

A BIRMINGHAM work boat like use to play on when i was a kid…..LARRY…..

Edited By LARRY WHETTON boatman73 on 18/04/2011 17:41:49

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Hi Larry.

 

I like the look of your working narrow boat. Have you scratch built the hull or is it a moulded one?

When I was a lad I went to Leigh Boys Grammar School and the Bridgewater canal went right past our school playing fields. I was never very keen on rough sports like rugby so I used to go cross country running during our outdoor PE sessions. We could run along the canal bank towards Astley and then off to the coal spoil heaps, locally known as rucks. We could play around there for half an hour or so, experimenting with the parts of the rucks that were partially alight due to spontaneous combustion or poking about in all the weird coloured bits where the water was washing out all the toxic chemicals. On the way back, if we were lucky there would be a coal barge heading towards Leigh and we could scrounge a lift back to Hall House Bridge and then run back into school looking sufficiently tired to impress the teacher. I am sure it would not be allowed these days but it never did me any harm.

 

Regards, Gareth

 

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

HI GARETH, thank you for reply, my model is totaly scratch built,

from ikea blind and card , built on photographs and local researh ,

like vintage models LARRY.

Edited By LARRY WHETTON boatman73 on 19/04/2011 09:51:07

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

HI ALL, LAUNCHED WORKING NARROW BOAT. went well few pictures of the day’….

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice one, Larry!

 

Bob

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

THANK YOU BOB, nice to here from you , have not been on forum for some time . ……

LARRY……

[Tony BurtonParticipant @tonyburton83970]

Hi Larry

Lovely Narrow boat……..looks real in the picks.well done

Tony

[david the newbeParticipant @davidthenewbe]

Hi all

im new to the hobby of model RC boat .

im starting to scratch build the MerryAnne narrow boat from plans.

do i really need a bandsaw to cut parts out of plywood or am i ok with my little jigsaw

i see that gareth has a small prop shaft fitted in his and i was wondering where i can get 1 from or will i have to make 1

when i have done the hull wot would be the best way to seal the hull before painting

many thanks dave

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

hi dave…..a jig saw, frett saw, coping saw or what ever you have with a thin blade will be just as good…..take your time. I have a band saw, and most other power saws in my workshop, and still at times revert to a good old hand drawn saw.

 as for a prop shaft…………………your local model shop or ebay will be able to supply one for you…….always myriads of lengths on there.

neil.

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 16/08/2012 22:57:40

[david the newbeParticipant @davidthenewbe]

hi neil

thankyou for your reply .

i will try ebay for the prop shaft as my local shop dont do them 2" long the smallest thay have is 4"

thankyou for the help

dave

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

David. get a prpopshaft with nylon bushes, as these are quite easy to drift out, cut the proshaft to length and simply pop the bearing out with a stick/ propshaft with a nut on the thread. Easy to pop back in an voila! a 2 inch propshaft. http://www.hobby do them . They also do the props.

Ashley

[david the newbeParticipant @davidthenewbe]

hi ashley

thanks for the tip will look at the website

dave

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

 

 

 

 

HI, David ,

welcome i made short prop shaft by the Ashley method , or you try MAKS MODEL BITS…

HE BASED IN NEWPORT S/ WALES he has a web site he wiill custome make you prop shafts

a good man . you say what lenth your narrow boat is or type and consruction .

as for sealing for water tightness paint the inside with fg/ resin……LARRY…

Edited By LARRY WHETTON boatman76 on 17/08/2012 15:19:26

[david the newbeParticipant @davidthenewbe]

hi larry

and thankyou for your advice on the prop shaft i was looking at ashleys method but i may see make model bits first.

do u only have to seal the in side of the boat ? as i would have thought it would be in and out to seal or is the paint on out side enough to seal it

many thanks dave

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

hI David

What materail is the hull made of , ?…have you any build pictures ,

a sand and fill using car filler and sand again few coats of primer sand / spray using car spray cans , sand fill again if needed , then final finish coat , i use satin fiish black on mine

hope this helps …….Larry…. this is my latest work boat…….

[david the newbeParticipant @davidthenewbe]

hi larry

ive just started to cut parts out of 3.6mm ply but when i have the hull put together i will take of few pics and post and at difrent stages it may take me a bit of time as i dont have space at home to make it so im useing my sister garage a few days a week but yes i know i will take my time

and yes last post really help and hopefully with this forum i can make a nice boat but it wont be as good as the rest of u but at lest ill have my frist 1 under my belt

again many thanks for all the help so far

dave (the newbe)

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

Hi Dave,

Best of luck we all have to start some where , i started at 73 years old ……Larry…

[mike farrellParticipant @mikefarrell21522]

Hi Gareth Well having read the article in Model Boats and super impressed. Seeing the story unfold on the forum was just as rewarding . Having spent several years navigating the waterways my wife and I still have a yearning to go back to it but at 70 years old I think I,ll follow your example and build a boat after I complete my Brede Class Lifeboat Sadly living in the wilds of Lincolnshire,no locks to navigate or sail a boat on

[NISHA CHOPRAParticipant @nishachopra33110]

Hello chaps,

I'm from BBC Two and we're making a series called England's floating history. Our film looks at the history of narrow boats.

We'd love to get people like you, who have built steam powered narrowboats, to be part of our film. Please can you get in touch with me on 0115 902 1877 or nisha.chopra01@bbc.co.uk

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Best

Nisha

[Dan FashamParticipant @danfasham96888]

Hi guys very new to model building but experienced with narrow boats. Just had a bit of a urge to while away some shed time and build a model, obvious choice a narrow boat. Just stumbled across this forum researching models and thought id share my start

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