Born in a Barn

It had to happen some time; I've cut out the transom door and deck hatch for the Y-boat.  I was a little worried as once cut, any mistakes were going to be trouble to put right.  So, I measured and measured again before cutting.  The cut lines were covered in masking tape (Tamiya as the marking can be seen through) as it protects the gel coat on the hull and deck.

So poised with the cutting disc in my Dremel, I went to work.  This photo shows things part way through.

I've also started making the parts for the Y-boat recess.  These are also shown in the photo along with the  door and inside.  both need adjusting for width and the transom angle.  I used plans from the RNLI for the initial shapes and dimensions.  The photo below is with the transom door cut out.  Hopefully its accurate enough to use for the door itself.  The next step is to temporarily fix the side panels to the floor for test fitting, but that's to come.

On the skids

Having felt like I've done lots of work but with no progress to show, the last week has seen the stern/transom come on leaps and bounds.  Well at least I think so.

The prop shafts, rudder posts and bilge keels are now all on the hull together with the bilge keel extensions and supports.  I'm really pleased with the results;

The transon supports are 3.2mm styrene tube with a 1.6mm brss rod inside for which a locating hole was drilled into the keel extentions.  The top of the supports are also pinned into the transom with 1mm brass rod.  The bolts support mounting plates also act as pins into the transom.  It's probably overkill but it makes me feel better!

I've also modified the keel extention by adding a rounded profile to the end of the keel (not the 'hockey stick').  It's not quite the right profile but I ok with it and it's better than just the square end.

I also got around to fixing the motor mounts.  Due to the angle of the prop shafts, there's not much room to fit a mounting so I had to cut down the fixing bolts.  Being lazy instead of using a saw, I used a cutting disc (or rather several!).  The metal motor mounts themselves are bolted to pieces of thin plywood epoxyed into place with balsa wedges underneath to give the correct motor angle.

The figures are now painted in their main colours - yellow for the drysuits and white for the helmets.  Detailed painting to do next...

Go Figure

I was hoping to be much further on with the drive train and hull work by now but due to being a little heavy handed I had a set back.  More on that below.

However, it gave me chance to finally get cracking on some crew figures for the Trent.  They are from Speedline Models and really pretty good.  The photo shows the figures assembled (ie with arms attached) and the heads kept separate for ease of painting.  All that was required was a little filing of the mould lines, a little filling at the arm joint and an adjustment to the Coxwain's left hand so that it was at the right angle to hold the wheel.  I simply cut the hand off at the jacket sleeve, trimmed his wrist to the appropriate angle and superglued back in place.

I also dug out copies of a feature by Kim Belcher in Marine Modelling on detailing the 1:12 versions of these figures.  He really went to town and I felt much was probably beyond me, like reshaping the helmets.  I did though have a go at adding the jacket bottoms and pockets from .0.010" plastic card and I think it looks ok.  We'll see after the yellow paint goes on!

This photo show the crew figures primered and with some pre-shading in the clothing creases.  Not sure it will show through the Halfords spray paint but it might!  Looking carefully at the hull, I have tacked the prop shafts in place with superglue.  These have been measure once but before epoxying them in place I will check and check again.  The delay I mentioned came because I like to paint the prop shafts before fitting.  With the keel and bilge keels in place it will be difficult to spray paint the tops of the shafts once in place.  It might not be necessary but better safe than sorry and it worked on the Trent.  However, after the first paint job, my test fitting of the shafts led to a fair number of chips to the paint.  Nothing for it but a sand down and respray.

I'm hoping to get the shafts epoxyed in place and the hull filled and sanded flush around them this weekend.  I might even get the rudders fitted as well!

Trent Finishing Touches (Pt1)

I've been busy working on the Tamar but there's little to show in photos.  That's because I've been fitting the deck support strips, opening up the running gear slots and holes and rubbing down the mould lines and hull in general.  A reasonable level of progress but nothing much to look at.  Fitting the prop shafts, rudders and bilge keels is next up.

So, I've also been busy adding some extra detail to the Trent, which really is all do bar the trim tab rams.  I've made a pair of small vents that sit in the vent boxes on the rear of the wheelhouse and the emergency tiller.  Photos or the unpainted and also the finished parts below.  Also working on some crew figures so I'll probably post about those later.

Break out the Filler

I've now completed work on the running gear, except of course for the job of actually fitting it!  The photos shows the work I've done and also the rudder parts.

The skeg extention is finish and I'me really quite pleased with it.  The P38 method has worked a treat.  The rudders took a little more effort though.  I didn't use the styrene parts in the kit.  Instead I adapted the method I used to scratch build new rudders on the Trent.  So, I glued spacer strips onto the supplied brass rudders, cut new outside skins from 1mm styrene and formed the 'foil shape that way.  The void was filled with more P38.  It didn't go to plan at first but I think the end result is ok.

I've also modified the bilge keels.  The boat I'm building has a slightly different bracing for the slipway skids.  So, I cut away a 6mm strip and glued a length of 6.4x3.2mm strip on (bought separately as it's not as rough cut as the strip in the kit) as thisi si slightly bigger than the keels, it handily represents the protector strips.  The supports are from 3.2mm tube and the mounting plate on the transom from 0.75mm styrene sheet.  The parts were made using photos I'd taken and the plan I got from the RNLI.

These will all be glued and pinned over the next couple of weeks, but first to install will be the prop shafts.  Before that though I have to rub down the mould lines.

Running Gear and Hull

So the bow thruster is now epoxyed in place - no going back now!  I've been busy working on the stern of the hull with the running gear openings.  These are now all roughly to size so the next big task is to align the prop shafts.  This photo shows how I'm getting on with prop shafts and bilge keels placed but not glued in place.

I've also started work on the slipway/tow shoe/keel extension using the kit parts as a template.  There are a few mods to be made between the kit and the boat I'm building in this area but all are, hopefully, straightforward.  The next photo shows the start of this; each side is 1mm styrene with 3 lengths of the supplied plastic strip between.  I'll fill the middle with P38.  I considered just making up up with several layers of styrene but thought that would be harder work!

Next up are the rudders...

Bow Thruster

Over the last couple of weeks, inbetween moving house, I've been attempting to fit the bow thruster to the Tamar hull.  Despite the template in the instructions, I've made this much more difficult than it should have been, hence no photos yet, I want to get it sorted before showing my mistakes!  Somehow, I couldn't get the tube straight and had to greatly enlarge on of the holes in the hull.  Still with the advice Model Slipway have given and some luck it ought to be ok.  I might still need to be a little creative with the waterline/boot topping though!

On a more positive notes, the mounting plates for the Trent trim tabs have been machined;

I'm very pleased with how they've come out, I just need some 1mm brass wire for the hoopsnow; I couldn't get a consistent shape with steel wire.  I'm confident the ram assemblies will look pretty good once finished.

Next time I should be posting about how the bow thruster saga ends!