'WIDE A WAKE' a steam launch tale

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Guys - thanks for looking in and all the kind comments

Marv - a launch party is planned  - champagne naturally  and who know's might even have to get dressed up for the occasion

Dave I'm not familiar with Spanish Cedar but it sounds good. As said I'm planning on using 'mahogany' - but need to make sure I can find a bit with reasonably fine grain. I've been mulling over what to do the deck planking with - somewhat lighter in colour than the Parana if I can. I was thinking perhaps Bass but remembered yesterday I have three pieces of Box squirrelled away - that might be a bit too yellow though.

For the last couple of days I've been thinking that I've had a good overdose of wood dust with the relevant symptoms however having been sailing - yep, more bloody ice breaking for best part of the morning - I can confirm Sues diagnosis of full blown 'Man-Flu' - a few days off  then  but back soon as poss to get on with that rudder system.

Thanks again guys - Ramon

[ths]

Cigar boxes were traditionally made from Spanish cedar. Hugh.

[steamer]

Hey Hugh,

Yes Spanish cedar is generally most notable for it's use in humidors...but it CAN have a grain and color that looks a lot like mahogany...but at half the weight.

That's why I used it on my boat.

Be careful....it can be green in color as well....you have to sort through and find the stock that has the color you want.

Dave

[steamer]

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u27/mcandrew1894/Steam%20Launch%20Rushforth/P1010028.jpg

Spanish cedar deck with an accent strip of spruce....laid herringbone without a king plank.

[SandCam]

Absolutely first rate work again Ramon... very nice indeed.

Pearwood makes a very nice substitute for Mahogany... it is very close grained and has a similar colour when varnished... I use it for boiler lagging, amonst other things, rather than Mahogany for the same reason... Mahogany grain is too heavy for correct scale appearance.

Hope you feel better soon... flu is not nice.

Best regards.

Sandy.

[90LX_Notch]

Ramon-

Your boat really is a thing of beauty.  Builds like this always amaze me. 

-Bob

[Jasonb]

If you are looking for a light coloured wood then you could also think of White (unsteamed) beech or hornbeam, both harder than parana and cedar so won't show dents so easily.

J

[Roger B]

That is indeed a splendid boat   

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Guys - I finally re-surfaced At some stage Sue hovered with this silly grin and all knowing look on her face - " Here, she quips, I got you some proper medication" handing me a small tin the lid of which proclaims in very big letters  'MAN FLU tablets' - for when you're felling really, really, really poorly - I told her it was only a sniffle but no she wouldn't have it 

Thanks for all this thoughtful input but I have to say though Hugh I'm gonna need a bloody big cigar box 

Sandy - I do have some steamed pear but I was intent on getting the decks to be paler than the parana sides. I share your view on the scale effect but the 'mahogany' will only be used for 'trim' - rubbing strakes, breastwork, coaming etc. I do have one piece of parana that has a very speckled grain and is very pale - but I'm not sure if there's enough to finish the job. I was thinking of using this but finishing it with white french polish to keep the original colour but if there's not enough I was edging toward Bass - very close grained, pale and most easy to work - besides I've remembered that there is a good handful of 1/2 x 1/16 strips plus a few 1/16 sheets lurking somewhere bought long past for 'one of those projects' that never quite made it.

Jason I'm not keen on Beech as a general rule and am not familiar with Hornbeam - is that similar to anything else?

Hope to get back into the workshop tomorrow and crack on with the rudder system

Regards - Ramon

[Jasonb]

Jason I'm not keen on Beech as a general rule and am not familiar with Hornbeam - is that similar to anything else?

Very similar to beech so looks like a no go 

The Lime (bass) should be nice and light in both colour and weight, some of the hobby woodwork suppliers do it in 2" prepared boards in shortish lengths for rocking horse laminations you could rip one of those down if needed. As for cegar box cedar, these people not far from me do sawn boards and also thinner ones for the box making market.

[ths]

If you could get some Huon Pine, you'd never regret it. But it's from Tasmania, and probably not readily available over there. Hugh.

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Guy's - well I got up the loft today and found the Bass I was thinking of  - 1/2 x 1/16" - there was a good amount to be able to select the grain so it looks as if Bass it will be. I tried some of the varnish on it too which gave a lovely pale yellow. Black card for the caulking has been ordered so the makings are near there. I/2" wide at 2" to the foot is 3" of course so that might be a little narrow in scale but offering it up it appears to 'look right' - hope so.

With Sue following me close behind trying to out do me on the Man-Flu stakes I managed to get going around Wednesday time and have managed to progress quite a bit....

The servo mount was made from ali and two blocks glued to the transom to hold it. A slight mod was required in that the outer screws would be difficult to get to so a clamp bracket was made (twice!) to hold the outer end with two screws the other. I made the first bracket from a small piece of unknown black 'plastic'. It had a distinct phenolic smell to it and machined well. However as soon as I tried to drill it it split in two as clean as you like, like a piece of slate. The second one was made from Tufnol.
The rudder linkage was also made - pics later - so the whole could be set up and tried before boxing in the aft compartment similar to the bulkhead. With that done the whole area was varnished before the boarding is applied.


Next up was to cut a card template for the fore deck and then cut that from 1/16" ply. I glued this on just before lunch with the TiteBond 3 glue I mentioned a while back .....




...... and had it trimmed off by three o'clock which is pretty good for a PVA glue bond compared to previous types. The boiler and engine were put in ready for the next bit 


With the foredeck done it was time to establish just how those side water tanks were going to fit whilst there was still some access down the sides. After a bit of cut and try an end shape was found that averaged the differing hull profiles and a card mock up made.


They will sit either side under the decking and locate onto that top riser as well as a secondary stringer which will need to be put in later


The tanks will be made from 20swg brass which I think I might have - haven't actually checked that yet  I'm not sure yet how they'll get folded as yet either as I think my little home made folder is only 6" wide - these are 8" long

That's as far as tonight guys, I must admit though with the boiler in situ I couldn't help clip those side decks on and have an early sneak preview 


Have a good weekend

Regards to you all  - Ramon

[fumopuc]

Hi Ramon, WOW. That will  become a really beauty.

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Achim - glad you like it 

Not too much to report but things are slowing down a little as the inside of the hull gets varnished. I'm using a traditional varnish and it's taking the best part of 36-48 hours to dry to the touch even in the warm workshop. It's lovely stuff to use though

The first coat of paint also went on this morning and whilst the varnish and that has been drying attention turned to making those water tanks.

I found some 20swg brass but decided that was a bit too heavy - 22 gauge would have been much better but had none. Hidden at the bottom of the drawer of all things sheet brass however was a large piece of 15 thou shim so that was pressed into service and proved to be ideal.

I was fortunate to be able to use a friends guillotine to cut the main parts out but despite careful marking out and positioning it did cut slightly out of square.
This very useful filing aid was pulled out from under the bench and used to file the end edge square to the sides. Made originally for filing the edges of sheet metal running boards the dust gives a good clue as to it's last use  ;)In use the sheet is clamped with the edge just protruding and is the filed down until the file skates across the steel bar. The main bar is 30 inches long of 4 x 1/2" BMS and the clamp bar is 2 x 1/4"


It turned out too that the little bender I made at around the same time would actually take 200mm max so it too could be used by reducing the length of the tank body slightly. Made for doing small plate work the clamp bar is held by those two 'waisted' cap heads. Obviously they were no longer going to be an option 


Though clamping the clamp bar became an issue with a bit of fudging with small clamps it managed the job okay




The entire tank body was bent in one piece with a 6mm overlap. Soldering proved very easy especially having this old buddy to turn to. Totally unused it was one of 'those' bargain bought for a quid at a club sale long ago and has proved it's worth on many occasions when some good solid heat is required


With the seams of both tanks soldered the ends were formed over MDF formers.....




...then soldered in place to give two tanks holding just under a litre of water each.


The intention is to make two lifting lid caps to push fit into the rings - we'll see how that pans out.

That's the current state of play - hope those home made items are of interest to someone - though not often used that long clamp is a godsend when you need it.

Regards - Ramon

[Don1966]

Awesome work Ramon and those tanks lot a treat. You know I haven't used and iron like that since High School when we had industrial Art classes. We made tool boxes and varies pieces from sheet metal.

Don