Skeg
Having seen the trouble others have found with the suggested method of production I decided to go straight for the robust version. I did a number of measurements to determine the size and shape of the arm and went for 2mm brass sheet. The tube was machined from 12mm dia brass with tapered ends to 8.5mm and an 8mm bore to suit the tube. Next I machined a 2mm slot the length of the tube to locate the brass arm in. Keeping the pieces spotlessly clean (not forgetting to clean the solder rod as well) the items were fluxed and wired together to keep then in a true vertical position whilst they are silvered soldered. A keen eye on temperature and a light touch and clean flow with the solder is recommended to keep final dressing to a minimum.

Prop shaft bearing
I purchased a standard propshaft with Phosphor bronze bearings again from a well-known supplier, however I had also fancied a Raboesch type with a bearing at the motor end however at £30 plus think again. So I researched the bearing type and found at £2.50 each it was worth a go at making my own so quick sketch and an order placed from Modelfixings.com. A simple piece of machining and the part was made. A simple enough job to remove the existing bearing and slide on the new housing and it made a significant difference to the “feel” of the shaft when rotated. I also made a simple collar to retain the shaft in the hosing.

Propshaft and oiler fitting
Now for the fitting of the propshaft, fortunately I have a long series drill that will go through the keel and through the bulkhead B4 into the motor compartment; this went well and came out in the expected place. Next a trial fit of the tube in the keel and into the skeg, again this lined up perfectly and all that needed to be done was to epoxy it into place. First I nearly forgot to fit the oiler system to the prop tube, careful drilling and deburring and making sure no swarf is left in the tube. Finally wrapping a piece of plumber’s PTFE gas tape around the tube to ensure a gas tight fit (oil tight) we are ready to commit the tube to final fixing. Epoxy mixed and applied I put a couple of small wedges in the skeg to stop it moving and a wedge under the oiler to make sure it was horizontal.

Before fitting the skins the chine and gunwhale stringers have to be trimmed to the profile of the bulkheads, this is a time consuming job but is essential to get correct to ensure a good fit of the skins. Also final trimming of the bow k1,2,3 needs to be done now that they are fitted and “a virtual line can be drawn” to show where the skin will eventually sit flush. Using a red pencil to show how close to each bulkhead you have trimmed is a good guide’

The boat has to be placed upside down so first thing to do is to modify the base board so the hull is firm to be able to do any final trimming. Before the skins are fitted the bow areas have to be sealed being careful not to seal the parts which are to be glued The instructions say that the lower skins are fitted first and as they are 6mm oversize this allows for trimming to achieve a good fit. After some time I got a fit I was happy with from the stern to the start of the bow curve so at this point I pinned the skin at the B2,3,4,5 leaving enough material to trim to the bow curve prior to bending . The bending was done simply by soaking in hot water for 5 - 7 mins and then forming around a suitable paint tin and left overnight to dry. Before fitting I decided to trim the skin at the front bow area where it has a butt joint with the side skins, easier than trying to cut it out after it had been glued. Point to note was that while the bending was being carried out, I also bent he side skins as well. Having pre drilled all the holes for the pins and ensured the fit is as good as I can get I can now epoxy the first skin on.

To enable ease of application of the side skins I decided to raise the building board up to 45 degrees, this allows a better view of the proposed joints
Before fitting the bottom skins the side skins have to be trimmed back to the stringers and deck line again using a red pencil to show how much material is being removed as I approach the stringers with the plane. Having done that little job it’s time to shape the skin. I followed the same procedure as I did with the side skins. Again after some time I got a fit I was happy with from the stern to the start of the bow curve. At this point I pinned the skin at the B2,3,4,5 leaving enough material to trim to the bow curve and also trim the cut-out where the skin joins with a butt joint as opposed to the overlap from bow to stern, this is all done prior to bending. Notice the steel shim protecting the chine from being cut as the bottom skin is trimmed for the overlap of the side skin. The bending was done simply by soaking in hot water for 5 - 7 mins and then forming around a suitable size paint tin and left overnight to dry. I first pinned the stern end dry and then epoxied the bow area then followed by more epoxy and progressive pinning towards the stern using brass pins into the bulkheads and smaller pins along the overlap which will be removed when the joint is dry. I made a tempory clamping arrangement at th bow by pinning some scrap ply to the top beck atea to enable clamps to be used, notice the use of a mirror to be able to make sure the joint had come together

I wanted to recreate the foam tanks as another blogger has (Rob) so I tried to order some grating from one of the model suppliers only to find he was no longer producing the size I wanted (3mm) and that he was unfortunately running his business down. So what to do, how about make my own. First decision was what material to use; I wanted a close grain, quite hard, stable wood and after some searching I came across an item in IKEA of all places - a bamboo chopping board. So the first issue is reduce the board to 6mm thickness, fortunately I have a milling machine which using a large dia cutter blade cutter and clamping direct to the table I first machined to 8mm to see how much the material had bent having relieved surface stress, to my amasement it was perfectly flat, so I continued to size the material to 6mm. The best method of producing the pieces is use a method which advances the cut each time by using the previous cut as a gauge. This has to very accurate, so first set the fence at 50mm and plunge the table saw through a piece of flat board (I used a spare wooden floor tile) this gives the slot for the blade (3mm) at this point secure the board to the table with panel pins. Next move the fence a further 3mm (be as accurate as possible) and lift the board from the table and again plunge through making another slot next to the first, this slot has to be filled with a 3mm strip that protrudes above the surface by 3mm (this is the guide) I used some 3mm Perspex. Next re-attach the board in the original position and secure the board again. Now raise the blade to 3mm and make the first cut, followed by a second and check the advance is 3mm if all is well continue across the board for as many cuts as you need.
TBC.

Now I have the cut blank material it needs to be cut into 3mm strips, this can be quite tricky as I found. As the fence was set to 3mm and the first cut was made the slice started to catch the back of the blade and knock some of the pieces off. So I needed to make sure that it was guided past the back of the blade. So as you can see I set another piece of Perspex behind the blade 3mm wide to hold the piece clear as the cut was finished.
Next a trial fit of the pieces and it works just fine. Now I need to cut pieces to the length of the foam tanks ready for assembly. I need to cut some mahogany edging and a blank panel to complete the whole assembly. I then made a small jig to hold all the pieces together as they are assembled then each joint was “set” with a tiny drop of cyno and left to fully cure. When fully set I could then sand the surface to complete the tank tops, they will be varnished at a later date.

I wanted to try and recreate the detail as per the available photos and drawings that I had so the first thing was to try and make the cabin have walls and a door, so previously I had cut away bulkhead B2 and extended CF2 to the bottom skin and put the door opening in. Now for the actual piece of cabin floor, the entry is slightly strange as there appears to be an inset step from the from the sick bay up into the cockpit but then it is relatively straight forward, it was made from 2mm ply. Planking was something I have never done so a lot of research was done prior to starting. I decided to use a lime wood plank with a black 0.3 black card divider (caulk) all glued with aliphatic adhesive. I found the process quite enjoyable and the results on the test piece for a first attempt were quite pleasing. I then wanted to reproduce the nailing of the planks so I devised a small tool to ensure a consistent pattern its simply a piece of obeche with four holes, 4 brass pins and a black divider line, this is simply placed on the join line and then tapped with a light hammer and filled with the tip of a black pen. The first attempt looks slightly misaligned but proved the system worked, I have made a more accurate one for the real floor. After the planks were set it was sanded flat which unfortunately leaves the wood grain blackened by the black card dust, however using a plastic eraser it’s easily removed ready for sealing. I thought that the door opening needed some sort of finishing/dressing so I decided to manufacture a mahogany door frame and handrail around the cabin.

The next piece is what I can only describe as the dash board (what’s the nautical term?) Bridge? Anyway it’s the bit with all the knobs and levers that make it go. I chose to stick with ply construction throughout the build so will be using 1mm 3 ply. I copied all the dimensions from a cross section detail of the cabin instruments and controls and then made card models first to ensure everything fitted. I made spaces for the speed control and compass and drawn up detailed drgs of the instruments which I hope to make from 0.5mm stainless steel with back lighting of the dials and general lighting from LEDs. The cabin area will finish at the door to the galley kitchen.