clyde puffer

hi,
this is the build of my fourth puffer. the reason for 4 is a new grand daughter. as the others are all named after them, I was told I had to build her one .it is a grate little boat measuring 22inches by 5 1/2inches, it is fairly basic but looks good when built. the plan is from radio control boat modeler nov-dec 1985. as you will see from photos it is built using 1/2 ply then plank on frame, our you can just use 1/16" ply but I enjoy doing plank on frame. here is the plan and I will up date as I go along.

david

I'm looking forward you your updates David, they look to be strongly built boats and it looks like you have the hang of building them.  

Love the puffers, one day maybe ....

Looking forward to you making a start.

RR

this is the start of the main frame, cut out of scrap pieces of 1/2 plywood, I don't spend anything on timber as I collect any of cuts that are going spare.

That looks pretty solid David

Barrie

hi barrie ,

they need to be with a 5year old, and speed fanatic 11year old ,  and now georgia 16 years old, she has had hers for 6 years now  and it still looks good, the first 3 I made have had a real bashing against the concrete edgeing on the lake. as I said they are ideal for kids to play with and no doubt no 4 will

I have been planking the puffer this week. the planks I cut from a piece off old pallet, cut into 6mm x 2mm strips and glued with p.v.a.





frame work at top is where the deck will be



had to put 2 pieces at front of bows to get the curve right. as I said you can use ply if you want, I did one of the others in ply I will find photo and show you.

david

I love the recycling David, a man after my own heart

I have now completed the planking of the sides and also the deck was planked. the stern end was made from some 2mm card board slightly moistend  to help follow the shape.







then I gave it a coat of p.v.a. all over to help seal it. I used some fine body filler to fill any gaps on planking, and the stern also got 2 thin coats  put on roughly, then when hard I rubbed it down. you can see the tin of filler I used in one of the previous photos

hi, not a lot done this week but have finished the stern end with body filler then made decks and fitted servo. I have put two options of the way I build these boats one plank on frame the other I used some 2mm ply I had.




this one has balsa strip for strength




 



servo fitted




body filler all rubbed down and hole made for prop shaft.



this one I built i used some 2mm ply from scrap box and some left over short planks.




this is the deck all cut out ready to be fixed but i need to sort out prop shaft, and motor. that's it for a week now as I am away visiting the ss great Britain in Bristol.


david

Coming along nicely David - its interesting to see the two different methods for building. Both methods should be grandchild proof  
I have added a puffer onto my wish list - I did build the Caldercraft Northlight but sold it. I tried to buy Deans vac formed model on ebay but didn't see any reason to pay more than Deans were selling a new kit for . I may have to pay him a visit someday soon - its not far from here.

Barrie

I have now started on the bridge cabin cut out the templates then transfered to white cardboard, I build a lot of my boats using this 2mm card.




this is the card I use ready for cutting out bridge







this is the bridge all put together







these are the window frames cut out off empty cornflake box. I find this really good for model making much better than balsa wood. and there is no cost as I have said these boats are built from any old scrap wood and card board plus the funnel was made from 15mm plastic water pipe.


that's it for today more to follow soon.

david

Its interesting to try new materials. This is coming along nicely David.

Barrie

  A stocky little boat I like it a lot David. 

As Barrie says, it's interesting using card, I would never have thought of that.   Good progress David

since my last post I have been soldering suppressers to the motor, I am using. they are soldered to the lead terminals for the battery power, any body that hasn't done this it is fairly simple if you have a soldering iron. first rub the metal caseing where you want to put the suppressers, then a bit of flux and heat up the caseing with iron then apply solder, it will flow when you reach temperature, then remove the  iron and let the solder cool down (I blow on it to make it go of faster but that is optional). then it is the same to the motor terminals and that's it. the speed controller I am using is one from china they work well with this motor.


this first photo shows the suppressers soldered to caseing






this one is all connected to the live and neutural.






this photo is off the motor and the speed controller I will use 385 is the max it will operate.



I was going to use one of these old bobs boards, the first one I made years ago, but bought the original bobs board one. but after a lot off thought I went for the simple  cheap one from china, but thought any young ones reading this  they can see what we had years ago 




 that's it for today hope you like the old and new technology.

david

Hi David

I use those Speed Controllers. I wouldn't try to put the 10 amps they claim through them, but for small motors in small models they are ideal. I am just waiting for another to arrive for my current build.
I'm afraid I've become a little lazy about fitting suppressors as 2.4 Ghz isn't really affected by motor interference, but I guess I should consider those still using 27 and 40 Mhz.

Barrie

so far i have been doing bits and pieces. this is the hatch cover again made from card






next job has been the bulwark this is 2mm ply put in boiling water for 2 min then gently teasd it around then put supports round I used super glue for this. servo is now fitted and working



that's it for today

david

What a very interesting and excellent build david.......unusual but shows great technique..........and enjoying it very much. neil.

+


this picture fixing the bulwark should have been on yesterdays post but lost it some where. today I have made the rudder from plasticard and 1.5 mm copper wire.
this you will all no is from a 13amp plug they make excellent rudder arms



this shows it connected to servo.
this is the rudder made from plasticard then 1.5mm copper wire is pushed through holes and connected to brass strip to make a support at bottom




rudder now on bottom support





the rudder and prop shaft that I have forgot to show, is a 30mm x 2mm plastic prop and the prop shaft was made of brass outer and stainless inner  6 inches long. i bought from ellesmere show  in march this year.

the prop shaft I have used is this one in photo.

the motor is now installed and connected I find this method much simpler and less vibration


also made some of these out of card from cornflake box. light boxes and water tank









next job is the painting

this is the first coat of red oxide paint



started the painting today





these are parts painted in gloss ready for fixing in place




this is the cargo hold cover, this side is coal from model trains 00 gauge,i used p.v.a glue diluted then left to dry. the other side is all fastend down with tarpolin and batons ready for sailing.




this is where I am upto today coat of matt black on upper bulwarks, deck is a cream colour I mixed.



this is the other side of cargo hold



these are some of the paints I use .

david

hi all, 
well I have been painting mostly this week in the freezing cold not good . I have made the goose neck for the hoisting lift and mast using some copper and brass rod and some 1/4inch dowel that was in stock.

Looking good David. 

have finally finished all the painting a and put all the fittings on and her name.











well that's it for now I will take it for test sail when I next go sailing. that is my legacy to my grand children all sorted, when I am in the next world. I hope they will have some happy days with them and with there children.

david

barriew wrote:

Coming along nicely David - its interesting to see the two different methods for building. Both methods should be grandchild proof  
I have added a puffer onto my wish list - I did build the Caldercraft Northlight but sold it. I tried to buy Deans vac formed model on ebay but didn't see any reason to pay more than Deans were selling a new kit for . I may have to pay him a visit someday soon - its not far from here.

Barrie

Barrie
It was the 1/72 scale Deans Puffer kit which Craig (ACTion) Talbot gave me to build which prompted me to design my own. To say it was somewhat lacking in the quality department would be an understatement. My design ended up as the Model Slipway kit. It's a shame that Lawrie and Jackie sold their big vac-forming machine when they left the factory, or this little kit might still have been available. I still have a full set of kit drawings and the plan - all in .DWG format - in case anyone out there is interested in building one.
Dave M

Nice addition to a wonderful line up David, cracking boats

hi, 
I have been doing a costing for this model . all the materials such as wood, card, ect cost me zero, as I had this in my scrap box. the plan was free, only cost to me was the speed controller, motor, couplings, prop & shaft total cost £15.00. the receiver I have is 27 meg, I have got some that I started of with  many years ago then went to 40meg. got the crystals and transmitter so to me no cost. it has given me endless enjoyment building and that time is free to me. so any body wanting to build something it can work out very cheap. ask around and a lot of people now on 2.4 will sell you there old receivers, if you ask nicely. our you can pick them up on ebay cheap with transmitters. so who said its expensive to build models, you don't have to have all the latest gear to sail as long as its legal try it out. I no my grand daughter is happy

david.