Steve D

Very nice clean finish (in model terms I mean) impressive work at that scale 👍 Steve

Props drawn and ordered 👍 Took me days the first time, but this time I was able to modify the sections I'd saved on the SGB props and so the process took hours only. There are three different props, obviously a LH and RH but also the centre prop which sits in a bowl mounting at the leading edge of the center rudder as shown in this very poor scan of an original builders drawing (by the looks of it) Word of warning, these are not drawn totally correctly. I don't have the grid points for that (or the skill to do it really, watch a video on drawing propellers and you'll see what I mean ). However, the blades look OK relative to the pictures I've got and the boss shape is correctly pointed which is the key point that will notice. Bored with a 2mm hole to take the turned down end of the 3/32nd prop shaft Cost for casting in bronze by printed lost wax method from Shapeways, shipped and delivered early December, €50 for the three, not bad for custom props imho. I could print them in resin myself for pence, but then they wouldn't be bronze would they? Hopefully the models pass manual their Quality check and can be printed without modification 🤞 Steve

Buckle up... Full gambit coming...

Like riding down a steep hill on a bike, great until you need to turn a corner... always, this is a little one, should not be too tough eh?

The other new aspect of this build is that I've sent the frame drawing to 4D to have them laser cut on 3.2 mm ply. This is why the drawing took so long. Normally I would draw them, print them out, stick them on the ply and cut them by hand. Any slight changed or mistakes, I re-do or sand, low quality level needed.. However, I want this build to be something others could do and so I'm doing my best to have aspects (such as the frames, the etchings and the printed components) repeatable, we'll see how well that goes later Here is my artwork for the laser service (A0 size), sent off this morning. The cost including materials and shipping is £95, should be here in a few days The green is for an outer cut, blue an inner cut, red is engraving. So, the frames will all be engraved so I don't get them confused. The hull has a box out where the main engine room sits as per the SGB build, allowing that piece to be separate until very late in the build. It also shows how this could easily be motorised The other two long frame lock the transverse frames in place. The drawing has to allow for a .2mm laser cut centred on the green hairline. This has been driving me slightly insane, if it works, it will be a miracle. The drawings provide for the tubes to be installed so the alignment is correct (🤞). It will make more sense when assembled. I'm not planking the hull, it's a little small so I'm using the method I used for the B and the WW1 ML, balsa block between the frame sanded back. This is super cheating, but works, more later on that. The hull looks simple at first, it's really not. here's a real one next job, 3D drawing of the propellers and off to have them cast in bronze while I await the frames Steve

As I've been promising, here is the start of another scratch build, this time the enemy, an S-boot also at 1:48th scale. The s-boot is actually almost the same length as the Fairmile B so the two will make an interesting companion pair when finished. There seem to be basically 5 broad types of s-boots The early war low forecastle boats (Airfix do a kit of this type), a few sub-types The early (really interim) high forecastle type S 30 (or type 26, I'm confused) with an upsweep to the forecastle at the sides of the bridge The mid war type 38 The later war type 38 with the armoured cupola (Kalotte) which evolved from an unarmoured cupola that was often retro-fitted to the type 38's The type 100 at the end of the war which is really the same as the type 38 armoured but with different armament and rear deck layout, build with the armoured cupola from the start Most models you see on line seem to be of the last type, but I rather like the type 38 before they stuck a hat on it so that's what I'm making. This was the main enemy boat in the middle years In my research, I've bought a few books (some I had already). To be honest most simply repeat the same stuff I've also bought every plan I can find Unsurprisingly, none are to 1:48th scale, however, these plans are... Thanks to CAD rescaling and an A1 print and post service. This is the early type 38 unarmoured and the one I will build, but forget the fancy paint job, seems that was mostly using in the Baltic, the channel boats were plain grey from what I've read. The Med boats had cool red and white stripes on the forecastle as did other Italian warships for aircraft recognition, but I think I'll stick with the channel flotillas as that is what the B and SGB would have encountered The various plans have 7, 9, 10 and lastly 20 sections for the lines. I've naturally gone with the 20 section lines per the scan below and re-drawn them This took a surprising amount of time (last 2-3 weeks between interruptions as the lines are really very subtle and lining these up with the other drawings had me redrawing them 3 times. The lines and the large drawing are 1:25 scale and came from Paul Stamm Modellbau in Saarbrucken in Germany. His package of information cost €62 but came with a disk full of drawings and pictures (finding a computer that had a disk drive was interesting...) and the line drawing above is from his drawing scanned and re-scaled. None of the drawings show sections which is a shame, this drawing is a Russian drawing of an early low forecastle type which is not particularly helpful However, in Paul's pack was this blue print which is actually really useful, if a little small So, that's where we begin, lets see how this turns out Steve

This thread all happened before I became a member, so I just spotted it thanks to David's mention. I stand in awe of your work, shows me how much I still have to strive towards. 5 1/2 years doesn't seem a lot for this result....

A great tribute and a a lot of technique on show here Kev. Are you ready to get back to the Flower yet? I was loving that build Steve

Amazing weathering technique Kev, great stuff, the end less colours that rust can deliver beautifully represented here

Thanks Rob, case from Peter Jones at DSC Showcases in Newbury. Great guy, has made all my cases, I can thoroughly recommend him 👍 And to you and the others who may have learned something from my mistakes, that's what this is all about. Encouraging scratch building to (hopefully) a high standard finish makes so many more subjects and scales available for modelling than the kit providers offer Steve

Second picture of the Fairmile B comparison, seems I tried to exceed the number of allowed attachments... Steve

S309, Grey Fox was one of the 7 steam gunboats built to the Denny & Sons design. They were intended to counter the S-boot threat in the channel and were the smallest RN vessels equipped with steam turbines. They were 135 ft on the waterline, 23 ft 4 inches in breadth and had a draft of 3 ft 9 inches forward. Displacing 135 tons (initially) they could make 36 knots. Grey Fox was built by Yarrow and launched in September 1941, she survived the war and was sold in 1947 They bristled with guns, of various calibres', really being armed from whatever guns were available at the time. The main armament was a HA 3inch gun of WW1 vintage, originally intended as a land-based anti-aircraft gun. The gun shield sshows was only fitted to this gun when mounted in SGB's. Grey Fox saw action in the channle and was there at D day. The following action report is taken from a thread about Grey Fox on the BMPT forum July 10th 1942. In a furious night encounter, off Etaples, Grey Fox and Grey Wolf engaged 6 German minesweepers. They sank 2 but a 3rd collided with Grey Fox with such force that everyone on her bridge was thrown on their faces and a huge hole was driven in her hull. Grey Fox struggled home, with her bows almost awash. And is backed up by this first hand account of the incident So far as I remember the almost simultaneous result was a sharp heel to starboard as the ship turned, and a burst of gunfire from our own gunners. This was followed by what my mind registered as an explosion on the port side forward. I was thrown violently out of my seat and against the ship's side. As I picked myself up the ship slowly righted itself and I have an indelible picture on my mind of seeing sea water pouring through the open watertight door in the bulkhead between the galley flat and the wardroom passage through which spare ammunition had been passed. At that precise moment there was no one forward of that bulkhead and by good fortune, or perhaps design, the watertight door closed from forward and as I pulled it together the inrush and water pressure behind it helped to shut it making it easy to knock the clips on. We were well down by the bows and I think fear of sinking was uppermost, but our forward gunner was still firing. Some minutes later the First Lieutenant came down and between us we completed shoring up the bulkhead with timbers kept at the far end of the galley flat for that purpose. I then learned from Lieutenant Erskine-Hill that what I had thought was an explosion was the sound of the German R-Boat as it rammed itself through the ship's side into the wardroom and forward messdeck. It shortly afterwards fell away and sank, leaving a large gash in our bows ... The next couple of hours or so were considerably nerve-wracking, sitting on watch with the ship very much down by the bow and wondering, apprehensively, whether the bulkhead against which I sat would hold. The level of water on the other side could clearly be seen by the condensation line which was somewhere near shoulder high, with the deck of the wireless office awash ... We were apparently wavering sluggishly all over the place but heading slowly in the correct general direction and managed to get within sight of Newhaven under our own steam. However, we could not be trusted to keep a straight course to enter harbour unaided and "Grey Wolf" took us in tied alongside. I do not remember ever being so relieved to get off watch! Daylight revealed what a remarkable escape we had had. Lieutenant Erskine-Hill solved the problem of inspecting the damage by the simple expedient of rowing the dinghy through the hole in the ship's side! Following the conclusion of the build tread Grey Fox build, here is the finished vessel in its display case and some detail shots And for a size comparison, here it is next to the Fairmile B I built last year to the same scale Fairmile B build, waterline the same Thanks again to those who followed and provided help and kind comments, Schnellboot thread starting tomorrow Steve

Amazing detail Rob, it's going to be a significant model (that's a very good thing in my world) when complete

Quick post-script, here is is sitting in its correct surroundings

Well I'll close this daft thread now with a couple of shots of the completed model as far as I will go with it. The rigging is not great, I had no white EZ line and making cotton tight is another skill I don't have... Still, considering where its going, I think it will look OK. These small scales are not for me, that much is certain At least it was made from stuff I had hanging around Back to real modelling now, the Schnellboot thread is coming soon 👍 Steve

Thanks but its still driving me mad, its a one-off methinks. Scales have to be learnt, I doubt I'll be learning this one....

Quick update on this daft project that is slightly driving me mad. It's all so small, how do you guys work at these scales??? Still the walnut case worked out OK, cos that's 1/12th scale In the picture you can also see the rigging points for the two masts, made from a scrap of 0.35mm thick brass, the bow line loop is also in place but not shown here. The deck planking was printed, sort of OK, the grey areas are for the deck fittings (skylights etc). I had 4 attempts at the wheelhouse, all in the bin In the end I've opted for a solid walnut wheel house, at least the shape is right even though the windows are not marked Here it is waiting for the two boats and their davits (boats seen in primer to the right) The davits will be 0.5 mm brass wire in 0.9mm brass tube supports, super fun.... Then on to the rigging Steve

Annoyingly this is slightly out of focus, but you can get the general idea. Hull mounted on turned brass supports and the masts and yards made of various sizes of brass wire. They look a little heavy here, but they are pretty much to scale, I think the white paint makes them look larger somehow. Anyway, this is primer, they will be painted a golden wood colour in the end. I've spent most of the time on drawing the deck house and deck planking, hope to fit those tomorrow, its a sweet little model. The deck house is a block of lime wood, with the detail drawn in colour and stuck on, anything else is way beyond me. Still my experiments with varnish on a copy of the printed deck looks pretty good. Steve

Just a thought...

Perhaps a little too much s**t, can you clean it up a bit by any chance? Still looking great Kev, I think you've found your vocation, ship wrecks Steve

Hi Tomas As a scratch-builder myself, that's some very impressive work, in particular at 1/72nd, it's going to be a special model when complete 👍 Steve

Quick update, the hull is complete and painted apart from varnish, I've yet to add the rudder or make the prop (going to be interesting....) but I'm quite pleased with this bit. I've spent a few hours today on the timber wheelhouse, (how do you guys work at these scales? it's ridiculous... ) Not ready to show yet, still needs major fettling I thought and then just decided to print the deck planking... Question, what's 174,143,96, answer, the RGB code for teak👍 Steve

I believe it is a straight reprint Dave. There is a lot of stuff about visiting Germany and being wined and dined by Nazi's that I don't think would have made it to a post-war update Just found a picture of Valdora as she is now, operating as a charter boat in the Mediterranean The model will of course look just like this Steve

I'm working on the drawings for the schnellboot model, but I can't just do drawings, too boring. After my post-build clean-up of the workshop, it was just begging to get dirty again so I'm fitting in a little project I've been meaning to get to for some time, a ship model to go in my eldest daughter's dolls house! At nearly 40 with a daughter of her own, last year she rediscovered the dolls house I made over 30 years ago in our loft (of course...) and is really into it, helped by her 5 year old. Naturally, she asked me if I could make a model ship in a case for the drawing room (it's a large Georgian house), I think I may have agreed as she's been nagging me ever since. Now I don't do small scale models, 1/48th is as small as I go, but as that's 1/4 scale in the dolls house, its not practical for a model .. So, between other things, I've been considered what I could possible make that is simple enough for me to finish to a reasonable standard and the other day I found it, the motor yacht Valdora. I have a copy of Racing, Cruising and design by Uffa Fox first published in 1937 (my copy is the 1985 reprint) . Its a large size book wiht 340 pages of drawings and a wonderful source for these types of vessel. The plans for the Saunders Roe seaplane tender I built (Seaplane tender) also came from this book. Valdora was a sailing cruiser built by Dickie & Son (no date given). She was 70 ft long and displaced 35 tons. The model scale is 1/228 which is 1/19th at the dolls house scale. That gets me a model about 3 1/5 inches long and 4 inches high to the top of the mast. Here is the scan of the two pages of drawings I'm basing my drawings on. It would actually make a very nice 1/24th scale pond yacht, just under 3 feet long. And here is the third page with a couple of pictures and the sail plan My challenge is to make this from scratch with stuff lying around the workshop, I'm determined not to by anything or print anything (that last intention may not last). The weird scale came from the fact that the cheek lines are exactly 2 mm apart at that scale and I have an old sheet of 2 mm line wood that is warped with age and useless until now The keel is 1 mm ply and the deck 0.5 mm ply, here is what I started with To stop the cheek lines sliding around when glues, they are mounted on two 1.2 mm brass rods, here they are cut out And here mounted ready for gluing. The outer edge pieces cover the end of the brass pins And here is the hull after the first sanding with a coat of sanding sealer And lastly, mounted ready for the first coat of primer on pins in the mast locations This is supposed to be a quick build, so it will be a short thread (he said with hopeless optimism...). Can't wait to see it in is little case Steve

It's looking exceptional, with the exception of the sea, those blue waves are altogether too chunky and string-like