Steve D Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 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 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted October 24, 2020 Share Posted October 24, 2020 This is going to be interesting, looking forward to seeing how it develops. Good luck with the quick build 😉 Avoid the numpties and stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgizlu Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 Lovely looking boat and impressive model hull Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 Valdora - Sailing Cruiser - For a dolls house Idly opened this thread to find out what mental aberration had befallen the poster, inducing him to swap a model sailing cruiser for a dolls house! 19 hours ago, Steve D said: I have a copy of Racing, Cruising and design by Uffa Fox first published in 1937 (my copy is the 1985 reprint) Is this updated with his later designs, or just a straight reprint? He designed some beautiful boats, I've got one in the garage (1953 Fairey Marine Firefly F1984) 19 hours ago, Steve D said: And here is the hull after the first sanding with a coat of sanding sealer Excellent start Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 17 minutes ago, Dave Swindell said: Is this updated with his later designs, or just a straight reprint? 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 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 What a great and unique project. A beautiful subject too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 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 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 Hull looking very good... 1 hour ago, Steve D said: Question, what's 174,143,96, answer, the RGB code for teak Don't forget that at this scale colours need to be lighter HTH Avoid the numpties and stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 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 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 Looking good to me... Do you want me to send over some guano Stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 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 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Nice one mate Avoid the numpties and stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 WOW teeny tiny little boat cracking job Steve 👍 Stay Safe beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 3 hours ago, beefy66 said: cracking job Steve 3 hours ago, longshanks said: Nice one mate 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.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 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 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Great representation Steve Stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted November 5, 2020 Author Share Posted November 5, 2020 Quick post-script, here is is sitting in its correct surroundings 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Gidday Steve, I think it's a neat build. Regards, Jeff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Definitely looking bigger in the correct setting nice one . 👍 Stay Safe beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted November 5, 2020 Share Posted November 5, 2020 Beautiful, skillful build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 On 11/5/2020 at 8:49 AM, Steve D said: Quick post-script, here is is sitting in its correct surroundings Spookily realistic! Very clever workmanship throughout. Well done Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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