Welcome to my new Blog



Welcome to my Blog.
My Blog is mostly about my hobbies, ie Model boats, Cross Stitch, Gardening, Days out and about, Lego Technics and Photography you might recognize the hat rather than me. My models and other hobbies can be found in the Tabs at the top below the header picture.
There will also be entries of days out with my camera, weather permitting of course.

Saturday 30 June 2012

More OL2 and other things


During the week I've fixed the rudder servo mount and servo in 

General view, showing the supports round the hull for the lower deck.

Linkage fitted.

Whilst I was still a novice boat builder I attended a Club talk and one of the members was talking about all the different linkage systems on the market, he then said he couldn't understand anyone using a bent bit of wire, my first kit was a Robbe yacht which stated "Bend a bit of wire to make the linkages"!, and that's what you do if you don't know any better isn't it.

As I've progressed in the modelling scene I now use the linkages that you see here, a bit dearer than a bit of bent wire but look better doesn't it.

I've also been looking at the net rollers as shown on the Model Slipway "detailed" section and seen the idea there for a better look on the net deck area, so first it was the net rollers.
This is the basic ends for the net drum supports, look a bit bare don't they?


 After a few bits added, including the rim round the middle circle.

Getting circles fixed on, and then will spray the drums with the ends off and then spray the ends separately, watch this space.

And other things
In the week with the weather not being too good Pepe and I have been going over to Debdale park which is nearer to home and we can walk there thus saving on petrol which though getting a bit cheaper at the moment is still dear!.
Whilst in Debdale I took these pictures,






The rain doesn't seem to have battered these blooms too much.
..............................................................................................
General Custer's last word's 
"I can't made these Indians out, a minute ago they were singing and dancing!

The last thing to go though a gnat's mind as it slams into a sports car going 100mph is its BUM!.

Boom Boom

That's all folks.
........................................................................................................

Monday 25 June 2012

International Lifeboat Rally weekend at Etherow.

Weekend at Etherow consisted of getting there early and helping out where ever.
Pepe and I had a great time,Videoing, chatting to members and public, got talking again to two people with membership thoughts I'd met last week and were still interested, In fact one of them bought a boat on day 2!, Bob made a good use of his camper van again with brew's and later his dinner and tea, lives high on the hog does he!.

What more can I say other that go to the Club website at

Pepe and I.

Chas and Dave, Ooops that should be Bob (TV) Abell and Dave Wooley from Model Boat magazine.

What a rogues galley this is.
...........................................................................................
News flash! A helicopter crashed into a cemetery of an Irish village this afternoon, At the last count 749 bodies had been recovered.

The easiest way to meet your new neighbours is to play the stereo full blast at 2 am.

The track official approached the new athlete ,"are you a pole vaulter?" "Yes" he replied "I am from Gdansk", but how did you know my name was Valter?".

Boom Boom.
That's all folk's

Saturday 23 June 2012

Day one of our club's Big Weekend

To-day was the first day of our club's big weekend!
Day One and we were putting up the tables and gazebo's in the rain, it did ease off a bit during the day, but like everyone else I was putting my boats in and out of the car like a fiddlers elbow.
My camera got into the action again has I saw this beautiful boat with scuba divers on and the sound system from Action electronic's, brilliant!


Friday saw me in the workshop again where I fitted the running gear for the OL2.
Everything went well even though I was a bit worried by a comment from one of the Model Boat forum members warning me that some measurements were not right, But Son John who is a technical draughtsperson checked over the plans for me and said they were right, and as it turned out everything went together just fine.

With plans

Everything in line and primer/fillered

While I had the primer out I rubbed down the filler on the bilge keels and gave them a squirt too.
So now it's time to fit in the rudder servo and get that working before I fix in the lower deck where the net drums go.
And here for the Aaah factor is Pepe, who has claimed my new car wash glove as his new toy and throws it about everywhere.

Knackered, so covered up and using his new toy as modesty blanket, well this is a Family Friendly site after all!
..................................................................................................
Woman goes into a pet shop.
"I'd like a parrot for my husband"
Shopkeep say's "Sorry we don't do swap's"

He refused to buy her a pair of Budgies . He said one could cheep as lively as two.

Outside the petshop in the pouring rain was a Galah in a raincoat,
"He's a poly unsaturated" explained the Shopkeeper!.
......................................................................................
That's all folks.

Friday 22 June 2012

Wednesday, more of the OL2

I've done a bit more on the build, though not blogged about it for a few days, been helping John refitting a bathroom, taking out a cast iron bath is no joke, even smashing it up in situ was a big job and then getting the small bits down the stairs.
Old cottage so as you can see not many straight walls!.

The scrap price paid for a few ice creams on the way home to cool down after being trapped in a small  room all day.
On to the build,
Fitted the Bilge keels finally after putting it off, don't know why, perhaps because I'd not done them before, but they turned out quite easy to do after all,.
Here they are with any gaps fillered in.

Then it was on to the lower deck supports which were a bit fiddly as I didn't have clamps long enough, so I had to do the side and back ones separably and weigh them down with batteries.
This is the back one with the hull stood on its end, just above the centre battery you can see the post for the kort nozzle fixing with a plastic tube and below that a hole for the rudder stem which needs widening yet.

And here is the lower deck placed in, but not fixed as the running gear and rudder assembly have to be fixed yet, don't want to do that though that hatch even though it looks quite big, might as well do it the easier way and fit everything in the bottom first.
Next jobs, smooth out the inner walls that show and then fix in the running gear. 
All to-morrow not touched yet!.
...................................................................................................
Talking about JOBS
My father worked as a blacksmith in a bakery, he shoo'd flies.

Boss, "you should have been here at nine o'clock"
"Why what happened"

I once worked at a factory that made fire hydrants,but there was nowhere to park.

"Are you looking for work, my man?"
"No, but I wouldn't mind a job.
.....................................................................................................
That's all folks!.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Wet weekend activities.

What a downpour yesterday evening, I started the weekend off by doing some ironing and then off to the  Post Office collecting station to pick up my M & S vouchers for joining Sky TV (£75 can't be bad) and then on the way back was drawn to Gorton market for a bit of brunch and some shopping at Tesco's, getting my points up you see, I'm getting a right Scrooge these days with my shopping, looking for all the bargains.
Got a car washing glove from Tesco and some dentustiks for Pepe at £1 instead of around £1.69!
When I got home Pepe went straight to the bag and dragged out the wash glove and he's been rolling round the floor with it ever since, still it was cheaper than a doggie toy, funny though I'd bought one similar in a different colour for dusting round and he wasn't interested in that one, perhaps its the colour.


On to the latest with OL2, due to the weather again got stuck into one of the job's I'd been putting off, the fitting of the bilge keels!, it was stated in the instructions to fix them in at 45 degree's, first off, 45 degrees to what, then looked at the full scale plans and realised it was 45 degree's from the centre of the boat, so came up with this gauge.
bit Heath Robinson but it worked so that was al-right.

Hull cut with small cutter in Dremel and keels set in, marked off depth on the inside for pins to be tight fit.

Pinned in and epoxied on the inside

I'd seen an article on the Model slipway web about detailing the OL2 and the chap had put a brass strip along the edge of the keels, nice idea but I thought they were still a bit vulnerable to being knocked off.
Son John said why don't you do the same as you did on the Wyeforce bulwarks?, a tubular strip instead of a flat strip, here it is, the result was a much stronger strip and rock solid!. 
A bit of a job cutting down the length of the tube to fit over the keels but as L'oriel say's "it's worth it" I think so don't you?.

Just needs to have some filler added on the outside to fill any small gaps and cleaned up round the front and rear edges. Worked out quite well if a say so myself, thanks for the idea John.
Will put some filler in this morning and then when I get home from Sunday Dinner at John's it will be ready for rubbing down.
...................................................................................
The joke for to-day is a visual one, as Bob and I keep banging on about our I-Pads I thought this might amuse some of you that are not up to date with the latest technology.



That's all for to-day Folk's
...................................................................................................................

Friday 15 June 2012

Bow Thruster in

Not much done on the OL2 yesterday as  Pepe and I went to see George Barrett and take him some transfers for his Narra Boat, also to see how he was after being knocked off his motorbike and having his leg broken.
He is getting better by the day, but very impatient as he is so active normally,running,biking and generally working out, but as I told him you can't hurry these things!
Pepe enjoyed the visit as well as he was playing with their cat's toys, having a great time rolling round the carpet with them.
Then it was off to the lake to see who was there to chat to, got another couple to take a membership form and sign up for the club, so it was worth the trip, plus the chip buttie for lunch.
On the modelling scene the day before (Wednesday) I stayed in and got on with fixing the Bow thruster in.
Used P38 filler for this, on Sunday John had said do you have enough filled for that, I said "I think so",
then he came out of the garage with a 2 and a half litre tin and said "here's some use that, and give me back what you don't use 

I suppose when your a tradesman you have to deal with bigger quantities!, but the whole club could use it and still have some left!
I used my own can with its half inch in the bottom and still have some left,but thanks anyway John.
Touch on the outside to make sure its filled the gaps well.
Then when it was set which as you know doesn't take long, (its always a bit of hit and miss how much hardener to use isn't it!) it was cut off the ends outside and smooth off the excess filler and there you have it.
Looks like a storm trooper doesn't it, or is that my over-active imagination 
Finished job, checked the thruster worked before I set it in of course.

With the filler that was left from this job put a fillet of it under the deck supports to add a bit of strength, rubbed smooth afterwards.
There was still a bit left so I gave the rear net deck area a touch as well and rubbed that down, this area will show  though the hatches in the back and I hope to add some detailing in that area later. Will do a bit more with Humbrol filler later.

Whilst all this was hardening off, I made up the Rudder servo, after the trip to buy the servo at Frodsham  on Monday., thinks of everything does Laurie at Model Slipway.
Then in the evening it was off to the club night to met with TV Bob to display his Great Eastern to the members and give them a up close and personal view of this great project that's been in Magazines, on TV and we took it to the Ellesmere Model Boat Show this year!

We will be manning a stand with it at the International Lifeboat day on 23/24 June 2012, and if we can get near the water will be giving it a dip!
I'm not trying to steal his fame, but its a bit too much to carry about for one!
...........................................................................................................
Sign on an Irish pub door
Gone to lunch, back in an hour, already been gone 15 minutes

In a Scottish pub
Happy hour 5-45 to 6-00pm

That's all folks.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

The right model?


Got this e-mail from Bob Abell the other day and thought it was quite funny, but true.
.........................................................................

Are we sure that you are building the right boat?

It's not too late to get an Noah's Ark built!

What a crazy summer we're having this year?

Our Campervan is crying out there!

Don't need to go to Etherow shortly, we'll all have a pond in the back garden!

Bob


Sent from my iPad

........................................................................................




Perhaps we should all be clubbing together and constructing Arks, they laughed at Noah at the time didn't they.

 THEY seem to have named this Global warming wrong for this part of the world it would be better named "Global cold and wet" not much warmth here at the moment.

Well at least it gives us an excuse to stay in and do some more modelling doesn't it


On Monday I decided to go to Steve Webb's at Frodsham, I needed a servo for the new project, always like going there as they treat you as customers and not like idiots if you describe what you are looking for, as always the bill run's up is it does! but got most of my shopping list, and Pepe got a pressie too.



Tired out after his day out at Frodsham.

On the way back called at a garden centre for some plants to keep the garden at home to the standard that Velda always had it. Saw this bridge just after the sign "Welcome to Frodsham"
Frodsham isn't like that really, very quaint and if your partner say's he's going there tell him you want to go on Thursday's as it's market day all down the side of the High Street.
And most unusual its free parking on the High Street

John is waiting for the next batch of "Maggie M's" to be ready as he's ordered one and that bridge reminded me of this version of it I'd seen on the web, will his be like this though, watch this space or better still his blog., will let you know when he start's his build.
.
Brave or what??


On my model I've wired up the bow thruster 

Support in over rear hatch's

                                     
From the outside


Side ladders made 

First deck supports in
Round the tricky bow area.
Second layer of deck supports in, will need some sanding here.

Lower deck with cut out section to get to rudder controls


 Lower deck and hatch.

view from underneath, and support in the bottom of picture for rear bulkhead to fix to.
Well that's it for to-day, see the video of my latest visit to the lake.



...............................................................................................
Sam joined Joggers Anonymous. whenever he feels like a run they send someone round with a dozen cans of beer to talk him out of it.

After he was told jogging would add years to his life, he staggered in one day and his wife said "how do you feel now". They're right he said "I feel ten years older!"
.................................................................................................
That's all folk's