Next project

Though I've said in an earlier blog I won't be starting the next project until I've finished the present one I thought I would make the stand so the hull would be abell to sit on it and not get twisted sat in the box. 

So it was round to Pal Bob's who kindly and nicely cut out the pieces for me with his Band Saw.

Parts and patterns

Then it was home and after a good rub down put it all to-gether

Rubbed down and assembled 

Because as Bob said "Its rubbish Chinese ply", I then covered the raw ends with veneer, now its just a case of paint or varnish??, I like the varnish better really!.

So in case you hadn't guessed the new project will be the Model Slipway "Our Lass 11" 

Had a quick read of the destructions and plans and read the review in Model Boats magazine in 2010 but that's as far as I'm going at the moment, other that painting or varnishing the stand. 

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To-day after the shopping at Gorton Market, I took Pepe to Debdale park and as it was nice and sunny, when I got back decided it was time I put the new gate on! the side post's had been put in last week and the thought of Pepe getting out was a worry. So it was out with the new Impact driver and started to put on the new gate and would you believe it, it started to hailstone, so then it was a case of running in and out between the showers to finish the job.

Nice in'it 

Need the beware sign on the gate as someone might fall over Pepe.

So all in all a good day, not much of a rest I promised myself after a few days helping John, but if you are enjoying it, that's a rest it it's self isn't it and its forecast rain to-morrow so I can rest then can't I.

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Two drunks were about to board a train when they saw a sign "Dogs must be carried"

"Hold it" said one, "where are we going to get a dog at this time of night?"

The Mexican fireman was the proud father of twin boys.

He called one Jose and the other Hose B.

Boom Boom! 

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That's all folks 

Signage

After my trip to Ashton I tried out my lettering skills, as I'm trying to achieve a boat name with the shadow effect, so it was a name in black lettering first and then the coloured lettering over that offset,

Not too bad, but this was done freehand and not quite straight as I was only trying it out!.

I usually use Phil Parker's excellence system of naming his boats on my boats, he published his idea in Model boats magazine a few years ago.

Check it out by clicking here

I want to be a bit more ambitious and have it on a curve, Don't think Phil's idea will be as good for that, so there again I might be having it straight after a few  try's!.

The next thing,  whilst at Ellesmere at the weekend saw the chap from Wales who sells the nice bumpers for Narra Boats and bought a couple of them and some chains from SHG stand (and a Motor Mount for the next project) so then it was how to attach the bumpers to the boat,here is my idea.

Nice bumpers and just the right colour hey

I then set about making some shackles from sewing Hooks and Eyes, just turn the eyelets 90% on each end and there you go shackles that just need a pin though to  attach the chain to the boat.

Then it was to Debdale Park with Pepe, tried him off his lead again, which he quite enjoys though have to make sure there are no other dogs about, that he might attack! Joke!

Keep up then old man he seems to be saying.

I have got the Colwyn Bay Model Boat Club diary if anyone wants any dates from that, It would nice to visit whilst on holiday in Wales and have a sail there wouldn't it.

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There's not much difference between a toilet seat and an anniversary .Men usually miss them both!.

That's all folk's

Day in Ashton-u-Lyne

Early in the week I decided to go to Ashton to a shop on Stamford street that does bitz and bobz for people who do their own Christmas and Birthday cards, I picked put some vinyl  lettering at 50p per sheet or £1 for 3 sheets, at that price you can't go wrong can you, anyway what I don't use my lovely younger granddaughter will be glad of, as she is one of the a-fore mentioned people.

The car was looking a bit sad so it was off to the car wash then.

Showroom fit now

just showing off the zoom.

One thing I never realised is that there is an Arcade on Stamford Street not that its doing much with the precinct and the market round the corner!

cafe in there, but didn't sample their bacon butties

How did this escape the health and safety nuts, its in one of the side pedestrian walks from Stamford Street to the Market Place, a blind person could fall over that, unless there is a Braille plaque above it hey, could be that daft couldn't they, put on a slant of course so the blind person could read it on the way down!!, Mine and John's sense of humour is the same!.

Pepe and I then had a visit to Debdale and the spring flowers are a bit confused as they are all thinking its spring, but on the way home from Johns on Wednesday it was like a blizzard, snow and hailstones that I though  was going to crack the windscreen.

 The growler here is growling at a dog that he could kill if he got stuck in its throat 

Because he's the same colour as a lion he thinks he is one

Then it was home to do a bit of painting on the Narra Boat

Side panels masked off

Trying the newish Frogtape as shown, quite good but doesn't go round corners very well, still its for decorators so perhaps they aren't too bothered about that.

Green finished 

Hope it didn't go on my washing!

Edges could do with another coat perhaps?

Had problems getting another can of Plasticote of this colour but we pass a lot of B&Q's on our travels so managed to get one at Oldham Branch after others were sold out. I had visions of re-painting everything  a different green, but all's well that ends well.

That's all folks

Ps anyone want any 4ft and 6ft lighting tubes, let me know! free to a good home!

This first weekend in March

Saturday saw Bob Abell and I at Ellesmere Model boat show, held at the museum in Ellesmere so if you would like the report and pictures on that 

Click here
It was a great day out and as we went in Bob's camper, we were Abell  to have a break and a cooked meal at dinner time, cooked by Chef  "Bob" of course, I only do frozen dinners as you know.
Some pictures of the things on view inside the museum

Canal Art

Horse drawn with horses tack shown.

I'm sure some modellers there were looking at this and wondering how to make the horse moveabell

Model Narra boats

Miniature engines 

Fittings from traditional narrow boats 

Restored 

So it was a great day out and we even had some visitors who had been to our clubs other venue at EventCity in Manchester. (Yes our club was a two event club this weekend, how about that then!)

I'm sure I couldn't have taken Pepe in there though, but he was a star at Ellesmere!.

And there is Pepe.

He got lots of fuss and when people asked "does he bite" I replied only if you touch the model, so it kept the usual little fingers from poking at the model!

Arrived at the venue just in time to catch this passing tanker, I'll bet its a bit scary in that life-raft when it drops!. Picture taken through windscreen of camper.

So it was great day out and on the way back home tired but happy, we saw this beautiful vivid rainbow in our path, is that a good omen or what.

Must take the table we borrowed back to-night, didn't need it in the end as one was waiting for us there.

On the home front I had the Great British Sunday Roast at John's on the Sunday and picked up my new Drills he had collected for me on his visits to pick up supplies on Friday.

Over the years I've helped John out at his work and he has been using Ryobi equipment every day for all those years and has most of the range, which I have used aswell so have found it to be very good,so when it became clear that my old drills were getting past their sell by date there was no other choice for me that Ryobi, so it was a starter pack of 18v Hammer drill which included Battery, Charger and tool bag!  and then also a  18v Impact driver has the same battery fits all the equipment in their range.

So it's all systems go now for fitting the new front gate and the various jobs that have been neglected round the house for a while.

On the modelling front it was out with the paint can and the Narra boat got its undercoating on Friday as the weather was nice and sunny and warm. 

Port side 

Starboard side and hatch.

Its nothing to do with the fact that I've got the new next project and its burning a hole in the box!! that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

So all in all a great weekend with some great company!

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Over the top to Barnsley

First thing you will notice is that there's no Video on this trip, I don't think the police would take very kindly to me filming as I drive along on my own!.

I took off for Model Slipway at Barnsley yesterday to pick up my next project and stopped for a bacon buttie on the way at a lay-by much to Pepe's delight.

A628 truck stop

Bacon Buttie stop

 I arrived at Barnsley about 11-30, Then sat with Laurie and Jackie in the conservatory with the doors wide open and the sun streaming in having our drinks and chatting, with Pepe playing on the lawn, should say dragging his box round the lawn, has he wasn't too happy being tied up!.

I had a grand tour of the workshops and saw how it was all put together, collected my kit which Laurie loaded for me and set off for home, then decided after another cheeseburger stop, it was such a nice sunny day it was a shame to waste it,

Tailgate seat full up on the return journey!

Are these the cave drawings of to-morrow I ask myself?

 So set the SatNav to Etherow!!, hoping to catch Bob and his good ladies there on his daily pilgrimage, but no luck it was packed out, but got a place though and spoke to Gly and then tried for a coffee but Pepe kept barking the place down when I left him tied up outside so had the coffee out of the flask I had in the car and sat on the wall in the sun.

So all in all a wonderful day, just hope to-morrow will be as sunny? for Ellesmere!!

The Kit, big init!!

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"Where does your football team play,Granddad?"

"What football team?What are you talking about?"

"Oh Dad says that when you kick off we can get a new house!"

Boom Boom 

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That's all folks.

Fishing boat

Here are some pix's I took yesterday at the lake, John took the one's on his blog, I also took a couple of video's but taking my camera to his house for dinner to-day so he can edit them himself, you will see them when you check out his blog later to-day.

It was nice on the balcony at the cafe, but bitterly cold on the landing stage, I even went and got my tranny mitt out of the car, never used it before!.  I met Colin H and his wife Pam there and after a buttie in the cafe, 

( nice to see they had changed the tables and chairs, from the old wrought iron ones than I'm sure weren't very hygienic)  we had a sail, he with his Warship and me with my Micro Magic Yacht, but he had to go when his wife  got too cold, and I waited for John who was running late due to waiting in for the Sky people. He had brought his fishing boat as you can see and also his birthday present from me last month, his jet ski which is also on video, both ran very well and though we didn't stay too long with the cold it was a good afternoon's sailing.

Check out John's blog later in the day for the video's of  yesterday's sailing

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So the great Frank Carson has died, One of his jokes here for you!.

Waiter!! "there is a fly swimming in my soup"

"You must have too much soup then" the waiter replied "its only supposed to be paddling"

That's all folks.

Re-modelling.

As it was overcast and raining here to-day, on John's recommend I phoned up "3 Ways DIY" store in Denton to see if they were open, ( I seemed to remember they didn't open on Monday's) and asked if they had any off-cuts of work tops, they said they had offcuts and full sized 3 metre ones, so it was off there and found a nice piece at 2 metres which they cut to size for me!, those work tops are very heavy for one to manage.

Then after dinner I took out the old top and fitted the new one across the top of the new freezer.

I fitted a plinth at the back from a piece of mahogany strip, 50p from the same place (I believe they are for the edge of fire doors) and left the top an inch away from the wall to let out the heat from the radiator and the heat from the back of the freezer, and accommodate the electric plugs and cables. Then there was a metal leg to fit in the middle to strengthen the whole thing!.

The result was as follows

As you can see from the next picture it gives me quite a bit more room to model, as the old top is there in white, so neat init!,

The shop also had 8ft X 4ft sheets of 3.6mm ply at £8.37 if any scratch builders out here are interested, as I don't scratch build I don't know if this is too thick?.

They are new owners since last May at 3Ways and they are talking about opening on Sunday's as well as Monday's, if the queues at B&Q are anything to go by at weekend's they could by very busy, as B&Q are not the cheapest place for DIY stuff are they.

Well that's all folks.

Perhaps the weather will improve for to-morrow and Pepe and I can get to the lake.