Newbie saying hello

[Argonaut]

Hi folks,
 I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in my liking for paddle boats. I particularly like stern wheelers. In 1988 I bought a Model Boats & Model Engineering Plans Handbook and sent off for the plans for a Mississippi Stern Wheeler.  When I got the plan I realised that it was far to complex for my then capabilities and shelved the idea of building it. Since then I have acquired more skills and, after a near death experience, last year I decided that if ever I was going to build this model then now is the time to do it. I am scratch building and am determined that it will be propelled properly and, unlike every picture of a model stern wheeler that I've seen, not by a rubber band but instead by cranks on the wheel. I want to use an electric motor to do this and am trying to discover a method of turning the rotary action of the motor into a linear one. Any help on this would be gratefully received.
 A couple of days ago I saw a picture of a geared down motor with a double ended output shaft which had an opposing crank on each end. I thought that this would be ideal but, like an idiot forgot to bookmark the page and have spent the last two days trawling the internet trying to find it again. That is how I stumbled across this forum and hope to be able to pick your collective brains. That's about it for now, keep paddling
Jack

[derekwarner_decoy]

Welcome to PD's Jack  .............if you type the word 'Stern Wheeler' into the search box below on the left.....you will find 9 pages being 267 posted articles on the subject

Our archives will offer hours & hours of reading & research......good luck....any questions ...just post away

Derek 

[DamienG]

Welcome Jack.
As Derek has pointed out our archives are loaded with info accumulated over many years there's only one way to start jump in feet first and go for it, any questions you have just ask any number of our members will happily answer any questions you have.

Damien.

[Argonaut]

Thank you Damien and Derek for your welcome.
 I have been looking through the files and have learned one thing today, I have a lot to learn. Before I joined this forum I didn't know that the type of drive that I wanted is known as a Pitman drive.
The problem with being an insomniac is that I can't, for the sake of the neighbours, use power tools at night. How did I do anything before I found Dremel?