Design and building 1900s log boat

[Roadrunner]

Greetings fellow humans!

Some may know me as Roadrunner from the RCMB forum, I usually don't post on multiple forums however my new project is one I think some may find interesting and as a courtesy to Damien (since hes a moderator on my forum) i would give you guys a blog of something a little bit different in the paddle boat world.

I would go on to say how many years I've been modeling the stuff i do bla bla bla and a big ol' story about me but i'm pretty sure most of you arn't interested !

So i'll crack right on with it,

Paddle boats are a new one on me when it comes to modeling boats, that said basic principles, research and common sense are not.
So I've started to under take a larger then normal project.

Big river Maru anyone heard of it? no? probably not there are maybe 2 or 3 images of it around!



I'm not building that! almost had you going then didn't i ?

NO sorry guys that's far to ugly and umm rugged..

what i am going to build however is its big brother !

S S Big River Maru,



There are only 2 images i know of about this particular boat in existence, and no plans to build it 

Never mind I can fix that...

The maru was a 'donkey powered sternwheeler' which was used on the Big River to push logs to the mill, and a few light dutys for cargo and transport of people up and down its running's.
Build 1900 and retired in 1920 ( left to rot ) little else is known about this wonderful little boat the only part left is the rotting frame work of its sternwheel in a field somewhere outside its original berth.


Now lets get started on whats i'm actually doing!

Designing a model from scratch starting with home drawn plans from information gathered using the net.
As far as i'm aware there are no plans for this boat, in full size or model.

This build is a guide to those who don't know how to do technical drawings, or sometimes can't always understand them, this should help!.
This is also for those who want to see a concept become a reality!

There is a working 'shelf' model built which i have seen and am in contact with the builder, much of his model has been built 'by eye' and although a very nice model in its detailing is unable to sail due to weight issues, making his model unrealistic to base a working model on, there will be drastic differences in areas to combat his failings, his is also built to a much larger scale making it also different in many aspects!

More details to follow on his work later.

Mine will be planned and scaled to 1:24th scale making a model approx 500mm long 200mm wide and support electric drive, construction will be planed around plastic card and wood/plys and their construction techniques, there is no reason why other materials cannot be used and i will note as i progress.

The final plans can be blown up to 1:12 for those wishing to use a 3 or 4" live steam boiler.

Much of the planning will be using known techniques in the model world and hopefully keeping as much detail in as possible, this boat will however fall under my rule of 'sacrifice for practicality' and in models that's a very true saying (and why so many great models end up as displays not working models!)

The model will be designed to be practical to build but give sufficient detail to be more then satisfied with it.

I will en-devour to design much from my own head keeping it as original as possible, but as with many things ideas are not always your own that end up in builds.

You must forgive that!

I will credit those ideas as and when or if they are used!

Should the design and overall build go to plan, then the full plans can be obtained from me in the future.

As with all plans corrections will be needed, so what you will see will always be rough first drafts with rough dimensions!, final drawings with exact dimensions will be produced at end stages (those you will not see, unless you buy copy's later!) , as i plan to construct the model as i draw it up, although i expect planning will take more lead then building, this means in the progress of the blog you'll watch the model take shape in stages and the next part of the designing will not be displayed until sections of the boat are built, this should keep things simple!

Oh god this is long winded, promise other posts will be shorter!
 
I could have started anywhere... hull, super structure... anywhere   

Probably not...

The boat being a paddle steamer has one big thing.. its paddle wheel. Unlike the Wrigly plans which I've studied this boat uses rudders and not the twin tank steering option, making it a single long ( wide ) paddle, the entire of the boat's 'frame work' needs to fit around this piece of machinery, so I've decided to start there, get this part right and the rest should be easy!

This paddle wheel is a very simple version, so the feathering method is not needed, think more like an old water wheel, going off the image i have looks to been cast in many parts.

The current design is kept simple using squared sections although the paddle 'stems' bracers? are actually tapered, to which later those will be corrected on the plans.

So for now I've mocked up an initial design and an expanded view ( with its drawn progress) which i'll have to redo as there is already a large error, but it dose give you a decent idea of where i'm heading, and what to expect on the final plans aiding through construction, i expect these will be in a construction guide to accompany the final plans

Mistakes will happen good thing its on paper not on the model yet!






Enjoy RR.

Damien feel free to delete this post anytime i rant on for over 20 mins worth of reading 

[DamienG]

Your not offending me Aron I and i'm sure many others will look forward to this build.

As I'm sure we'd also like to see your RC row boat build.

Damien.

[Roadrunner]

I can do a 2nd photo blog on the rowing boat here, it won't have as much text since its almost finished but happy to share!

[DamienG]

 

[Brian Gates]

Hi Roadrunner

I was hooked by the first picture which reminds me of logging locomotives from North America and New Zealand.  I had been wondering about trying a vertical boiler (my son is building four boilers to Dave Watkin's De Winton design, but so far only plans to build three locos) in a paddler, but hadn't considered chain drive.  One immediate question though, given that there are three each in Australia and New Zealand and nine in the US, which "Big River"?

I cannot complain too much, as there are several rivers called the River Stour (o.e. for large) in England, here in Kent alone we have the Great Stour (Big Big River?), Little Stour (Little Big River?) and East Stour   Not completely OT for Paddleducks either due to the PS Monarch operating the Stour river taxi.

Best regards
Brian

[Brian Gates]

Don't worry, just found the krisweb site http://krisweb.com/krisbigriver/krisdb/html/krisweb/history/mills.htm so know the river is in California.  Looking at the donkey engines there reminded me of Tubal Cain's "Hercules" crane engine which has a boiler approximately 7" tall might fit your 1:24 model, although stability could (would?) be an issue.

Brian

[Roadrunner]

Yes big river in California is correct, This being the big brother ( although smaller in size) was used as part of the log hauling before time of log barges, just give em all a big shove up the water way.

in regards to the steam boiler,...

at 1:24 scale the vertical boiler would be around 1 1/2 " if building at 1:12 then its a lot simpler as a 3" boiler would work fine.

I spoke to my old man, Damien can vouch for his ability s and work and at 1:24 scale even if purchasing or building a boiler at that size its doubtful that the boiler could produce enough pressuer to turn what will be a 140x90, 8 bladed paddle with some efficiency.

Sadly using the photo(s) i have its hard to tell which type of engine this boat used, its doubtful it was an oscillator, and i'm near thinking is a single or double slide valve ( correct me if you know, i have assumed here).

Given the scale @ 1:24 even a slide valve model engine with its much smaller boiler i'm in agreement that the paddle wouldn't power the model efficiently enough to make it a practical use of money or resources.

Again note at 1:12 scale making the model 1000mm x 400mm the use of a 3" or possibly 4" vertical and its accompanying engine would indeed work flawlessly.

So for all intend and purposes, i propose to build the 1:24th scale with hidden electric drive and a simply mock up display boiler.

//That said now and after taking to dad i may indeed look to build the model at 1:12 ( maybe as a much later project after this smaller one is completed) to allow me the use of a 3" live boiler. This of course is subject to cost, i don't have the means to buy a boiler and engine of that size ( sadly health issues have hindered my finances) , nor do i possess the tooling to create one, (my lathe was sold just before i moved county's late last year)//

On another note tho, if anyone has a suggesting where to purchase a 2" vertical boiler and steam engine as a kit, i would take great interest into looking into its specification to see if my thinking is correct in regards to lack of pressure. ( i said 2" here as  although out of scale, i don't think a slightly larger boiler would detract from the model overall, slightly over scale yes, in practical, no.)

In terms of electric drive, the donkey engine mock up would look something to the attached photo, i shall continue to research the overall workings for the paddle, possibly look at a working mockup of the the piston arrangement should this be the sorce of drive for the section as well as the winch.

I welcome suggesting and other comments and will en-devour to answer questions to the best of my ability.

Aron