John H Amos model

[Dallinson]

Great News
The restoration of the John H Amos is now moving ahead. Hopefully, in the
near future I will have news of a new website detailing its progress.
To help with the further fund raising for the last paddle driven tug in
Europe, the Medway Maritime Trust (her new owners) would very much like a
display model of her. The Trust is looking for our help in making a "whole
hull", static display model in either 1/2 inch or 3/8 scale. These scales
would give a model between 55" or 41", respectively.

To lighten the load and speed up the process, I believe that it would be
quite possible to involve a number of people. The Medway Maritime trust
have available a CD, on which there is a full set of detailed drawings
together
with a number of photo graphs. If there are any additional views that we
need, then I am sure that they will be able to oblige.
I believe we need one co-ordinator who would be responsible for producing
the basic hull and bulwarks and final assembly. Ideally this would be
someone who is within reasonable striking distance of London, but it is not
absolutely essential.
I believe that, one or more, of the following items could be made by
different people and sent to the assembler.
The superstructure including the bridge etc.
The funnel, the boiler casing (on which it stands) and the towing hook.
The coal hatch.
The aft skylight and aft deck details (ventilators etc9.
The paddle boxes.
The paddles.
Mast, anchor winch, foredeck items (ventilators) etc.

The Trust has told me that they would be only too pleased to put names of
all makers on a plate attached to the model.
This is a great chance to be part of the tugs restoration. Remember it is
only a display model, it is NOT a working model so no worries about
stability, paddle speeds, drives etc etc!!

Would anyone who feels that they would like to be involved in, and
contribute, to this very
worthwhile project please contact me. (off site if you wish).
I look forward to hearing from you, soon!!

Regards
David

[Sandy Johnston]

What an excellent idea - and a photo jornal to keep us all upated.


Looking forward to the progress.

Sandy
Ekelfekin
AK NZ

[Paulrjordan]

Hi David:

Responding to your original idea, yesterday I built a half hull test
piece of "John A Amos" in exact 1:76 (OO Railway) scale. I built it
all on the kitchen table with just a kitchen knife, spray adhesive
and sandpaper and in just over an hour. It's VERY accurate and
scaled from the tiny plans Phil Thomas published in his book "British
Steam Tugs". I used the computer to scale the images accurately in
1:76 scale (I love model railways too!) and have also produced a
complete set of hull lines in 1:48 (1/4" =1ft). Using the same
process, it wouldn't be hard to produce another set for a 1/2" scale
(1:24) model as the "JHA" owner has requested. Incidentally the
printers here in Victoria refused to blow up the plans from Phil
Thomas's book citing possible copyright infringement!

The process I employed to build the "JHA" half hull test piece is
inspired by the new generation of electric radio control airplane
models and what the movie industry has known about for years! It
uses one of three techniques I've been experimenting with to make
inexpensive, accurate hulls on the kitchen table without the use of
any power tools or too much MESS!..and all in less than an evening!
More about this later but suffice it to say I'm rather encouraged by
the process and result.

Consequently, a large static (or even RC) "John H. Amos" hull is
possible and can be produced very inexpensively and in short order.
I'd be quite prepared to build the "JHA" hull core, but I live in
western Canada and it would be extremely expensive to ship it to the
UK, although a 1:24 scale hull of the ship at 52.8" would weigh less
than 1/2 a pound using my method!!! The cost of the final model will
be in it's finishing and level of detailing but, as you say, it could
be shared by a number of team members each contributing a small and
affordable part of the project.

Anyway, if it helps to get things kicked off, I can assist with the
concept and construction of the basic hull. Maybe other PD's will
pick up on this and volunteer some ideas to give the project a little
more momentum!

I'm looking forward to hearing more news on the movement of "John H.
Amos" to a safe area for inspection, but information suddenly seems
to be a little lacking. Does anyone know if she ever got moved out
of the water yet? Maybe Len and the "Medway Queen" crew could give
us a heads-up on the present situation in that part of the world.

Meanwhile, best regards

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[Tony Mattson]

Paul, you big tease!

Talk about tantalising... given my uncanny ability to create a
blizzard of sanding dust from wood, fillers, epoxy, fibreglass, etc.
that envelops our house whenever I work on a hull, I'm curious to
read more. Do tell all!

many tks
Tony
Auckland, NZ

[Paulrjordan]

HOME INSULATING FOAM, Tony! ...like I said the movie business has
been using it for years. It's CHEAP, light, carvable, sands soooo
easily, cuts with almost any type of blade and glues with just about
ANY adhesive (except CAA which melts it) Even the 3M contact cement
sprays provide a solid bond! It's great for making hulls as the
outside can be protected by all kinds of new "non-toxic" and quick
drying materials and you can even "veneer" wood planking or plating
to the outside. For paddlers the saving in weight is substantial and
another TREMENDOUS benefit is that, when it's covered and painted..it
doesnt LEAK, warp or split!

All three conventional methods of hull construction can be used with
foam. Frame, bread and butter, and profile carving. I'm totally
taken with the possibilities of this material as I have always been
too impatient to build plank on frame and don't have a large workshop.

Anyhow, more on this when I've done a bit more experimenting..but the
first results are very encouraging! As soon as I can get my hands on
a digital camera I'll post some pics.

Best regards

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[Dallinson]

PJ.
Congratulations on your modelling "breakthrough". Sounds like you have a
winner!
Does the postage in Canada calculate on weight or volume, or both? By the
sound of it, the box would weigh more than the hull??!!
I am sure in Spain there is no problem with getting things blown up. I built
the hull for P.S. Scotia from a blow up I had done of the lines in the
Thomas's book. What size would you like?
I am quite prepared to make some of the deck houses etc.
All we need now is someone to put it all together?
I have not heard any news from Mr Martin. I will drop him a line to see what
the status is.
All the best
David

[Edward Matthews]

--- In Paddleducks@yahoogroups.com, "paulrjordan" <pj@p...> wrote:
> Incidentally the printers here in Victoria refused to blow up the
> plans from Phil Thomas's book citing possible copyright
> infringement!

So do what I do Paul.... Scan the required image onto an A4 sheet on
the computer, then take that to the printers. They can't claim it
breaks any copyright laws if they don't know where it came from! :-)

Regards
Eddy

[Paulrjordan]

Good idea, Buddy....should have thought of that. I made the mistake
of taking the whole book down ! Duh, me!!!

Mind you, Eddy, here's another thought on photocopying plans and I
wonder if any of you have also encountered this problem. My
photocopied images always seem to come out about 99% of the size of
the original which means they "shrink" 1% and on a big plan it can
really cause probs. Not so bad if you're using ONLY photocopies
because everything shrinks proportionally but a real b*gger if you're
mixing accurately scaled measurements and photocopies. Even on a 50
centimetre plan I lose a 1/2 cm. If you've encountered this problem
how do you get over it without taking a yardstick down to the copy
shop, measuring every image that comes out and making a general
nuisance of yourself in front of a line of waiting customers!!!

I have never learned how to CAD draw..although I'd LOVE to...but I've
had quite a bit of luck using the MS Publisher program which has an
accurate measurement and scaling capability and can "blow up" scanned
plans to almost any size you want without too much deterioration of
the lines. You simply have to tape the printed sheets of paper
together. Like I said, it took very little effort to produce an
accurate set of plans in 1:48 scale for the "John H. Amos" from Phil
Thomas' book.

I've also found MS Publisher very useful when there are no plans
available for a ship! Using a good profile (side on) photo of the
actual ship and knowing her LOA, I can scan the photo and paste it
into Publisher which allows me to enlarge it to almost any scale
without severely rasterizing the image so everything stays pretty
clear to see. Taking the LOA of the actual ship and scaling will give
you the LOA of the ship in the image. Publisher has an accurate
measuring tool which allows you to do this and, since it expands it
proportionally in all directions, all the dimensions stay in scale.
Very useful! It now becomes pretty easy to measure everything else in
the image and even develop a useable profile. Unfortunately it
doesnt help you below the waterline so you have to use some inspired
imagineering. This is where you have to research similar vessels
which do have plans available, and from the same builder and era, and
try to match a reasonable underwater profile to your ship.

Which brings me to a plea for help for Walter "Talisman" (or any
other PD up on the Clyde.)

I have been struggling for 3 years over the hull lines for the
Scottish paddler "Diana Vernon/Worthing Belle" (Barclay Curle 1885)
for which no plans exist. Thanks to numerous good photos I'm able to
accurately reproduce her above the waterline but no matter how many
times I try, I just can't seem to get her underwater hull shape to
look right. Scottish paddlers of that era have an unmistakably
graceful flow to their lines which seems to elude me through
simple "imagineering". You only have to look at the superb models in
the "Clyde Room" of the Scottish Museum of Transportation in Glasgow
to know exactly what I mean. (If only someone could loft some lines
off those model hulls!)

Remarkably enough, hull lines from Barclay Curle paddlers of that era
seem impossible to find, so I'm wondering if in your "Denny List"
there are ANY line drawings (buttocks, plan, or body) for any
sidewheelers around 180' LOA made between say 1883-1887? I can scale
up drawings from a booksize scan.

Walter. I would be so obliged if you could take a moment to look
through your "Denny List" books.

All the best to to everyone

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[jsearly]

Paul
That is nice stuff, a friend of mine calls it cheap balsa. It is
polyurethane open cell foam and an easy place to find it cheap is places
where the sell florist arranging supplies or artificial flowers in bulk. I
have found it there in up to 6"x6"x24" blocks in white or green.
JWE
Long Beach, CA