Good Planing for Construction

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's - I was looking at some old postings & thought this  :post from 17/6/2005 [courtesy of Stuart] is/are still appropriate today & many of our newer members may not   :ohno digested    the same to date......Derek &  :luck

After the successful launch of Old Trafford I thought I'd put pen to paper (well fingers to keyboard) with a list of rules 'wot I have discovered' when building and operating model paddle steamers!

1. If working at night - when you step back to admire your model make sure you have removed any cups of tea, sharp objects and kittens from behind you.
2. Wear slippers
3. Any calculations you make to determine ballast requirements (even if you're Einsein) - will be wrong.
4. Make floors over ballast compartments removable.
5. Your favourite small screwdriver WILL re-appear - in compartment 6c in about 5 years.
6. Soldering irons are hot.
7. Superglue is not hot - but will stick you to soldering irons.
8. PVC adhesive is cheaper than LSD.
9. On the finest setting and with as much care as you can muster your soldering torch WILL set fire to your model.
10. Burning models are hot.
11. If your model leaks you will NOT discover this during a tank test.
12. Leak will become serious in direct proportion to the depth of water under the keel at the lake.
13. In a carefully planned steam installation - the sticky valve will be the one next to the burner and WILL trap your fingers.
14. steam, steam engines and boilers are hot (VERY HOT!!!).
15. Lake water is very soothing.
16. The seriousness of burns from model steam engines can be determined by the width of grins on spectator's faces.
17. PVA adhesive will not stick wood or paper but WILL stick trousers, teacups, drawings and kitten's feet.
18. any small dropped items will be found stuck underneath kitten's feet.
19. Superglue will stick anything - absolutely anything, everything - stuff you wouldn't believe in places you wouldn't think it could get to.
20 superglue is very difficult to remove.
21. Always paint your name and address on the bottom of your model.

Cheers!! Stuart Badger

[thewharfonline]

That's a very good list. My mum would add to that 'after hours of work and when the sky is dark and you're in your pyjamas you should not attempt to work on paddle steamer models.'

That's what I got told after I sliced open my finger when cutting towards myself when trying to remove a nasty jutting out piece of plastic on a set of trial paddlewheels.

Yes it was late at night!

Mum also won't let me work on my models or Grebe when I'm sick...again she worries about me removing some of my limbs!