Tipstaff

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, I prefer to use plywood whenever and wherever I can in my own building. Kits can be ABS or styrene. My ideal is mainly 7mm ply for upper deck and lower hull  with bulkheads and stringers either glued up to double thickness where required, hull sides are in 0.8mm ply, these are so easy to work with and can be in large sheets upto 1200mm long. Finishing is where my problems  have lain before when tring to get a totally waterproof seal. this time around I'll try to use a shellac varnish before any painting to make an impervious layer bonded to the wood. I'm not at all keen on epoxies as I can suffer from respiritory problems especially in confined spaces.

cheers

Jim

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, a very enjoyable day was had by myself working in the shed yesterday. I got the bridgedeck mounted onto the hull and made up the four access ladders. Realised that I had made a fundamental error when assembling the paddleboxes instread of making two mirror images I'd made two exactly the same. Most would not notice the subtle difference in curves to the rear of them but it could not remain and chages were made. Now it is a case of getting the drive motors on order and wait for the paddleboxes to be attached. Looking more like it should now  

cheers

Jim

[Red_Hamish]

Hello all, as you'll have noticed this thread has become almost redundant. To the resurrection. I've been bck in the shed withthis over the past week (spring has oficially arrived, but it is still snowing outside tonight) and the heating is working in the shed, just enough, to allow me to waterproof the interior of the hull with a couple of coats of thinned down varnish. The motors have been languishing in a box since November now theya re about to be fitted and the paddles to be aligned. Mick I might still be in touch about a set of your fine examples to replace my efforts. The paint is purchased and only waiting for the outside temperatur eto rise sufficiently before I go ahead with this. Scheme will be red oxide underwater with a green hull, brown decks green deck structures and yellow highlighting.
Pics to follow as progress allows.
cheers

Jim

[Eddy Matthews]

Great news Jim - I've been eagerly awaiting your progress on this one for some time. Lets just hope the snow is the last we have for this winter!

[Frederick Lesco]

I’m new to the group, and I would appreciate any thoughts anyone may have on my building a model of Tipstaff.
I am not a subscriber to Model Boats, but I look at it on the local newsstand. I saw Glynn Guest’s article in the April 2005 issue describing Tipstaff. I thought it interesting, but when he mentioned the motors he used, I thought it very likely that I would not be able to find an equivalent motor here in Ontario, Canada (where I live), and so I didn’t buy the magazine.
I should say that I am a fan of Glynn Guest, having built his tug Arkady and his Jenny Sue Two Tow Boat, and have had a lot of enjoyment out of both the building and running of them.
Then came the October 2006 Model Boats, with his plan for Phantom, and I had some more thoughts regarding the building of Tipstaff, but using the single motor drive system from Phantom.
He says Phantom steers well, using a rudder, and I see no reason why a rudder (or two) could not be fitted in Tipstaff. I was able to purchase a copy of the Tipstaff drawings from Model Boats, although I don’t have a copy of the magazine. I don’t feel that will be a problem, though, since I have used his construction methods before.
I am also fortunate enough to have a worm and pinion with a 40 to 1 reduction on hand so that end of the project would already be taken care of.
Does anyone have any comments (positive or negative) on this approach?

[Eddy Matthews]

I don't have a copy of the Tipstaff magazine article Frederick, but if I can help you to source motors I'd be more than happy to do it for you - I'm in the UK, so hopefully whatever motors were suggested will be easy to locate?

Other than that, hopefully Jim (red_hamish) will be able to give more advice as he is part way through building the Tipstaff....

[Barrie]

Frederick,

If you want copies of the articles from Model Boats send me a personal message and I can scan them and send by e-mail.

Barrie