Graupner Glasgow Kit

[dash8man]

Hi,

     I'm very interested in acquiring a Graupner Glasgow kit as my next project. Anyone have any comments as to the quality of the kit, ease of construction, problems, etc.? I've quite a few kit builds under my belt but this my first paddlewheeler. Cheers.

Bill.

[Eddy Matthews]

Welcome to Paddleducks Bill...

Although I own a Graupner Glasgow, I bought it ready built, so I can't really give much info on what it's like to build.

But basically it's just a styrene (plastic) kit, so if you've built something similar before you shouldn't find any difficulties with it. Just bear in mind that it comes in three bits - The basic kit, the paddlewheels, and the "fittings" kit. So don't assume that the "basic" kit gives you everything - It doesn't!

The Glasgow makes into a nice sized model, and is very stable on the water.

Hopefully someone who has actually built the model will be along shortly and give a bit more information...

Regards
Eddy

[bogstandard]

Someone asked this question a few months back, but my brain is so addled I can't remember who.

I have built one, and it is a straight forwards build with no problems encountered at all.

I did do two mods. One was to the sticky out bits at the side, the flat plates that the paddle boxes sit on. I fed 3/16" carbon fibre rods thru the hull front and back underneath the wooden support plates and fixed the plates to the rods. They were so rigid, you could lift the boat up with them. I did this only because I personally thought it was a suspect weak point in the build. Maybe others would like to comment on whether I was right or wrong.

The other is a mod that has to be done. If you assemble and fit the paddleboxes as per instructions, depending on how much gluey stuff you stick in the joint, depends how fast your deck area fills up with water being thrown up inside the paddle boxes. I actually did two mods to cure this fault. The first was that I stuck the freeing holes transfers on the end of the boxes, and then using them as a guide, very carefully drilled and filed all the holes out. This allows a lot of excess water to escape. The other mod was to fit a very thin plasticard shield actually inside the paddle boxes, between the paddles and the hull/ paddlebox joint. after that, not one drop of water onto the deck from the suspect area.

This kit in my mind makes one of the most stable paddlers you will come across, and never gave any problems from the time it was built until now, with it's new disabled owner, who sails it very regularly.

It is a very good stalwart beginning into model paddler sailing, and I think you will enjoy building and sailing it immensely.

I did fit independent paddle control in conjunction with a mixer to the rudder, so I don't know how it would behave with a solid drive to both paddles. But the one I made would almost rotate around the paddle boxes if needed.

John

Just a little add on.

After building up the wheels, I put a minute spot of superglue on the back of each pin (where it pops out the other side), and never had a single pin come loose. The paddle wheels are something else, and worth every penny you will spend on them.

[dash8man]

Great info Eddy and John. Many thanks. Cornwall Models on your side of the pond appear to have a package deal on the Glasgow that includes Fittings, Paddle Wheel set and motor for one inclusive price. May look into that. Cheers.

[scotfriend]

Hi Bill,

i haven't build a Graupner Glasgow but i own 4 or 5 , one i have fitted with independent paddlewheels, somewhere here you will find photos of the powerplant. This kind of propulsion give you  a lot of maneuverability much better as in the normal way. Another one i make now a rebuild because it was a shipwreck it will be based on a tug called IONA.

regards Hans

[bogstandard]

Hans,

I know it is getting away from the original post slightly, but I don't think the Glasgow ever existed, or if it did, it quickly changed names. I have seen one small picture in a Model Shipwrights book, where there was a paddler that looked exactly the same as the Glasgow, but was used as a fishing trawler. It had a very long pennant flying from the masthead. Maybe you could do a bit of research and add it to your fleet.

John

[dash8man]

All Graupner say about their model of the Glasgow Paddlewheeler is that the original operated in Northern England and Scotland. No mention if its an exact copy. Who knows? Could be their own design.

Bill.

[scotfriend]

Hi PD's,

some years a go i heard a story how it came to the Graupner Glasgow. At the beginning Graupner want to make a kit of the "Strongbow" but they didn't want to pay what the owner of the drawings has asked for. So Graupner decided to create a model what we call in Germany a "Type boat" this means you look around and put everything you like or want on a model, things they could be on a boat or they must be. I am not sure about this story, but it could be possible.

Regards Hans

[bogstandard]

Methinks that this is all now a bit irrelevent, the Glasgow kit is here, and it has turned out to be one of the better kits on the market, that fulfills a need for someone to be introduced to the fine art of paddlers. Plus the paddle wheel set has allowed other nice models to be built around them. Win wins all around.

John

[oldie]

Hans, with reference to your IONA rebuild, I have recently completed a scratch build of that vessel.   When I can find out how, I will post a couple of photos.   My personal picture shows how it was some time ago.   I had lots of problems with stability, which I hope I have overcome.   Oldie

[kno3]

...
I did fit independent paddle control in conjunction with a mixer to the rudder, so I don't know how it would behave with a solid drive to both paddles. But the one I made would almost rotate around the paddle boxes if needed.
...

John, what kind of remote control do you use for the independent paddlewheels? I'm interested in how the control levers are positioned. Is it something special for boats with twin engines?

[bogstandard]

kno3,

I used what is called an electronic mixer.

What it does is to couple the rudder and throttle into one unit.

So as you moved to say the right (starboard) the left (port) hand paddle wheel would speed up while the right hand one would slow down or even go into reverse (depending on the throttle input). If there was no throttle input at all, depending which way you turned the rudder, one would speed up and the other would reverse, so you could almost spin the boat on the spot.

I don't know how good these are, as I have never used their mixer products, but it shows what sort of things are available.

http://www.action-electronics.co.uk/mixers.php

John

[vett]

Hi Bill. I know this is an old post but if you have not purchased the glasgow yet I can say it is a nice kit, I have built three of them one with steam and the others electric, one nice feature of the kit is that the deck snaps in to the sides of the ABS hull so  there is no filling around the edges. if you want some pictures let me know.
Fred

[Blue]

Hi,

     I'm very interested in acquiring a Graupner Glasgow kit as my next project. Anyone have any comments as to the quality of the kit, ease of construction, problems, etc.? I've quite a few kit builds under my belt but this my first paddlewheeler. Cheers.

Bill.

[Blue]

This is my second attempt at replying to an old subject by Bill re'   "The Glasgow". So if an empty page is posted blame it on my analogue tendencies in a digital world.
      I'm sure Bill has completed his build by now (2008 original enquiry) and will be very pleased with the quality of the kit. I'm at the "Still in the box" stage with mine, which I am building with my Father, who at 90 still amazes me with his enthusiasm. What also amazed me though is the quality of the paddle wheel kit. Like many of us I cut my teeth on plastic kits as a boy, filing and scraping to make things fit (and learnt a lot by doing so),well boys, put those tools away. If I can talk about plastic and engineering in the same sentence,this kit would be the subject. My only complaint is, I had a part missing.It may not be Mr Graupners fault, but missing it is. I'm waiting on a reply from the U.K. office re' a spare part and hopefully the second wheel can be built. So to sum up, this kit is a very good starting point and not wishing to sound like an ad' for Mr "G", very, very well engineered.
                    Seasons greetings to you all from Blue and Dad in Turkey.