PS Marchioness of Lorne 1891

[djcf]

Hi all,
I have started preparing the hull for my new paddler "Marchioness of Lorne".
The hull is available as "Albion" Models by Design, luckily same general dimensions as MoL.
Just over 50" long overall at 1:48 ratio.
She was built 1891 for the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. offering various excursions during summer, and Arran service during some winters.
I have had the hull for sometime, and getting it out of storage, I realise that it will take a bit of tidying up, sanding mould lines & filling inperfections etc.....which brings me to my ask for advice/opinions on the following...
On turning the hull upside down, the bottom of the  moulding is not flat, and has sort of "spooned" up the way. see pic - I have drawn round the area where the floor has risen a good 2mm or so.
So I was wondering, do I fill it flat with filler, and add weight,  or leave alone. I was concerned air may get trapped & cause instability when sailing    
Any suggestions gratefully received!!
Progress will be slow at first on this build, due to a 75% completed model to finish, and work etc, but my first goal is to get the hull filled, sanded, primed, rudder stock/support made, shaft/ sponson positions marked, ports drilled and deck supports glued in place.
As this is my 1st non static paddler, I will no doubt be asking for help a lot, and I will certainly document progress as it happens if that is ok 
Here's a bad scan of the ship, and a few of the hull.

regards
Clark

[djcf]

Oooops!
Here's the bad scan, and hull!!!

[Talisman]

Hi Clark,
Looking forward to reading about your build.
Please can we see some pics of the Lochiel when shes done?

Thinking about your hull .. would it be possible to remove the offending section completely and then glass a new section in?
Might be possible to tack say a piece of plastic or smooth faced hardboard to the bottom then simply glass from above? remove hard board and hey presto a new bottom?

Regards,
Kim

[sandystrone]

Fitz
I would put a layer of grp over the bulge from the inside first, then sand away the bulge from the outside.
If it is a bubble, then depending on its depth, either build up with grp layer, or bodge it with paste. (I would suggest 1 ounce matting)

[djcf]

Cheers, Kim and Sandy.
I was just looking at the hull again, and the bottom is quite thin (the whole hull is relatively thin, compared to the hull i am working on at present), and I may be able to flatten it out with a couple of stiffeners on the hull bottom inside, it flattens out with light pressure ok, and with no straining!

[Eddy Matthews]

One of those questions like How long is a piece of string Clarke - Ask 6 different people and your likely to get 6 different answers!

Personally I'd try gently heating the bottom of the hull and then add a flat piece of ply and some weights to the inside and see if it will return to it's proper shape....

If that didn't work, I'd just use filler - It's right at the bottom of the hull where ballast would have to go, and if it's only 2mm it isn't going to add a huge amount of weight.

Just my two penneth worth....

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

That's good advice Eddy.
You may want to sight along the hull sides VERY carefully to make sure that the hull has nor 'bananed'. You get hulls with depressions forming in the bottom usually because they were not fully cured when removed from the mould. Sometimes the sides of the hull move OUT as the bottom moves up. So to be sure just check with eye and straight edge that the hull is symetrical and has not twisted.
With a few bulkheads it's usually easy enough to straighten out

All the best

Stuart

[djcf]

Thanks guys.
It seems that the sides have moved out slightly, as Stuart suggested, - however everything seems symetrical, with no twisting along the length, so after I have done some trimming & sanding I think I'd be happier just fitting a few bulkheads and filling in the depression in the bottom
 Knowing me I'd be likley to put in new twists if I used heat   

[sandystrone]

Fitz
I don't like filler much as it has no strength, but for a thin skin, I sometimes use cloth (like a handkerchief) saturated in GRP resin, and with Christmas coming up , you may have a surplus of handkies!
Or put on a very thin gel coat with 1/32 ply for strength.
                                                                                Sandy

[Walter Snowdon]

Hello folks. One method I have used in the past to straghten concave hull bottoms is as follows: find a good flat syrface to stand the hull on. . If the hull is wide enough to take building bricks, warm two or three bricks in the oven (not too hot). pour hot water into the bottom of the hull up to the top of the bilge curve. Put the warm bricks in the water and support the hull sies with more bricks or heavy tins, anything to keep the sides straight and vertical. The heat permeates the fibre glass and the weight of the bricks should push it flat. ALLOW TO GO COLD. check, and if necessary repeat with more weight. I have done this twice in the past, once to straghten a twisted hull and once to flatten a hull bottom. Worked both times. Regards, walter

[djcf]

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful advice.
After a bit of of deliberation I think I will have a go with the hot water & bricks.
I got a sheet of 3/4 ply for a baseboard, and I have "booked" a portion of perfectly flat floor in the Dining room, for this weekend, so no excuses now      (I did get a few funny looks when I explained why!)
Meanwhile, I will get on with a bit of trimming at the top of the hull sides.

[sandystrone]

Best of luck Fitz when using the dining room!

One winter night when the wife was out and it was too cold to work in the shed, I started to cut a sheet of 1/16" ply on the dining room table.
I thought to myself that this is hard ply and taking a long time to cut!
Yes - I had went through the ply and was cutting her ladyship's polished surface!
Well, I'm not allowed any modelling in the house after that
                                                                                                   sandy

[Eddy Matthews]

Following on from Sandy's post above (off topic I know!), but some of you know my wife suffers from epilepsy....

After thousands of falls over the years when taking seizures, she has minor brain damage - One of the things affected is her eyesight.

So the one plus point to all of this, is that she's never even noticed the burn in the livingroom carpet that I made two years ago with a soldering iron when soldering some wires onto a motor!

And just so we're clear on this - If anyone tells her, they are a dead man!

Eddy

[djcf]

Guys, I have taken note, and I will be careful!!, and at least if I have any accidents it will be right next to the drinks cabinet so I can grab a bottle of Malt & hide in the garage   
 Anyway, I have a few ideas to keep the hull in shape as the heat does its stuff, so I will post a few pics of the process over the weekend hopefully, all going well!!

[djcf]

Hi all,
Well, managed a bit of progress this weekend, firstly got the top of the hull sides trimmed down at the bow & stern, to the moulding line on the hull.
 Today I have made up a jig to hold the hull whilst I try to flatten out the bottom, using the hot water method as suggested by Walter. I must admit this "jig" idea came from a documentary I watched recently, about "Medieval torture machines", and, I have been warned that if I make a mess, my device may well be used on myself 
 However instead of using bricks, I have a length of aluminium "U" section, connected by threaded rods, to the metal "L" sections above the hull. By turning wing nuts on the threaded rod under the "L" section, the aluminium "U" section is forced down, on the centre line of the hull, flattening the bottom.
 The plan is, as I add water, and as the hull softens, I will be able to gradually tighten the wing nuts, then leave the water to cool overnight.....hopefully with a flat underside!!
 Hope to get the water in the hull later this evening

Here's a few pics of the jig