Aspiring builder

[Brian Gates]

Hi

I am new to the forum but have been lurking for a while, having become hooked on paddle steamers by trips aboard Kingswear Castle.

I am useless at woodwork, and being most of the time in a wheelchair would rather avoid getting covered in sawdust so I am hoping to model in styrene, and have been looking (redrawing in AutoCAD to be honest) at the drawings for Dartmouth Castle published in Model Engineer.

This will be my first paddle boat apart from a Scalecraft Medway Queen as a kid, and my first scratch build, so I'm going to start by asking for some advice on design as a 1/48 model would only displace about 640g, and I am unsure if I increase the draft?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Brian Gates
Gillingham

[PeeWee]

Welcome Brian to paddleducks and all things paddler orientated. 

Styrene is a good base for modelling and is good to work with.  I have not looked at the dimensions  prior to writing this for the castle at 1/48 but 650g seems far too low a figure. the key to the weight what ever it turns out to be would be to keep it low and the upper decks as light as possible, its mentioned many times on here but is fundamental to a stable craft.