Steam powered sternwheeler ( first boat build ever )

[apointofview]

Thanks Pete !
Thats great to hear that it has been done before and proved worth the trouble. 
With that much go power that means you have a paddler that can get on plane 
 Do you have the jet on a speed control or is it just on or off ?
Pete

[pete]

It is fitted with a speed controller, - a couple of pics of the engine room.

[apointofview]

WOW Pete ! That is a clean install for your running gear.  I like the nicely routed and tied wiring job !!! The exhaust ducting for the pump is very stealthy too.
Thanks for the pictures thats worth a few thousand words.
I am going to install that electric backup for sure now.
Pete

[apointofview]

Here is another progress report.

I mounted the two lights I made.

I changed the way the two hull halves join together.  My original setup was basically two wood clamps that just pinched the two bulkheads on each hull half together.  Well it became obvious that it wouldn't be strong enough once the running gear was put in.  There was a lot of flexing between the two hulls.  So after much thought I took the advise of a fellow modeler and added two 5/8 inch strips to the bottom of the hull and used them to create point to pin the bottom of the hulls together, and then I added a similar pinning point to the upper half of the hulls.  That made 4 points to hold the two together with solid brass pins that slip into brass bushings in the wood.  The result was a very stiff hull, much better.
An added benefit should be to make this flat bottom hull handle better in the water ( or so I have been told, I have no experience )

Last but not least was the addition of the electric recovery option in the form of a jet drive.  I hated cutting into the bottom of the boat and the openings took a long time to cut because their shapes are very tricky.  The shaft runs in a brass tube and uses another smaller tube as the drive shaft.  I soldered on the threaded portion of an M4 bolt to one end and screwed the plastic prop on that.  I just used a piece of silicon fuel tube to couple the motor to the shaft.  The motor and speed control is from an airplane that is long gone.  The motor will be held down with safety wire holding it to a couple of foam pads to lower the noise levels.  I tested the pump in my sink in a temporary wood box and it pumps plenty of water.

Now I am down to sanding this whole boat down to its final finish.

Next up glassing the belly.  After that a float test will be in order, the boat will be at close to its final weight ( minus paint ) so I can see how its going to sit in the water.

Pete

[DamienG]

I like it!!! 

[steamboatmodel]

Looking at the Jet drive photos it looks like the prop. will rub on the housing. I would also put some capacitors on the motor.
Regards,
Gerald.

[apointofview]

Gerald
The prop is close but there is a tiny bit of clearance, the picture doesn't look like it does in real life.   
What would capacitors do for the motor,  I just removed the setup as it was built on the plane it use to power years ago.
I am most positively not an expert on electric motors so I am willing to learn.
Pete

[DamienG]

Capacitors reduce motor brushes sparking causing radio interference If you're using 2.4gig equipment they're not necessary.

[apointofview]

Ok thanks for the info, and looks like i'll leave it as is since I am using a 2.4 radio

I am in the process of glassing the belly of the hull.....what a pain !

[apointofview]

Progress pictures for everyone. 
I glassed the bottom of the hulls with one layer of very thin fiberglass and Z-Poxy, and sanded that smooth and added another layer of just the Z-Poxy to get it a little thicker and smoother.  The last pictures show the hulls primed with Dupli-color primer and it will be finished with dDupli-color black low gloss high temp oil resistant engine paint after the interior is primed and painted with Rustoleum brown.

Painting of the superstructure has also begun and it is just as tedious as the wood work was.  Getting every nook and cranny to keep the water and steam out isnt easy.

Pete

[DamienG]

 

[apointofview]

Here is a picture of some of the progress I have made painting.

Everything has been primed and now the first finish coat is going on.

Sure wish I could have just dipped the whole boat in a vat of paint, shake it off and let it dry 

Pete

[DamienG]

Spot on Pete.

[Mike]

     Hi Pete.

     It does look good. Well done.

     Mike.

[bill stafford]

a loverly model , keep up the good work.
just a note on the water jet recovery unit, I like the idea. were I am suffers from strong winds ,and side wheel murrey river type paddlers , dont enjoy the stronger winds.
my next big paddler ,will have twin 555 drives direct to 50 mm props ,that ONLY TURN on at 90%+ full power.
the idea is it acts as a full power only boost, If the wind blows too hard ,and you loose forward motion ,you cant steer a paddler
cheers bill s