Hello everyone,
What a pleasant surprise to find this website and forum, just what I was looking for!
A few bits about myself: I am German, but have lived in the UK since 2002 (and various other countries before that for many years), currently located in Stourbridge (western edge of the Birmingham area). I am electronics engineer, and have been in IT for most of my life (I am 53). I did some model building as a teenager, and the only picked it up again in the late nineties. Since then I have built a number of models (with a few years interruption, due to not having space for any model building activity): The first was a display model of the Bluenose, which is now in a display cabinet with a friend in South Africa. Then a scratch build sailing yacht, a Mantua police boat (converted to remote control, and there was an article published on this build) and a swamp glider.
I am currently halfway through building a Mississippi sternwheeler from a kit by Artesania Latina, and this will also be converted to RC. Other projects on the go are a small tug boat (prop driven, sorry) and at some point in the future probably a hovercraft.
However, my main aim is to build a scratch build version of the MS Waverley, complete with a proper triple-expansion steam engine and boiler. This will probably be a project to keep me busy for a few years, but I don't mind (the sailing yacht took more than 2 years).
I consider myself quite experienced with all sorts of wood work, but I am also very good with metal and electrics, and I have recently afforded myself the luxury of a small garden house, which is now my model boatyard. I am very much looking forward to contributing to this site, and also asking a lot of questions.
cheers
Wolfgang
Hello Wolfgang,
nice to have you here with us, i am German as well as you and i live also abroad but more to the south (Switzerland)
Hope to meet you at the 2014 Paddlerday, best regards Hans.
Hi Wolfgang.
Welcome to the forum.
Enjoy and post some pic's. :)
Hi scotfriend,
to be honest, I have so far practiced my skills pretty much in silence and not had much interaction with the model-building community. I am not really in touch with what's going in the world. In consequence I have no idea where and when the 2014 paddler days are held?
Hi Pd's.......& welcome Wolfgang.......we are a big world wide group with the love for paddler & many the also :kiss1 for steam
I am an example plodding on :hammer still after 13 years with my steam project.......
Your triple expansion plan is certainly a challenge & we wish you well in your progress
I enclose an image of my work tonight of the installation of a pressure gauge in the gas line to the boiler burner just prior to the gas regulator........ :crash
Best regards & keep us posted with your build progress........any questions......just ask ....Derek :beer
I wasn't quite sure about this, but here goes anyway: a few pictures of the paddle steamer I am currently building. Far from complete, but good work in progress.
Any comments welcome.