I rang up to find out about some fittings as there is a set available, just the white metal ones are £40 so as I hate them any way as they are so heavy and I usually make my own, the idea of making the build a bit quicker so you all don't get board with the blog just flew out the window.
So as I usually try to buy vents "IF" they look right I had a good look around to see what I could find, they where either to big or to small or ugly, so for the first time I decided to try and make some, I spent a night cutting up some styrene ones I had to try to make them look the job ended up with a bag of styrene bits for the bin.
Attempt two.
Brass I had bought a Doming block some time ago to make the fire hydrants for my 34" fire tender but didn't get around to use it so I thought I would give it a go, so as I don't have a sphere turning tool I had to cheat and do it with a file and spinning it and a bit of wet and dry, anyway made a few punches and found that if I did it to the larger size first then did it again on the smaller size it seemed to work best, but my wrists may not work for a week. Anyway I got eight good ones made and trimmed them down and flattened them out on a file then wet dry paper and they came out ok. The tube is just a bit of K&S tube that I cut at 45 degrees then got my only half round file and for once it was the right curve and rounded the cut, I decided to silver solder as it does not show as much as lead solder and if I decide to make them so they can be bolted on, I can soft solder the base without it all falling apart.
The top picture shows the parts, on the top the brass block and some of the punches I made and below the stages to make a vent.
I wanted the vents before I preceded with the hatches so I can place them in the correct place as I had a problem last time with spacing for the vents and opening hatches, and it is sometimes an idea to be able to place some fittings and be able to move then the odd 1/16.

At last there done...... Phew. Last set of them I'll try and make, they look ok, but will look better with a coat of white paint on them, the top picture shows the cut, I first cut a 45 degrees cut then with a half round file scalloped it out. I tend to make jigs for most solder jobs I said in the previous part that I was going to silver solder them but I could not find any fire bricks to rest the bits on and the heat proof mats where melting so I went with soft solder and a dab of superglue to hold the base in, the bases where turned to fit inside the tube and have the flanges at the bottom I drilled them and taped them 10ba as I like to try and bolt fittings on especially if I have spent some time making them.
The bottom picture shows the finished items, to me they look too big, but according to the plans x2 I have and measurements of pictures they are actually a bit small, so when the paint goes on and the fittings go on around them they may blend in, on the picture you can see the decks finished with the Fibreglass sheet.

Now I have the vents I can start on the hatches, the front hatch slides so it does not need clearance above as the others do, and is bit wider it also has a pair of doors on the lower bulkhead so it all has to fit together I put the top frame on first top picture then cut the recess out for the doors, they where made on a thin piece of plasticard and will have a few grooves put in to look like boards at this size hinges would not show. The final part is to slide them together as in the lower picture, so its just a few supports and the brass hand rails and then on to the next hatch.
In the pictures you can see the doubler's under the edge of all the roof tops, these can be seen in the picture of the full size boat, and does Improve the look as well as the strength.

Still not happy with the vents I may lower them a mill or two as they still don't look what I want.
This is why my tug is in to its 8th year and rebuild four or five and my other tender is on its second re fit without it seeing paint.
But this will finish soon!

Not a lot today, but a lot of time doing it! I made the front hatch above the steering position, another sliding hatch, but it has to be able to have the mast lay flat on top of it so you have to mock up the mast to make shore it does clash. I found out the hard way on my 34" boat it would not go any lower than 30 degrees at first. I made a few brass wire handles at the same time.
One of the other jobs today was to start the prep for paint as I go. I had not fitted the deck at the very back so that was fitted, and some filler as the transom was a bit tatty on the hull I got at the top so I left it a bit long and used it as shuttering (didn't need that much), and at the same time filled the joint where the beck's join, this is the first bit of filler( cosmetic) as I try not to use any and a bit of extra time spent fitting can pay dividends later. there is a red arrow on the picture pointing to the extension to the hatch that was spotted on the picture of 93 I posted, This one original picture was blown and studies for hours when I built my last boat and it gave me so much information, and still is, I printed it out blown up and set about it marking all the detail on it. Then listed it, time spent thinking what you are going to be able to achieve, and how with some sketches. I tend to have a good stock of shaped styrene and brass. One because I don't get out but it's handy to just place bits together to see if it will make up a particular shape you are trying to make a particular part. An example of this is the tow hook I made for my 34" boat it is in the main K&S brass of different sizes and it was made with simple tools and the drill was just a minI craft 12v with stand it just takes time. (lower picture 34" tow-hook ) the one for this boat probably will be a bit simpler and not a working model.

Ok tonight it's sort a problem time, when I was fitting the shafts I spent a lot of time lining things up and putting stops so when I bonded them they would be in the right place, well it didn't work... for some reason and I think it was down to the plate that fits to the hull on the skeg was at the wrong angle, so when I tightened it with the Stablit it lifted the inside end a bit, so now the motor does not line up! I had been lazy and ordered a pair of motor mounts then set about altering them to fit my motors, so I decided to make new ones, the top picture shows a method to get the mount lined up, I use a spare long shaft and a brass boss drilled to be a tight fit on the shaft, slide it to the mount and you can see if the angle is wrong, it was a mile out and the hole for the motor was too low.
I made a new bracket and the end of the shaft has a point that marks the centre of the motor I used the brass boss to align the angle first. it's then down to drill for the motor and finish.
The next part has a picture of the finished mount it may give you an idea what I was trying to do, it seems to work well and the motor is now spot on, just need to check the other.

I also did a bit on the superstructure, I needed to put the bead around the superstructure to try and make it a bit more watertight and to set the exact height of the superstructure above the deck now it is finished, it's just a simple mitred bead, you can see the deck a bit in the picture and the amount of filler I had to use to get the transom flat.
Also there is a picture of the first cleat I will tell how they are made in the next part.
It's the first and last cheap hull as it was more trouble than it was worth, I spent a bit of time going over the hull and superstructure with wet and dry. The idea is to keep it as near finished as possible so when it comes to paint there is not hours of sanding that gets rushed so you can paint.
The updates may now be every other day as some of the jobs are a bit fiddly and take time, so you would probably get bored if I did them in detail.

I took a couple of centimetres of 4mm x 4mm Brass and milled some slots in the middle 3mm long, then turned it in the vice and used a couple of brass rods to get it level then milled flats between each one, top picture, followed by a slot in the centre of each as in the lower picture.
This was all done by eye as near enough is all I can work to, and they are going to be cleaned up with a file to get them to the final shape, if I had some bullnose cutters it would of saved a bit, but as there are only four and they are spread out they don't have to be spot on. The lower picture in the previous section shows one that still needs a bit of work to finish it I like to drill hole's to fix them with some kind of fixing even if it's just a pin soldered to them so that it can be fixed in case it gets knocked, if I have spent an hour making the fitting I don't want to loose it, as making one replacement takes as long as making four.
I have made these with just a small Minicraft drill, they just take a little longer. What you have to do is look at any fitting and break it down to several steps.

Morning my fire boat friends,
I have no pictures today as the batteries are flat and it wont run of dry cells very well, but I will take some and add.
I finished of the cleats, that took a bit longer, if I had spent more time when machining them it would have been quicker, anyway they seem to me two sizes according to the pictures I have the rear ones are a bit bigger. So I have done that and drilled some holes in the ends for fixing. When you see them on the deck they are flat but because of the finish of the deck is a bit like glass it looks like there is a gap, the same for the superstructure beads (good excuse).
I have made the mount for the mast and fitted it, just a simple flat piece of brass band with the ends bent at 90 degrees and a hole for the mast to bolt to this is fitted from beneath with a bit of plasticard to hold it.
I made a pair of inserts to hold the foam monitors, these will be fitted in the front and rear roof's. I got some conflicting info on where they go so they are not fitted yet, the front one is off centre and towards the rear, but the rear one is central, but is shown towards the rear in one source and central in another so that is what is to be sorted, I am going to put some stiffeners around these mounts and will use a long rod to get them upright when fixing. By fixing them this way the hydrants can be removed, fitted later, or changed to a different pattern, it also gives me the option to make them work and move.

Ok hear are the pictures I only did an hour today fitted the mounts for the hydrants, and put a bit of support in. On the front lid you can see the mark I made to fit it originally, that was shown on the Vosper plans, but when you look at the pictures it's a lot further forward, in practical terms it was probably moved during the re fit it had, as the operator would not have been able to stand behind it pointing forward in the plan placement.

I find that life belts you buy look very toy like, but with a bit of work they can be Improved.
I start with a standard ring and cut the cord that is a moulding off, then get my knife and clean as much flash of as possible, followed by a wet and dry sand (wet) with 2000 paper to take the glaze of and give it a mat look and remove any cast marks,
then with a steady hand and a fine drill, just drill through the rope holding bands. The last hole can be drilled on an angle to come out the back (bottom of the ring).
Start at the one that has the extra hole to the back and I find that if you put a drop of superglue on the cord and let it dry then cut at 45 degrees when dry it is easier to get through, the end then goes through to the back. I have found if you space it out and then pull it back a fraction then a spot of glue and pull it in to the band to hold it, put the glue on with a pin or knife as you only need a spot as it "wicks" down the cord.
The bottom picture shows the before and after. I think it's an Improvement on the standard for 10 min work.

Sorry about the break, but the jobs took time and not a lot to show for a lot of work, a lot was finishing bits off, I made some inserts for the bottom of the vents and at the same time I shortened them a few mills, they where taped 10ba so they can be bolted on, in the top picture you can see the end of the bolts showing I will shorten them after the vents have been painted and ready for the final fit. I have fitted the scramble net brackets and the life raft holders and the last two hatches, you will see why you need all the fittings before you can drill for the vents as they all need to be spaced, the hatches on the rear roof open upwards so vents need to miss them, its a bit tight, I think the vents may be a fraction bigger in dia than they should be but they are staying as they where a pain to make.
I have fitted the brass hand rails they will be bolted on in the end and I may leave them un-painted as they are very small and thin and paint could loose all the shape of them.
A hint on the way I fit them is some people superglue the rod in them but I like to solder as they are so small, but I only solder one joint at the end, that is enough and you don't have to worry about the spacing.
There is not much to do on the two mail hatches just a few vents and some filler caps, the mid section needs the crane mounts fitting and I have them ready and a few fuel caps on there as well.
The roof over the steering position needs the ant mount search light and horn plus the mast rest, but they ALL need the mast fitting first so I'll have to get on to make shore they all miss each other as with it folding down it can be a bit tight.
So on to part three, lets have some feedback.