Scratch build of a Shrimper

this really does just keep on getting better and better Alan so glad to see you've not been idle these last couple of weeks mate.

After being banned out of the workshop over Christmas and then banned again cos I had man flue I have managed to get back to the build.

So I have started to make the rigging blocks for the mast and boom, bellow are a few pics of them, the hook is carved out of a piece of lead, the rest is all brass.

oooh lovely work Alan !! as usuall mate

yes, I agree.lovely stuff.

neil.

I agree with Phil and Neil great work.

The pully blocks for the mast and boom are finished and fitted, plus a double one at the bottom of the boom. I had a bit of trouble with the rope (string) it had a mind of it's own, so it was soaked in hot water, fitted and bits of lead put on the hooks.

I have also made a small electric whinch to work the hooks on the boom

Truly lovely mate and a real inspiration and such a credit to our forum that you've chosen to share this with us and the world thankyou

a veritable work of art.

Agreed. A real beauty..

brilliant matey.........I just love that little winch with the hand held buttons.simply superb.

neil.

A few more bits done, the lifebelt was one of those with plastic rope around it and didnt look right, so the plastic rope was cut off and flats filed at these points, small pieces of plastic tube cut and flats filed on these, then said plastic tube superglued to the lifebelt, filler used to marry the bits of tube to the lifebelt and then painted. When dry the rope was threaded through the bits of tube, in my opinion it looks better. Brackets where then made to hold the lifebelts.

Mounting brackets made for the axes, also rungs made for the port side to gain access to the raised forward deck.

I've just noticed looking at this work of art again, the little fish in the boxes..what did you make those from alan.

they look superb.

neil.

Hi Alan

Very nice close up shots lately but how is she looking overall?

Dave

Hi Neil, I picked the fish boxes out of a box, anything for a £1 making them 50p each, wish I had got more now. I think it was on George Turner Models stall, but I could be wrong. One pic for you Neil.

Dave, here are some pics of the whole boat as it stands now, just for you I gave the crew permision to come aboard for the photo shoot

All very nice, but not a sigle shrimp to be seen in those boxes!!

Ah, yes shrimps, mmm, well I will have to think about that, maybe change the title of the build



Alan

Alan that is a really cracking job you have done. You must be really pleased with it - you should be.

Geoff

I have made a start on the otter boards, a piece of brass was given a coat of matt black to make marking out easier, after marking out holes were drilled to get the abrafile in, for those that don’t know what a abrafile is, it is shown on the third photo with the clips that you fit it to the hacksaw with.

The otter boards were cut out in pairs and then filed to the marks in pairs.

As the boards will be fitted with Oak, the trick will be getting them to just and saw to sink, otherwise the trawl net will be floating on the top of the pond.

I have tried to make very small rivet’s to fit these boards together with little success, so I have sent away to Poland for some.

Ahh an abrafile (sometimes called a piercing saw or file) been a while since I saw one outside my workshop love the idea of using matt black paint instead of the more costly engineers blue

The trawler boards are finished as far as I can go until I get the brass rivits to put them together. The wood boards are made of Oak planks glued together, cut to shape and then soaked in Linseed oil.

Here are my efforts yesterday, the 4 blocks that will take the trawl wires, two on the frame above the winch and two on the A frame above the trawl boards.

This was my first go at silver soldering (think the parraffin blow lamp is a bit big though) but it worked out OK

Lovely work Alan

Alan I have been following this build with interest - a really quality model but I was wondering
- you have made and fitted some beautifully made brass parts, are you going to have a weight/stability
problem as most of these parts are fitted above the C of G. I haven't a clue on fishing boat type hulls
as I only build warships which are far more narrow.

Geoff

I can see your point Geoff, but it is quite a wide/deep hull so there will be a lot of ballast in the bottom of the hull, so it should not be a problem (I hope).



Alan

The rivits came from Poland that I needed to put the trawl boards together with, but some silly b****r had ordered the wrong ones, so I had to set too and make them.

So the two trawl boards are now finished,

I just sit in awe of your metalwork, alan...it really is beautiful..........it would be a shame to paint it all.

it really is stunning.

neil.

The whole build is just amazingly detailed and a real work of art

Superb workmanship

They've said it all Alan "brilliant, amazing, a work of art!" and I have to in all honesty agree with them all.

Jaw-dropping metalwork.

Looks like you could make a decent replica of a Harrison timepiece. It must
save you a fortune not having to buy commercial fittings, and the end result looks
better than anything I've seen for sale.

It's always really nice to revisit your build Alan

How is it coming along since the otter boards?

Dave

So, after playing with fast electric boats and collecting a box full of burnt out ESCs and motors I have got back to some proper modeling and finished the shrimper, although I think it should be called an inshore general fishing boat now.

OUTSTANDING Craftsmanship Alan Well done.

Thanks Damien