LIFEBOATS............BIGGER is better

well, now that my part in the steam lifeboat build has come to an end as far as I am concerned I have two projects that I am going to be spending my time on in the near future.........one project which I will bring to the public on here.........but won't be putting on a facebook page where the none naughty amongst us can watch.....it will be open to all..............so that might give you a clue as to what the two models built in conjunction will be..........

but the one I propose to get me back into a lifeboat build where I wont get bored is a model of a 60' Barnett class lifeboat called Princess Mary.

it is one that I have wanted to build for some years and at the proper scale of 1:12 scale will be 61" LOA.

However the plug will not be built as per my normal plugs. POF IS OUT, and foam between frames is going to be my route. Also I am not going to build it upside down and full hulled...........but am going down the route of Barrie's last build, the Billing Boats Norden where the boat hull is built in two halves and then glued together once each half has been complete.    https://www.thercmodelboatforum.com/t1578-billings-norden









so I have been on the hunt around the area, wickes, Homebase, b & q........builders yards, anyone, and the only stuff I was able to get was the stuff similar to Kingspan at anything fro 40 to 90 quid for a sheet of 8' x 4'.........totally useless as I would have no use for the majority remaining after my plug was made, and so I put my build on the backburner............until I came across the remnants of a scumbag fly tipper........a load of blue remnants of high impact foam...........it was thin stuff and had been out in the rain for a little while and the plasterboard had finally become detached from the foam............like a womble I picked it all up that I could reach without ripping my hands and legs apart on the brambles entwined around the rest................but I think I might have enough to build a 60" hull and it cost me nothing.


I have the ply for the keel and frames.......had the building board but threw it away thinking i'd never build scratch again, but looks like I am, lol..........so need another board, now got the foam............and will get a bottle of glue.............just need the weather to get warmer.......and then i'll be off, lol........oh joy

this will be another epic warts and all saga.....all criticism welcome.......it's not a kit., lol.

Collecting things like a Womble you say?
Now I can compare thee to a summers day,well not quite,but Great Uncle Bulgaria springs to mind so you must be he lol.
But whoever you may be,it should be a great model.
Cant wait for you to get started!
Mick F.

battleshipbuff wrote:

Collecting things like a Womble you say?
Now I can compare thee to a summers day,well not quite,but Great Uncle Bulgaria springs to mind so you must be he lol.
But whoever you may be,it should be a great model.
Cant wait for you to get started!
Mick F.

Well I ain't someone else, if that's what you mean lol..........i'm me, neil.

Bigger lifeboats is always better!!!

Yehhhhhhh......right on lol.

I'VE BEEN COLLECTING A LITTLE MORE.................for my build of the Barnett.

I have been out to the local builders timber merchants and bought both the timber for the building board, 20mm faced plywood and half a sheet of 4mm faced plywood for the frames.

I have "wombled" the foam board and have plenty of glue for all the fabrication. just waiting now for the new owner of the half built steam lifeboat and moulds for it to come along and collect.

he/she, (giving no more away than that) is going to do something with it eventually and get it working under water jet power, and I will have the space to continue the build of the new lifeboat...........will even move the Calmac Jupiter to a less dusty environment to make more space for the build..

well.................my start of my new model has come to an abrupt end for a few days...................................


no, not a modelling injury...........a very frightened runaway dog, trailing its lead behind it, was in danger of being run over by motorists.................so I went to help and retrieve it.........and the s o d  bit my hand...........so have had to have two lots of anti biotics and a tetanus shot in the arm...........and i'm feeling very queasy and sickly at the moment.......just my luck.

That's a bit nasty Neil, did you complete the task of saving the dog or did it come to an untimely end ?

it was rounded up by the local dog warden so the police said later that afternoon, so at least it was safe.........believe it was chipped as well.

good ending in the end.

right!,

ready to get back to things now that the plasters have come off my hand................and guess what...........I've lost my carbon paper to trace the outlie of the profile for the hull to transpose onto my 4 mm ply...........stalled at the first hurdle, and taking the kids out tomorrow, so it'll be Tuesday before I can look for the stuff......

will get there in the end.

think I overdid it on the foam collection..............cut into uniform width strips, I've enough there to build a big Titanic, nevermind a lifeboat...............but don't worry folks that ship is overdone and a rivet counters paradise, lol.

at least it was free ..................and two different thicknesses..........that lot would have cost me a fortune to buy.