Germania Nova 1911 by KeithAug - FINISHED - Scale 1:36 - replica of schooner Germania 1908

[Roger Pellett]

Tom,

I agree,  particularly in modern sailing yachts where much weight is concentrated in outside ballast (lead keel).

 

[FriedClams]

As others have stated, excellent work on the life rings and associated details.  Your posts are always a pleasure to read.  The launch promises to be a build within a build - looking forward to it.

 

Gary

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, FriedClams said:

The launch promises to be a build within a build - looking forward to it.

 

Thank you Gary. I am planning to cheat a little. 

 

 

The left hand arrow is pointing at the boats wheel. This is actually aligned fore and aft which I can't really get my head round. I suppose the crew get used to it but to me it is daft (never seen one on a car for instance). I think I am going to have to mount it on the bulkhead just in front of it. 

The right hand arrow is pointing the the seat under which the engine is mounted. Every time I see you guys building engines I get jealous so I am going to move this seat rearward and put an exposed engine in the launch. I know the launch should have a modern Volvo Penta but I think the owner has manage to source a 1920's twin pot petrol engine, that i think is more in keeping.

I hope that going a bit of piste won't get me banned from MSW.

 

 

[druxey]

Is that wheel a handwheel by any chance?

[wefalck]

I think I have seen this strange fore-and-aft arrangement for a steering wheel on some naval launches too. Surely needs a bit of time to get used too - can lead to fatal errors (the pilot-schooner ELBE Nils is building here on the forum was run over by a freighter a few years ago because the amateur helms-man confused putting the helm to starboard with putting the rudder over to starboard ...).

 

Since I saw these beautiful 3D-printed WWI aero-engines available in 1:72 and 1:48 scale I am tempted to make a (free-lance) runabout with one of those - post WWI a lot of these became surplus and were used in speedboats.

[Wintergreen]

I too have seen wheels mounted to the side.

Awkward - yes. But it saves a 90 degree turn for the steering cables at least.

Twin pot petrol sounds likely. But what about a SABB diesel 😉 Link to youtube

 

Keep it up!

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, druxey said:

Is that wheel a handwheel by any chance?

Druxey - not quite sure what you mean but it is definitely the boats wheel.

 

50 minutes ago, Wintergreen said:

Awkward - yes. But it saves a 90 degree turn for the steering cables at least.

 

Hakan - I think my preference would be to invest in a couple of extra pulleys.

 

Eberhard - I have not seen the 3 D printed engines - must look them up.

[TBlack]

Is that yet another launch sitting on the port side under canvas?

TB

[KeithAug]

4 minutes ago, TBlack said:

s that yet another launch sitting on the port side under canvas?

TB

 

Tom - its a RIB - next on the list after the Launch.

[wefalck]

The company that makes them is called Small Stuff: https://www.smallstuffmodels.com/p/products.html#!/1-72-Detail-Sets/c/4286864. However, I just realised that there may be supply disruption due to the war ...

 

Most of the engines are of the radial type, but they also have a couple of others:

That's a Mercedes 200 hp one.

 

 

 

[KeithAug]

45 minutes ago, wefalck said:

Most of the engines are of the radial type, but they also have a couple of others:

 

Eberhard - yes I found them - very nice but I don't think mine will be that complex.

[Bedford]

Keith, the fore and aft wheel is not uncommon in launches like that, I'd be inclined to keep to the original. If nothing else it's a bit of a talking point.

[KeithAug]

25 minutes ago, Bedford said:

I'd be inclined to keep to the original.

It hurts my head too much 🙃

[Jim Lad]

Been a while since I checked in on your beautiful build, Keith.  It used to be quite common for launches, especially work boats, to have a fore and aft aligned steering wheel.

 

John

[KeithAug]

23 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

It used to be quite common for launches, especially work boats, to have a fore and aft aligned steering wheel.

Hi John - It must be to confuse potential thief’s.

[Bedford]

In reality I'd say it's to keep the cockpit and deck area as clear as possible for load carrying

[KeithAug]

I made a start on the launch. I don't have the section lines for the hull so i needed to create these. In the following photo I have coloured in the points / lines that I could deduce from various photographs.

 

 

I had a fairly good side view from which I could take the keel, waterline, and deck lines. I also had a fairly good picture of the stern and I had a dimension for the maximum beam. From this information i made a guess at the vertical section lines and then plotted the horizontal section lines. I then drew best fit curves to form the horizontal sections and transferred these back on to the vertical sections. I then smoothed the vertical section lines and plotted these back on to the horizontal sections. I iterated around several times until both horizontal and vertical section lines formed smooth curves.

 

 

I then cut 1/8" plywood frames and glued on the section drawings. 

 

 

I then cut slots in each of the frames to take the keel. All of the frame blanks had been cut accurately to exactly the same size thus facilitating  accurate cutting of the slots on the table saw.

 

 

The frames were then cut out using a scroll saw.

A piece of scrap wood  was then slotted to take the frames and the frames were glued in pace with a keel piece maintaining alignment.

 

 

Prior to fairing the frame edges were highlighted with a permanent marker.

 

 

Balsa blocks were then glued in at the bow and the fairing was done with a sanding block.

 

 

The position of the engine was then determined by plotting the line of the prop shaft.

 

 

The bulkhead for the transverse seat position was then installed (1 frame rearward of the actual position).

 

 

The stern bulkhead on the launch is quite thick so the aft most bulkhead was widened to reflect this.

 

 

Finally these additional bulkheads were sanded to match the fairing of the other frames.

 

 

Small hulls are much quicker to make than big ones. I must remember this thought.

Edited March 15, 2022 by KeithAug

[BANYAN]

A very nice bit of deductive assembly here Keith.  Looks like your hull will be very close to actual.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited March 15, 2022 by BANYAN

[KeithAug]

Thank you Pat and thanks to everyone for the likes.

 

I resolved to plank the hull using a professional modeller approach.

 

I used masking tape to measure the hull in 3 positions.

 

 

The measurements were taken from bow to stern at frames 1, 4 and 7 respectively. I was aiming for a plank width of about 0.1" or 3.6" at full scale. The respective half hull measurements were 1.343", 1.619" and 1.407 inch. I decided to use 15 planks which gave the following plank widths:-

 

Frame 1 - Bow = .089"

Frame 4 - Mid = 1.08"

Frame 7 - stern = .094" 

 

The observant of you will be looking at the sketch and thinking - "He was having a bad decimal point day".

 

I decided on a plank thickness of .030" with the expectation that this would give me a sanding margin to smooth the hull.

 

I dutifully shaped the first plank to the required widths and applied it to the hull using PVA wood glue. I tried to keep the glue off those frames that would be removed later.

 

I also dutifully shaped the second plank but decided it didn't look right - "After all, a plank needs to go where a plank wants to go"! So that was the end of the scientific approach and I subsequently shaped the planks just as the hull instructed me.

 

 

Progress was slow and sure - in the main dictated by the drying time for the glue.

 

 

A liberal use of clamps, notice board pins, clothes pegs  and elastic bands eased the process.

 

 

 

Planking got trickier as I approached the keel as the degree of plank twist increased.

 

 

 

Getting glue on to the .030" plank edges without spreading it on the removable frames was somewhat tricky and my guess is i didn't always get it right - a problem waiting for future resolution.

 

Fitting the last plank look a deal of time. I used masking tape over the hole and traced the shape using a flat sided pencil.

 

 

The making tape was then cut and the profile transferred to a plank.

 

 

The plank was then cut out and transferred to hull - job done.

 

A bit of light sanding followed, taking care not to sand through the planks.

 

 

I still need to do more sanding but I am nervous😫.

 

So that it, another week gone and only a partially complete 7' hull to show for it.

 

I have a rather distracting few days ahead so I'm expecting building activity to be a bit curtailed. Hopefully normal service will be resumed thereafter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith Black]

 The little launch is taking shape quite nicely. 

[KenW]

This is a great tutorial on planking. 

Very well done.

 

[Jim Lad]

A delightful piece of work on the launch hull, Keith.  I hope it came off the jig without any problems.

 

John

[michael mott]

A rather lovely little launch, Looking forward to how you do all the rest of it.

 

Michael

[FriedClams]

Excellent fitting of those planks Keith.  It's going to look great all finished and shiny.  Mahogany?

 

On 3/24/2022 at 2:00 PM, KeithAug said:

Getting glue on to the .030" plank edges without spreading it on the removable frames was somewhat tricky and my guess is i didn't always get it right - a problem waiting for future resolution.

 

What has worked for me before, is a liberal rubbing on of bee's wax to the removable piece.

 

Gary

[KeithAug]

52 minutes ago, FriedClams said:

bee's wax to the removable piece.

 

 

Gary - Good tip. Now where did I park my time machine?

 

Perhaps just better to remember it next time.

[Retired guy]

That is some very nicely laid planks Keith don't see a gap anywhere 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[KeithAug]

Thank you Keith, Ken, John, Michael, Garry and Richard. Your comments are always welcome.

 

I haven't had a very productive week due to other priorities. I did get a few hours over the weekend to make more progress on the launch. I started by sanding out the remaining dimples on the external surfaces of the planking. I didn't sand through anywhere which was a bit of a relief.

 

 

I also sanded away the plank ends at the stern.

 

 

I then set about sanding the stem flat in preparation for adding the stem piece.

 

 

I then glued the stem piece in position - held in place by a couple of elastic bands.

 

 

This piece was then faired into the hull.

 

Next came the pair of bilge keels, I decided to mount these using location pins of .040" wire. I marked the position of the pin holes on the hull using masking tape. The holes were then drilled at the correct angle using a tilting vice.

 

 

The bilge keels were cut out from strips of mahogany before being shaped to the curvature of the hull.

 

 

The keels were then drilled and the pins fitted.

 

 

Finally the keels were glued in place - again held with rubber bands.

 

 

 

Next came the rudder - filed from a piece of brass bar.

 

 

I also made the prop shaft bearing which has an extension to protect the screw.

 

 

The prop shaft is a piece of .040" rod.

 

 

At the size of the launch I didn't put an enormous amount of effort into the screw. I machined the rough profile into the end of a .312" brass rod - parted off the screw and finished the shaping with a file.

 

 

 

I then temporarily fitted the screw and the rudder.

 

 

 

As I said I haven't made a lot of progress.

 

 

[wefalck]

These bilge-keels are rather large for a motor-launch, I have feeling. They are as big as those in sailboats for tidal waters, that are meant to sit upright on them in the mud. 

 

I also wonder, what will happen to the prop-shaft, when you hit something with the 'protective' pin sticking out from the bearing? It will probably bend the shaft ... or will there be a bar connecting this to the keel-fin?

 

[Keith Black]

 Really nice work, Keith. It looks like the launch will sit perfectly upright on Germania's deck. 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Keith Black

[michael mott]

Lovely planking job Keith of course the brass work is up to your usual standard as always.

 

Michael