Will Everard by Micklen32 - Billing Boats - 1:67

[Micklen32]

Thanks again all

 

No propeller Kip

 

Hi Joe. Billing are notorious for a lack of instruction. A lot of work has to be done using the full size plans

One thing I would advise you to do is replace the rubbish deadeyes and blocks. They really aren't up to it

Cornwall model boats do a great range

 

I haven't been on the models for a couple of days. Yesterday a busy day at my club and today a great days fishing

I should get a few hours on it tomorrow and over the weekend

Watch this space

[sawdust]

 Hello Mick . No propeller then why worry about throttle control. Alternatively add a propeller. Dear Mr billings  has trouble deciding which time period his kit represents .

 Kip

[egkb]

I thought she may have had an auxiliary engine, would you believe it never even occurred to me that this steel sailing barge may have had none!

 

Eamonn

[Micklen32]

Yeah, I know what you mean Kip

There is only the name Will available to put on the boat so you would have thought that would be later on in its life

Question is though, when was she finally fitted with an engine

[egkb]

Hi Mick, I did a little research on the Engine question and found this..  The Bold Text and Underlining are done by me.

History

Completed in 1925 as theWILL EVERARD by J H Fellows & Co, Great Yarmouth, for F T Everard and Sons Ltd, of Greenhithe, this vessel was one of four sister steel-hulled spritsail barges built between 1925 and 1926 at the same yard for this owner. They were large coasting barges able to load 280 More

Completed in 1925 as theWILL EVERARD by J H Fellows & Co, Great Yarmouth, for F T Everard and Sons Ltd, of Greenhithe, this vessel was one of four sister steel-hulled spritsail barges built between 1925 and 1926 at the same yard for this owner. They were large coasting barges able to load 280 tons of cargo and boasting the largest set of canvas of all the sailing barges – some 5,600 sq ft, not including the balloon foresail. She was mulie rigged, with a gaff mizzen. Everard’s used her in the coasting trade for over 40 years, often within the Thames and Medway estuaries but also to a variety of ports on the south and east coasts from Poole to Goole. They secured the contract to supply coal from Keadby on the Humber to the gasworks at Margate, and WILL EVERARD once made this passage in 30 hours.  Her other cargoes included cement, china clay, oil cake and rice. She was also a frequent competitor in barge matches, when her normal crew of three was augmented by extra hands, but was not a very successful racing barge. In trade WILL EVERARDhad a grey hull with pink bottom, black rails and a gold sheer line. She traded under sail alone until 1950 when an auxiliary engine was fitted. The loss of space reduced her cargo load to 240 tons of grain.

 

The original piece is at this web address: http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/234/will   Just click on it and hopefully it will take you to the article.

 

 

Best of Luck Mick

 

Eamonn

 

PS there is another nice bit about Will here too: http://www.thamesbarge.org.uk/barges/barges/will.html

 

E

[Micklen32]

Thanks a lot for that Eamonn

 

I am just about to start work for the day

Thinking about those life boat thingeys

I cannot find a photo with them on   

Therefore they are not going on

Right, couple more minutes of looking at photos to get a colour scheme going, then on with the work   

[Micklen32]

Ok made a start today

I have painted the sides of the main roof/hatch and also added an opening that looks like a sliding hatch as that is obvious on several photos

 

 

I am going to paint the top green and I will try to leave the hatch and window edges natural as they seem to be on the photos I have seen

 

Be alright do you think   

Edited January 24, 2014 by Micklen32

[sawdust]

Well Mick we have Eamonn to thank for coming up with a date for fitting the engine Thank you Eamonn!! I am not crazy about those lifeboat containers either.  and they detract from the overall appearance don't they? I think your colour choice will be fine  . They have probably changed many times in recent years.

   Your build and the discussion it has provokedhas revitalised  my interest in sailing barges.

 Thanks Kip

Edited January 24, 2014 by sawdust

[egkb]

Hi guys, I concur re the Inflatable Life raft canisters, they might ruin the nice feel of the barge I think they may also be a somewhat modern addition (at least looking like those canisters!), perhaps the last 40 to 50 years or so (ok not the most modern  ) but most likely after the engine was fitted.

I shouldn't think anyone will complain if you leave them off.

 

Colour looks great Mick

 

Have Fun

 

Eamonn

 

Those barges are indeed nice boats Kip

[Micklen32]

Managed to get a bit more done today

Put the ribs on the dropkeels and a coat of paint

I also roughly put together the wheelhouse

 

 

The wheelhouse is very rough with wet glue and will need cleaning and scraping but it's made a start

The dropkeels on the instructions show eight ribs running straight vertically

However all the photos show three ribs running at quite an angle so that's what we got   

More to do tomorrow   

[Micklen32]

Been hard at work again today although it don't look as if I have done much

 

 

I have given the big bit on the deck its first coat of green

Also a few other bits have a coat of green on them though they look as if they will need several coats

I have built something with portholes and a couple of other brass thingummybobs sticking out of it   

I painted the gears etc of the bit that goes at the front, grey

And I have painted the top of the wheelhouse white, fitted a shelf at the back and fitted window frames

Well that's it

Tomorrow I have another bit to build to go on the deck and no doubt I will do some more painting

It's all coming together slowly   

[egkb]

Will look amazing when you pop them all in place Mick, and all your hard work will be worth it.

 

Take Care

 

Eamonn

[popeye the sailor]

sub assemblies are like that.......you won't see the progress until everything is on the deck..........then you'll have gone a mile!!!

 

nice bit of progress! 

[Micklen32]

Thanks a lot all   

 

Done another few hours work

 

 

I have made another hatch/roof thingummy

That is the last large item for the deck though there are quite a few gears and rigging bits to go on 

I have also given most things their final coat of paint and some stain where I think it should be dark natural

I am at my club tomorrow so not a lot will get done, but my next job is 'glazing' all the windows and fitting window frames

Then I need to start fitting things followed by making the rest of the pulleys etc using purely drawing as there are little to no instructions   

Edited January 26, 2014 by Micklen32

[Sjors]

It is just what Popeye is saying Mick,

 

When you put all the furniture on the deck it looks if you have done a lot !

 

So far it looks great.

Nice colours....

 

[jimmyh155]

Very interesting descriptions, guys! One thing I would like to add from the historical point of view.... In 1967 I embarked on a Mechanical Engineering course. It was a sandwich course and I spent 3 months a year for 3 years in "industry" I worked at the Newbury Diesel Company,as a fitter, in Berkshire. They were owned by the Everard Shipping company, and made some of the engines. These were monsters - many in-line cylinders. The engines would come into the factory after 40 years, I was told, for their first service! The max revolutions were 120, I remember, and the engine was direct coupled to the prop shaft. When you wanted to go astern, they would slow the engine right down and, when the compression was right, the engineer would swing a large hammer and knock the camshaft forwards. The engine would then start up in reverse!

Those were the days!!

Jimmy from Brizzie in Ozzie

[sawdust]

  Very interesting snippet of information Jimmy. Thanks for sharing.  I wonder if these were the engines they fitted ho their barges or their  larger vessels.. Do You happen to have any photos?

Kip

[egkb]

Some big marine diesels were low revving (especially those on the huge ships, and some were reduced further at the prop shaft ) from memory, even the fast revving ones were only hitting the region of about 1000 rpm (but these engines are huge affairs remember) In fact with the first company I worked for the Electrical Generator Plant on their Largest Vessel  (72000 t) was the Main Engine size on their smallest vessel (different rpm though)

 

I could only guess that the engine on the Will was smallish (but 'small' is a relative term..particularly as it is effectively an afterthought, being fitted many years later) and a lot would depend on whether it was her main propulsion or to be used in conjunction with Sail, or even simply for coming in and out of harbour!  Many of my local Schooners had 'auxiliary' engines fitted in later life but they were very low HP units fitted to assist the sails (most of these schooners top masts were 'cut' down to allow a smaller crew to operate them) or as mentioned entering'/leaving port.

 

Take Care Folks

 

Eamonn

[Micklen32]

You will all have to excuse me for a while as I have a stinking cough and cold

I feel like death warmed up

I would like to say I will get to glazing those windows tomorrow, but I am not promising

Hopefully see you soon

[egkb]

Sorry to hear about the Cough Mick, I hate those things and can totally sympathise.

 

Take Care Mate

 

Eamonn

[sawdust]

 Hello Mick,

my medicine for coughs and colds cosists of 2 oz of dark rum , a table spoon of honey,, juice of half a lemon and as much hot water as deemed necessary. Both the rumand lemon juice have antiviral properties and the honey is kills of bacteria. The hot water helps release the medicinal vapours to be inhaled by the patient. my admiral claims I have made up the medicinal properties of this drink and she is probablyright. Incidentally all ingredients except the rum are optional.

  Kip

Edited January 29, 2014 by sawdust

[popeye the sailor]

hey Kip!  run {rum}.....................too much.????...........NAWWWWWW.......never enough!!     my doctor always told me to drink plenty of fluids....    I told him   "I do........12 & 16 oz at a time!  "

[@macbride]

Mick,

I'm a first-timer who has a Billing Boats Will Everard all unpacked & just started. The instructions are scant at best, and now that I've seen & read your posts, I will simply pack things up & order myself a more appropriate "first" model boat kit.

Your posts are invaluable, so thank you.

My best wishes on your health.

[Micklen32]

Thanks for all your comments

 

Macbride, I have to say that I would not consider the Will a beginners boat as the instructions do seem to assume that you have quite a bit of foreknowledge of boat building

The very first ship I built, The Sergal Racehorse, was a really good model to start on as the instructions were very good

 

Anyway I am still not 100% but I thought I would try and do a bit to take my mind off things

I did glaze all the windows, fitted the edges and then used a little stain on them

I also placed the bits in place for the photo

 

 

I am not sure when to stick everything down as there are lots of bit and bobs, gears and pulleys, to be fitted still

Problem is I am very close to the end of the instructions and they simply say to assemble and mount stuff

I am hoping I can sort everything out from the drawings and the photos I have off the net 

I will try and get some work done over the weekend   

[egkb]

That looks Fantastic Mick, all those 'Bits-n-bobs' really make Will come alive!

 

All the Best

 

Eamonn

[Sjors]

Hi Mick,

 

That's a really colourful ship !

But I like it !!!!!

You are doing a great job on her.

 

[Micklen32]

Well I have had my first major misreading of the instructions

It's the wheelhouse

 

 

How it looks now is how if should be, it just needs cleaning up and painting

I had misread the arrows and the bit at the bottom with the portholes and shelf did not belong at the bottomof the wheelhouse where I had it

I had presumed that it fitted into those sort of slots at the bottom of the wheelhouse

However had I had my thinking head on I would have realised that the rudder wires had to go somewhere   

Anyway all sorted now and I am in the process of putting together the other pulleys and gears

I don't know where to put them, but hopefully.............................  

Edited February 1, 2014 by Micklen32

[egkb]

Those instruction seem to be a bit of a disaster Mick.. well done in sorting things out though!

 

Eamonn

[Micklen32]

Once again I spent half a day on the Will for little seeming to get done

I got the wheelhouse, wheel and steering gear   fitted

Should have retaken the first photo as it is crap  :mellow:

 

 

Not sure the angles are quite right 

I will sleep on it

 

I also, for some reason, started the lifeboat davits and was a bit worried about the thread size

 

 

To me it looks far to thick especially with that 3mm block

And white??????

Really????????????????????????????

 

Advice please 

I have lots to do and I will try and get a few hours in tomorrow as next week looks quite busy 

 

 

Follow up on this

 

This is a block with the .15mm thread I have with the Endeavour also showing the lifeboat

 

 

So??

What do think

What size and colour thread???????????

Edited February 1, 2014 by Micklen32

[egkb]

Hi Mick, the Endeavour 'rope' seems about right, but if you are in doubt about the white rope do you know if it is possible to stain it? (in Tea or Coffee of some such, the thought has just occurred to me so I really don't know if It can be done that way, I guess it would depend on what the White Rope is made out of)

 

Coming along nicely by the way.

 

Eamonn

Hope you are feeling better !