Bristol Pilot Cutter by michael mott - 1/8 scale - POF

[KeithAug]

Michael - loco's is good....... I find myself washing my hands even when I haven't been out - such is my paranoia. It does seem that Corvid 19 has an age prejudice.

[Bedford]

I'd follow a loco thread Michael

 

As for covid, the Sydney Heritage Fleet shipyard has been closed down and all cruises cancelled because most of the volunteers are of an age deemed susceptible

[BANYAN]

Great to hear you are well Michael, and hopefully you and family will all continue to have good health.

 

I am sure many would be interested in your 'other activity'

 

Pat

[mtaylor]

It's wonderful to see you back Michael.  I'm glad that all is well.

[wefalck]

Any progress on this front ? I also noticed that Michael seems to have last logged-in in mid-August. Hope everything is well ?

[michael mott]

Good morning Eberhard and MSW friends, Judy and I are safe and well, we are focusing on our home and garden, I gave away the big sailboat Maria to the chap I originally got it from. I am not inclined to spend 3 hours driving for 1/2 a days sailing, plus all the expenses involved with yacht club and mooring fees.

 

The Cutter is right next to my model bench and in my face as they say so not far from my thoughts. My Mojo for working on it will rise again over the winter i am sure. I have been focusing on some old model train projects and trying to finish some of them up.

Regards Michael

[wefalck]

Good to hear that you are safe. (More rural) Canada doesn't seem to be hit so hard (Canadian friends in Ontario assure me) compared to other parts of the world, but one never knows.

I go a bit concerned, as there had been no updates here on the train project either.

[BANYAN]

Glad to hear all are well Michael; I think we all suffer a case of the 'doldrums' occasionally when it come to our modelling projects.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[druxey]

Well, glad that you've surfaced again, Michael! I had assumed summer outdoor activities had taken precedence, but was beginning to wonder. Good to know that all is well in Mottingham!

[KeithAug]

I’ll be Looking forward to winter Michael. As with a lot of the world it is looking like I will be spending a lot of time indoors.

[Mike P]

Michael I’m working on a pilot Gaff cutter r/c model designed by Gary Webb Bearospace Industries on u tube if your interested in some Vide. When I decided it needed some more details I found your build and can not tell you how fantastic and informative your build is not to mention your skills and talents. I can not find the words to express my gratitude for sharing your magnificent build. Thank You Mike P

 

[mangulator63]

On 2/4/2020 at 8:12 PM, michael mott said:

Thanks again for the kind remarks, I settled on the oval handle I found a classic one that was for sale on Ebay so used that one as a guide  I liked the 2 inch square plate and the oval head screws. I set up the 1/2 inch collet in the square collet holder and made 4 cuts

 

 

The parted them off on the lathe

 

Next I turned up a ball and filed the sides to create the oval shape it took a bit of fettling to get the correct shape. It occurred to me that it would be best to make the square key part integral to the handle so after shaping the handle I reduced the diameter so that it could be filed square.

 

Slowly I filed down to the 1.2 mm to fit into the square hole in the lock, I used a bit of the same square tube as the gauge while filing to dimension.

 

 

then slid. the handle into the lock, just need to drill the screw holes in the plate and figure out the second handle for the back side of the door.

 

 

 

Michael

Sir,

I just picked up a book called "Glasgow Museums,  The Ship Models"  while reading through it I ran across a quote by Harold A. Underhill

 

Underhill instructs his readers, "for this class of model one must be willing to scrap any component which, either through accident or lack of skill, is not quite right and not to " make it do"...

"Providing one is willing to take this little extra care, there is nothing in this model which is beyond the powers of the most ordinary model maker. One may as well have [ the details] right", he stressed, "even at the expense of a little extra trouble. He went on to say, "Although personally I do not regard such construction as extra trouble,  rather as extra pleasure,  for the joy of such a model is in the making"

 

I read this quote and immediately your work came to mind.  The way you have worked and reworked out assorted construction and design problems. Your ability to "scrap out"  beautifully made parts ( IMHO)  to only recreate and construct more intricate or suiting parts to your needs or designs to provide closer scale appearance just amazes me.

 

Your skills as a model maker are truly amazing and I look forward to future installments. I would also hope you agree with me that Underhill's quote matches with your thoughts on model making.

Tim

[michael mott]

On 12/22/2020 at 12:32 AM, mangulator63 said:

Your skills as a model maker are truly amazing and I look forward to future installments. I would also hope you agree with me that Underhill's quote matches with your thoughts on model making.

Tim

Tim Thank you for your kind words. I have been down a few rabbit holes the past year, I can see the sky is appearing again. I moved the cutter back out into the middle of the workshop that other day, in order to get to the drawing board which was folded up against the wall. There are still quite a few days left before I can get out to the garden, and I am feeling the urge to get back to work on the cutter. Regarding Underhill's quote...Yes I have never had a problem with starting over on an aspect of the work, after learning that it might be better to do it again to to improve it.

 

I have a feeling that I am going to be rearranging things out in the shop again today.

Happy New and Healthy  year to everyone. 

One last thing I have been visiting the Model Ship Society of New Jersey on their Zoom meetings and have enjoyed the visits and seeing their work and presentations. So thanks to Bill Brown for the invites.

 

Michael

[michael mott]

First a bit of sorting here are a couple of shots this morning, time to put away some of the rabbit holes.

 

 

 

 

 

then rearrange the cabinets and work surfaces.

 

 

Easy passage now around the benches with better access to the cutter also set the bowsprit back out.

 

Picking up where I left off with the cabin interior will take a day or two to get back into the swing of things (doors, cupboards etc.)

 

 

I need to sort out how to lock the parts together inside the hull, a bit like putting ships in bottles really. Big pieces that have to go through a narrow opening in the right sequence.

 

 

Now for some fish and rice for supper.

 

Michael

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by michael mott
spelling

[dvm27]

We've missed your updates, Michael. I'd almost forgotten how beautiful this model is. That wood grain would look gorgeous in a full sized yacht!

[TBlack]

Michael,

I don't think I've seen a picture of your new shop. I like the windows (I'm in the basement). I know we're supposed to write about the boat, but I'm intrigued with what looks like windows over the bench where the plaid box is located and the wye for a railroad?

Tom

[michael mott]

Greg Thanks for the kind words, yes the maple is really pretty.

 

Tom.... Oh dear you have asked about a couple of my rabbit holes... The structure behind the Plaid Box is the backdrop of a model railroad layout that is built to 7/8th to the foot scale, It is a section that ostensibly is inside a locomotive factory. That will have a gantry crane and a loco being built. Sort of 1896 time frame. Based on the Crewe works and the narrow gauge tramway serving the works. I will post some pics in the non ship area. The "Y" is a small narrow gauge hospital layout based on a hospital in Quebec that had electric trains in the corridors. I will add those as well.

 

Michael

[rwiederrich]

14 hours ago, michael mott said:

Greg Thanks for the kind words, yes the maple is really pretty.

 

Tom.... Oh dear you have asked about a couple of my rabbit holes... The structure behind the Plaid Box is the backdrop of a model railroad layout that is built to 7/8th to the foot scale, It is a section that ostensibly is inside a locomotive factory. That will have a gantry crane and a loco being built. Sort of 1896 time frame. Based on the Crewe works and the narrow gauge tramway serving the works. I will post some pics in the non ship area. The "Y" is a small narrow gauge hospital layout based on a hospital in Quebec that had electric trains in the corridors. I will add those as well.

 

Michael

 

 

Michael...you're a man after my own heart.  I too build diorama scenes and play with model railroading.  Your shop is absolutely amazing...my lathe and mill are out in the garage for metal working.  I would love to see anything you wish to post concerning these other *Side hobbies*.

 

Rob(Oh... and the pilot cutter is looking fantastic)

[druxey]

Nice to see you getting back to the cutter, Michael. Some of us were getting a bit impatient while you worked on live steam and other distractions!

[TBlack]

I've noticed, pretty consistently, that boat lovers also love trains (realworkingsailor).

How ever are you going to get all that wonderful work down below, and why would you want to do that anyway?

Tom

[michael mott]

Tom the paneling is definitely a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, It will all work out and look interesting when done. I am looking forward to the gimbal stove and the chart table with some maritime instruments like these ones  parallel rule and compasses .

 

Michael

[TBlack]

Sextant?

[FriedClams]

Good to see you back posting again Michael!  I have always admired your work be it boat, loco, etc.   Look forward to updates on your projects.

 

Gary

[michael mott]

Tom... Sextant that's complicated!

 

Gary, Thanks I appreciate it.

 

The aft panels for the main cabin are now ready to be glued up, but lunch and a nap are in order first.

In order to get the paneling as clean as possible without sanding I love using my little block plane and the thickness planing jig. I needed to creat  slight taper from one end of the horizontal pieces so that the surfaces mated smoothly  so after getting to the main thickness , I added a couple of slivers of paper to create the difference from end to end.

 

 

 

All the parts are now interlocked with mortices and tenons and the panels are fitting with some ability to move.

 

 

 

Michael

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, michael mott said:

and a nap are in order first.

Hmmmm! Time marches on. Not long before we find ourselves being strapped to a commode in a nursing home.

[druxey]

Ouch, Keith! We hope to avoid that if we can.

 

Love the full size cabinetry work applied to the floating panels, Michael. Sweet!

[MichaelW]

Beautiful craftsmanship  - great work.  I am wondering....will the gimbaled stove boil water for tea?

Edited February 6, 2021 by MichaelW
Typo.

[michael mott]

A bit of a struggle this morning fitting the aft panel section I had trouble getting it to fit in the correct position so kept removing material from the top edge so that it would rotate onto place. Then did a check only to fin out that the floor was not seated properly. The it all fell into place.

 

From under the cockpit looking forward.

 

 

then with the skylights replaced

 

Now the real fun begins getting the side panels to hook into position and lock the whole works together.

lunchtime

 

Michael

[wefalck]

You could take several pictures and splice them together as a vitrtual tour through the boat under construction ... looking really like the real thing.

[Jim Lad]

Absolutely delightful, Michael.

 

John