Topic: Modeen Steam Models. (Read 7441 times)

belli · « **Reply #25 on:** November 03, 2020, 08:43:35 pm »

A little bit of progress.

If anybody has a sketch of the original Modeen 'Lee' engine please post it here.

ooyah/2 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 03, 2020, 11:52:16 pm »

Hi Have a look on this forum, there are a few Modeen engines but all twin cylinder. ( https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=search2 )

George.

belli · « **Reply #27 on:** November 04, 2020, 09:43:39 pm »

A little progress...

belli · « **Reply #28 on:** November 07, 2020, 06:53:00 pm »

Here's the first draft of the plans, probably good enuf for most builders here.
If you have any suggestions, please feel free to post them.
I've attached the profiles in the form of .pdf for all the old fuddy duddies...

I will post the CAD files for all the youngsters....

KBIO · « **Reply #29 on:** November 08, 2020, 07:57:13 am »

Hello!
Nice and fast to build !

But looking at the steam outline , I see the steam line coming out of the ''bottom'' of the boiler !
Am I wrong or is there any reason that I don't understand ??
Regards.

roycv · « **Reply #30 on:** November 08, 2020, 10:29:16 am »

Hi let me have a guess! The steam tube comes out of the top and then back down the centre flue for superheating/drying off and then to the engine.
But what do I know?
Regards
Roy

belli · « **Reply #31 on:** November 08, 2020, 01:35:26 pm »

I hadn't noticed that till now. I guess the steam pipe goes through the bottom of the boiler, perhaps does a little loop around the fire box and then out. I would like to get some dimensions of the Modeen engine as the Stuart is too much engine for this little boat (I think).

It might not be clear but the post that has the plans, the download link is above the picture....

frazer heslop · « **Reply #32 on:** November 08, 2020, 02:10:18 pm »

Bowman used the same idea for the steam pipe. Would have thought the engine will be around the same size as the Bowman Eagle at 3/8 bore 5/8 stroke single acting . The Stuart would most likely need more steam than that wee boiler can deliver .

belli · « **Reply #33 on:** December 22, 2020, 04:20:08 pm »

Progress has been made! The world's newest Modeen African Queen....

This is the efforts of the first day building. The parts went together very quickly, they were laser cut. The laser cannot clear the 1/4" bottom in a single pass without making a very black edge and so I just score it about 1/16" deep and and leaves a very nice line to follow on the bandsaw and then the disc sander. The skeg was added by me as I thought it would strengthen where the prop tube exits and it also makes sure that everything is in the correct place and in line. I little bit of fairing compound was used to smooth off. Lines were scored by the laser where the internals sit, makes fitting out the hull easier.

The next photo shows me milling the timber for the transom, I will make a solid transom (veneer) and clear coat it, should look nice, the sides will be white.

A stand has been made so that it can be flipped over and the internals started. You can see the rudder servo next to the hull.

KNO3 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 23, 2020, 01:30:50 pm »

The hull looks very nice.

Seacommander · « **Reply #35 on:** December 23, 2020, 08:19:16 pm »

Great job, really nice
Very clean build
Thanks for the update
Cheers
Mark

belli · « **Reply #36 on:** December 24, 2020, 07:30:08 pm »

The rudder is fitted. The shaft is perhaps a little long but I can always make it shorter at a later date.

The launch with a 3" x 41/2" piece of tubing, I think the boiler will be about this size. The engine is an ST but I won't be using this one, I intend making something similar.

The lumber has been milled for the internals.

Happy Christmas Everyone!

KNO3 · « **Reply #37 on:** December 25, 2020, 01:51:11 pm »

The engine and brass gear look great. I am a little worried about the rather tall boiler though because the boats centre of gravity would be high, which means it could tip over. I would make the boiler shorter.

What type of boiler are you building, with dry firebox or with the flue starting at a side?

belli · « **Reply #38 on:** December 26, 2020, 07:34:50 pm »

The little prop making jig has been started and almost finished. You can see a 1/4" hub in the centre, the first prop for the AQ will be three bladed and about 1-3/8" diameter. I will cut the blades from 1/32" material and solder them to the hub.

KNO, the boiler will be 3" diameter versus the original 2-1/2". The overall height will the same and so there is slightly more mass above the CofG than before but I don't think it will make much difference. If I reduce the height by about 1/2", it will still have the same volume and the CofG will be about the same too, haven't decided yet.

The burner will be meths almost for sure, for simplicity sake. Much the same as the original.

belli · « **Reply #39 on:** December 28, 2020, 08:15:41 pm »

After about four days of jig making and modifying, I have my first propeller. Definitely cheaper than buying one.

I made another jig that I am calling the setting jig. The blade is placed in the jig over a printed pattern to align the arm, this way all the blades will be in exactly the same orientation. The arm is then placed in the soldering jig and I have some angle gauges to set the pitch. Initially I set them at 45deg. but it looked silly and so I made them 35deg. and that looked much better. The prop will get a dose of bead blasting later as I am too lazy to use emery/files to clean it up.

I have thought of so many improvements to the jig but they will have to wait until until I need another propeller. I can also set the pitch in the jig and have a depth stop so that everything will simply slot into place in the soldering jig.

KNO3 · « **Reply #40 on:** December 28, 2020, 08:22:27 pm »

Very interesting jig and your propeller looks very good. How did you choose the dimensions and pitch of the prop?

belli · « **Reply #41 on:** December 28, 2020, 08:44:53 pm »

Hi KNO,
I used the "that looks about right-ish" CAD program. I will see what it sails like, I haven't even decided on an engine yet....

belli · « **Reply #42 on:** January 02, 2021, 08:39:47 pm »

Now that the hang-over that was 2020 is over, I made a little bit of progress.

Engine is kinda like an old ST, the new ones have those huge bulky cylinders that just don't look right. I might fabricate a few more cylinders as they were easy, a little twin like this might be good for Rose.

The standard is made from eight different pieces and then soldered together, I made a right hash of it but was determined to save the part as I have only one more day before having to return to the salt mines...

KNO3 · « **Reply #43 on:** January 03, 2021, 09:34:21 pm »

Great work! These ST engines are very nice and well proportioned.

belli · « **Reply #44 on:** January 15, 2021, 08:36:45 pm »

I began work on the fore deck.
First some mahogany was milled up and then given two coats of sanding sealer, neat, It was scored with the laser and then the grooves filled with black wood filler. In the morning I will scrape the filler back and maybe give it a light sand to clean the surface. The sanding sealer should prevent the filler from bleeding into the surrounding wood, we shall see if I was successful in the morning. There was a woopsie where I had to re-start the cut but few will notice it.

belli · « **Reply #45 on:** January 16, 2021, 08:48:49 pm »

Here's the result and it's not great, I really should have sanded it some before putting the sanding sealer. It wasn't very flat and there were some hollows that required a bit of sanding to flatten. With a smoother initial surface the sanding sealer would have sealed the surface a little better and I wouldn't have had the staining (but it is very slight). I should have used a putty knife to apply the filler as there are few places where I missed. I think the effect is good given how little time it takes. I'll try again....

To the experts: Do you think the shape/layout is good? Is this what typical planking would have looked like?

I need to find/make some really small eyelets for the stays. The smallest I can buy have about a 1/4" loop.

KNO3 · « **Reply #46 on:** January 17, 2021, 09:42:09 am »

Looks pretty good to me. However I think planning with individual planks isn't much more complicated and I prefer it.

belli · « **Reply #47 on:** January 19, 2021, 07:33:51 pm »

I made the little hatch in a similar manner, worked well but my proportions are way off. I will adjust the drawing and try again with 'wider' planks.

I also 3D printed the life buoy (life ring?), I made it kinda square-ish but looking at images now they are almost always circular. Mine measures 1.5" square-ish but is clearly well out of proportion, will remake it at about 11/8" diameter.

Ignore the block of wood underneath holding the fore deck in place and the gap in front...

belli · « **Reply #48 on:** January 19, 2021, 08:28:10 pm »

I can be so dum sometimes...

Here's the ring at 1 3/8" diameter (still a little big) but better than the other that was at 1 3/4" diameter. Discovered where I was making my mistake.

Geoff · « **Reply #49 on:** January 20, 2021, 05:20:21 pm »

One way to improve a drawn deck is after finishing to paint a few of the planks individually with the same color stain as this provides some individual darkening which draws the eye and further creates the illusion its an individually planked deck. Its surprisingly effective but subtlety is the word.

Cheers

Geoff

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Author Topic: Modeen Steam Models. (Read 7441 times)