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[ChrisF]

Swordsman builds don't feature very often nowadays and to keep Zoomas/Bob's company I thought I'd post mine.


Mine is also at a scale of 1:12 and based on the Aerokits kit drawings but modified as it's the version with the aft cabin roof just below the coamings instead of level with the deck and the superstructure will lift off in one piece.


This was my first build and started over 2 years ago and then stalled as I wanted to plank the deck and not knowing how to do it (and trepidation!) started other builds, Faireys of course! 


I was soon going to come back to it anyway but Bob's build has fired up my enthusiasm to dust it off. I'm at the stage where the hull is complete apart from spray rails etc. and once a couple of small low-spots on the sub-deck have been filled it's ready to start the planking etc.


Chris

[DJW]

Hi Chris


Great to see some pics of the Swordsman. (And good to balance up this Riva forum....)


 


I'm sure the planking will be fine..! Personally I can recommend the Titebond 3 as an adhesive, it gave me time to place, adjust, clamp and be happy it was all OK before letting it cure.


Best regards and best of luck
David.

[ChrisF]

Thanks David

I shall get some Titebond and do a practise piece before I start on the deck.

Chris

[zooma]

Hi Chris,


I was also tempted to make the bows from solid balsa wood and carve it to shape, but I have stayed with the Aerokits construction method and will take the plywood skins all the way to the front.


This does mean that I won't have to option to make such a shapely bow as yours (much like the Huntsman 31) but my last Aerokits Swordsman performed well enough so I will stay with it and look forward to seeing if it runs as well as I remember........but I have no idea how "scale" the kit plan bows are?


It would be nice to meet up when both 1/12 scale Swordsman boats are completed and give them a run together.  You would be most welcome to come along to our club as my guest if you fancy a trip to the seaside sometime next year - and if the Covid situation makes it safe for us to do so.


I will take some more pictures of my build so we can compare the Aerokits construction with the lift-off cabin construction you have changed yours to.  Your construction (as per P.Connolly plans) will give much greater access to everything inside the hull, so I can see the appeal and hope my big hands can still reach inside the Aerokits version as I only have the lift off cabin tops to provide access.


Stay safe!


Bob.

[ChrisF]

Hi Bob

With hindsight and experience of builds since I started the Swordsman I could have continued the bottom skins further forward. And whilst I've got some flare in the hull I think it could have done with it extending a bit further back. Maybe tackling it in a similar manner to what I did with the Huntsman in ply though that was a bit of a pig! These are the biggest blocks of balsa I've used in a hull and don't particularly want to do it again, if you can get it that is! Once on the plane the amount of flare won't really matter! I know that you are not a fan of a complete lift off superstructure but our lake is quite small which limits how hard you can run bigger boats and you have to be careful of not hitting the buoys used for racing.


Actually regarding the flare, I've just had another look at the photo I used for reference and whilst it's difficult to see, the amount of flare doesn't look to be that great, unlike the Huntsman, so I'm happy enough with it.

Thanks for the invite, that would be good. Hopefully things will be much better then.

So much for just a couple of low-spots on the sub-deck where the side pieces meet the bow and transom pieces. I'd put the timbers to form the camber of the deck fore and aft but this has resulted in the thin 0.8mm ply "sagging" between them so I had to coat the whole of the bow area with P38. This was sanded outside and just finished before the rain came down again. A few pock marks to be filled but otherwise it's ready to start on the decking etc.

No problem with the Huntsman as I've run the formers from side to side and certainly not with the Huntress (which is another build that's crept in!) as the deck is flat. So it's on with the decks.

Chris

[ChrisF]

Continuing with the Swordsman, with reference to photos I drew out the bow detail which I was going to use as a template. Decided to then screw the 2 pieces of 1.5mm x 100mm mahogany sheet to the deck so that I could trim it slightly oversize and then sand it to the edge of the bow so that it would be a good fit with the rubbing strips once fitted.

The shape of the bow piece was then drawn on it and cut out with the scroll saw. Had to cut 2 of the first piece as the first one broke when cutting the tight radius. Reduced the risk of it happening again by drilling a hole and cutting the radius first followed by the arms. The 2 pieces were then glued in place with slow cure CA.

One photo shows the card template ready for cutting the edge pieces out.

Chris

[ChrisF]

Further photos.

[ChrisF]

The edging was then cut slightly oversize and clamped to the deck so that it could be sanded back to the edge of the deck. Once this had been done it was removed and a 5mm width marked at close intervals all down the side and the dots joined up with my large curved rule.


It was then cut out on my scroll saw (carefully!), sanded to the line and then glued to the deck as per the bow pieces.


Photo shows the first edge piece glued in place and the other being sanded to the edge of the deck.


Chris

[zooma]

Looking good Chris,


Once the edges are fitted  - wouldn't it be easier just to plank directly to the deck?


Bob.



 

[ChrisF]

Hi Bob

Tempting isn't it! When planking directly onto the deck you would either use edging as shown or the first plank but thicker than I'm using and pre-bend it before gluing down and then do the same with the following planks. Difficulty of course is holding the planks in place on the bow area though with accurate bending and CA it can be done.

Advantage with Joe's method is that using 0.5mm planks and being able to clamp easily you don't need to pre-bend. Disadvantage is having to produce an accurate ply base to sit within the mahogany. I'm going with this approach as I've got the planks already - wish me luck!

Chris

[zooma]

Good luck !

[madwelshman]

Great thread Chris and looks like you're back into the stride of things again.


Also great, is seeing the 3 hulls beside each other. Really shows the differences in hull shape/design.


Another one for me to bookmark 


Will

[ChrisF]

Thanks Will

I've made a little more progress, on all 3 (!), so will update shortly.

If you haven't seen it already, check out RadioJoe's Hunters Moon build.

Chris

[ChrisF]

Just to conclude the builds here's the other 2 which are more advanced i.e. ready for paint, which I should have done this year!

One is a Huntsman 28 and the other is a River Cruiser, only one prototype was built and was based on a Huntress hull but with greater freeboard.

The other photo is another one of the Huntress, the smallest hull in the photo of the 3 shown previously, and is a version that didn't get any further than the drawing board and has a stern drive and longer cabin.

Chris

[davejo90]

Both look very good Chris

[madwelshman]

Chris,


You can see the Huntress hull in that river cruiser straight away can't you. A good looking vessel, but that Huntress, that looks gorgeous. It's going to be a lovely model when finished.


Will

[ChrisF]

Thanks Will

Here is my side view of the Huntress. It has a slightly longer cabin and larger more modern looking side windows than the production Huntress and of course the stern-drive though some were fitted with them. I like building the classic Faireys but like to do something a bit different now and again.

Chris

[madwelshman]

Chris,


If you fancy something different, then how about a stretched huntsman, like the Swordsman marine 40.
Again, with modern windows etc.
Or, a Swordsman 30, with waterjet propulsion




Will

[ChrisF]

Hi Will

Funnily enough Bob/Zooma has been discussing the possibility of building one of the stretched Swordsmen. Getting a bit big for me though at what be 40". The Swordsman 30 would be interesting though with the waterjet and what is basically a Huntsman 31 hull.

Maybe a future project as when my current builds have progressed further I'm going in another direction with a Fairey Fisherman 27 which is a motor sailer - I fancied doing something with sails! I started the drawings sometime ago and have enough done to start building the hull.

[madwelshman]

Hi Chris,


I think the 30 would be a nice build and with the water jet as well, would make an interesting model and variation.


At the moorings by my parents, there's an Atlanta, i've often wondered if there are plans for one of those anywhere.

[ChrisF]

Bit more progress on the Swordsman. I finished the planking and it's ready for gluing to the deck now. Before I do that though I'm going to fit the mahogany rubbing strip - reason being I can varnish it and the edgings etc. and if I get any glue on them it can be sanded off easily. Before that though I needed to make a building stand, well three actually!

Chris

[madwelshman]

Cracking job Chris, that looks fantastic 

[ChrisF]

Hi Chris,


I think the 30 would be a nice build and with the water jet as well, would make an interesting model and variation.


At the moorings by my parents, there's an Atlanta, i've often wondered if there are plans for one of those anywhere.

I did have one on my possible builds list after the Fisherman but I think after the Fisherman I would have scratched all my Fairey itches! It might be quite a complicated build as well with its curved deck and superstructure and would have to be done with double diagonal planking or maybe balsa blocks? What size is the one by your parents as there is a 26 foot and a bigger one, 31 foot from memory?


Chris

[ChrisF]

Cracking job Chris, that looks fantastic 

Thanks Will - that for the Swordsman and Huntsman came out pretty well. That for the Huntress less so, as I curved the planks all the way to the prow which was stretching things a bit. With a bit more sanding etc. it should be Ok though, I hope!


Chris

[madwelshman]

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. Only so many you can build.


It's a 26 i believe.