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[rnli12]

Kim,
 
Your right the vinyl outer layer is being kept on to let the numbers and letters settle before peeling back.
 
Good to see how all the names of donors have been incorporated into the lettering, lovely touch.
 
Rich

[Canterbury Coxswain]

I'm happy where I am with this 'starter model' set now. The last few days have seen me further modifying the modifications!! By that I have cleaned up some of the sanded down areas, put another thin coat of U-Pol filler in and then sanded back again to try and get a very smooth and flat finish. This meant re-doing the wheelhouse nose - where I am 99.95% satisfied, but when in the mood [and that is important] I will have another go at getting the 'front face' at its 70mm width with upright edges just sloping outwards, it will come!
You will see that instead of the old T-shirt used to cradle the hull in the Workmate, and protect the outer surface, I have replaced it with a piece of neoprene sheet. This serves two purposes - firstly it stops reminding me how much weight I have put on over the Summer period [hence its use] and more importantly it protects and 'holds' the hull in place and does not let it slip and slide. This was donated to me by a relation of a good lifeboat model friend [who is also now a model lifeboat friend!]. My wife calls this Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society [LBES] 'the Brotherhood'!
I have also used the hand sanding block and some 'wet & dry' 1200 grade paper after using the Proxxon delta sander. I added a few drops of washing-up liquid to the water to stop it clogging - works really well. This has started to give the overall impression of ownership. I have now gone past the 'phase' of being 'afraid' of the new acquisition. I think some reading this will know what I mean, it's now MINE.
Next I will start to re-mark up the nose hatch cover area and its adjacent 'neighbours'. I really am enjoying getting outside in the garden and working, slowly, away at this part of the build.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

It's just started to rain [lightly] here in the South East, so have come in to watch the Belgian Grand Prix live. I can hear Sunday lunch being prepared too - so off to get a glass of sherry!!
However, just went onto the Berthon Boat Company's website. Go to the Commerical Services section and also the Commercial Case Studies. You will see plenty of information about the Shannon build and especially the first fourteen, as this work is mainly done 'in house' at the RNLI H.Q. in Poole and their All-Weather Lifeboat centre [ALC] now. Go to www.berthon.co.uk , really good.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Today my hopes were raised when I went into the workshop and found a small box of items made by my late friend Ted. There were six stag-horn bollards looking up at me, all made of aluminum. I spread the RNLI plans out in the conservatory and found that what I had was slightly larger than required - yes 1/12th scale, but for the Arun class - hopes were dashed!!

• So I decided to start marking out the stern deck fittings, ticking off the markings I had scribed that now agreed with the plans.
• Then I marked out the central stern hatch [the one that houses the water salvage pump hose] area that needed to be removed, drilled the four corner holes, cut the four straight lines with the Dremel and a diamond disc. Once removed trimmed the edges with some files.
• I also trimmed the hatch cover off the sprue and its bottom edge surround, glued the two together using EMA 'plastic weld', having gently 'roughed' the facing surfaces. Then I placed an engineers parallel on top to weigh it down [look at the photo of the conservatory and on the green self-heal cutting mat there are two I purchased. Well worth their money for so many little jobs when gluing and building items that need to be truly square].
• The 'trough' needed a little fettling, and then it pushed into place nicely. This will [along with its adjacent neighbours give some small access to the items at the stern of the inside of the hull.

Well, that was it for today, apart from looking at my Folders of Shannon photos on my computer to further understand what is what.

[Boats on wheels]

Hi Kim , finally followed your advice and registered , does look better with pictures , very good work so far and not too much grey ......

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Hi 'Boats on Wheels' - like the handle, very appropriate! I'll expect it to be on your cab sides as you travel the country.
As for grey, that is all going to change soon - sorry! Got to make it look like the real thing in build!!
Canterbury Coxswain

[Boats on wheels]

Yes Kim , they are grey before being sprayed blue and orange , have move a couple in this state 

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Today was a Chief Executive Officers' Meeting of the Kent Section of the E.R.C.U. [Elite Rivet Counters' Union]. Present were 17-09 and 13-02, as borne out by their tea mugs, at the Canterbury abode. With 17-09's permission I took some photos of his latest progress with the wheelhouse of the Dover Severn [a total re-build and refurbishment of the 1/12th Speedline Models Newhaven Severn that 17-21 owned for many years]. I thought that for those newish to this part of the hobby some of the shots and comments might be of help for your Shannon or other lifeboat builds [indeed for most vessels].

• Alan had  made a basic base-board for the wheelhouse, not often done. It is important here as he works on it [keeping it steady] and for when he is at a Show or pond-side, as it keeps it off the floor and those plates alongside both bottom edges of the wheelhouse protected -especially if you have the laser cut acrylic sets. Alan purchased a new set of nickel plated brass ones from Adrian.
• However, do your homework! Here the Dover boat has most of them 'proud' of the side surface of the wheelhouse - Craggle [Craig] please take note, as the Newhaven boat has them inset into the side, rather like the access hatch covers on the outside nose corners at the front and the side access covers on the rear at the side, both sets of which Alan has now recessed. Also [Rivet Counter!] notice how many bolts secure the front nose ones - there are more on the Dover boat than on the Newhaven one.
• When Alan fitted the plates he used 24 hour Araldite, then put a baton down the side and clamped them - it has come out in a perfectly straight line and very secure. All the corresponding boxes have been fitted onto the hull / deck areas to line-up and match, superb work with no undulation!
• The front protruding air ventilation exits on the nose had to be shortened in height for the Dover boat and like wise the surrounding plate, which then brings it 'inboard' from the bottom edge - on Newhaven it remains as in the kit and the plates 'overhang' - happy days! Alan remade the plate from styrene.
• In a couple of the shots you can see the hinged storage cupboards at the bottom of the telecomms mast either side on the flying bridge. On one side it hinges sideways on the other from the bottom.
• The flying bridge screen upright posts have now been re-crafted and soldered on - in perfect alignment, trust me - and one felt that Alan could actually have picked it up by these, the way he was pushing them around, but it was not tried.
• You will also see he has made a new engine room ventilation plate area. The front piece is cut out from styrene, the insert of ribbed section is from the Evergreen styrene range and the back plate is thin aluminium sheet to keep the whole unit flat, without distortion. Neat, simple and effective.

I trust you will be inspired by the attention to detail, I was. Half the fun is the research, especially when it gets noticed before being built!! I will continue with the last three photos below.
C.C. [ERCU]

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Photos as promised.
Work on my Shannon will continue over the next couple of days, ready for the Festival at Broomfield Park on Sunday and the display by Broomfield MBC, Southern Model Display Team and me and my Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society gazebo with my Shannon in build model and the photographic display of the real boat.
I have another small project in the pipeline to raise money for the RNLI Dungeness Station, but more of that after the weekend!
Thanks for the kind comments and PMs sent - most encouraging.
Kim

[colin-stevens]

Oh Wow!!

[Perkasaman2]

These RNLI Shannon boats are expensive at £3.4 million each and a boat was reported to reach 29 knots off the Northumberland coast on a test run. The Mersey at Seahouses is being replace with a Shannon in the near future.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Hi, The RNLI Naming Ceremony and Service of Dedication pamphlet displayed above [July 2016] quotes £2.2m for the cost of a Shannon, I think the figure you are quoting includes the cost of the new lifeboat station too, where required. Regarding speed, they are meant to be governed to 25 knots, although a friend of mine who owned an Arun for some-while got 24 knots out of his [stated 19 knots] when he had just got the propellers back from refurbishing and the hull had been newly anti-fowled.
C.C.

[Perkasaman2]

The cost must have included the new tractor and trailer. This likely explains the difference.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Sorry Perkasaman, that's what I meant; thanks for the correction, it's not the boathouse at all. Good job someone is awake!
Kim

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Set up in the outside workshop after lunch, having just checked the National and South East weather forecast for today - fine, clouding over, no rain. Excellent.

• Using the method already explained earlier, cut out the two neighbouring hatches on the stern transom deck area and trimmed off.
• Then marked out the two areas on the rear of the wheelhouse where there will be an 'alleyway' to the stern door on the Port side and the upper steering position on the starboard side. My dear old wood work master [Mr. Carr] would have been proud of me as I marked the 'waste' material to be cut out, just as he taught me back in 1958 at Bec Grammar school in South London! He always said in his Northern accent that if you did not, 'you will quite easily start to cut out the wrong piece and on the wrong side of the scribed line'. Words of wisdom indeed. With thoughts of those 'old days' I started - then down came the RAIN!! Another ten minutes would have seen me finish.

I'll try again tomorrow afternoon, but will be out in the early and middle part of the day over at Headcorn, 'helping' the Kent Model Boat Display Team set-up the very large temporary pond ready for the Southern Model Show the following weekend - it atkes nearly a week to fill. It's at Lashenden Aerodrome, so there will be some 200+ model aircraft flying throughout each day and around fifteen Model Boat Clubs supporting the KMBDT. There are always lots of trade stands - including Andy and Debby from Models by Design and DK Figures [usually supplying us with superb slices of cake - hint, hint!]. Normally Component Shop are there too. Well worth a visit.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

I mentioned another small lifeboat Project, the other day, that I was hoping would help me raise another £250 for the RNLI Dungenes lifeboat station. I am trying to raise £1,000 this year for the RNLI [four stations - Dungeness, Dover, Newhaven and Ramsgate] I support, with fellow LBES members at Model Shows, RNLI Station Open Days and by the DVD photo revenue.
Well, just back from the printers and here it is - a postcard of the Dungeness Shannon 13-02 in her new antifoul painted hull. They will sell at 50p each when at Shows, but if you would like some and to make it worthwhile with the postage etc.,. I will send ten of them for £5, all of which will go to the RNLI at Dungeness. I will cover the postage and packing. I have some 500, so please help me out! If they start to go well I will do another three classes [possibly the Tamar at Shoreham, the earlier Atlantic '75 RIB from Southend and maybe the Severn at Newhaven], making it a four card collection.
There you have it! And it has stopped raining - dare I set-up again and finish the job?

[Canterbury Coxswain]

There I did! Set-up again, that is.

• Finished the cutting with the Dremel and diamond disc. You will see that I have overdone it in a few places, but nothing that a little U-Pol filler will not put right.
• Notice that I not only filed and trimmed the edges from the outside, but I also used the sanding block to remove some areas of resin from the inside where the corners 'build up' a little [in thickness] in the GRP laying-up process, but I must say a very nicely made wheelhouse and hull.
• This is now starting to look like the real ones down at Poole in the All-Weather Lifeboat Centre - a nice coat of GREY primer next week will finish it off [sorry Andy and Martin!!].
• I have left the supporting 'strut' across the wheelhouse door alley entrance area as this will keep it together for the Show at Broomfield Park this Sunday. I will revisit this next week to maybe put the walls and the upper flying bridge floor in.

It has now started to pour with rain again! So job done - satisfied. Looking at the photos in the posts over the past few weeks shows the old back garden grass has deteriorated somewhat, lets hope it rains more.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Should have mentioned to those building their own Shannon, just in case you have not noticed, there is a very gentle slope her side for the first couple of inches down on the central section of the telecomms mast support / helmsmans' back rest upright! Just thought I would mention it before someone cut it straight down. It is there in the MbD model wheelhouse, but easy to miss. I will deal the measurement next time, refering to the RNLI plans.
C.C.

[Flundle (Speedline Models)]

Kim could you clarify that concerning the 'slope'?
I don't understand what you mean.

[spongie]

Adrian look at the pic above, the backrest in the centre.

Bear in mind it's upside down, but the top section either side has a chamfer to it rather than being fully parallel.

[Flundle (Speedline Models)]

In one of your previous posts you say you are modifying the fuel filling, hydrant and vent positions to make them the same as the Shannon you are building. Is that correct?

[Flundle (Speedline Models)]

Ah! See what you mean.
The 'backrest' is a padded cushion mounted on two small rails on the inside rear face of the bridge. Its the same item that's mounted by two clamps onto the twin rail mast section a couple of feet further so I was just a bit confused by your terminology.
I'm writing this on my tablet and all my photos are on my PC.
I'll post some close up photos of my model to show you my interpretation.

[Flundle (Speedline Models)]

Assuming the fendering is rubberised resin tinted black,  a great way of making it a nice even, very realistic sheen is to spray it with WD40. Try it on a bit of off-cuts.
To get air out of the resin used is a big problem and not easily overcome, I sympathise with Andy here.
Just for general interest most of you reading this will know that once resin has been poured into a mould, you pop it in a vac tank, run it to 30" of mercury watch it boil off the air then once the bubbles pop, release the vacuum.
Because this rubberised resin is so gloopy you need to pour it into the mould whist in a vacuum and the pressurise the tank to about three atmospheres to crush any bubbles left in there into tiny, tiny bubbles. Then you wait until the resin sets before releasing the pressure.
Neat eh? You can only do one item at a time of course so the tank needs to be quite large to make it viable.
The machine you need costs about £25,000 new so you have to have a bit of luck in finding one.
There is another way but nothing like as interesting.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Adrian and others wondering what I am refering to. If you look at the central area of the wheelhouse which 'houses' the slides for the telecomms tower and is the back wall of the upper steering position, you will see that at the top, instead of those outside surfaces running parallel, they slope inwards from a point that goes upwards from an 'eye-line' drawn from the top edge of both corners of the wheelhouse. This is just above the left hand side rail on entry to the upper steering position and likewise on the other side to the right of the entry corridor to the wheelhouse door. It can be seen just above Catherine Adams head in the photo of 13-02 at Ramsgate and also on the two photos of the 'in builds' from the rear at Poole at the Open Weekend. It is on the RNLI plans and is on the MbD wheelhouse too. However, it is very easy to miss and therefore just take both sides of that central section straight up to the top with parallel sides. Not sure if that has helped, but I will try and remember to take exact measurements when I go down to Dungeness next week.
Kim

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Sorry it's Natalie at Dungeness - I should have put Natalie Adams not 'Catherine'. It just came to me!
C.C.