Ian M's Motor Yacht Bruma 1/43 scale Panart.

[Ian M]

Fighting my way through the deck planking.

Here is the blunt end:



And here is the sharp end, The rather grubby mess is sawdust...
I am wishing I had use different planking as I first planed. The planking in the box is, shall we say naff. The darker narrow bits are a right lucky dip. different thickness, break just by looking at them wrong. The wider light ones look to be two different types of wood. some have an interesting pattern in the grain, others are like matchstick wood. Even after an overnight water bath they are not that willing to follow a shallow curve but rather start to break across the width! I hope the planking for the hull is a bit better.

While waiting for glue to grab and dry a bit I started to paint the cabin. Just a thinned coat of Vallejo model color. A few coats with a light rub and it might be OK...

Failing that I have a big tin of humbrol white lol.
Will paint the inside when its time for the second coat.

Cheers and If your still following along. Thank you.

[Neil Merryweather]

Looks like you're wrestling it into shape Ian

[boatman]

HI Ian lookin good is this goin to be full R/C or just a straight runner ? an are you goin to plank the hull as i would have thought it would have been done by now but thats just how i build as you may build differently ? but nice i like
chrisb

[Ian M]

As mentioned elsewhere it will be Radio controlled but for now the shafts, motors and rudder are going in now as they will be harder til fit once the hull is done. The reason the deck is being done first was also mentioned a few posts back.
The Deck is set down in the hull by about a centimetre so will be impossible to do after the hull.

[Jim R]

Good progress Ian. Shame about the poor quality planking, just makes an awkward job even worse. Will the deck be sanded back and varnished?

[Ian M]

nah... going to leave it rough and open... lol. Just a bit to rough for that. I'm still laughing at that one...
Please see next post. lol.

[Ian M]

Well I had the house to myself today. (read I could do what I wanted).



I got the decks down. Placed the cabin in t'hole and found I made a boo boo. I read a mark on the deck as a pencil line to show where not to plank... Can you guess where. lol.
The deck has had a rough sand (sorry Jim lol). I am trying to get rid of some of the gaps but A lot of sanding still to do. I will need to give it some sanding sealer soon though. the light coloured planks like to floss out when sanded!!!
I also need to do the plank around the deck, between the posts that are still sticking up.
I have gotten a 4mm mahogany veneer that I want to make new topping rails around the deck on the posts that stick up. I think I might have to go to the shed and dig the 'lectric decoupage saw out. the kits rails are plywood and you can see all the laminations. Not pretty!
I also want to put some comings around the deck openings, should I take it out for a swim It would be smart to prevent water from running into the hull. lol

[Steven000]

Very nice Ian, looks like a lot of work. I used to 'bend' thick strips of wood for the side-pieces of a violin in the past by steaming them, perhaps try if it works for you with a test-strip...

So you take a strip of wood, let it soak up some water (in a small tub/pot). Then place it in a microwave, keep an eye on it, because the smaller the part the quicker it can start burning, when the water inside the wood gets really hot you should be able to bend it really easy, force it in its final shape and let it cool down, should stay like that in its new shape if all went well... cheers

[Ian M]

Softwoods can, if thin, be bent after a soak in warm water which is what I did here. A 30/70 mix of ammonia and water is good as well. You can tie knots in a plank.

[papa 695]

Looking very good indeed Ian.

[Ian M]

Well the day got off to an early start:

Putting the clocks back an hour has always struck me as a waste of time. 'scuse the pun.
Anyway. I have given the deck some sealer and now dry and hard, I have sanded it back. I will say if you want sandpaper that eats wood like a cat that has missed supper, Bosch professional, the golden brown one. It just makes wood vanish. A quick knock on the desk and good to go again! I digress.

Having got the deck more or less smooth, I started the very edge, the trim plank. I went for the Mahogany as a nice contrast. I need more clips lol.

Some are only very slightly curved, and the clamps can hold them in. Others I have simply sanded the joining edge to a gentle curve. Once I have been all the way around the with the trimplanks I will fair them in to the out side of the boats ribs; the posts you can see sticking up. These close the gap between the deck and the hull and allow water to run off the deck though a small gap.
Right now I have an appointment with a Sunday lunch.
Hopefully I will be able to start the hull planking soon!

Cheers

[Ian M]

All very good this but I keep forgetting the photos!
So. Yesterday I got the trim planks below the gunwalls sorted and made a start making the rails. Those in the kit are plywood and look cheep and nasty. These ones will look much better; Expensive and nasty? lol

One Mahogany board reduced from 10x100cm to.

Rather tatty looking curved planks,

The light one is from the kit. Meh. The dark ones cut from the sheet of Mahogany .

And after an hour with the sandpaper............. Reasonably nice rails and gunwall top planks.
Below all that lot you can see the deck's trim plank, now faired in and the first of the hull planks. The gunwall plank will leave about a 1-2 mm gap to allow water to run off the deck.
Someday soon I will be playing with a steel thermos a kettle and loads of bits of wood.

Comments as always are welcome.

[HAWKERHUNTER]

I havent got a clue what you are talking about Ian, gunwall top planks, hull planks etc but it sure does look lovely. Going to be stunner.

[Ian M]

It's a lot to take in, lol. The gunwall aka gun'al is the part of the hull that goes higher than the deck. The bit the guns was hid behind Gun Wall. The plank on top of that, where you would put your beer, or stand on to get up a rope... lol

[Jim R]

Going the extra mile Ian but worth the time and effort. Going to be a stunner.

[Ian M]

Cheers Jim. Just put a wet plank around the top to form the actual gunwal. (se above lol)

[Ian M]

Having got the side plank on for the gunwale I started on the combings around the openings in the deck, I guess If this ever gets out on the water, it would be a good idea to try keep the water on the outside!


Yep I need to clear the hole for the mast... Again. lol

The gunwale topplank is now glued and nailed. Not to bad if I say it myself. Looks a lot better than the plywood in the kit.

Support block for the bowsprit glued in place and the opening in the bow sanded to take the bowsprit. Need to have a rumage and find a bit of brass to make some 'irons' to hold it down with.
The rectangle with the two eyelets is the base for the anchor winch, which needs painting...
Once the cabin is touchable ( I painted the roof yesterday, still sticky!) I will check the fit and add the upstand to the combing around it, The same as the smaller one around the aft hatch, which gives access to the rudder post.

Hope it passes muster. Comments welcome.
Cheers!

[papa 695]

Very nice work so far Ian, looking forward to the next update.

[Jim R]

Looking very good indeed.

[Steven000]

Nice progress Ian ⛵️