Tug Boat- The Maddy B!!- (copper pilot house done pg 3!!)

mogogear · Tug Boat- The Maddy B!!- (copper pilot house done pg 3!!)

We will see if Peggy (Sue?) can gleam again..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....sPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

IndianaRog

Mo...things seem to be getting waterlogged on the west coast !!!

Perhaps you are the emerging US Admiral of the forum...with the UK Admiralty firmly held by Moose!

mogogear

No uniform or title for me - I need to go and start attending S. B.A meetings though..

Steam Boats Anonymous

Les Marsh

mogogear

Thanks Les...fingers crossed

Wallace

Very nice boat Mo, and I like the name of it.

tmuir

Nice.
I can't decide if thats a home build or not.
Either way I like it.

mogogear

You know it could be a home built. After visiting over on the Bowman Circle I have not been able to say it matches exactly any of the "Peggy" named boats..

Here are a couple of more enhanced photos- anybody with I.D. speculation is welcomed.. this will help me past the time till she comes..

MooseMan

I'm leaning towards homebuild......I've seen a few Hobbies Peggy boats, I own a Peggy marine plant myself, and this ain't it.....

Doesn't detract in the slightest from the fact that it looks to be a nice, cleanly built flat bottom hull, very much along Bowman lines.....I love the "natural" finish. The engine appears to be based on the concept of the Mamod ME1.

mogogear

I agree on the natural Finish--The Hull really appealed to me.... that may lend to color on top....

I think I have found a home for the power plant I bought from you Sir Moose.......I kept an eye on that Thames Launch and picked it up a few minutes ago for almost nothing....It could become my "Blue Jay" ...

MooseMan

Well Cap'n Mo, that Thames launch would be perfect I think - what a steal!!!

mogogear

Well Peggy Sue arrived all safe and sound from the UK-- a great experience with the seller so here are some personal pictures of her after some basic cleanup.

I did do some wiping etc.. descaled the boiler and steam valve and disassembled the engine and oiled and checked for wear. Seems tight -as age is unknown. It has a fairly long piston1/2" above the shaft and seems a good tight fit in the cylinder.

I can't remove the entire power plant since the prop shaft is soldered to the engine and epoxied into the hull .. I could slide the flywheel towards the bow after removing the prop but since the boiler is soldered to the supply lines... I run into the world of "unified"

It sure seems a "kit" boat with a quite small boiler diameter 1.25" X 4.5" long. It is fitted with the same SV that the ME3 I obtained from Mooseman... IT also has a slight raked angle to it I rather like. The exhaust dumps into the stack as well

A small two blade prop that is threaded on the the rear of the shaft and a rudder shaft that is missing the rudder blade.

The above rudder set up looks to have had a servo control kooked up to the tiller... there was also evidence of old adhesive foam tape aft - so maybe someone tried to RC this little boat.

She is 23.5" by 4.25" at the widest beam measurement

Can you guess where she used to live...?

She came with a homemade esbit burner tray.. I will be looking for a small meths burner..

All in all - she has a very solid hull and should require very little to get her chuffing along the waterways soon..I think I will leave her this natural wood finish- and just add colored aft and fore decking..

Les Marsh

That is nice, and it will end looking cracking, a lovely purchase.

Reid

Clean and trim, such good lines.

was it a club member's boat?
http://www.clearwaterflies.co.uk/

mogogear

I am unsure Reid...The Guildford club seems to be mainly Sailing only... but I can't get past their homepage to see any thing ??

Could be another chap like James and others that are just proud of where they live!!

mogogear

Tis been a while since I have revisited "Peggy Sue" I have quite decided that she will remain PeggySue and that she will be a Tug... much like the Bowman ones/ Since she is a kit boat of unknown age and missing her front deck and rear I have been busy drawing up plans for them. A small mast in her foredeck- a small copper pilot house that sits on the front of the boiler, a front bumper of some kind of design and a rear deck... Drawings later......

I received my much awaited smokestack cap from John Moore / Bogstandard for my largest Boat 2. It inspired me , with out lathe nor drill press to see how creative I could be. A shopping I went and after a couple of trips to various marine stores, hardware stores I chanced upon some normal plumbing fitting thats turned out well for the cost and abilities at hand. Total cost was $2.95.

So here is my stack - BEFORE-

My stack on Peggy is 3/4" copper pipe, I found some copper flanges that are to be soldered in place with a loose nut on the pipe side to attach to a threaded brass fitting. So it inserted into the 3/4" pipe -hand in glove- It looked pretty good just inserted into the stack,

but I also found a brass version that had some small ridges on its male end, that if ground or filed off would insert into the copper cap I found. So I put the copper flange in a vise and hacksawed the flange off. Leaving the tube portion.

I then ground off the ridges on the brass version and drove it on the remaining copper flange.

And now inserted, what had a pretty nice , and modest improvement for the top of the stack to a "mediumly" nice improvement

So here is the final insert cap

and here is my Peggy and DIY version, next to Johns version on the "Skookumchuck" ....yeah - I know thats a mouthful

I forgot to add that prior to the stack addition - I did VHT Balck the firebox after wire brushing with the Dremel.... So nice and black again!!

I also have been reading up on cold gun blues and the gun magazines really recommend a brand not seen before- OXPHO-BLUE- ) Oh Reid!!!) so I will test it out on this nicely oxidized boiler around the lower stack...
Off to test paint samples for touch up on the Snipe!!

mogogear

After the smoke stack "poor mans cap" _ I got to thinking about the eventual style of this kit boat-- I did find a ebay auction of a "unmade" version of this boat and the seller was willing to copy the instructions and send them to me-!! More good karma!! I can't wait to see them and share them here as well--
BTW- this Boat was a kit from Modeen-- oddly enough the maker of the twin cylinder engine I have in my biggest project boat --#2-- small world..

Ok -back on subject- The raked angle of the stack and some old advertisements from the Bowman circle website of old Bowman boats that featured a TUG got me inspired to style this boat after the tug with a few very "true to the period" type artistic license additions...( read that as low tech ) I mean it is my boat and I don't need three boats all looking like Snipe

So I addin't stuff that weren't here before!

The inspiration

So I got to drawing a simple sheet metal "tin toy type" pilot house to adorn the Tug's boiler. I mean, the Bowmans have a nice polished heat shield- Soooo How about a pilot house that helps ward off drafts and chimneys the heat a little but slows it down a little as it exits?!!

I will Just some fold light weight sheet metal..no soldering Tin toy style !!

So here are the final drawings and then it was off to find....carbon paper .. a harder task than I thought in the 21 century!!

And a $.55 piece of zinc coated tin for roof flashing at Home Depot- and I had myself a very cheap "prototype!!"

This was after tracing the diagrams onto the sheet metal- cutting out with basic hand tools like a pair of snips, a hacksaw- a little use of a Dremel to clean up the corners and a drill for the side portholes( liberal use of files also!!)

I actually was pleased that I had thought out almost all the obstacles ahead - a couple of small ones snuck up on me - but all in all - it fits nicely and the brass grommets will also do well!! Success!!

So here we are before the Pilot house:

Now with the new addition in place -- "Captain- where's the Captain?"

There will be also a short front mast or whatever you call a pole with no sail that will screw in towards the bow. The "pole" will actually be the retainer for the front wind screen that will be more flat than bowed ( like the Bowman). The front-most tab on top of the pilot house will have a small screw on female brass finial from a lamp supply shop -( like a horn or light or what have you. The brass tones compliment the brass / copperstack cap, steam lines etc. Since the copper boiler is so nicely blackened ( it is patina not soot!!) and will stay that way---- Black Copper...........Eureka! I had another brainstorm-

In one of our dear Reid's explorations about patina's, boilers , meatl and lots of experimentation with oxidizers and such I was intrigued. Bubba also injected a great Japanese website that really goes into detail on how to make copper look a million different colors. I read it for hours... blues , greens, browns all with no paint to keep up with atop the hot boiler- !! It will be very natural --OK - organic if you will!- and the brass/ copper theme with a natural wood hull --the plan is coming together!

So now my head was really swimming- this "OK"prototype" was just that.. it ois a spring board for the next version. I would make the pilot house out of sheet copper, do some patina effects- as opposed to painting it and then add in the brass portholes to tie it all together..!!!!

I am psyched!! I bought the copper today- carboned on the pattern and in a few days I will get a shot of copper cladding up-top!! The front windscreen will also be copper!! Off to the shop!!

Ciao

Nick

I love the pilot house, a great touch.

I can't wait to see the progress you make on this one.

mogogear

Thanks Nick -it just seems to fit-- dumb luck on my part....

Stitch

Nice one, mate. I have enjoying following your additions for this boat:D

Les Marsh

That looks great, a inkeeping addition which enhances the whole boat. Well done.

tmuir

I like your prototype cabin, I'm interested to see how the copper ends up looking after you treat it as I'm the anti Sandy man and I hate polishing so if you can find a finish that looks good and doesn't need polishing you've won me over.

MooseMan

Greg you're cooking with gas now mate! She's going to be gorgeous.

duncandumpertruck

I do like the wheelhouse! Looks a little like an old steam whaler. Very fitting for the boat. Has this been identified as a production model boat or is it a scratchbuilt?

johnreid

Wow! That is shaping up nicely one to be proud of.

mogogear

Steve_S

Great stuff... very inventive!

johnreid

Do you have a scanner Mo?

hint hint

mogogear

Oh sure! You want a copy of the instructions that come on the Modeen model?

mogogear

Ok- The New Pilot House is now done in copper!! I actually took my time and the softer copper was easier to work with-- That is a classic "Win /Win"

I also added the front window this time- remember that all I am using is basic hand tools- tin snips, files, a vise , drill press, a flat crimp plier and steel wool.

So here the old and new pilot house pose together.

On deck...

And solo...

After the photo shoot - I whisked it away for a hot ammonia bath!!

where it will soak for a couple of days- then I will see what kind of color is developing... It could then go for a variety of other "spa" treatments like "sawdust wrap with ammonia" and then some "hot torch" work outs... some light fine steel wool

and then get some nice shiney brass portholes and a brass finial on the front top roof.. a crown if you may..

Nick

Much better in copper.

I hope it gets a nice finnish.

Les Marsh

That is very nice

, shows what can be done when all you have are the basic tools. Well done. Thumbs up!

cam-steaman

excellant!! i agree with Les, it really does show off what you can do with minimal tools!

Steve_S

Good job, well done!

tmuir

Looks good.
I'm looking forward to see what patina you develop on the copper and how tough it it.

James

That looks great mate!!

mogogear

Well, after futzing with all sorts of "organic" oxidizers..... from actual .. ready for the Yuck factor.. dog pee to bottled ammonia , Miracle Grow and salt, a dangerous mix of bleach and vinegar ( poisonous gas- caution- and don't do even outside)

I took off the quick patinas and went with plain copper -- after a nice citric acid bath to get me back to where I was several days ago..

I installed the brass portholes and a brass cap nut. While I had the copper sheet - I cut out a rudder also..

With the Snipe

And the new rudder

Next is fashioning the rear and fore decks and front mast.. then on to R/C component placement and rudder control -- then clear coats and color choices.. maybe a new meths burner

Cheers till next installment...

johnreid

I like the natural wood color.

IndianaRog

Mo, I like the natural copper look myself...it will surely tarnish with time and heat to something a bit more mellow. All the admiration for patina always strikes me as an excuse for not polishing!!!

Love your handiwork with the tin snips...looks really good!

mogogear

Thanks guys- John -have no fear the hull is staying natural wood- the fore and aft decks may be painted.. I had wanted to make the front one out of copper but that will be decided by R/C component placement . If I put the receiver up front- the copper wind screen will mess with the reception...

But copper up front is my reference... and a nice wooden aft deck of some color maybe to offset or match the water line ( if I even paint that.....)

It seems all boats have a water line painted.... I am unsure if I should buck that tradition or not...

Wallace

Wow Mo.

That has come up really nice. Great Job

tmuir

Thats coming together nicely.
I really like the second photo, give the boat a really classy look.

steamyjim

Looks brilliant!

I must finish my boats off

Les Marsh

That looks brilliant.

cam-steaman

nice work Mo

oldstuff

Looking good, mo. Using the mirror in your photos gives a great effect.
I like that boat a lot and look forward to seeing more as you go, mo.

mogogear

Thank you Chuck- I am getting a micro servo fitted aft for the rudder( which has been solderd onto the shaft too. Looks to be room for the battery pack and receiver also!!

So the fore windscreen will be cut from copper in a few days and I thinkI have a bow-fender worked out as well.... then a shortened mast ....

closer on this one!!pictures soon..

Ciao from a nice short trip to wine country --ahhhh Somoma and Napa.. but it is bloody hot 102

mogogear

Wow- time is flying and my projects are slowing down--too many things and so little time.. Well I have gotten the R/C components installed in the Tug. They worked well and all that remains is a little "wire- management" and make the aft decking that will go over them.

I did buy a small micro servo for the rudder control. So she will be a one speed boat , but with directional capabilities.

I also have added 3 more smaller details to the "look and feel" of the boat. Keeping on the theme of Copper and brass accents, I cut a front wind screen from copper and added a small mast in front. I had seen a small mast like this on some old early Bowman tugs. I thought the detail made a nice subtle difference.

Also Mr Mooseman had gracious sent me a bollard for the front screen.. it just needed a accent there to breakup the vast expanse of copper.. Plus I will use it to tie my bow fender to when that item is finished.

BTW- the front mast is removable and it is what holds the screen in place. At the rear of the screen is a crimped edge that the screen supports fit into. They notch into place. The mast keeps the screen from moving. It is an easy "in and out" when inserting the burner.

I suspect the Forest classics replacement burner 70mm X15mmX 15mm is the meths burner destined for this little boiler

Ok -enough already - here are the shots

And since he paid homage for his new whistle... ..

my Honorary Odilon Bollard

In all its glory

Ciao and anchors aweigh SOON!!

Les Marsh

That is really loking the 'bees knees' now.

6400

mogogear

johnreid

I really like the looks of that one, it has a charm to it.