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Thursday, 29 November 2012

Auction Night

The auction night last night at the club was a huge success with Eddie Outen running the auction himself, and very funny he was at times!.
There were lots of bargains and I picked up a couple of steel drawer units, contents unknown, there again the contents were a bargain in themselves as I wanted the drawers for my workroom.
I was pleasantly surprised this morning on investigation to find the drawers full of all sorts of nuts, bolts and screws which will come in handy over the coming months, if not for me I'm sure son John will find a use for some.
Here are my bargains, £2 for one and £3 the other, (the nails at the bottom of the picture must cost you about £2 at B&Q mustn't they?,) and as you can see they just fit under the shelves.
The other good news was the treasurer announced that the auction had raised £464!! for club funds, that's great with a lot of items going for £1 or £2!.
So I'm sure you will join me in thanking Eddie for this generous gift to the club.
There were also a couple of new members signed up on the night, so a good Etherow welcome to them. 
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Did you hear of the club that was looking for a treasurer, someone said "why are you looking for a treasurer, what happened to the other one" that's the one we are looking for they said.
 Boom Boom!.
That's all folks.
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Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Model boat on unmanned Atlantic crossing challenge

As I'm always looking for items for the website Son John thought this one would be good for you all!.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-20516205

A toy boat is to attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
A retired NATO scientist will this week set the boat off on the voyage, which he hopes will be the first unmanned trip across the Atlantic.

Robin Lovelock has spent four years developing the miniature vessel, which he believes can survive the 6,000 mile journey.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Snoopy Sloop is only 4ft long, weighs just 30lbs and is held together in parts by bathroom light cord.
65-year-old Lovelock built the boat in the games room of his house in Sunninghill, Berkshire.

He made the whole thing from off-the-shelf parts scoured from the internet at a cost of less than £450 ($720).

Lovelock said: "I got hooked about four years ago, I didn't even play with model boats when I was a boy. I sometimes tinker on the boat in the lounge, but am usually banished to the games room by my wife."

Lovelock and his team are hoping that wind power and a solar-powered computer and GPS system will navigate the boat all the way to the finish line. 


Watch some footage of the Snoopy Sloop below:





Anyone else fancy a try if this attempt fails?, but seriously this guy will hopefully succeed, he's certainly put in a lot of time and effort and that "Jack" on the mast will look great coming in to land in the good old US of A won't it!.
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Another Eureka moment for you 
From John Teal.

This first picture suggests the madness of glazing before spray painting, but its actually the product of a Eureka moment. Glazing that slots in without gluing, hence it can be removed.


From inside you can see the clear plastic and the inner frame can be slid up and out from 
a pocket constructed behind the wheel house wall.
When the glazing is slid out , cardboard can be slid in, providing the perfect mask
to allow the inside and outside of the wheel house to be sprayed different colours.
The end result showing the inner frame independently sprayed silver and slotted into the wheel house with the glazing behind it. No glue marks on what are big windows... Eureka !
Thanks for that John!.

This is part of a new series of Eureka Moments that can be found 
on the tab up at the top, or by clicking Here

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Hope you enjoyed to-day's post, don't forget its the Club auction to-night as well.
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Saturday, 24 November 2012

Ken's Lifeboats

Had these pictures for a while waiting for a lull on the site and to-day thought it would be the right time to show them to you!.
First there is the Tamar Class

 The Trent Class


And last but not least the Waveney Class
 
I'm personally not very well up on the different types of lifeboats, but can recognise nice workmanship when I see it!, well done Ken and thanks for sharing your pictures with us all.
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Another Eureka Moment from Bob the Abell


I thought this idea up many years ago when building a 1/4 scale Piper Cub and was rewarded with an MFA motor set from one of the model aircraft magazines for suggesting it!
When you can`t get an elastic bound round something, like a giant Piper Cub fuz, I came up with the "S hook" idea........See photo........and an added bonus, is that you can add as many bands as you like for more clamping power!
Photo shows the "S hook" in action on the Great Eastern build


What`s the other idea, Bob?............Oh yes
You can get the bands for free!
The Postman drops them on the pavement, outside your front door!
Bob

This is part of a new series of Eureka Moments that can be found 
on the tab up at the top, or by clicking Here

That's all for now folks!.

Monday, 19 November 2012

Bitz and Bobz

Firstly to-day I have to tell you that Eddie Outen has decided to move house and because of this he is bringing a good selection of goodies from his modelling room to the next club meeting 28th Nov 2012, no boats I believe.
The lots will be auctioned off by the auctioneer Alan Higham and all the proceeds are to go to Club funds, so its a big thank you to Eddie for that.
He brought a box of assorted items to the last meeting that he offered for free, all sorts of goodies were in there, thanks for that Eddie!
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Whilst at the lake on Sunday took this video of Jeanie Deans on the lake.



Another Eureka moment for you!.

My first EM was discovering the idea of covering the hull of my Jeanie Deans At War with card strips with rivets punched through!
Not only did it save hours of filling and rubbing down, but has a realistic appearance
From then on.......Everything suitable had card and rivets.....as if you haven`t noticed!

It was a real treat painting the hull too!
What`s your Eureka Moment?
Bob
This is part of a new series of Eureka Moments that can be found 
on the tab up at the top, or by clicking here

That's all for now
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Friday, 16 November 2012

Eureka Moments

My mate Bob (the builder) Abell has for a few months now had a thread on Model boats magazine called Eureka Moments
 Click here
So I thought it was too good an idea not to be Abell to start one on this website, so contacted Bob for his OK before I pinched his idea and he said it was a good idea.
So this is my first one, hopefully other members will join in and then the ideas will all go into a tag at the top of the page same as the "Diary" and "For sale" sections for later additions to go into.

After carefully making up the Cod End Gantry for my Our Lass 2 over the plan in the instruction book  to make sure that it was all nice and square,! Realised its on a sloping deck!! and was sat at an angle, so I had what Mate Bob would call a Eureka moment and got out my laser  

This checks out the water line and also the vertical.

So after packing up to the red line was abell to find the amount to come off one side 

And there it is nice and square.

Then I had another Eureka moment, laser was too high on the shelf I'd attached it to!. 
Then thought would my camera tripod fit it?

And Eureka! it did.

So it all worked out a treat, so I'm going to put a few more bits and pieces on the structure to make it more sturdy looking and then its on to something else.

Hope you enjoyed this Eureka moment, in fact its buy one get two free to-day, (Water line, vertical and camera stand)
 I'm all for a good bargain!, why not send me an e-mail and share your Eureka moments  with us?.

Bye for now folks. 

This is part of a new series of Eureka Moments that can be found 
on the tab up at the top, or by clicking here

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Complete list of builds. 2012

As stated in the last post here is a full list of pictures for the build entrants.
I felt it only fair that I stepped down last night from the judging panel as my son John had two entries in the competition, I would hope that my integrity was al-right but these things have to be seen to be right don't they.
Here are the pictures from the Sunday the 4th viewing






And the entrants from last nights viewing Wednesday the 14th.






A nice high standard this year don't you think?
can you spot which are the Kit, Semi-Scratch and Scratch built?
The results and trophies will be announced at the AGM on the 12th December. 

As announced last night there are a few positions up for re-election this year including mine as Members Rep, I don't wish to stand again this year, but have agreed to carry on with the website, been given a fancy title of Webmaster, but don't forget the web is only as good as the information and content given to me, you don't want my blithering on all the time I'm sure.
I've enjoyed my time on the committee in various rolls but my home commitments have changed, that's what the politicians say isn't it!.
Duckie

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

Club night 14th Nov 2012

To-night will be the second viewing of boats for this years awards

The first showing on the Sunday of the 4th Nov 2012 saw some nice models and quite a high standard. 
I have some pictures of the Sunday entrants but will wait until after to-night when I have the other entrants pictures taken, I will then publish them all together, then you will have to wait until the AGM meeting for the results!.

                2000hrs  14th November    Wednesday           Club night                Clubhouse
                                                          Includes Judging of boats, 
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To give people some idea of the talent in our club here is a model of Terry Burnett's  


Peter,
My final Geared Marine Steam Turbine



Specifications

Type: Impulse
Convergent/divergent inlet nozzle (Stainless Steel)
Individually bladed rotor
Rotor speed: 28,000 Rpm
Output speed: 4,000 Rpm
Stainless steel deep groove ball bearings
'Back of the blade' reversing nozzle.
Inlet pressure Max 80PSI 10 deg superheat calculated.

Terry Burnett.

This is not in this years competition though, as Terry is a judge this year like myself and that's where the similarity ends I'm afraid!!.
See you there to-night perhaps?. 

Peter.

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Annual General Meeting, 2012

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Etherow Model Boat Club will be held at the clubhouse, Etherow Country Park on Wednesday 12th December commencing at 8pm.

Agenda

1.     The Commodore’s annual report

2.     Treasurer’s summary of the year’s accounts

3.     Presentation of awards

4.     The election of a number of management committee posts for the year 2013/14 listed below.

5.     Raffle

6.     A.O.B


Nominations are invited for the following positions on the club’s management committee for the year 2013/14:

·       Exhibitions secretary
·       Members’ secretary
·       Steering secretary
·       Club 500 secretary
·       Fiesta & J Class secretary
                                                    
Nomination forms can be obtained through the Commodore, Chris Platford or the Club Secretary, Andy Glen. 

Chris Platford, Commodore.

Saturday, 3 November 2012

Judging of boats 2012

  
The next event at the club will be the Judging of boats, for the newer members this is the showcase of the members built's over the past 12 months and is judged by the winners of last years event. ie Kit Built, Semi kit built and Scratchbuilt.
The judging will be on Sunday 4th November at 1100hrs till 1400hrs , in the clubhouse if its wet, and also on the club night of Wednesday 14th November, you only have to show your model on one of these dates (In case you can't make either one or the other)

Anyone interested in going to the Club Christmas Dinner at the Hare and Hounds nr the Wyevale garden Centre, here is a copy of the menu




Choose a Starter, Main course and Dessert when you book your place 
Contact Mike Hodgson for a booking
Date for Dinner is
4th December 2012 at 7-30PM
Price £21 per head.