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FAQ
Whilst at the waterside the public often stand and watch us, a few ask some questions others want to but don't.
I have put together a list of some of the questions asked, if they don't answer yours please email us and we will do our best to
answer you.
Do I need a model to join the club?
No, there are a few members that have joined the club and have become model makers.
Does my model need to sail?
No, your boat can be a static model, once that you enjoyed building it, you can also display it at a number of shows the club
attended's every year.
Is building a model expensive?
Building a model can be inexpensive or expensive, it depends on the individual building the model and the method used to
build the model, whether you buy a kit or build from scratch using plans and materials lying about. The club has over 300 plans
in electronic format that novices or any member can borrow or have a copy of.
Is there a minimum age to join the club?
No, there is no minimum age to join the club, an adult must accompany children whilst at the waterside or at any events
they attend.
Can I sail a steam powered boat?
Yes. the boiler must have a valid boiler test certificate.
I am interested in building a radio controlled model but don't where to start.
Just come along to any meeting and a club member will have a chat to you to help you decide on what type of model you
are interested in building, and what type of budget you have.
Can I get help if I get stuck?
Yes , there a highly skilled members in the club that will gladly give anyone help.
Does the club meet al the year round?
Yes. the club has meeting days at the waterside and indoor meetings once a month all year round.
Are there anymore financial obligations when I join the club?
No, you only pay a membership fee annually, the cost depends on the membership at the AGM when the fee is set.
( the more members the lower the fee this is because we are none profit making but need to meet fixed charges
e.g. insurance and pool licence's etc, )
Part of the fee now goes to the MPBA as you will become a member.
For current membership fees please contact the Club Secretary.
Do I have to attend every show that the club participates in?
No the choice is yours. But if you have a model you can display it and have a chat about it to public and try to encourage
them into model building its amazing how much interest there is. Normally entry is free and at some events refreshments
are given throughout the day.
I have mobility problems, is access to the waterside easy.?
Yes, access to the waterside is through a gate from a tarmac path, members are given a key to gain entry.
A member will gladly assist in lowering your boat into the water.
Does the club meet other clubs?
Yes, throughout the year normally at events. Some of our members are members of other clubs as well.
We have close ties with a couple of them.
Projects
Project 1
This project shows The Bluebird of Chelsea's construction.
The Bluebird was built on plans supplied in the Model Boats magazine back in the 1990's, it was for a model of 25" in length, back in those
days the builder could buy a plastic moulding of the hull or build there own wooden one. This size I thought was to small for my model so I
decided to enlarge it by 1.5 times to give me a model of 38" in length. The model was built to these plans using the methods described in
building the cabins and decking. The model was built from recycled wood except for the hull skins new plywood was used for this job.
The hull keel and frames were made from plywood removed for old doors cleaned up. The cabins were made for ply removed from old kitchen
unit shelves and draw bottoms both materials were waterproof. The decking was ply and planked using the teak removed from the kitchen
unit draws and cupboad handles cut to size with a band saw and inlayed with lime wood veneer, the wood from the draws were a different
color from the cupboard handles giving the decking a nice look, the outer planking was made from recycled mahogany giving the decks 4
colors that blend in a pleasing way.
The cabins were made form recycled ply and covered with mahogany veneer the door frames and panels were solid mahogany glued in
place after the veneer had been varnished ( all the mahogany was pre-varnished the reason will be given later ). All the deck seats storage
compartments and dining table were made from mahogany. All the deck fitting, portholes, flag poles etc were hand made except for the
stanchions these were purchased from Jokita. The portholes and spot lamps were turned from 20mm brass bar polished and sprayed with
clear enamel paint, although the real Bluebird has chrome fittings I feel that brass complements the mahogany in a model. As mentioned
earlier all the mahogany parts were made as sub assemblies varnished and fitted , the reason being I wanted to bring the colour of the wood
out and not to have a fill in effect that would happen if all the parts were assembled and then varnished. All the decks, wheel house and rear
cabin had 3 coats of Ronseal clear satin quick drying varnish applied, this kept the deck teak lighter as Ronseal does'nt stain the wood and
gave the whole boat a tough finish.
Back to the hull this was painted with plasticote spray paint, below the waterline was painted with brush on red oxide (mat) and then over
coated with with the ronseal varnish giving it a tough satin finish.
The photos below show the hull being constructed as can be seen it was a double skinned hull the first skin was 0.8 mm ply the second
1.5 mm sanded and the coated with sanding sealer before under coating. The hull before sanding was left on the side for a few weeks to
allow the glue to dry out. In the meanwhile the cabin, wheelhouse and decks were worked on also all the brass parts were made infact all
the parts were made and varnished ready for assembly.
Below are some photos of the Bluebird's first trials in October 2009. It is powerd by two 555 motors from Model Motors Direct and has two
of my own designed ESC's and a rudder mixer this gives the model good handling it can turn without any forward motion, this gets us out
of any trouble with ease.
Contact Us
To join us or ask any questions please contact The Club Secretary at:
The Club Secretary
Stourbridge Model Boat Club
27 Holmwood Avenue
Kidderminster
DY11 6DB
Phone:
01562 741565
To email the club please use the email form
An application form can be emailed on request
Photos
