Fairey 23 River Cruiser

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

The box forming the cockpit area and providing support for one end of the roofs has been constructed. Over the weekend I'm planning to fit the cabin/cockpit sides and front and rear window frames and plank the roofs.

As with the hull, I'm using Dave's Huntress build article for guidance on building methods and materials etc. and will certainly be following his advice when I get to the finishing and painting stages – thanks again Dave.

Chris

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Chris

The Spearfish has a great hull, but requires a few stringers in the bottom because of drumming when running the boat.

I worked my mate's boat whilst he was sick.

The boat started with a 3639-750kv motor, moved up to the 3639-1100kv and finally onto the 3648-1450kv on a 5800 mah 4S Lipo battery.

Car ESC 100Amp with a 2 blade 40mm CNC prop.

The boat turns like on rails and handles rough water with easy.

If I can find one for sale in Australia I will getting for sure.

So I will be waiting out for you build posting in the future.

Harry Smith

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Thanks for the tips Harry. There's been a few come up for sale over here.

I shall make a bit more progress on my other projects and then I'll start looking at the Spearfish.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Starting to look like a Fairey River Cruiser now.

Was hoping to have started on the roofs yesterday but had to remake the rear window and wait for the glue to dry. I'd cut out the window aperture first but by the time I'd sanded the frame to fit it was too thin at the bottom – I'd modified the drawing slightly, which if I'd left as done originally would have been OK. The front frame was fine though.

I'd love to crack on but in the interests of domestic harmony it's going to wait until after Christmas now.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

It's quite a pretty little thing, isn't it?
What sort of wood do you intend to use for the roof? My preference would be bass/lime in strips about 1/8" x 3/8".
DM

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Yes, when I first saw it I wasn't convinced of the looks, especially due to the stubbiness of the aft cabin, but as you have found out with the Huntress etc. the different boats grow on you. I would have built it anyway, it being a Fairey.

As for the roofs I'm following your Huntress article with the timber already obtained from SLEC.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Roofs now fitted ready for sanding and trimming.

The reality looks a lot better!

Edited By Chris Fellows on 28/12/2018 22:04:50

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Spent some time today cutting and sanding the roofs flush with the cabin sides etc. and gave the tops a preliminary sanding with the trusty Permagrit. Need to do a bit of filling before the final sanding as a couple of the planks were thinner than the others. I could sand the steps out but it will be easier to fill and I'll do it when I fill those gaps at the bow.

I'll order the Eze-Kote and cloth etc. later this week but will put the River Cruiser to one side now and drop back on the other two boats.

Chris

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Chris,

The 23's coming along well, as you have used ply for the sides & bottom skins, you only need to epoxy the balsa blocks at the bow? Good luck and happy New year 😊,

There are some photos in my album of my H31 from the President kit, you may find the window frames of interest.

Regards Ray

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Happy new year to you as well Ray.

Along with the profiling of the stringers and keel and the skinning of the hull (which weren't too bad in the end) I must admit that the windows are the other thing that are causing me trepidation. Hopefully when I come to do them they won't be as bad either.

Chris

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Frames from 0.5mm styrene sheet and window panels from 0.50mm clear acetate. What's the problem? The windscreen will be fun, though…… ;o)

DM

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

The problem is cutting them out neatly and accurately! I'm concerned that I'm going to make a right pigs ear of them.

I don't think the windscreen will be too much of a problem (famous last words!) as it only sits on the cabin roof and doesn't run along the cockpit sides like other Faireys – I will still have the problem of cutting out the framing though.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 02/01/2019 00:01:45

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Nothing much to add really as all I've done is a little filling to the roof and sanding with a finer grit. Really pleased with how the roofs have come out.

I'd collected the materials for finishing (following DM's recommendations of course ) a little while ago but won't do much more until the weather is conducive to painting etc.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Returned to the River Cruiser having spent some time on the Huntsman 28.

Did a little more filling to the bow to fill in some small depressions left after the initial filling with P38 and gave the whole hull a sand, smooth as a baby's bottom now!

As the hull has been built in birch ply I could just resin the balsa/filler to the bow and it would be ready for painting. But to tie in the various materials and where I'd filled in screw holes left after fitting the skins and some surface blemished in the birch ply I decided to resin and cloth the whole hull including the ply deck as this is to be painted as well. I also wanted to take the cloth over the keel to give a nice smooth finish.

Glad I did as the resin and cloth does give a really nice uniform finish for painting. Before I do that though I've got to make another blinkin' order to SLEC! I ordered some different sizes of mahogany last time for these builds and for when I start the Fisherman 27 but didn't get any for the rubbing strips.

I really must try and focus and make sure (well try!) that I get all the timber that I need.

Once the rubbing strips and chine rails have been fitted (no spray rails, yippee!) I can start painting, which will be done outside.

Chris

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Chris

You are dead right to glass the hull to tie in the various materials and like you, I have found it makes a great uniform base for painting.

Your fleet is coming along nicely.

Tim R

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Thanks Tim. Weather is not looking too promising over the next few days so won't be doing anything outside so can get on with model building.

It's right what folks say, how did I ever have time to go to work!

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Carried out glassing to the roofs and sides of the superstructure. Just need to do some Sand "n" Seal to the ply inside the cockpit, fit the rubbing strips once obtained, apply another coat of resin to the hull and superstructure and a final sand and it's ready for painting.

Well, before I do that I'd better fit the prop shaft and make a stand.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 05/05/2019 18:39:19

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Chris

A proper little boat now.

As a matter of interest what the weight of the glass cloth you used?

Tim R

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi Tim

Yes, I'm really glad I decided to build it now, even though it's not a fast boat. The design has really grown on me.

The cloth is 34g/m2 which I get from Deluxe Materials.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

It's been many, many weeks since I did anything on any of my boat builds, but I've started again now. It's been partly due to holidays but also when the weather's nice I've been doing other things. To be honest I started model boat building as a winter hobby and have found it hard to get motivated to start again as I suppose we all do from time to time. But I've been down the boat club a couple of times which always motivates and given the weather at the moment I've got no excuse!

As per my post in Beginners, I've started fitting the mahogany rubbing strips. After starting off by fitting the wrong size, 5x3mm instead of 3×1.5mm and not pre-bending with steam with the result that the Slo-Zap wouldn't hold, I'm now making progress and have it fitted to the stern and most of the way along one side. Whilst waiting for the glue to set and leaving for much longer than the instructions say I fitted the chine rails to the Huntsman 28.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Fitting of rubbing strips and chine rails now completed. Top corner of chine rails rounded off and bottom corner has just had the sharp corner taken off so that the paint adheres. Not that the corner has to be sharp anyway, this being a cruiser.

As mentioned earlier next jobs are making a stand and fitting the prop shaft etc.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Backward step. Having sanded the top of the rubbing strips flush with the deck, where they were standing a little proud in some places, I've found, unsurprisingly, that particularly towards the stern, that the strip has ended up less deep than elsewhere. On a bigger section of timber it wouldn't be too noticeable but with a 3mm deep timber it is, I'm not happy with it and keep looking at it!

I contemplated gluing some slithers of timber to the defective areas and sanding back but I don't think I'd ever be happy with it so I'm taking it all off and redoing it.

Good news is that it's well stuck, but it's taking quite some time, with the help of a Stanley knife to get it off.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

I'm happy now! Well on with redoing the rubbing strips. This time I've started from the bow going backwards which has made it easier transitioning from the curve to the straight and making the joint at the bow. Also the glue is taking/grabbing much better so I haven't had to use clamps or tape and leave for quite awhile before moving onto the next section – it was done over a few days whereas this time I'm doing it in one hit which is great.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Have gone along the joint between the chine rails and hull with a mix of micro-balloons and resin and given it a sand. Also fitted mahogany strips along the side of the roofs and to the cockpit area.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 18/08/2019 19:43:38

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Been a few weeks since I did anything on the River Cruiser but a couple of days ago I fitted the toe rails which are ready for sanding the corners off. I was going to do it before but I'd used most of my 1.6 x 1.6mm mahogany so had to order some more. As usual I had to add a few other things to make the postage worthwhile!

Next job (and to the Huntsman 28) is to fit the prop shaft and engine mounting etc. so today I made the stands for each boat.

I used my chop saw for cutting the dowels square and made a bit of a mess firing saw dust over the window cill etc. (I think that collection bag is in the shed somewhere) so I finished off by having a tidy up and vacuum.

Chris

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