How I am building HMS Example

I don't have a favourite type of boat so when it came to my first build I was a little stuck, the choice of plans available left me with a long list, Smit Nederland was the first set of plans a bought but I had already had the Billing kit of the vessel. I was travelling along the quayside in Newcastle when I saw Example moored on the Gateshead side of the Tyne so the first thing I did was to locate a set of plans and see how hard it was for a first time build. After looking at the plans and talk to different people in my local club, one who had built a model and had served on one, I decided that this was the model I wanted to build. Luckily for me this vessel is based on the River Tyne so I can see from the Newcastle side the boat which is based at HMS Calliope in Gateshead. The plans I bought online from marine modelling.

Two sheet drawings for Archer Class patrol boats used by RNXS and Universities. Frames and general hull arrangement shown for 1:24th scale model of 825mm length and 240mm beam, for single or twin electric motors and rudders. No model construction data. Featured in MMI June 2002

Level of Difficulty: **

By: Ron Gage

The first thing I did was to photocopy the original plans so I can work off the copies and keep the originals in the packaging they came in.

The first set of tools I needed for this build was my old stationary set from school and yes I can remember that far back, so to start I needed tracing paper, drawing squares, french curve, set of compasses and pencils. I laid the plans of the frames out on a flat board with a good straight edge so I could use the tee square for any straight lines and mark a series of dots which I could use the curve to mark in.

Fig.1

Fig.2

In fig.2 I have shown the first frame which is needed but what I haven't shown is a tab for the frame to be fixed to the building board. I will explain about the board a little later. s you can see from the plan the first ten frames are all different, it is not until you get numbers eleven - eighteen which are all the same but what I have done is copied this frame a couple of times as when you transfer the frame on to the wood your tracing can become distorted.


This picture shows one of the frames I have drawn out. Notice I have a base line and centre line for reference for when I transfer it on to the wood. Also there is a tab for when I attach to the building board.	Fig.3
Well a few major problem has arisen, the real boat is twin prop with offset rudders but on the plans it is not shown and when I started I hadn't realised that I would have to diagonally plank the hull but it also has a double knuckle and this being my first hull I need some thing to cut my teeth on not my throat so I will have to put this one on the shelf until I can find out the information and I have built a simpler hull , so what am going to build now......... Check the new page for the Sea Lady, a fishing trawler.

23/09/2004