The Pelican plank on frame scratch built paddle wheel.

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Dec 14, 2008
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Clarksville Tn
Started this a very long time ago , but my trains are on hold while I establish my retirement residences, One of them is on a bay off of Kentucky Lake, the largest man made lake east of the Mississippi.

My most recent work has been scratcbuilding the wheels out of brass and copper, and the wheel houses out of brass (so far at least). They are going to need a lot of decoration.

The deck house so far is mocked up out of cardboard. It will house the servos, so I want to get those figured out before I build the deck house. I have no idea what I'm doing with RC . My only other effort with RC was a rowing mechanism for a pseudo Roman bireme. That was unsuccessful, as the mechanism, electronics, and battery were too heavy , and put the oar ports too close to the waterline.image.jpeg
If successful , will be sailing off this dock. The 17 foot grumound canoe is the recovery vehicle.



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Photographed in Texas sunlight!
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The inside of the d
Starboard wheel, the outside will have sone fancies inside the center ring , mostly futile as the wheelhouse covers it up, but I know it is there.image.jpeghere is the wheel house. I may solver on brass or copper decorations later , or laminate wood that was either carved or burnt. I'll figure that out later. The cardboard deckhouse and plastic funnel are stand ins.

It has a removable sailing keel , that bolts on where the
Display stand does, and there is also an extension for the rudder for sailing as well.


Hope to finish the strarbord wheel and wheel house, work on the RC , and start the first of several sets of sails . Rigging will be tricky, as I hope to keep the mists removable for transport.




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The ships boats are likewise removeable with the davets made in two parts.
 
That is just absolutely beautiful!! What a beauty, beyond words!! :)
 
I went to the Transfer Station around 15 years ago, and saw a roll of something, 18 inches tall, with brown paper wrapped around it, and a Brass wire wrapped around the outside. When I picked it up, I knew I had found something. It was a 25' feet of 1/16" x 18" inches x 25' feet long piece of Brass. I don't know why this person disposed of it. This would cost a fortune to buy. I am planning to make some vintage railroad type lamps, that use lithium batteries. I have a collection of magnifying lenses. On the other hand, I may use it for a custom polished dashboard for my MG. I would still have a lot of material left over. Brass is so beautiful, polishes so well, and has the ability to form a patina when left to the elements that is just beautiful. That's the problem though, what to make with it? I also don't know what type of Brass it is?

Your ship is a working piece of art. Make sure you have a row boat ready in case you have to go out there quick and get it, and use much flotation inside the model, just in case. :)
 
If you look back on the picture of our dock, I keep a 17 ft. Aluminum canoe , and some cheap paddles and life vests on the dock. The canoe's combination lock is ornery, so I will probably unlock the canoe before launching the Pelican.


It's radio gear is all installed and working. Not as much travel in the sail control as I'd like, but the 6v 30 rpm gear reduction motor I have installed is quiet . And the speed of the paddle wheel is spot on.


I have made one sail. My sewing got better as I worked on it. So I believe by the time I make the other five sails, (3 jibs and an aft sail on the fore mast; and one jib and an aft sail on the aft mast.): I will be considerably better at sewing, and may want to re do the one I have completed so far.

We have a high thread count cotton sheet that developed a rip, and that provides the sail cloth. The one sail I have finished I soaked in tea to get a more canvass like

color.

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Still not figured out what I'm going to do about decorating the wheel houses. One possibility would be to solder some copper wire to them to create some designs. Or sheath them in wood. And use a wood burner to create a design in releifimage.jpeg.
I put the cat out into the workshop at night, as he wants me to get up at 3am to feed him, even if there is food in his dish; so I made a better shelf to keep the Pelican on at night.



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I turned some cannons out of dowels on my cordless drill. This is getting close to operable. I have been pulling my hair out trying to come up with satisfying railroad plans for much smaller spaces. This has been a wecome diversion.


The above picture shows a removable sailing ruder. As the semi scale rudder wouldn't do much I Imagine.
 
Absolutely beautiful!! :)
 
Since my last Post ; I have sewn sails out of old cotton bed sheet, made a dock stand that will accommodate the Removable sailing keel, scratch built anchors, and scratch built cannon.


It is ready for lake trials when I can get back to the lake. Possibly as soon as next week, as we are planning to go back to to Tennessee to check the properties, and bring some stuff to Texas , before we make our late spring transition To TN.
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The guns in the stern.

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The guns in the bow
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THe starboard anchor.
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A wire sticking out the funnel is an aentenna . As is another sticking out of the front of the deck house.

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I'll n
Be sailing off this dock most of the timeimage.jpeg
 
Have a row boat ready!! In case you have to perform an emergency assist. :)
 
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I'm sure. That model is a beauty. I'd have someone in the boat ready to go. ;)
 
keep a 17 foot canoe on the dock, will have it unlocked an in the water , with paddles and live vests on board before I float the Pelican. the lower section off the Pelican's hull is full of chunks of styrofoam, , and all but the sail control servo is above the deck
 
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The pelican was unstable, and it's displacement would not support a heavier keel, so it is on the mantle at the lake house.


I have started a narrow gauge train layout in Texas, but have no space at the lake yet . Have started a sailboat built with a hull that is much wider , and deeper than the pelican. It will also Cary much more sail.
 
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Boats don't scale up or down in functionality. Great mantle piece though. :)