After the first attempt at Lorraine (1) from the Model Boats Plan MM 512, which ended in a disaster, the main frame/hull warped, I did not clamp the keel down on the assembly with glue, think the expression is " Like a dogs hind leg". I did drop it into the water butt and let it soak, then clamped it all up, but after the dry-out period it all went back to a disaster, so it was scapped.
Lorraine 1 was a Round Bilge type hull, then while pondering the drawing i noticed there was a second set of illustrations showing a Hard Chine construction, and as had not indulged in a hard chine unit for some time, decided to give it a go. Some 5mm ply was obtained from the local emporium ( JotiKa ) and we set off, tracing from the plan, and then transfering to the timber. I was asked why i over drew or extended the profile lines of the bulkheads/formers, this is if one uses a circular saw, it's far easier to pick up on the extended line's than guess the ailignement to the saw blade, this can apply to hand saws of course. The Keel was fabricated from 2 x 5mm layers of ply. Tend to cut one out layer out first then locate and bond them together, using the original cut out as a templet, they were bonded with Alphatic glue and brass pins, then left under pressure on a flat surface over night, using any old bits of weight that could be found, ie: old Lead Acid battery's keel weights etc: ..

Continuing on with the hull, marking out , cutting out and lightening the formers/bulkheads. Tend to use a ring saw in the inner corners think the radus was a 2p coin, then with the jigsaw inverted into the workmate and a metal cutting blade, why metal cutting blade it is of a thinner section and finer toothed, it tends to go around tight corners more easily. A lot of pics with this entry, trying to show the interlocking of the bulkheads and combing edges. Muddy ..

Thinking about the deck, having used Walnut and Mahogany was looking for a light coloured timber and i think I have found one, this is just sizing-up the job.. Muddy ..

Drive assembly, decided on a twin screw approarch, again. Came across some large Buhler Motors, ( Tnx Jon ) slow rpm and judging by the attatched wiring to the motors, the current drain could be low, i did a run up with meters at different voltages and the idle current at 6 volts was about 600ma, thought these may be worth a try, more on these after running trials and wet bottom time.
Had the motor mounting brackets folded up/made locally, but all the drilling/holes are in house.
Because the motor ouput shaft is 6mm, went for some 5mm propshafts/tubes..
Could not make up my mind about the couplings, so invested in some rubber flexible couplings, but as a standby have also the standard UJ Type with brass inserts. Muddy ..

Most of the previous posts to Lorainne 2 are about two years old, she was shelved because mainly of a mistake i had made at the Transom. Which i thought of covering up with a added piece of ply 1/8", but during my enthusiasm to get going or crack on, i fitted a piece of 1/4" ply, now this made the transom 1/2" thick and presumably a lot heavier than expected. Hence the selving. But this last week , running out of job's/projects, i re-looked at this stored half built hull. Decision was made to try and lighten this Transom by removing some of the timber ( 1/2" ply ), by drilling holes into it, but they turned into apetures, then to add some planking for the finish, this was done. Muddy ..

Once the transom was sorted, the next job was the bottom skins, but on further inspection i had forgotten to place some spruce stringers along the keel length for the skins to sit on, I,m now begining to look for the large hat/cap with a capital letter D on it, ohh deary me ! ..
Bulkhead No 2 to the Transom had a 1/4" x 1/4" slot cut into it, alongside the keel.
I,ve had this happen before, getting over enthusiastic, and had to cut the slots, its not an easy job, tend to use a Razor saw and a Hacksaw blade, held within a padsaw blade handle, or loads of tissue wrapped around the blade to make up a soft handle, the other "secret" is to use the blade on a pulling stroke and not as usual mounted to cut on a pushing stroke, if you use the blade on a pushing stroke be prepared with a box of plasters, things can get nasty if the blade jams ! ! ! and the wood changes colour , to red.. Once this pair of stringers have been glued and fixed, the its time to start marking out the skins. A lot of trial and error with the help of a coarse sandpaper will help to make them fit, And as the bow section, former 1 to Stem, is a very tight curve then i decided to infill with block, not sure at the moment what wood is available for this task. Muddy ..

Once the bottom skins have been marked out, roughly and oversize, they can be cut and trimmed to fit along the keel edge. I tend to lay glue on every edge the skin will touch and marking the centre line of the bulkheads across the outer edge of the skin will assist in the pin fixing, ot nails, always use barass pins, 7mm long and .7mm diameter, flat head. Bradawl the skin whilst in alignement of the bulkhead and hammer home the pin, , usually place one pin between the bulkheads along the keel/keel stringer and the span of the bulkhead, not forgetting the chine edge's also. Again using the one skin as a pattern for the second bottom skin, once your satisfied with the skin placement, then start and finish the second skin pinning and glue the same way, same methode. Once the glue has dryed off, usually overnight with me, then things start to look something like and the boat starts to take on some sort of profile instead of just an armature or frame.
Muddy ..

Propshafts, if fitting twin screws, it is advisable to get the shafts aligned. Parallel to each other and the same dimentions under the hull from the skin to the prop centre boss. Always make up a sim ple jig in the form of a pair of spacer bars drilled as a pair, together to make them identical for the shaft spacing, also make up a spacer(s) from the shaft(s) to the bottom of the skin(s), at this stage of the process i,m inclined to dry fit many times, especially when your satisfied with the shaft setup and move on to the motors and their fixings.
Muddy ..

Engine Room, or motor mountings/fixings. Once satisfied with shaft ailignement, time to locate the drive motors, making sure the shafts are held well and truly in place, ( using some old Aero Modelling wing bands ) plenty of them, but being carefull not to distort the shaft alignement.
Connect up the motors and start to manufacture a mounting tray of some sorts. Several attempts were made at this, hence the quantity of pictures.
Muddy ..

Shafts Motors and Couplings. Once the prop shafts are located and made reasonably secure, one can start on the other end, the motor end. Making up a substantial motor platform, mostly in 5mm ply, thinking about removal of the motors for exchangeability from vessel to vessel, some sort of platform was concocted, with wood shims under the ally mounting plate, also there may be a different type of flexible coupling employed this was also being thought of.
Muddy ..