HMS Renown Billing Boats kit #604 (Build 2013

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HMS Renown Billing Boats kit #604 (Build 2013)

In the mid 1800's, the Royal Navy began to equip its larger men-of-war with so-called steam barges or steam pinnaces. After experiments with a number of different types, 30, 40, 50 and 56 ft boats became most widely used. By the end of the century, the first motor pinnaces were ready for duty. When the First World War broke our, however, steam boats returned to the scene. The 50 ft pinnace for 'HMS Renown' dates from this period. As many as 4 of these boats might have equip each man-of-war (battle ship). The boats had a small forepeak, a crew compartment, a boiler room and a cabin. Above the crews' quarters was a conical steel base with a permanent universal ring, on which a 3-lb quick-firing cannon or maxim machine gun could be mounted.
This type of boat was used for a variety of tasks; traveling ranking officers between boats, or to patrol the mouths of harbours for the protection of ships anchored therein hence the name 'picket boats'.
The Kit
Billing got 4 difficulty level for there ship
The Renown is in the categories of beginner
The kit come with wood for the frame and vacuform for the deck furniture and equipment and some brass parts
The instruction where very basic
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The frame is build in 2 sections separately that will have to be glue together
So I use a strong straight piece of wood and tack the first haft to make certain to not have any distortion
A heavy weight to have a perfect 90dg
I repeat the operation for the other half
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The instruction is very basic to explain how to do the planking
And it is single planking so have to be perfect the first time the deck also is in 2 half
After the both have are done we glue them together and was lucky and happy to have a straight hull
Next was the planking of the hull the instruction suggest full length plank I went to a ratio 50/50
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The part supply to do the roof of the cabin is suppose to be a tin vacuform that I did not like at all and on top of it did not fit properly with the structure of the cabin
So I decide to build one in wood
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All the front housing is vacuform that have to be separated carefully from the main sheet
And glue in place I have add small wood pieces inside to have a good bound
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The rest of the deck accessory the gun, rudder, chimney etc. where or Vacuform or plastic so no work at all there. Just place them at their proper place
Got the kit from Cornwall Model Boat cost me +- $50US in 2009
In my opinion it is a $50 kit not more
The instructions are very basic
The wood noting special soft wood
Vacuform or plastic part some metal and brass pieces. (cutting vacuform is tricky)
A 2 hulls section is very tricky I was lucky to not have distortion

When I was approaches in 2013 to give something to the charity at my office I decide to build that model and it did not take time at all.
The ship (Supply a casing for the ship that cost me more then the ship $62cdn) and 5 figurines 80 and 75mm went on ticket sale.
First prize was the ship (the colleague that win it bought 10 ticket at $5 each he really want it ) second prize first choice on the figurine and so on.
$745 was amassed and again got a nice income deduction receipt.

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