Building old style rudders and clipper sterns

[Ted]

I'm preparing to build my first large scratch-built ship, and am stumped on the construction of the rudder and stern.

The rudder is hinged on the stern post, with a rod going up to the steering gear, on the poop deck, connected to chains and pulleys and such.

All builds I've been able to find documented on the net of RC models have a more modern rudder arrangement.

Further questions may come later, thanks.

[Laurent]

Hi Ted,

have a look at my building thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=56695&hilit=proteus

regards,

Laurent

[Ted]

Hi Ted,

have a look at my building thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=56695&hilit=proteus

regards,

Laurent

Thank you, that is what I have been looking for. The 'epoxy plate' you cut the stern and rudder post out of, is that plastic/polystyrene? Is it just glued to the hull?

Also, do you have any more photos of the construction of that area?

Thanks again.

[Laurent]

Hi Ted,

the plate used for the stern post is an epoxy one, 2mm thick in this case, it comes from plates used in the electronic world to make home made prints, this epoxy is double copper coated, one coat of copper on each side. If you can find epoxy plate with one side copper or even without copper, use it either. Another option is to make your stern post out of brass, but the work involved is heavier. epoxy can be worked with metal tools (drill bits, Dremel little sanding drums), I like it because it is tough and it still remains a little flexible. ABS or other polystyrol stuff would be too breakable for this purpose.

There are three rotation points on my rudder, there are two bearings in the rudder shaft tube and there is only one working gudgeon on my stern posts, the lower one, the remaining gudgeons are "false". working gudgeons/pintles everywhere is not necessary and would be impossible to do at this scale. You may see the only one pintle/gudgeon assembly here under:


When cutting the stern post, I always look to have a part of it going high up into the hull near the rudder shaft tube, and another extension going horizontally forward along the keel. So is the whole stuff good tight. see here under the little cutaway in the deadwood where the horizontal extension will come, at the very top of the picture:


I cover my hull with paper to simulate the plating, with a first underlayer, green in this case, enclosing the horizontal portion of the stern post:


the glue used to fix the sternpost to the wooden hull is thick CA glue, I do adapt the wood to the epoxy stern post, easier than the other way. This is a trial and no error process. And even then, if you sand too much wood away, you still can add a little piece of wood there...

I should check on my other PC if I took pics of the stern post before glueing it on the hull, stay tuned.

Regards,

Laurent

[Ted]

Thanks again. Now I can get started.