Restoration of 25ft Motor Cutter - 7

 Although busy in the early part of 2021 getting the Finesse 24 ready for the water I have been working on various jobs on the Cutter when time allows.

Bench assembly of new control panel

A new control panel had to be built for the engine 'from scratch' based on pictures and diagrams in the engine manuals and my own research. A frame was constructed and a sandwich of a sheet of marine plywood and 16 -gauge galv. steel sheet formed the panel. I had been collecting suitable instruments; oil pressure and temperature gauge and ammeter joined the tachometer that came loose with the engine.  Speed control lever was fitted with link arm and rod to connect with governor quadrant and a rod and handle made to connect to the oil filter actuator lever.

Control panel mounted to engine

Switch, pushbuttons and warning lamp were fitted and wired for glow plug, starter and dynamo control. A regulator for the dynamo has been hung on the back of the panel.  The dynamo I've found is not 'correct' for this engine as it should have a CAV D45 model with attached regulator and the one I've opted for in the absence of the CAV is a Lucas C45 from a tractor of similar vintage that has a low-enough 'cutting-in' speed.

Engine controls assembly underway.
Rod links governor quadrant with speed control lever.

Overhauled fuel pump and injectors

After carrying out further tests I was not happy with the way the engine starts and runs and elected to have the injectors and pump checked and overhauled. One very big bill later the injectors have been fitted with new nozzles, pressures set and the pump cleaned and calibrated together with the supply of a new pair of injector pipes. The engine is now nearly ready to be lifted into the boat.

Another old skinfitting hole to be plugged

Final part of forefoot fitted

Lifting eye holes plugged and filled

Lifting eye and fish-plate now surplus

Old bolt hole plugged with oak plug epoxied into place

In the boat I had continued plugging various surplus holes in her topsides and decided not to refit the forward lifting plate. This was originally secured by four 5/8" copper bolts that were fitted at odd angles which must have reduced the strength of the keel in this area. I was concerned about making all these fastenings watertight again after the removal and now that the scarf for the keel repair passes through the plane of half of the bolts. So, I have simply glued hardwood plugs into all the old fastening holes and have 'deleted' the lifting eye that will become a paperweight or some such. At the forefoot a final outer piece was glued and screwed on to replace the ragged and damaged timber here.

Seacock refitted in its original location ahead of engine, aft of the centre bulkhead.

I had opened up the original location of the engine intake seacock and made a mounting plate for the thing and bolted it back in place.  When the outside of the hull has been filled and faired I have a new bronze strainer/scoop to fit over the intake.

Damp towels deployed in below waterline areas inboard

White tarps to keep sun off

We had a brief heatwave late in July and damp towels and sacks were deployed together with the white tarps hung over the sides to protect the hull from direct sun. She has opened up a bit but I am trying to limit this as much as possible in the below waterline areas. I'm not keen on spraying fresh water around in a boat but this is treated tap water and it is not allowed to lie for long. From previous experience; if a clinker hull dries too much the strakes get tensioned across their width which encourages splitting along the lines of fastenings.

Remains of a Cutter

Just part of a keel with bits of hog and garboard

Iron lifting eye still attached

We had been told about the existence of another Motor Cutter on the Haven and on a recent walk we found it... just the remains of it... only part of the keel with a lifting eye (iron) still attached. This boat appears to have been burnt when her usefulness was over. There is not enough left of this boat even for me to attempt to restore....

Restoration of 25ft Motor Cutter - 6

 Following on from the previous post where we made a small repair section for the forward end of the keel and cut scarfs to fit now we fit it into place....

With the section in place holes were drilled for the new bolts and 3/8" bronze threaded rod used to make them. The existing bolt holes through the fore deadwood and hog were re-used 

Bedding compound was made up in the traditional manner by mixing red-lead with linseed oil putty thinned with raw linseed oil.

The bolts were sealed by smearing them with bitumastic compound and a cotton grommet and everything was bolted-up tight.

Ingredients for making re-lead putty

Red-lead putty mixed and ready

New section of keel being offered-up

Bronze bolts sealed with bitumastic and cotton

Bolted up tight

There was a smaller section of timber right on the curve of the forefoot that was crumbling from being encased in the iron 'shoe'. This again was a later addition and presumably a repair after past damage.

With the old bit of timber chipped away the remains of the fixing screws were extracted and the remaining timber cleaned-up. A new piece was cut from the remaining oak and once a snug fit was achieved the mating surfaces were primed with sealing epoxy.

Forefoot having a clean-up for a new piece of timber to be fitted

At this stage in our works the weather got colder and wetter and the virus pandemic halted our works.

I have continued with some small jobs such as priming and varnishing bare wood inside the boat and doing some jobs on the engine.

Varnishing - 3-coats for now to seal and protect the new timber

The Dorman engine is missing its dynamo and instead the drive shaft - which is an extension of the governor shaft - had been fitted with a 'V' belt pulley but no clue as to what it drove. Looking at the engine's drawings it appears that this shaft runs in plain bearings that are splash-lubricated inside the gearcase; hence this shaft is not really suitable for a radial load that a 'V' belt drive would apply. Originally a C.A.V. dynamo was coupled to this shaft and directly driven.

I have been hunting for the 'correct' D45R dynamo for a while without success but then realised that the '45' means a 4 1/2" body diameter and instead a Lucas type C45 dynamo would fit and would have a low enough 'cutting-in' speed. To check this before splashing out on a suitable machine I made a cardboard mock-up to check for fit on the engine - which it does.

Cardboard mock-up Lucas C45 dynamo to check for fit. The oil pressure gauge is temporary.

Now I have obtained an enclosed (i.e. non-ventilated) C45 dynamo with a 1955 date that was probably from a tractor. To fit it to the engine I have to make some clamping straps and a coupling hub as the drive is basically a short piece of 1 3/4" rubber hose secured by hose clips. The drive hub is on order as it has to be made specially and I've no access to a metalwork lathe.

This pulley had been fitted to the drive hub

Pulley removed to leave the 1 3/4" spigot - this turns at 1.4 times engine speed

The engine is also missing its 'dashboard'/control panel on which controls and instruments are mounted. I have a tachometer and have obtained throttle control lever, oil pressure gauge, ammeter and various buttons and switches and the current job is the manufacture of the mounting board, roughly copying the illustrations and drawings in the engine manual. I have made a frame from 1" angle to support a panel and this is as far as I've got now.

This is what it should look like

Control panel manufacture underway

Just before Christmas 2020 a timber supplier I occasionally order from was offering 1m3 bundles of sapele offcuts. I purchased one and a whole stack turned up so now we've got sufficient timber for pretty much all the internal joinery and also the framing for the cuddy and cabin top.

Plenty of sapele - most of these are more than 4m long.