INGENIOUS WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1933, Page 8

INGENIOUS WORK

MODEL TORPEDO BOAT BUILT. BY UNEMPLOYED MAN. HASTINGS, Otcober 10. The construction of a working model oi a torpedo boat destroyer lias been the manner in which a Hastings unemployed, man has utilised hi s spare time, arid the result is an extremely faithfully-built craft,; Trie achievement is all tne more remarkable from the fact that the material used was waste odds arid ends. The builder is Mr J. H. W. Foriest.

Handicapped <>n the score of capital, Mr ‘ ‘Forrest has had to adapt himself to innumerable makeshifts. Such things as tobacco tins, iron and metal from derelict or burned motor-cars, copper wiring, empty cartridges, nail s and pins picked up at random in the streets—these were the principal materials at his disposal. Move remarkable still was the type of tools he used. He has no lathe, modern drill,, or up-to-date machine, hut relies soiely on the hand implements that are to he found in the average home—a hack-saw, hand-drill, pliers hammer and cheap soldering outfit. With these implements he has fashioned several thousands of p’eces of metal into tiny parts, the largest not more than two square inches and the smallest of almost microscopic -size Those parts he has pieced} together with infinite care with solder and rivets.

Many Hours of Work. Just how. many hours Mr Forrest has spent on the craft he is unable to estimate, hut he has kept a record of his time on the soldering process, and to date lie lias spent over 1000 hours iri piecing together the various parts. 'This is the major part of the work, although the cutting out lias been almost as formidable a. task in point of time and labour. The design was copied from photographs of one of the latest types of destroyer. The model looks well in the water, and on its trials moved'well, giving a realistic scale-size how wave. She i.s -sft lin. long with Si in. beam at the widest part and 7r}in. deep. The'hull itself comprises over 1000 pieces of tin and steel, and has been divided into sections to accommodate the gramophone motor which provides file power, the batteries for lighting and the propeller shaft. The deck equipment is a most outstanding feature o c the model, for Mr Forrest has fitted the craft with the accessories, exactly to scale, found on vessels of this type. The equipment includes searchlights, ventilators, guns, torpedo . tubes, telegraph. dapstan bollards, Carlie float and lifeboats. All are made to sonL and fnslronod from pieces of metal in - manner that required ' meticulous care and.,concentrationi. The- same pofilffis to the fittings’. which include six hatchwavs. ten life-belts, davits, masts and vivpless aerial, cranes and anchors. Nothing has been overlooked.

Deck of Tobacco Tins. More than 100 ft. of copper wire were used in making the railing and giving a rolled edge to the various parts. Blocks and tackle not half-an-inch long have been fashioned out of nails and screwheads soldered together. Tap-washers were used the searchlight insulators and curtain buttons from a motor-car were used ,a® port-holes, being fitted with heads. The gearing and sluifts were made from pieces of a toy mechanical ■set, while the whole of- the deck and its accessories were made from tobacco tins.