MODEL TORPEDO BOAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21617, 9 October 1933, Page 6

MODEL TORPEDO BOAT

UNEMPLOYED MAN'S WORK INGENIOUS USE OF SCRAPS SUCCESSFUL SPEED TRIAL [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] ' HASTINGS, Saturday The construction of a working model of a torpedo boat destroyer has been the manner in which a Hastings unemployed man has utilised his spare time, and the result is an extremely faithfully-built craft. The achievement is all the more remarkable from the fact that the material used was vraste odds aitd ends. The builder is Mr. J. H. W. Forrest.

Handicapped on 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, nails and pins picked up at random in the streets—these were the principal materials at his disposal.

More remarkable still was the type of tools he used. He has no lathe, modern drill, or up-to-date machine, but relies solely on the hand implements that are to be found in the average home —a hack-saw, hand-drill, pliers, hammer and cheap soldering outfit. With these implements lie has fashioned several thousands of pieces of metal into tiny parts, the largest not more than two square inches and the smallest of almost microscopic size. These parts he has pieced together with infinite care with solder or rivets. Many Hours of Work Just how many hours Mr. Forrest has spent on the craft he is unable to estimate, but he has kept a record of his time on the soldering process, and to date he has spent over 1000 hours/ in piecing together the various parts. This is the major part of the work, although the cutting out has 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 v,'ell in the water, and on its trials moved well, giving a realistic scale-size bow wave.. She is oft. lin. long with B£in. beam at the widest part and 7iin. 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 the power, the batteries for lighting and the propeller shaft. The deck equipment is a most outstanding feature of 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, capstan bollards, G'arlie float and lifeboat*. All are made to scale and fashioned from pieces of metal in a manner that required meticulous care and concentration. The same applies to the fittings, which include six hatchways, ten life-belts, davits, masts and wireless 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 for the searchlight insulators and curtain buttons from a motor-car were used port-holes,being fitted with beads. The gearing and shafts-were made from pieces of a toy mechanical set, while the whole of the deck and its accessories were made from tobacco tins.