Classic Wooden Boat Plans

A quick update to inform the interested ones out there that a new plans page has been added to my website – www.john-tom.com

The Classic Wooden Boat Plans Page details model wooden boats, some free plans and some premium plans are available for download and there are more plans being added weekly.

The plans are all easy to follow so there is no need to spen all that money on the ready warp completed hardwood model that with crack if it sees water – make your own and buy some tools with the saving!

All the plans are RC friendly and you can ensure the quality of the materials and workmanship becuse you are making it.

I have seen many of the Vietnam hardwood boats after being exposed to water – they without fail crack and warp within a couple of weeks.  be warned.

Time consuming – yes but not expensive, the materials are readily available and you can properly waterproof the inside of the model as you build it – something that you can not do to your ready made option which is designed as a show model, not as a working RC model..

Some plans are CNC friendly, frame templates come on Autocad files that can be loaded into CNC software and the frames cut by machine – speeds up the build and ensures accuracy.

No customs duty or import duties, the plans are sent by email.

More info at my website - www.john-tom.com

Check out the model Boats at Model Power Boat Plans Page

Thompson M1A1 Replica Plans

At last, I have manged to complete the Thompson M1A1 Replica plans. they are available at the Replica Firearms Page on my site – Thompson Machine Gun Replica

The project requires that you are proficient at welding and there is a fair amount of machine work to be able to complete the project to a high standard.  The completed Replica will easily pass for the real thing to the layman and is ideal for use on military reenactments, as a prop or for cosplay.

The replica has moving internal parts with a working trigger.  The working parts can be locked to the rear and released by the trigger to give the impression of a working weapon.  The replica will not fire blanks or even chamber live ammunition.  The barrel is solid aluminium with the ends bored out to a depth of 2″ to simulate the breech and muzzle.

More details on the webpage at Replica Weapons and more plans at www.john-tom.com

Barrett M82A3 .50 Caliber Rifle Home Built Airsoft Sniper Rifle Replica

The new Project –  build a full scale replica of the Barrett M82 .50 Cal Rifle or M107

The Airgun Plans Page now has the plans ready including  guides, photographs and template patterns to make a fully functional Airsoft Barrett M82 using a donor AEG (M16 or M4)

  

The plan set consists of 10 sheets of plans – A0, A1, A3 sized sheet in Adobe PDF format and Build Photographs to guide the production of the replica .50 caliber sniper rifle

 

 

The replica is not capable of firing or even chambering live ammunition and can not be modified to become a functional firearm.  The replica can be converted to and Airsoft AEG and the plan set includes templates for installing a gearbox and magazine from an Airsoft M4 or M16 which is used as a donor for the internal working parts.

 

More info and plans at www.john-tom.com and the Airgun Plans Page

Sterling Sub Machine Gun 9mm MK4 L2A3 – Replica

Home built Sterling Sub Machine Gun 9mm L2A3 Full Scale Replica and airsoft conversion

This is a non firing full scale replica that can have an AEG Gearbox and barrel fitted to make a Sterling SMG Electric Airsoft Gun – This enables the Sub Machine gun to fire 6mm Airsoft plastic pellets at a Muzzle Energy not exceeding 1 Joule.

The Sterling SMG was used by the British Army since the end of WW2 and was the replacement for the Sten Gun where continued service until the early 90’s.

There are plans to build the replica (non firing although the plans are compatible  with conversion to Airsoft AEG) are available for download at my website – www.john-tom.com on the Air Gun Plans Page

Construction is Steel and Plastic Pistol Grip as the original.  Video of the Airsoft conversion of the Sterling SMG is on the Airgun Webpage

Browning Machine Gun .50 Cal M2 – Scale Replica

 

 

Made for a combined Airsoft and Paintball Beach Assault skirmish  held in Bangkok in July 2008

1:1 stand off scale Ma Deuce that fires paintballs via a full auto capable paintball marker that has been modified to fit inside the body of the gun. 

Plans for the semi-scale full size Browning M2 used in the skirmish are up for download already and details of this version and photographs of the build are listed on the Plans Page

The outer barrel is made from aluminium tubing and the body from 3mm sheet aluminum with GRP 10mm sheet for the top and bottom to add a little weight.

Very simple riveted construction with PVC pipe fittings for some of the round stock and a welded steel tripod made from reclaimed steel tubing

 

A full scale replica that is in distinguishable from a real Browning M2 is now under contruction – plans will be available for download from www.john-tom.com Air Gun Plans Page  in late March or early April 09 

Go to my website for more videos and plans for Engines, Jets, Air Guns and RC

IT Monster Lake Thailand – Lake Monsters

It Lake Monsters – Amazon Fishing, Ban Pong – Ratchaburi 

 

 

Also known as Bor Pee-It, (บ่อพี่อิท) and Predator Lake this is the venue for world class predator fishing.

It is located in Ratchaburi Province in the Ban Pong subdistrict – For Details and Location go to www.John-Tom.com

Prices as at Decmber 2008 are

Full day live baiting 7,000 baht

Half day live baiting 3,500 Baht

Lure and fly fishing full day 3,500 Baht

The location, directions and road map for IT Monster Lake are at my webpage

Dancing with Sharks

After watching the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week programs, the memories of scuba diving in Thailand came flooding back.

On the initial descent on my first dive  at Phi Phi Island in Thailand I arrived on the sandy bottom near to a Leopard Shark  – supposedly harmless but a shark non the less, “harmless” means that the species has not torn a chunk off anybody’s leg – yet.  My dive buddy was my long time friend from the UK who was working as an Instructor for a local Dive Shop so the stress of the encounter was reduced a little.

“If in doubt, do as I do” was one of the many pearls of wisdom given during the dive brief, so I did as he did and calmly swam to one side of the shark to avoid passing over the top of it (which may make it feel threatened and provoke an attack) We saw several Leopard Sharks;  the one that I managed to photograph coming towards me actually gave me a bump on the shin and swam between my legs.  A shark will bump into you as a means of investigation, shins are all bone, if it had bumped into my belly I am sure it would have whistled for it’s mates for a feeding frenzy.

We had a great weeks diving, managing to photograph Sea Turtles, Manta Rays and Moray Eels to name a few.  More details and photographs are on my Website – www.john-tom.com on the diving pages.

The conditions for diving are generally good at Phi Phi Island, some days have over 30m of visiblity under water, beaten only by the Similan Islands in my opinion.  The amount of life in and around the coral is amazing and must be experienced to do it justice.  Floating weightless in the amongst  of a shoal of swirling fish is the nearest you will get to flying with the birds -if Dancing with Sharks is not your thing.

More details and Underwater Photographs at www.john-tom.com on the Diving in Thailand page

Steam Engines in Thailand

Ruston Proctor Portable Twin Cylinder Steam Engine circa 1905

Ruston, Proctor & Co Ltd, Engineers, Lincoln

I found this steam engine in Talard Park in Nakorn Sri Tammarat in Thailand. It is unrestored with a few patches to hold it together. The company name gives an indication of the date of manufacture, Ruston Proctor was given Limited liability in 1899 and the company changed partner names in 1918 so this engine was produced sometime between these dates.

This Twin Cylinder Portable Steam Engine was used in Nakorn Sri Thammarat, probably in the rice milling industry and was recently brought to the City Museum and placed in the “Old Machine Park” outside the front of the museum. I will add more details as I find them, if anybody can identify this engine please contact me.

The engine is located in Talard Park in Nakorn Sri Thammarat

More pics and info at my website on the Steam Engine Page

www.john-tom.com for more info on Steam Engines, model plans and fishing in Thailand

Fishing Thai Style – Lopburi

A recent business meeting took me to Lopburi in central Thailand, so it would have been rude not to go and look at the fishing scene.  No tourists here, only people earning money by catching fish by selling what they do not eat.

Net fishing needs almost impossible coordination, skill and judgement to be successful and that is after you have hand made your own net!

A lot of time is spent maintaining and repairing the net.  This man cycles 15km every day to come fishing at this spot and he does it more for the activity rather than earning money.

The boats on the reservoir set gill nets and traps for fish and is an all day task to set and collect.  The heat with the sun reflecting of the water is almost unbearable and these fishermen certainly earn their catch. 

The boat is powered by a small diesel engine from a farm machine with a long tail prop attached.  You will notice that the fisherman is completely covered up wearing long sleeves and a balaclava to avoid the direct heat from the sun.

This girl was fishing at Sab Takien reservoir in Lopburi province, a group of 6 women fish 5 days a week for Nile Tilapia which they sell at the local markets.  They use rubber  inflatable rings to float across the deeper 

 areas of the reservoir and gain access to the small islands where the fishing is better.  They are in the water for up to 8 hours a day and are experts at fishing – I did not see any of them miss a strike or lose a fish and the fish where unhooked and in the keep net withing seconds.  

 

Today, as usual outside of Bangkok,  everybody was very friendly and did not mind taking time to stop working and sit and talk to me.

The Bar Sak reservoir is located in Lopburi Province at 15.067980 N, 101.079053E and the Sab Takien Reservoir is located at  15.11140 N, 100.99721 E

More info on Fishing In Thailand and the species of fish is available at www.john-tom.com

The Walking Catfish – Thailand Freshwater Fish

The Walking Catfish

I was lure fishing for Pla Chon – Striped Snakehead at a local fishing lake called Bung Chum Narng in Samut Prakarn Province when I had an unusual take while retrieving the lure slower than usual.

Instead of the fast breaching twisting run of the Striped Snakehead, this fish stayed deep and zig zagged every 2 to 3 meters, a local fisherman passed by during the play and mumbled “Pla Duk” and continued on his way.

I landed the fish in the net and remembered that these fish have two large sharp spikes on each Pectoral Fin which can be covered in a poisonous mucus depending on the species, so it was a cautious unhooking.
The fish weighed 800 grams and was about 40cm long.

The fish was released into a holding pond at the request of the lake owner – possibly because he wanted to eat it or more likely to remove a potentialy hazardous fish from his main lake. It will probably walk back to the main lake anyway

What or which one is it? – more photographs at www.john-tom.com Fishing in Thailand Page

I was informed that the fish was a Pla Duk – great,  but when I tried to confirm the species with the fish chart I was left confused (more than usual)

The candidates where

Pla Duk Darn – Clarias Batrachus – batrachian Walking Catfish or common walking catfish

Pla Duk  – Clarias Gariepinus – African Walking Catfish

Pla Duk – Clarias Macrocephalus – Asian Walking Catfish

After a little surfing (the net, internet that is) I found a web page to help with the identification between the species is by the difference in shape of the skull plate or Occipital Process as shown in the sketches (ref A.)

number 1 is C. macrocephalus or Asian Walking Catfish
number 2 is c. batrachus or Batrachian Walking Catfish
number 3 is c. gariepinus or African Walking Catfish

Even more confused – the skull bone was not the shape of the macrochepalus and too long to be a batrachus and too short to be gariepinus and the mouth was not similar to any of the listed species. Also the pectoral fins of my fish where halfway between the location of the fins in drawings 2 and 3

More searching revealed the answer, the fish is a cross between macrocephalus and gariepinus not suprisingly named “Clarias macrocephalus x gariepinus” (ref B:)

So that was my first Walking Catfish and put the cherry on what was already a great couple of hours fishing.
Other catches of the day where several Striped Snakehead fish caught on Lure with 40lb PE braid with a 20lb mono leader

Reference A:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/AC231E/AC231E03.htm

Reference B:

http://www.scotcat.com/clariidae/clarias_macrocephalus_x_c_gariepinus4.htm

More info on this and other fishing sites in Bangkok and surrounding areas is available at www.john-tom.com Fishing in Thailand Page