Buzz's Custom Made Boats and Ships
The boats and ships featured on this page are built here at the BoatYard, although the museum quality boats, both powered and static are painstakingly built to order by our master boat builder partner, and are considered very limited "Build On Demand" items. Please be sure to check the "Custom Kits Builder" link for examples of his work. We are open to suggestions if you have a special boat you would like built. Our favorite materials for building all of our prototype boats with is very thin hardwood, and occasionally balsa wood. We've burned our share down to the waterline during our test runs, but have a working design at present. There is a lot of potential for our 'firebox boiler" designed engines, but due to so much other business traffic, these custom boats take time to build from the "ground up". One of our prototypes is pictured on this page. It is an ocean liner which is powered by 3 steam pop pop engines. The ship runs quite well, but we're still perfecting a way to make it easier to get all 3 engines running at the same time. (those little candles only burn so long, you know) We've run her on all 3 and it does make a very strange sound as ours kept going in and out of synch with each other.
Our other experimental boat is reminiscent of an 'African Queen' type of river launch. With the motor mounted in front, and a working stack and 'firebox boiler' in place, she'll putt along with the best of them. We're considering a prototype of this boat hull with two motors mounted side-by-side in the rear also. The new design can be produced with porous metal "exhaust" vents, but could also be rigged with boiler boxes and stacks. More on these later. Photos will follow shortly.
Remember, most of the custom boats we sell are "one of a kind" designs. We shouldn't have to tell you what that means if you'll just hang on to it for a few years. We also feature coil flash boiler propelled boats and ships. If you're wondering what the difference is... basically, the pop pop engine boats make a "popping" motor sound while running, and the coil boilers are primarily silent except for an occasional burble or belch out the exhausts. Coil boilers are indestructible when used with recommended heat sources. They can even be run insalt water!. Pop Pop motors generally have a life commensurate with the amount of attention given to the motor after each day's run, and whether the motor is allowed to run out of water with the fire source still lit. Copper coil boilers are not affected by burning dry. This is because the little pop pop motors are made from very thin tin, although we have successfully made a few motors recently without any solder at all by brazing them together. This would get rid of the lead content and ensure that your heat source does not melt the solder joints in the boiler.
Titanic Kit: We also sell unpainted pieces of the Titanic ship (literally shiny tin) which are ready to assemble. Make you're own kit or ship of any kind with this flexibility. Engines are already installed and hull is ready to run. Email for details. We have other tin kits also, including the Jumbo Tug and the Kalakala Ferry.
Anyway, that's where we stand on custom boats... its a lengthy process sometimes as the custom work is generally done on the weekends. Weekdays consist of a real job, and packing and shipping every night. If you have a favorite boat you would like to install miniature steam power in, please email us. We do custom fittings on existing boats IF WE HAVE ACCESS to the interior of the boat. No plastic boats, please!
We have also created a partnership with a Master model boat builder of many years experience. He will have a page dedicated to the museum quality work he has done, especially with static and operating R/C Mahogony "Barrell Back" Chris Craft boats from the 1930's &40's. You can order custom constructed boats from his page also.
With all that said, here are a few examples of our prototype pop pop boats.
This is the 24" ocean liner with three standard pop pop motors mounted inline. Each has a functional "boiler box" and smoke stack (funnel). This is a mock-up prototype of the Titanic. The ship comes painted the way it is pictured. Remember,starting 3 pop pop motors in unison is a job for a person with 3 arms. Sure sounds and runs great when they're all going though!
This custom made prototype is another of the boats we build to order. This is the steam powered motor launch which can be powered with 1, 2 or 3 pop pop engines. One popular model is that of a dual rear engined model of this same hull design. There are no stacks on the twin rear mounted craft as heat is dissipated through a mesh vented engine cover. A dual rear boiler with stacks is planned for the future.
All of the steam powered custom boats can also be ordered with copper coil flash boilers instead of standard Pop Pop motors.
We also make "beer can steamboats". That right, if you have a favorite kind of beer or soda which comes in a can, let us know and we'll turn it into the life of the party with a steam engine mounted in it, complete ballasting and ready to run instructions. These things get some VERY strange looks as they bubble around in a bowl on the bar... Just another candle? We don't think so! (But we do also make a steam powered party piece which spins around like a pinwheel while the motor is running!) Email us below for more details. Again, we make these with pop pop and copper coil boilers, depending upon whether you want motor sounds or not. EMAIL!
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