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Welcome to the Model Boats Website! A place for all model boaters!
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Pop a sticker on your stand! Or anywhere you wish! 50mm in diameter. These are glossy and have a self adhesive backing. Great for model displays and events! Sold individually, minimum order of 20 stickers.
Hi Sonar That is great, did you upgrade the motor?? Don't laugh😁 but I was at a show and the next thing I had gone and got myself another one 👍, will I ever learn. Fred
Fully set up, I'm guessing Constellation weights between 100 and 110 pounds (I haven't had the opportunity the get an accurate measurement yet). Taking her to events with pools requires lifting her into the pool. I haven't figured out a way to do that easily, or safely, or more importantly, alone. I built her to sail in open water, so the 2 or three times I have to ask for help at a pool isn't a big deal. I'm sure that most of the time I'll be launching her at a ramp or shoreline, and that I'll need to move her from the parking area to the shoreline, however far that may be. There's times I may be faced with a bulkhead, but like the pool, there's no easy fix for that with a model this size. My first plan was a hand-truck set-up like the picture of my friend Ray from RCGroups, and his SC&H model of Surprise, a very similarly sized model to mine. The hand-truck is plastic and the cradle is wood, and you can see it's pretty bulky to hold a 100 pound model. Ray said his issue with it was it floated. When launching he had to push it down to get the model clear, and when retrieving he had to hold on to it or it would fall over, while trying get hold of a big model with spars sticking out everywhere. If the water was choppy or boaters were making wakes, it was that much more difficult. He also didn't like that he had to go into knee-deep water, at least. Dan, also from RCGroups, and the fellow that developed the sliding-brace-winch, has an SC&H brig he's modeled as the US brig Syren. It also came with the same hand-truck Ray's Surprise did. Dan wasn't all that enamored with it either. He pointed out how when you lean it back to move the model, it put you in among the rigging risking damage or even injury. Dan altered his hand-truck into a cart and has not looked back. In my mind, it's a boat. I have a 16 foot sailboat, and to move it, and launch it, I use a boat-trailer, so it would make sense to make a boat-trailer for the model. I scribbled an idea on paper, but then turned to some old 3D modeling software so I could see it better. My model has a 4 foot long ballast tube bolted to the keel. So I figured a U shaped channel to cradle that tube and support the model would be the basis of the cart. While Dan's cart has worked great for him, I didn't care for his 3-wheeled arrangement. Like an actual boat trailer, I opted for a single axle right under the model. I figured this would be more easily maneuvered and handle terrain a little better. I figured on making the cart from angle steel I dould bolt together. I over-designed the thing a bit, drawing a framework that would cradle the model that the more I looked at, the less I thought I needed. Going back to my real boat trailer, It just had center support and a pair of carpet cover skids (bunkers) to hold the boat up-right. Simple is always the best approach - and I had just the right material to build this cart from - a steel bed-frame. This L-angled steel had the strength to easily carry the model while using a minimum of material, and it certainly wasn't going to float! Two girders would form a U shaped channel to cradle the ballast tube. I figured a rod axle would need support or it could bend with a 100 pound model bouncing on it, a third angle would be set across for the axle. A couple of upright posts with padding would hold the model upright. Nearly all the weight of the model rests in the channel, so there's not a lot of strain on the uprights. I didn't have a cutting wheel so tried cutting the bed frame with a reciprocating saw. Bed frame steel is hard, it ate both blades, and two more I bought before finally getting the three main pieces cut, though I had no trouble drilling it. I used the u-bolt portion of a set of wire-clamps to hold the axle. A bit of flat steel to brace the axle so it wouldn't try to twist. It's all held together with nuts and bolts. I wanted short pieces of steel for and aft to hold the loose ends of the channel, but I wasn't gonna try to cut that stuff again, so I just used some scrap 2x4. To hold the handle I tried mounting a wood block with a hole forward, but then I remembered I had a flag-pole mount from when I replaced a rotten post on the porch. It took some searching, but I found it and screwed it on. The wheels are shopping cart wheels bought new from Ace Hardware online for about $5 each. I looked into inflatable wheels to give a softer ride, but they were too expensive for me. I watch the local thrift shops though, and if something shows up with nice wheels, I'll grab it. A fender washer goes on the axle first, so the wheel doesn't rub against the axle support; then the wheel, another washer, and a hitch-pin holds it all on. I can pull the hitch pins and remove the wheels making it easier to stow the cart. The uprights are simple 3/4" pine with some pipe insulation for padding (as opposed to tennis balls in the 3D model). They're bolted to the axle support, but I want to alter that a little so they can be folded in to make the cart flatter for transport. The handle is an old wood closet pole I've had for a long time. A bit too old it would turn out, but that's a later story. I painted it white for visibility as it also serves as a guard to protect the model's bowsprit from cell-phone wielding idiots that seem to be the most common form of life on this planet now. I painted the cart blue, because it wasn't black, white, or red; the other colors I had. Unfortunately, I wasn't ready in time to the museum event, and didn't go, but I wanted to sail the model before it got cold, and see if this thing worked.
I'm making some of the deck detail today.. Just for fun and to get the brain working what have I made using the following? Copper wire A raw plug PVA board Some plumbing pipe (two different widths Answer later tonight!!
Hi Chugalone Chris Brown used to do a very small motor ideal for radars working on about 1.5 to 3 Volts. You may be able to hide it in the base of the radar bottom piece. I looked on his site but couldn't see them, he usually has them at various shows. give him a phone call for details. http://www.christopher-wyn-brown.co.uk/ Hope this helps. regards Mike
Glad its survived sometimes these type of things get mothballed because they are not politically correct ,I suppose if its the ballet of the river Plate its historical re-enactment
Oh dear Could be to do with the EU fining Google. Have you tried another search engine? There is a pdf file of all the geared motors on the site so I will send you a pm. Cheers Dave
I am making a Riva boat from scratch. Just a set of plans. Where can I get the accessories to go on this boat . It's 32inches long by 9inches wide.I found the advice from one of your members just now of several coats of varnish very useful.
Hi Fred I have done enough to have a sail with it and somewhere I have a video if it sailing. It is not a very good video but I will get it posted when I can
I can vouch for them. My parents used to vacation in Scarborough and one of my treats (apart from the fish & chips - with mushy peas) were the battles in Peasholm park. Quite spectacular and might account for my lifelong interest in shipping.
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