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    Graupner Taucher Wulf-an ongoing drama
    10 Posts · 3 Followers · 39 Photos · 40 Likes
    Began 5 years ago by
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    📝 Graupner Taucher Wulf-an ongoing drama
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Hi y’all. Just over a year ago a I sold off some of my hobby stash and decided to use the funds for more hobby stuff😁 The Taucher Wulf kit from Graupner caught my eye, and I thought it would be a fun build..boy was I wrong!
    To be fair, at the time I bought the Wulf my only scale type boat was a Krick Felix and a Robbe San Remo that I had built in the early 90s, and again a few years ago. I knew nothing of ballast as the boats I had built besides the aforementioned were race type boats, and if you said “geared motor” to me then I’m thinking of a Robbe or Graupner surface drive for fast electrics..but I felt confident in my abilities to build the Taucher. I knew that Graupner had been bought out and production move to Asia, and that the manuals weren’t quite up to snuff as I had just completed a Micro Magic from their latest production run, so I figured I could handle the build.
    Now as far as the kit goes, it’s pretty nice. The hull and fwd deck are one piece and molded from fiberglass and primered. The fittings and parts looked decent, and there was a lot of brass and plastic rod plus laser and die cut parts.
    The real problem with the Taucher is the manual and plans. There are a lot of exploded views, but very little, if any verbiage, no mention of ballast at all, no measurements, nothing. No recommendations for batteries or any idea or mounts for the batteries. The hatch is a little bigger than a large cell phone, which gives very little room to access drive batteries, and it’s location leaves you no room between just aft of the motor and the rudder. In short, it’s frustrating, especially since it’s touted as an “easy build up” kit. So, halfway thru the build I shelved it before it became a Viking funeral boat. I built 2 more boats in the past year, the Neptun and a Springer tug, and I learned a lot from both of them, so I pulled the Taucher from it’s hiding spot and began anew. I will post some pics from last year, then I’ll post the most recent. I made some changes that would have been much,much easier earlier in the build, so they had to be done..so some of the pics are rather graphic and not for the squeamish🤣
    Anyway, here we go, anybody with any good info on these kits feel free to chime in.
    Cash

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    📝 Up to now
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    So, I mentioned in the first part of this blog some of my frustrations with the Taucher. One I failed to mention is the deck details over the hatch. On the deck you have the pilot house, hatch, then what looks to be a boiler and exhaust and a work table. Between the pilot house and the boiler is a catwalk, that extends from the pilot house and terminates in a ladder right up next to the boiler and table, and is directly over the hatch. This means this would have to be removed to access the hatch or one would not be able to get the hatch open without possibly breaking the catwalk. Dumb. Just not well thought out..so, I decided to make a larger hatch, extending from under the aft of the pilot house all the way to just aft of the deck machinery. The pilot house, machinery, catwalk, any details in that general area will be glued to the hatch and removed as a unit for servicing..the pilot house fwd rests on the upper deck, there will be false bulkheads glued to the deck to help keep the pilot house lined up when the hatch is installed. Anyway, sounded like a grand plan, but I didn’t have a saw that would really cut the hatch out, as the deck is by now bonded to the hull, and I just couldn’t get a good angle on it with the Dremel. Soooo..I drilled just inside the lines I had drawn and then just connected the dots. Then I was reminded of a little saw that a few of my friends use, a small hand held oscillating saw. I purchased one with the half moon blade and a sanding kit. This thing is great! It made short work of my “butchery” and I was able to clean up the hatch opening nicely. I’m waiting on the first coat of the repaint to dry co I can sand and apply a final coat, then I’ll start work on the rest of the hatch/deck details and paint and install the rails I’ve soldered up.
    Cash

    💬 Re: Up to now
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 5 Views · 1 Like
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    Thank you Martin. It’s not my best work, but I think she’ll look good in the water.
    Just don’t understand what the designers were thinking.
    💬 Re: Up to now
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    You are doing a great job,keep up the good work.

    Unfortunately when they design these models they tend to forget about being able to get at all of the radio equipment as well as motors and rudder.

    Martin555.
    📝 The catwalk frame
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 6 Views · 2 Likes · 1 Comment
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    Did a little soldering last night on the catwalk support frame. I then did a lash up to see how it will fit on the deck. One I get this all fitted, I can start re-detailing the pilot house and start finishing all the details on the deck and hatch.

    💬 Re: The catwalk frame
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Hi Cash,
    It is surprising how long it takes even to do that soldering job and to get it nice and neat.

    Martin555.
    📝 Detailing the pilot house and 2nd lash up
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 8 Views · 4 Likes · 4 Comments
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    So, the few guys we had ready to sail today decided to postpone due to people being out for various reasons, and it’s just too doggone hot in Texas in during most of August. I can deal with highs in the 90s, but when it’s 100 or over, I’m out. When I used to fly a lot, I would disappear from around the end of July to the first week of September. I’d rather sit in my somewhat air conditioned garage and build to utilize my hobby time than stand in a field, or at the edge of a pond holding a transmitter and roasting in my own juices.
    Anyway, I had taken all of the details off of the pilot house, and this week I masked the windows and did a repaint, as well as making another railing as the first one wasnt up to snuff. Today I added the details back plus many I had not finished, built up the catwalk, then spilled the holes in the pilot house that the catwalk support tubes will be glued into. I then did another lash up to see where I stand, and what adjustments need to be made. I’m that close to finishing all the details that will glue to the deck/hatch, hopefully next update will find that part finished.
    Cash

    💬 Re: Detailing the pilot house and 2nd lash up
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 6 Views · 2 Likes
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    "I’ll use clear hatch tape like I use on my sailboats. "
    Fair enough. Just a thought though-
    When faced with the same problem sealing the perspex pressure hull cover of my Type 1A U-Boat I used a circular section silicon rubber gasket.
    The hull is made of solid wood so using a mini drill / engraving tool, and a ball ended 3mm mill bit, I cut a half round slot all round the hull. Following a line previously marked out with templates. The tool came with a neat gadget to put just behind the chuck to help maintain a constant depth of cut, which was about half the width of the silicon ring.
    The slot is slightly wider than the ring and "fills up" when the ring is squashed into it by the cover. The cover is held down with wings nuts, and then nyloc nuts, on studs which are Loctited into the steel keel.
    On a surface ship neodymium magnets would probably do the job.
    I used silicon and magnets plus two 3mm threaded dummy fuel filler caps to hold down and seal the stern deck on my Sea Scout. End of ramble - just a few ideas.
    Cheers, Doug 😎
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    💬 Re: Detailing the pilot house and 2nd lash up
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    When I’m running her I’ll use clear hatch tape like I use on my sailboats. It’s “cheating”, but I don’t like leaks. However, I do like leek soup🤣
    💬 Re: Detailing the pilot house and 2nd lash up
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 5 Views · 1 Like
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    Beginning to look quite "Ship Shape and Bristolian" Cash 👍
    How are you proposing to make that removable deck watertight!?😮
    Cheers, Doug 😎
    💬 Re: Detailing the pilot house and 2nd lash up
    5 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Starting to look the part. Coming along nicely.
    📝 Motor Questions and thanks
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Hi y’all..first thing, thanks for the kind words and comments on the Taucher, it’s very much appreciated. Secondly, how shall I power it? The kit came with a decent 550 motor with a built in fan, and the torque ring around the can reminiscent of the old Speed 600 motors. I’m thinking that on direct drive I’ll be pushing this motor on 7.2 volts. If you look closely in the pics, I have a 3-1 gearbox intended for off road crawlers bolted to that motor. My other option is a Marx Monoperm super, or a slightly hotter 27 turn open end bell motor and the gearbox. Anyway, those are my thoughts n this boat, opinions, ideas and/or smart-aleck comments welcome!😁

    💬 Re: Motor Questions and thanks
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Looked at the motor and there’s no markings I can ascertain with the naked eye..zip, zilch, nada.
    Not looking for speed per se, just so good low end grunt. I have the same setup in my Springer, top throttle for that hull is a little much, but kind of what I’m looking for in the Taucher, while mid range and low end is great. I think I’m just worrying myself due to the weight of the Taucher, as she’s the biggest and heaviest boat I’ve built so far. What I think I’m going to do is put a power system in and I’ll do a static test in the tub with the wattmeter. I’ve included pics of the kit motor with gearbox attached and my Springer setup.
    Cash
    💬 Re: Motor Questions and thanks
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Hi Cash,
    "I’m thinking that on direct drive I’ll be pushing this motor on 7.2 volts."
    There are "zillions" of 550 motors!
    Are there any serial / type numbers printed on the can?
    Have a look for yours here-

    https://www.google.com/search?q=dc+motor+rs-550&client=firefox-b-d&tbm=isch&sour
    📝 Getting closer
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Sooooo....tonight I got a bit done. Companionway and some other small parts painted, the companionways installed, holes drilled for red railings and a test fit. Very close to getting above decks done, need to paint the seating and install that, finish the deck and hatch, and paint and final install on rails..then it’s ballast and electrics.
    Cash

    💬 Re: Getting closer
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 mturpin013 ( Admiral)
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    looking forward to the electrics
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    💬 Re: Getting closer
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Despite all the trials and tribulations she's coming along very well.
    Nice job Cash👍
    💬 Re: Getting closer
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Taking shape now.
    Well done.

    Martin555.
    📝 Deck/hatch built, motor selected
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Hi everybody. I have finished the hatch assembly. I found out why it was such a bear, for the pilot house to sit flush the bottom of the assembly is a bit off due to the decks angle. It looks good assembled, but I’m not happy with it, more like content. However it fits well enough to flush up. I also decided to use a standard 540 27 turn motor with a 3-1 crawler planetary gearbox. I think she’ll do real well with this setup.
    Not my best work, knowing what I do now I could build another one with less drama and “revisions”, don’t know if I want to.

    💬 Re: Deck/hatch built, motor selected
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Excellent info Canabus 👍 Thanks.
    Cheers, Doug 😎
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    💬 Re: Deck/hatch built, motor selected
    5 years ago by 🇦🇺 canabus ( Midshipman)
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    Hi Lads
    After crawling the web, I finally found specs on crawler 540 motors on 7.2 volts unloaded.
    20 turn 13000 rpm
    27 turn 15000 rpm
    35 turn 12500 rpm
    45 turn 9500 rpm
    55 turn 7700 rpm
    65 turn 7000 rpm
    80 turn 5500 rpm

    The last three easily run 14-20 pound weight boats with 3-4 blade 50 to 60 mm props.
    I am using the 55 and 65 turn in Helen fishing boats and the 80 turn in a tug boat.
    No cooling on the motors !!
    Canabus
    💬 Re: Deck/hatch built, motor selected
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Very nice indeed.
    Do you plan on doing any weathering on your model. ?

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Deck/hatch built, motor selected
    5 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 6 Views · 2 Likes
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    That's looking real smart Cash! nice job. Should have plenty of thrust with the g/box- 27T is going to rev (around 16,500 rpm on 7.2v - at 3:1 might still give you around 4500-6500 rpm at the prop (depending on prop)
    📝 Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    So I finally decided how to ballast the Taucher and what with. Lead is hard to find now, best I’ve found is some 4 oz flat disc sinkers at Academy sports. Bought 2 pounds worth of those (all they had) and a couple of packages of copper coated BBS. I then went to a local home improvement store and picked up some short pieces of PVC pipe and end caps. I decided to make 2 pvc “weight bombs” for the ballast to the sides of the batteries, epoxy and bbs mixed for the aft ballast, and the sinkers to adjust after the bathtub ballast and amp draw test. The static draw in the water at WOT is about 4.5 amps, so I should be okay.
    I also cut the esc switch lead and added Deans micro connectors so I could mountthe switch deck side and disconnect when needed. At this point she’s seaworthy, minus the aft hatch at the rudder that somehow went MIA in the past few weeks.
    Cash

    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
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    "Bomb ballast, just rolls of the tongue LOL!"

    BOMBASTIC Martin! 😁
    😎
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    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇦🇺 canabus ( Midshipman)
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    Hi All
    I get my lead from Tyre shops for free out of their scrap bin.
    If you tell them what you are going to use it for you generally get some.

    Ask them to visit your club and bring their kids.

    Canabus
    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Clever tidy idea!
    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    Bomb ballast, just rolls of the tongue LOL!

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 6 Views · 3 Likes
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    I like the "bombs" too👍 Neat idea.
    So now you have a "Boom Boom Tug" 🙉 😂
    Ooer! You realise this thread has now drawn the attention of the NSA, BND, MI5 and James Bond etc etc😮
    😎
    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 7 Views · 3 Likes
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    Thanks!! I have them securely glued in place with epoxy and Stabilit, the wood pieces to the side are epoxied to the “bombs” and the hull. The 2 6 cell packs Velcro to the wood retainers. I picked her up and shook her like she was in a gale and nothing came loose, so I guess I’m okay.😊
    💬 Re: Ballast and underdeck
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
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    I like the ballast bombs, clean and tidy,
    A good idea.

    Martin555.
    📝 Done!! Done I say!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Well, here she is. She’s as ready as she’ll ever be, I think. There’s a few more details I could add, fenders, bumpers and the like, but I’m done for now. She’s set to splash sometime this weekend, I’ll give a full report after...unless she catches fire or sinks, then it’ll be “you heard the torpedo hit the hull, and I was never here”🤣
    Cash

    💬 Re: Done!! Done I say!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 figtree7nts ( Admiral)
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    Great job on her!
    Can't wait to see the video!
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    💬 Re: Done!! Done I say!
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 marky ( Commodore)
    ✧ 6 Views · 2 Likes
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    Very nice ,a couple of crew members for that extra touch?👍
    💬 Re: Done!! Done I say!
    5 years ago by 🇭🇺 MouldBuilder ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 5 Views · 1 Like
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    Very nice looking boat.👍
    💬 Re: Done!! Done I say!
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    Hi Cashrc,
    A very nice neat and clean looking boat.
    Looking forward to seeing her hit the water.
    A job very well done.


    Martin555.
    📝 She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 8 Views · 4 Likes · 7 Comments
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    Hi y’all, quick vid on the Taucher, took her out this past Sunday. Ran her for one 15 minute cruise and then another 30 minutes or so on the Sam charge on 2 3000 mah packs wired in parallel, had plenty of power left. Motor got a little warm but not unreasonably so, she didn’t take on water, and she didn’t release any magic smoke, so alls well that ends well😁

    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    Hi Ed, sorry for the late reply. Both the Taucher and my Springer Tug are running a little planetary gearbox I’ve found on both EBay and Amazon. It’s about 25 dollars, quality seems ok. The ratio is 3 to 1.
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    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 Cashrc ( Vice Admiral)
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    Hi Doug..I’m using 3000 mah nimh 6 cell packs. I’m pulling maybe 3.5 to 4 amps under way, she tested about 4.5 at full chat while being held steady. Once under way the propeller should unload a bit lowering my amp draw. We drover around the lake for real close to an hours running time and the packs were showing about 7.5 to 7.6 volts no load.im running a simple y harnes wires in parallel feeding the esc.
    I’ll look at that circuit, might be something I need.
    Cash
    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇺🇸 figtree7nts ( Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    Hi Cash,

    You did a great job on her!👍

    May I ask what gear ratio are you using on her motor?

    Cheers, Ed
    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 5 Views · 1 Like
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    Hi Cash,
    This is the protection / distribution board I meant.
    Cheers, Doug

    https://www.componentshop.co.uk/p103-parallel-power-board.html
    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇩🇪 RNinMunich ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    Runs very well Cash, really looks the business under way👍
    Let it be recorded:
    Tug Taucher Wulf commissioned this day into the Western Squadron, Texas Navy 😉

    Two 3Ah packs "wired in parallel"!
    Hmm! I'm always very wary of that in case one tries to charge the other and causes a high current to flow between them. Both packs need to be identical type and quality (e.g. internal resistance) and maintained at identical charge states - not so easy.
    What type of batts are they? NiMH or LiPo?
    Somewhere I've seen a little PCB to connect the batts to solve this problem.
    Uses Schottky diodes I think. I'll dig around in my archive.
    Cheers, Doug 😎
    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    After all the hard work, you finally see her on the water.
    I bet that made you feel extremely happy.
    Well done.

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: She runs!!
    5 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 4 Views · 0 Likes
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    Looking good, great job!


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