Blog

Forecastle Bulwarks and Hull Fittings

Now for the good bits! This is part of a build which I really enjoy, when the boat starts to take shape. With 750 white metal parts there should be plenty of detail. With the main sub decks in place, I fitted the bulkhead facias, together with the extended bulkhead. The parts are pre cut to take the white metal portholes and watertight doors, which I glued in with superglue. The holes needed enlarging to allow the portholes to fit correctly. (Irritating). Using the screen printed sub foredeck overlay as a guide, I drew around the curve to give the position of the breakwater. The breakwater is made of ply and to achieve the curve, I soaked it in water for 10 minutes which made it supple enough to follow the line I had drawn. To get a quick and secure fix I used superglue. Cutting the gaps in the forecastle bulkhead down to deck level was straightforward, but if you use a cutting disc, don't get over enthusiastic and cut into things you shouldn't! The last bit of this section is fitting the portholes, ash shute doors, hawse lips and and mooring port lips. All these are white metal and the hole centres are marked on the hull. Having used a small drill to start the holes off, I enlarge them with a reamer to prevent the gel coat cracking. The portholes on the hull have rigoles (eyebrows) and when I have fitted these in the past, I have always got some of them on the scunt (aka crooked). Having taken great care to get the first one correctly orientated, I drew a line through the rest of the holes, which helped aligning the remainder. I found that the hole centre for the hawse lip was close to the waterline and to maintain the correct distance I had to enlarge the hole upwards (if that makes sense). The fitting of the mooring port lips was straightforward and for extra detail they are both inside and outside.

5 years ago by cormorant

Forum

New build

I have been using 5mm. marine ply for my Thames barge keels. I guess it depends on the size of the craft you are building . Mine are forty two inches and I find the five mil works for me. Waterproof PVA glue goes well with it but I find CA does not hold well to plywood. Epoxy works too. The two tools I find really useful are a scroll saw and my ryobi drum and disc sander combo. They save hours of hand work. Regards, Nick.

5 years ago by nick

Forum

CNC boat kits...?

Well, I've got my eShapeoko. I bought all the electronics and motors as well as the mechanical kit from the same source, which meant that I didn't have to do all the work to check compatibility. Total cost, including VAT and postage, was £563 - which is remarkably cheap for a machine with this size cutting bed. if I had wanted to save money and use the free LinuxCNC with a Chinese breakout board I could have dropped the price to around £400 - probably below £350 if I had gone for Chinese Ebay steppers as well. There are more things to get, of course. Tooling and workholding are the standard extras for any big workshop machine. The eShapeoko is designed to hold a clone, but I will probably be using a more delicate tool to cut out thin balsa shapes for EeZeBilts. The eShapeoko is quite capable of milling metals, but I don't expect to do that very often. So I can't see the total price rising by a lot - perhaps another £20 or so before I can be cutting my first parts. The first thing I did when I got the parts was assemble them roughly to check that it all went together properly. Here is a shot - minus the wiring and controls, of course - to give an idea of the size of the thing. With it I can cut keel lengths up to about 36". The maximum cutting width is about 14". I can easily expand it in length by adding longer rails, but this represents a balance between what would be useful and what would fit easily in the shed! Assembling it is just like making a Meccano kit. Which should present no difficulty to someone of a certain age...! For anyone interested this is the site I got it from: https://amberspyglass.co.uk

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

vice suitable for Workstation

Thanks for the responses chaps. I was looking at the Proxxon one but saw another make which I have bought and will try out in the next few days. chris

5 years ago by octman

Forum

vice suitable for Workstation

Good morning folks, I have a Workstation, or drill stand as I call it, and would like to get a small machine vice (is that the correct name?) to go with it. I have seen a few smallish ones but they are usually too big to bolt to the base. Can anyone out there offer any workable suggestions please? Also, is the material the vice is made from of make any relevance at this small size, i.e. is cast aluminium any good? ( I had a screw-on table top vice made of cast aluminium which snapped in half the first time I used it.) I feel the need for this vice as I am about to drill a 1mm hole in a model yacht's mast to locate the boom vang and with my shaky hands it could end up being big enough to pass the boom through without some sort of support!! Chris

5 years ago by octman

Forum

vice suitable for Workstation

I have the same problem but at present I'm using a pair of vice (Mole) grips clamped to my lap tray by G -Clamp on the stand base. Bit unwieldy but works 👍👍

5 years ago by onetenor

Forum

vice suitable for Workstation

I'll have a look in the workshop tomorrow and let you know what I have that would be suitable, probably one of the small record machine vices. Cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

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vice suitable for Workstation

Thanks Colin. I attach a photo of the base and the dimensions are shown on the base. Chris

5 years ago by octman

Forum

vice suitable for Workstation

Hi Chris, do you have a picture of the base it is to be fixed to, with approximate sizes, as I may have what you need in my workshop. You can PM me if you want as I am not too far from you. Cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Blog

Tin Work

The tin can that I used is from a small tomato paste sauce from the market. Use whatever tin that you would like or can find. Look at my sketch to see how it needs to function and adjust your design to what enclosure is available to you. Lots of ways to do it, just make sure you have these points covered: 1. Method of attaching a fan to push air into the unit. 2. Place for output stack / tube. 3. Method of mounting a wick with heating element attached that can sit above the fluid level. See sketch in previous post. First photo, I cut three holes, each sized to fit the brass tubes and fan opening. This tin is thin and easy to poke holes in. I start by marking the opening locations with a marker, them I use a small sharp awl or pin to stare a hole. With hand tools ( power drill will easy shred the can, be careful) I enlarge the holes with small hand drills or reamer, found files, etc, I rotate the tools slowly in the opening and gradually enlarge it to size needed. Then I cut brass tubing to length with a small hand held hobby razor saw. Our in place, apply flux and solder. Once heated properly the solder flows easily.for the larger fan opening, I then used a tool with sanding drum to make a nice round opening. The fan has corner openings for screw mount. Secure with some tiny sheet metal screws. Next I will build an enclosure around the fabpn edge to fit the round can. Might just use silicone caulk. Note, I did not open the can with a can opener, left the ends in place and poured the content out thru the holes made, Yes, it's a bit messy and wasted the sauce, but it's a cheap way to get an tin enclosure. More to come. Please give me feedback, am I being clear enough? Thanks, Cheers, Joe

5 years ago by Joe727

Forum

CNC boat kits...?

Which is where laser cutting leaps to the fore with a tool diameter around 0.1 mm. The Cyclone is a pcb cutter which uses a taper-point tool so there is no offset. The goal is to mount a laser rather than a . Point taken on the smaller parts . My initial thought was that, with a larger platform, you could cut multiple parts from a larger piece of material in one pass. Unfortunately, you can't walk away from a laser cutter to let it get on with things as you can with a 3D printer. You are looking at a potential bonfire and the bigger the job, the longer you have to stand and watch it.

5 years ago by Delboy

Forum

rudders

I've never come across one, but they're easy enough to make with a using a cutting disk...

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

Allen Screw Removal

You could always try super gluing a near as allen key into it and then try undoing it. if it doesn't some out you can remove the allen key with deactivator before you try anything else that would damage it too far. Or try using a tool and cut a slot for a screwdriver.

6 years ago by BOATSHED

Blog

Assembly

Hi All Would suggest you dry assemble with the cabin sides as my forward bulkhead was out by 2 Degrees. When I cut the pieces out I used a new Moto Saw as my old srollsaw from was condemned due to inavailability of blades. Like I say not enough clamps Have ordered the decking from Jotika this is extra and allows you to plank the deck and cockpit more realistically.

6 years ago by Ianh

Forum

PS Waverley

Don't have to imagine it Martin, I know it, from all the stanchions on my H class destroyer 😉 Couldn't get the ship under a pillar drill. Free-handing a type drill is more likely to bend the bit. Did my destroyer in batches and amused meself with summat else in between . Each to his own, Happy pillaring (never tried drilling a pillar meself 😁) Have you tried PMing david greatbatch to see what he's got plan-wise? Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

PS Waverley

Yes, that's what I liked; well populated and 'Alive'. Makes all the difference, especially for an excursion ship. 😉 If he uses a or similar he'll probably break lots 😡 I use a small pin chuck for my 0.3 - 1.0mm drills, gives more control and 'feel'. @ Marky; thought I remembered you paddlin' about somewhere😉 just got the ship wrong 🤔 How's it goin' matey? Now back to prepping terrace and garden for winter 😡 me poor ol' back! Cheers All, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Multi tool Kits

Hi Brianaro I have a HiLDA from Banggood. I third the price and all the fittings fit the . The Hilda looks the same as the with a different badge. The Hilda is powerful and with a speed control as well. The Hilda kit comes will a flex lead as well. I am very happy with mine. Canabus

6 years ago by canabus

Forum

Multi tool Kits

Difficult to know, unless you buy most of these sort of tools seem to be of similar quality. I’ve found that some (regardless of cost) ware out fairly quickly. This set isn’t a lot of money so not much to loose if not up to much, but I think you will get your money’s worth out of most if not all of the items

6 years ago by Brianaro

Blog

Cabin/Superstructure

Upperworks, this launch has a long cabin and a well deck ( Gin Parlour ).. Sides were traced out and cut from 1.5mm ply, internal formers are 3mm ply, spacers and struts Obechie, the cabin front is formed with Balsa which will be covered in 1.5mm ply, all the external faces have been veneered in Mahogany, except the roof which will be probable a piece of ply. The old favourite 1 inch ring saw came into play again for the cutting out of the windows. Applied the veneer after cutting out the windows, have found this easier and it tends not to split and crack the veneer, so one has to recut the window openings but its a very quick and easy job if you use a 1/2 inch drum sander in something like a hobby type drill. I,m afraid we have the oposite of Rain stopped play , its Sun stopped play at the moment.. You may notice the "Old Batteries" and cans, used as weights to hold down / compress the veneer, also the Jig saw, bolted to a piece of ply and then clamped into the B&D Workmate, I aint got room for a bandsaw which i would love, so this lash up has done me proud for a few years. Regards Muddy....

6 years ago by muddy

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

"Brush painting transparent colors always seems to result in a very blotchy finish." That's EXACTLY the experience I made and why I recommend drip dry😊 Happy ing 😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

Hey, Doug: Thanks for the excellent advice. The “dip/dry/repeat if necessary” technique for coloring LEDs makes the most sense. Brush painting transparent colors always seems to result in a very blotchy finish. Now that I can see well again I think I’ll turn my attention to removing the molded-on ladder rungs inside the mast. Sounds like a job for my little cordless . Thanks, Pete

6 years ago by PittsfieldPete

Forum

Frozen TV screen

Link to the pillar drill please. Maybe it's better than my wobbly thing😉 G'night John Ciao, Doug ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Windows, stoopid question.

If you have a lot of cutting of steel sheet to do, no doubt, but the setting up of a die safely outside (sparks, etc.) and the buying of discs that will be worn almost away, not to mention the doing of it is hassle, especially with a . As Doug found, Tracy Tools were easy to deal with and he'll have a set of threading tools, all I assume with splits and dimples, like the one I just did his shaft thread with. I already have several sets of useful bits for my Minidrill, which is a Proxxon or one of three others that have cropped up in Lidl's over the years, cheap. The Proxxon has a Jacobs chuck, the others, alas, are collets. I find the discs useful where I can't get a saw in. But slitting a die? No thanks, in my world that's hassle. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Windows, stoopid question.

Good tip Mike 👍 thanks. What hassle Martin? Reichelt are on my side of the channel and the delivery is much cheaper😉 Could use an angle grinder for other jobs too, but not the huge things in most DIY stores. Will check what Reichelt has. As for ; recently bought a set of their Speed-Clic cutting, sanding and polishing attachments. Amongst them were a couple of diamond tipped metal discs. Haven't tried 'em yet though. Anyway new proper cutting dies and a decent holder, + tail-stock die holder are on their way from Tracy. So I should be armed for the next task in this area - threading the 4 shafts on my Belfast 😊 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Windows, stoopid question.

Doug do cut off wheels which will cut through a die, it may take a couple of discs. However if you have a 4" angle grinder you can also get cut off discs at 0.8mm thick which would do the job. - http://www.-direct.com/acatalog/Cutting.html Angle grinder - https://www.reichelt.com/gb/en/?LANGUAGE=EN&CTYPE=0&MWSTFREE=0&CCOUNTRY=447&ARTICLE=197000&PROVID=2788&wt_guka=54951081595_263550074078&PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKCAjwj4zaBRABEiwA0xwsP1-YAvAQZHG4S7W2QNILT9d51-1DRbUspNKCWzL7vX49AkckPzlDFxoCjwsQAvD_BwE&

6 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Windows, stoopid question.

Hi John, I wondered about cutting slits, BUT figured the steel would be very very hard and my cutters wouldn't manage it, (my other cutter is for bricks an' such), AND the damn things have no dimples, they are hex nut shape 😭 Figured I'd screw up my drills trying to put a dimple in it🤔 Recovery system On Hold till I get my cutter and PTB renovations 'on the road'. Cheers, Doug

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Battery Pack!

Good luck on the sea trails!👍 Can't wait to see the video.... Yes, will definitely mind my fingers!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

Battery Pack!

Here in Old Munich as well, washed out my Sea Scout trial planned for today😭 Looks like being and rainy and thundery week. Got everything packed in the rucksack ready to go if it brightens up; now let me see ... selection of drive batteries to test, in LiPo bag - check, Capacity / cell tester - check, TX and spare batts - check, Camcorder (batt fully charged) - check, Drying cloth - check, Basic tool set & Mini-multimeter- check, Bath towel if I have to swim again - 😡 Inflatable rescue kayak - !? Essential provisions (just a wee dram Officer) 😋 - check, Foam block boat stand - check, OH!! THE BOAT!! 😲 Might stick the PTB in the car as well, just to try it before I start on the reno and upgrade / conversion to PT109. in for a penny .....! Happy ling Ed, mind yer fingers! Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Battery Pack!

I just received my replacement Battery Pack! It charged in 1 1/2 hrs. Now, I can continue my build of the Brooklyn! Oh, we're having another rainy day here in New England!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Tamiya Tape!

I've placed an order for some Tamiya tape. As Doug, RNinMunich recommended! Trying to cleanup the waterline on the Brooklyn! Oh, Had to order a new battery pack. for my wireless also! Does anyone know of a good electronics place one can order resisters from?

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Cabin Aft!

Cabin aft is now completed! I had to use a bit of Bondo (P38). To tidy up the seam that was left. From joining the two pieces of Balsa wood! The Balsa wood made it very easy to shape the cabin aft! The Port lights are optional in this kit. They give two more Port light, if you want to port them on. I used the measurements given then. I drew a circle with my compass. About 1/2" or so. I didn't have a 1/2" drill. So I improvised. I use a 1/32" drill. went around the circle. Then cut the balsa wood with my exacto! Then routed the hole with my ! Next is the moulding that goes around the bottom of the cabin!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

Deck Beams and Anchor Port's

Evenin' Fred, just got back from shopping & car-wash, -3C° and still snowing 😡 so no sailing for a while😭 Thinks; must chuck my hovercraft together 😉 Re: marking out - use a medium tip red felt marker and it'll show up on anything (except perhaps red satin pyjamas!!😲😁) If you've got a mini-drill ( or similar) just whiz the paint off where you need to glue with a mini sanding disc. No great shakes, we've all had to do it, especially with renovations. Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Too Powerful Brushless ?

Hi Graham I usually use the to remove as much of the epoxy around the shaft, then get a big lump hammer and hit the end of the shaft to break the seal. Depending on how well you fitted the shaft it normally comes loose after a couple of taps and can then be tapped out from inside.

6 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Too Powerful Brushless ?

you could use a and grind some away. I have used the brute force and Tapped the shaft inwards if a few taps aren't enough then a couple of harder whacks should do the trick to loosen it. then pull it out from under the boat. it has always worked for me.

6 years ago by BOATSHED

Response

Decks removed

Someone didn't like cleaning up and sanding did they?? 😡 More power to your deepdiver (hope the Bulldog doesn't do that!!😉) I suspect I will find something similar when I open up the ancient Billing Fish Cutter that I inherited from my Aunt. No idea how she got hold of it! Will thus watch with great interest how you cope with this lot, cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Scrumpy 3 (Aerokits Sea Commander)

Hello everyone. I’m a relative novice with 3 projects on the go at the moment. Project 1 is a Riva Aquarama, which stalled at the stringer stage. Project 2 is a smaller Riva Aquarama which stalled at the planking stage. Project 3 and the subject of this build blog is an Aerokits Sea Commander, photos to follow. Kit delivered Tues 9 January and spent about 6 hours on it so far. Using typical PVA glue and trying to avoid any brass pins choosing instead clamps of various shapes and sizes and liberal application of masking tape. it’s a good kit and the pieces have gone together well so far. Stringers were a challenge as always, but 30 minutes of soaking got them to bend to the right shape. Next stage is chamfering the false rebates along the keel, chamfering the stringers and the bottom hull sides for a neat fit. That will Be Monday night and Wednesday evening’s work. I have a which should make that job easier. I would be keen to hear of any motor/shaft mods anyone recommends. Also, any ideas on final finish colours or schemes, may consider mahogany and lime deck? Thanks

6 years ago by Penfold63

Blog

TRIUMPH (CG-52301) USCG Type F MLB

Laser cut kit from Barracuda RC Boats, N Carolina, USA. Baltic birch plywood false keel, ribs/frames, hull sheathing, deck and cabins. No formal plans; I was able to source a handful of B&W archival photos from the USCG website. Fortunately I was able to procure a motherload of archival photos and a few hard to read layout drawings from Mr. Timothy Dring, LCDR, USN (Ret.). He is co-author of "American Coastal Rescue Craft", which is the "bible" if you will, of such. I do sometimes thank the internet. I am certain that without his assistance, my efforts on this wouldn't have been as enjoyable. The kit was also void of fittings, which I was aware of prior to purchase, so I invested in a 3D printer. That I've used to a limited degree, due to searching for parts in the correct file format is mind-numbing! I have globally sourced fittings; USA, UK, ASIA. As a matter of fact, the searchlights I got from this Model Boat Shop were 3D printed, and I was able to fit 5mm LEDs into them. I'd like to get a couple more and put some superbright 12v LED drone lamps in them for use on my 35" towboat. Many deck fittings are handmade when possible, the cleats and fairleads are from Cornwall Boats, UK. (Very reasonable & diverse source, if you didn't already know.) I try to keep wood natural when detail allows it, as I never have enjoyed painting over natural grain. Her decks are covered with 1/16" scribed basswood sheathing from earthandtree.com, which is normally used for wainscoting dollhouse walls. All my boats that have wood decks are covered with scribed sheathing; I feel it makes 'em look "sexy". Believe it or not, the idea for wainscoting came from finding 3/16" at Hobby Lobby's dollhouse department. A couple of feet x 3.5" was about $16, so I found a less expensive source that also had more selections (earthandtree.com) The rail stanchions are 3/16" square dowels with 2 corners rounded over on the router table. Leaving their base square, I fit a square peg into a round hole with no glue to facilitate removal, and also for ease of replacing broken ones, which is inevitable. The rail is 1/16" brass rod that also is readily removable. The stern rail is stationary on the lower half, and the chain & wire stanchions are removable for towing ops. The deck coamings and knuckle are African mahogany strips, other mahogany accents came from leftovers of a prior build. I also try on all my boats, to incorporate vintage leftover scribed sheathing salvaged from my late Father's builds, so I know he's got a part in my builds. Note-the raised deck section between the aft ladder trunk and towing bit is actually a laminated deckhouse he made for the Frigate Essex. Unfortunately, he was unable to build that kit due to Alzheimer's disease in his latter years. (I blame that mostly on the hazardous fumes from the airplane "dope" & glue he used when building RC planes in the 60s & 70s.) I use polyurethane instead of resin due to COPD, 37 yrs of smoking, I quit 2.5 yrs ago. The driveline consists of: 775 Johnson DC main (3500 RPM@12V), Harbor Models 4mm x 14" shaft w/brass stuffing box, Raboesch 75mm 5-blade brass wheel (not OEM), 5mm U-joint couplers, Dimart 320A fan-cooled ESC. Handmade wooden teardrop rudder on a 3/8" sternpost, 1/4" tiller arm steered by a Halcion sail winch servo and cable system. Flysky 6 channel. The nav lights and other illumination are Lighthouse 9v LEDs, also a GoolRC Receiver controlled flashing blue Law Enforcement light. Obviously, I put the cart before the horse and completed the topsides and below deck before finishing the outer hull, but the Wx and season change dictated such. Can't wait for Spring!

6 years ago by circle43nautical

Forum

Twin Esc/Mixer

Hi Ed you have an even older version than I do, the 27Meg job, I have the 40Meg version and the 'rope' is about 1/8" thick and round! Seems OK. Re tyres: that's why I tongue in cheek suggested a powered machine to do the job 😉 Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Twin Esc/Mixer

Hi Neil, it's the 'thin' that cuts!😡 You're supposed to use the 'rope' supplied with the boat dampen and twist the end to get it through the holes in the tyres. Then loop de loop 😉 BTW: the tyres seem to me to have an amazing amount of tread left. Most tugs I've seen they are almost bald! Think I'll have to design a powered Tread Wear Machine 😉

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

saw blades

Thanks for all the replies on saw blades I broke down and use the E-Bay site . I wasn't looking that hard for these until today the cost was $31.52 most was shipping from the U.S. Got two packs I guess I'll have enough for 20 years

7 years ago by GARTH

Response

Tools

Found the details. Got it off E-Bay under "12 Hobby Scroll Saw Blades 3 inch for Moto-Shop Craftsman" sold by Zimbyo. Still selling at abt $14. Postage $9 to UK. My machine has the same flexi drive attachment. Nice small light machine that cuts small jobs well. Hope this helps, I was down to one blade!

7 years ago by Dave M

Response

Tools

not sure...but here there is a shop that will custom length any blade to fit a saw. They do band saw blades and l blades etc..

7 years ago by Brightwork

Blog

MV TEAKWOOD

As the stern needed the most reshaping, decided to tackle it first. Made up a wooden insert to reflect the correct deck stern contour and glued it in between the deck supports. This would give the stern be the correct shape and length. Once that was positioned pulled the hull up tight to the supports. As the stern is approached the sharper profile of the Teakwood requires the hull sides to be pulled firmly inwards and the transom be vertical. Decided this was not going to epoxy and stay in place satisfactorily once the strain was released, so cut a series of vertical slots in the rear hull to allow it relax and squeeze it together. One slot has to be quite deep, otherwise the lower hull will crack as it will not relax sufficiently. Used the cutting disc for this. The slots need to be quite generous as the the hull has to be pulled in some distance. Once this was all epoxied in place, wrapped “cling film” around the rear of the hull and poured liquid fibreglass resin around the slots and under the insert to bond everything together. Worked this onto all the vertical and horizontal surfaces as it set. The stern is now good and rigid. The attached pictures show the new stern profile and slots. The first pictures are “as is” to illustrate the process. Further work was also needed to true up the bulwarks and disguise the slots. This mutilation may seem a brutal way of getting the hull shape correct, but had tried all kinds of pulling and squeezing of the hull, none of which held in place after the clamps were released. Once the cosmetic aspects of the stern rework were complete, established the correct location for the rudder post and fitted it. The major stern work is now finished.

7 years ago by Rowen

Forum

Varnish

Try polishing the varnish once it is good and hard. Use a good polishing compound as used on cars and plenty of water don't use an angle grinder they're too fast and will burn the varnish.You might be able to sort out something using a type tool, but again not too fast, to get into the smaller spaces on deck etc. it is possible to do it by hand but takes longer.Done properly you get a finish like glass. A lot of car painters rub down wet first with very fine paper then do the polishing. Go to a car painters and watch them and ask them to show you what they use.Really educational. You could learn lots. Cheers John .

7 years ago by onetenor

Blog

M.V. TEAKWOOD

What to do next? Decided that the hull needed reference points from which dimensions could be established and checked. The most logical place is the peak of the bow as from this most longitudinal and vertical measurements can be established. The dodger on top of the bow interferes with such measurements, decided that as it was to be removed eventually to remove it now. Cut the dodger off with a hacksaw and then filed/sanded the forecastle bulwarks to their correct height. As the stern required several modifications decided it would be easier to implement them if that bulwark was the correct height too. Rather than laike around making relatively small areas the correct height, decided that it would be easier to get all the bulkwalks correct at the same time. Used a tool with a cutting disc. rather than a hacksaw. This is much easier, but recommend wear a mask to avoid ingesting the copious amounts of dust created. Once the major amount was removed, used a Sureform scraper and a sanding block to bring them to the correct height. As the bulwark heights were getting close to the correct size, checked measurements from the drawing and used a spirit level to make sure that not only are the heights correct they are symmetrical across the hull. This is quite time consuming, but it is important they are correct as otherwise the hull will look twisted. Once the Teakwood hull shape started to develop from the Velarde, it rather looked like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis! Modifying a hull presents a range of problems that do not follow a logical sequence, unlike making a model from scratch. in parallel with this model am slowly doing one of the S.S. Great Britain. Whilst that is more challenging, the work flows logically from one step to the next.

7 years ago by Rowen

Blog

Scale rudders

The beauty of being on nights is I can do some of the smaller but important things at my desk whilst waiting for war to start! Yep, I’m in the army and a coiled spring ha ha! Anyway, have managed to turn the extra large standard rudder into something that looks like the original on the real life “Solent” using some brass strip, a and a good hot soldering iron. Just needs a final clean up, primer and gloss grey to finish it off. I’ve some brass bushes left over from my model car days which are perfect to act as a spacer from rudder blade to hull tunnel. Now to make the second one!

7 years ago by Skydive130

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Standard Saturday Mrs Mac decided I had other things to do before being allowed out to play but I think I've got there, just need to check it's right before gluing up. OK so I lied that I wouldn't be asking more questions on this topic😁😁 The hole has been opened out enough to achieve 3/4" but the photo doesn't really show it. it took some time to achieve it as well more time than I thought, even used my at one point😁. But pmdevlin's tip on using a disc was a great help. The position of the outer tube on the hull needs a slight adjustment but nothing major and still achievable as no glue. I did have a check fit of the motor and came across another issue as there was no way I could achieve alignment of the shaft and motor which was made easier by Doug's universal coupling idea😁. I went for removing the last remaining piece of the old motor mount (should have listened to Dave a year ago) which took about an hour as it was glued in good and proper.😤😤😤😤😤 There is some clearance on the hull from the prop so think I'll be going for a 30mm prop as suggested by Dave as to my surprise mine is 40mm diameter. Hopefully the arrangement is all good and I can use Dave's and Doug's tips on getting it secured. I still need to blank off the water pick up and fit the new rudder tube. Also I think the motor alignment will still be interesting as after removing the last bit of the old mount the motor was interfering with the bulkhead behind it so removed so it. Also will possibly need to take some out of the hull centre piece to achieve a perfect alignment. Hopefully tomorrow will go well as will also fitting the oiler as seen on Robbob's Build Blog.

7 years ago by neilmc

Forum

Stabilit Express

I think those doublers will need explosives to get them off... I've hit a bit of a roadblock with the big K7, I need to get Donald built up so I can position the steering wheel & dash correctly, the animatronic resin upper torso & arms I bought came with no instructions or info on what servos to use. I got some micro servos & they didn't fit, out & all fits now but I'm now struggling with connecting the servo arm to the rotating neck. I'll suss it out eventually but I need a rest. I've been doing bits on my 1/12 scale K7 in the background, if all goes well it should be ready for paint in a couple of weeks. As normal I've been waiting for parts to arrive from China, the brushless motor & esc arrived today for the blue rigger, I can make a start on that soon.. I've just finished printing the parts for the cabin for a Springer tug hull I got from Sonar & I've just started printing the first parts of a WW2 landing craft, its 1/16 scale nearly a metre long, I guess I'll be making a tank for it when it's completed. Then there's the Robbe Diabolo, on the instructions it says to use self tapping screws to hold the plastic dual rudders in place. No good to me as I've upgraded to dual aluminium rudders, these buggers need bolts! Trouble is the waterproof electronics box is used as a doubler for the central transom, when it's glued into place there isn't any room to access where the rudder bolts come through the doublers, ohhh the joy of problem solving.... So I'm keeping busy but my butter is spread a bit too thin. Cheers Wayne

7 years ago by Midlife306

Forum

Stabilit Express

Hi Wayne You must be a rich man if you are mixing that much. Unlike other resins Stabilit attaches its-self into the surfaces being joined so any round the edges is un-necessary and should be wiped away with a wet rag. Once fully set it can be machines or ed away. Doug is so right about a correctly made joint and I do hope you never ever need to remove the doublers. Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Forum

3D printing

Take a sunshade, they've got 40+ degrees down there 😡 (Sneak a into your case 😉)

7 years ago by RNinMunich