Blog

Cooling the motor – update.

I’m grateful to mturpin013 for commenting that he considered using the propeller adaptor supplied with the Turnigy motor as it prompted me to retrieve mine from the box and adapt it to secure the fan on the end of the motor. I cut off the threaded shaft from the prop adaptor and the end was ground flat and then I placed it on the end of the motor stub and used a scriber through the bolt holes to mark the positions on the of the fan. The fan was then removed and the holes drilled through and opened up to 3mm and then it was a simple matter to put the fan back on the motor and attach the new piece to the motor using the three 2.5mm cap head screws which are supplied with the prop adaptor. I think this is a far better ‘engineering’ solution to securing the fan to the rotor than a spot of CA. Because the addition of the fan was so straightforward and effective I have decided to implement it on the model anyway so I cut an opening through the end panel of the motor cover and put some stainless steel mesh over that to finish it. The motor is now connected to the ESC and I have done some tests with the motor running and I’m delighted to report that there’s a very healthy airflow through the motor cover 😁👍. It turns out that my modification is not unique at all and credit is due to reilly4 who did something similar to the twin motors on one of his boats long before I came up with the idea. He posted a ‘photo of his boat when replying to mturpin013 on the subject of servo mounts. Take a look at the motors in his picture!

5 years ago by robbob

Response

Hum, Now What!

Hi Joe, Thanks for the idea! I'm going to take the boat apart! I have to take her ballast out! Take her batteries out! I think she's leaking from where the prop shaft. comes out of the Boss! So, I'm going to make a . Which will be the same size as the Boss. And will cover the Boss! Hopefully this will fix the leak problem! Regards, Ed

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Hum, Now What!

Captain's Log: Continued! I have found where the leak is coming from! It's coming from above the shaft as it exits the hull! I'm not sure why it's leaking. The area is tricky to get to. As it's deep in the hull! An hard to get to. Since the hull is made of plastic. Am thinking of making a plate! And gluing it to the aft end of the hull On the outside of the hull! But, of course need to see where the leak. Is coming from the outside...…. I have already looked into getting a water pump. Also a water detection circuit to activate the pump!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

1-35 Scale Schenllboot By TeeJay

Hi all for the second blog report on the schnellboot I am going to go over the rudder a propeller shaft assembly in more detail. The first stage was to make the rudders which were made of brass ,and having taken note of what has been said about the increase in size needed for the kit by other members I have increased the size of the rudders by 50% so that they have more effect and hopefully the boat will be more agile .I fitted 3mm treaded rod on to the rudder and in a 4mm d tube to reinforce the brass rod. The second stage was to make and fit 5mm d tube in the location for the rudders in the boat, these were made to be above the water line and will be sealed in place to reduce the possibility of leaks. These were fitted to a rudder platform inside the boat which was fitted to the kit moulding for the rubbing strip that runs the length on the boat and secured by making resin blocks which were fitted with computer extension nuts. which were then superglue in place to secure the rudder platform. The rudders were then fitted in place and held in position with the tiller collars which were made from 8mm rod and fitted the tiller arms and locked in place with 3mm computer screws and ni-lock nuts, a connecting plate was then fitted to connect the three tillers together, I also fitted rubberised washers to seal the rudder tubes. The third stage was to make the propeller supports. The centre support was a direct copy of the kit part made of brass and fitted to the kit with a plate and screws (this plate and the rudder plate were made from galvanised steel) and will sealed with resin after the I test the boat for leaks. The port and starboard supports were made by taking the kit parts and cutting them in have along the joint line or mould seam this gave me a template ,which I used to make cross-section segments but I did alter the template by increasing the boss diameter to 10mm and extending the support legs so that the finished support could be fitted through the hull (the picture of these show the mk1 version where I forgot to allow for the 4mm prop shaft which has a 6mm tube) any way the boss of these segments were drilled out with a 7mm drill and a length of 7mm brass tube fitted through the boss to assemble the segments, all of which were coated in soldering flux at this stage of the assembly which were riveted at both ends to hold it all together during soldering, after soldering the supports were then filed to the size and shape to resemble the kit parts as close as possible and fitted to the hull using a superglue and talcum powder mix and then I cast resin around the extensions to secure the prop supports in place. The fourth stage is the propeller shaft housing for the centre propeller housing I place a brass rod in a plastic straw and place in position in hull and using resin I sealed the hull with the rod in place this gave me a pilot hole for the centre prop shaft after I removed the brass rod. For the port and starboard shafts I used the kit parts which had hole place when assembled, this when I reinforced the housings ,the centre housing I glue 2mm of plasticard on each side and for the port and starboard I made a brass tube shroud which covered the housings which left gaps between the kit part and the brass which was filled by casting resin in the gap this increased the diameter to 10 mm so that there were little chance of breaking throw with the drill and finished these off by fill-in the outside with body filler and sanded to shape and finish . I then drilled through the pilot hole in the housings using very long extended drills and a wheel brace ( if I had use a power drill the heat would have melted the plastic of the kit and may have caused problems) I drill the shaft housings out 6mm them filed them out with 6mm file so that I could insert a length of 6mm brass tube. After all this was done I fitted a d bush made from 7mm tube and 2mm brass plate turned to 11mm to the ends or the propeller shaft housings. And now it is time I must ask for some help could anyone advise me on the length of propeller shafts, I know I can use a 300mm shaft for the centre shaft, but port and starboard will have to be longer. and I also need advice on selecting the motors, I want to use 4mm prop shaft with 35mm propellers. Any opinions welcome.

6 years ago by teejay

Blog

Search light

A working search light seems to be expected on this craft so here goes. Based on Robs build I purchased the lens and the LED from Maplin’s which seemed to fit the bill. The only piece that will be used is the main body that is supplied as a white metal fitting, the rest will be replaced by a brass construction, as the rest of the parts are not substantial enough to support a working unit. First, I need some 3/16 half round brass bar, the easiest way is to machine my own cutting just less than half the diameter away. The half-round bar was annealed before bending round a suitable mandrel to a half circle. I then soldered an 8BA nut on each leg to act as the swivel bearing. Next, I machined the body’s internal bore to suit the lens body and skimmed the outer rim and face, finally bore out a small recess that locates the lens in place. The two pivot holes need to be drilled and tapped 8BA, and then a drilled hole in the rear wall for the wires to exit. As the light is to be both working and rotating the base has is to be made with a centre spindle that connects to a micro servo under the roof. The connecting devise was a bit of a headache trying to make it fit in a relatively small space; I used the supplied servo arm with four legs (shortened) and then machined a mating part with pins that located in the arm that is attached to the body above deck. The LED was modified to fit in the white metal body as it has a heat sink which was too big; as others have found cutting it down didn’t affect the heat dissipation when fixed in the white metal body, this was fixed using a small amount of Milliput. Having already machined the outer on the body I turned up a brass-d ring to push fit on the body this has to have the TRI form guard added. I made this from a central pinion with three holes drilled to accept the bent brass nails; these were soft soldered in position. The TRI form was then located on top of the brass and again soft soldered in position At this point all the components will have to be dismantled for final finishing before being painting.

6 years ago by mturpin013

Blog

1-35 scale S100 schennllboot

Hi all for the second blog report on the schenllboot I am going to go over the rudder an propeller shaft assembly in more detail. The first stage was to make the rudders which were made of brass ,and having taken note of what has been said about the increase in size needed for the kit by other members I have increased the size of the rudders by 50% so that they have more effect and hopefully the boat will be more agile .I fitted 3mm treaded rod on to the rudder and in a 4mm d tube to reinforce the brass rod. The second stage was to make and fit 5mm d tube in the location for the rudders in the boat , these were made to be above the water line and will be sealed in place to reduce the possibility of leaks. These were fitted to a rudder platform inside the boat which was fitted to the kit moulding for the rubbing strip that runs the length on the boat and secured by making resin blocks which were fitted with computer extension nuts .which were then superglue in place to secure the rudder platform. The rudders were then fitted in place and held in position with the tiller collars which were made from 8mm rod and fitted the tiller arms and locked in place with 3mm computer screws and ni-lock nuts, a connecting plate was then fitted to connect the three tillers together, I also fitted rubberised washers to seal the rudder tubes. The third stage was to make the propeller supports. The centre support was a direct copy of the kit part made of brass and fitted to the kit with a plate and screws (this plate and the rudder plate were made from galvanised steel)and will sealed with resin after the I test the boat for leaks. The port and starboard supports were made by taking the kit parts and cutting them in have along the joint line or mould seam this gave me a template ,which I used to make cross-section segments but I did alter the template by increasing the boss diameter to 10mm and extending the support legs so that the finished support could be fitted through the hull (the picture of these show the mk1 version where I forgot to allow for the 4mm prop shaft which has a 6mm tube) any way the boss of these segments were drilled out with a 7mm drill and a length of 7mm brass tube fitted through the boss to assemble the segments, all of which were coated in soldering flux at this stage of the assembly which were riveted at both ends to hold it all together during soldering, after soldering the supports were then filed to the size and shape to resemble the kit parts as close as possible and fitted to the hull using a superglue and talcum power mix and then I cast resin around the extensions to secure the prop supports in place. The forth stage is the propeller shaft housing for the centre propeller housing I place a brass rod in a plastic straw and place in position in hull and using resin I sealed the hull with the rod in place this gave me a pilot hole for the centre prop shaft after I removed the brass rod. For the port and starboard shafts I used the kit parts which had hole place when assembled, this when I reinforced the housings ,the centre housing I glue 2mm of plasticard on each side and for the port and starboard I made a brass tube shroud which covered the housings which left gaps between the kit part and the brass which was filled by casting resin in the gap this increased the diameter to 10 mm so that there were little chance of breaking throw with the drill and finished these off by fill-in the outside with body filler and sanded to shape and finish . I then drilled through the pilot hole in the housings using very long extended drills and a wheel brace ( if I had use a power drill the heat would have melted the plastic of the kit and may have caused problems) I drill the shaft housings out 6mm them filed them out with 6mm file so that I could insert a length of 6mm brass tube. After all this was done I fitted a d bush made from 7mm tube and 2mm brass plate turned to 11mm to the ends or the propeller shaft housings. And now it is time I have to ask for some help could any one advise me on the length of propeller shafts , I know I can use a 300mm shaft for the centre shaft but port and starboard will have to be longer . and I also need advice on selecting the motors , I want to use 4mm prop shaft with 35mm propellers. Any opinions welcome.

6 years ago by teejay

Forum

Brass bashin' Chris Craft deck fittings...

Here's the bear's claw vent. I got a piece of 1/8th" brass this morning and between chores managed to knock this up. The around the edge has to be removed. it only appears under the webs at the front. They are merely sawn and filed into the 1/8th", which is then soldered to a piece of the 0.8mm sheet and then filed up. Greatest care required to get the slight spine down the centre, which is hardly there on the real one, never mind the model. Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Cheap motor for a quick fit, but what prop gents?...

Agree on the 'blue' motor Martin. Looks like the mounting , as on the Tower pro motor, is missing🤔 BTW: is that per chance your bald patch in that natty ally covered gent's racer? 😁😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Cheap motor for a quick fit, but what prop gents?...

Aha, I assumed it was an airyplane motor. I had an Ugly Stick once, given to me with a speed 400 motor and a gearbox with a bent shaft. So the motor came on board as a spare and the gearbox was dumped, but I stopped doing aircraft and so gave the Ugly Stik back to its reluctant owner. There's a whole range of Ugly Stik type things, all ugly and odd looking but apparently they fly very well. Looks like your photo shows a brushed 380 type motor with gearing too. Not sure about the 62mm length! it's way shorter than that. Has, as you can see, a mount. There's no mount for the blue one. The magnetism is amazing. I can hardly turn the shaft with fingers. So, do you reckon the motors would work in a boat? Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Response

boiler

I have a large jubilee clip I tighten around the , nearing completion. This stops rebound at the next tap, go around the clip tighten , repeat twice then anneal again. Finally clamped between wood, mounted upside down, the fit can be seen. The problem using wood instead of metal for the former, the edge of the copper can dig in & make removal difficult. Looking at the joint in this way avoids this. Both caps fitted, holes for sight glass & steam feed. bushes to turn up, then silver solder.

6 years ago by hammer

Blog

False Keel in place!

After grinding the that's 1/4" high. Took all day long! grind here, sand there! False keel is now in place. A bit of bondo to fill the gaps! Lots of sanding to do! there's a big difference between the fiberglass and the ABS. Lots more work to do on the ABS hull! Note: Make sure to mix the Bondo (p38) correctly!👍 I find if it's not mixed correctly. it will crack after a while!😱😲😤

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Inside of the Hull and the

OK, the inside of the hull is sanded! Next is Polyester resin about one pint. and a 1" brush is needed for this step! In the kit there is a 1" x 40ish" of fiberglass tape. Use this to reinforce the seam. After that comes the that goes around the hull. You must grind down all of the that run far and aft. Be very neat don't gouge or nic the keel! The next step is to put the false Keel. Remember be neat working around the Keel.... Note: After you have glued the s together. And cut down the to the keel. You should sand down the keel. So that it's nice and flush! Take the 3/8" plastic used to make up the keel. And make sure it's nice and flush against the keel it's self!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

The Hull!

Plastic Hull Version! Test fitting the Hull halfs together! Fairly simple task. The hull comes in two half's. which have to be glued together! It is important to cut the to 1/4" around the Hull half's. So when you clip the hull together. it creates enough pressure on the seam that run along the hull far and aft! As you can see, I need about 10 more clips! Note: Don't forget to sand down the ! So it has a good bite. For when you glue the together! Also use enough clips. To hold the tight to one another!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Forum

3d printing

Hi Wayne,brilliant detail even got the holes in the s .long live thingiverse

7 years ago by marky

Forum

3d printing

Here we go, the finished article 👍 I wasn't happy with the ones that are printing on the LCM3, I found these, altered the scale so that the bottom is 20mm diameter & they fit the bill perfectly. Found the file on thingiverse Cheers Wayne

7 years ago by Midlife306

Response

copper boiler

there are 2 domes. the former you can see is for the firebox dome . Ibeat the copper over the former with a mallet because spinning 3mm copper even when annealed is very difficult for an amateur who doesnt have very powerful lathe. However i did spin it when finished to take out the wrinkles.!! I had to anneal it about 40 times !!!! Same with the top dome , which was slightly easier because it has no at the bottom. The 2 pictures are different boilers, the left one has no domes as i wanted to make it quickly. The flue is the fire hole as well and the boiler is the same design as in my experimental coal fired outboard turbine boat which you can view on VIDEO GALLERY. Scroll down till you find it. Regards Les

7 years ago by lesliebreame

Blog

Controls

Initially, control of the sails, or rather the yards from which the sails hang, was going to be done with sail-winch servos; one for the yards of the foremast, another for the yards of the main and the mizzen mast combined. Each controlled yard would have two drums, one to take up it's braces as the other payed them out. The controlled yards would be the fore course and tops'l yards, the main course and tops'l yards, and the mizzen coss-jack. This meant the main/mizzen had 6 drums and the fore mast winch had 4. The drums diameter corresponded their yards as each brace was of a different length because of the distance from the centerline that the brace was attached to the yard. Since each brace was being controlled by one winch turning at the same speed, the difference had to be made up in the drum diameter. The s separating the drums were compact-discs (CDs). The point where the brace attached to the yard describes part of a circle as the yard is turned. The winch drums too, are circles, but the brace from the yard to the point it turns down to the deck, is a vector. Because of this, both braces are tight when the yard is squared, but as it turns to one side, the take-up side stays taught while the paying out side goes slack. Slack on a winch drum is not a good thing, so some means of taking out any slack has to be devised. At this point I was going to mount springs on posts in the hull. They would maintain tension on the braces all the time. The two winches and a sail-arm servo that would control the heads'ls and driver, were all mounted on a tray, or pallet, that would be screwed to the mechanical deck. One winch had to be mounted higher than the other so the drums and braces wouldn't interfere. The real ship's yards were/are attached to the masts and pivoted on iron "patent trusses." I made my facsimile of them from aluminum with brass #2 screws, nuts, and eye-bolts I bent and threaded from brass rod. The clevis between the yard and the mast is 1/4" aluminum rod drilled through and shaped.

7 years ago by Jerry Todd

Blog

Bluebird K7

Been busy this weekend, managed to get all the bulkheads finished off & I've finally glued all the structure together🤓👍 More strengthening to be added this week & I'll try & tidy up the glued joints. I'm still trying to work out how I can easily remove the engine cover yet still remain watertight but not fly off at speed. I've got a few ideas involving lots of magnets & a remotely operated latch, I've made a start by glueing a along the outside of the main frame. For my plan to work, I'll need to add a half bulkhead in between the air intake & the first bulkhead & another butting up against the the last bulkhead before the transom, they will be the split lines. I'll then have to find a way to strengthen up the removable section so I can cut it free. I'll. keep you posted. Cheers Wayne

7 years ago by Midlife306

Blog

The tow hook stays.

The tow hook stays brace the tow hook by tying the tow hook deck to the keel to transfer the load when the boat is towing a seaplane and is a simple structure on the full size boat but as scale feature is quite tricky to reproduce. It also has to be made to allow the rear well deck to be removed for access to the rudder servo etc. so this took a bit of thinking about how to make it easily removable.🤔 As my brass working skills seem to be improving I decided to make this in brass for strength and durability. Mike Cummings at Vintage Model Works had previously very generously supplied me with a set of drawings which included the tow hook detail and these were of great help in the making process.👍😊 First I marked out the fixing plate on some 22 gauge brass and cut and filed it to the correct shape and then two pieces of 6mm brass tube cut to the correct angle where they meets the plate. After some measurement and geometric juggling the cockpit deck was marked with the positions of the holes that the bracing stays pass through and I used my brass ‘cookie cutter’ to make two neat holes through the decking planks for the s that the stays pass through but in this case the tubes will finish just below deck level to allow it to be removed. These s were made from some 14swg brass plate, filed to a circular shape and with the centre hole pierced and filed to an angle for the tube to pass through with a small clearance gap to allow them to hinge on the two brass pins that I drilled and inserted into the s. This hinging feature allows the towing stay assembly to hinge back slightly to aid removal. I drilled the upper ends of the tubes where they meet the fixing plate to take two brass pins that will hold the parts securely in place while soldering and two temporary brass bracing pieces were then soft soldered to the tubes to hold them at the correct angles and separation. All the parts were thoroughly cleaned and assembled and silver soldered together and then the soft soldered braces were removed and the whole assembly cleaned up with abrasive and wire wool. Two false bolt heads were soft soldered to the plate to add a finishing detail, the centre fixing is a cap head threaded screw that fixes the assembly to the cockpit bulkhead. I sprayed two light coats of etch primed and when dry brush painted the whole piece with two coats of ‘gun metal’ grey. Happily the part sits perfectly in place on the deck and hinges back easily as intended so that removal and re-fitting is simple…unlike the process involved in conceiving and making the part 🤓

7 years ago by robbob

Blog

The flagstaff.

While waiting for paint and lacquer to dry I thought I'd try making a flagstaff to go at the stern to take an RAF ensign that I'd like to fit. I used a short length of 5mm brass tube set into a circular that I shaped from some brass sheet. The hole in the was filed out to take the 5mm tube at an angle and was soft soldered into place, a 2mm nut was then press fitted into the base of the tube and secured with a drop of superglue. The pole was made from some 2mm brass rod tapped with a 2mm thread on one end. A short length of 4mm rod was bored out with a 2mm hole and was soft soldered close to the end to fit snugly into the 5mm base tube to act as a spacer, and another short piece of brass hand turned to make a knob at the upper end. During initial construction I had set a wood block below the deck at this point to provide support for a flagstaff (always thinking ahead 😉) and this was drilled out at an angle for the 5mm base which was epoxied in place ensuring that base was seated correctly and the flagstaff was vertically aligned. The length of the flagstaff is about 11cm above the deck and is removable for transportation. It turned out really well and I will keep the brass finish but give it a coat of clear lacquer to prevent it tarnishing. I will order the two flags (flagstaff and mast) from Mike Alsop flags & ensigns as soon as I have worked out the correct sizes for 1:12 scale.

7 years ago by robbob

Blog

Feathering set up

A beam was needed to support the pivot for the feathering mechanism. it was made to straddle the gap between the two sponson supports. There’s even less information available about this than there was for the feathering mechanism. My second attempt was the best solution and comprised the following parts. - Two 3/8” lengths of ¼” brass angle; with a clearance hole drilled in the top near one end, to suit the small sheet metal screws I had on hand - A length of 1/8” x ¼” rectangular brass tube to span the gap between the sponsons. - Approx 2” length of ¼” x 0.030” thick brass strip - A ½” length of ½” wide by 0.030”thick brass strip - A 7mm length of 3/16” brass tube as a bushing for the pivot. The rectangular tube was cut to length to fit across the sponson supports and inside the paddle boxes. The two pieces of ¼” angle were soldered at right angles under the ends of the 1/8” x ¼” tube. The paddle wheel and the beam were placed in position. The paddle wheel was set up while stationary to position the paddles so that one was on bottom dead centre and vertical. The axial position of the pivot point centre was marked on the beam, and the distance below the edge of the beam measured. The top edge of the ½” square strip was intended to be flush with the top of the beam, and a 3/16” hole was drilled through the former at the pivot point centre. This was soldered to the ¼” wide brass strip, and then the 3/16” tube soldered into the hole. The drill press was used to set it at right angles to the strip for soldering. The strip was joggled, to ensure the rotating paddles cleared the support beam, and with the 3/16” tube on the side nearest the hull. The brass strip was clamped to the support beam, with the complete assembly in place, and the pivot position adjusted to give the optimum motion of the mechanism. The brass strip was soldered to the support beam, and then removed and painted.

7 years ago by Trillium

Blog

White metal deck fittings.

In between coats of black paint there’s time to prepare more of the white metal deck fittings. They all require a bit of a clean up to remove casting lines and flash, and this is easy to do with an assortment of small files, blades and a small suede shoe brush with brass wire ‘bristles’. After a quick clean up with panel wipe I fixed them all to a piece of card with small strips of double sided foam tape to stop them getting blown around by the pressure of the spay can and gave them a couple of light coats of etch primer. To assemble the anchor I used some 2mm brass rod with some brass ends made from some larger diameter brass rod, drilled and filed to a pleasing profile, a bit of plasticard was added to neaten the pivot point and the assembly was also given a coat of etch primer. The cooling water outlet tube and and the dummy exhaust ports (adapted portholes) were primed also. They’ll get a coat of black gloss before they are fixed to the stern. I’ll tackle the fire monitors next…

7 years ago by robbob

Blog

Priming the hull.

Again, not a particularly exciting stage of the project so there's not too much to say here. 😑 The hull is ready for its primer coats, but I first masked off the hull around the water pickup tube , skeg and propshaft and gave them a coat of etch primer to ensure that subsequent paint layers stick properly and after that had dried I put down the first coat of Halfords grey primer after pre-warming the spray can in a bucket of warm water. The second coat went on about 20 minutes later. I will leave the primer to dry and harden for a few days before I flat it down in preparation for more paint. In the meantime I'll start doing some work on the white metal fittings, hopefully that will be more interesting to read !

7 years ago by robbob

Blog

Detailing the transom.

The real boat had some detail on the transom which I would like to incorporate on my model, these are the two main engine exhausts and the pump engine exhaust and there are also two small drain outlets from the rear cockpit. As my ESC is water-cooled I want to use the pump engine exhaust detail as my cooling water outlet. I have used brass portholes as the basis for the exhaust details as they look very similar to the real thing with the rivet holes around the circumferences, the two main engine exhausts are 8mm internal diameter and the pump exhaust is a 6mm internal diameter type. I first removed the rear s of the larger portholes by rubbing them flat over some wet & dry paper so that they will sit flush on the transom. I left the on the 6mm porthole as it will help locate the assembly in the transom. I used a 6mm external brass tube set into the smaller porthole with a very short protrusion on the external side and about 25mm to pass through the hull to leave 20mm inside the boat to connect the flexible silicone water tube to. Once I was happy with the positioning of the details I drilled the single hole for the water outlet and slightly countersunk the outside of the hole to allow for the small on the rear of the port hole The tube was fixed into the porthole with a light smear of epoxy and when set the assembly was given a coat of etch primer and a couple of light light coats of black gloss and then set aside as I won't fix it in place until the hull has received it final coats of black gloss. I also etch primed and painted the two larger exhaust pipe s ready for glueing to the transom. If I can find a couple of even smaller brass portholes, perhaps 3mm, I may also fit them as the cockpit drain ports in the finishing stages. The hull will get a couple of overall coats of clear lacquer to seal this transom detailing and the lettering decals as well.

7 years ago by robbob

Blog

Water pickup scoop .

"Hi bro......any chance you could ?....great, I'll come and visit and watch the master at work" Clever bugger, and so modest too ! 😁

8 years ago by robbob

Blog

Water pickup scoop

I'm not very happy with the quality of the plastic water scoop that I have purchased, the threaded portion is only just sufficient to pass through the keel and frankly it looks a bit naff. Equally, the water outlet I have as similarly poor and I can't seem to find a brass equivalent anywhere, so I decided to make my own. The tube is 6mm brass and needs to be bent and flared as a scoop so to do the bending I made a jig with a fixed circular former that I filed a round groove in around it's circumference and a square block to retain the tube. The tube was then annealed to soften it and bent around the former, I also put a curtain wire inside the tube to prevent the tube crushing and although it helped the tube did distort slightly. Perhaps I should have tried the 'dry salt' or 'fine sand' method but overall I am pleased with end result. Once in place in the hole I drilled through the keel it looks like it will do the job but it definitely needs a of sorts to make it look better. Maybe a bit of turned brass ?...... 💭

8 years ago by robbob

Forum

ESC problem

Hi there, bit of a newbie to ESC's Need some advice on what AMP rating to get for the current setup any and all help is appreciated. Prop -> Graupner Jet Propulsion Unit 5 (2347) (G2347) Diameter: 78mm Shaft Diameter 7mm Motor -> Graupner HPD 2948-3760 7.4V Brushless Motor Operating voltage range : 7,4... 24 V All-up weight, approx. : 180 g Free shaft length: 10 mm Output : 2000 W Number of poles: 4 Permissible motor direction : R und L Case length: 58,2 mm Shaft diameter: 4 mm Max. charging rate: 105 A Case diameter: 29 mm Revolutions/Volt: 3760 Part No: G7757 Battery ------- 7.4v 2s 40c 5600mah Boat -> Weight: will be 8 Kilos once equipment fitted. currently around 5 kilos. length:1.3m I hope that this information is suitable and can help with my question. many thanks 😀 Ashley

8 years ago by sheaffy

Response

RAF Crash Tender

I made my own from bits of tube and old coins for s. The nozzle is just sleeved down with progressively smaller tube till it squirted about right. Pump is a standard grapnel unit. Hopefully this link to a photo blog will work. https://picasaweb.google.com/102817163504371499744/RAFCrashTenderModelBoatBuildKitshack46InchVersion The link will give you details of the motors and speed controllers and the props I used. it's quick!

8 years ago by raj002

Response

espania IV

HI Hammer This would be a good way to make a plug for a fibreglass mould. Using two pieces of 3mm ply will allow the completed plug to be split and laid flat on a piece of ply over which the port and starboard moulds can be formed. Once dry rebuild the plug with the moulds attached and drill holes, for a nut and bolt, through the s of each mould. Remove the plug and you will have a two part mould which will bolt together and in which you can make several hulls identical to your plug. It's good to see tried and tested techniques appearing from time to time. Many of the skills that my generation were taught are being lost, and for me part of the enjoyment is in the making from scratch using material freely available. I hope we see more posts showing how others make their models and encourages and insipres more modellers to try for themselves. Thank you for sharing. Dave 😀

8 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Cowl vents

HI Tug_Hercules, Thanks for the link to Pat Matthews the vents look perfect ,I've see a photo of some turned brass s to mount them with so they will look very nice. Zippy

9 years ago by zippy

Forum

Most aerokits plans legal

Yeah pic makes it look narrower than it really is. At the moment is 1mm and the lip to window sits up against is 1mm. I can reduce these down to 0.5mm os so and keep roughly same dimensions and also add the center post which wasn't on plywood plates that came with boat.

9 years ago by carl10r

Forum

Most aerokits plans legal

They look really good. The original was a flat plate stuck over the frame and ovelapping the window by about 1mm. The plate was about 1mm thick. if you want to have a round the window I believe you will need to enlarge the wood cabin holes by the thickness of your frame otherwise the windows will look a bit small dave

9 years ago by Dave M

Response

Scratch build of a fast bulker

HI Ubay Welcome to the site. The rubber caps on your SLA batteries are a safety device and should not be covered whilst charging. if the cells gas an explosive gas (hydrogen) can be produced so I suggest you do not continue with this idea. SLA batteries need a special constant voltage charger and should not be charges with a car battery charger, there are many trickle chargers available that will safely charge your new SLA's. I think a bow thruster would be a good addition to this model as it will be difficult to dock in any sort of breeze unless you have tug assistance. Looking at your pics I can see you have already fitted cardboard formers to the hull. I have built many models with fiberglass hulls and usually run longitudinal stringers round the inside of the hull to keep everything square and provide a base for the decks. You may find that the hull has flexed in once you removed the casting. You can still apply stringers between your formers to keep the hull sides flat if these have been fixed in place. A straight edge along the outside of the hull should help you, but do follow any natural curve. The markings on the hull are meant as a guide and are rarely spot on. Looking at your rudder it is slightly out of alignment but the model will sail OK with this positioning. The alternative would be to open the rudder hole with a file so that the alignment was central. You can make good the damage with some body filler as used on your prop shaft. You are progressing well and please keep the pics and info coming 😀

10 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Build log of a fast Bulker

HI Ubay Welcome to the site. The rubber caps on your SLA batteries are a safety device and should not be covered whilst charging. if the cells gas an explosive gas (hydrogen) can be produced so I suggest you do not continue with this idea. SLA batteries need a special constant voltage charger and should not be charges with a car battery charger, there are many trickle chargers available that will safely charge your new SLA's. I think a bow thruster would be a good addition to this model as it will be difficult to dock in any sort of breeze unless you have tug assistance. We actually have a Build Blog section and you may wish to repost your build to that section as you will receive more comments/suggestions. Looking at your pics I can see you have already fitted cardboard formers to the hull. I have built many models with fiberglass hulls and usually run longitudinal stringers round the inside of the hull to keep everything square and provide a base for the decks. You may find that the hull has flexed in once you removed the casting. You can still apply stringers between your formers to keep the hull sides flat if these have been fixed in place. A straight edge along the outside of the hull should help you, but do follow any natural curve. The markings on the hull are meant as a guide and are rarely spot on. Looking at your rudder it is slightly out of alignment but the model will sail OK with this positioning. The alternative would be to open the rudder hole with a file so that the alignment was central. You can make good the damage with some body filler as used on your prop shaft. You are progressing well and please keep the pics and info coming 😀

10 years ago by Dave M

Blog

Victory Industries Vosper Fire Boat RC conversion

Post Script. My boat's davit went missing many moons ago so encouraged by Dave M I have bitten another bullet and made one. But this one Is more than just cosmetic. I've never been happy with the security of the small deck between the two cabins so I have fixed this. I put a lip along one end that hooks under the deck . The locating peg on the davit Is long enough to take a hole and a short length of wire (paper clip obviously) that hooks under the deck at the other end. When the davit Is turned to be over the side of the boat It's unlocked and when It Is turned to point forward It's locked, securing the deck. (Photo 11)

11 years ago by smiggy

Response

Waveney lifeboat - billing boats - 30inch

HI Ian I have built one of these models and yes they are great fun. As they are not that big you do need to keep the weight to a minimum. I originally used two 385 motors with 30 mm brass 3blade props with an electronize controller with the BEC to save on the weight of a 4.8v battery. Used a 12v SLA 1.3Amp situated under a removeable rear cabin. I made the whole of the mid deck and fore cockpit removeable and have good access to all the working and electronic parts. This is quite a wet boat and I'm not sure your plan to attach the deck and hull will keep the water out. Mine are glued together and sealed with the supplied rubbing strake which fits over the on the deck and hull. The 385 motors eventually wore out so my model is now twin brushless and uses a 11.1v LiPo so the weight is considerably reduced and performance is exciting to put it mildly. Your motors should work fine and will prove a good starting point for your daughters. 👍 I would post some pics but can't in this reply. Good luck and if you need any guidance please ask 😀

11 years ago by Dave M

Forum

glazing windows with solid water

HI Ralph I was using 3mm white LEDS in the lower Portholes on the Olympic. Ended up having to seal all the lower portholes with resin dropped over each Led in situ. At 100 scale the effect looked ok but for larger scales you would need to provide a solid waxed seal on the outer (d) side and pour the resin in from the back of the porthole - I'm assuming a d tubed porthole. I guess your clear plastic discs performed this function in your case. Cheers 😀

11 years ago by Dave M

Blog

engine exhausts

I decided to make my own exhaust pipes up, as after seeing the white metal ones sent by Metcalf moulding and looking at the resin ones available from Mac's mouldings, they were not to my own liking. So piece of plastruct tube, flat plasticard disc for the end flap and a couple of sheet cut hinge brackets, its "as good as". The outer discs were again flat sheet, with simulated hex bolt heads glued on. The holes were drilled through the stern to allow the plastruct tubes to pass through, then the end of the tubes inside the hull were "capped" . I will be adding a water pumped supply to these pipes a little later on, to simulate the engine cooling water.... But these pies need to go in before I complete the rudder assemblies, as it makes access much easier to get to these pipes.

12 years ago by Gregg

Response

Arun 52'' Scale Lifeboat

HI Aled I have measured the bits on my model, but please bear in mind that I scaled my model to the RNLI plan. Your casting may be slightly smaller or larger so your scale factor may not be quite the same, giving marginally different dimensions.Shaft 23cm outside the hull and 15cm inside the hull.Prop is 60mm 4 blade with a 30mm boss length. My prop shafts are 90mm from the transom. Supported outside the hull by A frame - brass strip silver soldered to a shaft bush. This is about 55mm on each leg fibre-glassed into hull about 40mm perpendicular from shaft to hull. Spacing is 15cm between prop centres - I made a jig for inside the hull and another for the outside to keep the prop shaft distances constant whilst fitting. My rudders are 62mm x 25 mm x 3mm brass sheet silver soldered to a stainless shaft - bearing is brass tube - I made a to fit the keel out of a bit of plastic - Delrin. Rudder posts are 47mm from transom and 14cm apart. This puts them slightly nearer the centre line than the props but this is not a detail I researched so you may find this is not correct. However it does work well on the water and I build my models to sail. Hope this helps and good luck with the build. Dave

13 years ago by Dave M

Blog

More Cabin & Deck Alterations

Seems like the cabin was inaccurate where the steps lead to the rear deck. I have had to cut out the offending moulding and reattach at the correct angle. The side panel at the other side of the rear cabin was also incorrect and this has also been corrected. The rear deck was moulded to allow a lip around the cabin which was not on the 52-08 I am modelling so the whole of the rear deck up to the steps and rearwards to the transom has been filled with P38 to make all flush. Also the front deck should be flush with the cabin base. This required a fillet of P38 from the raised cabin sides forward to the deck. The moulding has a all the way round the deck where the hull and deck were joined. This has been filled with P38 so the deck will be flush to the edge of the . The D shaped rubber fender will be fixed to the new edge.

14 years ago by Dave M

Media

Crash Boat & Steam In Oz by Lyle

Some 25 to 30 years ago I wrote to Peter Dimberlins for details of the Crash Boat following a mention of him in 'Model Boats '. Peter supplied me with data and we have been so close ever since. These and more Images are of Peter at the helm of my Steam boat' Lady Halina ' and his successfully (ha ha) steering my Crash Boat as I did not know it was so fast/ ballistic. More pictures to follow of this gracious man at the helm at our pond/ tidal creek during his momentus visit to OZ in early 2008. My model is some 30 years young and is with the third engine as the others were worn out with use ( OS35, ENYA35 now a S/C 40 a bit too much) in a 25 pound plus model, yes she is heavy. She has been re done over and over(paint resin paint resin etc) and only had the 1/8 inch steel prop shaft (yes 1/8) replaced recently. I have a "leather coupling"as on all my power boats and never let me down and vibration free. Exhaust system 1:muffler to a 2.tar lined tin can to a 3.small resonator (equals quiet ) More to come of my Crash Boat as a result of this gracious man and his service to modelling even to a colonial.

16 years ago by Lyle

Blog

Hawser pipe

The top picture shows the hawser pipe, this was made from some 4mm brass pipe and I put some "kerf" cuts in it very close together about half way through. Then carefully bent it around, the picture does not show how tight the bend is so I'll probably replace it to show it. I then silver soldered the cuts up, I used silver solder because it is finer and it is stronger and looks like brass, and also cleans up better. I then cleaned it up and soft soldered a brass washer on to it to form a , it should look OK when painted. The portholes on side of the boat are different design to the ones on the front, I don't know which I like the best, what I have done is taken the outer up stand of the one on the left, the pictures I have seen show very slim looking portholes, so any comments? I have just remembered that I need navigation lights, these are a bit like the lights you would see on a 40s car wing for sidelights, I now think the £40-45 pounds may have been worth it now for the fittings kit. I seem to have lost the one fitting I had for it the anchor, will keep looking. The lower Picture is interesting and shows why the fire floats are fitted with lifting rings, it looks like the boat was being lifted out of the water and the strops where in the wrong place or the wrong type and they have cut in to the hull full story at www.newson.co.uk/boat/spitfire. There is a lot on interesting stuff under previous work.

16 years ago by Peter HS93

Blog

At last there done...

At last there done...... Phew. Last set of them I'll try and make, they look ok, but will look better with a coat of white paint on them, the top picture shows the cut, I first cut a 45 degrees cut then with a half round file scalloped it out. I tend to make jigs for most solder jobs I said in the previous part that I was going to silver solder them but I could not find any fire bricks to rest the bits on and the heat proof mats where melting so I went with soft solder and a dab of superglue to hold the base in, the bases where turned to fit inside the tube and have the s at the bottom I drilled them and taped them 10ba as I like to try and bolt fittings on especially if I have spent some time making them. The bottom picture shows the finished items, to me they look too big, but according to the plans x2 I have and measurements of pictures they are actually a bit small, so when the paint goes on and the fittings go on around them they may blend in, on the picture you can see the decks finished with the Fibreglass sheet.

16 years ago by Peter HS93