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    Blog
    H.M.S BRAVE BORDERER
    Thinking of a future project and decided upon another launch type vessel. My earlier Daman 4207 project gave an interesting model with good performance. The Brave class of FPBs (Fast Patrol Boats) caught my attention. Can remember the incredible performance they offered when entering service. Only two of the class were used by the RN, although variants were used by other navies. Have decided to use proprietary
    glass fibre
    hulls in future as they probably cost little more than building from scratch using wood and resin. They give a robust and watertight hull, but one which still requires thought to complete properly. There are several companies that offer a β€œPerkasa” hull, a Brave class derivative with an almost identical hull. From previous experience have decided to limit my models to 40” long, larger vessels become difficult to transport and handle. After much research considered the hull offered by MTB Hulls in Gibraltar met my requirements best. The inquiry to MTBHulls was well handled; the quotation acceptable, so placed an order. Was pleasantly surprised at the shipping costs. From the UK these often approach the cost of the hull, but from Gibraltar they are much more reasonable. Delivery only took 7 days.
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    Hull finishing touches
    The Huntsman Hull has now had the finishing touches applied...Sanding Sealer, Eze-Kote, glassfibre sheet and hull chine bars added. The inside of the hull has been given a good dollop of Eze-Kote to seal it and waterproof it so next job is to fit the prop tube and motor before the whole hull gets a coat of primer... I've only just realised, but the kit from SLEC does not contain any decking, so I need to sort out whether to just go for plain mahogany veneer or try to find teak decking which is laser cut to fit with plank marks....any help or advice here welcome for a novice! (I can't find anything suitable on the internet). 😑
    5 years ago by StuartE
    Response
    Basic hull construction completed
    Nice hard work, well done i now usually get a
    glass fibre
    hull if i can. Ive run mine with Irvine 40, and 2 different brushless, 2075 kva and 1150 motors and all performed well 3 or 4 cell lipos, go for the biggest capacity 5200`s as the weight is no problem and double your run time. Pic shows latest motor i think its 2900 kva ill try it out soon. I seem to use the Huntsman then take the motors out for other projects
    5 years ago by vortex
    Response
    Basic hull construction completed
    Hi Chris. Thanks for your feedback.....I thought so too, but I suppose its too late to change that now and we'll just have to see what it looks like after the glassfibre application. it probably won't affect performance, just the looks!😎 It's my first attempt at a hull like this, so can only learn from the experience.
    5 years ago by StuartE
    Blog
    Basic hull construction completed
    This week has been about getting the basic hull construction completed and especially the tricky bow. This was done in three stages; the first group of pictures shows the four balsa blocks being roughly sanded to shape. The instructions were good here as they recommended the required curves be shaped using sandpaper wrapped around an aerosol can....This being achieved, the next stage was to fill all the gaps around the balsa blocks with P38 and sand back to smooth out the curves. The 3rd stage was to fully coat the entire hull with Balsa Lite fine surface filler and sand back to wood so that all the fine grain imperfections are filled. I'm very happy with the results, but now concerned that too much has been sanded off the bow to get those curves...What do you think? πŸ˜‰ Next stage is to apply a couple of thin coats of sanding sealer and then onto covering with 35gsm lightweight glassfibre fabric and Eze-Kote to give the hull more strength and durability.
    5 years ago by StuartE
    Forum
    Planking
    Hi Dave, I was faced with the same question last year when renovating and restoring the hull of an ancient Billing Boats Fish Cutter 'Gina 2' that I had inherited. The Blog gives blow by blow account of how I stabilised and waterproofed the hull. https://model-boats.com/builds/view/43305?goto=43306 Otherwise Haverlock is quite right tooπŸ‘ I would have liked to have had a varnished wood finish but the original hull construction was so bad I had to fill it (after applying glass-fibre tissue to the inside) and the green filler gave it a tortoise shell effect!!😲 have fun. Cheers, Doug😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Glassfibre cloth & epoxy resin
    I have also coated my 46" RAF Crash Tender with fiber glass matting and used West Systems two part epoxy. i coated the entire hull in one piece apart from the transom. I left it for two days to harden off. it worked very well. I am fitting the rubbing strakes over the top of the fiberglass using modelling pins and 5 minute epoxy.
    5 years ago by ChrisR
    Forum
    Smoke generator
    The first time I ever made a smoke generator was in the 1960s at school - for flow visualisation in a wind tunnel I was building. There there was no shortage of power, so i used a 1/4" glass tube wrapped with asbestos and nichrome heating wire, and boiled paraffin in it - no wick. Loads of lovely white smoke once it was forced through a cooling fan - but it was oily and smelly, and not ideal for lab work.... Later when I built a Revell Bluebell corvette, I made a shallow perspex dish with the glass-fibre wick, and used the smoke fluid from a disco smoke-maker. That's essentially a glycol/water mix - much less smelly. Unless they add perfume.... I suspect that paraffin would be less smelly outdoors, though fire and an oily residue would be hazards. You should be able to get a bottle of glycol smoke/fog fluid for less than a fiver....
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Smoke generator
    I made a smoke generator back in the 1990s, and used some nichrome from a broken hairdryer wrapped around a wick made from
    glass fibre
    insulation. That withstood the heat very well...
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Response
    Glassfibre cloth & epoxy resin
    To those intending to glass a hull, take Robs advise I did and it works fine, it's tempting to load more resin on at the brushing in stage but DON'T
    5 years ago by mturpin013
    Blog
    Glassfibre cloth & epoxy resin
    I used glassfibre cloth and epoxy resin successfully when building my 46” RAF Crash Tender and I chose to do the same with the Police Boat. See: https://model-boats.com/builds/view/23951 for the Crash Tender blog. The application of the cloth and resin serves to strengthen the hull enormously and produces a completely watertight hull, and after additional coats of resin are applied and sanded between coats resulting in a surface that is absolutely smooth and the perfect substrate for the subsequent paint process. With the benefit of my previous experience and greater confidence working with these materials I used a β€˜fast’ hardener with the resin which gives a working time of 30 minutes and a much shorter curing time where previously I had used a 90 minute β€˜slow’ hardener. The basic process is to cut the cloth roughly to shape with a good margin of overlap and then use masking tape along one edge so that after the resin has been brushed onto the hull the cloth can just be lifted over onto the resin. I then lightly brush the cloth into the resin and push the cloth into any tight angles, without any further resin on the brush, until the weave of the cloth is filled and there are no air pockets and the cloth is completely flat. At this point DO NO MORE as the resin will start to harden and any more fiddling with it will cause the cloth to lift and bubble, less is definitely more in this instance. The resin should cure completely overnight and can be trimmed with a sharp blade. I tend to cover a hull in five stages, as there are five β€˜faces’ to the hull and thus it’s a five day process for me, this may be time consuming but I think the results are worth the effort. I will brush on two further coats of resin when the rubbing strakes and gunwales have been added, this will completely fill the weave of the cloth to create a nice flat surface but it’s essential to rub down each coat after curing. All the materials were bought from β€˜Easy Composites’ https://www.easycomposites.co.uk
    5 years ago by robbob
    Blog
    The bow blocks & outer keel
    The bow of the boat has a compound curve and to create the shape a single block of hard balsa is supplied in the kit, although in my pre-production prototype this had to be formed by laminating some pieces of thick balsa together to the required size. Rather than laminating up a single block separately I did the laminating and glueing in situ on the hull to ensure a solid tight block, and after the glue had cured I set about shaping it. Initially I used a razor saw to roughly remove the surplus at the sides and bottom and then began the process of shaping it to the final form. My sanding plate proved invaluable for the final stages of making the block flush with the hull sides. The underside of the blocks were very carefully shaped with a combination of the sanding plate and abrasive paper around a series large round formers. I was careful not to just use abrasive paper over fingers as this can create grooves and unevenness in the soft balsa. I had already created a concave shape in the bulkhead former F1 and with the ply bottom skins in place it was relatively easy to extend the contour into the bow blocks being very careful to ensure symmetry on both sides. A line was drawn on the blocks that extended the curve of the hull strakes to define the shape. I also used the outer keel as a template throughout the shaping process to make sure that I was not removing too much material. it would be very easy to remove too much material so it pays to do this slowly and carefully, checking all the time for symmetry. Finally when I was happy with the shape I formed a slight flat on the blocks for the outer keel to sit on, using a back light helped greatly with this, and the whole hull was given a light sanding with a detail sander. The prototype kit was supplied with keel components made from thick balsa which would easily be damaged in use so I recreated this in thick ply laminations to the required thickness and shaped it so that it was completely flat and square on the inner edges and with a curved profile on its outer edges. The keel was checked for fit on the hull throughout so that only a minimum amount of filler would be required to blend it to the hull. It was fixed in place with epoxy adhesive and firmly pinned until it fully set and very little filler used to finish it. The kit, which is available now from VMW, includes a single piece bow block and ply keel parts as standard, which makes construction much quicker and easier. I’m glad that bit is over and I’m very pleased with the result. Next stage will be
    glass fibre
    cloth and epoxy resin….
    5 years ago by robbob
    Response
    Arctic Privateer H441 Deep Sea Freezer Stern Trawler
    Have just made two small tug hulls from
    glass fibre
    and whilst, the results are satifactory, they are labour intensive. For a one off think β€œplank on frame” more suitable
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Response
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    Hi Kevin, Yes I did, because of the complexity of the shape that was another technique that could have been used. I decided to use
    glass fibre
    as the cowl is around 7" wide and 3 1/2" deep. Considered a draw of that depth was beyond my skill and facilities with plastic sheet. if they are available it would have been a good approach. The more I work with
    glass fibre
    the more forgiving it seems to be. Not many mistakes that cannot be disguised or corrected! Rowen
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    Back to the build. Next milestone, to complete the superstructure and engine covers. The superstructure is essentially a cowl that supports the open bridge and serves as the air intake for the gas turbines. The engine covers fit into the rear of it. The superstructure is full of curves and will be interesting to make. Still trying to save weight, decided to make it out of glassfibre. Rather than first make a plug then a female mould and finally the cowl, wanted to try the technique of making a plug out of styrene foam sheet, then covering it in a
    glass fibre
    matt. Once the
    glass fibre
    is set, the foam is dissolved out using a solvent and the cowl remains – inshallah! To ensure the foam did not react to the
    glass fibre
    resin, painted the finished cowl with enamel paint before sticking the matt down. See pictures. What a mess! The resin had crept under the paint and into the foam dissolving it. When the resin dried the plug had shrunk slightly and had the surface finish of a quarry. First thought was to hurl it and start again, this time in wood. On second thoughts, wondered if the plug could still be used. Decided to build it up with wood filler and from it make a female mould, as originally intended. The cowl would then be made from the mould. Built the damaged plug up and sanded it smooth. As the plug would be covered in fibreglass, the surface finish was not critical. Brushed a coat of fibreglass on the plug and, after drying filled any defects with glaze putty and sanded smooth. Once the finish and dimensions were satisfactory, applied a thicker coat of
    glass fibre
    to the plug. This was again smoothed down, waxed with carnauba polish and then covered in mould release. From it the cowl was made. Picture shows plug, mould and cowl placed side by each. The cowl requires reinforcement; the fittings and various mountings then adding before installing. A trial installation showed that it fitted properly the deck and was accurate. A lesson for the next time is to make the plug and mould much deeper than the finished item. That will allow any rough edges, on either the mould or the component, to be trimmed off leaving a smooth fibreglass edge.
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Directory
    (Pleasure Craft) Sally forth
    Pictures to follow. ply deck and cabin scratch built on
    glass fibre
    hull from an anglers bait boat. As a novice I am unsure on amps and running times etc. (Motor: mtronics 700) (ESC: mtronics) (7/10)
    5 years ago by bluebird2
    Forum
    Ship rudders
    Mornin' Toby, I'm back😁 Pardon the delay, just finished tidying up the wiring and final running tests on Colin's Taycol Supermarine motor and converter board - to make it run off a standard brushed ESC! The rivets look greatπŸ‘ and the last pic was much better as well😊 Soooo many rivets 😲 guess you have to do them in batches, and then go pull up a tree or something, or you'd go doolally 😑 And I thought I was patient doing all the portholes and stanchions on my 4' 6" 1936 destroyer - that was ONLY hundreds! Rivets? Didn't even contemplate that!! I think you should continue this in a proper Build Blog - there's lotsa good stuff you're doing hereπŸ‘ And at the end you can make a pdf file of the whole story with just a few clicksπŸ˜‰ Be a nice mementoπŸ‘ Look forward to the Launch Report. During my career I attended the launches of several naval ships I had worked on,designing the COMMS systems. The funniest one was a
    glass fibre
    minehunter at the intermarine yard in italy near La Spezia. The ship was still in dry dock, like a huge bath. They turned on the 'taps' and slowly up came the ship! Keep up the good work, cheers, Doug 😎 BTW; were you sitting on the saw to help keep awake? 😁😁
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Sanding done
    Hi Steve, for the 'white stick', the VHF IMM band antenna, any old rod will do. The real ones are copper wire covered in
    glass fibre
    . Length of the real thing is about 107cm including the coaxial end feed connector at the bottom. They are usually mounted on a 'scaffold' type pole with two U clamps. On pleasure craft they are often just whip antennas approx 1m length, much much cheaper than the pro jobs πŸ˜‰, with a dome shaped mounting and the antenna cable is fed into it through the deck/roof it is mounted on. Alternatively there is a side connector in the mount with an 'N' Type coaxial socket. Make a whip out of piano wire (with a ball on the top to protect your eyeballs!πŸ˜†) and you could use it as your RX antenna - about the right length. Construction coming on nicely.πŸ‘ Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Hull off the build jig
    I didn't know I was building a canoe for a small child but that's how it's come out. Now needs strong points for the keel mount, a step for the mast and reinforcement for chain plates etc. I will then
    glass fibre
    the inside before making some deck beams.
    5 years ago by steve-d
    Response
    Spraying Again.......
    Agreed Boaty πŸ‘ With a plastic or
    glass fibre
    hull it's a slightly different kettle of fish. However I'm still wary of the primer absorbing moisture.πŸ€” Sealing with a matt or silk lacquer seems to give an extra knot or so as wellπŸ˜‰ But here we were discussing wooden hulls. Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    St Canute Planking Help?
    Hi Richard, Unless you are planning to finish the hull with varnish, to show off the wood, the easiest way is to fit hard balsa or obechi blocks and cut, file and sand to fit. This is the 'way out' I chose on the renovation of my Billing fish cutter. See pics. Pic 1. The mess I started with, Pic 2. Block fitted and shaped, new keel fitted, whole hull then covered inside and out with
    glass fibre
    tissue and EzeKote, Pic 3. Preliminary priming prior to final filling (minimal) and sanding, Pic 4. Nearly there πŸ˜‰ Otherwise you are faced with some tedious steaming, bending and pinning😲 Hope this helps some. Good luck, keep us up to date with progress pleaseπŸ‘, Cheers, Doug 😎
    6 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Clyde Puffer
    Correction on details of Hydro. Gordon tells me the boat is Japanese from the 1980's made by Gunze Sangyo . it has the original Mitsubishi motor and mechanical speed wiper controller [gets very hot ! ] . The hull is fine
    glass fibre
    not plastic.
    6 years ago by lesliebreame
    Blog
    Now Coating and Matting
    On to Coating and Matting. (as well as sanding!) Now have at least finished all the stripping. Then did the β€˜bright light in the hull bit’ to look for areas that needed patching. The major problem area was in the bow and that did not receive the light as it is a totally blanked off compartment. However, it was obvious from the outside anyway so, could I assume it was the only leak? Decided to put a fine matt over the whole hull, not deck, just to be sure of best chance of success. I can imagine what will be said here if it still leaks after all this! I had ordered some supplies ready for the next stage and drew up a plan view of the boat to help think through layout of electrics and other items. Made my usual mistakes about size. Some fittings purchased too small………However, never too large now that’s interesting. Some materials purchased too large. Now have a life’s worth of Resin……(when does it β€˜go off’ by?) Also have a lounge floors worth of tissue matting! Also Sandpaper. Now there is a mine field. So now I know a bit more about that and which way the numbers work! When I forgot to put the mask on, I had some of the crispest 'bogies' in years.............. No images posted! On the plus side, although I never wanted to get into this stripping sanding, filling sanding, sealing sanding, matting sanding, painting sanding, painting, sanding bit……………. I now feel I started out with someone’s boat I had bought and now it has become β€œmy boat” for real! I am at the stage now where I have put some filler in and applied the first coat of Eze-Kote from DeLuxe Materials To use Eze-kote read stuff from RNinMunich on this blog or the’ leaking boat’ thread. Washes out of the brushes very easily. There is such as this ..... Youtube link - watch?v=yP05qv3QtUk RNinMunich or Colin H. and the like have bits of extra comment and experience that is always very helpful. BTW, after that finer sanding before first coat, I did the dust down and vacuuming bit but it still felt a bit β€˜chalky’ so I gave it a wipe with Methylated Spirits. Now I realise that has water in it, so if anything goes wrong it could be blamed on that................. Having left the first coat to dry I started to cut out the light matt to apply after the next sanding. The matting I have is called Glassfibre Surface Tissue EGlass from FibreGlass Direct. A part of Tricel Composites (NI) Limited. Available internationally in lengths from a metre upwards, it is quite fine in weave so we shall see what happens. I have left quite a wide margin at the moment but may reduce that when I have tried using it! This is another first for me so plenty of room for mistakes............... Will need to cover with the matt in stages as I cannot get around all the boat without changing its position. Going for the bottom of the vessel and stern board first as I figure they are going to be easier than some of the other bits. Then will leave that to cure before moving the boat. Really worried about the joins/overlaps and how well I will cope with those, not to mention the curved bit! Started to look at electrics and layout for a bit of a change. I will post again when I have had the first battles with the matting! TTFN. NPJ
    6 years ago by NPJ
    Response
    Seaplane Tender 360
    Hi Bryan, If you want to do the SOE version she was most likely painted all matt black! The colour of skulduggery πŸ˜‰ What ever you do, despite your good intentions to retain the 'old patina', judging by the photos you are in for a complete strip back and redo. Just as I have discovered with the PTB I bought. Thought it would just be a 'cosmetic job', flatten back and respray with Pacific green camouflage. Ho ho ho! Pics show what she currently looks like after cleaning off layers of enamel, and discovering that the prop shafts and rudders were misaligned and the chine strakes glued to the paint. 😑 Never mind an engine room fire when I tried to test the 'as bought' motor installation. 😭 Since those photos I have fitted new a new chine strake and started reinforcing the thin hull with
    glass fibre
    tissue. Next issue; set prop tubes properly and make an alu bracket to mount both the motors. Then set the rudder stocks correctly. Last thing I want is to dampen your enthusiasm, but that hull looks like it needs oodles of TLC. πŸ€” Be aware of what's ahead of you and plan accordinglyπŸ‘ Deck looks pretty neat, if unusual for a WW2 in service boat! As far as I can tell from the photos it's not just the cabin roof which is warped 😲 cabin and window frames will also need some attention by the looks of it. Before you run that motor I would strip it, clean all parts and check brushes and commutator for wear. See my Sea Scout blog 'Taycol Target motor' for a 'How to'. Should run well with a 3S LiPo, 11.1V. These boats weren't the fastest, 28 - 30 knots I believe. Which is why ST360 was reduced to more mundane duties after try outs by SOE. Don't forget some spark suppression!! Good luck, whatever you decide to do have fun doing it, Cheers Doug 😎
    6 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Fibreglass the hull- continued
    Now the Chine rubbing strakes are fitted, dry and filled and I have attended to the minor lumps and bumps the next job is to give another coat of resin, taking the issues of the first application into account I intend to apply a thin coat, this has the effect of filling in the pattern of the glass cloth. Another two days have passed and it’s time to do some rubbing down. I have found that the surface is very hard, more so than I recall some of the other fibre glass projects I have done but these have been using Polyester resin. it’s a first for epoxy, so is epoxy a better choice than Polyester? According to my mini research – οƒ˜ Epoxy is more versatile οƒ˜ Epoxy has fewer fumes οƒ˜ Epoxy is stronger οƒ˜ Epoxy shrinks less Conclusion Epoxy is the better choice for repairing/covering either wooden hulls or repairing fiberglass boats. it has excellent adhesive qualities, wets out fiberglass fabrics and it is tough. it has great thin film cure characteristics, cures in cool temperatures. After the first coat I wasn’t 100 % happy with the finish but I just thought that some dust had landed on the surface before the resin had dried, (this was proved not to be dust but because of the matting pattern still been visible it disguised the real problem) however this was easily sanded out with wet & dry. Now the hull and deck were looking really smooth with very little sign of the matting pattern it was time to give a final coat. I had decided to coat both the deck and the hull in one go so I mixed enough resin to do the lot. Starting with the deck I started to apply the resin but to may horror it started to pin prick all over the deck surface, panic, panic what was causing this? So was it the brush which I had previously washed out with cellulose thinners after applying the last batch of resin. I decided to remove the resin and use a new brush (I had 90 mins cure time to do this) so cleaning of with paper towel and finally with a wipe with thinners I started to apply resin again – but it happened again as I sat in despair I looked into the pot of resin wondering where to go next when I saw a film on the top of the remaining resin it was then I noticed a ridge in the cups side. it was the wax coating that had melted into the resin and subsequently appeared as pin pricks in the newly applied surface. At this realisation I removed all the resin again and took a breather hoping I had found the problem. Another day and a light rub down of the deck to make sure the surface is ready to receive its final coat. Resin weighed (in a glass container this time) and well mixed I started to apply again and fortunately it was OK and all surfaces were coated.
    6 years ago by mturpin013
    Blog
    Fibreglass the hull
    I purchased as recommended by Robbob the fibreglass package which consisted of 750g of epoxy resin and 250g of hardener, I also went for the 90min cure as this is the first time I have ever done a boat hull, I’ve done plenty of stranded fibre cowlings/air intakes etc. where you lay a gel coat first then stranded matting which is so different to laying a fine matt on its own. I also ordered some mixing sticks and throw away brushes. First I cut the matting to the slightly oversize for one of the side skins, then loosely taped the matt to the bottom skin and checked the coverage - and checked again then fold over to the opposite side, this then leaves the surface clear to apply the resin. Mixing the resin should be done accurately, so borrow the kitchen scales and here we go. I wasn’t sure how much to mix for a side skin but 25g of resin and 7.5g of hardener looks about right. So mix well and then brush onto the side skin, then I gently lifted over the matting and laid it on the skin and gently brushed the matting down, the matting is almost sucked onto the resin so minimal brushing is required to ensure a smooth surface A previous blog said that β€œLess is More” how true this is, the temptation to spread the remainder of the resin on to the already adhered matt is something to be avoided, however learn by my mistake as I did just that (only in a small area on one skin) leaving rather a lot of sanding later after the resin had fully cured as it leaves a rather lumpy surface. So onward and upwards the following three surfaces were relatively easy with only minor difficulty keeping the matting in close to the 90 degree angle between the keel and skin and I had to keep going back to it pressing it in with a steel rule until the resin started to go off but minimal resin left a surface that was flat and the weave of the glass matt can be clearly seen and felt but minimal sanding is required if at all. Then a further 2 coats of resin with sanding in between will leave a smooth surface ready for final preparation of painting. The final picture is of the roof that in a previous page I said to add strength the roof would need a coat of glass to reinforce the unsupported edges – To be continued
    6 years ago by mturpin013
    Forum
    Clyde puffer
    Eveni' Marky, Re Tights! What's handy will surely depend on the Missus or ..? πŸ˜‰ Frankly I would dispense with the tights altogether (the Missus may of course have a different opinion😁), more trouble than they are worth and don't contribute much or anything to the construction if the basis was soundly built. it only costs you more resin to fill in the mesh of the tights. If you must use tights then the higher the denier the better (at least 40 - 50) anything less will have a very open mesh and contribute virtually nothing to the hull strength, the Missus will explain denier to you This seems to me to be a 'hangover' from 50s style construction when
    glass fibre
    was more expensive relatively speaking. I tried it back then with a scratch built Sopwith Camel fuselage and it was a total disaster. Instead planking with 1/32 balsa and a thin resin coat worked a treat. Nowadays, 30 years or more, I use
    glass fibre
    tissue instead; density and therefore strength imparted to the hull is more even cos it don't stretch like tights! Whatever, have fun, and greetings to the Better Half (tights donator!) Cheers Doug 😎 PS: if you feel you need tights😲 (or FG tissue) fit the rubbing strakes after this, and after sanding the tights / tissue to shape. Otherwise the strakes will just get in the way and be a nuisance to sanding and will get damaged / deformed. PPS: shame about the amber nectar, my commiserations πŸ€” My current tipple is more tawny port colour; a rather nice Lagavulin 😜
    6 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    H.M.S BRAVE BORDERER
    My only experience of a vacuum formed hull was a slightly smaller Tyne class lifeboat. Was satisfied with it, but
    glass fibre
    seems more robust, stiffer and stronger. Imagine a Vac formed hull will need full size stiffening bulkheads, which can be avoided with the GF version. Weight is very much a concern on this model and whilst Vac formed is probably lighter, this advantage may be offset by the additional structure.
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Forum
    Hull identity????
    Evenin' Colin, a nice 'roly-poly' hull you've got there πŸ‘ I could imagine it as an Admiral's Barge or Pinnace πŸ˜‰ Re frame fixing etc. I'll send you some pics of typical Dean's instructions for preparing
    glass fibre
    and plastic hulls. My experience of the 6V Decaperm in my Sea Scout was that it was decidedly sedate so it might suit a barge or pinnace style!? Cheers, Doug 😎
    6 years ago by RNinMunich
    Directory
    (Racing Boat) Interceptor
    Zoom 1 (Interceptor) Mono boat. Built from a Glassfibre hull, brought on Ebay for Β£35 the hull is a slim mono racing type with a self-righting side cabin it runs a 1400W 14V 2958 4200KV Brushless Motor and 29-S Water Cooling Jacket with additional air cooling fan. I did not want to use a flexi drive as high maintenance and prone to failure so the shaft runs via two universal joint one at each end. the propeller is a 38mm copper alloy The ESC is a 200A and water cooled the twin rudders supply separate water one for the motor and one for the ESC. The rudder are positioned to reduce prop-walk and are hinged to prevent damage if hit a object in the water and ride adjustment. Turn fins and trim tabs for ride adjustment were provided by a spares kit for another boat. also foamed and added an inner sealed hatch, a rubber bump strip and safety loop. The Boat is fast and over-powered used at half throttle, may use a 7.4v lipo instead, the self righting works well. 20th April 2018 while running on 11.1v the boat stopped, no response on retrieval it was found that the manufacturers battery connector had melted and the connection lost see later pictures. the battery was made by FLOUREON and was a 35C with 5500mah capacity the 80A fuse had not blown. (Motor: 2958 watercooled) (ESC: Unknown 200A) (8/10)
    6 years ago by CB90
    Media
    Zoom 1 (Interceptor)
    Zoom 1 (Interceptor) Mono boat. Built from a Glassfibre hull, brought on Ebay for Β£35 the hull is a slim mono racing type with a self-righting side cabin it runs a 1400W 14V 2958 4200KV Brushless Motor and 29-S Water Cooling Jacket with additional air cooling fan. I did not want to use a flexi drive as high maintenance and prone to failure so the shaft runs via two universal joint one at each end. the propeller is a 38mm copper alloy The ESC is a 200W and water cooled the twin rudders supply separate water one for the motor and one for the ESC. The rudder are positioned to reduce prop-walk and are hinged to prevent damage if you hit a object in the water and also for ride adjustment. Turn fins and trim tabs for ride adjustment were provided by a spares kit for another boat. also foamed and added an inner sealed hatch, a rubber bump strip and safety loop.
    6 years ago by CB90
    Blog
    M.V. TEAKWOOD
    As the superstructure rose in height it confirmed a suspicion that had been growing for some time. in spite of the copious checks during construction, the leading edge of the bow was twisted slightly by about 3/32” towards starboard at it's base. Not sure how this developed, can only guess there was a slight misalignment during the original modifications that eventually grew to become clearly visible. It was the kind of defect only discernible to a careful observer - or me! initially hoped to avoid corrective action, but the superstructure build seemed to emphasis the twist. The model is now looking quite good; it would be a pity to compromise it with an elementary, but fundamental, issue such as this. After many measurements, including using spirit levels and squares, decided to cut the trusty bow coat hangar loose, reposition it carefully laterally and then epoxy into place. The longitudinal shape was fine. The pictures show the twist, the cut and then the amount of reposition required. Reconstruction followed the original bow addition procedure. There was a lot of sanding required on the starboard side of the bow to realign the bow and hull transition. Fortunately, this was limited to the addition area, so neither the mechanical nor water sealed qualities of the original Velarde hull have been compromised. After repainting and finishing, all looked well, as shown in the final picture. Concluded this repair was indeed worth the effort. The problem would have been exaggerated in my mind to spoil my enjoyment and then pride in the model.
    glass fibre
    is remarkably forgiving and there should be no reluctance to embark on such modifications when necessary.
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    MV TEAKWOOD
    Thinking back over this part of the project, felt it might be of interest to others considering modifying a hull to summarize my experiences: 1) Cutting and modifying a hull to a different profile seems intimidating, but using planning then care, using a simple selection of workshop tools and adhesives, it is quite within the skill of the average modeler. 2) This is the second proprietary glass-fibre hull I have used. Both required a β€œspindle” of bulkheads and longitudinal stringers to hold the hull rigid and to which can also be fastened the electrical / mechanical equipment needed for the model. 3) Have tried two approaches for the spindle. The first was to totally assemble it off the hull, get it as rigid as possible, fit it into the hull and epoxy into place. The second was to fit the keel reinforcement to the hull then epoxy the bulkheads and remainder of the spindle to it. That spindle remained relatively flexible until finally installed. 4) On reflection, think it is best to fully assemble the spindle, taking care to get it true and then fit it to the hull. The relatively flexible hull can then be adjusted to fit the more rigid spindle and kept true. 5) Used the relatively flexible spindle arrangement on the Teakwood and have spent many hours getting the bulwarks and deck frames leveled and lined up satisfactorily. The more rigid spindle would have helped mitigate this by ensuring the frame was accurate before trying to adapt it to the hull. Have now finished all the modifications needed to the hull and the result shows that this type of transformation can be successfully completed..
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    MV TEAKWOOD
    There was considerable sanding required around the bow. Once complete, decided to continue and remove all the hull detail not appropriate to the Teakwood. Used an orbital sander for this and it turned out nicely. The detail seems to only be in the gell coat and the actual glass – fibre core was untouched. Suggest do this outside and wear a mask as it creates a lot of dust. Had originally thought of covering the bow with light glass – fibre cloth and stippling it down with resin. After looking at the bow area decided that a coat of glass – fibre resin, applied to the new portion and extending an inch or so into the original hull would be adequate. The wood filler / styrene / steel wire structure is quite rigid and robust. This has turned out nicely and the bow area is now complete. Retained the anchor hawse pipe detail as, much to my surprise, it is in the correct location for the Teakwood. Inspected the hull shell from all angles (this usually any reveals errors or inconsistencies), pertinent dimensions were also checked with a steel rule, protractor and a spirit level. Found nothing amiss. Whilst cannot be absolutely positive the bow entry lines are correct (do not have a lines plan), checked them against a number of similar vessels. These range from the Liberty, through SD 14 to the β€œCity of Toronto” - which is of a similar vintage. They look quite close. Have now completed the major transformation of the Velarde hull into the Teakwood and can move onto the remainder of the build.
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    M.V. TEAKWOOD
    The only remaining area requiring significant rework was the bow. Decided now to concentrate on getting the shape and dimensions correct. Made a template from a steel wire coat hangar, shaped to follow the Teakwood bow profile. Cut a mating recess in the upper bow and bulwark, fitted the template into it using CA glue. Once fitted and relatively rigid, cut a piece of styrene to fit into the space between the hull and the template. Epoxied the styrene into place at both the template and to original Velarde hull bow profile. This gave a nice looking bow from the side elevation, one that is also strong. Unfortunately, when viewed from the underside, the usual nice smooth water entry is not apparent. Had two ideas to attempt to blend the bow into the hull sides properly. The first was to cover this transition area with thin styrene and then feather it into the bow and the hull. The second was to use the modelers secret weapon, wood filler and do the same. After either approach planned to cover the whole area in thin glass-fibre cloth and sand down until smooth. Mocked up the styrene installation and decided to abandon the idea. The styrene makes the bow transition bulky, it also became quite clumsy around the upper area. Thought would try the wood filler approach instead. Shaped the rough filler with sand paper, it worked out relatively easily as it required little rubbing down. The modification worked out well and the bow looks satisfactory from both the side and underside. Decided also to replace the pulley drive arrangement with a toothed belt system. Have never tried this before and, as a friend of mine had a selection of belts and pulleys, thought would be useful experience to try it. One question perhaps somebody can help me with – what colour was the deck on this vessel? All my pictures showing the deck are in black and white!
    6 years ago by Rowen
    Directory
    (Pleasure Craft) Swordsman hull
    This was my first serious attempt at model boating and the hull a Swordsman fibreglass 34.1/2" was purchases 50 years ago from Radio Control supplies isleworth in 1967 along with a used RCS Sequential radio. Over the years it's been powered by an ED 2.46 Racer a Merco 35 and finally my treasured OS61 VRM With a tuned pipe from Prestwich model boats. Now it's time for a a total rebuild so i,be decided to try twin contra rotating screws and brushed 600 motors. I'm looking to fit a superstructure akin to a Sea King. So far the hull has been stripped of all its hardware and all holes made good with resin and
    glass fibre
    tape. Currently making jigs to set up the two new propshafts On first test run brushed motors were very disappointing so onto plan B. Latest setup will be 2 x 3670 2100kv each with 100amp ESC. The lead acid battery made the hull very unstable so it's back to lipo batteries (Motor: 3670 x2) (ESC: Chinese) (9/10)
    7 years ago by Rex3644
    Directory
    (Yacht) Schooner
    Scratch built with mahogany planks on the club's mould. Glass cloth and fibreglass inside and protected with G4 polyurethane resin all over. Uses a sail winch (Hitec) and travelling dolly for the two main sails and a separate arm servo for the foresails. Standard servo for the rudder. Power is from a 6.6v 1000mA LiFe battery. Taranis Tx using two sticks with the sail servos connected via an internal mixer to one stick. Ballast is fixed to the keel with two studs which extend into the hull where a steel bar is attached between both and acts as a carrying handle. (Motor: Wind Sail Power) (9/10)
    7 years ago by Dave M
    Response
    CERVIA ''TUG'' 54'' (4.5 foot long)
    There are a few sites for the Cervia http://www.cervia-volunteer-crew.com/ and http://www.modeltugforum.com/index.php?board=4.30 but I can't find any reference to a fibre glass hull 53". Mayhem has an article covering a scratch build from Model Maker Plans http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=134.0. In the 1980's we had many suppliers of fibre glass hulls many sadly no longer trading. Martins Models, Metcalfe and Mobile Marine and others used to produce a range of hulls and hopefully someone will recall this hull. Good hunting Dave
    7 years ago by Dave M
    Forum
    glass fibre
    Thanks both for your replies. Obviously not a good idea and another one I will shelve.
    7 years ago by Rowen
    Forum
    glass fibre
    Heard from one source that if glass-fibre is heated it can be shaped or worked. Have also heard that if it is left in the sun this again softens it and makes it easier to shape. Have never tried either technique and am loath to risk a glass-fibre hull as a test specimen. Can anybody corroborate either of these stories or suggest a way it can be shaped? Have always assumed it was virtually rigid and, apart from gentle tugs into place, that was as far as it could be manipulated. Appreciate any thoughts. If it can be heated, about how much is enough and not too much?
    7 years ago by Rowen
    Forum
    glass fibre
    I have to agree with teejay. Heat will certainly not be good and may result in fire if excessive. Casting usually have a gel coat (any colour) applied to the mould followed by the mat/cloth and resin. Once hardened it form a rigid and strong structure. Model hulls have frames and spacers attached to the open top to maintain the correct shape. if the mould has been stored for some time without this support it can become deformed at the open edges and gently heat can be used to help reform to the correct shape. I suspect this is where you heard about the heating. I would not heat much above hand heat and make sure you spread the heat all over the area to avoid local hot spots. if you are allowed a warm bath may be a suitable container. If you make a wooden frame to the correct size this can be used to gently spread the mould to the correct shape. I suggest you then place the hull upside down on a flat building board and hold square until dry. Cheers dave
    7 years ago by Dave M
    Forum
    glass fibre
    having used
    glass fibre
    most of my working life , I have never used heat too shape or alter the shape of any
    glass fibre
    item. how ever I have used the resin to make long shaped items (without the
    glass fibre
    ) and use boiling water to shape them to form on another shape ,such some of the decoration on post boxes ( patterns for casting)
    7 years ago by teejay
    Blog
    M.V. TEAKWOOD
    Looking around for next winter's project, found M.V. VELARDE. A nice looking small reefer used mainly on the U.K. - Mediterranean trade. Decided to build the vessel using a Deans Marine glass-fibre hull and ordered one, planning to bring it back to Canada after a September visit to the U.K. The Deans documentation is designed for a kit rather than a a scratch build, I prefer to build as much as possible myself as enjoy the challenge, so started to accumulate the necessary drawings and photos. Looking though reams of pictures and other information began to think this vessel was not quite as attractive as first thought. Too late though, the hull had been ordered and paid for. Encouraged by other modelers who have adapted proprietary glass-fibre hulls to build different models, began to explore the possibility of using the Velarde hull for another vessel. Reviewing a book on cargo liners noticed M.V. TEAKWOOD, built in Sunderland in 1962. She had an attractive and unusual flowing look to her superstructure and rear deck. A comparison of scales and dimensions showed that a 1:96 scale Velarde hull would closely resemble a 1:133 scale Teakwood. Intrigued by the similarities, started to examine the two vessels in more detail. The length/beam ratio is almost identical and, as the Velarde hull is slightly taller, it could be trimmed down into the Teakwood. The Teakwood bow is steeper, the LBP longer and the counter stern fuller. Not sure about the hull sections, but freighters tend to be similar to other type vessels of the same era. Thus felt encouraged enough to further investigate modifying a Velarde hull into the Teakwood. Continued to search for an elusive General Arrangement of the Teakwood to confirm my initial thoughts.
    7 years ago by Rowen
    Media
    Red Cat hydroplane
    Hi. Just put this back together after the 3rd brushless motor caught fire. Made from a rejected
    glass fibre
    hull which I bought cheap at a show. I have now learned how to do
    glass fibre
    repairs.
    7 years ago by SimpleSailor
    Forum
    Glazing help
    Mornin' Dave, many thanks for the Titanic info. Some good tips πŸ‘ Haven't decided yet whether to make brass T section frames or flat wooden ones! Daft thing with my destroyer is that the portholes were fitted in the original balsa hull. Later I covered it in
    glass fibre
    for extra knock resistance so would have to do it all over again😑 The portholes were ~5mm diameter brass into which I had to glue tiny plastic discs. How to go bonkers in stages πŸ€” However, I now have a Fleetscale H class hull which has moulded in plating and portholes so I only need to drill them out and fit glazing from within 😊 The old ones I will save for the new superstructure. Lighting will be general for some compartments not individual. The old original ship I think I will leave 'as is' as a momento of my standard of 50 years agoπŸ˜‰ Cheers Doug 😎 PS Water jet cutting is beyond my means but I have been toying with the idea of buying a stencil cutter. The better ones cope with up to 1mm or so. Should be enough for glazing sheet!
    7 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    arun 54
    There certainly were 2 types of Arun,and these where very much different.Some where made of wood and the later ones of
    glass fibre
    composite.There were 52 footers and 54 footers.The sterns on some were very fifferent to others.Adrian Clutterbuck as already suggested is a good man to contact and by joining the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society, you will gain a whole load of information.I think you will find that the superstructure supplied with most models,is for a 54 foot version. Hope this helps Mick F
    7 years ago by battleshipbuff
    Forum
    Sea Queen refurbishment
    Hi Doug Resin is heavy and applying by coating the inside of a boat will if the wood is porous absorb lots and greatly increase the weight. The thinner it is the more it will be absorbed. Layup resin is of a similar consistency to liquid brushing paint (not the gel type). it goes more pourable as the temperature increases. it is much thinner than the isopon resin sold in many car repair packs. Adding styrene will thin the mixture allowing it to penetrate the glass cloth or matting. it is worked well into the mat to keep the weight to a minimum and any excess is mopped up with paper towels. After several coats the fibreglass will be formed and dries rock hard over a couple of days if the correct temperature is maintained. High temps will reduce the time but will be more difficult to work with as the gel stage will happen much quicker. Sorry to rabbit on a bit but I am trying to warn you that you may end up with a very heavy model if you do not use sparingly. If you can get the consistency similar to yacht varnish you can, like me, paint inside the boat including the underside of the deck. Paint out any runs and remove any excess with paper towels. You really only need a very thin coating. if you need to add strength then use some cloth or matting and work the resin well in and mop off any excess with paper towels. If you want to use your brushes and mixing pots again Acetone is the best cleaner but do keep it away from the resin. Both your alternatives would work just as well. It must be Summertime as we keep having rain showers! Cheers Dave
    7 years ago by Dave M
    Forum
    Fairy Huntsman
    Hi Sparkman. it might help if you tell us what size Huntsman it is. 34" or 46". Also what hull. Either wooden, or glassfibre. Also, what sort of performance you expect of it. Are you using brushed or brushless motors ? Hopefully, if you let the group know, you might get an answer. Best wishes, Dave W 😊
    7 years ago by rolfman2000
    Forum
    How many is to Many
    I've just been informed by my wife that I forgot to mention a small hydrofoil, a pond yatch and a small glassfibre hull that I had forgot about. O well blame my old age!
    7 years ago by Helineil
    Forum
    Fiberglassing
    As I recall from my material science studies, a resin coat on its own will strengthen a thin wood panel but it is prone to cracking. Once it has cracked to a certain extent, any strength it has imparted will have evaporated and all you are left with is extra weight.
    glass fibre
    s added to the resin act to prevent cracks propagating through the material and add to its toughness. So resin adds strength,
    glass fibre
    adds toughness.
    7 years ago by Delboy


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