Forum

Exciters/transducers

Great stuff. Really useful. Interesting that they do not want boxing in. It is the mrrc ones that I intend to use on the Launch. Have Dayton ones on the tug. Away at the moment but will check out you YouTube stuff when back. Are you saying more open foam/ works better than the more dense stuff? Cheers. NPJ

5 years ago by NPJ

Forum

Warning

Going back to the warning about the knives and foot injury. A safe way to keep knives handy around the building board .Have a block of expanded or Oasis Or similar .When not in the hand stick the knife into the block. To sharpen blades use a "Water of Ayr Stone ". I find nothing better . John O/T👍

6 years ago by onetenor

Forum

Graupner ranzow refitting

I just thought i should mention for those of you wondering what all the bits in the hull are for, as i mentioned at the start of this refit the boat did sink so i am not taking any further chances of it sinking again and i am filling all the empty space with before fixing the deck in place. Ron

6 years ago by kmbcsecretary

Response

Sanding down.

Evenin' Peter, I downloaded the instructions and the designer warns against using side cutters to cut from the sprues, as one is used to with more robust . he recommends a razor saw. I still think you should at least spray the hull, but it's your boat so 'If it feels good - do it' 😉 Ciao, Doug 😎 PS: My 50 cals + ammo belts should be here on Friday or Saturday. Wish me luck with the sprues and bullets at 1/35, even more fragile than yours 😲

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Directory

(Other) CHIEF

VAC-U-BOAT TW200 H.I.P.S. (HIGH IMPACT ); KIT CAME COMPLETE WITH ALL RUNNING HARDWARE AND ASSEMBLY COMPONENTS. GREAT KIT FOR BEGINNERS OR YOUNG MODELLERS. COMPLETED IN ABOUT A WEEK OR SO. 1:48 SCALE CONTROLLED BY FLYSKY 4CH XMIT/RCVR. THE FIRST R/C VESSEL IN THE "ILLINIWEK MARINE" FLEET. FEATURES FLANKING RUDDERS, WORKING RADAR ARRAY AND 9V LED NAV LIGHTS AND AMBER STANDING/DECK ILLUMINATION. BTW, THAT'S A DUMAS 1:48 RAKE BOW & BOX BARGE ON HER BOW. (Motor: 540) (ESC: HOBBYWING) (8/10)

6 years ago by circle43nautical

Media

Palaform Griffon 600 RNLI

A 600mm long model hovercraft built from a kit using Depron polysyrene. Excellent kits and extremely light, quick on the water and very quick on polished surfaces such as sports halls. Contact Palaform for further info. Just Google them. Use styrofoam paint to decorate otherwise you risk melting the .

6 years ago by ModelHover

Blog

1/11 scale Fairey Huntsman

The windscreen can be tricky. I used the .5mm PVC with strips cut to shape and glued to the bottom edge. Had to use a perspex solvent/cement for that as not many glues are compatible with both plastics. The mast has a pin in the base and along with the side slots holds the screen in place for glueing, first with pva and then flushed with white acrylic gap sealer. The top of the mast is secured to the screen with a small screw. The moulding on the top of the screen is an ‘H’ section moulding heathen softened for bending, with a strip of veneer laid in the top and fixed with varnish. Finally the name and Fairey symbol were printed on decal sheet and varnished in place. The first trial on the water was with an 11.4V lipo which went OK but i thought it could do with a bit more oomph, so ordered a 14.8V and that proved to be just right for a realistic scale speed, and it handles beautifully. Being single motor and rudder it doesn't have a very tight turn at slow speeds. Not too good for steering competitions! Too bad but good for just buzzing around. The figures were built up with balsa and wire covered and sculptured in Fimo. All in all I'm quite happy with the results. Definitely better than my first attempt; B/W photos.

7 years ago by manyboats

Blog

Windows etc

The cabin windows are rigid .5mm pvc sheet framed with white .5mm sheet. The tinting is from car tint off cut. I push fitted the glass flush with the outside and ran a bead of ova round the inside using a syringe and needle, then spray glued the back the frames and stuck them in place. Easy! The seat frames are bent up from stainless wire and hard soldered. The cushions are just carved balsa. Hatch covers are built as close as I could work out to full-sized practise, but I didn’t bother to make them actually moveable.

7 years ago by manyboats

Blog

Start detail

More side strips on the roof in cedar, then onto the fun stuff. For ease of access and construction I built the control console bulkhead on a seperate sheet of card, mahogany detailing from old billings kit leftovers. Aluminium sheet from the tops of large Milo tins made hinges and louvres etc. I always save these as they are just the right thickness and softness for small parts. For the compass; the bits box produced a ballbearing and a piece of brass tube just the right sizes. Heat gunned a piece of acetate and pressed it with the tube over the ball bearing. instant hemisphere for a handy scrap of aluminium tube as the base. All instruments are from a google search and inkjet printer.I parted off some tube for the larger instrument bezels.

7 years ago by manyboats

Media

Tsekoa

Enjoyed making this superb kit from model slipway. Having to cut out the sheets proved to be no problem. With 2 motors and bow thruster, thought it would be good for the steering competitions, but its a bit wide in the beam for our rather tight course. Working searchlight and rotating radar.

7 years ago by manyboats

Forum

Aeronaut Pilot Boat

Hi Ed It's coming along, but slowly. All I have managed to do is tidy up the re- glued sides and investigate fixing the bottom panels, which looks easier as they do not have to bend so much. I will attach some pics when I have achieved this task. The good news is that I have rebuilt the mast on my yawl and will be stepping it tomorrow in time for Sunday at the lake. The white sheet is in fact a jig and does come with te kit. There are lugs on the frames (which are later snapped off), which fit into corresponding slots in the jig. This ensures that they are correctly positioned to take the keel and stringers. Makes life a lot easier. Steve

7 years ago by cormorant

Directory

(Working Vessel) F/V AMATULI

This is a project I have been working on for many years.She's finished 90%,lots of fun building her.She is the model vessel mascot for Alaska marine modeling.This model will be hoping in the future vacuum formed and available for retail and wholesale. Thanks for looking! Robert (5/10)

8 years ago by alaskamarinemodeling

Forum

trawl netting

HI Robert, As Tommy3917 says Poundland or equivalent are a good source. Also the net bags that fruit and veg are 'packed' in. it depends of course on the scale but I have found many colours and mesh sizes this way. For floats or weights think of craft shops. You can get various sizes of balls, beads and wood balls. Fishing tackle shop or car boot for small lead weight - but remember lead must be painted (best with two part epoxy)to avoid polution.

9 years ago by CapnJim

Blog

Vosper 1/16th scale fireboat

Finally finished 😊 . Rescue davit pivoted so that it swivels to bring in the catch. I've decided against a scale crew because the general opinion is that it makes the boat look too small. I may try to make my own smaller figures at a later date, probably using blue . Sea trials shortly. I will post photos of her underway.

9 years ago by JeremyBB

Forum

Aerokits sea scout hull skins

HI Ian Not sure what effect the dope would have on the expanding foam, it certainly eats . if its still good, use it on the outside of the hull away from the foam, mix a little talc with it and it makes a superb sanding sealer over the wood grain. I would still use epoxy in the bow area as thats were you tend to hit things, pond side, other boats etc. Mark

9 years ago by jarvo

Forum

Aerokits sea scout hull skins

Ian If you can still get at the bow area, fill it with packing foam. if its to late, do you know a builder? if he has used some spray sealing foam and has a bit left in the can, drill holes in the bulkhead and squirt the foam in. it will expand so don't seal the bulkhead again, let it settle, possibly 24 hours. If you seal the inside of the bows with resin before putting the foam in, even better, this will double the sealing and give buoyancy as well. Mark

9 years ago by jarvo

Forum

Polystyreen cutter

I saw a article In Model Boats Magazine a few months ago regarding the making of a homemade cutter, unfortunately I have mislaid, Ie accidentally sent for recycling the Issue concerned. I wondered If anyone could email me ((Email Removed - PM Only)) a copy of the article. Many thanks In anticipation. 😊

10 years ago by bikerjohn57

Forum

sheet and plywood

Good information Guys, I know what to use myself in future. Cheers 😑

11 years ago by Stonemonkey

Forum

sheet and plywood

sheet and plywood HI folks, I hope someone can help. It Is my first time using and plywood for model boat building and I am having problems. Humbral poly cement Is great for poly to poly. However, I have tried two different for poly to plywood. UHU plus acrylit and Pacer Z-poxy appeared to work but after three days poly peeled away from the plywood. This Is causing me a lot of re-working and not found an adhesive that works. Can any one recommend an adhesive that will stick poly to plywood please ?

12 years ago by Tall Paul

Forum

sheet and plywood

HI Tall Paul There are other identical products to Stabilit Express. UHU Plus Acrylit 2 is identical and available from Cornwall Model Boats. Mayhem articles on the same topic indicate that 5 Star adhesives also offer a product, probably based on methacrylate. As Gregg says you need to roughen the styrene surface, this allows the glue to bond correctly into the styrene monomer. I used to fly model gliders and can honestly say that Stabilit joints between wood (balsa/ply) and plastic never failed, even after my best efforts to destroy my planes on landings (er crashes) the glued joints remained intact 😀

11 years ago by Dave M

Forum

sheet and plywood

HI Gregg I think you mean expanded . Plasticard is a hard plastic, it's industrial name is High Impact Sheet (this is NOT expanded ). 😀

11 years ago by Dave M

Forum

sheet and plywood

Stabilit Express ! I use it all the time [see my Mersey build thread for examples]. Kindly make sure you sand the styrene first, to get a "rough edge", to help the resin adhere fully. the glue is a 2 part mix, comes with a set of 3 differt sizes of "glue pot", so you simply use a different size as per you "mix" needs. put the number of "level" spoons in to the mixing pot, then fill up with the resin out of the tube, mix "caefully" untill all the powder is mixed in, or you will get a bit of a "cloud" ! you have about 10 minutes of movement time and dry in 2 hours. fully cured in 24 hrs and you can drill it, sand it, thread it if you so wish. FULLY waterproof and rock solid once cured. I have no hesitation in recommending it, it will stick virtually anything to anything and does not deteriorate with age. I bought an old boat, must of been 15 yrs old when I bought it, and that had been built with stabilit express, and the bonds were just as good as new joins. I am yet to get a joint of this stuff to break, usually the wood or styrene either side of the glue breaks first. have attached a few picture examples of its use for you. put it this way, IF this glue does not "do" the job you want it to, I'LL buy it off you ! thats how much I'd put money on it doing the job you want it for. best of luck and remember to keep us posted on your build.

11 years ago by Gregg

Forum

sheet and plywood

HI Gregg, Thanks for that - yes it is Evergreen White Styrene Sheet which I was intending to use for the superstructure (Humbrol poly cement) and for hull sides with plywood hull bulkheads etc. Have since read book by Richard Webb "Making Model Boats with Styrene" ; he recommends Evostick Fusion OR Stabilit Express Another model boat expert recommended using cyanoacrylate (have found Loctite superglue) Unless others have better suggestions will try these from Screfix down the road (No decent model boat shop in Camberley, Surrey).

11 years ago by Tall Paul

Forum

sheet and plywood

is a bit of an unusual item to make boats out of, people use it inside as a bouyancy aid, incase of an accident. but it is such a soft material for external use and breaks/snaps too easily. Are you sure you dont mean "Styrene" as in plastic type sheets ?

11 years ago by Gregg

Forum

sheet and plywood

G'Day Tall Paul, If all else fails I use "Liquid Nails". it sticks anything to anything. I use it on all my boats in one part or another. Check out your hardware store! it is waterproof and once stuck it stays stuck. if you happen to use a little too much it wips down with water, giving a very smooth finish. hope this is of some use mate. Taffy

12 years ago by taffy

Media

Scratch built SDM MkII tug built by UmI Ryuzuki

Scratch built SDM MkII tug 1/48 scale. Hull started out as foam and plywood. Started July 29,2006 and in the water by Aug. 11th for sea trials. Detailed over the following 18 months. The model is powered by 12vdc using Graupner Speed400-2.33:1 gear drive, and the small Graupner Schottel drives #1761. Separate ESC and Steering control for each drive. The Lighting is 3mm LED cast into clear, or tinted, polyurethane lamps. It sails the Pacific Northwest, USA, homeport Portland, Oregon.

16 years ago by Umi Ryuzuki

Blog

Totally stripped down!

Once all the pieces were dismantled it became apparent that some parts needed replacing, one of which was a bulkhead since the old one was warped beyond redemption. I then proceeded to assemble the rest of the hull as per the instructions. For some parts of the construction I used water proof PVA but the main bulkheads were glued in with epoxy resin to ensure the structure was solid. The last thing I did before gluing on the hull sides was to fit a block of (shown here) into the front section. its more common to leave this cavity empty, however I thought that I might as well fill it with so that if the worst came to the worst and the boat got flooded it stands more chance of remaining buoyant.

16 years ago by Mallory