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    Forum
    getting old
    Painting a piece of ply with
    sanding
    sealer today, I managed to dip my brush into my mug of tea instead of the
    sanding
    sealer, TWICE, the only upside is I didn't drink the
    sanding
    sealer (that will probably happen next year) 😁 Alan
    7 years ago by AlanP
    Forum
    WaterProofing and Painting
    To answer your question first, I would seal the wood inside and out with several coats of
    sanding
    sealer or primer - checking that the glue joints are sound first - and then use cellulose car spray for the final colour. Once decals are in place a final coal of car lacquer is a good idea. But you will find that everyone has their own approach to painting. Many people would advise covering with a fibreglass skin and epoxy, particularly as it's a racing boat... Is it this Dumas kit? http://www.dumasproducts.com/product_info.php?products_id=391 I believe that that boat kit comes in different sizes, and has been around since the 1970s. It's a racing hydroplane, and not the first choice I would have made for a beginner to model boating! Here is a video of an electric one running: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb0kYvPZOe4 You may just intend to build it as a display item, but if you are thinking of running it then you may find a bit more advice helpful? I suppose that the first point to make is that that old World Engines radio is quite out of date. If it's 27Mhz it's still legal, but, even if you have all the bits for it I would advise against running anything with a vintage radio which may be unreliable. Don't throw it away - it's worth good money to a vintage collector - but a modern 2.4Ghz set will be much more reliable. I see that the boat comes with an I/C motor. If you are not experienced with model boats I suspect that you have not used one of these? Again, these are becoming a bit of a specialist skill since so many lakes ban their use. Converting the boat to electric would bring it more into line with modern practice. Common advice is for beginners who have little experience to go and talk to the nearest club, and I think that applies in spades here! Racing boats run fast, need careful expert set-up, and are easy to crash - possibly damaging more than just your boat in the process. A club will have more experienced members who know where to run the boat safely, will help you set it up, and may let you practice with simpler boats to learn how to do things properly before taking your (and your uncle and grandfather's) pride and joy out on the lake... Here's someone else with a similar problem to yours... https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1661638-1970-s-Pay-n-Pak-boat-NEED-HELP%21
    5 years ago by DodgyGeezer
    Forum
    Planking
    To make the hull water tight I use a product called z-poxy it's a 2 part product mixed in hardener and resin of the same amounts and I use a layer of fibber cloth and them the z-poxy smooth as best you can about 30 min. time to use and then let harden over night at least 24 hours and them you can sand and finish with filler if needed or some more coats of z-poxy
    sanding
    after each coat. Rick
    5 years ago by Newby7
    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
    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
    Blog
    Hull progressing nicely!
    OK, so the last 2 posts on the blog were from work undertaken three weeks ago. I am now up to the present day and have spent the whole week and weekend in getting the bottom and side skins on the skeleton of the hull and putting on the transom. Because the curves of the hull are quite specific on the Huntsman, only one piece of skin can be fitted at a time, and then trimmed into place before the next piece of skin will fit. In the previous post I mentioned all the laser cut pieces are cut oversize.....fitting the skins was a real challenge! Following the instructions at this stage went out the window and I fitted the skins in the reverse order, but feel it was the best option. The instructions say built from the bow first and work back to the transom, but impossible to fit the pieces in this order, so I started with the aft and worked forwards. It also mentions to overlap the side skins with the bottom skins, but all I could manage was to butt the pieces together with a tight fit and fill with P38 afterwards. The pictures show the completed skins, trimmed, sanded and gaps filled with P38 and then sanded again. It now takes on a good shape, however the difficult pieces on the bow are still to be completed. These are formed of 4 pieces of solid balsa wood that need to be cut and sanded to multiple curves...… next weeks job! Once this is done then its on to filling again and re-
    sanding
    and finishing. Hopefully it would look more like a Huntsman Hull rather than a hammer head shark!
    5 years ago by StuartE
    Blog
    First problem.......
    OK..... so after the first week and the excitement of getting the skeleton of the hull and keel in place I hit the first problem.....this is not a kit where everything is cut to the exact size, length, dimensions of the model. You have to do some cutting,
    sanding
    and getting out a modelling plane to get the parts supplied fitted. This now requires some skill and careful fitting of the stringers. Basically they are 2 pieces of hardwood 1/8" x 1/4" cut to length and glued together and need to be shaped and held in place while the glue sets overnight...….not a simple task. Next, to start fitting the hull skins, the stringers need to be shaped to 2 angles. One for the bottom skins and a different angle for the side skins. Taking too much of the stringers off by using a plane will mean the skins don't lie at the correct angles for gluing….gently does it!! I take my time and check angles after each pass of the plane over the stringers...WOW stressful, but all's well with the first 2 bottom skins! In addition the Keel needs to be trimmed to the exact angles of the bottom skins so they overlap or butt up against each other. My advice here is to follow the instructions to the letter or you'll probably be using far more P38 in the later stages filling holes and gaps!! NOTE: The bottom and side skins are cut oversize, so they don't fit exactly to the stringers.
    5 years ago by StuartE
    Blog
    vintage yacht (Victoria)
    restoring a vintage free sail yacht have named this as there is no name on the yacht after removing 4 colour layers of paint from the hull and 2 days
    sanding
    I repainted with 5 layers of paint rubbing down with 2000 grade between each coat
    6 years ago by jacko
    Forum
    Good buy from Lidl
    Hi just bought the same, great bit of kit for shaping and
    sanding
    ,I also bought the mini grinder for Β£16 with an assortment of collets and attachments, then I noticed an extra pack with hundreds of fittings and wheels in for Β£12. What value I was so impressed I bought another cordless grinder to save changing all the time,and guaranteed for 3 years. Ps NO I don't work for lidl. All the best RogerπŸ‘
    5 years ago by Rogal118
    Forum
    Good buy from Lidl
    replacement
    sanding
    disc's can be found in Toolstation booklet page 397 and include 150mm dia 60grit 80grit 120grit all @ Β£3.13 for 10 see https://www.toolstation.com/search?q=self%20adhesive%20
    sanding
    %20
    5 years ago by jacko
    Blog
    Putty and
    sanding
    Did some putty job on both sides. Still a lot
    sanding
    to do. And put some white paint inside. it will make it look bit clean and also work as a layer. Will prevent the water reaching ply. Beside of it a small cabin cruiser.
    5 years ago by Sakibian
    Blog
    Tin Work
    The tin can that I used is from a small tomato paste sauce from the market. Use whatever tin that you would like or can find. Look at my sketch to see how it needs to function and adjust your design to what enclosure is available to you. Lots of ways to do it, just make sure you have these points covered: 1. Method of attaching a fan to push air into the unit. 2. Place for output stack / tube. 3. Method of mounting a wick with heating element attached that can sit above the fluid level. See sketch in previous post. First photo, I cut three holes, each sized to fit the brass tubes and fan opening. This tin is thin and easy to poke holes in. I start by marking the opening locations with a marker, them I use a small sharp awl or pin to stare a hole. With hand tools ( power drill will easy shred the can, be careful) I enlarge the holes with small hand drills or reamer, found files, etc, I rotate the tools slowly in the opening and gradually enlarge it to size needed. Then I cut brass tubing to length with a small hand held hobby razor saw. Our in place, apply flux and solder. Once heated properly the solder flows easily.for the larger fan opening, I then used a dremel tool with
    sanding
    drum to make a nice round opening. The fan has corner openings for screw mount. Secure with some tiny sheet metal screws. Next I will build an enclosure around the fabpn edge to fit the round can. Might just use silicone caulk. Note, I did not open the can with a can opener, left the ends in place and poured the content out thru the holes made, Yes, it's a bit messy and wasted the sauce, but it's a cheap way to get an tin enclosure. More to come. Please give me feedback, am I being clear enough? Thanks, Cheers, Joe
    5 years ago by Joe727
    Response
    The deck planking.
    Once again a piece of precision planking, the end product is always dependant on good planning and preparation, I used black card as my caulking (its available in a variety of thicknesses) and my thought was that it would not require any special pre- treatment other than
    sanding
    sealer and lacquer. Does the plasticard need a plastic primer?
    5 years ago by mturpin013
    Blog
    The deck planking.
    The kit I’m constructing is a pre-production prototype and consequently it does not have the β€˜laser etched planking’ feature that has been subsequently introduced in the final production kits on the β€˜upper’ deck and the β€˜well’ deck. This is of no concern to me because I think I prefer to do my own planking anyway but I do have to do a bit of preparatory β€˜laying out’ of the deck pattern to ensure that it’s symmetrical and laid in a pleasing fashion. I have chosen to use 1.6 mm x 9.5 mm obeche hardwood strip-wood (from SLEC) for this with a thin black plasticard caulking between the planks. This is what I did when I constructed the VMW Fire Tender and the result was very effective and visually pleasing. Obeche has a pleasing grain, takes stain very easily and is also considerably cheaper than mahogany which I feel would be far too β€˜dark red’ when finally lacquered. Because I wanted an outer curved plank around the hull edge I had to cut this from 1.6mm obeche sheet to the correct shape and width as it would be impossible to bend a strip to this extreme curve. These also needed a section trimmed out to allow the bow gunwales to be positioned correctly. Once both sides were cut and shaped I could then form the ply gunwales to the correct curve by my heating and bending process and glued them down to the deck. I understand that on the production kits these gunwales are now incorporated into the side skins which will make the construction a bit easier. The remaining outer planks on the hull edges were made from straight lengths of obeche but required some easing cuts so that they could be bent to the curve of the hull. Hopefully these cuts will not be too noticeable in the finished deck. When all the edge planks were glued in place I temporarily laid out the obeche planking strips with a thin strip of black plasticard as caulking and all held in place with masking tape. The centre plank was arranged to lie over the centre line from bow to stern. The setting out of the planks in this manner confirmed that the layout worked as intended and so I began fixing down the planking from the centre plank of the hull outwards with a fast bonding superglue and the process proved to be quite quick to complete. The side deck planks were equally straightforward but did require some to be carefully shaped in a tapered fashion at each end to fill the remaining gaps. The rear deck was also planked by working out from the centre plank and thankfully the planking layout matched and followed the bow deck planking perfectly. The surplus plasticard β€˜caulking’ was then trimmed flush to the planks with a very sharp chisel and the entire deck rubbed down with my
    sanding
    plate until it was all perfectly smooth. For those building this model that don’t feel confident enough to do β€˜real planking’ will probably want to make use of the laser etched planking on the ply deck panels to achieve a similar result with very minimal effort, but I quite like the challenge of doing it the hard way and the benefit of a slightly better finish.
    5 years ago by robbob
    Response
    The bow blocks & outer keel
    This was the part I had been waiting for. As I was only 12 when I made mine, my Uncle Cyril was given the job of shaping, and he made a right pigs arse out of it. I had to do a lot of filling and
    sanding
    to correct it. I notice you had the "glad it's over" reaction. I reckon my reaction will be very similar. Thanks for sharing Robbob. 😊
    5 years ago by rolfman2000
    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
    Blog
    Ady Gil Trimaran Wave Piercer
    This build started out as a crap toy speed boat that resembled the New zealand wave piecer Ady Gil (ex- Earthrace) that was cut in two in 2010 by the illegal japanese whaling vessel Shonan Maru no2. The original speedboat toy was 22 inchs long and had straight wings that connected the pontoons, the wings and the pontoons have been changed and custom made onto the existing hull and the bow has been extended and sharpened (now 26in), the stern has been rounded. The hull has now been gel coated and i have started
    sanding
    it back.
    6 years ago by rcmodelboats
    Blog
    Friday's Child Fairy Huntsman 31
    This is a refurb. I built her from MM plan 1061 many years ago and recently found her in the loft so she has likely been up there for 19 years. The basic construction is OK but the paint is peeling and large chunks came off when I tried to pull her out of the carry cradle. She had no name and was in a basic colour scheme but I plan to now paint and detail her as Friday's Child which is registered Southampton and lives in Yarmouth IOW. I've started
    sanding
    but it is going to take a while.
    6 years ago by steve-d
    Blog
    HMS BRAVE BORDERER
    After completing the cowl, turned to the rear structure covering the gas turbine and other engine spaces. This can readily be made from styrene sheet. The sides and top were cut out, reinforced with β€œL” shaped angle and fitted together with CA glue. No particular challenges, other than determining where the various section transitions occur. Luckily had two different sets of plans to compare, so the nuances could be established. It was not until the rear structure was fitted into the cowl, the assembly fitted to the removable deck and placed on the hull, realized just how important this milestone was. Once everything is firmly located the accuracy of build becomes readily apparent. Any inaccuracies show up as an obvious misalignment. Was able to check the alignments and squareness using eye, rules, squares and a spirit level and was pleased with the outcome. A subtle
    sanding
    of about .020” off the base of one side of the superstructure and everything became square, parallel and correctly aligned. Quite a relief! Have always stressed the importance of accuracy throughout a build. This supported that recommendation. Once the superstructure was completed realized my plan to lift the deck off to gain access to the electrical control switches was impractical. Have thus cut a small access hole in the rear deck to facilitate access. Still undecided how to best disguise the hole, but at least access is now relatively easy. From now on, until the test program can be continued on the water, will add detail to the model. Doubt there will be much to describe is that of interest, or that has not been covered by others. Will continue this blog once there is anything significant to report. In the meantime, best wishes for Christmas and 2019,
    5 years ago by Rowen
    Blog
    Internal wiring & bottom skins
    Because I am keen to conceal as much of the wiring as possible I have decided to place the battery at the bow and the operational equipment at the stern, the engine on the original boat was central and covered with a soundproof box and this is convenient as the motor can be positioned and concealed in the same way. This means that some of the wires will have to run the full length of the boat and the easiest way to conceal them is to run them beneath the β€˜box’ around which the hull is formed, and this needs to be done before the bottom skins are fitted. Holes were bored through the bulkhead formers under the port side of the hull and battery cables were run to the stern where the ESC will be and three motor wires from the ESC run to the centre, emerging near the motor position. For good measure I put in a servo cable and a separate draw wire just in case I needed to put more cabling in for any additional features, perhaps working navigation lights? Satisfied that I had all the cabling in place I was able to fit the bottom skins starting with the starboard side first. Before doing so I put a very slight 'hollow' in former F1 which should help blend the shape of the the hull where the ply skins meet the balsa blocks that will to be carved and shaped to form the bow. This can be seen in the last picture. The process of forming and fixing the skins is the same as for the side skins but in addition to the pins holding the skins in place I used some brown polythene β€˜packing tape’ to pull the skins tightly against the bulkhead formers and strakes. The packing tape has a very high tensile strength and is ideal for this, and of course cheap and easy to remove. Once the aliphatic glue had set thoroughly overnight I removed the excess from the skins with a small block plane and finished them with my
    sanding
    plate. Before I fit the skin at the stern I will have to arrange the water cooling for the ESC, with the pickup just behind the prop and the outlet on the stern. I’ll cover that aspect in the next update.
    5 years ago by robbob
    Blog
    Fitting the side skins.
    The side skins are made from 1.5mm ply and require a slight curve towards the bow and I found that this is best achieved by gently warming with a heat gun, which seems to relax the glue between the laminations, so that when bent to a gentle curve and allowed to cool will set the shape very easily. The skins are supplied are slightly oversize and when the skins have been bent they can be roughly clamped to the hull and then marked for trimming, also while the skin is clamped in place the positions of the bulkhead formers can be marked on the skin. Back on the bench the skins were trimmed with a craft knife (with a fresh blade) and then drilled with a 1mm bit to allow pinning through into the formers and strakes. Aliphatic glue was applied to the hull formers and strakes and the skin positioned so that the drilled holes were in correct alignment with the formers and then clamped and pinned in place. Because the skin was pre-formed to the hull shape the clamps and pins are not under much tension and the hull was set aside while the glue set. When the port skin had fully set overnight, the pins and clamps were removed and the skin was finished with a plane to remove the excess down to the strakes and the F1 former at the bow and the
    sanding
    β€˜plate’ used to finish it all off. Where the side skins meet at the prow there needs to be a wide flat area for the external keel to butt to and so the trimming and
    sanding
    there will be done at a later stage before the bow blocks are fitted and carved. The process was repeated for the starboard side skin and while the glue was setting I gave some thought to a means of concealing some of the wiring that needs to run the length of the hull πŸ€”.
    5 years ago by robbob
    Blog
    Hull sprayed
    My son has finished filling
    sanding
    priming then spraying in 2 pack. See photo smashing job, over the moon.l
    5 years ago by Dick
    Response
    Stern & keel formers
    I have found as you have that gluing your abrasive paper to a wooden block is far better than wrapping and making sure all the bulkheads and other skin supports are at the correct angle can make a real difference to the line of the hull, only noticeable when looking down the length of the hull when painted and that's too late to change things. I also make a number of different shaped
    sanding
    blocks/sticks down to using the coffee sticks with abrasives stuck to then for getting into difficult areas.
    5 years ago by mturpin013
    Blog
    Stern & keel formers
    Various small pieces, S8 & S9, are added to bulkhead former F7 that create the curvature of the stern which in turn support the outer skin, in addition there are some pieces that are fixed either side of the keel as laminations to add strength and to support the bottom skins where they meet the keel. The prop shaft has yet to be delivered so I used a length of 8mm plastic rod temporarily in its place so that I could fit the keel laminations K5 around the shaft. I chose to fit additional pieces on either side of the keel between the bulkhead formers to support the bottom skins and some extra pieces of balsa were fitted at the stern to support the outer skin, and in a similar fashion some extra pieces fitted either side of the keel formers at the prow. Once all these pieces were firmly set they need to sanded to the profile of the hull, and this is best done with abrasive paper around a
    sanding
    block. I made a
    sanding
    β€˜plate’ from some 6mm MDF with a sheet of 120 grit aluminium oxide abrasive paper glued to it to form a perfectly flat
    sanding
    surface and this was used to chamfer and flatten the bulkhead, keel and chine formers so that the outer skins would lay as flat as possible across them. I also fitted some pieces of ply under the centre section of the box around the keel to reinforce the area under where the motor mount will be as I don’t think the balsa base of the β€˜box’ will take screws firmly. The next step will be to fit the side skins and then the hull will really take shape.
    5 years ago by robbob
    Response
    sanding
    done
    Shucks! Mine are all red 😭 BUT; just found some 1 and 2mm white styrene tooob in the stash 😊 Guess they'll do for my T45, Belfast and Illustrious. Thanks for the prompt Steve1 Cheers, Doug 😎
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    sanding
    done
    Just found an answer to my antenna 'White Stick'. At work we use a WD40 type fluid and the can comes with a tube you can use with the nozzle. Some new cans came in and they have nice white tubes...result. Steve
    5 years ago by steve-d
    Blog
    Deck beams & keel
    Been glueing up the curved deck beams (one still in the jig) and laying them roughly in place but final position is going to be governed by mast position and hard points for the running and standing rigging most of which I have yet to establish. Most of the keel is done but still needs plenty of
    sanding
    to get the foil profile right. So next question is does anyone have knowledge on how to make my own sails. They will not be modern Mylar/scrim types as I am going for a semi vintage look. I've bought some white nylon cloth (about the grade you would make a holdall out of) now I need to learn how the get the right shape into the sail.
    5 years ago by steve-d
    Response
    sanding
    done
    Hi Steve, many real IMM rod antennas I worked with were not tapered. So any metal / plastic rod of suitable diameter painted white would do. The relatively short (1m) whips are not always tapered either. If you go piano wire & heatshrink you could put a nice sweep-back into it by lightly bending it back while shrinking. When cool it will hold the shape. Here's a link to the supplier we most often used for the professional 'stick' (we called 'em rod) VHF IMM antenna, with a drawing. http://www.aas.de/special-antennas/vhf-tx-rx-antennas/104-staisf.html Memory playing tricks on meπŸ€”it's actually about 141cm top to bottom. Cheers, Doug 😎 Here's a simple 35" stainless steel whip, also not tapered https://www.ebay.com/itm/Auto-Marine-Band-Antenna-35in-VHF-Car-Radio-Boat-6db-Stainless-Steel-Whip-PL-259-/222260516328
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    sanding
    done
    Those antenna are normally tapered so I was hoping to find a soft plastic one which would take a few knocks. I could do one in piano wire but cant think of a flexible way of achieving the taper. Perhaps I am making to much of it and a piece of piano wire covered in white heatshrink will do and the lack of taper won't notice.
    5 years ago by steve-d
    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
    sanding
    done
    Most of the
    sanding
    is now done and the not so easy task of getting the propshaft and tube out (M3 so not really man enough). Bought loads of bits including the grab rails I've fitted. Bollards, cleats, capstan, anchor, chain, instruments,nav lights etc all boxed up ready to fit after paint. Also the crew has arrived from China. But, I have failed to find a VHF 'White Stick' style antenna anywhere....anyone seen one in any of the catalogues? Steve
    5 years ago by steve-d
    Forum
    Metal
    sanding
    plates
    Hi mike wow l think l will have to give your
    sanding
    sheets a try my perma grit tools were Β£20 to Β£30 quid over 20 a go years ago. As in the name of my boats l seem to have more money than sense. thanks for the tip jim.
    5 years ago by jimdogge
    Forum
    Metal
    sanding
    plates
    They sound similar, but sure mine are by Sandvik. I never thought to clean them with paint stripper. Thanks for that, I'll give it a try. The new laser etched one's from Japan are highly flexible though, perfect for
    sanding
    a round bilged hull. At Β£6.99 including P&P I'm going to order a course and medium to make up the set. My main interest is static sailing ships and my new NT Sander has already made itself indispensable, levelling veneer planks. Their durability remains to be seen. Mike
    5 years ago by Nonsuch
    Forum
    Metal
    sanding
    plates
    Hi nonsuch are the
    sanding
    plates your describing the same as the Perma Grit tungsten carbide
    sanding
    tools. I have had my block sanders now for over 20 years and they are as good now as they day l bought them. quick coat of nitromores then a rub with brass wire brush good as new these are probably some of the best tools l own.
    5 years ago by jimdogge
    Forum
    Metal
    sanding
    plates
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=NT+Sander+&_sacat=0
    5 years ago by Haverlock
    Forum
    Metal
    sanding
    plates
    This thread seems to be missing a link😊 Steve
    5 years ago by steve-d
    Response
    Spraying Again.......
    Mornin' Neville, ."How wet is wet"? Hold the paper under a running tap, warm water, until it goes dark all over. Remove excess water with kitchen roll. You don't have to flood the hull but keep the paper well wetted. For convenience I use the Tamiya
    sanding
    sponges. They mould themselves to any shape they are used on which is great for compound curves. Keep a bowl of warm water handy to re-wet the paper or sponge from time to time and to clean of the residue that builds up on the paper. Also regularly wipe off the slurry that builds up on the object you are
    sanding
    with kitchen roll or a damp flat dense kitchen sponge. When you are finished wash off the hull (or whatever) with the the flat sponge and clean water. Dry off carefully with kitchen roll or non-linting cloth. DON'T do a bath test with just primer on the hull as the primer is porous! it consists mostly of finely ground chalk dust or similar in a solvent suspension. Wait until you have at least the first top coat on to seal it. You only have to look at a car with a primed wing, that has then been driven around in typical British weather for a few weeks, to see why!! Don't forget the 'secret ingredient' πŸ˜‰ All the best, Doug 😎 PS Nearly forgot 😲 Start using a few drops of liquid soap on the w&d from the final preparation of the primer coat through til the end.
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Response
    Spraying Again.......
    Hi Neville, Check out my Sea Scout 'Jessica' renovation blog for how to achieve good paint finish! 'Wet n dry' is the ONLY way to go. Right from the priming stage. it stops the 'riding' you describe and the generation of flying dust which is anathema to any paint or varnish finish, but you do have to clean and re-wet the paper and the object you are
    sanding
    from time to time!!! Any mistakes at that stage will carry through to the top coats and still be visible 😑 Don't quite understand how you created 'mouths'. I'm wondering if you sprayed too close and/or too heavy!? Your apparently exorbitant paint consumption seems to hint at thisπŸ€” For the record; I started with 240 on the primer/filler for my Sea Scout and worked up through 400, 600, 1000, and 2000 and 3000 for the final top coats and deck varnish. All 'Wet', with a few drops of liquid soap added at the top coat stages, i.e. from the 1000 stage. At the end I polish with a mild cutting polish 'Anti hologram' they call it here, from the auto industry. Tedious I agree and a generous dollop of patience is required (the 'Secret ingredient' I have often mentioned here πŸ˜‰ But when you see the result it warms the cockles and makes it all worthwhile.😊 Happy spraying, cheers, Doug 😎 BTW; for the blue on my Sea Scout hull I used a 400ml rattle can for several coats (more than three in the end) and there's still some left ! BTW2; For masking I use Tamiya tape for nice crisp edges. Fill in behind that with 'normal' fine masking tape and newspaper.
    5 years ago by RNinMunich
    Blog
    Spraying Again.......
    Well had a break of a few weeks, now back on the job. So now have a Red Oxide boat rather than Yellow one……………… Although these next stages are a bit β€˜ samey’, I have learnt a few things as it happens. For example, I had put three coats of the Halfords filler/primer on a couple of days before I had a break. Now when I left it all looked dry, well covered and β€˜solid’. When I came back to it some weeks later the longer drying period had shown up some gaps. Well not gaps actually but β€˜mouths’ where tissue I had overlapped had pulled apart slightly. interesting, easily fixed with some 240 grit
    sanding
    , showing that the drying period is longer than it would appear. At least for filler/primer which is a much thicker substance than just spray paint. With the
    sanding
    , I had not appreciated the difference between the grades say from 240 upwards (or is it downwards) as my experience was with doorframes and floorboards. For the stage I am at, 240 and 400 seem very effective and leave a good surface. What I did find was how important dust becomes……………… The sandpaper rides on it (the powdery dust) and so becomes much less effective and I found brushing with a thin 2 inch brush worked well, using the vacuum cleaner to clear up later. I did try blowing it off with the heat gun but that put the dust up in the air too much. it is my intention to try β€˜wet and dry’ approach for later coats and looking for a better answer when it comes to finishing coats. Another interesting discovery was coverage per rattle can. It may be my β€˜beginner’ technique, but it seems to take a lot of paint. On this size of boat hull, 44inches (112cm) by 14 inches (36 cm), it took a 500ml rattle can of yellow filler/primer for three coats. For two coats of the red primer it took the whole of a 300ml can. Also discovered, using these β€˜rattle cans’ for the first time, that the primer on its own comes out differently to the filler primer. This unsettled me for a minute or so but appreciate may be due to the different density so will be aware next time. Another issue that became obvious was…………..I must improve my β€˜masking off’ ! So that is it so far. Next stage is - going to buy a couple more cans for the finishing coats, do a bath test, mark the white line point, more
    sanding
    down and then start applying the finishing coats. Any helpful comments will be much appreciated. NPJ
    6 years ago by NPJ
    Forum
    Painting
    I have a Huntsman 31 model I am refurbishing. The paint is peeling off from age, the muppet who painted it only applied one coat (Me), the Humbrol enamel was probably too thick for the fine grain of the birch ply and spruce. I am planning to start with cellulose
    sanding
    sealer as it is nice and thin so should get a good key into the grain. So.. What paint should I use over the sealer? Some parts of the ply I want to look like teak deck planking so first I think I need a stain. Then line in the planks with fibre tip pen followed by what type of varnish? Some of the spruce needs to look like mahogany so do I stain it or use some sort of paint? Thanks Steve
    6 years ago by steve-d
    Forum
    Painting
    Thanks Martin you came to my rescue...I had already
    sanding
    sealed the deck. I like the idea of scoring the ply and rubbing the stain in but the planks curve following the line of the hull and I don't fancy my chances of controlling a scalpel along the curve. They try to take your fingers off in normal use without giving them an unfair advantage. I've still not decided how to mark the lines even with the fibre tip pen. Think I will have to make a form of 'Odd Leg Caliper' to do most of it.
    6 years ago by steve-d
    Response
    Friday's Child Fairey Huntsman 31
    They are a great looking craft, I am restoring one myself, please be aware that red paint may contain lead, so wear a mask while
    sanding
    . My restoration is of a old Fibre glass hull I intend to install twin rudders and motor shafts and go brushless, I am building the superstructure from scratch with some help from old plans. I want to have a swordsman type cabin.
    6 years ago by CB90
    Forum
    Painting
    My cabinet maker Granddad always said to stain the finish , never the wood, as stain can kill a grain. He would always use shellac/French Polish and then stain over that with a stain filled further coat of french polish. The same is done with real Rivas and no other boat can claim the finish that Riva always got with stain over Epiphanes varnish. I use cellulose
    sanding
    sealer on the wood, then a spirit based stain (NEVER acrylic water based muck) on the
    sanding
    sealer and then varnish, proper spar varnish to get that lovely glow. I have always used steamed Pear to represent mahogany in scale, but it does need a little darkening and that's how I do it. That way you control the colour, but don't "kill" the grain. Grandad also said , "always cut wood, boy, don't scratch it, make it bleed", so I became a dab hand with a cabinet scraper and use very little sandpaper. Here, as they say, is one I made earlier using exactly these methods. Martin
    6 years ago by Westquay
    Forum
    Painting
    If you intend to stain the wood don't use
    sanding
    sealer first as the name suggests it seals so your stain won't take. as for simulated planking I suggest you sand the deck as smooth as possible (down to 1000 grit paper) and the using a scalpel type blade score the deck lines, but be careful as any slip will show on the final deck. After scoring the lines use a stain to rub over the deck and immediately remove the excess with a cloth, the stain will have more effect in the scores thus showing deck lines. When dry remove any excess with white spirit and leave to thoroughly dry, then sand again. This should leave you with a planked deck look which can now be sealed followed by coats of lacquer - Halfords do a clear lacquer. I suggest you try on a piece of scrap ply first. good luck
    6 years ago by mturpin013
    Forum
    Paints
    I am a bit stuck as to what type of paints to use on my Thornycroft MTB. Do I use gloss or matt? What type of paint is suggested Acrylic, emulsion, etc? Who can supply - say - 250ml of any recommended paint as I will probably need to apply at least two coats. I have already applied
    sanding
    sealer and undercoat and now need finishing paints. One for under hull and t'other for topsides. Any suggestions for a supplier would be greatly appreciated.
    6 years ago by Morkullen
    Response
    20th Scale ELCO 80ft PT boat part 11
    Looks like an Armadillo 😁😁 Enjoy the filling and
    sanding
    ! Cheers, Doug 😎
    6 years ago by RNinMunich
    Forum
    St Canute Planking Help?
    Hey guys, I cannot thank you all enough for all these suggestions and advice, what a great website this is!!! I am swaying to purchase some blacks of balsa and give this a try, I did the same with my first model of the Billing Boat Norden (much smaller model) but on that occasion the stern block came with the kit. Does anyone have a website that I can purchase these blacks of balsa? I will try my local Hobbycraft store but they are sadly winding down on a lot of items. it is my intention to paint the St Canute the same colours as Billing Boats suggest, so none of the planks will be varnished but I will have a lot of
    sanding
    and shaping to do. Many thanks again to you all,πŸ‘ Kindest regards Richard
    6 years ago by Richard7
    Forum
    St Canute Planking Help?
    I agree with Doug. But the ezepoxy and glass cloth s necessary for strength. I have made the top cowling of my Darby stepped hydro of balsa to save top ham,per, but despite coats of
    sanding
    sealer the knocks keep coming and spoiling the surface, so you will need the epoxy/glass combo to get a good finish. And, of course St. Canute is a steel plated ship anyway, so you need a good hard surface to get a decant paint finish that won't show every tap and knock. Martin
    6 years ago by Westquay
    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
    Blog
    Life Rings
    The white metal fittings supplied with the kit are somewhat lacking in detail and some are overweight to say the least. I decided to produce some life rings to my specification I had tried to find suitable replacements on the web without success. So how to produce the ring part. I first tried with plywood but the finish achievable was not acceptable (can be seen in the pictures) so I then decided to use Bamboo (Ikea phone stand) for those who have followed from the start the same material as the grating on the foam tanks. First I cut some rough circles out of 10mm bamboo sheet and drilled a 10mm hole so it can be mounted on a 10mm screw mandrel. This allows the piece to machined on one side and then reversed and machined on the other side. The tool I used was ground with a 22 mm radius to produce the shape on one side of the ring and then when reversed and machined again the tool actually β€œparts off” the ring on the inner diameter leaving the ring free on the now remaining peg, the finish on the bamboo was good enough without any further
    sanding
    . The next step was to put a slot in the OD at 90degree intervals to hold the β€œrope” in position while the rope is bound in four places. The easiest way was to make a jig to hold the ring and to keep the rope in place while it’s glued into ring, it can then be removed and bound in four places each turn being super glued to keep it in place. Next job is to give a coat of
    sanding
    sealer that stiffens the rope and seals the wood. The rings are theoretically held to the cabin roof with clamp type brackets so again to ensure consistency I machined a piece with a suitable profile. I then cut radial slices to create individual brackets. The rings will actually be fastened to the cabin roof with 2 x 8BA bolts this is to enable them to be removed for painting of both the ring and the roof. At a later painting stage, I will be giving them two coats of grey primer and three coats of white, then hand painting the rope loops with red paint. The finished rings are much lighter and hopefully look more realistic.
    6 years ago by mturpin013


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