Forum

getting old

Painting a piece of ply with today, I managed to dip my brush into my mug of tea instead of the , TWICE, the only upside is I didn't drink the (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 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 I suppose that the first point to make is that that old World Engines radio is quite out of date.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

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? 😉 Next stage is to apply a couple of thin coats of 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

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 and lacquer. Does the plasticard need a plastic primer?

5 years ago by mturpin013

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 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

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 on the wood, then a spirit based stain (NEVER acrylic water based muck) on the 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 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 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

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 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

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 “parts 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 “rope” 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 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

Blog

Rebuild starts

Well it has been a while but I can now continue with the renovation. I have purchased most of the weaponry from Battlecraft and I must say that I am impressed with the quality. I will add pictures of these later in the build. I have started to prime all of the wood. Removal of the final areas of the original paint was a task but I got there in the end. I have applied and rubbed it down with 1000 grit wet and dry. it is starting to look and feel quite smooth. Have you built the 50cal guns yet Doug? I would like to buy some but I am concerned that they might be a little brittle for me to handle.🤔 Just a couple of questions to ask before I get on. Can I have suggestions as to who supplies good quality wooden kits to build at reasonable prices. I need to consider my next project. I want to buy a 0.8mm air brush for the larger areas as I am finding 0.5mm too small. I have my eyes on an Iwata HP-EP. This is for sale on ebay new at £122. Are there any suggestions for a better and or cheaper solution. Thanks.🤓

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Blog

Renovating my Aerokits Patrol Torpedo Boat.

Started the long job of sanding down today. I think this is going to take a while. During last week I spent the time removing all of the deck parts still attached. The motor, rc gear, rudder, batteries and prop shaft have also been removed leaving the basic hull and decking superstructures. I have visited my local model shop today to see if I can sort out the paint. I have decided on acrylic but the cans are so small that I would need loads. I also cannot find a suitable red for the hull bottom. I am looking for matt. I was also considering making the main colour Pacific Green or similar. I have found Navy Grey which might have to do. If anybody can help with where to source suitable paint in reasonable quantity I would be grateful. I have purchased the and primer. I was considering air brushing the whole project but not so sure now. Any thoughts?😁 I have taken pictures of the progress so far. A lot of sanding still awaits me.😡 I purchased two Mk 17 gun carriages for the tubs. I cannot believe it but they fit perfectly. A picture of these is also below. One last question for now. Should I brush paint, air brush or spray can. The boat is 40" long. Another long day of sanding tomorrow but with greater care as I am tackling the skins. I remember how thin these were when I originally constructed the model.🤔

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Blog

Mid Deck

Now I am in the swing of planking I may as well do all the remaining decks that need planking. Therefore, very much the same procedure as before with a mahogany border, followed by caulking the inside edges of the mahogany border, then cutting the planks roughly to length, and then finally trimming on the disc sander for an exact fit. When all he planks have been dry fitted, they can are removed and glued with aliphatic glue. A couple of days to completely dry then it’s on with the sanding before finishing with I marked all the nail holes using the marking tool I made. This is all on this deck until final finishing which will be done with all the other decks.

6 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Leaking Boat!

NPJ, Dust isn't a problem until you come to refinishing. Do it all outside. I always spray outside and still do it up wind. Sprayed cellulose grey primer on my Crash Tender on Saturday and primer and off white enamel on my Chris Craft yesterday in a breeze, so stood upwind of it and all was well. Also rubbed down cellulose , dry. Dust just blew away. There's always a way round stuff. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Blog

Aft cockpit deck

I first cut the base material to size allowing a card thickness all round for final clearances. The lower deck has a number of features in it that need to be measured. I took dimensions from the plans and marked out the base. Again following the upper deck which has a mahogany boarder I cut and planed a further amount of 6mm x 1.5 strips of material. I started by outlining the mahogany boarders, Some years ago I made a mitring device for picture framing which has come in very handy for doing the corners. Having all the pieces cut they are then glued and temporally pinned in position until set. The next job is to prepare all the edges with black card and then measuring each plank across the width starting from the centre line. I must take into account how the planks sit against main access hatch and the battery hatch opening however, all seems to look good but until each plank is positioned and glued with its caulk divider it’s difficult to tell. When preparing each plank I first cut each piece oversize with wire cutters then using the disc sander I trim square one end, then place in position and mark for final length and finish again on the disc sander giving each plank a nice push fit Because lime planking varies in colour across a batch I numbered each plank across the deck varying the pattern of colours as I cut each to length. Next I cut a number of card pieces to length and start to glue (using Aliphatic glue), plank, followed by card filler across the half width, then repeat the other side. Finally the battery hatch and main access hatch are treated in the same manner. Next comes the finishing , I use a very fine grade on my belt sander (I attach a block on the underside of the main access deck to control the sanding process) to remove the majority of excess irregularities followed by an orbital sander for a fine finish. if there is any staining by the black card residue I simply remove it with a pencil rubber. Next I put the nail holes in again using the jig I made to ensure uniform spacing and then gave a coat of . Final finishing will be done as a complete assembly. Preparation of the side panels is the next process before final assembly

6 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Billing Boats St Canute Update

Hello everyone, it’s been a while since l made a post about my ongoing model St Canute, mainly due to the heatwave we’ve just been through, however l have just completed laying the decking strips, which l have to admit was going well until the last few strips to the edge, boy oh boy did l struggle. I jumped the instructions as they do say to plank the hull first. At times l just sat there looking at the decking trying to get a reasonable edge and curve. I have attached some photos which some of you professional model makers will spot the errors, but it’s the best l can do so long am pretty pleased with the outcome. I have a question, should l now apply some to the deck strips? l am just a bit worried not to sand the deck strips too much. Any advice would be very much appreciated. I guess now l must start with the hull planking which l am apprehensive about, but hey ho it has to been done. Thanks everyone l will keep you updated from time to time, if anyone out there is also building this Billing Boat st Canute l would love to hear from you. Cheers everyone, Richard.

6 years ago by Richard7

Blog

Rear Deck assembly –(upper tow deck)

I propose to make the rear deck and the deck which carries the tow hook all as a complete piece that lifts out in one. Although its going to be in one piece the full assembly still has to be made as separate components so first job is to cut the individual panels again using the card inserts to make sure the end assembly has clearance. The tow hook deck is the first piece to be dealt with and epoxied as a sub assembly. Having completed the wooden frame I then took a break and did some more planking, first a mahogany boarder and then glue a black card calk around its inside edge, next cut and sand each plank to fit in the space left, these could then be glued in place with a black card calk between each plank. After a period of drying I sanded the whole surface level. Next I put the nail holes in again using the jig I made to ensure uniform spacing and then gave a coat of . When the rest of the subassemblies are complete they will all be lacquered together before final assembly.

6 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Windows, stoopid question.

Colin, thanks for the kind words. The Miss Britain III is all aluminium. Thin sheet, either Litho plate or K&S Metal centre. The Miss America X is and yacht varnish, brushed on with a sable brush. MBIII is 1/12th scale. MAX is 1/8th. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Response

54 year old Crash Tender

Boaty, it's amazing how many people HAD Taycol motors, but don't anymore, apart from our chum Doug in Munich. And I'll pick his brains later maybe for info on controlling the Taycol Supermarine in the Crash Tender. Then again, I might just set it off on one pack for slowish and switch in another for faster. I ain't into reverse. Boats don't go backuds. I've had enough real ones to know that! Two of those didn't have any gears. One had a clutch and the other didn't even have that. it starts, it goes, quickish! Always had a paddle handy in the Albatross! I'm not really into the boat club festivals of steering round stuff or backing into docks, so why trouble myself with ESCs which seem to fail often still and weren't around when I had the boat originally. I have gel cells, but the damned things have all gone dead on me, so I might see about Nimh packs when the time comes. I went to get some one shot cellulose putty to fill the cracks and grain bits and the old nail head dips. But my favourite auto paint shop said they hadn't sold it in ages and offered me some acrylic crap in a tube. Not a bloody chance!!! "Gimme the thickest brushing primer you got and it better be cellulose". Yeah, got that, he said. "So why ain't you got stopper?" No answer. Anyway I get this stuff home and it's thick, cellulose (skin forming after 3 minutes) and bang on the right shade of light grey for a Crash Tender. I shall experiment with my Chinchila dust next for the non-slip areas and mix a pot of the primer with a bit of white to do the cabin sides, when I finish spray. For the moment, I very quickly slapped it on with a brush and will leave it for today to harden then start a very big, dusty, rub down session tomorrow. OK a litre of primer ain't cheap, but it's cheaper from a car paint suppliers and it's bang on colour. it'll also do a LOT of boats! I have a black primer in enamel for Vanity, which will also go on the sides of the Crash tender, followed by black gloss enamel, but's a way down the road yet. Talking of old stuff boaty, the white enamel my dad insisted on painting the boat back in the early 60s is hard as rock! He used to get it by the 20 gallon can from a "mate on the docks". We had docks in those days. Dad called it ship enamel. We all knew what he meant. Our entire house was shades of pastel tinted ship enamel! Tints courtesy of another mate on the docks. He had a lot of mates on the docks. it was difficult to be a Cockney family and not have mates on the docks! Pics later of the slapped on grey primer, which, I should say, argued a bit with the . Nuffin' a good rub down won't sort out. Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Warped wood

OK, Doug, you just sold me on Lord Nelson spray varnish! is it enamel? Obviously it's external capable, but I never heard of it. it would seem to have done your mahogany a treat! I have brush painted and rubbed down cellulose on all the woodwork on Vanity, but will need to varnish it all eventually and whilst I find brushing varnish with a fine sable an almost therapeutic activity, there's always the risk of it building up in internal corners which is almost impossible to shift. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

what have I got?

Bryan, yep, that is a Bassett-Lowke. I was going to say, but wifey has had me out doing stuff on and off all day. I can't moan as she's bought me a new RC set for my birthday next month. I think your Bassett-Lowke motor will be fine and the new mags from Oz sound great. My Basset-Lowke goes well with its own mags so far and is going in my Darby One Design stepped racer (a la Oulton Broad). I would keep it all as is, just do some repairs. That cabin roof looks like it could be repaired or replaced without spoiling things. Cellulose is your best friend on plywood models as it puts that slight amber tinge to the wood, existing or new. Doug's yer man to advise on batteries and lecktricks generally. Looking forward to seeing this progress. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Which Paint?

4 years ago I restored an old 34 inch Aerokits Crash tender. I used filler for any gaps in the joints then prepared the hull with having got it really smooth. For the rest of the paintwork I first used Halfords primer then used their acrylic for the final colours. I gave it four coats of colour leaving it over a day between each coat. When painting was finished and after checking it was fully dry, I rubbed the hull down lightly using Maguires scratch remover, (also from Halfords) and got a nice shine between the deck and the red waterline. It seems to have lasted well as it has not crazed over this amount of time. The total cost of the primer, paint and especially the scratch remover was not cheap but in the long run it did work. Boaty🤓

6 years ago by boaty

Response

Sanding down.

Thanks Doug. I bought some primer but can use on another project. I will find the filler primer recommended. I bought also for when I am happy with the preperation. I have a 24litre tank compressor and special regulator and moisture bottle in the line. I also bought a second airbrush with a slightly larger jet. I know that you are in Germany, but would I find the acrylic paint in large quantities in a decorating shop? Professional paint outlet? Seen tiny pots in the modelling shop but I would need loads of those. 😊

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Response

Sanding down.

Hi Peter, you're right about the sanding down. Take your time and apply a generous Dollop of Patience 😉 Any short cuts here will show up all through the painting process 🤔 See my Sea Scout 'Jessica' renovation blog re hull restoration!! My motto for painting is 'Brush for little fiddly bits, spray for big bits' e.g. hulls. I agree model shop spray cans are usually small and relatively expensive for big hull. I use giant cans from the professional suppliers, again see my Sea Scout blog for descriptions and suppliers. Also agree about care with the thin skins. After sanding and sealing, with Lord Nelson pore sealer, I reinforced my Sea Scout inside (where I could get to!) and out with DeluxeMaterials EzeKote resin. it's not the cheapest but it's water based, doesn't pong and doesn't need mixing with hardener Brushes just wash out in warm water. Couldn't be easier 😊 Flat off starting with about 600 or 1000 grit annd work up to 3000 grit and you should end up with a finish like glass - see decks of my Sea Scout😊 For my ELCO PTB I bought Colour Coats MTB Green (from Sovereign Hobbies in UK) for the darker camo patches and italeri Flat Sky, # 4856, which is almost identical to the lighter Pacific Green for the base coat. After painting and detailing, pennant number and decals and such, I shall seal it all with a matt spray varnish. i use the big Lord Nelson spray cans for that. Re Gun Tubs: love the gun carriages but I guess they're much too big for my 28" boat. 😭 BTW: forward gun tub is too far forward. it should be further aft just in front of the screen round the bridge entrance starboard side and should be set half into the forward cabin. Just cut half of the lower section of the tub away on the inboard side to match the cabin height. See pics. You might find this Pinterest site useful for more detail👍 https://www.pinterest.de/pin/557039047643301834/ Register to get full access, it's free and you can get updates for the things that interest you. Hi Ray, attached are pdf files of the Aerokits plan. Just scale up to what you need and awaaay you go 😉 Look forward to the Blog👍 Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Sealing a hull up

Hi there. I buy from this eBay trader: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500ML-Cellulose-Sanding-Sealer-Clear-Seal-For-Softwood-MDF-Hardwood-/182820765369?hash=item2a90f77eb9 Robbob.

6 years ago by robbob

Forum

Sealing a hull up

Hi I buy cellulose from ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500ML-Cellulose-Sanding-Sealer-Clear-Seal-For-Softwood-MDF-Hardwood/182820765369?hash=item2a90f77eb9:g:xoAAAOSwT6pVwbcJ £8.60 for 500ml

6 years ago by BigAlio

Forum

HMS HOOD by Trumpeter

Hi Steve, Great! Worth all the searching, waiting and effort 👍 A word to the wise! Don't rely completely on the self-sticky back! I made the experience with my Graf Spee that it tends to lift at the edges, and always in the most awkward places to get to 😤 - Thanks 'Murphy'! Recommend gluing round the edges with a medium thick gluper-sue!! Or sealing with a thin type if already fixed on! For my Flower Class, PoW and Bismarck & Co I shall stain the wood decks with Jotica Oak and then seal with Lord Nelson , as I also used on my Sea Scout. Followed by Lord Nelson spray satin varnish. BEFORE I fit it to the ship!! I am also going to refurb the decks of my Belfast cruiser and Graf Spee the same way. Keep on blogging, cheers Doug 😎 BTW: loved the antipodean 'deck' care instruction!! 😲😉 Would have loved to have been a 'fly on the wall' when your Missus found it! Can almost imagine the giggles 😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

The Saga of the Cabin Roof or - Arrrgh!

Typical of Aeorokits the cabin roof skin was made of two thin pieces of ply < 1mm. Over the 50 years or so the overhang corners had started to curl up and crack 😲 Pics 1 & 2 show the 'off the shelf' condition after 25 years of neglect 🤔. First I tried to correct this by soaking in hot water and flattening under a car battery (flattens most things😉). So far so good. Then some super glue in the cracks and back under the battery. After a day or two it just curled up again. Ho hum! Pour a glass of wine and back to the thinking board. Seconds Out - Round Two! Thought, OK make new pieces from the 0.6mm ply I still have and paint it - then my eye fell on some 1mm mahogany sheet (Ouch 😭). Tried to make the whole roof skin in one piece of this but the compound curve defeated me. The skin was steamed and soaked in hot water and clamped across the roof frame. Next morning - Arrrgh! Had started to crack along the centre line 😭 More thinks!! Carefully cut down the middle and glued and clamped the separate pieces; pics 3&4. Getting the two pieces to match in the middle was a tedious ***!!! Pic 5. Then mucho sanding. followed by 2 coats of Lord Nelson sealer, sand back with 600 grit sanding sponge. Then two coats of Lord Nelson matt varnish, sanding with 1000 grit in between. then two coats of Lord Nelson gloss varnish, sanding with 2000 grit in between. Pic 6. So far so good, pic 6. 3rd coat of varnish and - Arrrgh 2! 😡 Pic 7. No idea why! Sand off and start again, pic 8 😭 Treated each side separately, pics 9 & 10 and flatted off with 2000 grit. Then applied three coats of clear protective lacquer, sanding with 3000 grit between coats. Finally cutting back with auto paint restorer / cutting polish and finally polishing with anti-hologram finishing polish. Pic 11. Now I'm happy 😊 Pic 12. Only took a week 😉 Next week in this theatre - "I love you too Flash but we've only got 15 minutes to save the world"! or 'Will I ever get this hull finished?" 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Rear Cabin construction

today has seen the rear deck and cabin constructed. I lined the deck piece with some mahogany strip for a neater finish on the edge of the crapy liteply. Construction of the cabin was straight forward, this was followed by shaping, sanding, filling any gaps and a couple of coats of ready for paint. I have also added the railings and stanchions to the roof of the cabin as a start to the detailing to come. I have ordered a book from Amazon which is a reference book of the Waveney Class lifeboats, so hopefully there will be ample photos for the detailing I hope to add as we go on!

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

more progress.

First job today was to reduce the rudders by 1cmx1cm which I think not only looks better but should reduce the affects that have been mentioned in comments below. Ive fitted the cockpit which I assembled yesterday. its not the best fit into the deck, however, I shall blend it all in with some balsa strip, sand, filler, hopefully for a seamless finish. I have pictured the 2 x Hobbyking waterproof boat 30 amp esc. These are supposed to be water cooled, however I am not going to fit the tubing and start drilling water pickup and exit holes in the hull x 4 until I think that water cooling is going to be necessary. Once I have watt meter readings for 2S and 3S lipo, it will give me an idea what the ESC are going to be like. Of course if you guys think I need to go water cooling, please let me know! I have an Mtroniks W-tail mixer that will allow the motors to be synched to the rudders allowing the inboard motor to slow or stop when turning. Never used one before, so may need to some programming once hooked up, we shall see. Last job today was to shoot a could of coats of red oxide primer on the lower hull to see what the resin finish was like. on the whole not a bad finish at all, just a could of tiny areas that need a little sanding for a faily blemish free finish.

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

Glass clothing commenced

Spent most of the morning sanding, flating, , small amounts of filler where needle before a final coat of sealer and last sand. Left with a super smooth external hull! I’m hoping to cloth the hull in no more than 3 pieces starting with the transom as seen in the picture. Might be a bit slow next few days as back in day shift from tomorrow, might be able to sneak it into work Saturday?

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

Let’s make a stand!

More progress today! First thing was to make a stand from 6mm ply and 18mm dowel using the hull templates as described in the instruction sheet. Was a good excuse to get my scroll saw going! The rear stand will have some more cut-outs to clear the prop shafts, will do that when I’ve installed them. This was followed by a very messy and dusty couple of hours sanding and flaring the hull external sheeting followed by a good dose of cheap wood filler ( £1.99 from a pound shop in stowmarket, works well, sands nice!) in any gaps, cracks and imperfections. Will leave to dry overnight before sanding back and refilling where required before a couple of coats of , sanding back then on with glass clothing.

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

Decks in, ready to sand, fill and cloth!

Been a slow few days with work and chores around the house, but managed to get in the workshop today. Fore, centre and aft decks in, nose block rough shaped and glued, gunwales fitted. I’ve faced the rear and fore deck thingys with1:32 ply for a neater finish and replaced the kit gunwale thingys with a sandwich of 1:32 ply and 1:32 balsa. Tomorrow I have a “me” day as wife at work and I’m off work, so it will be a good chance to sand hull, filler were needed, , more sanding ready to start glass clothing Tuesday all being well.

6 years ago by Skydive130

Forum

Spraying/hand painting

I have used Halfords acrylic when restoring an old Aerokits Fireboat. However, it was not the easiest paint to work with and only got a good finish when everything was stripped down to the bare wood. I applied followed by Halfords primer then built up several coats of acrylic , leaving 3 hours between coats. When finished I used rubbing compound to get a good gloss. I am sure there must be better methods of painting model boats especially vintage ones that have already had coats of paint in the past.😁

6 years ago by boaty

Forum

Smit Nederland Model

Hi Dave M Thanks for the advice on the two part epoxy and the . Yes, I do plan on making a Build Blog on my Smit Nederland! I asked for advice because the kits from Dumas don't come with Glue or Painting advice! Looking forward to building the Smit Nederland! Ed

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Forum

Smit Nederland Model

Hi Ed ABS and wood can both be glued with Epoxy (two part) but white aliphatic wood glue will work just a well on wood to wood joints. Billings kits I have built in the past did tend to give advice on the glues to use. A light coat of works well for me. Make sure you coat both inside and out and support flat sheets to prevent warping. A Build Blog of your progress would be great! Good luck

6 years ago by Dave M

Blog

Decking

First piece of decking added at the bow. I’ve used a lamination of 1.5mm mahogany and 1.5mm obechi, this will be stained and varnished at the end. I’ve also added the mid chine rubbing strake from 1/32 x 2/16 ply, blended, filled and primed and sanded with . Hull exterior finished apart from 2 thin coats of resin. Next job is the fit remaining deck pieces which are currently glued and laminating under some heavy books!

6 years ago by Skydive130

Forum

What paint type

Hi Scotty (How are the dilithium crystals doing? 😉) Was expecting one of the vintage boat / Fireboat modellers to jump in here! Since no one did here's my two-pennyworth. Basically I consider the actual paint as cosmetic and not primarily to seal out water. Unless you want to use 2 part epoxy paints, which are not so easy to handle🤔 I used it on my U26 sub and it was pain in the you-no-where. First I would use inside and out. Then EzeKote or ClearKote inside and out. Especially where you want to let the planking shine! 👍 From Deluxe Materials - available Down Under from - see pic. this toughens the hull and gives added protection against knocks and bangs. Many of us then paint the inside with Hammerite, colour and texture, hammer or smooth etc, personal choice. This looks neat and is easy to keep clean. Out side acrylic is the easiest and most pleasant to use; water based so the painting tools are easy to clean with warm water and no dangerous to health or inflammable solvents. Easy to airbrush too😉 When the colour coat is finished and good an' dry you can then apply an acrylic clear lacquer coat, matt, silk or gloss as you wish. Hope this helps, cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Sometimes I hate work it gets in the way but I've managed to get the first fix for the prop tube at last now to leave for a while as work and courses in the way again. I have also managed to open the hole for rudder guide and presume this needs a bit of expoxy resin to secure it in place? The oiler is also fitted and a bit of cleaning of the inner hull to remove some of the old paint ready for coat after I've mounted and aligned the motor - not looking forward to that at all if past experience is anything to go by. But now the old mount is out there is more space and the prop and shaft is at a much better angle thanks to Dave and Doug😁😁

7 years ago by neilmc

Blog

Glass clothing hull

So, today after sheeting and filling hull yesterday, today has been dry enough outside to give the hull a coat of and a thorough rub down. This has been followed by applying glass cloth with a squeegeed initial coat of Z-poxy resin. This will be followed by sanding between a further 2 coats of resin.

7 years ago by Skydive130

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Doug no nut and bolt honest 😜😜 What is this fillet you and Dave talk about and how is it achieved as I presume its easier than fitting the support and drilling more holes in the keel? Also now I've extended the hole I obviously exposed new wood do I need to apply before applying glue or just slap it one. Do the photos look OK to start gluing??

7 years ago by neilmc

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Also regarding the Eze-kote I purchased some last year is this the same type of stuff Doug???

7 years ago by neilmc

Forum

eezebuild RAF tender

MDF does act like a sponge, but I would expect it to act the same with or fibreglass resin, don't discount it too soon👍 Cheers Wayne

7 years ago by Midlife306

Response

The electrics, drive & radio

Hi Doug and AllenA. Yes, it is indeed good old Hammerite 👍 I sealed all the interior surfaces with a couple of coats of and then two coats of the silver Hammerite on the hull bottom, sides and bulkheads and it gives a quite an attractive finish which is very durable. It was recommended by VMW in the build instructions and I'm very pleased with the result 😁

7 years ago by robbob

Forum

''Vanity'' leaves the building board

This one is (for you furriners) 80mm long by 50 wide. This is the tiddler between the roundhouse/tiller area and the companion aft. Then there's a bigger one forward of the companion and then a forward companion forward of the mast. Mast bitts, Samson posts for the bowsprit and prism bricks in the deck. Fortunately Vanity's deck was laid a la workboat, all planks parallel unlike most yachts. I shall pay for that simplicity when I deck Bloodhound. That has swept decks with mitred toeboards round every item of deck furniture, joggled into a King plank fore and aft and the main companion is shell topped, requiring steamed, tapered planks all the way across, but I tend to like the fiddly bits. The finish on that is cellulose . When the other light is done I'll varnish it all very thinly. Cheers, Martin

7 years ago by Westquay

Forum

How do I resolve my varnish problem?

Can't really add much to what Doug has said as he's covered the ground pretty well. I don't ever use paint stripper these days. I once used it to remove factory paint from a Matchbox toy when I was making a series of "Code 3" modified steam lorries. Very oddly the paint strippered ones refused to dry when sprayed with cellulose paint (yes, it was available then no probs.) if I sprayed over the factory paint it dried in minutes as cellulose will do. I hadn't had the problem before, but I certainly got it this time and I haven't wanted to use it since. On wood anyway, I wouldn't use anything liquid as it could always soak in and do who knows what damage. I would scrape the finish on your wood , but make sure you have read up on how to sharpen a cabinet scraper. The shiny ones are pigs to sharpen because they are stainless and you cannot get an edge on stainless. The best knives are NT stainless. As an ex clay modeller for the car industry, I can assure you that all slicks, which we called the thin flat scrapers, were spring steel. They had a nice gun blue finish, but would go rusty if you didn't look after them between contracts. Because you really need two hands to properly control a scraper you'll need to find a good way to hold the boat, but a sweet little job like that Sea Hornet will sit twixt your knees. Because you have all those fractures in a vertical way along the grain, keep your scraper in a diagonal way or it will pick up wood grain and damage the model. it may work if you work down the grain, perpendicular to the deck, so you are crossing the fissures in the varnish. I would suggest that if you want a varnish finish you will need to go over the wood with epoxy and possibly a light weight (1oz.) glass cloth. This will stop any tendency to split again. Surprisingly it does allow the grain to show still and after you have flattened the epoxy, you can then apply 2 or 3 coats, rubbed down in between as Doug says with a very fine paper, of a spar varnish. I have a no name tin which I am using on general stuff, from garden items to the spars of my "Vanity" model. When I did a model of a Rive Aquarama Special, I used an international Spar Varnish which has a slightly golden tinge. Now, the hard part. No boat I can ever think of had wood in a vertical lay on the hull. Ecen double or Riva's triple layer was diagonal, finishing with incredibly well selected horizontal layers. The Sea Hornet would be improved no end, I am sure with a layer of horizontal nature. What passes for mahogany these days is horrible stuff (and I would say that on your boat could even be teak, which should never be varnished), so I always used Steamed pear veneer, which has no figure and a very close grain. , then stain with you idea of mahogany(from an orangey colour to a rich reddy brown), then spar varnish. DO NOT stain the wood/veneer, always stain the first coats of finish. Riva do that too! I want to know what makes you say the mahogany is the only stuff on the hull. The Sea Hornet has 1/16th" ply skins like all Aerokits, so why not yours? Personally, I think it would look best if you painted the hull and spent your efforts on doing a nice laid deck in Pear veneer and caulking. A gloss black hull and a laid, varnished deck look very tasty, like a Greavette gent's Racer. Pic attached. Cheers, Martin https://model-boats.com/media/np/s/200/1494407879

7 years ago by Westquay

Forum

How do I resolve my varnish problem?

Yep. see your problem. You don't want to sand it through 😡 With paint strippers, and I've used some pretty aggressive ones - like when I stripped about 20 coats of ancient oil paints off the beautiful pine doors in my old cottage in Sandhurst many moons ago, I'm always a bit concerned with what remains in the wood. Therefore I would favour careful sanding with as fine a grit that will do the job before Christmas! Then apply a quality wood sealer, Ronseal was good in those days! Damp the wood to bring up fibres and hand sand 'em flat with 'flour paper', if that is still known!? it's so fine your fingers barely notice it, but the fibres do 👍 NOT Wet&Dry, it will discolour the wood. After that apply a UV resistant yacht grade varnish of your choice. I'm sure Martin can recommend something and correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I learned from my Granddad, who was a master carpenter. Amongst many other wonderful things he made church furniture. Wow! now Queen on the radio - 'The Show Must Go On'. 😊

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

How do I resolve my varnish problem?

Thanks Doug, the other plan is to sand it down, apply and paint it. John.

7 years ago by John2

Forum

Finishing

Yes, stay away from acrylic, water-based muck. Stick with enamels. The best of which are those made by HMG. They can also be sprayed with wonderfully smooth results. For wood, cellulose flatted back and then good spar or yacht varnish. General rule with paint?....The more it stinks the better it is. Acrylic doesn't stink much...QED. Martin

7 years ago by Westquay

Blog

Bluebird K7

Hi Dave, The 1/12 Bluebird is brushless (all running gear from PMB), as it's made from balsa, I've waterproofed everything with inside & out. To be honest I was planning on taking it to quiet stretches of the Leeds/Liverpool canal as I didn't think any scale model boat clubs would want anything to do with my boat, but I will have a look at what clubs there are locally. The 1/4.2 will be IC powered, I want it to reach a scale speed of 300mph so if I can hit 75mph in the real world with it I'll be very happy. I hope if I can keep it light enough a couple of Tiger King S27 Evo's will get me there. I've emailed PMB as they don't have any stock at the moment, to see when they are due some in, but I've not received a reply yet. Plan is to buy 1 engine initially so I can plan the layout & while I'm carrying on with the build I was going to drop it into this eBay hull to see how it performs. I have a couple of Enya 40ss motors, I'm going to try one in the Short Stuff & see how it goes. I can't cope sitting at home watching the telly, I like to keep busy😎 Cheers Wayne

7 years ago by Midlife306