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' 😉
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
Blog
HMS BRAVE BORDERER
The weather has quickly turned colder, giving an excuse to get back to this model.
Stripped out much of the interior and the prop. shafts to replace the nylon propellers with brass. These items all needed removing for painting, so decided to paint the hull before reassembly and then moving onto the superstructure.
Fortunately, examining similar naval vessels and several U Tube videos, confirmed the hull as light grey, the deck a darker one of the 50 shades of grey and the lower hull below the waterline black. Used thin
tamiya
masking tape to define clean colour separations, followed by regular tape, masked the hull into colour sections and sprayed using “rattle” cans. After the colours applied a light overall Matt coat to subdue any shine. The results are satisfactory. Will now reassemble and move onto building the superstructure and the other fittings.
Prior to the season closing decided to experiment with my new Flysky Tx/Rx package, shortly to be fitted to this model. This Tx has a servo limiting function, which was hoping could also be used to restrict ESC output. Would like to make the full speed motor response correspond to full Tx control position. Currently can over power the model; which lifts the stern, causing it to come off the plane and then dig the bow in.
Was thinking that if full throttle could be set at around 90% forward control movement and 40% sternwards the model would retain adequate performance, but without being overpowered or very sensitive to control lever movement.
As the Brave was not available, tried the idea on my Daman Stan 4207 model. This is brushed motor powered and a good performer. Obviously the settings for the Brave will be different, but at least could try to see if the idea would work – it did!
This Tx function is easy to use and adjustments can be made whilst the model is on the water. Once the ideal settings are achieved they can be programmed and then retained in the Tx. Will try this on the Brave when back on the water next Spring.
6 years ago by Rowen
Forum
HMS Campbeltown 1941, 1/96 scale
Just had a look at the colours you suggest on the Colour Coats chart and they would fit the bill.
Looking at the Life Colour charts I can't see anything that's close.
My ideal would be acrylics and I see you have a conversion chart for
tamiya
, which I believe are acrylic.
Can you convert M23 and RN06 please?
Thanks.
Steve
6 years ago by cormorant
Forum
LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights
Hello, Doug:
Out of curiosity, did you remove the molded-on plastic ladder rungs from inside of the mast to gain more space for wires?
Seeing your finished mast has shown me that it’s best to keep the original nav light locations. Having all 6 lights on the main mast will make it look too cluttered. With all of the lights switched on it’ll look like a light saber is jutting out of the pilot house roof.
Do you know if there are standards governing the horizontal spacing of navigation lights? There should be, otherwise I’d think the lights could tend to overlap & look like one big light, especially in fog.
BTW, the cables you added to the mast antennas look great. The smooth curve of the cables & the weather boots at the antenna connections add a lot of realism. Well done!👍🏻
Speaking of details, do you know if tugboats carry anchors? if so, what type? As far as I know the US Coast Guard requires every powered vessel to have at least one anchor. I see no reason why tugboats would be exempt from this rule.
I’m glad you mentioned using a
tamiya
sanding sponge as a means of removing the factory-applied lettering. There’s a model railroad technique I’ve used successfully where an ordinary pencil eraser & window cleaner are used to remove lettering. I’m sure it would work on my boat but I might not live long enough to get it finished. Shortly after I got the boat I ordered a cloth American flag & scale Plimsoll markings from BECC. Sadly BECC has gone out of business. Another good supplier goes around the bowl & down the hole. Sad.
Regarding the winch again, your comments tell me that I may have mislead you into thinking that my boat has a winch. it doesn’t, but I did say I’m planning to scratchbuild one. in fact, I’m going to sketch one out right after I post this message.
Thanks,
Pete
6 years ago by PittsfieldPete
Forum
Plimsoll Line
I get the boat absolutely level and, using a laser level, mark the plimsol line on hull.
After checking,
join the marks up
using
tamiya
masking tape
6 years ago by Rowen
Blog
Dumas 1203 Coast Guard Lifeboat (RNLI Waveney conversion)
So here we go again! I have decided to give other projects a rest for a time in favour of this little gem. Pick up off eBay for less than £100 NIB posted, couldnt resist!
Its the Dumas (kit no:1203) 44' Coast Guard Lifeboat. I dont know if this kit is still produced by Dumas and having looked at the Die cutting of the parts, certainly seems like an old kit? However, I love my building and the challenges, so I am sure it will turn out nice at the end. Finished length 33".
I shall be converting this to a RNLI Waveney Class Lifeboat and will possibly go with 44-003 named "Khami" which was based in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, which is local to me here in Suffolk. Sadly very little turns up on this boat via Google, but at some stage may pop out to the Great Yarmouth Lifeboat station and see if I can hunt anymore info on her.
I shall not be using the recommended Dumas running gear for 2 reasons, 1st its a geared set-up (I am going with MFA540 brushed direct drive) and the cost of over £150!
Photos show the box artwork, plans and the included wood. Last photo shows my electrics less propshafts and props that are on order. Note the Star Wars 3.75" figures that with poetic licence could be painted to represent crew. However, at this point the model is approx 1;16 scale and the figures would be 1:18 scale so maybe too small. There are 1:16 scale lifeboat figures available but pricey?
My one issue at this point is going to battery choice? do I go with a small 6v lead acid or perhaps 2
tamiya
type 7.2v NIMH in series. anyone who has built anything like this may want to advise. LIPO not an option as the Mtroniks ESC do not support LIPO. Space inside the hull may also be an issue?
Another issue is going to be fabricating some propshaft struts for the rear next to the props. There is quite a bit of prop shaft exposed outside the hull, so these would be integral to support and strength of the propshafts. is there anything available off the shelf (they are included in the running gear set, but dont seem to be available on there own) of do I need to fabricate from brass tube and sheet/strip brass?
6 years ago by Skydive130
Blog
Seat Trials and mods.
It’s been a while since the boat had it’s maiden voyage on the lake at St. Albans and I’m pleased to report that it looks really good in the water and goes like stink if you open up the throttle.
Sadly I still don’t have any decent video of the boat yet as I can’t film and drive the thing at the same time, but I do have some static wide shots from my GoPro.
When I do the video I’ll ask a cameraman mate to do the honours, maybe I’ll put the GoPro on the bow and then the stern to get some low action shots…the storyboard is already building in my head!!
These early runs were great as they showed up some minor problems that needed attending to.
I found that it needed ballasting slightly as it was not sitting on the waterline evenly from side to side so I flattened out some old lead water pipe and cut it into small sections so that I could add ballast incrementally.
I did this in the ‘domestic test tank’ and once I was happy the lead pieces were fixed in place inside the hull with some super strong double sided tape.
The ESC needed a little programming adjustment because I had forgotten to set the low battery level point to ‘off’ as I am using NiMh batteries and not LiPo’s , that was the cause of the short initial run time on the first outing…..DOH !!
The batteries are now held in place by Velcro straps on some bearers that I added, otherwise a battery change involved cutting cable ties and replacing them at the lakeside…not very practical.
The volt/amp/watt meter is also now on a proper bracket so that the display is more readable.
I have also changed the charging connection from the nasty
tamiya
connector to a nice little panel mount XT 60 connector that HobbyKing sell, it comes with a handy blanking plug that I have drilled for a retaining cord.
I have also finally got around to upgrading the firmware on my Turnigy i6 radio to the 10 channel version so that I can assign the lighting to the switches properly and have the rotation of the searchlight on one of the two rotary knobs.
I can use the old 6 channel RX in the new boat….blog coming soon.
6 years ago by robbob
Forum
LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights
Doug:
Why do we do it? So many kits, so little time. I just looked at my list...736 kits, not counting the last year’s worth of purchases. I’ve convinced myself that it’s a nest egg.
My downstairs stash of 1:350 ships also has the
tamiya
HMS Hood, Big E & USS Missouri. I’ve got the RMS Titanic, too & the RMS Lusitania as well. Subs of all types, a resin USS Long Beach & Bainbridge to compliment the Big E. Remember the famous “Nuclear Navy Trio” photo? I’ve attached a copy in case anyone hasn’t seen it.
The 1:350 Normandie is an astounding resin cottage industry kit that I got at a very good discount but it still cost twice as much as my first car! I can send you the link to it if you like, but make sure you’re seated before you look at the price.
BTW, I found sets of pre-cut, self-adhesive wood decks for the Titanic & Hood, too, I believe, & a few others, but I can’t remember which ones. They really make a model pop, for sure, but I’d be inclined to use contact cement or something so they don’t “pop” off the model. if you’re interested I can send info about those to you, too.
Pete
6 years ago by PittsfieldPete
Blog
Final Finishing before Sea trials ;-)
A quick Flashback to May 😲 Got sidetracked with 'lectrickery' an' stuff🤔
Hull was given a final spray top coat and gloss clear lacquer coat. All flatted back in between coats with 3000 grit
tamiya
W&D sponges. Used wet with a drop of liquid soap. Then a few hours of polishing with car paint cutting compound and finally with 'anti hologram' polish until it feels like glass.😊 Same polishing procedure for the decks and cabin sides.
Fitted a few deck fittings; tank filler caps, which also hold the aft deck down, and 'Jam' cleats fore and aft. Both from the 'Riva' range from Krick. Apart from the cockpit she's done! Need suitable scale crew and cockpit furniture now. Ship's wheel I have but that's it so far.
Last pic is a reminder of how the 'old girl' started out last year, after 25 years of neglect in the cellar!
Sea Trial soon. Cheers, All, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights
Thanks, Doug.
I really like the idea of simply using the exact same white LED for everything, including all of the colored LEDs currently on the boat. Coloring each LED the appropriate colors is the ideal solution. Glass lacquer is a great idea, plus
tamiya
makes a translucent or semi-opaque acrylic paint available in many colors. Paints are ideal because I can control the depth of color simply by applying more coats. Another plus is that I can replace the somewhat cheesy looking port & starboard sidelights with more realistic ones. I like it!
Will you please rework things as necessary to account for white LEDs as I’ve described?
Things are coming together beautifully.
Thanks,
Pete
6 years ago by PittsfieldPete
Response
Crew Arrived!
Shades of 'Honey, I've Shrunk The Kids' 😲
Now if you'd accidentally bought 1/350 I could have helped you out.
They'd have done nicely as Flight Deck crew for my
tamiya
1/350 USS Enterprise 'The Big E'. 😉
Can't you send 'em back and swap 'em?
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Response
Main deck and triming!
Hi Ed, don't know about cooking oil, but I DO know that vinegar works!
it can also soften up brushes that have gone hard 😊
I rescued a few 1" and 1/2" varnish brushes like that.
Pongs a bit 😲 so put the jars outside!
Very surprised you couldn't get clean lines with the
tamiya
tape.
Did you press the edges down firmly?
I use the butt end of a small brush for that.
Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Response
Five windows left!
Hi Doug, Donnieboy!
tamiya
tape is very good!
Doug, I painted my Southampton. To look more like the Wyeforce! which I believe she is based on! Redid her about 8 yrs ago! Sorry Doug, Not another Southampton!
Donnieboy, I still haven't weathered the Brooklyn!
Not sure if I'm going to! But Thanks cos if she looks weathered.
I must be doing some right!👍
6 years ago by figtree7nts
Response
Five windows left!
tamiya
tape is great stuff.Good job.I have used it for taping off water lines and anything else that needed it.Are you also doing a little weathering as you go along.I noticed some colouring on the bottom structure.
6 years ago by Donnieboy
Response
Five windows left!
Yep, the
tamiya
stuff! brilliant ain' it😉
Leaves a lovely clean edge.
I used it on my Sea Scout and will shortly on the fish cutter and PTB.
Nice job Ed 👍 Have you got time to 'pop' over and do up my Southampton for me? 😁
Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...
Hi, looks like you've already got the
tamiya
connector on that one lead. Just put the 4mm plug on the red lead and you're good to go!
If you only recently bought the NiMh batts they can't be dead yet.
Half dead maybe 😁
Re charging:
1 what voltage and capacity is the battery?
2 what current does the charger supply?
Look at the info on a label or embossed on the back.
Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...
Right, thanks, Doug, I think I get that. I need to get a
tamiya
female connector with 4mm plugs on tother end for the nimh packs, although they could be dead too by now.
I didn't get a Spektrum combo as I knew I could get a perfectly good Rx. cheap and as ever I have to watch what I spend carefully. I didn't expect Greeno to flog me a dead 'un.
So this time I bought FlySky and in order to get it for an amazing 20 quid, it turned out to be one of those pistol jobbies. I don't like the look of them, I must say. I couldn't think of anything worse than buggy racing, BUT that's what comes with a 20 quid spend. I might make a ship's wheel to go on the steering twiddler On the yacht the sails will be going out as the throttle goes forward and in when it's pulled back. Seems logical to me.
Thanks for the info on the charger bits, but could you tell me how long to charge the LiPo in the Tx? There's nothing in the instructions about it as it must be a modern upgrade. The leaflet says put in 4 newly charged AAs!
Cheers,
Martin
6 years ago by Westquay
Forum
Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...
Evenin' Martin,
OK-
1. Your NiMhs have
tamiya
plugs.
2. Correct charge lead for those would be the one in your last pic.
BUT; it puzzles me that it seems to have one 4mm plug, OK, and one 4mm socket?? if that IS the case; Why? Should have two plugs to go in the charger. Change it for one of your new 4mm plugs.
3. You can charge the LiPo with the lead second from right.
The 'bricks' are 'T' or 'XT' connectors.They look like XT60. Common on LiPos.
Select LiPo and 'Auto' on the charger and it will do the rest.
Don't forget to plug in the little white Balancer plug so the charger knows what it is charging and can balance the cells.
Guess the next question will be:- 'But the white plug is too big to fit the charger'! if so you need an adaptor! See pic. The adaptor is in the middle; 'XH Adaptor'. Plugs on batteries are XH, sockets on chargers the smaller EH. it's a conspiracy to force us to buy adaptor boards or cables 😡
However, if the LiPo hasn't been used or charged for years I don't hold out much hope for it 🤔 At the bottom of my pic you can see one of my capacity / cell voltage testers.
Glad the FlySky package works. What does a Luddite learn from that?
Buy TX and RX together as a so called 'Combo' and they come ready bound, saving a lot of F'ing and Blinding 😉
Was very surprised you bought a car pistol grip with trigger throttle.
Might be OK for throttle (cars are usually 'digitally driven'; i.e. Flat Out or Stop!) But I wonder how you'll get on with that on a sail winch 😲
Bon chance mon ami 👍 Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Charging NiMhs, one for Doug?...
Hi Martin,
1. What the blue blazes is a wall wart? 🤔
2. You can't do any harm to the RC gear with an under charged battery👍
But if you use it before charging it you may drive it below it's damage threshold of 1.1V per cell if you use it too much in that state.
A word of warning: some RXs and ESCs don't like more than 6.0V (e.g. Action electronics/Component Shop) and a fully charged NiMh can be more than that so check the specs of your RX and ESC first!
3. Get yourself a simple battery capacity checker, see attached pics of the two I have. As you can see, they all look the same except for plastic colour and brand name. They only cost few quid and save a lot of ruined batteries and cost/heartache😉 Available from HobbyKing etc etc.
They can check voltage and capacity. For LiPos they check individual cells. For NiCad or NiMh it just checks total voltage and capacity as most NiMh don't have external connections to individual cells like the LiPos do for balancing the cells. As I still have some hi power NiMh drive batteries, for ESCs that are not LiPo safe, I made a simple JR/
tamiya
adaptor to connect to the monitor.
In my pics you can see the % charge / capacity display. Some show only around 46% cos they are 'as delivered' with a storage charge only.
Before use they need fully charging.
4. Re Charger: Just downloaded the manual - I'll get back to you on that when I've read it. Now it's 'Eat'n time' 😁
Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Response
Seeing the light
Nice tidy work Peter 👍,
Good jointing, sign of some well cared for sharp tools 👍
I use
tamiya
tape as well. Gives a good clean edge and the glue does not attack painted and varnished surfaces. So if the underlying paint was applied over a good primer it shouldn't lift at all.
As to how long to let dry; check your paint can for info about 'touch dry' and 'can be overpainted after ...' times. To be in the safe side don't apply the tape at the 'touch dry' time, wait a coupla hours more. Leaving to dry (and harden in the sun or under a halogen lamp) speeds things up a bit 😉 Also, don't apply paint too thick otherwise it can go touch dry on top (skinning) but still be soft underneath - then masking tape may lift it more easily 🤔
Can you pdf or jpeg me your circuit diagram please? Sounds interesting 😊 Cheers, Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Blog
Seeing the light
It has been a busy time at work which means that I have very limited time to build at the moment. All things considered all is going well.
I have started the superstructure. The components are requiring a lot of additional work to fit them. I am glad about this as it is all good experience. My sandpaper and files are glowing due to over use.
I have found a very useful filler at my local model shop made by Red Devil. it is extremely light and sets in a very short time; ten minutes. it says that it can be painted after ten minutes. Don`t think I will test this.
I have fitted the deck and sanded down the hull sides to match. I think the weather is almost good enough to start the painting. I am still a little concerned about this particularly with the use of masking tape. I am worried that the previous layers which are covered by the tape will peel on removal. Can anybody tell me how long to allow paint to dry before applying tape and how long can the tape stay in place. I am using
tamiya
tape.
I have decided to illuminate most of the lights and will make a module for flashing the blue light. I have lots of electronic components here as I enjoy making prototype circuits. Unfortunately, my love of making these boards is not matched with a knowledge of exactly how they work so I am sure I will be asking for help with the circuit diagram. I have all the components here.🤓
Well that all for now. I am currently constructing all of the deck items. This I find more difficult due to the manipulation of very small parts having `sausage fingers`. Must buy more tweezers!!😊
6 years ago by MouldBuilder
Response
Thanks, for the input won't pull on it too hard!
I got the 6mm and 40mm for now! I got the 6mm to help me make the turn on aft of the hull! Here goes nothing!
6 years ago by figtree7nts
Response
The
tamiya
tape is great stuff to work with.I use it all the time.
Just make sure you keep a constant pressure on it.Don't pull on it too hard.It does take curves depending on the width of the tape.
Enjoy marking your waterline.
6 years ago by Donnieboy
Blog
Well the
tamiya
Tape arrived! Now I can go ahead and fix the waterline on the Brooklyn! There's some over spray I have to tidy up. Once I'm done with that. on to the Deck and Deck hardware!
6 years ago by figtree7nts
Response
Hi Ron,
don't worry👍 I already sent Ed some wiring diagrams with resistor calcs for his LED circuits and links to resistor sources in the US.
BTW: I assume you meant Component Shop, or maybe RS Components? Otherwise just 'components' could mean anything / anywhere, especially to Ed who is in USA! Thanks for responding anyway👍
Cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Response
If it's the resistors for LED's then I would highly recommend components, very good price and prompt delivery.
6 years ago by kmbcsecretary
Blog
I've placed an order for some
tamiya
tape.
As Doug, RNinMunich recommended!
Trying to cleanup the waterline on the Brooklyn!
Oh, Had to order a new battery pack. for my wireless Dremel also!
Does anyone know of a good electronics place one can order resisters from?
6 years ago by figtree7nts
Forum
Deck Colour
Evenin' George, any mid to dark green would do nicely. Suggest a satin / semi matt paint. Something like the Humbrol 131 or 195 in the attached chart. Of course it doesn't have to be the little Humbrol tins (unless you have an airbrush😉) but a similar colour in aerosol, maybe from
tamiya
.
Type depends on what was on it before!!
To be on the safe side give it a couple of thin coats of grey primer first.
Flat off with 600 wet & dry then apply the colour coats. E.g. acrylic.
Where on earth, and when, can you sail up there in the frozen North!? 😲
Good luck, and have fun, cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Help Needed new Builder Billings St Canute
Thanks Skipper, the charger that I have does have
tamiya
connections, but can I use the existing charger that I have or should I buy another one for the compact battery? I don't want to damage the new battery when it arrives....
Cheers
6 years ago by Richard7
Forum
Help Needed new Builder Billings St Canute
Richard the battery should come with the standard
tamiya
connection
6 years ago by kmbcsecretary
Response
The Lone Ranger Rides Again or Hull Finishing ;-))
Hi Boatshed, Know what you mean about brushing and brushes!
You CAN achieve the same effect with brushes, but it takes much longer, with much more flattening in between coats. So much more 'secret ingredient is needed!
Brushes from DIY shops, and most model shops, you can forget 🤔 too synthetic, too coarse and too prone to shedding hairs. 😡
For tiny detailing work, esp on Plastic Magic projects, I went to an art supplies store! Prompted by the GF who is into oil and water colour painting! There you will find a great selection of very fine real hair brushes in sizes from 'Help I can't see it'! to about 1" flat, used for applying 'washes' 😉 Not cheap, but quality never is!
For example; I'm using a 1/4" flat camel hair brush for renovating the wood decks of my Graf Spee and HMS Belfast with sealer and satin varnish from the Lord nelson range. Will also apply some Jotica Oak stain to dampen the bright colour a bit.
For the pinstripe / Boot Topping on the Sea Scout I'm 'Going for Gold', to be applied with the finest airbrush nozzle I have and using
tamiya
masking tape to get a good clean edge. hardest part will be getting the tape on right 😲
Hope I don't mess up what I have already achieved! Cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Response
Bollard Hieght!
Hi Doug,
All I saw was the grey, Reminded me of my Navy days!
Thanks for the paint chart! it really helps a lot.
The #90, Beige Green matt is what I'm looking for!
I've use
tamiya
paints in the past! Liked the way the paint went on smoothly on to the surface!
Yes, I will be asking a lot about the LED's connection!
I'll be using 3mm LED's. Steve (Cormorant). Was very kind to send me some to me. also a smoke generator which is not tested yet! Have to order the fuel for it!
6 years ago by figtree7nts
Response
Bollard Hieght!
My pleasure Ed,
It's actually a New Zealand navy frigate, probably one of the German (Blohm & Voss) MEKO types built for the ANZAC program. Pic is from under the Heli Deck on the stern. First 'fairlead' pic I stumbled on in my archive, don't have too many tugs in the electronic stash😉
Let me know if you need any help with the LED circuit; dropping resistor etc.
I agree with the green, so dark makes her look a bit drab and 'sinister'. A lighter shade would be more cheerful - and easier to see on the pond!
Attached is a Humbrol wall chart (with some conversion tables to other makes) which might give you some inspiration 😉 How about #90, Beige Green matt? You might also look at
tamiya
and italeri acrylics.
Cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
HMS HOOD by Trumpeter
Greetings Doug, Wow! you do have a collection, and I thought I had plenty, is your enterprise the
tamiya
one, now, but they seemed to have vanished, what colour paint would you suggest for my Bismarck I bought the Lifecolor German Navy WWII set 1, but not enough paint for the whole ship, Trumpeter quote UA603 Hellgrau DKM 50...but what light grey?🤔
cheers Peter
6 years ago by Rookysailor
Forum
Aerokits Patrol Torpedo Boat
Hi MB, can only say what I have which works and I ain't set the house on fire yet 😉 Not surprisingly for someone living in Munich both mine are from German companies!
Robbe Power peak Uni 7 and Graupner Unimat 14. There are later versions of both around nowadays but you can still find these on Amazon / Ebay etc.
Both of them have automated programmes for various Lithium types, NiMH / NiCad (not recommended these days!) and SLAs.
Robbe is now defunct and their Marine stuff taken over by Graupner and marketed as RoMarin! Pics also show the Balancer Adaptor Boards, necessary to connect the balancer cable of the battery. This ensures that each cell is equally charged 😊
I also included in the pics the little battery Capacity Testers I use. They cost around a tenner and are very useful for checking the capacity before a run or charging, as well as the voltage and capacity of each cell, which gives an indication of the battery condition.
I found some duff cells with the tester in a few batteries I'd only just bought 😡
When looking for / buying a charger look also for a LiPo Safe bag to charge them in. E.g. LiPo Guard.
Charger may cost 50 quid upwards depending on how many charging outlets you want and how many Bells & Whistles. But I get on well with these two 😉 I like the Robbe version cos I can charge two LiPos at the same time.
Also in the pics are a few of the charging cables I made up with gold 4mm bullet plugs for the charger end and
tamiya
and BEC (for my Plastic magic stuff!) at the batt end.
Such adaptor cables are also available 'ready made' but I just like fiddlin' 😊 Hope this helps, Cheers Doug 😎
Nearly forgot! Can't say for sure what current your motor will draw cos I don't know all the other details, but a 40" boat will need some shove! So I wouldn't go below the 5000mAH if you want a half decent run time.
A 40" boat can carry a bit of weight! And batt power is more useful than pure ballast 😉 Recommend a little Wattmeter to check the max current draw - see last pic.
Basic theory!
A fully charged 5000mAh (or 5AH) batt can theoretically deliver 5A for one hour, or 10A for half an hour and so on!
Say your set up draws 20A with the 'pedal to the metal' then a 5000mAH batt will 'theoretically' last 15 minutes. Theoretically cos other factors are in play; initial charge state, temperature, internal resistance of the cells, cable losses etc. The latter is why I only use gold connectors!
The higher the batt capacity the higher the price and weight. So suggest you start with the 5000 and see how (long) it goes. Then check the weights of higher capacity batts (and the bank account / management approval😉) Bon chance mon ami!
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Blog
The Lone Ranger Rides Again or Hull Finishing ;-))
Sooo ... Happy with the cabin and main deck so onward and upward with the hull. At a previous stage the hull was already sealed, primed and two coats of gloss Royal Blue, or at least what passes for Royal Blue in Germany - seems a little light to me but I like it anyway.
Over-spray from other operations was sanded off with a 600 grit sponge.
This revealed a few imperfections around the bow that needed sealing (EzeKote) and re-flattening. No one's perfect!😉
These areas were re-primed using a primer-filler from the pro auto branch, flattened off with 1000 and 1500 W&D and the whole hull given a quick blast of Royal Blue again and flattened with 2000 grit wet. Pic 1.
The finishing coats were then applied: 3 coats blue and 3 coats protective lacquer (contains a UV filter😎). Flattening with wet 3000 plus liquid soap between each coat.
Finally cutting polish and finishing polish, as for cabin roof and main deck.
Polishing might give her an extra knot or so, scale of course😊
Results of all this can be seen in pics 2-6.
After removing all the masking tape full effect is shown in pics 8-10.
Minor Arrrgh!: the masking tape on the main deck had been on too long and the white on the cabin walls had hardened, so when I removed the tape some paint came with it 😡 No sweat! I'll trim the cabin with a mahogany moulding 😁
BTW: the W&D used here are all
tamiya
sanding sponges. Not the cheapest sort of W%D but I'm so impressed with how they work and their longevity that I've acquired a modest stock of grits from 240 to 3000😉
Only slight disadvantage; it's virtually impossible to get old colour out of them, unlike W&D paper, so you need new sponges for a new colour!
E.g. I didn't want to use sponges I'd used on the blue hull for the white cabin walls!! Big advantage: you can use them wet on raw wood without staining the wood black!
So, that's how I've spent the last two weeks, what have U lot been up to??? 😉 Happy painting people, cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Just getting started
... as well as set squares (30/60 & 45/45), compass and dividers.
tamiya
masking and trim tape is also very good for when it comes to the painting. They give good clean sharp edges 😊
Happy shopping, time to bash the credit cards! Cheers Doug 😎
6 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
tamiya
- King George V. Update.
Still painting small parts, but have been limited by illness since November. Also looking for suitable motors. Have decided to use the props supplied, well two of them. Made propshafts from 1mm stainless steel and shaft tubes from 2mm O.D. brass tube. Just need to cut to length, once I have the motors.
Will update again soon.
6 years ago by Colin H
Forum
Twin motor control problem
Hi Dave and Paul, as the two current esc’s are new under warranty and came fitted with
tamiya
connectors. I am reluctant to cut the wires for now hence the connectors. The switches are one from each ESC one of which has the red wire cut. The range test was fine so the tx and rx are fine. The rx goes at the front under the deck far away from everything and above the waterline when it sinks in full reverse. The wires were out so you could see how everything is connected. if this does not work I can try two batteries next.
6 years ago by John2
Forum
Twin motor control problem
Hi John
Thanks for the pics.
I see you are using
tamiya
connectors. My experience is that they are unreliable and not suitable for currents above about 5amps.
You appear to have the battery wired to both ESCs though one socket. As your problem occurs when both ESCs are connected I suspect the connectors are the culprits as they work then fail fairly quickly. Easily checked by using two separate batteries.
If this is the problem I would hard wire the two ESCs to a chocolate screw block with just one socket for the battery. You might also want to consider a fuse in the positive wire to the battery.
There are two switches, what are they switching and what type of switch?
I can see the Y lead has one red wire taped up so assume power is from one of the ESCs?
Where do you put the rx when the top is on?
Hope you manage to move forward tomorrow.
Dave
6 years ago by Dave M
Forum
Twin motor control problem
This is sounding more and more like interference and low voltage.
Can you post a few pics of your setup, showing all the wiring, motors, ESCs, Rx and battery.
Are you using
tamiya
connectors by any chance? Also are all your connections good - no green verdigris on any?
6 years ago by Dave M
Blog
Progress on the hull - At Last!
After many distractions and accumulating 'stuff' to go in and on the boat I finally got around to tidying up the hull this week.
After flattening with 180 / 240 wet and dry I sealed with Ezekote flattened again then sprayed with a professional grade primer / filler from the auto branch.
As usual this showed up all the pits so I filled them with Revell Plasto and primed again. After going round this loop a few times I was (reasonably) happy and flattened with 600 W&D.
Then sprayed on Royal Blue from a giant rattle can, also from the auto pro market. Flattened off with 1200 W&D between coats. I have
tamiya
Royal Blue acrylic for my air brush as well but couldn't be bothered to set up the compressor🤔 Can worked pretty well though. 👍
Last pic shows the 'Before'!
Will leave the final finishing, nameplate and lacquer coat until I have finished the internal fitting out and the cabin. Have decided to plank the cockpit with mahogany😲 just ordered from Krick! First attempt at planking - Wish me luck!
I like the blue hull so much I think I will just mark the waterline with a red (or white?) boot topping stripe. Comments welcome.
Cabin will be white with a blue roof.
Now to continue with the new prop shaft, old one is showing signs of wear at both ends and rust at the wet end 🤔 Anyway it's got an imperial thread which is useless when all my brass props are metric.
More soon, I hope 😉 Cheers Doug 😎
7 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Hobby Engine Richardson Upgrade
Hi Doug, now that your bits have arrived, plan your fit out, remember the battery needs to be in a place where it can be easily removed, don't charge in the hull, as for the mini
tamiya
plugs, i bought converter plugs from ebay, female to male.
RN makes a good point, if you standardise on 1 plug system it is so much easier, i am in the process of changing all my batteries to the XT60 system, Lipo and NiMh, mini
tamiya
are good for 10 amps,
tamiya
at about 15 amps, XT60, about 60 amps, other plug systems are available, Deans etc, often it is the connectors which cause the problems.
Mark
7 years ago by jarvo
Forum
Hobby Engine Richardson Upgrade
BTW: I wouldn't bother with the
tamiya
converters, just another potential 'point of failure'. Decide on your 'standard' connector, chop off the wrong one and fit the right one!
Have just been faced with the same dilemma; different batteries with different connectors. Have decided as follows:-
High current XT60,
Medium (~10A max)
tamiya
mini,
Plastic Magic mini red BEC.
ALL gold plated!
Cheers Doug 😎
7 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Hobby Engine Richardson Upgrade
The bits and pieces have started to arrive today. I am very impatient - spoilt only child so want it all NOW..............
Having issues with sound system decision. Plenty of types around, but do not know which will suit best. Any views?
Also where to source mini
tamiya
/Standard
tamiya
converters.
Also be interested to see how Doug's P94 dual ESC and rudder mixer fits and works.
Cheers all.
NPJ
7 years ago by NPJ
Forum
Hi, Just to whet your appetite! 😜 A few jpegs from the pdf article, so you can see what you've let yourself in for 😉 I wouldn't mess with the brass etched parts unless you've done it before! I nearly went bonkers making quad 0.5" Vickers machine gun mounts at 1:600 for my HMS Manxman 😆 350 scale is better - slightly!
Have fun, Doug 😎
7 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Hi all, on way back from hospital appointment I called into charity shop and spent 25p. On boxed unbuilt model of King George V. When I got home and checked it out, its all there and about 75 % painted. All paints also in the box with glue as well. It looks big enough to convert to a sailable model, has anyone done this model and do you have any tips or information that would help, I'm a plastic kit total beginer.
Thanks Colin.
7 years ago by Colin H
Forum
Hi Colin, see what you mean!🤔
I have a digital subscription to Model Boats so I can read it online😉
Have 'extracted' the KGV &PoW article as pdf file. 😉
Unfortunately the stupid HTML reader only lets you 'print' two pages at a time so I ended up with 5 files! PM me your email and I will send them to you. This site has no pdf file handler🤔😡
In the meantime here's an article from the same guy describing the RC conversion of KM Bismarck, at 1:700 !! 😲 it's from the Forum.
http://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article/plastic-magic-km-bismarck/16368
Cheers Doug 😎
7 years ago by RNinMunich
Forum
Thanks Doug, will check them out, by the way I can't locate the article by Tony Dalton about the King George V. it said I have to have a subscription to the magazine to view it. I signed up on the free bit, which let me read lots of forum stuff, most interesting, but not what I was looking for. God feel totally pi***d this morning from my pain killers.
Cheers Colin.
7 years ago by Colin H
Forum
Hi again Colin, apropos prop tubes and shafts for plastic magic, here's a good method-
http://www.building-model-boats.com/model-boat-propeller-shaft.html
and here how to make the props themselves, for us method 2 is adequate.
http://members.dodo.com.au/~sjbatche/making_propellers.htm
Happy snipping! Cheers and good night, Doug
7 years ago by RNinMunich