Blog

Brooklyn Tugboat

Brooklyn Tug is 1:32 Scale. She's 39.1/2" L.O.A. x 9.5" Beam. Estimated at 24lbs when completed! The Brooklyn was built in 1910 and owned by the New York Dock Co. She was steam powered all her life and was never converted over to Diesel. The Brooklyn was one of many railroad tugs designed to transfer railroad cars from one side of New York to the other on barges!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

The well deck floor & sides.

The ‘box’ of the prototype I’m building is made of balsa wood, later production models are produced in ply and have the planking lines laser etched on the floor panels, and as balsa doesn’t take stain particularly well I have used separate obeche panels to line the box internally that can be finished with the Teak stain that I’m using. This does, however, mean that I can apply the deck lines using a black indelible marker pen and incorporate some detail lines around the motor housing. I started by cutting and shaping two obeche panels that join along the centre line of the deck and fit neatly around the motor mount and prop-shaft, then I used some tracing paper over the panels to make a test pattern for the planking lines. When I was happy with the layout of the lines I first applied two coat of Teak stain to the panels, and when that was dry I used a .8mm pen to mark the deck lines, the ink takes a while to dry fully and I found it all too easy to smudge some lines 😡 which had to be very quickly taken off with a dampened cotton bud and re-applied. After 24 hours the ink had fully dried and was impervious to smudging and resistant to removal by any means (except a solvent). The floor panels were then glued down to the balsa floor with an even spread of aliphatic glue and ed down over all of the area as there was a tendency for the panels to curl and lift. Each side panel was made in one piece and then separated into two parts to make the fitting easier, the join will be covered with a vertical detail strip, and they were also stained before being glued and clamped in place. No lining detail was applied to the side panels as I’ll do this with other surface applied pieces later but only in the area outside of the cabin. All the panels were given a couple of coats of satin lacquer to enhance and protect the finish.

5 years ago by robbob

Response

Basic hull construction completed

Great work on the hull Stuart. I built the same kit last year and really enjoyed the project, the Huntsman is an awesome looking craft too and super light . in mine I’ve experimented with a few different brushed motors, trying to get scale speed versus “play time” balance. I landed on a 35 turn which at half speed is pretty good for scale speed and at full noise it really gets up and moves for a bit of fun. The last few runs I’ve seen up to 25-30 mins from a 7.2v Ni-Mh pack which has been great. Look forward to seeing your progress, all the best and enjoy the build.

5 years ago by ChrisB

Forum

Anteo 2 Tug

You can power a brushless from lead acid batteries electric is electric. Lipo batteries are often used because of their ability to provide power with a relatively low and can dump LOTS of amps. As Colin pointed out 2 6volt batteries in parallel will provide 6 volts and cannot be tapped for 12v to obtain 12v the batteries need to be in series and 6 volts can be tapped off but will only provide the energy from one of the two batteries.

5 years ago by Haverlock

Response

Basic hull construction completed

Nice hard work, well done i now usually get a glass fibre hull if i can. Ive run mine with Irvine 40, and 2 different brushless, 2075 kva and 1150 motors and all performed well 3 or 4 cell lipos, go for the biggest capacity 5200`s as the is no problem and double your run time. Pic shows latest motor i think its 2900 kva ill try it out soon. I seem to use the Huntsman then take the motors out for other projects

5 years ago by vortex

Response

Basic hull construction completed

very nice bit of shaping on the balsa there and filling. I purchased a Perkasa MTB hull off of a boot fair and that part they have done is awful. I have got to sort that out. As far as the motor size goes, I put a 10 cc Irvine engine in a model boat that should only have had a 7.5cc in it. it went like stink. But even then it would all depend on how you use your throttle control. I would myself still go larger than instructions say but that's because I'm a speed freak. Flat out on the straight and test to the extreme on turn's. Turned a couple upside down as well and still was able to carry on running once recovered. I always take a telescopic fishing rod with me with a and floating line for recovery.

5 years ago by BOATSHED

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 sanding sealer and then onto covering with 35gsm light glassfibre fabric and Eze-Kote to give the hull more strength and durability.

5 years ago by StuartE

Directory

(Yacht) Sea-Lite

Acquired this Sea-Lite sailing yacht as a project. Everything works after a fashion but based on mixed reviews the intention is to replace the radio gear, winch and rudder servos and increase the keel (5/10)

5 years ago by Mids-Phil

Forum

Emma C. Berry

I need some help. I've successfully refurbished my static display Emma C. Berry model and added remote control. I have the sails on a winch loop, I have the rudder on a servo, I even managed to add a motor, and an extended keel with . The one issue that I have not been able to resolve is maneuvering under sail. Primarily, I cannot get it to move through the irons when coming about. She responds and the sails will luft, she might even catch some wind but she never makes enough of a turn to change direction. I've already changed out the rudder for the larger size on the plans. I've also tried extending the depth of the rudder. Bottom line, she is mainly being driven by the current. In this situation, by current I mean whichever way the wind is blowing the small lake. It is a local park lake and doesn't really have any inherent current. My one suspicion is the keel I added. It is doing its job to keep her upright and providing some resistance but in the end, the underwater current is overpowering her response to the rudder and/or trimming the sails. See Photo. I had originally wanted to incorporate a more rounded profile on the ends of the and the shafts but I remember reading somewhere that it isn't that critical Sails are per the plans and made from the material that came with the kit (25+ years ago). I even added a couple of sailor figures but we still can't establish control. 😭

5 years ago by carpemoment

Forum

Emma C. Berry

Nerys I original tried in-hull only but I could not get enough in a form that I could use with the RC related items I needed. Another build blog on this website showed theirs using the extension and the bulb so I changed tack.

5 years ago by carpemoment

Blog

PS Iona - ballast

Well I said in blog 1 this was a mixed media ship... I forgot to mention the concrete. The bathtub test showed that the ship sailed ON the water rather than in it, so some serious ballast needed to be added. As I don't have any spare lead, and buying the amount needed would be expensive, I discovered an old bag of cement in the shed. Excellent! I roughly calculated how much to use to infill the base of the tug - about 1 inch depth distributed bows to stern, up to the level of the frames, so I could fit a wooden floor to mount the motors / electronics onto. Luckily this came out about right, and the paddles would sit in the water correctly🤓

5 years ago by Harvey Kitten

Forum

Folding Bulwark????!

Hello John Thank you again. I did appreciate seeing the earlier picture with a different style of opening. The latest image is a delightful period photo is it not. Beautifully lit and good colour with interesting detail. John, re your view of bulwark hinging would you do me a favour and be kind enough to make a sketch of what you say in order that I might visualise more clearly where and how the fixings would look. From such I would be able to fashion something. Also, with regard to removable railings when they are in situ, how are they locked or kept in place or do they just rely simply on long stemmed stanchions going in to the deck and the of the railings to keep in situ. T

5 years ago by Toby

Forum

Emma C. Berry

Thanx steve-d and nerys. You've confirmed my suspicion. Do you think that the width of the (bb container) is contributing? Would it be enough if I round off one end of the and bevel the lead edge of the vertical extension?

5 years ago by carpemoment

Response

Clamp Chaos

Steve, You are quite right, I intend to flip it over, build some jigs, when it's time to do the hull "planking". My methods are to experiment along the way on a Build, try different ideas along the way. Decided that I first wanted to build a very straight, rigid keel with stern and bow ribs first. That's why the build board is just a light flat straight surface, I figure out how to clamp it best as I go. Your interest and comments are appreciated, it made me think more about the planking, thanks! Joe

5 years ago by Joe727

Blog

Determine Scale / Ribs / HELP with building board ideas?

To clarify this build, it will be a RC Sailing Boat with full functioning rudder and sails. I say this as I am using the PEARL for its design overall, but as to detailed historical details it will have some, but be simplified. Boat's Dimnsions were shown in Imperial, 21' width x 85'-6" length. The bowsprit adds about another 25% in length. To determine what scale I wanted to build in I thought most about storage, to lift and how to transport to the pond. I like to keep things simple, I prefer to rig it and transport while assembled, with the topsail mast dropping and the bowsprit retracted. Have done this before and it has worked well for me. Looking at potential scales and finished sizes. * 3/4" or 1/18 scale would be 16" x 64" * 1/2" or 1/24 scale equals 10.5" x 42.75" * 3/8" equals 8" x 32" I prefer a larger bout in length as it is easier to get to sail correctly, at least in my experience. Anything under 32" get tricky. I like the 64" size, but with bowsprit will be about 88" LOA. This will be a little too large for my vehicle. I decided to go with 1/2" scale as it will still be a good length hull. Ribs - I took the hull line drawings from the book, which were very small, just about an inch wide. I scanned the image and using the app "paint" on my laptop. I cropped it close around the hull rib drawing, I then enlarged it to 1/2" scale. Then I printed on standard letter sized paper, then mirrored the image cut them in two, pasted up as seen in the photos to show the completed rib sections. Next I will put together a building board / hull jig. I want to build bottom up for planking. DO any of you have any good ideas for the best one to build? I have never done this except for tiny boats. Ideas, Help would be appreciated. Joe

5 years ago by Joe727

Response

6 Volts of Course of Course!

Hi Joe, Thanks, took me sometime to figure it out. Think she'll run just right. With this configuration and ! Cingers Frossed...…... Ed

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

6 Volts of Course of Course!

Captain's Log: The right battery for the job! I found a battery that volts and amp's are just right! The most important thing the right ! The battery weigh's in at 3 lbs. 1 ounce. Which is just right for the Brooklyn! Give or take a once or two.... But, can be adjusted to trim the water line! The battery is a 6 volt 8.5 amp battery. Which will power Brooklyn for 2.5 hours. Or 1.6 hours with her smoking unit on! Brooklyn will run on 5.2 amps with the smoker. Or 4.0 amps with out the smoker! Unfortunately you live and learn. I tried using the batteries from. Serenity, she's 12 volts 2.5 amps! This was no good, not enough power! Also the 12 batteries weigh too much! So, A 6 volt battery was the way to go! Next is replacing the motor and smoker! Am expecting the motor this morning! Will soon order the smoker! And again she will be completed. For a spring launching!👍

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Winter seems to encourage modeling, have spent many hours in hibernation working on the deck and superstructure details. A supplier offers a full set of Perkasa fittings, most of which would work on the Brave B. At one point considered buying a set. They are made in both resin and cast metal. Eventually parsimony prevailed, so only purchased a small number of hatch covers and other intricate shapes that would be difficult to make well. The items duly arrived and the quality is good. Was surprised by the though, so am pleased had embarked on making the other items from the usual materials. There should be an overall saving, along with a reduction in my surplus styrene and wood stock. One of the design tenants of the Brave class was flexibility. The vessel could operate as a MTB, MGB or Raider, or with a mixture of these capabilities. The weapon mountings were designed to allow armaments to be installed and moved around to suite the requirements of the role. Have reviewed many Brave class photographs trying to establish a “standard” armament configuration, to reproduce. Not only does the configuration define the weapons installed, it also establishes the ammunition and flare storage cabinet arrangements. Eventually decided upon the 2 x 40mm Bofors gun arrangement with 2 x 21” torpedoes and 4 x extended range fuel tanks. The model is now essentially complete. No doubt as I keep examining it will add further small details and refinements. Only disappointment so far is that it does not achieve the original target of 6 lbs, it is 9.5 lbs. The 6 lbs may possibly have achievable using one screw and motor etc., but once three are installed, not likely. The real test is when finally back on the water. Will close this blog then with a concluding report.

5 years ago by Rowen

Directory

(Yacht) robbe smaragd

A top sailboat from the Robbe collection, the big lady also referred to. adjusted sails to look more original and keel added to improve stablilty (5/10)

5 years ago by Smaragd

Response

White Star BB''570''

Hi I use 10mm magnets in a double setup, one mounted on the hull and one on the cabin on each corner of the cabin. On my last Perkasa I used the double setup forward and a single double setup on the stern. The total of the boat is six pounds and I can lift the boat by the cabin!!!

5 years ago by canabus

Forum

Fairmile D 1/24 Scale Build

Hi biker, Depends on whether you want to build true scale model and build it 'right', or just a near scale 'Runabout'. Rowen has learned (with a little help form his friends 😉) to build it right which is extremely satisfying and the correct detail underwater truly compliments his superb detailing above the waterline. To me the two are inseparable. Seems to me that that is what Andy wants as well. I applaud him. About time we gave him some constructive answers - but first we need to know something about his boat:- Length, beam, probable max ? If all you want is a near scale quickbuild fast runabout John there are plenty of ARTR/RTR options on the market. But then; that's just my opinion - and whadda I know!😁 Look forward to at least some pics / vids of your boat in action Biker. Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Can't stop adding stuff

Good stuff Joe👍 Detail of the smoker please! That's the trouble / fun with ship modelling, so many possibilities. The only limit (within and available power considerations) is imagination and ingenuity. I've even seen a tug on which a cabin door opens, a sailor comes out and pees over the side😲😁 Some crew would liven up your boat. And a horn? Working winch and towing tackle? Crane? Radar? Signalling lamp? ... I once fitted a working monitor on a boat - just to keep inquisitive kids with sticky fingers at bay! BTW; fires DO do VERY WELL on boats; all that paint and other inflammable material!🤔 Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Too Much!

Ed, For my Spinger Tug, I was able to find 6 volt / 4.5 ah batteries that are only 2 pounds each. 1 7/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 7/8" .... I purchased two (2) for $22 USD, ordered thru Walmart and they arrived within a week. There are a lot of SLA's out there, takes some time to find the right ones. Good luck! Joe

5 years ago by Joe727

Blog

Too Much!

Captain's Log: After careful consideration. I have decided to use only one battery at a time! This being 6.5 lbs. is way too much . Her bow is too low to the waterline. She get's thrown off by the . So, one battery at a time will be used! Now, having lowered the volts. From 12 volts to 6 volts is a problem. See her main motor and smoker. Are 12 volts each! So, now I have to replace. The main motor and the smoker. To a 6 volt system! This is not so easy. If any of you are familiar. With Dumas and Harbor model products. You know this ain't cheap!😭 Luckily, I will be selling both parts. Together next month! As both parts are in new condition! I will then order a 6 volt main motor and Smoker! Oh, each battery will give me about 1.5 hours of run time! And that's not bad at all..... NOTE: I'm only losing $10.00 on the resale of her Motor and Smoker!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Hi A few pics of my modify setup, no pics before hand. Moving fore or adding ballast works better than wedges. Only tested the boat by myself and I gave it a real workout. Motor 3639-1100kv, 60A ESC, 5800mah Lipo and 37mm 3blade prop. A 40mm 2blade works better and uses a bit less power. Rudder blade size 30mm across the top, 22mm across the bottom, 45 deep and the shaft 10mm from the leading edge. Sharpen the leading edge and the trialing edge flat. This catches are air in the water and send it to the surface. Canabus

5 years ago by canabus

Directory

(Working Vessel) Doris

Doris is built plank on frame and is a copy of the Thames Bawley by the same name, number LO284. The original which is still afloat in Gillingham Kent was built in 1909 in Harwich by J & H Cann for Leigh on Sea publican Mr Choppin who named the ship after his favourite daughter. Dimensions of the original 40ft length 14ft beam 5ft 6in draft, not known. The model is a dream and looks really good, she sails well and the motor is only to help her 'about' when she is feeling challenging and to bring her ashore if and when the wind dies. I have no r/c control of the sails which is something I am still considering as a consequence she goes everywhere on a broad reach her best sailing position anyway. I do hope you like her thanks for looking Chris G (8/10)

5 years ago by ChrisG

Response

aeronaut classic

just as a matter interest how much were you thinking , i know it is light and may be quick with the brushless motor

5 years ago by sandgrounder

Response

aeronaut classic

Lovely Job, well done, these are excellent little boats. I fancy building the bigger one now in the Aeronaut range. Make sure you get some in her though. Mine flew across the pond the other day and turned over. (No damage, just my pride) it’s way to fast. Good luck with your Maiden 😉

5 years ago by Sifi70

Forum

Kingfisher by Norstar upgrades

Ron Great to hear about this. I had a Kingfisher in 1972, powered by a DC Sabre 1.49 marine diesel. The engine was mounted just aft of the windscreen and it needed a a lot of ballast . With such a small engine and the additional the performance was mediocre. Is this kit in production again? if it is I might build one . Maybe this time I will fit a brushless running on lipos . This will give the model the performance it deserves. Boaty😁

5 years ago by boaty

Response

fuses

Thanks Doug and Donnie tried the 15 amp fuses all went well the boat is ready for the lake. and thank you all for the help and advise during this build over the past year I really don't think I could have managed it without your input. the next stage is going to be replacement of the brass rudders and some work on saving and some pic on the RC system. and making a suitable box for transportation. that will kept me occupied till the better weather. So thank you all and have a merry Christmas and happy new year and a good hangover cure and may your god be with you in all your sailing

5 years ago by teejay

Response

aeronaut classic

Hi Doug, sorry for delay in replying. I’ve been trying to upload some video but it doesn’t seem to run so I’m stuck to show everyone how she runs on the local Pond. it was a lovely day thanks and she ran ok but I think she needs a bit of extra in the rear.I’ll keep trying or I may need to record at a lower quality rate, maybe that’s the problem. That’s great that the sea scout was your Dads model, just shows you that if they are built well they will last forever. Just seen the Belfast on your home page, now that is a nice ship. Keep up the good work. Simon 😉

5 years ago by Sifi70

Response

Upper & Lower Chines

Thats coming on nicely and as you say it looks quite a rigid construction. How much of a bonus is a light construction V an all ply construction as I assume you may have to put some ballast in the finished model. not thtat I have any experience on the subject

5 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

steam water pump

Hi Rick, I thought you might be interested in this, it looks a bit like a plumbers nightmare, but despite that, a beautiful engine a twin cylinder TVR / USA slide valve 1/2" bore, and incredibly efficient runs on only 30 PSI steam pressure. The boiler is 3 1/2" x 6" and will run for almost 30 minutes with no water pump, carrying water adds a lot more .

5 years ago by GaryLC

Blog

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Back to the build. Next milestone, to complete the superstructure and engine covers. The superstructure is essentially a cowl that supports the open bridge and serves as the air intake for the gas turbines. The engine covers fit into the rear of it. The superstructure is full of curves and will be interesting to make. Still trying to save , decided to make it out of glassfibre. Rather than first make a plug then a female mould and finally the cowl, wanted to try the technique of making a plug out of styrene foam sheet, then covering it in a glass fibre matt. Once the glass fibre is set, the foam is dissolved out using a solvent and the cowl remains – inshallah! To ensure the foam did not react to the glass fibre resin, painted the finished cowl with enamel paint before sticking the matt down. See pictures. What a mess! The resin had crept under the paint and into the foam dissolving it. When the resin dried the plug had shrunk slightly and had the surface finish of a quarry. First thought was to hurl it and start again, this time in wood. On second thoughts, wondered if the plug could still be used. Decided to build it up with wood filler and from it make a female mould, as originally intended. The cowl would then be made from the mould. Built the damaged plug up and sanded it smooth. As the plug would be covered in fibreglass, the surface finish was not critical. Brushed a coat of fibreglass on the plug and, after drying filled any defects with glaze putty and sanded smooth. Once the finish and dimensions were satisfactory, applied a thicker coat of glass fibre to the plug. This was again smoothed down, waxed with carnauba polish and then covered in mould release. From it the cowl was made. Picture shows plug, mould and cowl placed side by each. The cowl requires reinforcement; the fittings and various mountings then adding before installing. A trial installation showed that it fitted properly the deck and was accurate. A lesson for the next time is to make the plug and mould much deeper than the finished item. That will allow any rough edges, on either the mould or the component, to be trimmed off leaving a smooth fibreglass edge.

5 years ago by Rowen

Response

aeronaut classic

Hi Simon, I used the lacquer on the blue and white as well. it 'flattened' the paint and made it real hard and smooth 😊 The whole time consuming but satisfying process is described in incredibly boring 😉 detail in my blog- 'Jessica - Sea Scout restoration' (or was it renovation ??😲 Go easy with the lacquer on top of the varnish, not too heavy in one coat, or it may cause hairline surface cracks as it dries due to surface tension. 😡 Motor is a Propdrive 2832, 1000kV driving a 35mm 3 blade brass prop from Raboesch. Running on a 3S Lipo using a Quicrun 30A ESC and Turnigy iA6 RX. Pic attached of 'Engine Room'. Link attached to videos of the sea trials in May this year, Ostpark Lake and Biergarten, Munich. https://youtu.be/b0BWJ3duzDw https://youtu.be/zPgYicA0yGw She's 24" LoA with an all up of about 1.5kg. BTW: the lacquer is also supposed to be UV resistant! 😉 All the best, Doug 😎 PS Here the link to my Sea Scout Build Blog https://model-boats.com/builds/view/28209

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

happy hunter

I haven't done a great deal to the happy hunter over the last months but the superstructure and masts are almost finished.I want to get the ballast in it next .I,ve got 2 -6 volt batteries in and tried about 1kg of lead at each end -this isn't enough .I would welcome thoughts on what will be needed in addition to the batteries -I,m thinking a total of 4kg.Also any ideas on getting the lead moulded to the right shape for the bottom of the hull would be appreciated

5 years ago by spitfiresooty

Forum

SLA question

Hi J.Barry, You can use the SLA batteries in any position but if they are laid on their side the is not evenly distributed. Most of the is in the lower section of the battery (when vertical), so if you lay one sideways in your boat you need to move it so that the is even, especially if you put one on the centreline of the boat (say over the keel). You can test this outside of the boat.

5 years ago by reilly4

Response

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Doug, you are probably correct and good thought regarding the polarised caps , but I was just thinking that if the battery input was going through a fuse system as it appears in Rowens photos (difficult to see) it may have caused a slight problem. I have seen mentions of up to 12" between batt and ESC being no problem at lower Amps. You might notice that one of the inputs was from a guy from Castle Creations (USA) which I thought would give a bit of to the information. I have always gone with the ESC manufacturers suggestions regarding wire length and have never had a problem in boats or planes (mainly in planes,-18 most 'converted' to electric from IC -3 capable of pulling 1200W) it's great to be able to chuck ideas and info around, as we can all pick something out of it all which will solve a problem, or perhaps stop us from toasting an electronic component or whatever. BTW, I saw somewhere that extending the wires could cause stuttering and that was one other reason for mentioning the info, as I know Rowen's had a problem with that. I'm sure it will be ok as is,- if its working fine, and it's not going to be run flat out every day it will probably last for years. Probably me thinking on the cautious side as my personal approach to building is to use the K.I.S.S method (may not be the flashest but usually keeps me out of trouble) Regarding the quality of ESCs, you will find that many have the same internal bits just with different cases and colours, (same with chargers) HK is bad for this. Many I have seen use an Atmega chip and you can tell differences by the programming method (some you have to do 1 step and disconnect power before the next step, others just with stick forward center back center etc. Most boards are made in China (Castle Creations and a few others being exceptions) and what you get depends on the quality of assembly/soldering etc in the plant they are made in (if you want to see how many of these items are made in China check out Made in China.com and search ESCs for example. I have cheap ESCs I've used in my planes for years with no probs which look like the HK Red Brick ESCs (except blue) and they are better than the TGY branded ones at 3x the price, and really let the power through !. Even CC have apparently made boards for HK with different cases as have Hobbywing. it's really a case of "you pays ya money and ya takes ya chances". in saying that you are pretty safe with Hobbywing, Tamya, SkyRc, or Castle Creations (USA) but there are other better non China ones around but a a much bigger price. Hope we aren't overloading you Rowen, you might have to get into the 'anti-freeze' to soothe the brain in that cold weather. Another site for you to check out which I have found to be very good, with prices to match HK is RCEcho.com (Hong Kong) Have bought most of my aircraft ESCs from them (around 28 from 30A-120A with no probs)

6 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

Constructing 'The Box'

Phil Smith, the original designer of the Thames River Police Launch, based the construction on a rigid box structure around which bulkhead formers are fixed to give the hull it’s shape, a design feature of many of the Veron kits. In the Vintage Model Works kit all the components of this box are laser cut and require no additional trimming before assembly, I have used Titebond 2 aliphatic glue throughout the construction as it bonds wood very firmly and dries quickly too. I started by joining the edges of the two sheets of balsa that form the base of the box, these were held firmly together with some scrap wood and ed down on the cutting mat and left to dry. Meanwhile the box sides were similarly glued together taking care that the two pieces that form each box side are in perfect alignment using the laser etched vertical lines that mark the bulkhead former positions, these were also wedged together and ed while the glue set. Once the bottom and sides are dry the ends can be added to complete the box construction, a try-square was used to check the box for accuracy and everything was held together with some ‘push pins’ while the glue set. As this box forms the foundation of the hull it’s essential that there’s no twist or anything out of square. This was all done in one evening, clearly the assembly of this kit could be completed quite rapidly if you really wanted too!

6 years ago by robbob

Response

Brooklyn Finally Completed!

My Brooklin in at 23 pounds and I have pulled a 250 pound barge with it and I think it would pull 33 with no problems

6 years ago by captaindoug1

Forum

A return to the hobby!

I would appreciate some input as to the type of battery. My inclination is to go for a lead-acid, as I would like the additional . I feel that most models look too light on the water. The motor is a mtroniks 660 with a Viper Marine 25A ESC. Any advice would be appreciated!

6 years ago by J Barry

Forum

Brixham trawler IBEX

You don't have to think too hard about the keel position at this time as the bolt does not need to be central to the length of the keel. Just choose a rough position and do your hole in the hull. Later when you know more about how much you need and where it needs to be positioned you just make the keel to suit the rod position. Steve

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Brixham trawler IBEX

Edward Thanks - just one question, if your model is twice scale does this mean my tube should be about one inch behind the mast? I aim to complete the boat before testing the of ballast needed then like you, allocating most to the keel and some to 'trimming' Sam

6 years ago by sam

Forum

Brixham trawler IBEX

Hi Samnewbie I have a Cariad which is wooden hulled at twice scale. I decided to use a false keel but as I bought the hull completed needed to retro-fit one. I agree with you! if you can fit the tube as early on as possible it will make life a bit easier. My keel needs to be about 12kg and the tube is a couple of inches behind the mast. I am still trying to cast the keel; I'm now on my fourth attempt! I have calculated the keel and plan on it being about 1kg lighter than need be. This will allow me to finely trim the boat up once complete. Good luck with yours. Edward

6 years ago by cenbeth

Response

36'' Thames River Police Launch by Robbob

It looks smashing on the bench. 😎😎 Look forward to seeing the project as it moves on. What will you use to the boat for trials?

6 years ago by petercbrown

Directory

(Other) Bluebird

This was a Touchwood static kit that my boy brought back from Coniston, it said it could be converted to Rc and had some sketchy drawings that were not very good. I decided to go brushless with it and lipo battery, was not an easy job as had to go it alone to find out C/G and drive set up. The kit was very poor with a twisted hull and resin parts that were far too heavy, I made some aluminium planing wedges and various other parts to save . This project took the best part of 5 years to complete as it would go back on the shelf as I got stumped for ideas then back off again as I found a bit more inspiration, overal it came out well and runs on rails with. Good turn of speed as you can see in the vid I posted. (Motor: 2881kv) (ESC: ETTI) (10/10)

6 years ago by Biscuit

Response

BRAVE BORDERER - BRUSHLESS SUMMARY

Used a small 6 - 12 volt pump bought from E Bay. Have used windscreen washer pumps before, but they are relatively heavy and bulky. This was quite compact and light and were closer to my restriction.

6 years ago by Rowen

Forum

Vic Smeed's 'Waterbaby'

I have a 'WaterBaby' 25" R/C Pond Yacht built to a 1950s designed by Vic Smeed. I'd like to hear from fellow 'Water Baby' owners. One issue of interest is the keel which seems a little too heavy so the boat lies a little too low in the water. Has anyone made modifications to the keel? What is the best way to do this and how do you maintain good fore and aft trim?

6 years ago by Xtal

Forum

Your ideas on how to stabilize a flat-bottomed freighter.

After adding the needed s to bring this freighter down to a loaded ship water line, the model rocks n rolls. It needs either a keel or exterior stability fins. What is your experience? Please share with us.

6 years ago by Ronald

Forum

Your ideas on how to stabilize a flat-bottomed freighter.

Think a bilge keel should be the first step. My next suggestion would be to add some of the ballast to a removable fin keel, bolted to the underside of the hull. This will increase the righting moment, but not the . This can be seen if you examine U Tube videos of cruise ships and liners. They have so much superstructure they are inherently unstable. Have built several freighters and always fit captive nuts into the keel or underside. These are intended for trunnion display mounts, but have always been prepared to bolt a keel on if needed. The nuts can easily be sealed when sailing.

6 years ago by Rowen