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    cjanik001
    Member Stats
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    Member No.#5970
    Registered๐Ÿ“…30th Aug 2020
    Last Online๐Ÿ“…29th Apr 2025
    City๐Ÿ“77414
    Country๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUnited States
    Genderโ™‚๏ธMale
    Age๐Ÿ‘ถ64
    Posts๐Ÿ’ฌ97
    Followers๐Ÿ“ฃ2
    Likes Received๐Ÿ‘302

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    ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น AlessandroSPQR ( Admiral)
    ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Mike Stoney ( Commodore)
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    Recent Activity
    Liked THE RAVEN 15 days ago
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    Liked Re: Fairey Faun 17 - Planking Hull 25 days ago
    Liked Fairey Faun 17 - Planking Hull 25 days ago
    Liked Bulwarks, sanding, filling, paint, windows 1 month ago
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    Chris
    About
    Retired Electronics Engineering Tech.
    Members Harbour
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    Recent Posts
    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Continuing on with the Aztec build
    18 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 15 Views ยท 1 Like
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    sorry about the picture quality.

    I was sending the pictures from my phone to my email, then saving them to my computer file. This creates a very low resolution image of the picture, and when zoomed in results in poor quality.
    In the future, I won't be lazy and actually download with a cable.๐Ÿ˜”
    This should result in very crisp and zoomable pictures.

    Chris ๐Ÿ˜Š

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    ๐Ÿ“ Continuing on with the Aztec build
    19 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 30 Views ยท 9 Likes ยท 5 Comments
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    Ahoy fellow model boaters,

    The Aztec is shaping up nicely. I was able to get all of the bulkheads cut and glued to the keel, but not without incident. I started noticing that the bulkheads were not landing straight, causing the deck to appear as if it was slanted up, not level. I corrected this by cutting #11 - 18 back off of the keel and remaking them. This time, when securing, I carefully used levels to make sure that the keel remained in the correct position when the bulkheads were glued. This resulted in a very flat deck surface.

    However, all was not well, once all were placed, I could tell that the stern curvature was not going to be correct. I had to add some 1/8" balsa to #18 - 22 to get the correct curvature. If you look at the .pdf drawing in the initial post, these bulkheads have an inward curvature, what I realized is that it needed an outward curve to the hull. Once I made the corrections to the existing bulkheads, I was able to measure and make corrections to the cad design.
    Once all the bulkheads were in place, I added the thin strips to the bow and sides of the hull for strength.

    I have started to plank the hull using 1/16" basswood strips which were cut from a sheet of 1/16" x 24" basswood on the Cricut.
    I will add a second 1/16" skin over the initial planking.

    all for now,
    Chris

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Fairey Faun 17 - Planking Hull
    25 days ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 58 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    Great job so far!
    Was looking for a way to do the bow on the Aztec (aka Banana Boat), I think I will try it like that as well.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Driving update
    2 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 63 Views ยท 1 Like
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    ๐Ÿ“ Reply
    Thatโ€™s great. Congratulations on your success.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Solder
    2 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 68 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    Sticker Shock!!!! The price of solder is out of this world.
    So maybe finding some liquid rosin flux may be the answer.

    Also the newer lead free, no clean, or water clean type solders may require a higher temperature soldering iron.

    Good luck,
    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Solder
    2 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 66 Views ยท 6 Likes
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    Yes, the flux in solder can get old and not have the wetting action which makes the solder ball up and yield cold solder joints.
    Throw your old stuff away, and get some new fresh solder.

    You can purchase rosin solder flux on its own, but it is probably more expensive that route, then just investing in new rosin core solder.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ The Aztec Construction begins
    3 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 40 Views ยท 4 Likes ยท 1 Comment
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    First off, I appreciate all for the likes, follows and suggestions sent in so far about the build.

    With the design now in a CAD, I am able to print out a 1:1 pattern of the keel and cut out the 3/16" basswood using my bandsaw. The bulkheads are constructed using the Cricut cutting machine. I can download the cutting files directly from the cad software saving a lot of time with tedious cuts on the band saw. The Cricut has limitations to the thickness of material which it can cut, so I purchased some 1/16" Basswood ply and cut duplicates of each bulkhead with the grain of the wood at a 90 degree angle, then glued the two together to get the 1/8" requirement. I am able to put multiple patterns on a sheet of plywood to be cut by the machine.

    I created the bulbous nose of the keel by making item "0". (see pdf from initial blog) and placing it on the keel, then fill the remainder with balsa wood, and then sand to fit.

    Two pictures show the sheets cut with the different grain direction. Once cut the two matching pairs are glued together, sanded and then glued to the keel.

    The Cricut machine does take time to do the cuts. The cut time varies between 2 and 3 hours depending upon how many items are on the pattern, but once started, there is very little that needs to be done until finished. There is a picture of how clean the machine cuts, and a short video of the machine in action.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    3 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 55 Views ยท 4 Likes
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    ๐Ÿ“ Reply
    I have to agree with this comment. I never understood how not answering a question did not count against your score. If I knew this in high school I would have been a straight "A" student. Not the average Joe I truly am.
    Scrap the overall, and have an all-time average based on number of correct answers to total number of questions.

    Just my 2cents worth.
    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ A Banana Boat??!
    3 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 81 Views ยท 12 Likes ยท 5 Comments
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    Happy Groundhog Day fellow model boaters. Seemed like a good day to start a build blog after the weather we have been having here in SE Texas. From hurricanes to snow fall, now nice sunny temps in the 70's.

    I asked my grandson earlier this summer what boat would he want me to build next. Without hesitation, he said a cargo ship showing me a picture of a Maresk Lines container ship in a children's picture book. I thought about this one for several weeks wondering how to build a realistic replica of something that large. My dry dock isn't very big, and the Admiral frowns on large models. One morning at breakfast I was peeling my banana, and I realize the perfect boat. A quick google search verified my thinking of the perfect cargo ship.

    I have lived in this area all my life, and my first job was in the small gulf port town of Freeport, Texas. In the early 80's it basically only served the shrimp boat operators and commercial fishermen as well as a few cargo ships for Dow Chemical and the like. The size does not compare to the Port of Houston or even Galveston. However, in the 90's the Dole Fruit Company started operations delivering containers of tropical fruit for distribution to the US.
    At that time I was commuting to Houston for work, and would see the Dole container trucks on the road and would chuckle to myself "must be a banana boat in port!

    The Dole company just celebrated 30 years of service in Freeport, and in 2023 launched two sister container ships, the Aztec and Maya, specifically for the Gulf of Mexico deliveries. These are smaller ships which I estimate carry only about 500 containers.

    Since I could not find any plans on the internet for a smaller container ship, I decided to make my own. From pictures of the Aztec, I free handed a graph paper drawing of what I intended to build, and when satisfied, I produced a CAD version in Autosketch.

    The attached pictures are of the Aztec in port at Gulfport MS.. The Maya being built in drydock. My hand drawn rendering on graph paper, and a .PDF of the cad version with bulkhead detail.

    The model ship will be about 26.5 inches long with a width of about 4.5". I plan to have a brushless motor driving a 1 inch 5 bladed brass prop.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Baby Bootlegger
    3 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 61 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    I just ordered balsa wood and bass wood from National Balsa. Good price and good delivery. Packaged in a way as to not get damaged in shipping. The only down side is the cost of shipping is not cheap. But if you purchase $100.00 US itโ€™s free!

    ๐Ÿ“ 2025
    4 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 15 Views ยท 6 Likes
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    I just want to say to all the new members who have just signed up, I hope you find this group of model boating hobbyists as informative and genuine as I have the past few years.

    Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have. This site is very friendly and open.

    Good luck with your hobby and take part in the conversations. We also like pictures and videos!

    Have fun๐Ÿ˜€

    Chris

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    ๐Ÿ“ Merry Christmas!
    4 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 45 Views ยท 13 Likes
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    Merry Christmas from the greater Texas Gulf Coast. No sign of snow here, temps are in the 70โ€™s!

    Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Fishing nets
    5 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 74 Views ยท 8 Likes
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    Iโ€™ve used cheese cloth in the past. Also, a gauze bandage may do as well.

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    5 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 63 Views ยท 1 Like
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    I also have items arriving on gmail. Funny thing is itโ€™s only a subset of what is trending. I would also like to remove myself from Gmail if possible.

    ๐Ÿ“ Happy Thanksgiving
    5 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 36 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    Lew,
    Yes it has been a trying year, and I too living on the Texas Gulf Coast am aware of what damage hurricanes can do. I wish you, your family, and all Model Boaters a Happy Thanksgiving as well.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ I no longer receive notification emails.
    5 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 32 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    Apparently, this did not work either! ๐Ÿ˜’

    ๐Ÿ“ I no longer receive notification emails.
    5 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 31 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    I am experiencing the same. I logged in and went to the support tab. There is a selection for โ€œnot receiving emailsโ€. I followed the directions and will see if this helps.

    Chris

    ๐Ÿ“ Minature action camera
    7 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 73 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    I found a โ€œcheapโ€ about $10 camera off of Amazon. Camera will record on a memory card, however I also would like to view and record to my phone while sailing. With limited success I have gotten this to work, but the wireless connection is limited in distance to about 20โ€™ from the phone.

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    7 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 74 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    See picture

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    7 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 72 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    Well AI did me in today!! I chose sloop of war, and AI indicated frigret was the correct answer, but the verbiage read sloop of war is the correct answer! How can anyone win with AI like this!!!
    May just have to let the QofD go and stick to my solitaire card games.

    ๐Ÿ“ battery
    9 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 49 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    Good morning Fulmic,

    If the 6v lead acid battery is giving a low battery signal, then the additional 6v battery is probably not going to solve the issue.

    Check your receiver specifications for voltage input range!
    You may need to power the receiver with a separate higher voltage battery, and wire the motor independent with the 6v lead acid.

    Good luck

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    ๐Ÿ“ Motor burn out?
    10 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 71 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    I donโ€™t know if this post has any previous posts, but it sounds like it may be a motor over voltage situation.

    Double check the motor specifications and adjust the battery voltage accordingly.

    Good luck

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    10 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 51 Views ยท 0 Likes
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    I think itโ€™s an A.I. plot to bolster the United Kingdomโ€™s score.๐Ÿ˜

    ๐Ÿ“ Question of the Day?
    10 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 48 Views ยท 0 Likes
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    I have to agree with that one as well!

    ๐Ÿ“ Recovering from cataract surgery
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 29 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    You will be back at it in no time.๐Ÿ™‚
    Good luck and take care.

    ๐Ÿ’ฌ Re: Little Shelley Foss first float
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 20 Views ยท 1 Like
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    I have to admit the captain was preoccupied with running his own video of the event, and not watching over the bow. ๐Ÿ˜Š The Admiral actually caught the incident on record.
    Anyway, had we several inches or rain the past week, now the pond is higher covering the snags.

    ๐Ÿ“ Little Shelley Foss first float
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 30 Views ยท 6 Likes ยท 3 Comments
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    This past Memorial day weekend the Admiral an I went to the local park โ€œduck pondโ€ for the first outing with the Little Shelley Foss.

    The Admiral insisted on a photo op with the tug in hand before its maiden voyage.

    The tug run very well and I was quite pleased with the performance despite running into exposed logs, as the pond is shallow due to lack of rain the past few months!๐Ÿ˜Ž

    ๐Ÿ“ Vinyl cutting machine choice
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 30 Views ยท 2 Likes
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    โ€œCricutโ€ ( I hate Appleโ€™s autocorrect!)

    ๐Ÿ“ Vinyl cutting machine choice
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 33 Views ยท 3 Likes
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    Crocus has its own download software that runs it. Plenty of online videos on operation.

    Good luck๐Ÿ˜Š

    ๐Ÿ“ Vinyl cutting machine choice
    11 months ago by ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ cjanik001 ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    โœง 43 Views ยท 5 Likes
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    I have to admit I was pushing the limits of the machine by cutting 3/32 basswood. The machine will calculate how many passes are required, and depending upon the clarity of the wood, and hardness, most of the time that numbered was correct. Other times when it finished I had to cut out the remainder with a hobby knife. For that thick of material generally 12 - 15 passes. Time wise about 15 min. This also depends on how complex a cutout and the size of the sheet. Thinner material and balsa wood takes less passes and time.

    You cannot sharpen the blade, or at least I havenโ€™t found a way! I built my Princess Loanne using only one deep cut blade. But it probably will need a new one when I start a new project!

    Attached is a short video of the cutting speed.



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