Members Harbour
1 Photo
10 Likes
Little Shelley Foss
Dual counter rotating props driven by independent 1000KV brushless motors.
6V / 3.5Ah Lead Acid Battery
2 16BL30 Quickrun Hobby Wing ESC's
3 ch. 2.4GHz Hobby King receiver
Built to replace the Beaver Tug
cjanik001
1 year ago
11 Attributes
1 Photo
1 Like
Lorelei
Water Jet Propulsion
cjanik001
3 years ago
8 Attributes
1 Photo
5 Likes
Princesse Loane Trawler
Built between October 2020 and January 2021 during the Pandemic.
Plans were downloaded from www.freeshipplans.com
built entirely of sheet basswood, and some sheet balsa
cjanik001
4 years ago
10 Attributes
1 Photo
3 Likes
Monterey
Here is my Monterey built about 1/2 scale from the plans which were downloaded from www.aerofred.com.
Construction of the keel and hull ribs is 1/16" basswood. The sides and deck are planked with 1/32" thick strips of basswood running horizontally along the hull. The superstructure is pretty much balsa.
Before painting, the hull gaps between the planking was filled with automotive spot putty, and sanded smooth.
Like my Beaver Tugboat, the model felt lightweight when finished, so I added plaster of paris to the inside of the hull for additional weight.
cjanik001
5 years ago
0 Attributes
3 Photos
5 Likes
Marinecraft Kestral
Marinecraft Kestral #1 (Red Cabin) I built this for my first Grandson several years ago.
Kestral #2 (Blue Cabin) was build during the Covid 19 lockdown for my second Grandson.
Construction is of Balsa mainly 1/16" and some 1/8" for the internal structure. The sides and bottom are 1/32".
Currently, both models are brushed motors, but due to heat and motor life, I plan to change them both to brushless soon.
cjanik001
5 years ago
0 Attributes
3 Photos
3 Likes
EezeBilt Beaver Tug 50+ Challenge
This was my first build venturing into the RC Boat realm.
Plans were downloaded from the KK EezeBilt website.
Construction is of 1/8" Balsa throughout.
To waterproof the hull, I sprayed it with automotive undercoating on the outside, then painted with a latex paint.
The model seemed to be very lightweight, and with the flat bottom didn't draft very low in the water. I added about 1-1/2 to 2 lbs of plaster of paris to the main hold giving it added weight.
I need to shoot a new video of it in the water.
cjanik001
5 years ago
0 Attributes
Members Blogs
3 Posts
6 Followers
25 Likes
A Banana Boat??!
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
cjanik001
19 days ago
7 Posts
11 Followers
48 Likes
Dumas #1206 Little Shelley Foss Build
Hello,
I purchased this kit for myself for Fathers Day this past June. This is actually my first commercial kit to construct, as all others in my harbor were scratch built. Since retiring my Beaver Tug boat some time ago, actually, it got sent to the scrap heap, my harbor has been looking for a replacement. At 24" long, this fits well with the other models I have made. Also, my Admiral (wife) won't allow anything larger.
The kit comes with all the wood for the vessel, railing, metal stanchions, other cast metal details like horn, lights etc. What it does not include are the running gear parts including stuffing tubes, props shafts and rudders. I held off purchasing this additional kit because I had been gifted a Dumas Trojan some years ago. While the Trojan was not very well built, I was able to remove many of the running gear parts from it before sending it to the scrap heap.
As you can see from the pictures, I have already constructed the hull skeleton. The pieces are removed with ease from the die cutting. I did have to use a hobby knife on some of the more thinner frame pieces to avoid breaking them, but for the most part everything came out clean and with minimum cleanup.
As far as instructions, they seem to be lacking. There is a 33 step, 2 sheet written instruction sheet, a parts I.D. sheet, along with a full size drawing of the boat exterior showing locations of the hull and superstructure details. There isn't a lot of visual details, so you must read the instruction text, and figure it out for yourself. To Dumas' credit, they did make this disclaimer in their write-up that instructions are minimal, and recommended for more advanced modelers.
I am at the stage now, where I need to plank the hull. The planking comes in 4 - 1/16" plywood sheets cut to fit the curvature of the hull on each side. I have never planked a hull with plywood before, only with strip wood. The ply seems to be sort of stiff, and will not conform to the hull without some serious bending and clamping. I need to ask this question, or maybe search other build blogs as to how to best accomplish this task.
Can thin plywood be wetted, (or soaked) in water so that it becomes more plyable and easier to clamp while being glued? or will this just warp the hull once it dries back out!
Hopefully, I will find my answer after searching the blogs, or a fellow follower will provide the answer.
That's all for now, hope you enjoy reading the blog.
cjanik001
11 months ago
4 Posts
4 Followers
19 Likes
Lorelei
Started a new scratch build after getting interested in waterjet propulsion from articles by JBKiwi and Rowen. Didn't initially have a specific boat in mind at the start, just wanted to see if I can make the thing work. After looking at different hull designs, I elected to go with the Cresta which is on the KKEezebilt boat web site.
I know, I know, egg crate construction! not exactly the best, however, after getting into it, this has created quite a bit of room inside for the water thruster, and it also has a very flat "V" shape to center mount it . It also turned into a very easy build up to this point. The boat frame is made of 3/32" basswood, with 1/32" sides and bottom. There is also 1/32" ply for the thruster intake, and the exhaust nozzle in the transom. The chine is reinforced with basswood strips.
After downloading the Cresta Plans, I scaled up the prints to the length of 23", this seemed to be the best fit for the 16mm thruster purchased from Amazon. I initially purchased a 26mm unit complete with reversing bucket, however this one was way to big. Unfortunately, the 16mm unit does not have a reversing bucket, so it is forward only. (My ESC is a bidirectional unit which will reverse the brushless motor, so maybe it will have some sort of reverse!)
Modifications to the Cresta plans include adding extra angle bracing between the floor and the bottom, modifying the transom, and cutting down the beam for the thruster unit. I also made the top removable to access the internals. The cabin area cutout will have a fake bottom to allow for wiring and connections on the subfloor. Once I get the whole boat covered in fiberglass, a float test will determine the placement of the batteries and electronics, as well as look for leaks.
cjanik001
3 years ago
Recent Posts
๐ฌ Re: Continuing on with the Aztec build
18 days ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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.๐
This should result in very crisp and zoomable pictures.
Chris ๐
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๐ Continuing on with the Aztec build
19 days ago by
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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
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๐ฌ Re: Fairey Faun 17 - Planking Hull
25 days ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ Driving update
2 months ago by
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Thatโs great. Congratulations on your success.
Chris
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๐ Solder
2 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ Solder
2 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ The Aztec Construction begins
3 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ Question of the Day?
3 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ A Banana Boat??!
3 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ Baby Bootlegger
3 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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 itโs free!
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๐ 2025
4 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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 fun๐
Chris
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๐ Merry Christmas!
4 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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Merry Christmas from the greater Texas Gulf Coast. No sign of snow here, temps are in the 70โs!
Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful and prosperous New Year.
Chris
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๐ Fishing nets
5 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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Iโve used cheese cloth in the past. Also, a gauze bandage may do as well.
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๐ Question of the Day?
5 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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I also have items arriving on gmail. Funny thing is itโs only a subset of what is trending. I would also like to remove myself from Gmail if possible.
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๐ Happy Thanksgiving
5 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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
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๐ I no longer receive notification emails.
5 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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Apparently, this did not work either! ๐
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๐ I no longer receive notification emails.
5 months ago by
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I am experiencing the same. I logged in and went to the support tab. There is a selection for โnot receiving emailsโ. I followed the directions and will see if this helps.
Chris
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๐ Minature action camera
7 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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I found a โcheapโ 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.
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๐ Question of the Day?
7 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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See picture
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๐ Question of the Day?
7 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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.
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๐ battery
9 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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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๐ Motor burn out?
10 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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I donโt 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
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๐ Question of the Day?
10 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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I think itโs an A.I. plot to bolster the United Kingdomโs score.๐
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๐ Question of the Day?
10 months ago by
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I have to agree with that one as well!
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๐ Recovering from cataract surgery
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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You will be back at it in no time.๐
Good luck and take care.
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๐ฌ Re: Little Shelley Foss first float
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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. ๐ 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.
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๐ Little Shelley Foss first float
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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This past Memorial day weekend the Admiral an I went to the local park โduck 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!๐
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๐ Vinyl cutting machine choice
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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โCricutโ ( I hate Appleโs autocorrect!)
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๐ Vinyl cutting machine choice
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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Crocus has its own download software that runs it. Plenty of online videos on operation.
Good luck๐
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๐ Vinyl cutting machine choice
11 months ago by
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001 (

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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 havenโt 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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