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    thelegos
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    Member No.#646
    RegisteredπŸ“…19th May 2009
    Last OnlineπŸ“…26th Feb 2024
    CityπŸ“Cambridgeshire
    CountryπŸ‡¬πŸ‡§United Kingdom
    Gender♂️Male
    AgeπŸ‘ΆNot Provided
    PostsπŸ’¬57
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    Recent Posts
    πŸ’¬ Norfolk Wherry
    6 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 13 Views · 1 Like
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    Very nice indeed, it looks like 'Albion",which I had the pleasure of looking around at Oulton Broad; it's an excellent model. I also bought a set of plans from the preservation society so it seems we'll have the makings of a fleet soon!

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    πŸ“ RIP HS93 Peter Henshaw
    11 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    He was a great help during my Fireboat restoration and other exchanges through the site, very friendly and a mine of invaluable information. A lovely man and a sad loss, Rest in peace.

    πŸ’¬ MV CAROLINE
    12 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 9 Views · 0 Likes
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    Very nice, this looks to me like 'Vivacity', a model boat which was designed by Vic Smeed. The age is abouit right although the original was 54" in length not 60.5". Check out

    http://www.myhobbystore.co.uk/product/16679/vivacity-mm652
    πŸ“ NewBe Help Needed - Noisy Motor Arrangement
    12 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    My pleasure, check this out on ebay, item number 200638458535. You'll get the whole assembly in any length you like !
    Roger

    πŸ“ NewBe Help Needed - Noisy Motor Arrangement
    12 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    Check the condition of the shaft and tube before refitting, the bearings must be a good fit and the shaft and tube must be straight. To be honest once I've felt the need to remove the assembly I always replace with new, it will be better and you get metric threads which make it much easier to experiment with different props. They are cheap on ebay, I use seller www.modelboatbits which are good quality and great service, they're also 8mm o/d which matches nicely with most older ones and will fit straight in; check that first though!
    Roger

    πŸ“ NewBe Help Needed - Noisy Motor Arrangement
    12 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    Also check the inner shaft is straight by rolling it on a smooth flat surface such as kitchen worktop. A bent propshaft will cause noise, vibration and probaly binding which is evident from the motor's reluctance to start when power is applied.

    πŸ’¬ The Hugh William Viscount Gough built by Debbie and Alan
    12 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 5 Views · 0 Likes
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    I agree with Larryshaw48. Many of the members of this site have a general interest in vintage boats including the fireboats, I'm one of them! Other categories are available to cater for that and it keeps the site busy and of broad interest. it also helps build a data and information archive for others to access - a vintage boat treasure chest! The more the merrier I say 😊

    πŸ’¬ Aerokits sea nymph
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 0 Likes
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    You've done a nice job there, it looks a treat. She has a nice look of originality which I always like to see.
    Roger

    πŸ’¬ Vic Smeed's 'Silver Mist'
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 0 Likes
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    What a gem, as you say it's a classic design which looks superb on and off the water. Scaling up make for a very comfortable and manageable sized boat. I like it very much, thanks for sharing :-)

    πŸ’¬ Restored 34" Aerokits Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 8 Views · 0 Likes
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    HI Peep31, I made the mast from brass, plasticard and some small pices of timber. I have posted some pictures on the site, if I can find them I'll send a link. Roger

    πŸ’¬ Yeoman / HMM
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 0 Likes
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    That's great to hear, there seem to be a few more out there now. it was launced in 1952 at a price of Γƒβ€šAΒ£3 12s 10p, designed by Les Rowell when he was at Hammersmith Model Makers (HMM) just a couple of years before he left and started Aerokits in 1954. I shall look out for a Yeoman Minx!

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    πŸ“ What grey?
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pooley, Peter (HS93) and I chatted through forum about this a few months ago, try this link



    http://modelfireboats.com/forum/thread.php?thread=3832#3856
    πŸ’¬ Yeoman / HMM
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 0 Likes
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    Very nice, I've not seen the cute little Minx before but have a Wavemaster which is used regularly. Mine was built around 1953, originally with an ED racer IC engine but now running with a Darke Horse 700, it's a real classic design of its time and a favourite of mine, there are some pics somewhere on the site.

    πŸ’¬ 35" Aerokits sea commanda
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 0 Likes
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    Lovely colour scheme, I do like to see the off-white on a model rather than brilliant white. Nice to see the lake in action as well, I went last year and the water was very low, it's a great location although a tad windy at times!!

    πŸ“ K.L.M.B.C Free sail day
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    An excellent day Graham, the weather, the company and the boats were spot-on 😊
    Please let us know when you hold the next one. Roger

    πŸ“ Transfers
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Peter,
    That's a cracking little boat, if it's the one I think it is I had it in my watch list as I've always fancied one and they don't come up for sale too often!! Looks to be in excellent condition, you must be very pleased, I would be 😊

    I can't Imagine its very heavy at all and will probably run very well on the standard motor so a good place to start. There are a couple here on the site, might be worth looking to see what they run and any comments made.

    Roger

    πŸ“ Transfers
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Peter,
    I guess if they're not peel-off type stickers that they would be water slide which means soaking them in luke-warm water until they loosen, sliding the upper part into position and damping off with tissue (like an Airfix kit!) You could test by cutting off a blank corner to try this out.

    If this is the case you will need to make sure they are given a good coat of protective varnish post-application.

    I guess this is your new project, let us know what you're working on and post some pictures 😊
    Roger

    πŸ“ Donations - Why so little??
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 2 Views · 0 Likes
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    I've just been into the donation link armed with a debit card and 15 minutes to spare putting in details I often feel uncomfortable about entering into the computer only to find I could use Paypal. Fantastic! this made it quick, easy and secure so job done! Most of us who use the site probably have a Paypal account so let's see the symbol in the link area.

    I've used and still use this site a lot. it's been a source of high quality information and contacts I'd struggle to find anywhere else so well worth a contribution.
    I also pay a subscription to the Tamiyaclub.com, an RC car club which gives simple access to sales and wants adds, allows me to have a showroom and a trade section, perhaps this is something to consider developing more. Check it out.

    In addition to Aerokits I'm also interested in other makes of vintage boat such as Veron, Maycraft, HMM to name a few and other designs from Vic Smeed, Max Coote, Les Rowell etc. Perhaps it's time to specifically identify some of these rather than consigning them to 'others', broaden the information base and have a small membership fee - even Γƒβ€šAΒ£5 a year would alleviate the problem and take two minutes to send through Paypal. Just food for thought. Roger

    πŸ“ Restored 34" Aerokits Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 9 Views · 1 Like · 3 Comments
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    Finally reached the end of my 'back to wood' restoration which started in November last year! She was a rather sorry ebay purchase but did have some of the original fittings - sadly not all, I used as many as possible and found new equivalents to try and match. The mast, davit and cleats were all home made in plasticard, brass and other sundry bits and pieces. it has working lights and spotlight and the davit rotates. First outing today was pretty good, it does plane but at nearly full throttle so the next trip will be with an 8.4v stick to give it a little more edge. Roger :-)

    πŸ“ HMM Wavemaster
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 6 Views · 1 Like
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    I took advantage of some nice weather to take my Wavemaster out for a spin this afternoon. She's around 58 years old, I bought her from the son of the original builder and have tried to keep it as original as possible so converted from IC to electric, repainted the lower hull, new stainless inner propshaft, made some handrails and fitted the lights. it was very dirty but has cleaned up a treat. I'm running a Darke Horse 700 with a 7.2v 4300Ah battery for these pictures but have the facility to use either one or two sticks, run time today over 30min with some to spare so I'm well pleased! it's a gorgeous classic boat.

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete,you might need to juggle about a little with the length of the servo horn and tiller to get the rudder movement right, I try to keep the distance between the rod and the centre of the servo horn fixing screw around 15/16mm and a similar distance for the tiller, that seems to work for me! increasing the tiller length will reduce rudder movement but increasing the servo horn length may move it too far, I try and keep them similar.
    Again similar to DaveM I used a 1/16 ply base fixed into the boat with epoxy under the servo and double sided tape to hold the servo in place, Velcro is good for receiver and ESC but with load on the rudder it can twist and become loose.
    When you feed the prop shaft in try doing it slowly and twisting as you would a screw thread, you'll find much less gets pushed out of the other end, I always give a light coat of lube to the shaft as well as putting some into the tube before fitting. Roger

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    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete, here are a couple of pictures reference batteries and rudder servo as mentioned in your photo gallery. My servo arrangement sounds much like that described by DaveM in his reply. My battery is currently centrally mounted but it's a but high and I'm concerned it will raise the centre of gravity too much causing the boat to roll a little. I think it's better to have the battery weight as low as possible so I'll try this out and if it's a problem, if so I'll move it. DaveM suggests transversely in the same compartment which is what I would if I were you and what I may still do myself. Roger

    πŸ’¬ Fire Boat Work In Progress
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 5 Views · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete, looks like you're moving on at a fair pace. I've been keeping up with the thread and might well try a Graupner 600 8.4. I have a 600 9.6 in another boat and they seem to be very nice motors. Won't be long before you're on the water for summer - then what will the next project be? :-)

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete,
    As Dave says, don't use the 850/ lead acid in your boat! I have the same Graupner speed 600 (9.6) in my Sea Rover but with a three-blade prop and it runs very nicely on a 7.2v 3700ah stick. it replaced a higher revving Johnson (21,000 rpm) which almost turned the boat over! if I remember correctly the 600/9.6v has max revs of 14500, it's a very flexible motor with quite low power consumption; my run times are good although sometimes an extra couple of hundred rpm would be nice!

    Old paint can be a nightmare, you never know what it could be, I just stripped it all off and started again. As for the prop shaft it's worth a try, you'll feel any excessive play as soon as you try the new shaft in the old tube. Try and remember how the old one felt then switch them over, the old shaft might well be worn around the bearings - that 0.031mm could make all the difference;-) Roger

    πŸ“ rear deck
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    Beautiful work on your boat Peter, it's a real pleasure to see, thanks for sharing it with us. Roger

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete, I have used M4 nuts on the old tread in the past, once there is a lock-nut in place against the coupling it all seems pretty secure and the couplings do have a decent thread length. To date no problems! in reality the boats don't get used all that often so I just check them periodically to make sure all is well. I have a two blade prop fitted but sadly the boat is still 'work in progress' so no chance to test it yet, I may change the motor as well - still looking into that! Roger

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete, if it's the original shaft it's probably 5/32", this is 0.031mm smaller than a 4mm/M4 shaft - so almost indiscernible. in the past I've cheated sometimes, if the original old 5/32 shaft is a bit worn at the bearings, pitted or bent I've bought an M4 shaft, tried it in to see if it's OK and if so used it in the original tube! I did this on my Aerokits Solent lifeboat and it worked a treat but the lengths must match.
    If it's still too loose I've removed the whole lot, they do come out easier than you think in most cases. I've removed the old resin at both ends, made sure there is none left on the tube and twisted/pulled VERY gently with pliers from the stern. I did change the shaft and tube on my Fireboat.
    When you buy a shaft remember the length quoted will be the length of the tube, not the shaft. Also check the outside diameter of the tube as some of the newer stainless shafts also have a much smaller diameter stainless outer tube. You can get stainless inners with older style brass outers, some ebay listings also quote the O/D of the outer tube.
    Replacing the inner shaft with M4 threads will give a better choice of props.
    Regards, Roger

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
    ✧ 1 View · 0 Likes
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    HI Pete, much the same as DaveM. Had to make a piece, mine sits a bit high, Dave's is better placed I think but too late now!!
    You'll need to replace the upper bulkhead piece that forms the front of the rear cabin piece, you may well have that as I think they have a tendency to fall out when the glue gets tired (mine did!) Roger

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
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    HI Pete, The mast looks great! well worth it. if you need some M2 stainless screws and small brass nuts I have spare ones.
    The hook and winch are real top notch, mine are plastic! They must be original and would have been expensive items at the time - they still would be if you could find anything as good.
    I'm still thinking about window frames, the small side windows had no frame but just a small drip rail over the top edge. I might try the others, as yet undecided - another coat of paint to go on yet.
    I've got some pictures and diagrams you might find useful, if you wish send me your email address through 'my messages' I'll get back to you by return.
    Roger

    πŸ“ 34" Fireboat
    13 years ago by πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ thelegos ( Master Seaman)
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    HI Pete, Looks like a nice straight boat you have there - and no mice! I see what you mean about the deck.

    The engine mounts do look close together. On mine I had to carve away the rear block to get the length of the motor in, you may be able to carve the sides. Carefully drill down along the inner edges and take out the rest with a small chisel or modelling knife - put a piece of tape round the drill to mark the depth so you don't go through the bottom!
    I have found on some other boats that when you start to apply pressure the old glue gives way and out they come!

    I made the piece round the towing hook from plasticard, it's not totally accurate but added a bit more detail, the hook I have is an original from the Mersey Marine fitting kit which could be bought for the boat 'back in the day'

    I also notice you have the original Keil Kraft marker lights still on, my lights are the same ones but I cut off the tail and rounded them up as in the picture. The size and shape worked better for me!

    Roger



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