Members Harbour
1 Photo
2 Likes
USS Fletcer, 1942
1/48 scale destroyer, lead ship in a class of 175 built.
ToraDog
8 months ago
12 Attributes
4 Photos
9 Likes
USS Eastwind 1/48th scale
USS Eastwind, a US Coast Guard operated icebreaker, circa 1944. !/48th scale plank on frame with F/G covering. Lots of lights, three motors, 1 bow, 2 stern.
ToraDog
3 years ago
0 Attributes
2 Photos
5 Likes
V4-MA-1 Tug
My V4-MA-1 US maritime Commission tugboat. 45+ built in WW2. Based upon the the Dutch(at the time the HMS) Zwarte Zee. Plank on frame construction cover in F/G. Lights, sounds and fire monitors.
ToraDog
3 years ago
0 Attributes
5 Photos
7 Likes
USS Jimmy Carter
USS Jimmy Carter, based upon a 1/48th scale F/G Seawolf hull. Lengthened and modified. High pressure( Scuba tank) air ballast system.
ToraDog
3 years ago
0 Attributes
1 Photo
7 Likes
USS Diver
A WW@ US Navy salvage/rescue ship. Built from a F/G hull and scratch, except for fittings, from there on. Working fire monitor, lights, radar, and anchor.
ToraDog
3 years ago
0 Attributes
1 Photo
5 Likes
USS Halford
My 1/48th Fletcher class destroyer. One of three converted to carry a catapult mount amphibian. Controllable gun director, guns, torpedo mount, catapult and airplane motor start up, sound system and smoke system. Her camouflage scheme is not accurate, but it was a learning experience to try to do.
ToraDog
3 years ago
0 Attributes
Members Blogs
17 Posts
10 Followers
70 Likes
A new build
I will, most likely, have to rename this Blog, at some point.
In the mean time...please do not expect much for a while as she is in her very early stages.
First a disclosure: This hull was built for me by another gentleman. It was delivered in a not quite completed state. Therefore I have spent the last two month working on it to get to it's present state.
So.. what is it? She is one of four ships in a class that was later enlarged to around eight maybe ten members of the class. Her main armament was eight 5"/38 caliber twin turrets. She and her class namesake sister were both lost during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This ship is most noted due to the loss of an entire generation of one family, five brothers.
This should be enough for identification.
She is being built in my preferred scale, 1/48th or 1/4"=1'.
This ship was used for numerous camouflage scheme experiments and, sadly, there is little definitive documentation to pinpoint her second to last and last schemes carried. That said, my plan, subject to change without notice or reason, is to present her as she appeared following her New York Navy Yard overhaul, or perhaps as she may have appeared after repainting in Placentia Bay NewFoundland, 1942.
She measures out to 11' 3" and her power plant is to be two 24 volt Buehler motors.
Pictures of her and the build to follow.
Wish me luck please, she will not fit in my van....
ToraDog
26 days ago
12 Posts
11 Followers
69 Likes
USS Fletcher DD-445
Well, while I have been laying low since finishing the USCGC Eastwind, I have not been idle. I actually started this build about a year and a half ago. Like the Eastwind and the majority of my fleet, she is in 1/48th scale so she is a little over seven feet.
Quite a few years back I bought a second hand 1/48th Fletcher hull which I built into the USS Halford, DD-480, one of three Fletchers which mounted catapults and OS2U Kingfisher float planes. She came out pretty well. Later I was offered 3 1/48 USN destroyer hulls, another Fletcher, a Sumner, and a Gearing. I gave the Sumner and the Gearing to friends and kept the Fletcher. I had decided that I wanted to try to build the name ship of the class, as she was commissioned. I need to point out that, as commissioned, lasted only until she had completed her shakedown trials, after which she entered the New York Navy Yard and her appearance began to change. As such, she is modeled to represent a period of about a month of her life, which ran from 1942 to 1972 when she was sold and broken up for scrap. I will not go into her history, except to say that she was in the thick of the Southwest Pacific campaign from Guadalcanal right thru to Vietnam. She was the first of 175 ships in her class. The fastest recorded build of one of her class was 90 days, from keel laying to commissioning, built by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. Her functions, to date, are independent motors, rudder, smoke from both stacks, independent search lights, independent control of turrets and gun director with the ability to mix as needed, torpedo tubes, and some sound systems as well as radar and sonar.
To date she has passed her trials and is awaiting the placement of stanchions and wire ropes, which I hope to finish this year.
Her radio system uses telemetry so I can read her running voltage and amperage. I know her lat/long( like I need that!), and her speed in knots. She does not quite make the true 39+ knots that she did on trials, rather about 36, which is quite fast in her scale as it is. When I compared trial photos of the original to my model, they had almost the exact same bow waves and wake patterns. I was happy.
Here is the Fletcher on trials. This is the image that I am aiming to achieve. I will start the build blog in a day or so. Enjoy and I will entertain all queries.
ToraDog
1 year ago
16 Posts
9 Followers
86 Likes
USS Eastwind 1/48th scale icebreaker
This may ramble a bit as I am not that straight forward. I have always loved icebreakers and thought that they were a very under represented class of vessels in the modeling world. I remember building a plastic kit when I was around 15. It may have been a "Wind" or the Glacier. Either way, at around 14" it was way too small. Around 5 years ago, I stumbled upon an advertisement for a 1/48th laser cut keel and rib set for a Wind class icebreaker. It was a one off the gent was not going to produce it again. I grabbed it up. The "kit" consisted of the keel and a full set of ribs cut from a decent grade of aircraft plywood around 1/4" thick.
The first thing I did was start my research. Which ship, what configurization, date, paint pattern, weapons, ect.
There were seven ships built for the US Navy and Coast Guard combined, and one built for the Canadian Coast Guard. There were many variations, but two ships stood out. The USS Southwind and her sister the Eastwind. I chose the latter. Furthermore I chose to build her pretty much as built and commissioned. This led to her carrying an impressive weapons suite and an aircraft, which just happened to be available in a 1/48th kit form.
There were many challenges to build this model, not the least of which was to get accurate plans and photographs. The US Coast Guard Museum in Seattle, Washington was an immense help in that regard. Next was that research indicated that all equipment on Polar rated ships had to be of larger, stronger sizes than standard CG or Naval standards called for. Ie, lot's of masters and castings to be made in the future. Lastly was the weapons suite, which calle dfor large and unique fittings. Shapeways came to the rescue there. More of all of this as I go along.
These first pictures are of the kit set up, just to get a feel for it, on a build board. Followed by some planks pictures. The shaft logs are unique. They taper for there entire length and the shaft runs through them, but NOT centered. The shaft centered on the outboard end, but off center on the inboard end. I had a local shop turn these for me. WAY above my pay grade.
ToraDog
2 years ago
Recent Posts
π¬ Re: HMCS GLENSIDE
5 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
This will be exciting to follow!
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Anybody have a known-good schematic to homebuild an ESC?
9 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Rod,
That is beyond my pay grade, but I will suggest that the high frequency brushed units I have received from Europe are a step above most others. Totally silent.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Question of the Day?
14 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
That is correct. Recreational diving on Arizona is NOT allowed. Not to mention the fact that it is within the bounds of an active naval base hosting nuclear powered ships.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Capacitors for 12 volt Mabuchi Motor
16 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
If memory serves, it would be 0.01uf, ceramic capacitors.
Than said, unless you are running an older radio that operates in the surface range, 75mhz, or 27 mhz, OR if you run your boat with folks who operate in those ranges, there is not a great need to mount them.
2.4ghz radios are pretty immune to RFI and most folks do not add capacitors anymore.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π¬ Re: Foundation Franklin
17 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Beautiful classic. My favorite Farley book.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Juneau
26 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I managed to create the fairwater out of .025 brass sheet. I silver soldered some pegs to it and have epoxied it into place. Some West system epoxy fairing, first round, and some sanding to come.
I could not resist setting up the superstructure, which is more or less assembled, but not yet in it's final form. I added seven of the gun turrets for effect. She will be imposing.
I hope to finish primer the hull this week and maybe throw some finish paint on her. I'll see how that goes...
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π¬ Re: Outer Limits
30 days ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Wicked!
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Juneau
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
So much for best laid plans. I was all ready to cut out my fairwater, but no scroll saw blades. Do you think that I could find any locally? Of course not. Back to the internet...
So... I decided to start building my superstructure kit, which was especially made for me by a gent in North Carolina. It is CAD routed out of about .080 Sintra like material. Of course I could not help myself to see what it would look like, instead of a bare hull, so...
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π FLOAHAZZ Smoke Generator (Amazon)
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Doug is on the money. Smoke units are VERY sensitive to the volume of oil put into them and each size unit is different. More than once, I have over filled a unit and had to drain it, one way or the other.
Another point i would make is that almost all of the "oil" based units I have seen or used, use a "smoke oil". I may be a bit off when I say that I believe it to be a kerosene like oil.
Bay oil is quite thick comparatively and if the unit does use a wick, baby oil may not be thin enough to wick.
Lastly, smoke oil is pretty readily available. Most model railroad shops and web sites sell it.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Juneau
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Well it has been about 5 months and this is where she lays. I managed three coats of high build primary(wow! Expensive stuff...$34/ spray can, witha discount) after way too many hours of filler and spot putty and sanding.
Sanded all over and filled pin holes while re-edging the deck. Next up is cutting out mounting and soldering braces to the fairwater which is .025" brass. Fair the gaps where it meets the hull and three more coats of primary over the bare spots and the red stuff. Sand again and then add some color to the hull.
Almost time to start cutting out the deck access holes....
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π FLOAHAZZ Smoke Generator (Amazon)
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Rod,
Heating element smokers are fairly sensitive. If run without the cooling fan, or with an input voltage even 1/2 V over it's rating, the nichrome wire will melt and brake. And easy way to check if this is the problem is to put a multimeter across the heating wires. Disconnect them from the power source firstπ. There should be continuity, if there is none, then the wire either disconnected in the case( I've had that happen) or the heating element burned thru.
I have used this company's units for 15+years with good success. The warranty is limited, but they service what they sell.
www.facebook.com/smallandlargescalesmokers
scalesmokers@gmail.com
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π FLOAHAZZ Smoke Generator (Amazon)
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Rod,
What is your boat's name....Bongπ
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π 20mm Oerlikon drawings
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Doug,
As Al photos show, a 20mm Thunderbolt mount was a PT mount used in a limited number of boats. There were several iterations that it went thru with the final version being 4 20mm canons on the mount.
Many are available on Shapeways here:
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=pt+thunderbolt |
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π 20mm Oerlikon drawings
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I can scan drawings from "Allied Coastal Forces of World War II, Volume 1" which has extensive drawings of Oerlikons. However the drawings do no have dimensions. That said, there is a scale included with the drawings so that you can scale the images.
I'll need your e-mail because they are copy righted and I do not want to post the images.
Please send me a PM if you want to go this route.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π¬ Re: USS Jueau
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I did not realize how long it had been since I had posted an update. Best laid plans do not always work out. It seems like all of the parts I was depending upon were delayed. Well....
Anyhow, I have installed the motors and jack shafts, pretty standard stuff.I won't find out just how noisy they are until Juneau hits the water. Fingers crossed. The rudder servo, connecting rods and quadrant(if you can call it that) are installed and test. I have made and installed battery and equipment trays out of 1/8" aircraft ply epoxied on all sides. I am pretty sure that I have more than enough room for my electronics and batteries.
Speaking of electronics, I have set up the entire on board radio system on a piece of cardboard and tested it's function. Everything up to and including electronic switches, smoke systems and all five ESC's are included. It seems to work well, but I can still screw it up yet.
I received and installed the wayward deck beams and when all the other "items" were installed in the hull, I laid on the deck. As I mentioned before, I am using 1/16" fiberglass sheet. It is epoxied to the deck beams and deck edges. When hard(3 days later) I began the joyous chore of radius-ing the deck edge. Juneau and her sisters, like the Greaves/Livermore class of US destroyers, had a radiused deck edge. Oh what a messy job. My better half even helped by directing the shop vac, but it did not do enough. All of my models now have a nice dusting of pink....π I'll be cleaning for yearsπ
Sand, sand and sand so more. I am almost ready to spray some high build primer and see just how many blotches there are to deal with, then sand, sand , sand....
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Receivers
1 month ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Just to possibly confuse this issue, just a tad bit more, some expandable radios, like FrSky, utilize multiple receivers, identical receivers, but the channel assignment of the receivers is set in the transmitter when the receivers are bound to the transmitter. For example, using two 8 channel receivers, the first is assigned channels 1-8 and the second is assigned 9-16.
I don't see where your system's instructions mention any such capability, but as Doug said, the Chinese translation may leave a bit to be desired.
If you are able to expand your transmitter, the question becomes, 1) will the system recognize two receivers as I have described, or 20 do you have to purchase a larger multi-channel(6-8) receiver?
Sorry, but I can not answer that.π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π¬ Re: Graupner HMS Belfast 1:150.
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Scratchbuilder,
It must be wonderful to be able to share your hobby with a Grandchild!
I would urge some caution on your build plans. You will be adding quite a bit of weight and much of it will be "high" on the ship. Hopefully, there is some ballast that you can replace with your build plans. Also, be aware of the added current load of those servos( if that is what you are planning to use for your turrets).
Carry On!π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Receivers
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Nick,
I have downloaded and read the manual for the FlySky FS GTC-3 and there is no mention, anywhere, in the manual that the system can be expanded beyond 3 channels.
Please enlighten us as to where you saw/read that this system can be expanded.
I am not saying that you are wrong, but I just don't see any information about doing what you suggest.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Receivers
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Nick,
Don't believe everything you see on YouTube...
You have not told us which radio system you are using. It would certainly help.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Receivers
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
There appears to be two questions here. I'll answer the second one first:yes you can power two receivers off the same battery or BEC, the latter is preferred because of the increased current draw of multiple receivers and the added servos you will be operating. A simple Y connector will suffice to provide the power needs. ( I usually remove, or tape back, the signal wire of the Y splice)
To your first question regarding whether you can expand your system: It depends upon the radio system that you have. Some systems, like FrSky, are designed to be expanded.
You need to tell what brand and model radio system you are using. Also, carefully read, or download and read, your radio's manual.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π What Radio do you use?
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I am using FrSky Taranis X9E's, Horus x12s's, and I have a new XE24 that I have not played with yet.
Have you done a range test out of water? I am not suggesting that the H2O is the issue, it certainly should not be with the antenna extensions you are using.
So far, all my radios, BTY I am using X8R receivers, operate to beyond range of sight, ie, I can not control them because I can not tell which way they are goingπ.
Are both receivers using antenna extensions, or just the primary? If the back-up receiver failed, the primary should still have maintained signal and control.
I have found FrSky to be some what sensitive to voltage and current supply. I use BEC's that are definitely over kill. My only failures, to date, have been when bench testing and using a battry pack that proved not up to the task. Running telemetry certainly increases the load on the receiver's power supply.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π ESC
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Nick,
Pre-setting the max speed of the vessel can be done on most transmitters. It is done the same as setting the servo throw. This is what the Admiral was talking about(he just used fancy words).
If your transmitter allows you to set the end points of your servos, just do the same for your throttle. Consider your ESC to be a servo.
You should be able to do it while you run your boat, but make sure that someone is with you to watch the boat while you fiddle with the transmitter. π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π ESC
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
First question, why would you want to do that? Second question, what exactly are you trying to accomplish?
I agree with the previous response, ie, puting a "manual" speed control in line between the RX and the ESC accomplishes nothing. The manual control does not hook up to the RX and it would block any signal to the ESC, if it did.
Go back to my second question and let's see if we can help you out.π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π power boats
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Oh NO Doug. Now I am totally disillusioned.π€£π€£
I agree with the interlock idea. That said, the new computer radios, like FrSky, Spectrum and others, allow for scripts and virtual switches to be activated. I would think that this would be a perfect place to try such a thing.
Unfortunately, none of my fleet uses bow thrusters,, otherwise I would try programing one, as soon as I figure out how to.π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π power boats
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
If I can butt in here, and I am probably poking a hornet's nest,, but here goes anyhow. Bow thrusters are designed to work and really only have an effect at low speed. In fact, if you look at Queen Mary or her sister, I may have dropped the #'s here, they both have doors that close off the thrusters above a certain speed, 10 because the thrusters don't work above that speed, and 2) because the thruster tunnels create a huge amount of drag and turbulence.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Motor cuts out
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I looked at the motor specs, and it appears that you may be a bit mismatched. That motor draws up to 35 amps, and it appears to want 7.4 volts minimum. You indicated that you have tried a different ESC, but was it a 7.4 volt or greater unit?
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Servos not working / moving
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Colin makes great point. Servo testers are a very handy tool to have in one's tool box. Inexpensive and versatile.
I sometimes use a servo tester as a speed control with 360 degree rotation servos, ie, for radars.
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Servos not working / moving
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
I would always start at the batteries. Are they new or fully charged? Both transmitter and receiver? Does the receiver use a NiMH battery or a NiCD? How long has it been since they were charged and cycled?
You can check your receiver pack switch by eliminating it from between the battery pack and the receiver. I have seen them go bad and cause issues with voltage.
With your manual in front of you, rebind your receiver. When you do this, don't put the receiver right next to the transmitter. Some radios don't like this much and it causes problems. OK, you re-bound.
Had you previously set the failsafes? If so, you might consider un-doing them.
I am guessing that your radio and servos are set for throttle and rudder. If they are not working yet, try them connected to the auxiliary channels of the receiver.
BTY, has your receiver and or servos ever been underwater?
Are the servo cable plug polarized, ie, can they be put into the receiver in only one way? If not, check to make sure that they are installed correctly.
You could try some other servos and see if they work. As long as the cable plus fit into the receiver properly they should work fine.
Lastly, if you are still stuck, do you know anyone with a similar radio that you could try your receiver and servos on?
That is about all I can come up with. Good Luck
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π Hog Chains on a Sternwheel Riverboat
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
There is a article on Wikipedia addressing hog chains, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hog_chains |
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received
π chargers
2 months ago by
πΊπΈ ToraDog (

Lieutenant Commander)
Flag
Roy is absolutely correct. The link to PowerSonic battery site, which I previously posted, illustrates these rates for all the different size SLA's they offer. While not exactly spot on for all manufacturers, the rates are pretty close and provide a good guide line for our uses.
The site's charger listings also show the chargers rates and cut off slopes which, again, give a good illustration of the recommended charging parameters to use.
I am not says that these can only be used with PS products, but most of us are in the dark about the correct way to discharge and charge these batteries.
Lastly, please remember that the batteries DO have vents and therefore they are designed to be charged in the connector in the upright position. Otherwise the gas can not. will not, vent and the batteries increase the risk exploding at some point. More importantly, the efficiency of the battery drops and premature failure is the end result.π
▲
β©β©
No likes yet
This member will receive 1 point
for every like received