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June 2018: 5 people May 2018: 7 people April 2018: 24 people March 2018: 13 people February 2018: 8 people January 2018: 25 people December 2017: 7 people November 2017: 11 people |
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Doug, 28 years ago I decided she was worth a punt and I was right. I should get it delivered before July, but won't get it in my "stickies" until 22nd of July, actual birthday. She's mean like that too! I also have an Rx. coming to try with the TX. If that works I'll have 2 sets of modern stuff, one with 5 channels (functions) I suppose I could do a head turning teddy bear like Sail tales does on youtube. My Darby has a scale sized dolly man, which will need dressing in some 40s gear and can turn his arms on a steering wheel, so maybe a function for that. The Sea Scout goes nicely, if a bit too fast for my tastes for what is really a river cruiser. But she looks nice and your Dad would be pleased I'm sure. My Sea Urchin remains resolutely free-sailing and Kako equipped. Forgot to say, I would have to be Lupin as they are my favourite flowers. Cheers, Martin
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I'd confirm what Ron says above. A slight warp, like yours, is paradoxically harder to shift than a biggy. I had a terrible warp in an old hull, but after making diagonal strutting and regluing the skins to a point a bit MORE than the warp in reverse, it sprung back to a perfect shape, but that roof is slight and so steam is the way. You can also use hat water or even just water, but, as Ron says, you'll need to twist it in the opposite direction and keep it there. A cheap and cheerful wooden frame is the answer, then either steam or dunk the whole lot in your garden (or somebody else's ) water butt. That's how I put the sheer AND deck camber on the 1.6mm decks of my yacht model. Worked a treat. left them to soak for half an hour and then dry on a hot sunny day, naturally. I now have a flat ply deck which has the curve of the sheer AND the athwartships camber all at once. I also notice that the framework under the roof sheet isn't complete. If you were to complete that while holding the roof in an unwarped position, glue up and let it set hard you could also find it will straighten up. Failing all this, making a brand new one from a bit of 1.5mm ply and some 3mm for a frame will be just as quick. Ah, it's our pirate friend. Hello Bryan. Hadn't twigged it was your Seaplane Tender! It deserves repair rather than replacement, I reckon. Cheers, Martin
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Bryan, yep, that is a Bassett-Lowke. I was going to say, but wifey has had me out doing stuff on and off all day. I can't moan as she's bought me a new RC set for my birthday next month. I think your Bassett-Lowke motor will be fine and the new mags from Oz sound great. My Basset-Lowke goes well with its own mags so far and is going in my Darby One Design stepped racer (a la Oulton Broad). I would keep it all as is, just do some repairs. That cabin roof looks like it could be repaired or replaced without spoiling things. Cellulose sanding sealer is your best friend on plywood models as it puts that slight amber tinge to the wood, existing or new. Doug's yer man to advise on batteries and lecktricks generally. Looking forward to seeing this progress. Cheers, Martin
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Doug, you'd be proud of me. On exclaiming at the amazing low price of a set of Flysky RC, my dear bride ordered me a set for my Birthday next month, so I'll end up with same make TX and Rx, which is very well reviewed and should just work. Spare Rxs. are 7 quid. This lot must work, surely? (Don't call me surely) Cheers, Martin
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Haverlock, I have watched all those videos. They all say the same, some more succinctly than others and my set doesn't do the same as they say. I'll pick up some Alkaline batteries for the TX this afternoon, so it at least has its 6 volts and we'll see if the lights flash. If not, who knows? Martin
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Bryan, that appears to be a Fast Patrol Boat. I don't know that it was a kit one, although Aerokits did one, but it looks to be a very nicely done model. You certainly can't get those batteries any more, Ever ready being long dead as a company, but please keep them. They are more museum pieces than the boat! And that motor is something interesting. If you want to replace it with some modern rubbish, I'd be interested in buying it from you for my "Maverick's collection of Unfeasable Motors". I would be tempted to leave the finish as it is as that is so typical of the period (late 50s), but rarely seen any more. It's a very nice boat and deserves to be kept in period. These boats for real, were not that fast, despite being called High Speed Launches, so you don't need some screaming brushless in it. A 400 brushed would be sufficient. Some suitable decals on the hull sides would finish it off nicely. You could paint those side windows dark gloss grey to represent glass from a distance. Cheers, Martin
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Watching those vids, I see that the Tx. lights are supposed to flash while binding. Mine don't. I will buy some heavy duty batteries, non chargeables and see if that makes any difference. Maybe there hasn't been enough battery in the back of the Tx.? Martin
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Haverlock, seen that video too! All appear to say the same and that's what I've done several times, without effect. Interestingly the friendly Kiwi in the very next video says how tens of thousands have been used and they "jist work". Hmmm. I wouldn't touch one of those fancy programmable things with a barge pole. Least of all for a boat. I want 2 reliable functions (what used to be called 4 channels), as said above, I no longer plan on doing any aircraft, so if I were buying now I would have got a cheapie from Steve Webb, if he weren't out of stock! If I were in the market for a bust yer gut programme -necessary set I would go mad and buy a Jeti Duplex becuase if THAT didn't work it would go straight on my wall as a work of art, being the finest piece of engineering I've seen since the Coventry Climax FWM V8, which I will already have pressed into use as a coffee table. Czechs are SO clever. Cheers, Martin
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Doug, what gave you the idea that I spent all that on my Spektrum DX5e? It cost me 45 quid from somewhere up North, brand new. The Rxs were, I thought, too much, so I got an Orange for 8 quid. I got the Spektrum because I was considering doing aircraft. 4 footers, scale, so not needing anything fancy, but costs of everything else stopped that. If they did a 2 function set cheap, I'd have had it. No chance selling the DX5e as it will have been superceded at least twice since I bought mine, probably at least once since I first removed it from its box! The Tx., isn't complicated. I was careful NOT to buy one that needed a degree in pooterism to operate. It's a toy boat fer Krissakes...go left, go right, speed up, slow down, stop, maybe go backuds, although my kind of real boats rarely do. I'd use my old REP single channel if some toad hadn't stole it. But it doesn't stand me in that much. This new Rx. which states DX5e compatibility is 7 quid. After that, if it don't work it will be back to the 27 meg. or nothing at all (much better exercise). As to the battery capacity thing, it is exactly the same to look at as the ones you linked me to, but, although it didn't say it didn't do Nixx, the fact is it doesn't. On the box is a row of x's where the facilities are shown under NiCd and NiMh. Sending it back would cost almost as much as the thing cost in the first place. In the unlikely event that I ever get any LiPos, it'll do for those. As to the NiMhs, I'll put them through a discharge recharge cycle on the imax thing according to what you and Haverlock have said. Then, just do the same when I've finished sailing. I use this stuff so rarely I suppose I should think again about whether to get any more stuff at all. Is it possible to constantly cycle the batteries during the long winter fallow period? Should they be discharged by running a motor or can one trust the imax to do the job? Once again, thanks for your time, Doug. I do appreciate your efforts to help out the Luddite. BTW, when I bought the DX5e it really was the cheapest option, trust me! Now, I'd probably get one of those cheapies that are sold by the same outfit I bought my DX5e from, but they weren't around then. Cheers, Martin
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To save time, I have decided to treat myself to another Rx. This one claims to be compatible with my very type of Tx. so I have great hopes for it. It's cheap enough to take a punt, but it will be the last attempt. If this one don't work it's back to the 27meg and a wee green flag off the 6 foot aerial. Cheers, Martn
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Which he has every legal right to do. I offer to carve a decent likeness of a raised middle finger he can attach to his boat. Martin
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Hi Doug, I spotted that section round the bottom, too. Interesting. I think it's meant to be a kind of sealing bead of square section, probably ramin or teak. Mahogany wouldn't last long in that position as it doesn't like constant exposure. But it will have to go on the model. The half round can just be filed into the edge of the tops. Martin
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Elsrickle, sound like you have the 34 1/2" Aerokits Crash Tender, as do I. There very few photos of them and even fewer that show good details. As to colours, Doug and I agree that the greys used seem on the best photos to show a very light cabin sides, but darker decks and tops which are non-slip. mturpin013, I think the non slip paint stops short of the half round edging to the cabin tops. I would assume the half round is to stop water gathering at the edges and causing premature rot, although of course a bit of salt water is good for wood. I would like to get some decent reference for the derrick which is apparently portable. Most of all, I would like to get my damned RC gear to work or it's back in with 27 meg and to hell with the bind that is binding. Cheers, Martin
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I tried the plug, but it is pushed in. The Tx. has lights on the front. Are they supposed to tell you the charge level? If so. I had 4 cells in it which lit up the light second from left (green) and then tried a more recently charged set I just found and they lit up the second from right, (also green). People have said that the TX. light should flash, but which one? There are 4 of the things. And none of them flash. Somebody suggested fixing the TX. in DSM2 mode, but the instructions insist that it is compatible with all, but one of Spektrum's own! I can see me flogging it all off for once and all and going back to free sailing. When the boat slows down, it's time to recharge and sod the RC! Martin
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Haverlock, so when The servos don't don't want to work any more, it's time to recharge I take it? I don't know how else you could tell. Because they have an RC plug on the wire I can't try them out in the DAB radio or my camera. As to the binding problem, yes the plug is in because I have never removed it as I wouldn't know what to do with it. Martin
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OK, well, this is exactly what I expectedto happen. First time out of the box for the Spektrum TX and first time for any power into the Orange Rx. Youtubes watched, instructions read, did everything they said and nothing. The Rx. light flashed, non stop, the Tx lights came on and it biddly booped. I had the trainer toggle switch held on while the Tx was turned on, but still, the Rx. flashed and did nothing more. Any ideas what now? You see, this is why I like static models so much. None of this faffing about with lecktrickery. Cheers, Martin
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Thanks, Haverlock. When should I discharge the batteries? Currently as you could see from above emails, they have a pretty full charge. I need to bind the Rx and see that the sail winch works. After that I probably wouldn't need them for a while, so would that be a good time to discharge them? Does the imax thingy stop discharging when it should automatically? Should I then leave them while and recharge a la Doug's advice, which seems to make very good sense with a new pack.? Cheers for the advice on the iMax. I'll let you all know how the binding/servo testing goes. Martin
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Well, you could, Haverlock, if you understood a word of the instructions. But if they're reading 6.37Volts I reckon they're charged, so I shall try to use them to bind the Rx. and see if the Vanity sheet winch works. Ron, I reckon they're charged at 6.37Volts. I'll just check that the Rx. is good for that higher voltage and then tomorrow see if I can get my head this binding business. Martin
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OK, I plugged in the 5 cell pack and it said 6.37 Volts, so I guess it's fully charged. I'll have to use the voltage as an idea of capacity remaining I suppose. It also doesn't show the same display as the ad shows. It says Nixx at the top left instead of NiCd and NiMh at the bottom left. If it says 6.37 Volts is that indicative of a full charge? Cheers, Martin
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Bloody ebay! I ordered a battery capacity checker and guess what, just like the one that said it didn't check NiMhs, neither does this, even though it DIDN't say it didn't. So all I've got is a glorified voltmeter. Another weekend wasted. Do you have a link to one that DOES do what it says in the advert, Doug? If it can do LiPos, why not the relatively simpler NiMhs? I'm bloody furious and very close to throwing it all in because of bloody electrics. Cheers, Martin
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Hi Doug, I had indeed considered wet'n'dry, but as ever with using that stuff, you have joints which are difficult to disguise. Difficult one to decide on. And then there's the argument that at scale distances would you even see that it was a non-slip paint? I suppose you could make a point of the seams, like they were supposed to be there. I might try that, see what it looks like. I'll do a trial piece on some spare ply. I'm very interested to see you agreeing about the absence of white cabin tops, but very light sides. I may just do that. Still got to coax the model out of my son's loft yet. I left it with him when we had no space (living afloat). Trouble is he doesn't like ladders, so I will probably have to get over there myself and stand at the bottom of the loft ladder, coaxing his progress around his large loft! Cheers, Martin
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Ah, OK, Ron. In that case I'm afraid I can't help you, but I wish you luck. The rigging should be fairly standard. I have Ewart Freeston's book on making static models of them I could check things in that if you need. Cheers, Martin
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Does it need so much that we couldn't talk our way through it for you? I don't know a huge amount about sailing barges, but I know the basics and I have books about them as I am supposed to be making a 1/43rd scale model as a pattern for a kit for a model railway company's scenic accessories line. Martin
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Ron, could you more easily get the original HFM kit instructions? I doubt if the mods done by modeljetdrives (??) were so substantial that you couldn't get by with the HFM stuff. Cheers, Martin
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Doug, interesting technique, turning them negative, but it does show that the cabin tops are marked as grey as well as the decks and coaming (cabin sides?). As you say, smooth versus non slip will look different in raking light. I had wondered that, but the lightness of shade goes right round the angles of the fore cabin. That's actually the effect that made me ask. Considering these particular boats were only ever two in number and never really in service for long, despite their popularity as models, so I don't reckon they had a repaint as they weren't around that long. It's just that the drawing you negativised says grey for all the surfaces, yet everybody makes the cabin tops white. I'm wondering whether to make the cabin sides a noticeably lighter shade of grey than the decks and cabin tops. Problem now is how do we represent non-slip on a model? Sifted Chinchilla sand into slow-drying wet paint, then spray with the correct colour? Glad to see you confirming what I thought about the half round edging to the tops, Doug. I can imagine that being a standard kind of process. Now, we need details of the derrick and its winch. Apparently it was portable. I bet that was a lump to lug about in a rolling seaway! Cheers, Martin
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Hi all, I have a drawing with some writing on it of the colours and materials used to paint the crash tenders (93 and 94), but the writing is partially unreadable. What I CAN see t that the cabin tops are given as grey as are the cabin sides. This photo shows a lighter shade on the uprights than the horizontals. Can anyone shed any light on this anomaly? Also there appears to be a change of finish at the edges of the cabin tops, like whatever is on them stops about an inch or so short of the very edge. Cheers, Martin
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Doug, I'm told that all the goodies are on their way, so should arrive tomorrow or Saturday. Saturday, I hope as I won't be tempted to play with them when I should be doing work-type jobs. Weekends is boaty time this time of year and slot racing/scenic time in the winter. I wouldn't have dreamed of correcting your memories of the Navy Lark in public! And when I speak of my "dear wife", Chris I don't mean that she is in any way like Ramona! We used to cackle to the Navy Lark while the Sunday lunch was in it's final stages of cooking every week. There used to be 2 shows together Sunday lunchtime, Navy Lark and Round the Horn/Beyond our Ken. Both were a scream. The Clitheroe Kid I could live without though. "How bona to varda your jolly old eek". You'll remember that I'm sure. Cheers and thanks again for your help. If I can get the iMax to do 0.3A, I'll do the 12 hour jobby. Cheers, Martin
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Hi Doug, thanks for all that. I will be getting my battery capacity meter tomorrow or Saturday according to ebay, so will go through the above then. They are 2600MaH VP batteries, well thought of, it seems. So would that be a whisker over 6 hours of charging? (6.0666) The Rx. and the servos all say they can go up to 7.4V and as mentioned, as a sailing boat there's no ESC (thank Gawd).This is just drum winch and steering. I wouldn't know how to fast charge anyway, so that's not gonna be a problem. Who needs fast charging. There's always something to do while batteries slow charge. Navy Lark is lost on Radio 4 as is all supposedly funny stuff these days. Desert Island Discs is still on R4 on Sunday lunchtime with a repeat during the week, but these days the guests are either such obscure arts, media or science types you never heard of or so young they haven't even lived yet. Or sports people, in which case I turn off, unless they're motor racing maybe. I hate sport. Fortunately R4 Extra on digital gives us a lot of the old series the likes of which they no longer make for fear of upsetting some imaginary grouping of people who would actually laugh as much as the rest of us probably. On R4, the News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue are still funny. Nothing else in the so-called comedy slot is remotely amusing. I would think, by the time my sail winching stuff is working right, I will have cycled the new batteries quite a few times, but I'll report back as soon as the gizmo arrives for capacity metering. Thanks again for your help, Doug. Cheers, Martin
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Heat sink! That's the devil. I kept thinking heat shrink, for some reason. I see "wall wart" describing plug-in chargers for 4 cells, but why "wart" I don't know. Looks a right mess in there, Doug, but at least you know what to do. Conrad...used to go in for a nose when I was in Munich. I worked in Sauerlach for about 6 months. Loved it. Conrad seemed to have everything, especially for making working scale model trucks. Wonderful place. I really appreciate your helping me out, mate, as I haven't got a bloody clue about charging batteries. But sort your problems out first. Meanwhile I'll make some nice wee boxes to put the batteries and Rx in, to limit any chance of water ingress. Cheers, Martin
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Boatshed, you have to speak as you find with these things. Clearly, the model has been improved but not enough yet. It's only fair that we are honest with suppliers. I haven't looked at his deck fittings, but if they are straight off a 3D printer they too will need a lot of work to correct and improve the surfaces. It's not offensive to say so, it's just the truth. Martin
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