Battery charging question and other questions from beginner!

[Cliff DaleParticipant @cliffdale20666]

I have just bought a large model trawler and i would like to ask the forum for some advice please.

 

Below is the model, it is about 1 metre long.

[IMG]http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/9523/1000251.jpg[/IMG]

 

Unfortunately it did not come with a battery charger so I need to get one, Im not sure what or where to buy the charger.

 

The battery is 12v and has pb on it.  Could I use my car battery charger on it?

 

If not, please will you point out the correct charger for it.

 

[IMG]http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5492/1000252amd.jpg[/IMG]

 

Another mystery to me is near the uv joint on the prop shaft is a hole, is this to tip oil into? 

 

[IMG]http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8118/1000253p.jpg[/IMG]

 

Thanks for your help.

 

How do you post pics here?

 

 just trying a direct link.

 

Im also looking to buy another similar model, are there any good sites to look at where model boats are offered for sale?

Cliff

 

 

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/9523/1000251.jpg

 

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5492/1000252amd.jpg

 

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8118/1000253p.jpg

 

Edited By Cliff Dale on 29/08/2009 17:20:05

[Cliff DaleParticipant @cliffdale20666]

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cliff.  Nice sized boat to start off with! and seaworthy too (as a model), lots of access by the looks of things. Good start

 

DO NOT use a car battery charger on this battery it may blow up (well, not blow up but it will seriously damage it. They need a proper Lead gell-cell charger, Try MFA, or E-Bay or Howes Models, Cornwall model boats…theres loads out there. 

 

The little hole is, as you put it, to tip oil into !  but you may have difficulty tipping it in, a long nosed oil can or thin pipe or something looks as it will be needed. If this is difficult then a thin brass pipe can be araldited over the hole and a bit of silicon/plastic tube shoved on top to raise the oiling point to a convenient position will be a help. To be honest, it may be advantageous to take out the shaft for inspection/clean/de-rust/re-grease unless you know its history.

 

There is a handy tips section i think on this forum somewhere re posting pictures, or a search on past threads will show several threads on this point.

 

Not sure about best place for boat adverts unless you are after something in particular and could stick a “wanted” post on this site, or Modelboat mayhem  ?

 

Ashlley

[Cliff DaleParticipant @cliffdale20666]

Is it just car engine oil? I have a ‘3 in 1’ can with a long nozzle I could use with car engine oil.

Just looked at taking off the shaft.  Not that easy, I have to remove the rudder first and that looks difficult.

 

Cliff

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Component Shop do a range of cheap lead acid battery chargers which are switchable between 6 and 12 volts: http://www.component-shop.co.uk/

 

Car engine oil should be OK. If the shaft if difficult to remove then try oiling it first and disconnect the coupling to the motor so you can check if if runs freely. If it’s OK I should leave it alone unless it is making a horrible noise when running!

 

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cliff. If 20 bods reply to that last question I suspect you will get 20 different answers!!

 

I dont use an oiler so I am not in a position to give a 21st answer.

 

I would drip a couple of drips on 3 in 1 on either bearing before its first run and see what happens..ie is it noisy or does it leak etc etc

 

I am not in favour of having oil in the tube as its bound to leak out and be environmentally unfreindly,  unfriendly.   not nice, anyway .

 

Ashley

 

Whoops.. Colin has pipped me to a post while I was tapping away!

Edited By ashley needham on 29/08/2009 18:23:00

[Mike DavidsonParticipant @mikedavidson22772]

Cliff, the Pb stands for Plum bum which is the roman word for lead which they imported from Cornwall, and why blokes wot do the waterworks are called plumbers. The battery with Pb on it should be charged at the ten hour rate   at one tenth of the rated capacity of the battery, so if the battery rating is eight ampere hours, the charge rate should benought point eight amps for ten hours unless you can read the strength of the electrolyte. The ideal is to either get or build a modern sophisticated charger that senses the charge achieved and cuts down to a trickle charge to maintain a good charge. You could do a lot worse than going to Maplinsand finding a build it yourself kit to build a processor controlled chargerand using your modelling skills making a first class job of it so you have a worry free dependable unit that provides you with a first class joband batteries that are dependable every time and not least, last a long time

……………………………………………………………..Mike Davidson……….in Plymouth

[Mike DavidsonParticipant @mikedavidson22772]

Cliff my friendand any other interested modeler, if you are after a method of oiling your prop shaft,go to your scrap box and pull out two bits of brass, one that can be tapped, and the other that can be threaded to screw into the first bit. Once you have done that solder or araldite the first bit to the prop shaft, so you have a threaded cup facing up. At this point, drill through the base of the cup into the prop shaft using a 0.4mm drill, or as small as you can get. If you fill the cup with duckhams 20/ 50 OIL,and screw the screw into the cup, it will force the oil into the shaft, you should ensure that the drive shaft is in when you do this, or you will have a beautifully oiled carpet, and you know what missus gets like when you do that!  . This method is quite good as one turn a day gets the whole shaft lubricated, and why not use silicone grease instead of oil

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Mike , interesting that, about plumbers being called thus.

 

Another useles bit of info to store in the old brainbox.

 

Did you know you cannot stroke Moles, but have to pat them?? Their fur does not have a “direction” like most animals, as this would impede their progress in tunnels, ie they could not reverse otherwise their fur would catch on the tunnel wall and get mucky etc (think about it)

 

Sorry about that

 

Ashley

[Cliff DaleParticipant @cliffdale20666]

Thanks for your replies.  I am reading them and not gone away!  I have bought a battery charger from the suggested site.

I like the idea of modifying the shaft for the oil. 

cliff

[Mike DavidsonParticipant @mikedavidson22772]

Did you explain your requirements to the salesperson ? It is quite important to get it rightas the gel cells are easily damagedand are quite unforgivingI’ve got 3 in my cupboard that I put on charge regularly to try to revive them no luck yet. I got them from brokendown fire alarms so they are probably used to being trickle chargedI got caught by this environmental rule for throwing batteries away ! I have to take them to the tip re-cycling centre

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