Cassie.

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Ta Len, I'm happy enough, thus far…..

Well the hulls all waterproof, though not painted, and the rudder servo and motor is in, so I drew in the water line, and it was off to the bath…

A bit of old chain thrown in to settle her down. Displacement worked out at 7lb. I'll be using 2 my of standard 6 cell 600mah ni cad packs (in parallel) so she will need a bit of ballest..

more soon…

Aj.

[IAN_IParticipant @ian_i]

Hi AJ..

The build is looking great, thanks for sharing the pictures, can see the scale a bit better.

Hope you get to play with the big boat…lol

Ian

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hello all

Here's a couple of piccies of my, err, the boats, internal gubbins.

The gears are from a scrapped printer, one forced on to the prop shaft, the one on the motor is on an adapter that I made by drilling a hole up the centre of a bolt, and force fitting on the motor shaft. The washer stops the prop shaft sliding aft, and a couple of washers between the prop and tube acts as a thrust bearing, 2:1 ratio.

To stingy to shell out on an esc, so just a simple servo operated toggle switch for the motor.

Sheet polystyrene deck on.

[IAN_IParticipant @ian_i]

Hi AJ…

The build is coming along …looking great.

Do you build with dark glasses, it looks like a snow storm/blizzard.

great looking build.

Ian

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Amy, is the servo on your motor toggle switch progressive?

Len

[Geoff SleathParticipant @geoffsleath41411]

I like your somewhat novel and inventive use of materials. Who would have thought of using sour milk for anything, much. As our milk is drunk before it turns, certainly not me We threw away an old IBM golf ball typewriter last week and I'm regretting it already – all those gears and levers going to waste! I's just that there's a limit as to what we can store 'just in case'. My father was an international level hoarder and I'm doing my best not to emulate him, never the less any normal person would say I fail.

I've never found polystyrene very amenable to sanding. It always seems to break off in lumps when I try it. Blue foam is much better but a lot heavier. I'm sure you're well aware that polyester resin loves eating polystyrene but epoxy is OK. One way to limit sanding is to use a hot wire cutter to rough out the shape and just sand to get the final curves.

Certainly a model on a budget and very interesting.

Geoff

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Len, I should say that AmyJ`s toggle switch is progressive…it will get progressively more difficult to operate as the sailings build up..

Ashley

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Ashley, I have a cunning plan! But I'm saying nowt till Amy responds!

Len

PS Love all this smiley business, only just got into it!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Len, Interesting the smiley thing. It has to do with facial expressions, and the lack of, when trying to convey points when simply reading the written word. Smileys add the facial in to the text..for instance, my last post could be construed to be very rude..but if we were taling face to face, my facial expression would convey that this was not the case. I have added the winky-smiley and then everyone most some a few people will cotton on to the fact that this is a HUMoROUS POST and thus not be offeded.

It is also why, the interpretational thing, I add disclaimers now and then, especially when stating a personal point of view. My views on th epersonal view thing should be well known.

Ashley

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Len
Not sure what you mean by "progressive". Even if it's operated by a proportional channel there is a point along the travel when the over-centre spring inside the toggle switch takes over and throws the switch from off to on etc. We used to have 'self-centring' and 'progressive' servos back in the dark days of reed-receivers; the latter were used for the throttle and for elevator trim in RC model aeroplanes. All modern proportional servos will move to the position dictated by the Tx stick or switch and then stop, awaiting the next command.
Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 06/11/2014 08:43:21

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Dave,

My mistake. Sack cloth for a week. Of course I meant pro- pro- pro- pro-PROPORTIONAL!

Len

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Len
You can join me on the naughty stair.

Amy-Jane
Sorry for nicking your thread – I won't do it again (blame Len….)
Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 06/11/2014 12:35:11

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

i was sure that Len was makin g a joke by asking if AmyJ`s humble switch was progressive/proportional or whatever…do i have it wrong??

Ashley

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

You may well be right, in which case I look an even bigger clot than usual. Tell you what – I'll shove off to a model boat show and not comeback until Sunday night.
DM

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi all.

Hmm.. It would seem this thread got away from me whilst I wasn't looking! I love the banter, and any one is welcome to hijack my thread at any time!

Thanks for the kind comments, Geoff. I have a few fundamental issues with the thieving nature of manufacturers and retailers, hence the tendency to home make everything I can. (I buy the things I can't make as cheaply as possible) It's a fun challenge, though things require more time and effort! I have never worked with blue foam, but I find the polystyrene sands fine, with sharp paper and little pressure.

I like cunning plans, Len!……..

Ashley, What would the forum be with out your humorous posts?

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Amy,

I also love the banter on this site and I've said somewhere else before, it's what get's you through those 'and it was going so well moments'. The really nice thing is that the "banterers" will provide true help when you need it!

Ashley, I wasn't making a joke. I was just being thick. The word just popped out unguarded from a very old brain cell (I've not that many left)! DM you can return from the naughty seat and I shall continue my penance in sack cloth cloth!

Here's the point to all this Amy and my earlier question. Just recently I managed to knock over no end of things on my bench with the power cord of my electric drill. Set of to buy a cordless the next day. My local store Aldi had 14.7 volt re-chargeable ones on offer for £9.99. You wouldn't you use them commercially but ideal for kitchen top model making. On playing with it at home I noticed that the trigger speed control caused the drill to whistle just like my 'expensive' sub speed control. Shot back the next day and bought a second one. This was justified by the need for any battery drill to have two batteries (one in use and one on charge). The second drill was pulled apart. Inside was a 540 can motor, a gearbox and a speed control unit – all separate! Experimenting with the bits, they all seemed to run fine on 6 volts. See what you can find locally Amy. You might as well push a speed control switch with your proportional servo rather than a simple toggle switch. Cheap way of getting one and you get a whole lot of other gubbins also!

Len

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

I'm right with you on that Len, very smart thinking! The cheapest esc I can get is about $24 (11 pound or so) so that makes your drill very good value indeed! I don't know if I can match that, but it's off to Bunnings or the Wharehouse for me…

The cabin has been carved out, awaiting a bit more sour milk and bed sheet.

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

The shape of the cabin is important to the boats seaworthiness, Low windage forward, combined with the hulls deep forefoot, and the high aft cabin keeps the bow pointed into a strong head wind. The high cabin aft makes it impossible for her to remain upside down in the advent of a roll over.

Aj

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

AmyJ. I shall enjoy your self-righting demo later on. <suitable emoticon>

Assuming you are not putting a powerful motor in the boat, I rather like the simplicity of an on/off switch.<another emoticon>

The small LCM I made turns really on a 6d due to the short fat nature of the craft, coupled with the rudder close coupled to the prop and turning well over 45 degrees. To be honest, although the landers have an ESC, you really drive it off or full on so a simple switch would be more than adequate, considering the deft manouverability.

Although conventional wisdom has it that a rudder turning more than (30?? 35?? woteva) degrees is counterproductive, for short/fat craft , extreme rudder angles give `normous turning ability at low speed.<devilish emoticon>

Ashley <angelic emoticon>

[IAN_IParticipant @ian_i]

Hi AJ…

The build is coming along, great work as usual..

Ian

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi Ashley. For my intended rough water use, the boat is going to be fairly slow any way, (the faster you push a boat in really rough water, the less sea worthy she becomes), so I see no need to make her go even slower! I will go for a large flat pitch prop, spinning fairly fast, for maximum static thrust , rather than speed. ( I might just change the prop for calm water use. A variable pitch prop would work well in this application, hmmm…) I doubt if the motor I'm useing will pull any more than 6 or 7 amps. With regard to rudders, I think having the rudder closely attached to a long keel is the key for large rudder angles. If the water can't swirl around the leading edge of the rudder, then it's less likely to stall. (Aircraft flaps generate lift right up to 70 degrees). The worst case is a rudder on a steeply raked rudder post, as this tends to force the stern down and stop the boat when hard over.

Thanks for the encouragement, Ian.

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi all

Ok, confession time. For the last few weeks, I've been distracted by building this.

Cute eh? My own design, built by Lynn's methods, from polystyrene of course! Flies really well.

Mean while….. The birthday boat is in A&E. Sam and I were playing with her a couple days ago when the radio went crazy and she broadsided a moored launch at full throttle. Thankfully she hit the launch on a heavy rubbing strake, and caused no damage to the launch. The model went two feet up into the air and over backwards, landing upside down. To add insult to injury, in my haste to get to the boat, before the water got to the radio, I canned out of my canoe! So by the time I got myself out of the water, and the canoe bailed, and boat retrieved……. So now the dismanteled receiver and servos are hanging out to dry….. time will tell….. I've cleaned the engine out and got that running again. The boat has a smashed bulwark, and the wind screen is gone, but is otherwise intact. oh well…..I shall face the wall in shame…

Oh yes, I shall get back on to the new boat next week…. Promise!

Amy jane

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

AmyJ. I am not sure I recognise that last photo. Is this one of Paul`s whacky wierd wonderful creations? Is that prop a bit big for a boat that size? are those outriggers..?

Of course…its a powered native antipodean war canoe!!!

Birthday boat…whew, lucky escape…a boat that size and weight may have caused some serious damage.

Ashley

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi Ashley.

Yes, we got off very lightly indeed. I was half expecting the poor old launch to keel over and sink while I was paddling out! I could believe my eyes when there wasn't a mark on it! We shall reconsider the wisdom of running the model out there, such a horrible feeling watching it all happen and not being able to do a thing….

[Amy jane SeptemberParticipant @amyjaneseptember49770]

Hi again.

The cabin has been coated with cloth and glue.

For the windows I spray painted one side of a bit of clear pvc silver and glued it onto the cabin side, painted side in. I then cut the window frames out of plywood. As I only had 1/8" ply, I split it in two after cutting it out.

A bit of a pain, but ended up with two frames of 1/32", which were painted and glued onto the pvc windows.

A bit of filler, and the wales pieced up out of 1/16" Kauri, ready to be cut to shape and size once the glues dry.

Aj

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