dedicated toolbox

[geconParticipant @gecon]

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Good morning,

now that my first modelling project for many years is ready for testing I have made a short 'toolbox contents' list. Don't yet have a duplicated set of tools, so thought a short list of essential adjusting tools would be smart. This small toolbox can then be utilised for small adjustments both at home and lakeside.

I note coments from experienced modellers that it is very easy to forget the transmitter! There's not going to be space for that in the mini-toolbox so we'll see if the grey-cell can remember that one special unit on it's own!

Perhaps an inventory list should be screwed to the inside lid of the toolbox with TX and YACHT as the two first items -and again as the two last items on the list. That should help a bit!

George

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. I am afraid this is doomed to fail, as the tool you WILL require at the pond is the one that you have deemed “unlikely to be used” and not put in the portable kit!

My toolbox contains all and everything I have used when making my boats (mechanically speaking) so screwdrivers, Allen keys, pliers, spanner’s, box spanner’s, craft knife, tube of superglue…etc etc. In addition to “assorted sundries”, of which there is quite a bit.

I also take a small tool bag containing all of my transmitters and the boat batteries and spare boat batts. This way I don’t forget anything, and the spare transmitters are handy for their batteries.

There was a thread ages ago about this, and itisone of thethings that we have differing views on.

Just as a for instance, because the last few boating trips have been by bike, and have not taken the usual toolkits. So it was that when Richard wanted a small Phillips screwdriver (wasn’t essential, but a bit on Woody could have been tightened a bit) we had….nothing! I may just take a few bare essentials next time, literally pliers, 2 small screwdrivers and Allen keys.

Ashley

[Charles OatesParticipant @charlesoates31738]

Ashley's right, so often you won't have just what you need, but there are some items I'd never be without.

A multimeter, a cheapo one will do. So often someone says my boat won't go, or it cuts out or the radios erratic. 99 times out of a hundred it's a duff or not charged battery.

Those little allen keys that fit huco and similar couplings, things become loose.( use threadlock to avoid this)

Superglue for fixing the mast, rigging etc you caught getting the model out of the car.

Oil for a quick fix of a dry motor, shaft etc.

Spare batteries…… See above.

Sware box, you'll make a fortune out of all the expletives when something unexpected goes wrong.

A magnet to find what you dropped at the pondside, and ancient eyesight can't find it.

Your sub's for the club, because you kept forgetting at the meetings😡

Spare boat to retrieve those that break down. Get someone else to take a spare too, to retrieve your broken rescue boat……. Don't laugh, I've seen it happen.

To avoid most of the above, maintain charge your batteries regularly, and test the model properly the night before, then remember to switch off. I've made that mistake too.

Chas

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I rely on Ashley's box….

And his long pole.

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

A second model available has allowed me my planned pond time (& sometimes rescued the first model) more than once.

 

Edited By Chris E 1 on 08/06/2020 12:02:30

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

George

I like to test the boat before putting it in the car. I did once not do this and found I had forgotten to pack the batteries for the model. Embarrassing when you have met friends to show them the boat!

Only take a small tool box with a screwdrivers and pliers etc spare fuses and a pair of waders in the car boot.

I try to take another boat on a separate Tx. The Allen keys for couplings etc I put one in the boat attached to a small magnet (neodymium) , not my idea I think Glyn Guest and Dave Abbott have suggested that in the magazine.

Only had to recover 2 boats so far. One lost it's prop, my fault, and the other blew all the fuses! Had to borrow the park keepers waders hence mine in the car.

Tim

Edited By Tim Cooper on 08/06/2020 12:08:30

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I always take several boats to the pond, so as to be `mobile` as it were if the worst happens to one of them.

Yes, usually my toolbox gets used to fix someone else's boat, but usually only because I have it on the grassy knoll handy.

Never forget the pole, invaluable.

A bit of string with a cork on the end is also to be found in the box, for boat recovery.

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Don't forget the transmitter !

[John DickinsParticipant @johndickins22212]

As most of the boats I take with me to the "pond" are clockwork or restored with electric motors and have metal hulls a floating magnet is useful. A light line, two or three corks, and a "neo" magnet make up the recovery gear. Boats with a wooden or plastic hull have a bit of tinplate on them somewhere. A pole with a magnet at the end is useful for the boat that is "just out of reach". Why do boats always stop "just out of reach"?

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi all,

Thanks for lots of interesting inputs! My mini toolkit list which I have prepared does in fact include (I think) all the small tools used to assemble the yacht. Also Loctite, cyano', 5-min epoxy. From my experiences with model aircraft flying, many years ago, I suspect that if anything serious turns up during boating, I would choose to pack up, have coffee, sandwich and repair at home in the evening.

The lakeside venues I have in mind for testing will, most likely be underpopulated to say the least. Dedicated boating ponds -to the best of my knowledge- hardly exist in Norway, so a suitable calm lake will be chosen within 30 minutes driving. Sorry Ashley, not going to try moving the Comtesse by bike

Wx looks OK today, so may have a float test to check centre of balance etc.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Drove off yesterday to the lake which I thought to be best suited to the reported wind direction. The Wx was not quite as reported in the forecast and it started raining 15 minutes after setting off! I continued to the lake anyway just to check if access to the water's edge was as required for launching. Looked fine, so I'll visit another time when the Wx is better. Took the oportuninty to vist a couple of other places to check lake access and I now have at least 3 suitable places within about 20 minutes driving.

On the way back home the rain stopped, so in desparation I parked by a shopping mall in the centre of a small town/big village and did a floatation test in a "water feature" beside the car park! The water was very shallow but the lauch facilties were excellent. Had a 20 minute test sail, took some photos and a video with the mobile and then packed everything into the car again….ALMOST…. When I got home I discovered that I was minus a boat stand! . 25 minutes later I was back to where I had parked and the boat stand was there, all alone, not crushed, on the parking spot I had used 1 hour earlier!

At least I remembered the transmitter!

George

Edited By George Edward Connery on 10/06/2020 06:50:49

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Posted by Colin Bishop on 08/06/2020 11:26:41:

I rely on Ashley's box….

And his long pole.

Colin

I can also vouch for the usefulness of Ashley's fishing pole when boats get stuck .

I generally take a toolbox with the usual selection of screwdrivers, allen keys, pliers, oiling pen, plus tweezers, superglue and tape. I use DSM type radio which need a bind plug to bind the receivers, so always have one of these handy as have been caught out in the past with receivers deciding to forget their bind to the Tx.

Another thing unrelated to tools, but good for pondside resilience, is to standardise connections and fittings across boats. So all my craft I've built lately have the same battery to ESC connector (deans) and ESC to motor connectors (bullets) – so I can swap batteries and parts between boats if required.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Good point Noel, and essential. Standardisation of connections is a must if you have more than one boat!

I spent a day converting all my connectors to Deans and bullets for motors.

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I had in fact included a long telescopic fishing pole in the back of the car It's about 3,5 metres long when extended. Will probably add some braided line (fly-fishing) and a "yachtee" cork-ball key-fob.

So far I only have four drive batteries. 2x3600mA and 2x5000mA. Intended for use via ESC and BEC circuit. Don't much care for the gold Tamiya plugs. They require a bit of force and fiddling with a flat screw driver to release them. Not easy through the small hatch on the Comtesse. Had Deans on my old Multiplex R/C and they were more user-friendly I think.

I only took one spare -fully charged!- 3600mA with me to the lake. I don't think I would ever be there long enough at this stage to discharge two batts -and need more.

The 5000mA batts are intended for the Fisher which will also have twin dedicated 2000mA Rx batteries -not BEC- due to the number of large digital winches which have 'crept' into the inventory! I expect that the Colin Archer will use the same system. There is not space in the car for more than one yacht at a time and i doubt if the others will be ready for launch until next year. I need that time anyway to absorb the costs of all the start-up gear involved with three larg-ish sailboats. The planned budget was exceeded long ago. Admiralty not impressed.

Now I really am getting fed-up with 'hearing' about my own plans, cheers,

George

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. The small pole I have is 7m long…the new long one is 10m long!! It wasn’t expensive, but you get what you pay for and at full extension its a bit unwieldy, however £30 verses £200..

If, like yourself, you are yachting, then you need a landing pole, or something with a bit of strength in it esp if it grounds.

The 7m one is not heavy at all.

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

WOW! So that's why everybody is mentioning your pole…..with a capital 'P'.

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