FREE Bespoke Model of WWII HMS Diamond

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

####not finished yet!!!!! #####

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Well. Motors ran well. I used two 6v 4Ahr SLA and it ran for 45 mins ok, on batts one of which was marked "Aug 08" ! Not overly powerful but adequate. I forgot to do up one coupling drive screw so it ran on one prop (ok) for a bit….

Later on 2nd session the other came loose. The grub screws are tiny slotted things. I may invest in some modern ones. Electronise esc all ok. Revers not very good, but tghis is the weight of the model telling.

Manouverability good, very good indeed, no probs turning by the jetty.

Hull colour not a bad match. Small amount of water inside, just a few teaspoons….likely from propshafts, so I will stick a couple of coffer dams in to ensure that is the case, then we can work on that.

Masts are 4mm fibreglass rod, and de-mountable. A bit thicker than they should be but nice and sturdy.

Need to get some sticky numbers. Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Almost there. Have strung some shirring elastic between the masts, affixed the bow flagpole and glued one ships boat on. 2nd set torpedo tubes screwed on.

Need to make a strut off the stern mast to hold the white duster, glue two more sets of Davits on and boats then glue two life rafters on and that pretty much takes care of the topside.

Ordered brass coupling bits from Howes. I will use these with some of the silicone tubing I bought and move the motors back about 10mm and this should align them a bit better than they were with the single u/j.

”coffer dams” glued in either side of the shaft ends to catch water. Charging SLA Batts and will also screw-in a Deans connector to the connector block so I can put a Nimh in if needed.,

Ashley

 

Edited By ashley needham on 13/11/2020 09:14:04

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Spoke to soon.disappointingly a crack/split has manifested itself along the side. This is where I think the biggest split was before I did the work on the hull. It was always the case that might be some movement of course, and I think that the small amount of water ingressed onTuesday mayhaveworked its way downward and caused some swelling…

Hopefully there won’t be anymore water inside, so I will just run superglue in the crack and repaint then keep an eye on it.?

Secondly, the inner shaft supports have become loose. Likely the vibration of hard use has caused the 50 year old araldite to give way! Not an issue, as the shafts are well fixed in the hull, I just need to let the varnish dry then make a single larger support and glue it in.

Ashley

 

 

Edited By ashley needham on 13/11/2020 12:06:15

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

…and now, as I have taken the inner shaft supports off, the shafts are actually wobbly in the hull. So.

Will put boat on its side, scrape aff the external glue, smear epoxy on the shafts and rotate them a bit and finally fix them inside.

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Ashley, I have followed with interest your revitalisation of HMS Diamond. Very impressive work -and looks majestic on the water.

Now that you have sailed her, can I ask if there is much "rock & roll" under power?

I note that she's 6' long. What's the new displacement?

Most of the navy ships I see on YouTube seem to 'rock' quite a bit, making them look rather unrealistic. ie. The Graupner ready-mades… HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Hood, HMS Belfast and also the Billing Danish navy Absalon seem to rock a lot.

Maybe a bulb keel is called for?

As you have already noticed, I have started looking at "vessels without a sail". But I don't want a new 'labour-intensive' project.

George

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. It was a gentle first test! There was hardly any wind to speak of, and it was not going that quick..mostly due to slipping couplings, to test the cornering-at-speed look.

i don’t suppose it will rock and roll due to the weight and the square bilge section. My HMS Manchester at 57 inches is noticeably light for its size and has hardly any ballast but with a round keel does rock slightly.

Unfortunately nice scale models are made to the correct scale dimensions all round, whereas some things should be made deeper so that they can have a bit of weight. I deliberately made my Nelson deep, and it is rock solid, no bobbing or anything unbecoming to a 35000 ton ship.

it is odd that plastic magic conversions even of a large size still seem to be tender on the water.

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The Graupner HMS Prince of Wales looks low on the waterline on Youtube so bulb keel would be too much weight. Perhaps a transperent plastic fin would help. The PoW costs £1200 here so I doubt that it will be crossing the doorstep in my lifetime!

Back to the 'drawing bord'.

George

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Shaft release and watchmakers tools used for the delicate operation. Long shot…hull…sorry loaded upside down.

Thoughts on the split/crack. If it continues to move,I mightgetachisel in there to open it up, put Gorilla glue n the rack, then drill 3 holes for screws underneath to stop it opening again…if necessary of course, hopefully it will settle.

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 16/11/2020 10:25:01

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Shafts re-glued in at both ends with a new inboard steady. New brass coupling bits turned up from Howes and have been fitted to shafts and motors, although the shaft ones needed a bit of `easing` with a 4ba tap to get them to screw right on….just a few turns of the tap.

Motors in and my silicone tube now connects the bits up. I have raised the motors on a 3mm ply base for better alignment, and the longer than the standard u/j silicone tubes should also help.

Outside filled but not yet sanded down.

Slight discrepancy with the boot topping at the stern, it slopes very slightly one way (how did that happen????) but its not bad and I will re-do the line at some time….probably when I re-paint the filled shaft bits!

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Thought I had a crew breakthrough today as I found some smaller than usual soldiers in the pound shop, but at home they measure 32mm so JUST too tall….

boot topping corrected at rear end so it’s now level.

need to get some style appropriate 40mm lettering now.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Harry in Taz has just divulged to me that he has a 10` 9" Tribal class destroyer under his house…..

I dont suppose there will be any chance he could bring it over for when Noel launches the 8 foot Ark Royal???? Hand luggage perhaps Harry??? Up yer trouser leg???

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I think he's on his way allready.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

That’s the bugger!,

Took the Manchester (5 foot) out today, and attach snaps next to Diamond. Although D is a foot longer and wider/taller, the Manchester is not dwarfed.

However…just think on this…the Diamond is 1/48 and Manchester is 1/96, or half that scale.

If the Manchester was 1/48 it would be 10 foot long!!

Carpet carrier lastly, as something different!

Ashley

[Rich Griff 2Participant @richgriff2]

Wish I lived in your area…

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ah Rich, the fickleness of life eh? It was just pure luck that I was so near to enable me to take it into custody and rescue it.

As it happens the perfect resting place has been found in the shed enabling me to keep it for a while.

I have the lettering now and besides finally attaching the ships boats it is almost ready. I have some railway people of approx the right size and half a dozen will be painted up and distributed about the vessel in the places that they look comfortable in (for scale).

It has had a first outing, as a reminder, and that was ok barring a coupling issue that has now been solved with new items.

Ashley

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