Guardsman by Vic Smeed

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Guardsman by Vic Smeed

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  • #61837
    Tony Hadley
    Participant
      @tonyhadley

      After a couple of good sailing outings with the model, decided to spend some time (dark night time) continuing with detailing this model, along with building other models.

      The boat hooks were made by soldering after reading Dave Wooley's item in the Model Boats Winter Special – soldering/making model boat fittings. There are three boathooks two on the cabin roof and one on the foredeck.

      Grey coal scuttles were made on the deck. The rear grating was made from thin ply and covers the rudder linkage, I did consider painting the squares but finally decided on the tedious drilling and filing all those squares.

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      #63890
      Tony Hadley
      Participant
        @tonyhadley

        Photo 1) further detailing – steam pipe + whistle, the whistle is 3mm dowel, the navigation lights are from ply and dowel. The galley chimney vents are cut into card and wrapped around the dowel and the masthead light was bought, an old Lesro fitting.

        Photo 2) the side fenders are being made in a knitting mill, thanks to the information earlier in this thread. The ones on the plan are oversized compared to the ones on the photograph of the real vessel. They are small and the dowel centres of the fenders are 6mm. The top one still needs crochet stitching to be added at the top.

        Photos 3 & 4) are just a couple of display shots

        Can anyone advise as to where I could have a flag made? Blue Ensign with Yellow Crown, 32mm x 20mm – Thanks

        Detailing still to do – crew, winch, twin bollard stern light cowl vents and add the side + bow fenders when knitting is finished.

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        Edited By Tony Hadley on 15/03/2016 08:55:32

        #63891
        Bob Abell 2
        Participant
          @bobabell2

          I like your fender machine!

          Where have we seen that before?

          Bob

          #63912
          Ian Gardner
          Participant
            @iangardner62867

            I've just spotted your latest photos, Tony. She's looking very good indeed. Much more to do? It doesn't look like it- ventilators and jackstaff? It will be nice to see some more photos of her sailing now that Spring is nearly here..

            All the best,

            Ian

            #63913
            Tony Hadley
            Participant
              @tonyhadley

              Bob,

              Where have we seen those fender machines before? every girl in the school yard had one! I think the girls are also suffering a loss of practical skills, knitting, sewing, etc as the boys are also missing out in woodwork, metalwork etc They all seem to be good with their ipads and mobile phones though.

              Ian,

              Thanks for the good feedback and as previous this is a lovely little model to build and sail. It is also a good manageable size for transport and lowering into the water. I am also looking forward to sailing models in the coming months. This year I have more models available for sailing than in the past. The one which is giving cause for concern is the Glasgow paddle tug, which is getting water inside and I think will need some "mudguards" fitting inside the paddle boxes. When we last spoke, you had bought a couple of new models which should be ready for the spring time opening of your club's water – is this still a possibility or has the music playing been too busy?

              I did find a problem with the positioning of the navigation lights on the model. After studying the position of the lights in the photograph of the full sized vessel, they are located above the cabin windows, whereas on the plan they are shown on the roof. As I had already fixed them on the roof, as the plan, it would do more damage to remove them and re-locate. Consideration was given to an LED lighting scheme but as it is never used on the models I have with lights, it was discounted. My sailing time is in the summer months during the daytime.

              #63914
              Ian Gardner
              Participant
                @iangardner62867

                Hi Tony,

                I have also installed lights on models in the past and found I never use them so don't bother any more. I tend to go boating in the daytime!

                I must say your Guardsman makes me very nostalgic for the one I built back in the eighties. I think it was Vic Smeed's prettiest, simple design. It the sort of boat that could be tackled by relative beginners and I'm not sure why that composite method of contruction isn't more in use by today's designers, as it's a good step into planked contruction without the need for building jigs- his Silver Mist employed a similar technique. It means you can get a nice 'ship-shape' without difficult construction and it teaches a lot about lines plans – it's also great fun to do.

                I have been failry idle with boats over the winter as we have been getting a new band going- getting quite few gigs now. As the sun is coming out more I shall regain my interest in the boats- and our club can only sail from March until October -seeing the chaps again will give me a shot in the arm.

                Now that Guardsman is nearly there I'm really looking forward to following any future projects you might have up your sleeve!wink

                All the best,

                Ian

                #66173
                Tony Hadley
                Participant
                  @tonyhadley

                  Things have been busy at home with the family's business and since retirement, I'm beginning to think I had more model making time when employed! Nevertheless, some time has been spent with continuing the detailing of this model which is now long overdue completion. Just the rope fenders to finish fitting on to the bulwarks and the anchor remaining.

                  Photo 1 – stern light and lettering, the letter M gave me a 'hard time' and I had to send for my daughter to apply the letter after three failures. My close-up eyesight isn't that brilliant and a strong magnifier was need for the 2mm 'LONDON' lettering.

                  Photo 2 – cowl vents are extended Reade models (small vent).

                  Photo 3 – scratch built hand winch, the winding handles can be seen on the bulwarks. Gears are from an old servo.

                  Photo 4 – no politics intended, just like the background after seeing the late Larry Whetton's photographs on page 4 of this thread. One question comes to light with my photograph vs Larry's – what is the best direction to photograph a model (or full sized) boat, from left to right or right to left?

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                  #66178
                  Dodgy Geezer 1
                  Participant
                    @dodgygeezer1

                    ….what is the best direction to photograph a model (or full sized) boat, from left to right or right to left?

                    I thought you said you weren't going to get political…?

                    #66180
                    Ian Gardner
                    Participant
                      @iangardner62867

                      She looks very nice Tony- extremely neat work. It'll be good to see some shots of her on the water.

                      I'm not sure it matters which way you take a photograph- I can't think of any reason why it would.

                      All the best,

                      Ian

                      PS- no need to justify how long it has taken- your boat, your hobby! I have been building one of mine for fifteen years!

                      #66181
                      Ian Jopson
                      Participant
                        @ianjopson21383
                        Posted by Ian Gardner on 22/06/2016 19:13:53:
                        no need to justify how long it has taken- your boat, your hobby! I have been building one of mine for fifteen years!

                        Only fifteen years? I've had one on the go since 1976.

                        #66182
                        Tony Hadley
                        Participant
                          @tonyhadley
                          Posted by Ian Gardner on 22/06/2016 19:13:53
                          It'll be good to see some shots of her on the water

                          Must agree, I'm looking forward to getting her on the water and taking the camera. Just like to finish fixing the rope fenders. Will post the photographs and email you a set for your website.

                          There is a problem with the model, which Dave M. and Malcolm have previously discussed in another thread. The ESC has an operating voltage of 6 to 12v, whereas my current battery pack is 6v. The pack is already at the 'bottom end', hence after a short while on the water, all goes dead. The controller will have a low voltage cut-off probably around 5v leaving me with a short run time. Need to order a 7.2v or 8.4v battery pack from Component Shop to rectify this.

                          Made a start of the new half size (long lost) Smeed design 'Lorena' recently, back to cutting wood – as you say – enjoy "your boat, your hobby".

                          Tony

                          #66183
                          Dave Milbourn
                          Participant
                            @davemilbourn48782

                            Tony

                            You could alternatively disable the BEC on the speed controller and fit a small 4-cell pack to power the receiver direct. **LINK**

                            These days a AAA pack has more capacity than those AA packs we were using a few years ago; will cost substantially less than a new main power pack, and won't increase the top speed of the model. **LINK**

                            If you're pushed for space then there are smaller cells available; just go up one step from that last page.

                            Addendum:
                            Just spotted that the last photo of the installation in the boat shows a 6-cell main pack. This should be 7.2v, so if it's cutting out then there is probably a faulty cell in it. A 6-cell pack should never be allowed to drop below 6.0v.

                            Dave M

                            Edited By Dave Milbourn on 23/06/2016 10:57:36

                            Edited By Dave Milbourn on 23/06/2016 11:04:44

                            #66185
                            Tony Hadley
                            Participant
                              @tonyhadley

                              Well spotted Dave, the 7.2v pack was borrowed from the RTR Southampton Tug, the pack had a faulty cell (or more) and was substituted fro a 6v pack (which was what I had in the bits-n-bobs box). As the 7.2v pack fits into the available space, this was what I was planning to buy new, or even go up to 8.4v, maybe one or two cells on top of the main pack.

                              Can't see the benefit of fitting a AAA pack to disable the BEC and power the receiver. Power would be needed to drive the motor whereas powering the receiver would only give rudder movement – or am I missing something?

                              Tony

                              #66186
                              Dave Milbourn
                              Participant
                                @davemilbourn48782

                                Tony

                                You're missing about 50% of the issue, m'duck.

                                All you're doing when disabling the BEC is stopping the regulated 5v supply in the speed controller from travelling along the thin red wire and powering the receiver. The full voltage of the motor battery remains connected to the motor via the MOSFETs in the speed controller but the 5v electronics in the receiver are now fed from the receiver's battery pack and not the BEC regulator. The advantage is that you aren't taking power from the motor battery to drive the receiver and servo, and most receivers will work happily well below the BEC's cut-off voltage anyway. Win-win!

                                Chapter and verse here **LINK**

                                DM

                                Edited By Dave Milbourn on 23/06/2016 12:46:45

                                #66188
                                Tony Hadley
                                Participant
                                  @tonyhadley

                                  Dave,

                                  You are quite right, I was only seeing 50% of the issue.

                                  Thank you for the link, which explains everything. Reading the text makes for interesting reading, when the author talks about boat esc's being a car controller with the word 'car' scratched out. We really are the poor relations in the r/c models hobby, our esc's are from the car builders and our r/c is mainly from aircraft. Obviously there are certain products made specially for boats.

                                  I think my way forward is to disable the BEC and buy a AAA battery pack. I also plan to replace the main drive motor with a new 7.2v pack. Ah well – I've had a few wins of late on Thunderball and the money goes into the model making account (ssshhhh….. don't tell 'the boss&#39 Also on the shopping list is a propshaft and propeller for the new model, and if I hope to find some "good" 1:32 scale figures for this model.

                                  I previously bought a set of Airfix figures and planned to modify them with milliput, but this idea has now been discounted. My thoughts are that a model can be ruined with the addition of a poorly made + painted crew and if weathering isn't done correctly.

                                  #66196
                                  Dave Milbourn
                                  Participant
                                    @davemilbourn48782

                                    Tony

                                    There's no real need to use a separate Rx battery if you're going to increase the main motor voltage to 7.2v (6 cells). The state of the pack when considered to be exhausted will be 1.0v/cell, or 6.0v. This is still 0.5v above the minimum required by the regulator in the speed controller to pump out 5v for the receiver. In other words, save your money!

                                    BTW If you're planning ANY significant purchases then do them NOW rather than in a few weeks' time. Even the stuff we import from China has to be paid for in US dollars, and the pound hasn't been doing very well since about 6am today. I reckon we'll see petrol at £1.50/litre again before this lot even remotely settles down.

                                    Dave M

                                    Edited By Dave Milbourn on 24/06/2016 09:46:50

                                    #66285
                                    Tony Hadley
                                    Participant
                                      @tonyhadley

                                      Took the model for a sail today, she sailed without any problems or glitches and below are four photographs from the session. The weather was surprisingly cold for the time of year, for the last day in June the temperature felt more what would be expected in September or October.

                                      Earlier in the build I was concerned about the size of the rudder being too small, but this proved not to be the case. The motor suggestion (by Dave M) of a 385LN was an excellent choice providing more than enough power. Full speed couldn't be shown on the photographs without experienced help to either control the model or take the photographs.

                                      I will conclude this build with a note of THANKS to all the forum members who have contributed to the thread. The model has been a delight to build and has brought many hours of pleasure. To quote the last paragraph from the magazine article's original text – "Altogether, this is an attractive, almost jaunty, little model which should be both fun to build and a pleasure to operate, as well as being just that little bit different from most other small ship types".

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                                      #66287
                                      Ian Gardner
                                      Participant
                                        @iangardner62867

                                        Hi Tony,

                                        She looks absolutely delightful! Well done- a little cracker- and a fine testament to Vic Smeed's designing skills.

                                        All the best,

                                        Ian

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