hull finishing

[Mick.Participant @mick-2]

Can anyone help i have just built the wooden hull of the Billings Smit Rotterdam and need advice on how to finish for painting

[Mick.Participant @mick-2]

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Mick

 

Start off with a thin coat of primer filler then wet and dry it down, then repeat the process using 600 grit wet & dry and you will have a super smooth finish ready for painting.

 

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul again……..and Mick

 

I`m beginning to think these days that a beautifully smooth shiney hull is not the way to go!

 

Full size steel hulls are created by rivetting or welding the plates together and I think the joints need to be seen for a nice effect…………..as per Jeanie Deans at War and Great Eastern

 

Your tugboat hull would look nicer with seams etc?

 

Just a thought………………..Bob

[Mick.Participant @mick-2]

 

Thanks for the advice but the planked hull must need sealing first so what is the best method as i have been told that i must apply a skin of fiberglass resin and i dont have the know how.

 

I like the idea of the used look and not too smooth.

 

Mick.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Mick

 

Resin is a two pack system involving a liquid and hardener, mixing the two together causes a cabalistic reaction causing the liquid to set, all you have to do is follow the instructions regarding quantities.

Resin can be bought at car accessory and some diy stores or on line. 

When mixed use a cheap paintbrush to apply the resin to the hull…….but be quick as the resin sets quickly so don’t mix to much at once.

After the resin has set it can be smoothed down with sand paper if required.

 

Paul

 

[Mick.Participant @mick-2]

 Thanks Paul

I guess all i need is to pluck up the courage to do this part of the build, not to happy about this as i have spent so much time on the hull and dont want to spoil it.

Do you have any other more simple methods to concider?

 

Mick.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

     

Hi Mick

 

I am very glad that you asked as there are far easier and less expensive / risky ways to seal a model hull (resin is fine for a full size boat but a bit OTT for a model)

 

You could try a zinc/phosphate epoxy paint but this is still expensive.

 

Or you could do it the old fashioned way by mixing a water based wood filler very thinly and applying it to the hull in thin coats this will fill all the dips in the grain and all of the little holes etc.

 

When dry rub down with fine paper following the line of the grain and then paint with a propriety brand of trade primer filler paint.

 

When this is dry lightly rub with fine grade paper and the hull will be sealed and ready for the decorative coat.

 

This system has always worked for me.

 

Hope this helps

 

Paul

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

In the old days,,,,,, just use some waterproof filler( household stuff will do ) as the PAINT stops the water from getting in.

Every one seems to want their boats to last forever,if you want to see what happens to boats that outlast their owners then take a trip to Beale Park on the Thames,they must have at least 200 donated models gathering dust, a great shame.

 

Len.

[Mick.Participant @mick-2]

Thanks gents.

Great ideas think i will try the filler method.

Any ideas on how to wire the bow thurster and motors all seems a bit confusing to me?

I have one 15A controller for the thruster and two 20A controllers for the motors, by the way the motors are 2.5/1 are they the right ones?

 

Mick.

[Peter D Hingley 1Participant @peterdhingley1]

Can I suggest  you put a  coat of  cellulose  sanding  sealer  on the timber first,  gently rub  down  to cut the  raised  grain,  and   repeat,  if necessary  several times ?  This  greatly   evens out   the absorbency   of the  timber and it is  much  easier to  get an even and consistent  finish.  It seems to be  getting  difficult   to  get  the  sanding sealer though, I had to  go to a  lot of shops.

                                             Peter D Hingley

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Paul, I’m surprised at your statement which infers that epoxy sealing is expensive, or difficult. I use 2 part epoxy resin for all my wooden hull boats, both inside and out, and have never had a problem, and it is quite cheap, too. Because of the prevailing higher temperatures here, I use slightly less than the recommended amount of hardener, as the heat speeds up curing. I also normally use some chopped strand fibreglass mat on the inside of the hull, for extra strength.

 

I still have to achieve a good surface on the hull before the epoxy is applied, but this is the same for any method of finishing. If a shiny finish is not required, use a clear matte varnish over the hull colour.

 

Peter.

[Geoff SpencerParticipant @geoffspencer45655]

Hi ,Am trying to seal a hull of a type42 which is over 30 years old.

The thing keeps leaking have tried filler but it dosent work ,despite having 4 coats of paint.

getting fed up (used to GRP now)but dont  want to disband the hull and would really like to sort it to get sailing .

Any help would be appreciated.

Geoff

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Geoff

 

This might be a daft question and please forgive me if you have already done this but have you tried trying to locate the exact source of the leak.

 

Old models have allsorts of problems such as failed seals on prop shafts, delaminating timbers and perished seams and it would help us diagnose the problem if we had a little more information.

 

Paul

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Peter

> >

I am very glad that you have had such excellent results from using epoxy and all that I can say is that I don’t like using epoxy to seal a hull as it doesn’t produce a smooth finish for me and I have the notion that using epoxy is in some way cheating.

Perhaps I am just old fashioned in my belief that well made joints and a proper build up of paints or varnish should achieve a sealed hull but I have to say that the system certainly has worked for you as you have produced some lovely models and I cant fault the standard of workmanship nor the high standard of finish that you have produced.

I am certainly jealous of your perfect climate which must be ideal for varnishing, what is the humidity like?

> 

All the very best from a damp and cold UK

 

Paul

>

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Thank you for your kind comments, Paul. Using epoxy doesn’t in any way reduce the amount of work needed to achieve a good finish, a lot of sanding, usually with wet and dry paper, is required, and epoxy tends to build up on the sandpaper. I hadn’t thought of it as cheating, simply a means to an end, but I understand your point.

 

We are very fortunate in our part of Australia as regards climate. We are about an hour’s drive south of the Queensland border, right on the coast, and are classed as sub-tropical, which means we do not get the extremely high rainfall and humidity of the tropics, although we can have some quite humid periods. We are now officially in Autumn, although the temperature is still in the mid to high 20s, but cooling down of a night. It is much more comfortable now in my shed, unlike a month or so ago when it was around 36 inside it, too hot to work.

 

All the best from a warm, and slightly overcast, north east NSW

Peter.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

A lot of the graft in rubbing down “epoxy” is due to the fact that GRP tissue is being used to reinforce it and glass is very, very hard! A better method can be to use other types of tissue instead. The stuff they use in nappy liners is ideal! It reinforces the resin very well but is much, much easier to rub down to a good finish. The tissue used for model aircraft is probably pretty good too but don’t use toilet paper as it disintegrates too easily.

 

A little lateral thinking can make life much easier!

 

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 18/03/2009 23:02:25

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

 Hi Mick

 

To get back to your other question about wiring try this website

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=783582

 

It has all types of wiring systems or try

http://www.action-electronics.co.uk/

 

The chap on this site is a member of this forum I believe

 

I’ve just finished my last project and it has two motors and bow thruster,followed these instructions and it was fine

 

Ducky

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I agree with Ducky and can’t recommend Action Electronics highly enough.

On the web site Dave has provided, free of charge, a wealth of different circuit diagrams which are all in an easy to understand format.

These diagrams have certainly helped me out and prevented me from making some expensive mistakes.

Paul

 

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