Huntsman 31

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Following on from the liteply thread I have found no problems with this material supplied in this kit, but I have found you need to be carefull when you use it,

Just spreading the aliphtic resin on the long front part of the keel caused it to buckle when the glue soaked into the wood, so it has to be pinned or weighted down on a flat board until the glue has set.

More build details to follow if you would like to see them.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Dave Milbourns 1-16 scale H31

[BRYAN ASTONParticipant @bryanaston57723]

Eddie

Please post your progress with your build, in the meantime I will use 1.5 mm ply,

Regards
Bryan

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Eddie

You do have a lot of glue on there and it does look very runny!

Of course we want to see more build details!

Chris

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, probably a bit too much glue which got absorbed. You only need a thin film really.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 18/05/2020 20:53:27

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

There does appear to be a lot of glue there in the photo but not so much in reality, but perhaps still too much.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Hi Eddie

An alternative for big flat surfaces could be contact adhesive but you need to make a jig so that the parts align in one hit.

Is you kit with laser and CNC cut parts?

Following you build with much interest.

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Tim,yes, all he main parts are CNC router cut, using a 1.5 mm. cutter, making a very clean cut, only needing a light sanding with 600 grit paper, after removing the holding tabs flush with edge.

The deck is laser cut and engraved with the planking lines, there is no room for error what so ever in the size of the sub deck and the side planking before fitting the deck to the hull.

I found out the hard way that the liteply will warp when the glue dries.

When I fitted the 3/16" sq.pices under the sub deck I clamped them instead of pinningthem to a flat board, so as the glue dried it puuled the sub deck, only around 1/8"over the 23 1/2" lengh, but still anoying when it should be flat,I over came the problem by holding the frame onto a flat board with four servo screws, becourse they havea washer as part of the head, I then fitted the bottom skins and they then held the frame flat and true.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Eddie

You know what I said about following the manual?

BTW I use 30-minute epoxy for laminating liteply parts and a combination of Slo-Zap and SLEC Speedbond for the assembly.

DM

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

We now have a couple of Faireys in the shed, I hope that's the correct speliing.Thanks for that info. Dave.

This photo shows the sleak lines of the Huntsman.

The framework screwed down and the bottom skins ready to fit.

The first side fitted. So far so good all is going well.

Perhaps I shouldn't have said that.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

So far so good all is going well looks about right to me Eddie.

Tim R

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Don't try bending the transom 'to check the fit'. It will, trust me, but it only likes to be bent once. Don't ask me how I know.

Colin

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Thanks Colin, it’s all these seemingly little tips that help a lot.

Regards

Eddie.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, I kept checking which it did and then it broke. My fault. I had to make a birch ply replacement.

I did the Model Boats reviews for both the Huntsman and and the Swordsman and I have to say they were the best designed kits I have ever made. But it is absolutely essential to follow the instructions in every detail and don't be tempted to do your own thing.

If something doesn't seem right then you have not read the instructions correctly. All the information you need is there, you just have to look for it.

There is a difference between these kitsand the more conventional launch type models. In the latter case you can bodge things a bit if you make a mistake but the Huntsman and Swordsman are very precisely designed and manufactured and the instructions reflect this.

I had never used liteply before and had my reservations. I still wouldn't use it fot the scratch built boats I normally build but for this particular application and design iI did find it to be very well suited and I was very pleased with the finished result.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 23/05/2020 16:24:46

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

I do my homework every night and read up the instructions for the next days build and they are on the bench all the time so that I can refer to them😁. I have also read your articles you refer to.

Eddie

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

It will all turn out fine then! Just need somewhere to run them at the moment!

Colin

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

More work done on the two Fairey's,

The bottom skins fitted, I forgot to mention that we steamed and pre-bent the chines and the coaming supports under the sub-deck, this helped to take the pressure off the clamps whlie the glue set.

After the 'lectures' from both Dave and Colin about following the instructions don't tell them about the next bit, but I went off pieste again.

The instrutions are to fit the first piece of side skin between frames ten and eleven but that bit would have to be cut from the first of the three side skins, so I decided to j, j, j, just jiggle it a bit and fit it in one piece,my thinking was that there would be a smoother transition from the flat areas to a slightly curved one, Sorry Dave and Colin,I promise to behave myself from now on.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Ooh, you are naughty Eddie. Dave will have a fit of the vapours!

Colin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Yeah…..whatever……

DM

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Phew, I was expecting more than that, can I take my tin hat off now?

Eddie.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

He's heading South Eddie…

Colin

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

I’ll put the tin hat back on then.

Eddie.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Looks like very satisfying progress Eddie. Sometimes instructions are useful for finding out where you went wrong!

Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with going freelance as long as one accepts the responsibility of doing so. I always respect the designer though because it is much easier to make tweaks and modifications (so called improvements) but much harder to do the original design. Dave makes it look easy and so does Ray but there's a lot more to it.

I have to fess up to being a compulsive kit tweaker.

Tim R

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Tim, I totally agree with you re the designing of a model boat, I wouldn’t be able to build one unless someone like Dave had not done all the hard work first.

With this kit everything fits and goes together with no problems, truly precision engineering in wood.

Off to the shed now to check on the work I did yesterday, and to plan today’s work after I have read the instructions.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I built my two kits as review models so I was constrained to follow the instructions to be fair to the manufacturer. However it did become apparent that, as Eddie says, it is precision engineering in wood and that not following them could lead to downstream problems. For example if you alter the cabin roof slightly it may still lok OK but the cunningly shaped windscreen won't fit.

Having said that there is no reason not to enhance the model with additional detail which I did on the Swordsman in particular including making and fitting a stern boarding ladder. You also have total freedom to use whatever paint scheme you like as if you look at the Fairey images online hardly any two are the same.

So once you have built the basic boat there are all sorts of opportunities to customise it's appearance to give you your own unique model.

Colin

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