Todays Boating

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Will be cycling through probably weds to check! Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

snaps bluebird tested with BRUSHED edf. Shame in that GWS did 3 motor variants of their 55mm unit, and I have the weediest!! although the difference is only a jump from 120 to 200gm thrust (compared to the 600gm thrust of the brushless 50mm unit!!!)

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Looking good Ash

Bob

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Assuming the car park re-opens at Bushy it'll be a bunfight with everyone going beserk to re-enjoy the park. Bit of luck the mediocre weather forecast for the next few days might moderate things a bit.

Hopefully if Ashley can do a recon during the predicted gale, this will help us all. Very brave of you sir.

Been rigging my destroyer, so would be good to get this back on the water in its finished-for-now form!

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Surely the gathering at the pond is unpoliceable, if I were to arrange to meet Ashley at the pond it is ok. If Richard were to arrange to meet Peter at the same time it is a coincidence!

It is a public park and anyone can just turn up and boat even complete strangers.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, but if everyone puts their models on the 'Grassy Knoll' it might be regarded as a social gathering!

Colin

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Colin, I am sure we could be anti-social if asked nicely !

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

I’m sure we can spread out along the bank if needed, I don’t mind launching from the grass bank in my waders. Probably need them to rescue one of yours anyway!

Is the water level down or is it just silt?

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Silt, water level has remained constant.

Funeral yesterday. In/out, 10 guests..quick chat before and after, 20 min service. Left.

what it has come to eh? Worst bit and most upsetting for the Mrs was going back to her mums place, where her mum had completely forgotten about the funeral (she didn’t want to go) and did not wonder at all why we appeared, with Berengar, all dolled up with suits and ties, as her mum has dementia.

We left and had a takeaway curry and sat miserably in front of the telly.

Started to stick the skins on Swordfish using Gorilla glu, the balsa cement still hasn’t arrived. Will be asking for refund.

Ashley

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ashley, sorry to about your sad day yesterday, so hard for both of you.

If fishermen can all sit along a bank floating something on the water what is different for us?

Regards.
Eddie.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Ashley, so sorry to hear about the miserable funeral. Bad enough in normal times but current circunstances just pile on the misery. Our condolences to you all.

It is very hard to remain positive when these sort of things happen. All you can do is to put your head down and hope for better things in future. Not that it will remove the pain though.

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Thanks Colin. It is what it is nowadays. Has been a few weeks now and time eases things like this.

Still have 9 cars to get off road though…

On more boating matters..

Given up on the balsa cement arriving, so have stuck the top and bottoms on Swordfish with Gorilla glue. Although you have to clamp this down quite hard, the expansion oft the stuff is fantastic for filling gaps and irregularities (obviously not that there where any on mine, obviously) but it also dries yellowish and nice and crunchy hard, so it Sands well

This is important as I won’t be painting the model so the joints need to be good..PVA is a bit soft unless you leave it for weeks. Sanding the sides flat and top flat today, possibly might get the cabin sides/front on.

The original had a roof,wot I won’t be fitting as I need a good open air-inlet path, so there will be a cabin floor made from 0.8mm ply which will ‘clip’ into place, or that’s the plan.

screwed the servo in place and made a garden wire pushrod (that runs in a plastic tube) and incorporated the classic electrical connector lock brass insert adjuster (makes alterations so easy).

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Morning Ashley, sorry but couldn't keep my mouth shut….was so tempted the other day to suggest making glue by boiling fish bones down to a sticky mess and when cooled down adding alcohol to make great glue with antibacterial properties! On the same theme as your suggestion to make a U/J like the one I had in my Sea Queen in about1968! In fact I see that I have one of those in the Colin Archer kit I have lined up. Starting on that when the Comtesse is ready for launch.

Watch out for that length of garden wire and brass block. It might route your radio signals to some wayward place where there's no receiver!

Cheers,

George

Edited By George Edward Connery on 14/05/2020 08:15:55

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. You open your mouth whenever you want! say it as you want to. I take all and any suggestions!

I have never been a person to get the hump with suggestions. If I think its good, I will go with it, If I don't like it, I wont. However I would never rubbish any suggestions.

I (used to meet and) chat with Trevor, we chew the cud and no suggestions are off limits! That's the way to do it. We explore the outer limits of model boating that's for sure.

No probs with the garden wire and brass bits.

Today I drove to the mrs`s mums house to clean the kitchen with Berengar. A monumental task, involving scraping the floor (don't ask) but when we left it was pretty good. Not spotless, but quite acceptable. This comes on top of her brothers death. . The mrs`s mum is in hospital after a (possible) fall. She is a stubborn as they come. nothing is her fault. it all starts to get on top of you. Dementia is a terrible thing.

Ashley

Sorry to go on chaps. No comment needed thanks.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Eddie has been grappling with the issue of scale fishing nets in his Zulu thread, but yesterday by sheer happenstance, I found a roll of really fine black net/mesh which I instantly saw as being useful for this application.(will be in the post)

unfortunately of course the “come in handy” box gets rather full of such stuff..but you never know!

l have seven of those big Proops wheels in the box, just crying out to be used for another wheeled special.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Royal Parks updated guidance says that they will NOT be reopening to motor traffic this coming weekend – 16th May.

Colin

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Colin Bishop on 15/05/2020 10:41:55:

Royal Parks updated guidance says that they will NOT be reopening to motor traffic this coming weekend – 16th May.

Colin

good decision too!……….too many selfish people out there wanting to take us ALL back to square one.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cheers Colin. Another faceless week end like the rest then eh!

Have just glued the cabin (front and sides) on the Swordfish. Tricky job, so went with superglue spots to hold everything in place, with PVA run along the sides after. Seems to be ok. Tube to hold the edf on also in place (just PVA) so that’s the thing built now!

Need to decide about the cabin. There was a complete top on the plan one, but it need access on mine. I was going to go with a flat cover like a deck extension perhaps made from acetate so it just springs into place? Hmmm

The sun will dry everything quickly which is good, but there is no rush!

Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Yes Ashley, trying not to rush is very hard at the moment, hopefully my present project will dovetail in with the end of this nightmare. Still there’s always the padding pool for a ballasts test but it’s really not the same as letting it lose on the pond. Ho hum back to the workshop.

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

We're lucky that our club is on private land out in the sticks. The busiest time is usually Thursday morning, though it won't be now and a booking system has been set up to limit the number of members at anyone time and the clubhouse is out of bounds.

Chris

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

There are, presumably, convenient bushes available?

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

….and more than 2m apart??

Snaps. Where we are at with the swordfish. Has now been ezekoted all over, twice. and is nice and smooth.

Still loads to do really although the main build is complete and in better times I would be testing it (a week ago).

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes, I thought you would all be blown away by those photos. I have sorted out a cover for the open areas and made a silhouette figure, and painted the inside rear of the fan unit black, so all done now. Need to get some ply for boxes now.

relaxed lockdown rules say u can drive any distance to take day trips but observing social distancing. Well, that’s boating sorted eh? Once the park opens.

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I`m blown away. Ashley!

Another prototype in the making

I`ve got the feeling that an aircraft type elevator may come in handy…..At the front end?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. I don’t think we will be going that fast to need additional control (but you never know!).

its all done now, the hatch has a little hold-down magnet and the esc and radio have been installed and tested.

There was an underwhelming level of “whoosh” from the fan on a 7.2v stick, but much more on my 2s. A quick float in our pond seems to belay the (disappointingly) heavy weight of the boat, 450g or so, but when given the smallest nudge it moves very easily, so I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised?

Bluebird also finished with the infinity/K7 insurance roundels in place, has been set up with the gear already.

Exciting times. We should take a sandwich when we are able to get to the park and claim we are having a picnic, as that’s allowed, and amusing ourselves by playing with boats whilst picnicking….?

Ashley

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