Wavemaster

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Hello,

I've joined this forum as I have been getting into a bit more model boat stuff recently after I finished off an old Wavemaster kit that was started in the late 1960s.

Anyway here it is:

It's powered by a MFA Torpedo 850, direct driving a 45mm two bladed prop.

Speed controller is a Graupner Navy 40 amp.

I run it at 12v from a 3700mAh NiMH pack that is mounted just aft the cockpit.

It planes nicely with a 12v pack and you get a good hours action with 3.7Ah, as long as you aren't flat out all the time. The motor doesn't get too warm, but then again it is exposed above the cockpit floor.

Radio gear is an e-flite DSM setup with a cheapo DSM2 receiver. All seems to work very well.

Thought I would list these specs here as when I was building it I was struggling to find info on exact motor / prop / battery size – but I think I have been lucky as it's all worked out well. Hopefully any other newbies like me building one will find this useful.

The nav lights are all working and steaming lights too.

Next bits to finish off are a steering wheel, instrument panel and a seat for the driving position. I need to glaze the windscreens too.

Anyone know what scale these are supposed to be? I was thinking of a 5-6" tall driver, but am guessing the boat is around 1:15 scale yes?

Noel.

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Les Rowell Wavemaster

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Noel. Nice centre deck section, matches very well. Cocktail table to hide the motor??

​Wouldn't worry about the exact scale. As any driver that looks about right will do, in fact, finding any figure to suit will be your problem. Try, as a suggestion, some card figures in various sizes, to see which looks best as a w3ay of finding the right size.

SOME people of course do not like ruining their carefully crafted boats with dolls…

Ashley

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Cocktail table good idea!

Not averse to having Barbie and Ken as crew, I mean it's a pleasure cruiser not an MTB!

Forgot to add for info, the handrail and nav light mouldings are from DJ Designs. Very good value products.

BTW the mast has a 3mm LED at the top as a steaming light. I made this by carving the basic mast shape from balsa, then split it in half and hollowed out space for the LED and wiring, before PVAing it all back together. I thought this was easier than attempting to drill it's entire length and making a mess of it.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes the old "two partswithslotinandgluedbacktogether" trick works fine.

​Dolls in my case are "Pippa" dolls, at least, there is a Pippa, her BF (Peter I think it was) and a Britney!! They are 6 inches, and took some finding at various toy fairs.

​They are most appropriate as they were used as crew for the original box-photo as stuck on the Fantome box when it was first made. Pete even has the same jumper on as per illustration!

Will try to remember to pack a Pippa and a 5 inch figure in the car to try in your boat if we were to meet at some time.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

A 135mm figure was perceived to be a good fit. Good luck with finding something suitable!! Ashley

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Thank you for the figure try-out. It was a good size. Will be on the lookout.

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

I never updated on here with the figure I eventually got to helm the boat!

He is a 5" Doctor Who character called Rory. I chose him because he is sensibly attired and his arms and legs are quite mobile.

I have added a moustache, which I think gives him the kind of gravitas required to helm a substantially sized and powered motor craft!

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Noel

Beautiful boat with a handsome pilot.

He waits for a fair maid to travel with him !!!!

As for the windows try the fold down car anti-glare night/day visors, these are cheap.

Two panels light orange(night) and light greyish/black(day).

I only paid $1 for a set.

Harry Smith

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

By the looks of things he is sitting next to a 5,000 hp electric motor judging by the size of it !!!

Can you remind me what the squiggly red wire is please??

Ashley

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

It is the antenna from the DSM2 receiver that is mounted in the ceiling of the forward cabin. Was the highest place I could mount it, and also convenient because the antenna could poke through into the open air.

I like the idea of tinted windscreen using sun visor. Will look out for one.

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Ashley

It's a brush motor not a Harry size brushless motor!!!!

Harry

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Having the motor exposed makes it easy to reach for the occasional drop of oil.

Plus it says "Torpedo" on it, which is kind of cool.

I was going to make a cover, but got distracted by the tugboat and the destroyer.

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Noel

Pics of the night/day vision plastic.

Edited By harry smith 1 on 10/08/2017 08:46:25

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

After some months, have finally added an engine covering table (with miniature Channel Pilot book) and some decent instruments.

There's also a little hatch in the floor so you can oil the propshaft without having to dismantle the interior.

Still need to glaze the two windscreens but haven't found something suitably tinted like the suggested day/night thingies. On the lookout in charity shops etc.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Table looks good Noel. I have some transparency stuff which will do for the glazing but clear only.
HOWEVER I have lots of it, so you could take several sheets and experiment using thinned down paint for a tint?

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

I have some with a light blue tint.

[M. EllisParticipant @m-ellis17236]

I realise this may be somewhat late but I've used empty plastic cider bottles to form canopies for model aircraft.
I found this topic because I've been informed the hull I was given is a Wavemaster. Having never built a model boat (plenty of 1:1 steel narrow boats) from wood I'm looking for as much info as possible

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Hello, I am somewhat late to finding this latest info. Looking at your boat I think its slightly different to the wavemaster, but is so similar in terms of size and shape that hopefully the fit out in terms of radio gear, motor and battery that I have described on this thread should also apply to your hull.

If I was doing mine again I would probably use brushless but the big 850 motor and the 45mm X prop work a treat.

Have you made any progress in the last month or two?

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