I just used a tube bender from Home Depot, similar in function to this one reviewed by Steve https://rcwarshipcombat.com/threads/harbor-freight-mini-tube-bender.445424/ I would recommend the harbor freight one over the Home Depot / Lowes model. I also do a fair bit of the bending by hand, the tubing is pretty flexible at first, but once it gets work-hardened by a few bends then it is more difficult. Generally I try to make sure I know which direction a given bend will be in the end so I don't have to try to reverse it out. I also recommend going slow, and constantly testing it out by rolling a bb through after every major bend since you can typically fix it at that point, can't really fix it after you move on
Thanks for the tip. I've been asking everybody their preferred bender just to get an idea of what the community uses to solve the problem. also, thanks for the hand-bending tips.
Besides this excellent advice on bending mags, I'd add, cut your pieces long and trim to length after bending. The reason is that benders require a bit of meat to grab onto for a bend. If a bend is at the end (or beginning) of the mag, you'll need extra length for the bend. Also, if the bend goes a little tight and bb's don't roll, gently squeezing the bend in a machinists vice can sometimes open the bend up.
This boat got internal armor too (noticing a trend?) Showing the underside of the deck rim, how the armor is attached. Unlike the other two boats this one will be taking some punishment, so I glued it in more places I also coated the aft deck piece in epoxy, no picture. I will probably finish the gun setup and get them installed on the aft deck piece. Pretty much at the point of component install, so I willl be canabalizing stuff from Seydlitz probably, then I’ll refit a few things on that boat. I try to keep the big ticket items as modular so I can swap between hulls very quickly as desired
I’ve been working on the Missouri, not a ton of progress on this build, but I have started on the turret mold. I used balsa to make the plug, easy to work with Cut out the outline Started sanding it down. Isn’t the prettiest haha, but I tend to focus on functionality rather than visual appeal Mounted to spare piece of plywood Painted it for wax and film resistance Prep for epoxy, wax and two coats of film Cut out mat and cloth Coated in epoxy Popping the mold off didn’t go quite as planned, which is the issue with balsa I was able to remove the balsa with needle nose, not too bad I have a couple spots to fill with bondo, but overall not too bad. I get to make 7 turrets, one for every day of the week haha. Long weekend coming up, probably moving towards component install, should come together quickly
that's rad. so seeing as how I'm terrible at taking hints, what's the trend? Also, do we have a mold thread yet? I'm looking at 3d printing some prototypes and then using them to make a mold soon, and I'd definitely like to pick the topic apart without derailing the Gin Palace's thread.
Oh, that weekend I put in internal armor in three of my builds, I think this was the last post I updated. Not sure about a molds thread, I could contribute if desired. 3D printing is definitely an option, just need to smooth out the lines on the sides. As of now I will still just make things out of wood vice printing, but I might start making files for some standard components
Cool. I'll do a cursory search for any mold threads, then start one up if nothing comes out and tag you.
Small amount of progress on this build, I focused on the little boat this weekend I made the rudder today at the same time I made the rudder for the other boat This is my standard process for making a rudder, 1/8” ply core with balsa filler. This one was more complex with the mini keel, so it gets a step. Note: if you are offended by not-scale features, please divert your eyes, the following images are not suitable for all viewers Here are the pieces drawn out And cut Rough assembly, never quite fits up as well as I would like After a lot of dremel time it came into shape View from stern, should make the boat turn OK I also cranked out 6 turrets this weekend, here are 5 for show Here is the rudder drying, I put one layer of cloth on the faces to improve B.B. resistance Should be back to this one soon
so with regard to flaring, it looks like you made a thick rudder, then used a dremel to clear out the material in the center leaving the flares. is that correct?
I've seen a fair amount about that design. Is that kosher throughout IRCWCC or are there clubs which forbid it?
Yes it is legal at all IRCWCC events. There has been a lot of debate about that issue over the past couple of years, but the rule proposed to ban it had very little support when it came time to vote. Overall it helps single rudder ships, most of which are allied, so it helps balance the turning ability between axis and allied boats. A boat with two rudders will still turn tighter and faster than a boat with a single rudder, but adding the 'flares' or 'fishtails' helps close the gap
keeps the water from "defecting" as the CIA used to joke about the vertical fins on the wings of some MiGs that improved handling, lol
Haven’t worked on this one, hopefully will pick up next week. I did make all of the turrets though It will be nice to come back to this build with plenty of room inside
Hey, I'm about to start putting together my gun mounts and such, where are you putting those magnets on the guns to maintain positive feed? mind posting a pic?
