Well, trimmed the foam. It's on an angle from the bottom of the window to the top of the water channel (1/4 inch). You can see how much it expanded overnight. I have placed the 1/32 fiberglass board in the back, it will get glued into place tonight. You can see the black lines where the foam needs to be cut so the solenoids can sit low in the hull. The idea is to get the water to flow from the stern forward with a gentle slope. The place the pump goes is in a circle so that when the boat goes forward, the back wall stops the water from rushing past the pump. The foam does leave voids, you can fill it in with lightweight spackle and epoxy on top of that.
Looking good there Lou. Right now I have pulled the Des Moines apart to start planning the Water Channeling I know will be nessary. No Water channel does not work out very well.
Working on the deck this weekend. This is how to make a nice deck seal the easy way. Using the fiberglass board for this build. First, the mail delivered the battery tender charger. This unit will charge 4 batteries at once. Now to make the connectors to charge the 6 volt batteries. Update on that later. First cut out the deck to the sides of the hull, doesn't have to be perfect. Flip the hull upside down and mark the material with a sharpie. Just take care to not go inside the line too much (but that can be fixed as well). Mark the end with one swipe, one side with two marks, and the last side with three marks. This will help in putting it back together after you cut it up. Now take a pen and set it in about 1/4 inch and run it down the length of the deck by using your finger on the outside as a guide. Mark the end piece. Cut the end piece off and then cut each side on the line. Now glue the end piece on the hull. Place the deck piece in the middle and attach one side making sure to get it as close as possible to the fiberglass side. Now attach the last piece. Use a sander/sanding block to get it to fit. The end result is a deck that has a tight seam. Doesn't matter if you move the saw blade during cutting, the other side will have the same cut. The saw used to cut this was a jigsaw with a metal blade (T118). For the seam between the deck strips and hull we can use epoxy to fill it. After everything dries, use a sanding pad/disk to flush it all up.
Did some work this weekend. First is the rudder gearbox. In the past I have had field issues with gear problems or leaking seals around the openings to the box. This setup will allow me to remove the entire assembly for a quick field repair. This is a BattlersConnection rudder box sanded to a smaller diameter and the rudder gears and posts are cast out of smooth-on plastic. The box is being painted so sorry for the rough look right now. This overhead shot shows the area for the rudder box and the inserts for the Kips. Box installed. Posts to hold the pump in place. Simple threaded rod with a brass sleeve. This is epoxied to the hull. Pump installed. Lock nuts will hold down the top. Just a couple of twists and its in the boat or out. This shot shows how the kip sits in the water channeling out of the way. Had to make a clay mold of the kip body and then cast it out of plastic. I will tap the bottom of the body and have the tubing run through the water channeling. Started on the front water channeling.
My question is where do you drill the hole in the bottom of the Kips, is there a specific spot to do it at? And do you have to take it completly apart to do it? It looks like what I need to do for the Mogami's to keep the weight down low.
Use a clippard screw to close the original input. Then tap on the bottom a new hole (go in about 1/4 inch). make sure to take off the bottom so there are no shavings inside the body. Very simple. I will be doing this change this week so I can make the hold downs for the valves.
Another question Lou, what is the part # for the fiberboard? I have looked on McMaster-Carr, but not sure which one it is. I want to try it on our Radeskies when we start those.
I use the 1/16th for decks, the 1/32 for waterchanneling. Tried the 1/32 for a cruiser deck and the weight of the super structure caused it to slightly bow. 1/16: 8549K52 Electrical-Grade Fiberglass Sheet (Gp03) 1/16" Thick, 12" X 24" The 1/32 can be cut with scissors, the 1/16 with a metal cutting blade in a jigsaw.
Modifying the Kips so they sit lower in the hull. Basically I am plugging the input with a clippard screw and drilling/tapping a new hole on the bottom about 1/8th to 1/4 quarter in. Make sure to take off the bottom, remove the o-ring so you don't damage it, and blow out all the shavings when done. Use a good tap and plenty of cutting oil to stop it from binding.
Major setback last night, the epoxy did not cure, but made a mess of everything. So, stripping out the effected areas and will re-build tomorrow.
Busy with the boat. Epoxied painted the water channeling. Rough cut the superstructure out of wood in preparation of making foam molds. Hopefully a nicely detailed but lightweight superstructure. Pictures soon.
Been busy lately, but will have a big update this weekend. Water channeling is done, pump screen holder built and a few additions.
Superstructure is going to be made out of expanding foam. The front half of the superstructure is ready as a master. Purchased a nice punch and die set last week to make the circular porthole covers. The deck material will be 1/32 lightweight fiberglass board (no real way to cast it). Would have posted the pictures yesterday but the camera battery was dead (would not accept a charge). Bought a new battery and will post the pictures tonight. My build is way over the top and incorporates many unnecessary features. I just wanted to have a ship that was completely clean on the inside and could be dissasembled at night for maintenace during NATS. Question: Has anyone had success in incorporating LED's into their ship for night fighting? What LED's did you use and how was it wired up?
Ive been using LEDs on my ships for night battle for a few years now. They work great. You can either drill little holes and mount them there or just superglue them to deck/superstructre and pop them off at the end of the night battle. Depends on how much time you have and how you want it to look when finished. I normally just go to radio shack and pick up a few red and green LEDs for the sides, I also like to grab a white one and a blue one for the bow and stern respectivly. They may not be what is actually used but its another indicator which way you are facing so that can be helpful. It looks pretty nice lit up on the water too. I normally throw them on the same circuit as my pump so they turn on when I pump, but it would be easy enough just to give them thier own circuit. As for wiring them up its simple, I just wire a few in series, on the package the volt/amp rating is listed so I try to mix and match to get one or two circuits that each add up to around 6V (or 7.2V for my VDT). As long as you hook up the LEDs with the correct polarity its really easy and quick and looks pretty good. The volt rating doesnt have to be exact I normally try to get within a volt or so, you can always add bits to cut the voltage down if you need to. I tend to just add them in for night battle and keep them out for the rest of the year just to help reduce the wire mess inside. You should be able to get them at radio shack. Ive never had one break from bb fire but I wouldnt be surprised if one did, which would kill that series.
I like the way John did his Barham. Drilled port holes in the ABS superstructure and put a bulb inside the ship. When turned on it looks like someone left the ship's lights on.
Couldn't get the pictures to upload last night, I'll try again after work. All major components are in the boat except for the guns. Usually I solder a 1/8 tube underneath the neck of the elbow (gun) and push a rod through the barbet into the tubes. Simple and effective for the most part. Has anyone made a "holder" for the gun to attach to the deck? I am looking for alternative methods of attaching the guns. My soleniods are only 2 inches from the bottom of the tees, so the plumbing is not an issue. I am playing around with the idea to have the guns in the D position, and curving the magazines so the end caps are in the C turret (instead of just straight back). Last question: Is there any benefit to having a larger feed line going to the magazine than the current 1/16 tubing?
