i live in gold coast, australia... and im getting the DKM lutzow from strike models, how do you cut the windows in the hull??? and how do you glue/cement the balsa wood?? any help whould be very appreciated
Welcome aboard! Proceedure for cutting windows: 1) Determine (based on what rule set you intend to use) how much "hard area" you are allowed. For example, under "fast gun" rules (MWC or IRCWCC in the States), you're allowed 15% hard area, meaning your Lutzow can have (51.83"x.15=) 7.625 inches total of solid area. This includes 2" at the bow and 1" at the stern, so you have 4.625 inches left for ribs. If you go with 3/8" ribs, that gives you 12 (per side). 2) Using painters or masking tape, mask off the vertical areas of your hull that will be solid...bow, stern & ribs. Mask 3/8" inch down from the top edge of the hull for your subdeck. Mask from 1" below the waterline down. 3) Optional, but recommended: Take a drill and, using a bit of about 3/8" diameter, drill out the corners of your windows. This gives you a nice rounded look to the windows and provides greater strength. 4) Now that you have your windows outlined, get a cutting tool (Dremel for example), wear safety glasses & long sleeves (fiberglass dust ITCHES) and gloves. 5) Cut away! Gluing balsa: 2-part epoxy resin can be used to glue, waterproof, and armor balsa or other materials. Otherwise, regular CA or wood glue can be used to attach wood items. Highly recommend you read through several of the "build threads" on this site. They'll show you great ways to do things (and a few to avoid, too!)
You will need to find a local club and see what rules they use. The only Australia club I know of is the Australian Battle Group, a 'Big Gun' club -- http://www.ausbg.org Best wishes, Tom
