Starting a thread for my PE hull build. 1:144 IRCWCC Fastgun Admiral Hipper Class 3.5 Units 23 secs/100ft I'm going to name it "IX-300" It's one in a series of boats that will be my first from scratch builds. I am starting a few together and doing work in stages. Got the hull from a fellow captain. It came uncut with decks, 3D SS, drive shaft w/prop, and stuffing tube installed.
Taped up in theory for weight float tests this weekend. Pink is 1/8" stringer. Black is 1/4" WL. Hash up is 1" below center of WL. Hash down is 1"below the bottom of WL. Red marks are my 45° line. (Yes, in the hull length shot the lines get crooked and to low in the stern. I fixed it)
Word on the street is that a single prop 23s boat is going to have some torque rocking. I'm thinking about just adding bilge keels while it's early and easiest. Thoughts?
I saw a build a few years ago where the builder used rubber weather stripping tabbed into the hull as bilge keels. They are always a good thing for stability.
I added them to a Baden hull I had using the 2 strips of basswood and fiberglass cloth. That was pretty easy. I'll probably stick with that method. It's a cruiser so it was never going to turn amazing anyway. I'm leaning towards adding them. Coming up with a way to make them removable seems like to much work.
I'm probably going to keep it light on the build and added weights in the hull, then rely on lead strips on the outside. Guess I could try and make lead keels instead. Hmm
Yes I'm replying to myself. We have the best ideas. I already have some of those lead duck weight bars. They are 1/8" thick and 5/8" wide. I should be able to cut em in half, attach 2 or 3 together, glue it on, add some FG and sand down. That should be some nice hefty bilge keels
Get a 2x4, cut 1/4x3/8 deep groove in said 2x4, plug the ends with wood blocks at the length you want the keels. Melt lead and poor into groove till full and let cool. Pop out and glue to hull. Be sure you don't use a damp 2x4.
I did basically what caleb suggested for the lead bilge keels on OG bart. I just happened to have a router with a 3/8 bit, so I just cut a 3/8 deep by 3/8 wide straight groove in a piece of wood that was the right length and voila.
A lil molten lead does sound like fun. Just need to go to the thrift store for a pot or something to dedicate to lead work.
Seconded.. wait, thirded... wait... yeah, bilge keels are very important on tippy boats. They won't prevent the torque-rolls, nor will they help with too much weight up high. But they will rapidly arrest any oscillations. Your boat will just lean over a bit, instead of rolling around like a flower class corvette in the north atlantic. I highly recommend maxing out your bilge keels, and yeah lead is the best material to use for it. Work outside and stand upwind, or get yourself some really good breathing protection.
For lead keels on Bart, lots of e6000 and I also drilled into the lead and the hull in 4 spots along the keels length and screwed it in too.
Float test went well. Going for around 15.33 lbs Hull is now taped up for ribs. 1" hard area in the stern. 1.5" hard area in the bow. 24 ribs. 23 @ 1/4" and 1 @ 5/16.
They say it's ok to talk to yourself, it's even ok to answer yourself, but if you go "huh?" Then you have problems!!
