i am currently working on the japanese tanker mehosi maru but have currently hit a brick wall as the guy who has been suppling me with the plans is a little busy between his job and school so he doesn't have much time to give me the instructions if anyone has any pictures of what the ship looks like that would help me as i only need general idea of how ths ship should look during diferent stages of construction to be able to finish the ship as my dad will be able to make instructions himself just using hte pictures to understand how it is put together and i also need ship specs like speed, draft, length, beam, and so on
check here http://www.westernwarshipcombat.com/index.php?set_albumName=Bitondo-Brothers-Shipyards&option=com_gallery&Itemid=85&include=view_album.php
Carl and I have been working on some transports of our own, about 2/3 the length of Mehoshi Maru. These ships are built exactly as our CAD version of Mehoshi was meant to be built. There are photos of various stages of construction in this thread: http://www.rcnavalcombat.com/rcnavalcombat/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=585 Unfortunately, we have run out of time to worry about taking pictures of the last stages of construction, but most of it is there.
thanks guys but i am gonna have to pass on one of those transports as i would rather just finish the mehosi maru seeing as i have already started on it and it would be a waste to just scrap the project so could you please send me the pictures i asked for just send them to my email at leadersclub2005@yahoo.com that would be greatly appreciated if i decide to buy a second convoy ship i willhit you up for one of those but for right now i want to complete my current project
Tbone, take a look at the later pages. the thread that Gascan has linked to is not just a "buy this ship" thread. It also includes a bunch of photos, plus descriptions of what I'm doing in the photos. Try scrolling down and looking at other posts on the topic, or looking at other pages.
Tbone, I think we will need pictures to better answer your questions. Shoot some of your ribs and the state of assembly that you are at, and I think we can help you from there. Mike 3 Horne
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/BigGunsModelWarship/photos/browse/8745 here is a link to some of the pictures of the ships construction i haven't been able to take any of the recent construction due to my camera not working (i knowe the ribs look uneven i just haven't ssanded the inside of them yet i will get those down some time today hopefully)
Okay, that's better My first ribs were horrible, I tried to use a dremel with a rotary blade, and they came out just terrible. I had to get a scroll saw before I got a set of ribs that were keepers. I made a drum sander out of a cheap insert and the 50 buck cheapo table drill press. Turns out if you make a cut out of 1/4 ply, to bring the edge of the drum lower than what you want to sand... it works okay. Be sure to clamp the cut out down. So, If you have your paper cutouts still on the rib... rough ribs can be sanded out fairly well. Don't be afraid to make several attempts. Next, you will want to determine the dimensions for a keel plate. So, all the ribs that can fit onto the plate will need be notched for the plate. I measured from the naval architecture and determined the width of the flat part for each rib. This is usually twice what you see on the wavy diamgam because it is only half of the ship one side forward of the widest point, one sied aft. You'l have to figure out what material to use for the base plate, I used a 1/4 oak board from Lowes if memory serves. Notch out your ribs accordingly. The plate may or may not reach all the ribs. Typically in the aft, you will need to create an additional keel to hold the bottom of the ribs, this will anchor them top and bottom once you add the caprail. The naval college on Rcwarships.com is back up, I believe there was an excellent article there, it may not have been available when you started this project, but it is worth a read. http://rcwarships.org/rcwarships/ It was hard to get it to go directly to the sections on baseboard and rib construction... but there are some good illustrations Luck Mike
Whoa, Mike, slow down a bit. The Mehoshi Maru was never intended for baseboard construction. Wooden-hull construction has evolved beyond the techniques shown in the Naval College article. The Mehoshi was designed for the "upside-down subdeck" construction, which helps produce a flatter deck and subdeck on ships that are supposed to have a flat deck (like the Mehoshi). The Naval College's "Baseboard" style is better suited to curvy-decked ships and sloping-decked ships like Scharnhorst, Gearing-class destroyers, and most Japanese warships. Tbone, have you made the keels yet? I think you've said so before, but I don't remember what the status was. If you've finished the keels, then it's time to assemble the various parts into a recognizable shape. You'll want to do any sanding and final shaping on the ribs before you do the assembly. DON'T GLUE ANYTHING TOGETHER UNTIL YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SURE IT IS CORRECT. You'll want to do several test assemblies first, to make sure everything fits together the way it's supposed to. For the actual assembly, you're going to need a flat surface. A VERY flat surface. And you're also going to need a second flat surface, that's 1/2" thick, to help you with the step in the deck. You're going to set the sub-decks down on this flat surface, arranged as they should be in the final ship (except upside-down). The bow and stern sub-decks will be on the big flat surface, and the amidships keel will be raised upon the 1/2" thick secondary flat surface. When all that is properly arranged, you will then lay out the ribs and keels into their proper positions. Do this layout part several times before gluing it all down. Make sure everything fits the way it's supposed to. While you're doing the test-fit assemblies, think about what order you're going to glue stuff together. You want it all to be squared and true, but still easy to put together. You may find it helpful to use T-squares, metal rulers, and other machinists' aids to help get everything correct. Then, once you're absolutely certain you're ready, stick it all together with CA superglue. Later you will go back and paint a thin layer of epoxy over everything to strengthen and waterproof it, but not until after you've put the bottom of the boat on.
i am using gorilla glue to glue everything together which is one of the strongest glues you can get for wood tomorow i plan on making a keel for the the midsection once i have the keel all ready i will finish the ribs off by cutting the 2nd rib and any others that might need to be cut and sand the ribs down. is there anyy substitute i could use for epoxy to waterproof my ships frame?
Okay, I'll try and not be offended if I'm out of date. My quick search for these techniques mentioned leaves me guessing They may well be better, but if I don't know them, then I can't advise people on them. Point out where they are online and I'll study up, until then using the old tried and true will get Tbone on the water. I'll let you handle it from here Mike3 Horne
CARL WHAT SIZE PROP WOULD I NEED TO GET IF I BOUGHT ONE FROM BATTLER' CONNECTION? AND WHAT ARE THE RPMS FOR THE MEHOSI MARUS SCREW IF I KNOW THE RPMS OF THE SCREW I CAN GET A MOTOR THAT IS JUST FAST ENOUGH OR A LITTLE FASTER FOR THE SHIP SO I DON'T HAVE TOP GET A SPEED RESTRICTOR FOR THUS FREEING UP SOME SPACE IN SIDE THE SHIP FOR OTHER EQUIPMENT. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME A LIST OF WHAT EQUIPENT YOU SUGGEST WOULD BE BESTY FOR THE SHIP SO I KNOW WHAT I SHOULD GET
Tbone, you will want to get a 1.25" prop, shallow pitch, with 3-4 blades. As for motor, I would suggest the 7.2v "365" size motor. I ran that in my freighter, and I was going closer to 40 knots than 25 knots. I then dialed down my speed to the correct level with my ESC. The Mehoshi is somewhat bigger, but that should still get you up to speed.
carl as i am kind of strapped for cash i can't spend all that much on equipment i would like to know what would be a good esc i can get for a cheap enough price, what size batteries i need to get and where i could possibly get them for the cheapest. when it comes to the wood i am using for the ship i didn't spend anything on it as i got it from a former employer he was just going to throw it out anyway. will any silkspan work for skinning the hull of the ship? is it possible to make my own prop shaft or do i have to buy one?
Strapped for cash, that's never good. However, there is good news. You can easily make your own propshaft using a simple piece of 1/8" diameter brass rod. Cut to length and deburr, and you're ready to go. For batteries, you've got several options. The first is to get some 6v 4.5Ah or similar batteries. You can buy them from a store, or get them online. Or, if you're really REALLY tight on cash, look around at your local hospital. I have heard that a lot of medical equipment uses 6v SLA batteries for power, and that they replace the batteries long before they're worn out. Apparently, several people have gotten batteries for free by asking the maintenance people just before they threw out the old batteries. No guarantees on this one, though. Another option for batteries comes from Radio Shack. They have a 2000 NiCD pack plus charger for $20, last time I checked. The charger can also be used for 3000 NiMH, if you later upgrade. Other than that, look on websites like www.servocity.com and www.towerhobbies.com for various battery options. As for speed control, you've got several options. The highest quality you can get (and also the most expensive) is a 15-amp Mtronik Marine ESC. All Mtronik ESC's are fully waterproof and highly capable, and have been used for years in combat. I am using one in my transport and in my brother's transport. They were sunk a total of 5 times this weekend, without incident and still working as good as new. The next option I would recommend is the Banebots Robot ESC: http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/4265-BaneBots-Motor-Controller-9A-peak-.aspx The Banebots ESC will need to be waterproofed with skotchkote or similar, but it is a cheaper option for someone who only needs to power a single motor. Just be aware that it is ONLY enough to power a single motor, and should not be used in any future projects. The final option I would recommend, for someone who is truly bottomed out on budget, is a simple on/off/reverse MAG speed controller. The MAG speed controller is built out of two switches and a really cheap servo. Several Fast Gun websites have information on the construction of a MAG speed controller. You can probably put one together for under $15.
here is the MAG speed controller. http://www.modelwarshipcombat.com/howto/Images/destroyerelectrics2.html
thanks guys for all this help your giving me I really appreciate it. as I get more involved in this hobby I will ask you guys for all the advice and tips I can get as I will probaly need it as much as you did when you started in model warship combat
could please explain what exactly a speed controller does? how would a mag speed controller work exactly? do the switches change the direction the current goes to the motor making it change direction? if so how would i get my ship to move at 25 knots would i need to use resistors to reduce the power going to the motor thus reducing the speed at which it turns?
In the example given, the speed controller mechanism is a simple on/off/reverse actuated by moving a servo so yes, the switches do change the direction of current flow. You can bring your ship to speed a few ways. One option when using battery packs assembled from cells is that you can reduce the cell count, thus reducing the voltage driving the motors. Other options include changing the pitch angle of the prop(s), adding drag props (when there are multiple props on the prototype design), or adding gear reduction to slow the speed of the prop(s) directly.
Webwookie is correct. A MAG speed controller is a simple on/off/reverse setup. Varying the voltage to the motor, installing a high-watt variable resistor, gearing down the motor, and flattening prop blades are all options. Since you've said you're on a tight budget, I would recommend flattening the prop blades. Flattening the prop blades requires no gearboxes, no resistors, no lower-voltage batteries, no additional components whatsoever. The way this works is you run a speed trial with your ship, and find out if you're going too fast or too slow. If you're too fast, you take a pair of pliers and bend the prop blades so they are flatter. If you're moving too slow, you bend the prop blades so they are steeper. Once you've adjusted the prop blades, you then run another speed trial, and see if you're adjustments were enough.
