Hello everyone! I'm a newbie from California and have known about this hobby for a few years but never had the money to do it. Lurked on this site for a bit, things cleared up, decided to attended a few SCRAP meetings, then managed to started my ship. I posted here because I know for a fact that i'll run into problems later :v. I decided to join Axis (Ha!) so I picked Pola. Got the pdf plan from profile morskie . Here is what I had done at the SCRAP build session. I penciled in the subdeck and 1/8th weather deck before tracing. I also decided to simplify the build and straighten the curved top of the deck( no idea if i can do this but i did it anyway :v). Traced and cut out some ribs on my scroll saw. The mark at the top was me being torn on whether I should do a 1/8 or 1/4th inch subdeck. I think now i'll follow the Bearn tutorial and just reinforce a 1/8th subdeck since Pola's probably going to be tippy with this hull shape. Also, did I do the stringer slots properly? Here I encountered an issue. I'm not sure if I should put the rib right behind the step or just disregard the scale and place the rib where it actually goes. What should I do? ( I penciled in some extra lines to help me visualise a bit) One other question: Do the ribs have to be spaced evenly or can I just eliminate some from the middle of the ship? I assumed I could so I just removed a few amidships to meet the 15% rule with 1/4 ribs. I eagerly await judgement :v
just make the step at the rib If i recall the rules SCRAP runs with, like the IRC, you could extend your stringer to the next rib forward and aft, so you could have notched in #3 I think. Small potatytoes though. no even spacing requirement. Technically you could be asymmetric from port to stbd, but that would be annoying to do on a wood hull. straightening a curved deck is common. People also will flatten the hull bottoms sometimes
How much do people generally flatten the bottom? That sounds like it would benefit Pola. Also once I make the subdeck, how wide should it be? 1/2 inch?
Flattening the bottom a little bit is ok, turning it into a bass boat is frowned upon. How much is that? Eh, if it still looks scale I guess? Ask Harry or Brian, they'll guide ya. I'd just put the rib right at the step and fudge the curved edge of it. Remember, semi-scale.
Water channels are always nice. Even on a curvy, round-bottomed boat, you still want one to limit listing, reduce free-surface effect, and minimize change in waterline as damage accumulates. And they are fairly easy to do on wooden hulls.
What should the dimensions of a water channel be for Pola? Should i use 1/4th ply on the sides and have the bottom be 1/8th like the bearn tutorial? Where would the channel fit if my ribs are 3/8ths wide?
I'd get with Ty Brian or Harry to lay it out. Cruisers typically don't need much if any water channel as they are already so narrow. Mostly to keep water out of the extreme bow and stern.
If you want to set up a water channel, which isnt a bad idea, just plan to run it down the middle half or so, back to where you will make a pump 'well' (just a more open low spot for water to be fed that can fit a pump.) Here's an example in a cruiser https://rcwarshipcombat.com/threads/suffren-build.443108/page-25#post-490244 You will have to cut your ribs to make the channel. Don't do this until you've actually got a good rigid hull skeleton and have laid in the pieces that form the sides of the channel (and preferably interlock with the ribs). we can tell you many things, but the reality is, you're going to be playing with the folk local to you, and most of us are not. We can offer advice and opinions, but when it comes to things that are specific to legality of a build... it might be worth less than the paper the internet is printed on if it differs from what the folk local to you think is reasonable.
Got a bit more done. Got the subdecks cut out and fitted. Bit of curvature in the keel but hopefully it won't matter. This ship is bigger than I thought. Heh. Started on the hard area. Sanded part of it down. Tried soldering my own 1 1/8" props but i won't know if they'll work until i test them. I was also planning to direct drive them using 550's (from battlersconnection) but i don't know what RPM they run at with a 6v battery. Will they be too fast?
As shallow as the pitch is on them, they'll need to drive fast. But worst case, if those props don't work, you just replace them with new props. But it's looking good
Thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot to post :v Anyway I finished the hard area. Bit tough figuring out how to do the steep contours but I managed. Full shot. Got the hard area in bow installed and sanded smooth. Situation changed so i'll go with a gearbox now. Got help with the gearbox/stuffing tubes/other components at the last build session (Thanks Bob). Also cut out some brass tubing to support the stuffing tubes. I'm hesitant to cut into the ship to fit the motor mount (Already poked a few holes in the balsa) so i'll finish the water channel then glass it first. Ordered my West System so i'll mope around until I get it. Cutting the stuffing tubes will probably also be nerve-wracking but I guess i'll have to see.
Your gearbox setup looks like the props will flair out at the rudder. It only had a single rudder right, not a good thing. Better to mount them so the shafts are flaring in towards the rudder, like V shaped, with the point towards the rudder. You did a outstanding job on the hull, I have tried making a wood hull, ended up throwing it in the trash, used a set of Golf plans, the ribs were horrible, but I did not know that at the time I cut them out.
Remove that back plate, and use one on the bottom mounting them flared in is one way. Or make up a wedge and insert it from the back, between the gearboxes. Comes down to how he plans on fixing the gearboxes themselves to the hull.
