Hi again everyone. I know I am posting like crazy here, but I have lots of questions. So, I am thinking I will start a build here after the holidays are over. I need to get off of the computer and do something more real (as opposed to virtual). Anyway, I have yet to decide on a ship (will list out options below), but I wanted to know what I should get to start a build. I am not going the fiberglass hull way, simply because there are no hulls for the ships I want to build. I am also looking at making these pretty scale-looking and detailed as well. The rule-set will be MWC, as that is the governing body of the closest club to me. I am kinda fudging the rules by throwing a never-completed warship in there, but I will see what the club thinks before I start. Anyway, does anyone have a good list of items to start? Plans, obviously, radio (starting with 2-channel model, modifying later to combat), motors, batteries, ESC, etc. What about the actual building of the hull and superstructure? What is best to get for that? Oh, and here are the vessels being considered: French Normandie BB (the one that was launched but never completed): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandie_class_battleship Russian/Soviet Gangut class BB (post-modernization): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangut_class_battleship Russian Imperatrista Mariya class BB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperatritsa_Mariya_class_battleship French Suffren class cruiser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffren_class_cruiser French La Galissonniere class cruiser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Galissonni%C3%A8re_class_cruiser French Duquesne class cruiser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duquesne_class_cruiser Soviet Kirov class cruiser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirov_class_cruiser I like the Gangut and the Normandie the best for the BBs, and the Duquense and Kirov for the cruisers. Opinions? Thanks. Ryan W.
I like Gangut, if only because it IS legal. The rebuild doesn't affect that, for our purposes, it's mainly cosmetic. The French cruisers are all good choices. Impy Mary is cool, not sure if I have plans for that one.
Kirov is not legal (neither of them). I forgot to answer your other question, GS... There are several build threads that address 'what's needed', if only indirectly... Short list: Dremel tool or noname equivalent (and lots of accessories, the most important being the saw-type cutting wheel, the fiberglass cutoff wheels, and sanding drums) Drill + drill bits Power Scrollsaw (recommended over a bandsaw because you can do more tasks with the scrollsaw since you can remove the blade and work inside of holes) Pencils (I like the cheap plastic mechanical ones in 24-packs) Rulers in various lengths 3x5 cards waterproof epoxy (West or Maas systems are the best) ('water-resistant' will not hack it) CA glue for quick tack-it-in-place jobs Extra credit for a drill press and table vise to hold the work, and a band sander/disk sander combo If you are making your own guns: tubing cutter tubing bender blowtorch w/ solder This does not include parts, and I've probably forgotten a few minor items but I think I hit the big stuff.
Ryan, Most guys i know use 1/4" and 1/8" aircraft grade 5-ply plywood for the hull and deck, its not he cheapest stuff in the world but holds up well and will last a long time if you take care of it. West System epoxy (or similar) is great stuff to use, hobby shop epoxy just doesn't hold up as well. Unless you already have a 2 channel radio id say don't bother with buying anything with less than 4 channels, there are plenty of 4,5,and 6 channel radios around a decent prices. 2.4 ghz radios are popular these days, your other option is a 75mhz radio. (72 Mhz are a no no since the FCC limits them to air use so they aren't allowed in most/all clubs) Batteries range from lead acid gel cells to NiMh to the new LiFe batteries, it all depends on how much juice you need, how much space/weight you have and how much you want to spend. Once you decide on a ship battery recommendation becomes easier. (traditionally people run 6v but I think that is slowly starting to change with the newer batteries, but really you can run any voltage you want) Motors and Esc also somewhat depend on the ship, some guys are starting to test out the brushless stuff so that can be an option too. Get in touch with the local club, try to get to one of their events and look a people's ships, and gear and try to pay attention to what works well and what doesn't. Copy/adapt it to your purposes. Its the easiest and fastest way to get on the water. Once you have a working boat as a baseline then its easier(and more productive) to do all the fun experimentation stuff.
How much work space do you have for the dry dock? And storage for when you are not working on it. Wives and mothers tend to get a little upset with hulls sitting on living room furniture for more than a few hours!
Ok, thanks for all of the info guys. I am compiling a spreadsheet now. I have work space, so that is not an issue. I also have some older RC car equipment (2-channel radio, esc, Mubachi motors, charger, NiMH batteries, etc.). I was just going to repurpose it for the initial build phase and then get the guns and higher channel radio later. My wife and father-in-law are of the opinion that I should start with a wood rc kit (not a combat warship) so that I can learn how these things can go together. You all agree with that idea? Oh, and the Kirov CAs are legal. They are listed on the MWC shiplist. They were all completed before 1945. Thanks again everyone!
Not yet. I am trying to decide if a cruiser is the way to go or if I should just jump in there with a BB. The BBs I am looking at are not particularly big, so I don't think they would be unmanageable (607ft. for Gangut class, 560ft. for Normandie). It may hinge on what the local MWC chapter says about Normandie... Decisions, decisions.
Either BB you list would be manageable, definately. It'll be interesting to see what the California club says; I haven't spoken much with them so I can't give you a feel for what they might say, but they're good guys. I do know that you probably wouldn't be able to battle Normandie at Nats, and you should definately try to make Nats. It's more fun and a better experience than I can describe. Good fun all around. As an alternative to Normandie, you could build Bretagne (also 4.5 units, speed 28) or Courbet (4 units, speed 28). You'd be down to one rudder, but that's not a HUGE deal. The French DN's are all tubby, so they'll turn Another factor in Gangut's favor is that he's just long enough to get the bump up to 26 seconds. The 2 seconds doesn't seem like much but it's useful when Iron Dukes or Badens are chasing you.
For MWC cruisers are pretty good rookie boats. If you want to do something bigger some of the WW1 battle cruisers/battle ships are also good rookie boats. If you go with something to big (ww2 battleships) you generally end up spending more time fighting the boat than you do fighting the other boats on the water which isn't as much fun. And when you're on the water since you don't have as much experience/skill as other people you tend to take more than your fair share of damage which can be discouraging. People have started with big battleships, its doable but its more difficult, in the end the choice is yours of course. Build a boat that you want to build, having something you enjoy and like will help get it done and on the water. From the wood rc kits I've seen they don't really compare to what we do. All our stuff is made (or should be) to survive combat and sinking(things like being shot, getting wet, electrical shorts, fires, corrosion, breaking props, ship/ship impacts,overhearing ESCs, EMI/radio glitches, sitting on the bottom of a pond for 5+ min are all part of the game), hobby shop kits aren't designed for anywhere near that level of punishment. We're downright evil on our equipment.(solving the challenges of combat is part of the fun) Having equipment that works enough that you can fake till you can fix it even while its destroying itself is pretty handy when the bbs start to fly. That also changes how you design/choose/mount components(design for failure). Basically I'm not sure that building a wood hobby shop kit before building a warship would really be enough help to make it worthwhile. Plus our boats (even the kits) don't come with nice instructions like hobby shop kits do, they are all very individualized to suit the builder's battling style.
There is a fiberglass hull for one of those on your list. I just noticed there's not pictures of the actual bare hull up there, but I can fix that or email you some if you'd like. http://www.strikemodels.com/product...ssonniere/ Keri Morgret Strike Models
Battler's Connection also has the Suffren CA... about 4" longer than Galissoniere but gets 2 rudders. Price-wise, they're a wash, within $5 of each other. Apart from the rudders, most of the rest is the same; speed, units, operational use.
I'd say go with the russian dreadnought. It has the added bonus of being legal, and you likely won't have to worry about other people in your local club having one (a big plus in my books). --Chase
As for tools, a couple of others to STRONGLY consider. An oscillating tool like the Fein Multimaster ( avaiable for less from Dremel, and even less from Chicago (ibelieve) Tools through Harbor freight. Steven has done a write-up on these tools on Strike Models based on the adjustable speed HF model. I personally have the Dremel Multimax http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-6300-0...amp;sr=8-2. but ist is more expensive, as are the bleades, than the HF version. I also really like the Black and Decker Pf-260 precision belt sander 9AKA power file). These fiinger belt sanders were out of production for a while, but it appears they are back. I really like and use mine a ton. http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Precision-Sander-PF260/dp/B000XR2ETK PS, for Big Gun, the Dunkwrque is a tremendous competitor in good hands. Fun even in my clutsy ones. Welcome to the fray,
If you plan to do fiberglass hulls, the various oscillating multitools are very useful and probably safer* (as outlined in Stephen's article), but for wood hulls, not so much. *I don't think they'd throw fiberglass dust nearly as much as a spinning cutting wheel does... thus, safer, even you you wear a mask
Here's the link to Stephen's article, which also has a link to the Harbor Freight tool. You can usually find coupons for the tool (and Harbor Freight in general) in the Sunday paper, Reader's Digest, National Geographic, and probably lots of other places. http://www.strikemodels.com/ship-construction/cutting-fiberglass-hulls-tools/
