The question is, do you think you will be able to adjust and take off the rudder arm, when the sides are on, without cutting the subdeck? You will need to cut both anyways. Try to cut the rudder shaft itself so that it just misses hitting the bottom of the subdeck. The rudder stuffing tube will also need to be cut, so cut it so that its about 1/2 in from the bottom of the subdeck. About what you have in your first picture, just so that both are close to the outer hull when done. For now not flush with the hull, leave a little extra, like 1/8 inch just so that you have a little to play with.
djranier I did some cutting and this is what I'm up to. Tell me if I should be getting it to fit better or whatever you think. I didn't glue anything so I can still change things.
Does not look too bad, I would lean it a little more forward myself, just so the prop wash has more rudder to hit. Plus the rudder will look more scale. It will require a little more sanding on the hull. And it does look like you can leave the subdeck alone, after looking at the last picture. Here is what I was talking about with the props.
djranier I'm gonna work on that rudder more than tomorrow I'll try to work with the prop shafts. Why does the big print show the props to far back if they need to be at the rudder.
The real ship is relying on the surface area of the rudder moving thru the water to direct the water off to eiter side, our small rudders do not direct enough water to cause the ship to turn as well as you would want it too. So by moving the props closer to the rudder, more water is moving across the rudder at a higher speed. If we were going for totally scale turning we would be close actually, but our goal is to turn faster than what the real ship in scale would ever be able to turn. The Iowa in real life had a turning circle of over 800 yards. Our Iowa's would be making the same turn in around 300 yards. If the model turned in a scale 800 yd circle, you would be nothing more than a sitting duck for all the other ships.
Wow, nice work Ron. That looks really good. At the rate you're going I think youll be able to get on the pond this spring no problem. Then we'll get to teach you how to patch []
Now to the prop shafts, sounds really hard! The GB500 slides on to the end of the stuffing tube, and then the bottom is glued to the hull. Here it is! The props are about 1 5/8 inch in diameter. What you do is drill the holes, get the stuffing tubes into place, with the shaft and prop installed in the stuffing tube, and put the GB500 on to the end of the tube, from the inside of the boat. You objective here is trying to get the inboard stuffing tubes as level as possible, and at the same time as close as possible to each other, without the props hitting. If the tubes are angled down too much you will actually pull the stern of the ship under water when you go in reverse, in just a few feet. The reason the props are on of course is so that they help with the alignment, and you make sure they do not hit the hull. What size props did you get with your kit should also determine where the shafts are installed, especially since you only have 1 rudder. The goal here is to pass as much of your water flow from the propellers as possible across the single rudder. As a example, say you received 2, 2 inch propellers, the shaft centers should be no more than 2 1/4 inches apart, I would go for 2 1/8. That way the props are 1/8 to 1/4 apart at the tips of the blades. On my PE, they are right at 1/8. Dont worry what the drawing shows on the shaft seperation, this is critical if you want the boat to turn. Also a slight angle in of the shafts will again help with the water flow across the rudder. What I mean here is using my above example. 2 1/4 at the shaft centers, at the propellers, and 2 3/4 at the GB500 gearbox shaft centers. That will give 1/4 inch on each shaft, so that the water is slightly angled in towards the rudder. Next the forward to stern alignment, this is the reason for the rudder being installed first. The closer the props are to the rudder the better. If your props have a very pointed hub, which sticks out alot, sand it off, just be carefull you do not heat them to much that you desolder the blades. The new BC's I dont think you will even need to do this, unless you received the older style which were quite pointy, the new ones are rounded. You align the stuffing tubes with the props on, swinging the rudder back and forth making sure they do not hit the rudder, again you are going for a 1/8 to 1/4 clearence, basicly as close as you can get them without hitting the rudder. While at the same time, sanding the bottom of the GB500 to fit to the hull, You can sand off quite a bit of the bottom of it, and you will sand quite a bit off of the bottom side facing the stern of the ship. This is very important also, since the GB500 installation needs to be straight and align up with the stuffing tubes, so that when you put the gears on the shaft, everything aligns up straight. It should be pretty straight when you put it on to the stuffing tube, and to do the alignment from front to rear, you will find its actually the sanding on the bottom of the GB500 what determines the alignment. Next thing dont worry about the holes, but the time you are done they will be much larger than what you ever wanted to see, they may even scare you into thinking you really hosed it up, don't worry alignment is more important than anything else that you will ever do to the boat. My holes always start small but grow geometrically till I have the shafts aligned to where I want them, usually 1/2 inch wide 3 or 4 inches long. I then just tack everything in with SG, so that I can always move somthing again if needed. Once everything looks good, proper alignment, and nothing hitting, I then use the masking tape and tape off the area around the stuffing tubes from the outside, then flip it over and using 5 min epoxy level the area I'm epoxying and epoxy the tubes and GB500 1 at a time so that it does not run all over. Afterwards the masking tape just pulls right off and you may or may not have to just patch a few small areas.
Really easy, just making that first hole in your pretty hull will be the hard part. Don't know why, since you have already made others but it is. You start by how you were first laying out the marks on the hull bottom, then lay the 2 units on the upside down hull, and you can get everything lined up, and mark the hull with a pencil. Then drill away. Well I'm off to work, running late. Post a top view of the stern section of your ship, from the bottom, and I will try to draw what I mean, also a side view of the GB500.
djranier Here are some pics but I'm still working through your info. In pics 1, 3 and 5 you see markings on the hull where I measured from Rick's notes to where + marks show the spot for the holes to be drilled.
You got the idea, swing the rudder back and forth, it looks like the props should still be back a little bit more, all you want is 1/8 in of clearance. But as is it looks like you are ready to drill. You drill with 5/16. I would not bother with a 1/4, you will never get it right on, so why bother, plus it will take longer. So drill right thru, then slowly tilt the cordless drill back towards the stern, following the path your stuffing tubes will take. Then fit the stuffing tube and see how it lines up. You mark again what little area needs to be cut, and try again. You may do this 10 time before you have everything lined up as you want it. Then you go for the fit of the GB500 to the hull, for the proper propeller to hull alignment. And thats about it. Tack in place with SG. Your next boat will be a peice of cake. For right now when you drill take the rudder off do that its out of the way, when you think you have the shafts aligned up right, then just put it back into place for your alignment checking.
Here are some other pics with the props closer to the rudder. How or where is the spot to drill? How do you know the place.
djranier Here are some side photos hope this might get me going. Thanks for your help you have 50 free shots at me with no retaliation when the time comes.
Take the height from the bottom of the gear box to the center of the shaft plus the thinkness of the hull. Let's say it is 1/2". Now at the location of your gear boxes make that 0" elevation. Take a ruler place it flat on the hull find the spot where the hull is 1/2" from the ruler. Start your hole here. On another note I like the BC gears for the rudders better then the push arms. I always seam to not be able to get full throw on the rudder with an arm. The arm or push rod always run into something.
Thats a great way to do it Bob, but looking at your pictures I would start right about where the 3rd rib is from the rear, looks like a good starting spot
I'm looking at this and it looks like the measured mark that Rick had was at the 4 rib but I think the prop was too far forward on the big print. Djranier is looking at the third rib and Bob looking close to 3 1/2 rib mark after taking measurements. Don't think were gonna be right on anyway so maybe between 3+ should be it. Any thoughts?
Sounds good, you will end up with a hole that is 2 to 3 inches long when you are finished, since the stuffing tube will need to lay flat. Go with the 3 1/2, and then add to to hole as you keep fitting the stuffing tube. []
