Building Scale Model Electric-Powered Boats E-Book

Gordon Longworth

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 268

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Building scale model boats that can sail under their own power is a challenging and rewarding hobby requiring varied skills from woodworking to painting to wiring electrical components. This book details everything you need to know to get started: from the tools, materials and equipment required to motors, servos, propellers and remote controls. There are step-by-step guides to the more challenging procedures. There are details on the different types of kits available and how to choose one. Advice is given on glues, fillers, making silicon moulds, and finishes such as painting, decals and weathering. Finally, there is the building of an off-the-shelf kit for the steam yacht Komet and scratch-built RNLI Lifeboat The Torbay Severn class lifeboat.

Leseprobe

First published in 2022 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2022

© Gordon Longworth 2022

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 4117 0

Acknowledgements

I would like to say a heart-felt ‘thank you’ to my wife Lesley. Firstly, for the enthusiasm and confidence that she showed with her encouragement in convincing me to write this book. But perhaps more importantly, in her endless forbearance when cleaning spilt glue off my clothes, mending a hole created by a sanding disc, or helping to find an essential lost brass nut on the workshop floor. Not to mention the strong smell of solvents or paint pervading the house on occasions, which she suffered without complaint.

Also may I offer my thanks to all the members, too numerous to mention, of Etherow Model Boat Club, near Marple, Stockport, for your comradeship, and your help and guidance over the years: you have all given me so much pleasure.

Finally, my thanks to the Component Shop for their permission to reproduce the images and information on pages 74–5, 98, and 107–8, as well as for their advice and excellent service over the years.

Cover design by Sergey Tsvetkov

Contents

Introduction

1 What You Will Need

2 Choice of Model

3 Adhesives, Fillers and Finishing

4 Radio Control Systems

5 Essential Boat Fittings

6 Non-Essential Accessories

7 Building an Off-the-Shelf Kit of the Steam Yacht Komet

8 Building a Scratch-Built Lifeboat

9 Making Life Easier

Index

Introduction

I have often found that the attitude held in the old days to the ‘Wild West’ cowboy era – when no matter how fast someone was with a gun there would always be someone faster – is analogous to that found in the world of model boat building. For no matter how good or skilled you are at making and detailing your model, there will always be someone who will come along, who in your eyes has greater ability.

However, never, ever, be discouraged by this, but look instead at how they did it, what materials were used, and how it was designed, and learn from it, and try to raise your own standards: that way you will simply get better next time. Because that stunningly detailed model you see before you, which you look at with envy and amazement, and which you know you can never emulate, may quite easily have been built by a professional model maker, or may have taken a dedicated enthusiast many years to construct, or may even have been built by a team with a diverse range of skills.

Every modeller I have ever met has always, without exception, been only too pleased to share their experience and knowledge, so the first thing you need to learn once you have taken the second step on that most satisfying road of building and sailing models is – to ask questions.

I say ‘second step’ because you will more than likely have built something simpler before this as a first step. It may have been a model aircraft years ago; it may have been last year after you watched someone sailing on a local lake; or perhaps you want a grandchild to enjoy the same pleasure that you obtained in the past, when you took those initial steps all those years ago.

However, model boats didn’t start with the complex control systems that we can enjoy today, but which seem so baffling. They probably started with a dim and distant ancestor of Winnie the Pooh playing a Neanderthal version of ‘Pooh sticks’ in a stream – but I bet they obtained the same pleasure and satisfaction out of the experience that we do!

Making model boats is not a new thing – even King Tutankhamun had a few secreted away in his underground tomb. They were models of the simple single-sail open craft that plied their way up and down the River Nile. However, we will never know if King Tut ever played with them whilst he dodged the ever-present ferocious Nile crocodiles that frequented the river at that time. I think the models were there for a much more important role: as representative solar boats to carry his spirit with the god Amun-Ra through the sky each night.

The subject for the model I am currently making is from a wall engraving over a thousand years earlier than King Tut – so there are plenty of ideas to choose from.

Now, annoyingly, I have just fallen into the usual trap of saying ‘played’ – intimating that we are dealing with ‘toys’ or something of little significance. The quickest way to upset any modeller is to call their model a ‘toy’, be it a boat, or an aircraft, or a railway layout – for they are much more than that: they are scale model replicas, some working with many moving parts, some highly detailed static displays – many are pure works of art that will have taken many years to build.

A small static model of the royal barge of the ancient Egyptian Pharoah Sahure, dated 2428BC. Ships such as this sailed to many lands bringing back myrrh, electrum and ebony wood for thousands of years.

But as I said at the start, don’t be discouraged if your efforts are not as good in your eyes as someone else’s – as likely as not they will still be better than some. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, is it not? The important thing is that you try. If you can honestly admit to yourself that you have done the best you are capable of, then that is perfectly acceptable. If, however, you are not satisfied with your efforts, then next time you will have a yardstick to aim at, to do better.

My intention in this book is to encourage you to take that second step. Arguably you already have, or you wouldn’t be reading this – so let’s call it a third step. I want to try to offer some pointers to ensure that the interest you already have is not blunted by having taken on a model that is either too simple, and doesn’t satisfy you, or is too complex, when you become utterly disenchanted and bored, such that it will end up on a shelf – forgotten, and never to be finished.

I know from past experience of being handed part-finished models that something like half of the lovely old sailing-ship kits that are bought are never completed. Making the hull is the easy part – assembling all the masts, sails and rigging requires an inordinate amount of time and patience, and not a little skill. This is a great shame, as many of these kits can cost hundreds of pounds. Consequently, I do not propose to cover sailing ships here, although many of the more modern craft that we will look at do still have masts and rigging to some extent.

Here I should issue a word of caution: there are from time-to-time magazines advertised on television where a model can be built over a period of time following steps in a monthly magazine, with a few components for the model supplied with it each month. Apart from the fact that this may take perhaps three years to complete, it will cost far more than buying a kit outright – so that yet again, many are never finished and the modeller is totally discouraged. However, if you want to take your time and not have the initial cost layout, then that is also fine: it is simply another avenue into the hobby, if you have the patience.

I was lucky enough to grow up in South Devon, where the sea and ships are part of everyday life – so watching fishing trawlers and other watercraft come and go (and being on them) was as natural to me as breathing. However, my working life drove me to the North of England, many miles from the sea, so perhaps my pleasure in making models derives from a subconscious desire to re-create that feeling of being back by the sea.

What actually motivates someone to want to make a model boat is often hard to define. Perhaps it’s down to an experience in their past. It could be something emotional – say, meeting a partner on a cruise – or a time in the Royal Navy, or the Merchant Navy, or wanting to re-create the golden age of sail.

Certainly many models will have a tale to tell. It can be seen in the love and care that goes into the construction. It shows in the careful detailing, in the patience and skill in construction, and in the involvement in time and money. All these testify to something much more than just wood, plastic, paint and glue. And only ask a modeller about their boat if you have plenty of time to spare, because once they start, they will never stop!

But whatever it is that motivates you to want to build a replica scale-model boat is not so important. What is important is that you choose something within your capabilities and that you can complete. This isn’t simply down to your personal skills, it’s also down to the environment in which you propose to build the model. Many models are built on the kitchen table, but if there are young toddlers about with inquisitive fingers, then sharp knives, glue and paint are perhaps not the ideal playthings for them to grab!

Having said that, I do feel that there are two age groups that are likely to be drawn into modelling. The first comprises young teenagers, who have the most inquisitive and fertile of minds, but not the wherewithal to purchase the materials; however, although loving grandparents may naturally want to encourage a grandchild, all I have said earlier should be considered before they go out and buy something that could easily put off a young mind for life. On the other hand it may perhaps put them on the road to a very fruitful career.

The second group is by far the largest, and comprises older people – though sadly mainly men – so why not women, who in my experience usually have greater dexterity and more patience? These individuals have retired and want to enjoy a hobby that uses hands-on skills and knowledge learned throughout their working life, or maybe they want to try something different now that they have the time. However, no matter what age or gender you are, I hope these pages will succeed in guiding you along a very rewarding and enjoyable path.

Most readers will already have made some kind of simpler model, as likely as not in a kit. And before we go any further, let’s just define what we mean by a ‘kit’, and the pros and cons associated with it. There are literally thousands of them, all types of craft, at different scales and detailing, where everything is provided by the kit manufacturer, except glue and paint.

Then there is something called a ‘semi-kit’, which provides a basic hull and maybe some moulded superstructure; everything else you have to make. Alternatively you can buy a virtually finished model, the only extras necessary being the battery and the radio-control system.

Lastly there is the ‘scratch-built’ boat, and arguably this is the most challenging type of model, perhaps best left until you have some experience with kits. This is because you simply start with an idea, research it for any existing plans, and then make or adapt everything. However, there is no question that this is also the most rewarding type of model.

We will also discuss which type of model is best suited to the person who will build it. Is the hull big enough to take all the electronics, motors and batteries that we want to have in it? What type of radio control will we use? How many radio channels will we need? How heavy will it be? Will it fit into the car? Where will we be able to sail it? Where can we find more information? What restrictions are there, if any, to using open water?

These are all questions that will be covered in the next few chapters, and hopefully by the time you reach the end of this book, many of the pitfalls that put people off this exciting and rewarding pastime will have been avoided, and you will have learned a great deal. And likely as not, later you will get to know some really friendly, like-minded enthusiasts, who will be only too willing to offer help and guidance along the way.

Chapter One

What You Will Need

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

‘Essential’ items are only those necessary for a particular model, nothing more: they are described here simply to offer some suggestions as to how they might be used. Certainly the French prisoners-of-war sent to Dartmoor Prison, in Devon, during the Napoleonic wars, who produced some stunning museum-quality models of their own sailing men-o-war, made out of cattle bones from the kitchens, did not have much in the way of essential tools!

Whatever tools you use, do learn how to use them properly: read any instructions, and protect yourself, especially when using power tools, or anything with teeth or a sharp blade. After all, they are designed to cut things – be this pieces of wood, or by default, fingers. There are plenty of ‘How To’ videos on the internet, so there is no excuse.

Drills and Drilling Holes

To start with, 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 1.5mm diameter drill bits should cover most of the really fine work. These usually need a specific small holder, as normal hand-drill holders are far too heavy and cumbersome, and the drill itself will bend or break if attempts are made to use them.

A good quality box of high-speed steel twist drills. Some in this set are more use than others – anything less than 0.5mm will probably get lost before it is worn out. Be careful, as they are sharp.

For simple drilling, this small hand-drill is useful – anything larger will throw a strain on the drill itself. Suitable for anything up to 2mm diameter drills.

A small power hand-drill. This one is battery operated and rechargeable, which means you don’t have to turn the drill with one hand whilst holding the hand-drill with the other; also the speed is adjustable. It will have many other uses, as will be seen later.

Known as an Archimedes drill and used for anything below 1.00mm, this is an invaluable little drill for the really small holes. It twists by moving the slider up and down, thus rotating the bit in both directions. Pressure is applied by placing a finger on the separately rotating top.

Tools for Marking Out

When working with wood or plastic, a sharp nail or a scriber can be used to mark where the hole should be. On metal or curved surfaces it is essential to centre-punch the position, otherwise small drills will bend or snap and skid away from where the hole should be, with the result that the hole will be off-centre at best, or at worst the work will have to be scrapped.

Tools for Cutting and Trimming

For cutting or trimming plastic sheet, plywood or laser-cut parts, sharp knives are essential. More people are injured by using blunt knives when trying to cut something, which then slip, than probably by anything else, so get a set of knife handles that have replaceable blades. Your average pocket knife does not come under the category of a craft knife!

To start with, a set of three will be more than enough. Something thin and pointed for fine, delicate work – an 8mm-diameter handle; a heavier holder with a rounded blade for more robust work – an 11mm-diameter handle; and finally a heavy handle where a strong grip is needed. Swann-Morton’s non-surgical packs of five blades are usually the most economical to purchase. By their very nature they have to be ultra-sharp, and thus are made from hardened steel, which makes them tend to be brittle, especially the pointed ones – so don’t be surprised if the point snaps off. However, they may still be usable as a secondary blade for initial rough work. Do not use too much force, but allow the blade to actually cut, even if this means using repeated strokes to get through the material being cut.

The scalpel handles made by Swann-Morton are actually for surgical work, and their blades are for a ‘one-handed quick release’ by the operating surgeon when necessary; however, they are still easy to use, and are ideal for modelling. The law states that you must be over eighteen to purchase knife blades.

Definitely not a craft knife. It might be useful for whittling a stick, but not for modelling. It is likely to be too blunt and the blade far too thick.

A basic set of three knives: with these to start, it will be possible to do virtually any cutting task necessary. Craft knives often come in sets, with numerous chisels and routers that are unlikely to be used.

Over time you will accumulate other knives/handles, each with a different blade for a specific purpose; this can save time if changing blades is necessary.

This accessory is best avoided: it’s a plank splitter, which at this point is unnecessary. However, after making a few models it can prove economical to make your own planks in the future.

Cutting Mat

A cutting mat is essential. Some commercially available cutting mats are self-healing and will to some extent ‘fill in’ any cut marks caused by a knife blade. They also have a very convenient printed grid on both sides for marking out a part prior to cutting it, in order to keep it square, which can be very useful.

A rough cutting board can be home-made, and this piece of flat, smooth oak has been used for many years as a cutting and hand-drilling board. A thicker, rather than thinner board such as this, which gives more stability, is a better choice. A thick plywood offcut is fine but generally the wood is softer and will not allow a smooth cut. What is more essential is that the wood does not warp, and is totally flat.

These cutting mats are available in different sizes. The most common is 18 × 12in (450 × 300mm), which will cover mostly anything. An alternative or addition is an old offcut of oak or other flat hardwood.

Tools for Measuring

Most people will have a ruler in the house. As a guide to cutting material with a craft knife it is perhaps not ideal, especially if it is made out of wood or plastic, as the knife can easily ride up over the guiding edge and cut a finger. It is suggested that you purchase a metal straight-edge rule especially designed for this task. Also, never forget the old woodworkers’ saying: ‘Measure twice, and cut once.’

It is almost guaranteed that you will make the mistake of taking the wrong measurement and destroying your workpiece early on – it’s a mistake you never forget, and hopefully do not repeat.

Draughtsman’s tools, French curves, compasses, protractors, set squares and scale rules are the result of the author’s apprenticeship as an engineering draughtsman, and really come under the category of desirable, rather than essential tools. They will likely be of more use when actually designing and drawing out a ‘scratch-build’ later down the road of model boating.

A special metal rule specifically designed to deflect the blade away from the fingers, at the top of the picture. Basically, it is a pressed-steel corrugated section. Ordinary plastic/wooden rules should not be used as the cutting blade can ride over the rule and cut fingers as pressure is exerted on the workpiece. The other drawing tools will be helpful at the design stage, in the future.

Tools for Holding Work

Clamps are essential, and there are literally hundreds of them. The simplest is some kind of weight holding down two pieces on a flat surface when you are trying to glue them together. The most readily available is the ordinary clothes-peg.

A small vice has jaws around 1in (25mm) wide, and clamps to the edge of the table for really fine work; sometimes it can help to tie knots with fine twine, when three hands are required. Most of them only need to be able to open the jaws to, say, (12mm) or so. For really large items the slide clamps shown could be used; or use ‘G’ clamps when you want to position larger items that perhaps are curved, or are awkward in shape.

A small range of clamps designed to hold work, usually after you have glued pieces together; some are spring loaded, like clothes-pegs, to grip better. Make sure the spring is not too strong so that it damages your workpiece. It is not unusual to need fifteen to twenty of these during the initial phase of gluing the deck supports to the hull.

SIMPLE IS BEST

Don’t overlook a large rubber band: often this will do the trick more simply than anything else. Even a piece of string or a paper clip might just help for that ‘hard to hold’ component whilst the adhesive sets.

Avoid that well-known transparent self-adhesive tape used for sticking down torn paper or photographs. The adhesive might need a solvent to remove it, which in turn may damage the workpiece. If you must use a tape, use a low-tack one made for the purpose, and test it first overnight on something that doesn’t matter, especially if it is already painted.

Pliers

Where fingers are too cumbersome, or simply not strong enough, then pliers are more than essential. There are long-nosed pliers, a pair with serrated faces for grip, another for cutting out small pre-moulded parts, or sprues, another old standard type for wire cutting. Keep the two separate, and do not use the sharp ones for routine wire cutting.

A small selection of pliers: these will include long-nosed, serrated and round-nosed, for different tasks. Always keep a pair such as the red-handled ones shown for cutting only soft parts: this will keep the edge sharp; use another pair for cutting brass wire and suchlike.

Tweezers

Tweezers are really an extension of long-nosed pliers, again, where fingers are simply too cumbersome. They are really useful for threading wires or rigging twine through small holes with limited access space. Whilst they may not be regarded as essential, they take the frustration out of many tricky little jobs. It is worth paying a little more for a good set of tweezers, as cheap ones usually cross over at the ends after a time, resulting in them slipping and throwing a tiny item somewhere never to be found again.

Tweezers come in many sizes, usually as a set. They are an extension to your fingers for getting into the many tight spaces, both on and within a typical model.

Storage Containers

Jars and ‘throw-away’ plastic containers are invaluable for screws, wood, rubber bands and small components, all of which easily get lost. Any kit will have a number of small parts that need to be stored, but which also need to be accessed quickly. This is useful when dealing with very small parts, when they fall (or fly off) into a cluttered area, or on to the floor.

Recycle small bottles and plastic take-away containers to use for storage. They are invaluable for the multitude of small parts in any model construction, because once you start building a model, many parts have to be separated, and are easily lost.

Files

Files comprise probably the largest range of a single item that you will find, apart from drill bits. Avoid the temptation of taking a short-cut and using a large-toothed engineering or wood-working file: usually a strategy of the ‘finer the better’ is the most appropriate, even if it does take longer.

Filing a flat surface is something that takes skill and practice, and perhaps even a little of a ‘black art’ on a curved surface. Always ensure that the sharp tang of a file is embedded in a comfortable handle that is not loose or likely to fall off. Place a finger on the far end to apply light pressure, and don’t grip it too tightly as you ‘push’ the file across the surface: keep it flat, and release the pressure on the return stroke.

A vital and cheap way of keeping your ‘toolbox’ tidy, or for storing small parts.

A selection of flat files – taper, rat-tail, half-round, fine, rough, square, triangular: try to acquire only a small selection at first, and only those you need.

HELPFUL TIP

As you are using (hopefully) a very fine-toothed file, it will need clearing, or the teeth will clog up: use a fine wire brush, or even an old toothbrush to clean the teeth. Soft lead or white-metal clogs easily and debris may have to be removed with a sharp-pointed nail, a needle or a scriber.

DESIRABLE TOOLS

The following tools are really a selection for the dedicated tool-collector. They are items that you can easily do without, but which can make your model so much better, and make life less stressful in avoiding problems.

To put modelling into perspective, when something is going wrong, repeat the mantra ‘Never forget that you are doing this for fun’. So if you don’t have that particular tool at the time, or can’t think how to achieve something – walk away and leave it for tomorrow, and a solution will probably come to you.

Metal-Etched Tools

Illustrated is a set of metal-etched tools for a scale model tool-box that was needed for a particular model – nothing to do with real tools, but included simply to illustrate what is available to make any model just that little bit more spectacular. Many of them are less than 5mm long.

A sample of commercial brass-etched sheets, showing a complete range of miniature model tools to enhance the detail of your boat.

Powered Drills

A hand-held power drill is so versatile, with dozens of accessories available for most jobs. Ensure that you have two batteries so that one can be in use whilst the other is on charge. There is nothing more irritating than a battery going flat half-way through a particular task, and no spare.

This hand power drill is essential to many modellers, equating almost to a third hand, and with its accessories is an absolute bonus for so many different jobs, from drilling, routing, grinding and smoothing, to polishing and finishing. It can speed up repetitious jobs to save a great deal of time.

Apart from the drill function, you will also find that a sanding-disc attachment is invaluable. There are a number, with varying grades of grit from coarse down to very fine. Over a period of time it is likely that the hand-drill will be used far more with a sanding-disc attachment than for actually drilling holes.

A quick-release sanding-disc attachment. It uses the same drill head that holds the drills, and is a simple ‘press and twist to release’ so as to change to another grade of disc, or to replace a worn-out disc.

Sanding discs come in many finishes or grades; get two grades, 60 and 240, to start with. The other disc is a carborundum cutting disc; saw discs are also available, and are useful for cutting out larger plastic parts and awkward shapes.

Probably the most useful accessory is a drill stand, into which the hand-drill fits. Now you will have two hands free to hold and make the necessary holes in your workpiece, and the holes will be perpendicular to the piece – unless you wish to drill them at a slant, in which case the unit can be easily swivelled to the appropriate angle.

A more sophisticated drill stand to hold the hand-drill, for a hands-free option for what is quite a heavy robust hand-drill.

Always use a square piece of softwood underneath your workpiece, which helps to support the work and will also help to stop the drill-bit tearing the back face as the drill head pierces your material – softwoods being the worst for this.

A simple wooden block to save breakout underneath the workpiece as the drill goes through. It is always a good idea to control the drill penetration speed, rather than just ramming it through as quickly as possible: allow the drill time to do what it was designed for. Complete with a drill vice to hold the work, rather than vulnerable fingers.

A full-sized pillar drill is used mainly for household DIY work, but is often useful for drilling boat stands and making trolleys, test tanks and the like.

A full-sized pillar drill is used for a multitude of purposes, from the typical DIY projects down to 1.5/2mm jobs. It is maybe not for the average model enthusiast, but it comes in handy for drilling thicker material. Note the guard over the drill chuck to protect your eyes from spinning swarf, and also to stop your hair or clothing becoming entangled in the rotating chuck, with potentially disastrous results.

Even when using the hand-held drill, use some eye protection – your eyes are far too precious to damage whilst making a model. Also, use a drill vice or a pair of pliers when holding thin metal sheet, which could spin out of control and cut your fingers, or wreck the work.

Bending Planks

A plank bender is very useful when making a wooden-hulled boat where the planks need to be curved to the shape of the hull. Basically it has a blunt knife edge that will groove or bruise one side of the plank as you squeeze. This is repeated down the plank to help form a curve. It does not circumvent having to soak the planks before bending, it just makes them take on a tighter curve.

Whilst a plank bender is quicker, the same effect can be achieved by simply scoring the back face of the plank by pressing a chisel into it.

A simple hand-held bending tool, to get the required shape down the length of a boat hull for the planking, after the raw planks have been soaked in water to make them more flexible. Next to them is a set of watchmaker’s screwdrivers, for all those tiny screws used in miniature electrics.

Small Screwdrivers

There are likely to be small screws somewhere on the model, and these watchmaker’s sets of screwdrivers can come in very useful at times. There is always the temptation to use the end of a penknife or an oversize screwdriver, but these will simply destroy a screw slot and may prevent the screw being removed at all.

Digital Callipers

Digital callipers are very helpful when you buy a kit as there are likely to be various brass rods or tubes that come with the kit, for handrails, rigging eyes and suchlike. They may or may not be labelled with their size or diameter, and you will be dealing in parts of a millimetre or fractions of an inch, where a simple ruler and eye measurement may not be good enough to tell which size is which. The scale is calibrated in both imperial and metric measurements, and these callipers are normally battery operated.

Digital callipers are especially useful for measuring small dimensions and fractions of a millimetre, where a ruler and judgement by eye is not accurate enough.

Tool to Hold Odd-Shaped Parts

Pictured is another little tool to assist with holding very small parts. It is adjustable, and might be the only solution to gripping an odd-shaped workpiece whilst you work on it.

A very useful tool for holding small circular or odd-shaped objects that can be easily crushed in a vice, when working on them.

Taps and Dies

Taps and dies for cutting screw threads may occasionally be needed. However, often it might be better to buy a length of screwed rod, or to use a long bolt and cut it to size.