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[zooma]

I called by the Southport Club lake on the way back to the van from the Lydiate Classic Car Show........as I just happened to have Rapier1 in the boot of my car!   


As I was "running-out" my LiPo battery I was aware of another car pulling up in the otherwise deserted club car park and was surprised to see two Club 500 boats being unloaded..........and they were both ORANGE!  One with a white hull and one with a grey hull.


The owner of these two Club 500 boats was Rob who had travelled from Leeds to give these two boats a run with his son, and he introduced himself after he had recognised Rapier1 from the Mayhem restoration blog 


It was really nice to see a pair of Club 500 boats being run together on the club lake (the first time I had seen this) and I was quite impressed by their speed as well, and I recognised their "nose bobbing" action when they were being run flat out as I had seen this on all the other Club 500 boats I had seen on various online videos.


We had a nice chat about the boats and commented on the plastic "age cracking" on the boats as they got older.  I was unaware of this problem, but as inexpensive boats it was not seen as a big problem, but I did wonder of this could be influenced by the choice of adhesive?


As a matter of interest, one of the two boats was 7 years old and had the internal components fixed with epoxy and both boats had the deck fixed to the hull with sealer adhesive of different types.  The cracking that I noticed (only a brief glance) was not where the plastic had been glued, and so it would appear to be caused by ageing (or stress?) of the plastic and had not been influenced by the adhesive choice.


Would any other Club 500 owners like to comment on any of their boats that have cracks in them that may have just appeared from ageing and not collision or impact damage ?

[Circlip]

Plastics age. Some of the garbage stated about accelerated testing is just that. Remember VIP? (Victory Industries Products). How many of their boat and car moldings distorted badly over time. It's  surprising how few 'Good' versions of the ubiquitous Crash Tenders have survived bart twists. The digital buzzword is "Stress Corrosion", a term used to explain unplanned material failure. 


  Regards  Ian.

[zooma]

Plastics age. Some of the garbage stated about accelerated testing is just that. Remember VIP? (Victory Industries Products). How many of their boat and car moldings distorted badly over time. It's  surprising how few 'Good' versions of the ubiquitous Crash Tenders have survived bart twists. The digital buzzword is "Stress Corrosion", a term used to explain unplanned material failure. 


  Regards  Ian.

"Stress Corrosion" - that is a new one on me - but it sounds a bit snazzier than "age related plastic embrittlement" which is what I remember it being called previously.


No doubt some types of adhesive could cause this age related embrittlement to accelerate (as could some paints) but from what I could see the cracks on the two hulls that I was shown were not in areas that have been glued (or painted) so the integrity of the plastic had purely failed with age and/or use.

[Circlip]

Yep Zooma, and when the term was bandied about, I got a strong whiff of Bovine Excreta. Problem is, virtually all plastic materials will have an age related stress related relaxation. In injection molding the material swirls into the mold and is then artificially cooled to ease ejection which then, depending on the manufacturers 'Cost' cycle determines how soon distortion occurs. Compare early Airfix to Tamiya Kits? With Vac-forming the materials get a double bang, first in the manufacture of the base material and secondly in the forming process heating ,sucking and then cooling on the former.
 Don't forget, wooden model are also subject to distortion.


  Regards  Ian.

[zooma]

Yep Zooma, and when the term was bandied about, I got a strong whiff of Bovine Excreta. 

 Don't forget, wooden model are also subject to distortion.

 Regards  Ian.

Hi Ian,

I think my wooden models have distortion “built-in”. 


Bob.

[Martin (Admin)]

Every time I need something out of this stupid box, I forget there's an alarm in here!   https://youtu.be/oUMvl5I4W2g

[Martin (Admin)]

 
More glue testing..... 

[zooma]

What else have you found to glue?   

[Martin (Admin)]

What else have you found to glue?   

Nearly up to hull / deck joint    and I don't have enough of the glue I want to use ....

[Martin (Admin)]

Also, I need to cut out the deck opening & hatch cover.... any advice please .... ?
 In needs rounded corners ....

[TheLongBuild]

Sharp steel dart, that's what I used.

[Andyn]

Scalpel and patience 

[ChrisF]

For round corners you can start off with a drill and then enlarge using one of those conical drills, do carefully by hand. For the straight runs, as others have said a good sharp knife, probably something hefty like a Stanley.


For the corners you could practice in the middle of the piece to be discarded.

[Martin (Admin)]

For round corners you can start off with a drill and then enlarge using one of those conical drills, do carefully by hand. For the straight runs, as others have said a good sharp knife, probably something hefty like a Stanley.

For the corners you could practice in the middle of the piece to be discarded.

Excellent!   

[TheLongBuild]

Use the drill to create the hole and then a steel dart to slowly score out the rest, you will get a much better line in my opinion.. That is how I cut out all the bits on mine.

[Bunkerbarge]

It was just a Stanley knife and steel rule for me.  Make sure you add support strips to the lower face of the deck to support the hatch and to strengthen the corners.  I used Polystyrene cement and scrap bits of trimmings.  The handle is a plastic screw from a vehicle number plate fitting kit.  After the switch got wet a couple of times it went back inside and the hole was blanked off.  Before a race the hatch is sealed off with electrical insulation tape around all four sides.

[Martin (Admin)]

That actually went better than expected !

https://youtu.be/XZ0lQtWOEWM

[Martin (Admin)]

Changed the plugs on the batteries .... Doh!

[Martin (Admin)]

Is this configuration legal?

[ChrisF]

I dont think so if racing using Club 500 rules that call for one 7.4v NiMH battery pack.


These boats do tend to porpoise and moving the battery tray forward can help. Don't know about two batteries in the bow though!

If you want to spend a bit of money get yourself some heat shrink and a small electric heat gun. I've got a Proxxon and it makes the job easy and neat.

Chris

[Martin (Admin)]

I dont think so if racing using Club 500 rules that call for one 7.4v NiMH battery pack.
These boats do tend to porpoise and moving the battery tray forward can help. Don't know about two batteries in the bow though!
If you want to spend a bit of money get yourself some heat shrink and a small electric heat gun. I've got a Proxxon and it makes the job easy and neat.
Chris

1. Just joking Chris!   

2. I forgot the heatshrink, three times .... in a row! 
  Hot glue will do for now. 
 
 

[Martin (Admin)]

Anyway ..... I think I'm ready for the deck join.... See anything I've forgotten?

[ChrisF]

I assume the servo is just to catch me out again!   

Glad that cutting out the cover went well.

Chris

[Circlip]

Three thirteen amp plugged appliances for empty sockets?   


  Regards  Ian.

[Big Ada]

Anyway ..... I think I'm ready for the deck join.... See anything I've forgotten?

Some protection around the Pointy end to stop you poking holes in competitors Boats, assuming you won't be at the front.