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[swiftdoc]

Having nearly finished the Shannon class lifeboat build (hijacked Kim's/Canterbury Coxswain thread on this forum), I have started building the SS Falcon from a Deans Marine kit.
Last year we visited Kim and Alan/17-09 in the UK. When I had told Alan about my new project, he told me that you can still see the wreck of the real Falcon ship nowadays at low tide from the top of the cliffs near Dover. Alan drove us near the place and I was able to take some photos. So this build log starts quite unusual with a photo of a wreck.
The quality of the hull is excellent, showing lots of details moulded in, such as plating and portholes for example.

[swiftdoc]

I have mounted a Bühler brushed motor and the test at our club pond showed that it would need a 3S LiPo instead of the first installed 2S one. The motor is a slow runner so that she will not be too fast for a classic cargo ship. It was good to experience that she nearly can turn on the spot, probably due to the quite big rudder. When I returned home, I was very happy, knowing that the running gear is okay and now the work on the details can begin.
The template you can see instead of the coupling was turned on my lathe in order to achieve a good alignment.

[Capt Podge]

This looks quite interesting so I'll just tag along and see how she develops - and thank you for sharing 


Cheers,


Ray.

[Backerther]

Arno,
I am so much surprised to know that you have already made such a great progress as to have had reached the test sailing on the water.!!!   Since I have been thinking that you had been so busy with adjusting the sailing performance of the Shannon...
Anyhow, it's so good to know that your project is going well enough and I do look forward to the project with a great interest.!!!!


Kiyo

[swiftdoc]

Thank you Ray and Kiyo for your nice comments.


Kiyo, the Shannon build is on hold, the only thing left to be done is the painting of the deck which has been postponed until the weather permits spraying with an open door of my workshop. The Falcon build was started about last Christmas…..


The coupling is a Misumi one, Japanese brand, inspired by one of Kiyos build logs….


Rudder servo linkage was bought from Conrad, using a 2 mm threaded rod.


The skeg that comes with the kit was replaced by a brass profile as it is more rigid than the white metal.

[Backerther]

Your craftsmanship does look always good, firm and rigid, doesn't it..!!
I suppose this sort of craftsmanship must be indispensable for building a RC power boat if actually to sail on the water.

[swiftdoc]

I have just finished the funnel, a nice item which will be very prominent on the deck.

[swiftdoc]

Ron Dean sent me some of the latest developments for his kits, 3D printed parts! I was really impressed when I received them, they are truly amazing! Apart from the details they can provide, they have the advantage of having less weight than the former resin and white metal ones. You can put more ballast in the hull instead which keeps the centre of gravity low.
On the other hand at scale 1/96th we seam to get to a point where some parts are so fragile and delicate that you have to be very cautious when cutting them from their supports without doing any damage.
The first batch shows some parts and in a second one I will post some photos of the tools used to prepare them.
A big thank you to Dean's Marine from my side for improving the kits considerably!!!!
And look at the steerable vent at the last photo, isn't that amazing?!

[swiftdoc]

Here comes the second batch of photos with some of the tools I used.
The more rigid parts can be cut with a fine razor saw (my one was a gift from Kim, which I am making good use of). The remaining supports the can be cut off with my Knipex cutter. For the more delicate parts I chose my Foredom pendant drill with a carbon fibre cutting disk. Any remaining traces of the supports can be sanded with 800 sanding pads.

[Backerther]

Oh,! Arno....
You seem to have started your best work to make the parts in detail at last, don't you,?? Arno !!
In this sense, I'm soooo much interested in your hobby/building tools that may have contributed partly or greatly to your awesome craftsmanship and its consequent workmanship like your Shannon. 

Keep up the building work and its posts as well on here..!!!!

Kiyo

[swiftdoc]

Before getting back to those wonderful 3D printed parts I did some traditional modelling. I hollowed out the fog horn using my Busch burrs (made in Germany, available from Cooksongold in the UK). They are good quality tools and very sharp. I use them in the handpiece of my Foredom pendant drill with the flexible shaft. The pipe of the horn was made from 0.5mm brass rod.
As I could not find any working navigation lights at that small scale, I decided to make my own. I started with 8mm Perspex (in Germany: Acrylglas) and drilled a 1.5 mm hole into it with my lathe. Then I machined the part down to an outer diameter of 2.5 mm and polished it with Tamiya polish. The lamps will accept 1 mm SMD LEDs later. The caps were made on my lathe as well, using aluminium machined to a diameter of 2.7 mm. For the boards I used 0.3 mm Tamiya pla-paper.
The awning rails were made from 1 mm brass rod, soldered in four sections. Those sections were fixed together by horizontal parts with epoxy glue.

[Canterbury Coxswain]

Arno, as usual another superb build eminating from the 'Schnell boathouse'! Glad to see the little hand saw has come in handy for this vessel's parts and like you I really value my Foredom pendant drill that you recommended I buy [being used on my figure busts and not boats these days].
Keep up the good work, I am just about to 'wing off' another email to you with all the latest news from Canterbury and it's surrounds!
I shall continue to watch this build with interest.
Regards,
Kim [Canterbury Coxswain]

[Backerther]

Awesome works,  Arno.!!
You have just begun to show your best detailing technique in terms of its precision and neatness, haven't you ?!


Kiyo

[swiftdoc]

I have painted the funnel (one coat of Tamiya fine primer, two coats of Tamiya TS 63 NATO black).


The cranes were made as a serial production  , using the white metal parts that come with the kit. With a little bit of patience they turn out fine as well.


The photo etched portholes were bought from Modellbau-Kaufhaus in Germany. They will be filled with clear epoxy after the paint job.

[swiftdoc]

I now have finished the navigation lights. I used Deluxe Glue 'n Glaze for fixing the lights to the boxes. The SMD LEDs are the smallest I could find, they measure only 1 mm. Resistors will be used to dim the lights as they surely were not very bright in those days of the SS Falcon....

[Backerther]

Arno,
All the parts you made looked very well and so realistic.!!
Especially cranes are superb enough, but this kind of high-level craftsmanship is not unusual in your model making...
Painting work is also decent and neat even at a very tiny part.!!
You may have had better not sail her on the water due to its nice craftsmanship, and better keep her for appreciation only.
Kiyo

[swiftdoc]

The bulwark supports have been added and everything is prepared for a first layer of etch primer. I have to wait though as we have a very strong and cold wind from the East, blowing directly into the workshop when I leave the door open which is a must when spraying....


@Kiyo: thanks for your nice comment, much appreciated; she will be sailed on the water definitely, that is what I am building her for!