Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: doorframe on October 23, 2010, 02:28:40 am

Title: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: doorframe on October 23, 2010, 02:28:40 am
Hello everybody in Mayhem Land. I'm a 45 yr old 'big kid' living in Essex England. To say that I'm excited to find this forum really doesn't come close!
I've had the RC bug (cars) since I was a 'little kid', but 'shop-bought' never seemed to hit the spot. I went from dismantling and modifying (read... breaking and destroying) to full ground-up ressurections and transformations. My greatest achievment was transforming an old Tamiya Holiday Buggy that was smashed beyond recognition into an indestuctable 57 Chevy Monster Truck. It's still in the cupboard today... though no longer complete. Having one son (who was as mad as me) gave me the perfect excuse to carry on with the bug through later years.
BUT....... I NEVER HAD A BOAT!! I always wanted one. That is, always wanted to build one! The closest I got was when my father-in-law started making one from a weekly mag. He'd already made 2 planes, and believe it or not had also made the engines... a single and a twin. He was a retired precision toolmaker from Lucas Engineering in Finchley, London, a genuine craftsman, and made them during his last  few weeks before redundancy. The plan was to RC the boat on it's completion, but he passed away before that time. His son now has the boat, and the aircraft, but my wife made sure she got the engines. That was 7 years ago.
Anyway, my son's now off to University and is far to intrested in computers (and Ladies!)(and pubs!!!), so the time has come for me to build my boat. I had the intention of building a Tug from scratch, but soon realised that was over my head. I have knocked-up a thin-ply hull with twin props but the airodynamics?? are way off. It's all too square and very amaturish. I obviously need to work from some basic beginners plans. The Swordsman looks like the ideal place to start. And that's how I found this site. I was about to buy the plans from EBAY untill I realised that was somebody illegally ripping off the original. I'd much rather buy from the genuine owner, who it appears is a Mayhemer, so a PM will be on it's way soon :-))

Hope you're still awake after reading all that,

Thanks

Roy
 
Title: Re: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: tigertiger on October 23, 2010, 03:02:24 am
Hi Roy,

Welcome aboard  :-))
Title: Re: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: Dreadstar on October 23, 2010, 06:45:37 am
Welcome Roy,you'll not be short of ideas as to which boat to build once you've had a look around the build topics on here. Like you,I'm still very much a beginner to boat building,coming as you have from racing R/C cars,which I still do actually(just Mardave's now). ok2
 May i suggest starting on some easy build plans to begin with,to get your confidence up,before embarking on the more complicated designs. I look forward to seeing photo's of your builds in the future. :-))

David
Title: Re: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: Arrow5 on October 23, 2010, 09:47:42 am
Welcome, try a Springer :-))
Title: Re: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: Lord Bungle on October 23, 2010, 05:43:09 pm
Hello Roy, I am a newbee to r/c boats as well, I have just picked up a copy of Marine Modelling international Plans & Construction Special from WHSmiths, This has a couple of plans in it 1 very simple and the other a bit harder. I also has loads of walk throughs of building some of the kits out there, I am finding it a very useful read, and you may get some nice ideas from it as well  :-)
Title: Re: Hi All. Newbie's 1st post. May I introduce myself.
Post by: doorframe on October 24, 2010, 11:24:14 pm
Hi again. Thanks for the welcomes and the advise.

Here are my Father-in Law's engines I told you about. The rocker cover's been removed at this end to show the tappets. Can anyone I.D. the exhausts?
(http://s4.postimage.org/9YLNS.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/k8e1zfs4/)
The wife says..."NO! YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE FOR A B**##Y BOAT!!"


And here's the hull I knocked up about 20 yrs ago using the back panel of a wardrobe I was dumping for my Mum.

(http://s4.postimage.org/9_N09.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/kaqee4ys/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/9_Pvi.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/kas1xhgk/)

(http://s4.postimage.org/9_R_r.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/katpgtyc/)

I's about 26" long and 11" across the top. If anyone thinks it may hold half an ounce of water-cred I'll make it my 1st project. I don't think I'll be able to find the props or shafts that used to be in the tubes?? but I should be able to source some alternatives.

When you've stopped laughing I'd appreciate some critisism.

Cheers

ROY