Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Model Boating => Topic started by: Paul2407 on March 18, 2017, 06:01:39 pm
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Can anyone help? on my ongoing repairs of my Smit Rotterdam/London I've found one of the rudders had worked loose from the brass shaft that attaches the full length of the rudder before fitting into the tab that comes off the kort nozzle what do people use to bond the wooden rudders to the brass shaft? do you just use an epoxy 2 part glue? or have you got something better that you recommend
tia
Paul
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I solder a brass tang to the shaft then attach the rudder ,laminate the wood either side of the tangs ,then shape .
David
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Thanks for the reply David yes that seems the best idea :-))
I think I'll remake some new rudders in the near future as these have seen better days but for now I've repaired the old one with epoxy glue it'll hold for a while yet, but I will make some full brass ones I think as they look nice
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Soldering a tang and adding wood sleeves is a good method. An alternative, if the diameter of the rudder shaft allows it, is to make the shaft out of brass tube and drill horizontal holes through it to allow thin brass rods to be soldered in to act as tangs. Use brass sheet for the rudder blade and cut thin slots part way across to accept the rods, then solder the blade to the tube (and rods) as described by David. This is a 'belt and braces' method which provides extra mechanical strength. You can also feed and glue brass rod into the lower and upper ends of the rudder shaft to strengthen it further.
Maybe a bit of overkill there but it is very easy to do.
Colin
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Soldering a tang and adding wood sleeves is a good method. An alternative, if the diameter of the rudder shaft allows it, is to make the shaft out of brass tube and drill horizontal holes through it to allow thin brass rods to be soldered in to act as tangs. Use brass sheet for the rudder blade and cut thin slots part way across to accept the rods, then solder the blade to the tube (and rods) as described by David. This is a 'belt and braces' method which provides extra mechanical strength. You can also feed and glue brass rod into the lower and upper ends of the rudder shaft to strengthen it further.
Maybe a bit of overkill there but it is very easy to do.
Colin
Thanks Colin some great advise there, I think I'll do the 2nd method as I like soldering and I love the brass on model boats
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I made the rudder on my Jim Wilder tug per the kit instructions. Glue the rudder shaft to the plywood rudder (they are the same thickness/diameter). Then wrap the assembly with light fiberglass cloth and epoxy. It has lasted 5 years so far. And I made the rudder 30% larger in area than called for, so there is more twisting moment on it.