Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: sabre on September 17, 2020, 11:19:17 am
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For my sins I decided to have a go at scratch building and build a Waverley. Width across the paddle boxes is almost 12" and I bought an MFA 919d geared motor 50:1 but nothing else so wondering what's the best way to transfer all that glorious rpm to the paddle wheels. I have yet to build the paddle wheels but intend using plastic sheet and mounting on a solid one piece shaft between the two wheels. That is where I have the problem.
What is the best / easiest way to connect paddle wheels to motor and where to get the components necessary.
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Personally I would opt for a belt drive, toothed would be best but a couple of V pulleys with an O ring would do it.
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It usually boils down to 3 options, pulley, toothed belt and gears. I've used double pulleys but would only recommend then for small low powered drives. The toothed belt and wheels work very well and are reliable, but cost more. We'll worth it in my opinion for the reliability.
The only proviso for belt or pulley drives is that the paddle shaft can be removed occasionally for changing the belt, that's a sensible thing to plan into the design anyway.
Gears are sometimes used, a friend of mine uses them in a Waverley. They can considered a bit loud by some people, but I find that when the superstructure is on and the model under way, it's not a problem.
Belt drives can be bought from MFA como drills and they have a pdf with the range to look through. Gears I'm not sure where to look, but an internet search will turn something up, or another reader will know somewhere.
Chas
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Motionco (https://www.motionco.co.uk/pulleys-belts-c-25.html)do a wide range of gears, pulleys, belts, bearings and so on of a size that suits models.
Greg
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It was 10 years ago that I built my paddle Tug and I used Timing Belts and Pulleys from Motionco. Excellent results.
John
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Sabre,
Might be worth reading "Pulley Power" in the "Tutorial...." section of "Technical, Techniques..." part of this Forum?
Glynn Guest
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When I built my paddle tug, more years ago than I care to calculate I used a single drive shaft, split in the middle with a straight coupling so the shafts could be removed from the inside, driven by a single Decaperm motor using meccano gears and chain. It was what was available at the time and it still works well. The motor on 6V is capable of moving the model, a Director class paddle tug, at more than scale speed and I find no need for independant paddle drive as the turning circle using the rudder is more than acceptable.
Mike