Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5   Go Down

Author Topic: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale  (Read 28000 times)

ZZ56

  • Guest
G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« on: May 10, 2009, 06:25:18 am »

Hello Mayhem.

I would like to start this topic with a big thanks to Bluebird, DickyD, Boatmadman and all the others who posted their builds in this section and the Masterclass section.  In particular, Bluebird's Cervia step-by-step is what gave me the courage to try this project.   This is my first boat build, and my first plank on frame hull, so i have much to learn





the spring clamp i used for the ends was a bit too strong!


All the gaps will be filled with e\poxy prior to a filler coat, sanding, and the inevitable fiberglass/resin part, but first, planking!  I will try to keep this updated as i go, but progress is... leisurly right now, until the weather allows me to get out the planer and buzz some cedar stock down to size.

Questions/comments/advice most welcome, especially the last part.
Logged

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2009, 06:33:04 am »

For a first first build, you are doing a terrific job of it. I particularly like the way you have done the area around the prop, that always difficult to do - well done.

I would suggest you cut out a small corner section on each frame where it meets the keel just so that if you did get any water in her, it doesnt get locked behind each frame - make it easier to get it out again.

Just a little thing, but its best to remove the bar code! From experience I have found that leaving it on too long makes it really hard to remove and then it leaves a sticky residue behind.

Dont worry about the dent - filler will take that out.

Well done and keep the pics coming.

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2009, 06:47:40 am »

Thanks Boatmadman! 

The barcode is actually printed onto the stock... i can't remove it, even with sanding.  I will go in and try to put drainage notches or holes in the frames. 


I forgot to mention, the centre section, having a constant cross-section bow to stern, will be a U-shaped hardwood box that will free flood.  That should make it easier
Logged

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2009, 08:19:57 am »

Good idea for the centre section, just make sure you fit plenty of baffles lengthwise as well as crosswise to minimise the free surface effect - see what I did on Blue Marlin build.

I wouldnt open the whole centre section to free flooding - it might be too much. I would consider having free flood tanks either side of the keel to keep the weight towards the centre, and leave sections at the sides as buoyancy, this will also significantly assist with stability. Again, my thread on the Blue Marlin shows the difficulties that can arise with weight v stability v buoyancy.

Its probably better to have free flood provide something like 75 - 80% of required ballast, then you can trim off with lead. Also, you need to consider the weight of the rest of the build materials, hardware and batteries etc before deciding on your free flood quantities.

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2009, 09:10:11 am »

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be sure to post some sketches soon, make sure i get feedback from those more experienced.

I might as well ask here:  how does one put a bow thruster in a planked hull?  I see you put one in on your Marlin, did you add it after the hull was fiberglassed?
Logged

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2009, 09:52:06 am »

I cut the holes for the thruster before glassing, this allowed resin to get to the cut edges of the planks, then fitted the thruster later, sealing it externally with car body filler and internally with epoxy.

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

ronkh

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2009, 10:02:59 am »

I look forward to more pictures of your build. Very nice so far :-))

Ron.
Logged

oldiron

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,326
  • Location: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2009, 11:44:45 am »

Nice looking build, well done! I haven't seen many lakers built. Are you going to make the three sections separable for ease of transport?
I like your idea of the flooded center section. A friend of mine built a barge with the flooded technique. It works very well. A portion of the underside of the barge is left open. The top of the open portion has a layer of blue Styrofoam to create a buoyancy level. The bottom of the compartment is open to the water. When the barge is lifted from the water, the water drains freely from the barge significantly reducing the weight. The vessel won't go any lower than the layer of blue Styrofoam. The whole barge comes out quite stable and handles easily. The barge, in this case is 8 feet long. I can post a drawing of the concept if you're interested. Meanwhile the attached photo shows the barge in action.

John
Logged

Ghost in the shell

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,704
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2009, 01:04:17 pm »

that dent, dont worry about it, especially as its below the waterline and wont be noticable, and after all, it is a working boat so would be covered in dents from where tugs have thumped it.

Even My Nord Icelandia isn't perfect, this is her just after initial painting, notce the dent on the hull where a frame is.  I could have filled it in, but instead chose to leave it, and it, along with the weatherig dont look too bad.

looking good though :)  :-))
Logged
Go Nuclear!  you'll love it

cadman17_36

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2009, 05:06:54 am »

Hi your laker is looking good so far here is a web site that can give u alot of info on building lakers
http://www.greatlakesmodeling.com/
the web maters does a step by step of the ones he owns he did his in 1/78 scale which makes then about 12 feet long
keep up the good work and post some more pics soon

Logged

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2009, 07:40:59 am »

Hello again,

I was going to take some photos today but i can't seem to find the tripod.  On the bright side, the rest of the planking was ordered and will be here soon.  The cedar will not plane down to a sixteenth without splintering all over the place, doensn't plane very well when placed on the hull and is too thick as-is to bend to the complex curves im starting to get into.  I can use it for much of the simple bow section but i decided to do the job right and ask a family member away on vacation to pick up some basswood for me.

I do have some sketches to show.  The first is the center section idea, as suggested by Boatmadman and Oldiron (the hull will be permanently bolted together, btw, saves me having to worry about wear and tear on the joints, but also means i have to save weight)

I was thinking by shrinking the size of the hold, as suggested, i could run electrical bits in the dry portions and put in foam for extra buoyancy.

The other main problem i came across was making a rudder that could be taken out of the way to access the prop.  I want to permanently screw the brass bottom bracket in place, so i thought of turning down part of a 3/16 brass rod to fit into square stock which would itself slide through the circular rudder tube, then sliding that into the next largest size square stock.  The larger stock would form part of the rudder itself and have a 'nub' on the bottom that fit into a socket

This way, the whole assembly locks together with no slipping, the rudder shaft can be lifted out easily and the rudder will fall to the side.  I don't think it would come out under any conditions on the water because that would require the entire shaft to move over three inches straight up.

Thanks for all the feedback and kind comments, and i promise to find the tripod ASAP.  More planking was done, i tested out some putties and i made the basic forward superstructure in the meantime.
Logged

nhp651

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2009, 07:47:37 am »

just playing devils advocate here,
but would the foam not retain water content making it both heavy and prone to rotting the timber from the inside??? <:(
Logged

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2009, 07:53:47 am »

The foam part wouldn't get wet.... i hope.  The center section would be the only part that flooded.

The foam is more of an insurance policy, should the bolts, glue and fiberglass fail and the middle portion separate from either bow or stern.  Absolute worst-case scenario, but if it did happen, i'd rather not have it drag down the part it's attached to. 

Forgot to mention, my poor tablet skills aside, the walls of the flood chamber would be plywood, epoxied.  the foam would fit between the outer hull and the inner walls in a dry space.
Logged

oldiron

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,326
  • Location: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2009, 08:39:44 am »

just playing devils advocate here,
but would the foam not retain water content making it both heavy and prone to rotting the timber from the inside??? <:(

  No, the pink and blue foam is too dense to absorb water to any significant degree. I've used it myself and the amount of water absorption is negligible.

John
Logged

oldiron

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,326
  • Location: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2009, 08:44:35 am »

ZZ56, where abouts in Ontario are you located?

John
Logged

dreadnought72

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,892
  • Wood butcher with ten thumbs
  • Location: Airdrie, Scotland
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2009, 09:35:21 am »

Really nice - I love the "hull on the carpet" stage of boat building!  :-))

Andy
Logged
Enjoying every minute sailing W9465 Mertensia

Ghost in the shell

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,704
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2009, 01:51:30 pm »

if it really worries you, a layer of styrene can be put in as a water barrier, very much like a DPC on a house
Logged
Go Nuclear!  you'll love it

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2009, 05:39:58 pm »

I would strongly recommend running your electrical cables in a length of plastic conduit and use connectors at each end to enable strip down. This way you can seal the two ends of the conduit with silicone sealant and be sure that it is watertight.

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #18 on: May 21, 2009, 10:36:24 pm »

ZZ56, where abouts in Ontario are you located?

John

Sudbury, now.  Was in Toronto for college.

Found the tripod again. 

cut out a hatch to do work inside when it's all planked.  will make the hole in the deck fit the rear superstructure.

Made the basic shapes of the pilothouse.  It's self-designed but i want it to look right and be to scale, so there was a lot of staring at photos before i put these together


Logged

ZZ56

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #19 on: May 22, 2009, 02:37:39 am »

I would strongly recommend running your electrical cables in a length of plastic conduit and use connectors at each end to enable strip down. This way you can seal the two ends of the conduit with silicone sealant and be sure that it is watertight.

Ian

I will do just that, then.  I have a large piece of copper pipe from when my dad got the water tank replaced, woudl that work too?
Logged

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #20 on: May 22, 2009, 08:10:16 am »

That will do the job just as well, Forgot to say, add a couple of spare lengths of cable when you make it up - you never know! Its better looking at them that for them!

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

oldiron

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,326
  • Location: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #21 on: May 22, 2009, 01:57:40 pm »

  With regard to the picture of the barge and my suggestion on using Styrofoam as a flotation assistance, I've put together a sketch of how that barge is constructed inside. It appears you've put the Styrofoam vertically inside your water space. I'm wondering if that may not give you too much flotation. The barge is constructed so the Styrofoam is horizontal below the upper deck of the barge. This is the limit the barge will settle in the water. The flotation level is consistent and stable. No pumps are required to put water into the compartments or remove it. Gravity looks after everything. Indeed, there is only one large water compartment below the deck. The wood areas are coated in fiberglass resin to seal against water intrusion.

John
Logged

boatmadman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,703
  • Location: South Cumbria
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #22 on: May 22, 2009, 02:00:30 pm »

Further to my comments about a cable conduit, if you can hide it ok, it would be better if you could run it on or just under the main deck. This would remove the need to penetrate the watertight bulkheads below the waterline and the resulting sealing issues.

Ian
Logged
if at first you dont succeed.....have a beer.....

dreadnought72

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,892
  • Wood butcher with ten thumbs
  • Location: Airdrie, Scotland
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #23 on: May 22, 2009, 02:42:47 pm »

 :-))  :-))  :-)) Your hull planking. Very neat job.

Incidentally, why run anything electrical along the hull? Wouldn't all the R/C & power gubbins be ok in the aft section?

Andy
Logged
Enjoying every minute sailing W9465 Mertensia

andygh

  • Guest
Re: G.J. Valiquette - Great Lakes bulker- 1/96 scale
« Reply #24 on: May 22, 2009, 07:58:56 pm »

Quote
Its better looking at them than for them!

Haven't heard that one for a good few years, still holds true though  :-))
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.119 seconds with 22 queries.