Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[ean25]

I recently moved to Guildford which has a dedicated (if small) model boat lake.  I since remembered that my grandfather once built a model boat and I would like to restore it for radio control use.
 
The boat is a model of a 1920s/30s rescue launch, handmade of wood and about two feet long.  It contains a single prop shaft and rudder.  In the days before affordable radio control gear, my grandfather powered this via a windscreen wiper motor connected to alkaline batteries, and simply 'set' the rudder so the boat would run in a large circle until the batteries ran out or the boat was retrieved and the motor switched off.
 
The original motor and batteries have long since been removed but the rest of the craft is in excellent condition.  I would like to equip it with a new motor, batteries and radio control gear (including steering).  I am looking for advice on how to go about this, and what might be a realistic budget to work with.  I don't think the boat will get regular use and I'm not looking for something to race, or of 'enthusiast' grade - just enough to get it up and running, and not gathering dust in the loft!  There's a lot of room inside the hull, so I could probably be quite flexible with the fitting arrangements.
 
All advice and comments appreciated!

[chingdevil]

Hi Ean

Welcome to the madhouse, sorry make that forum.

Post a couple of pictures of the model you have on the forum, then other members will know what model you are talking about and be able to give good advice.


Brian

[ean25]

I don't think the boat is a known model - my grandfather built it himself.  It's currently at my parents' house in Oxford but I'll ask my father to take a few pictures.  In the mean time, any more general advice (places to shop for parts, etc) would be appreciated.   Thanks!

[chingdevil]

Hi Ean

This link is to atraders directory on Mayhem http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/links/traders.htm There is ACtion for you electronic needs, they have an advert on the forum home page, Dave is a really helpfull guy mention Mayhem and you get a discount. Also this guy does some serious motors http://marksmodelbits.com/ I have not tried them yet but Stavros has.

These are just a few ideas to get you going.

Brian

[ean25]

My father has just emailed through some photos of the boat - it's called Vashti - length: 81cm (31.8 inches); beam: 23cm (9 inches).

There will have to be a separate servo for steering, located at the rear of the well. In the picture of the steering gear, I have removed the seating which normally obscures it.

Inside the cabin, you can see the cradle on which my grandfather mounted an engine.

The door to the cabin closes on a pressure switch which my grandfather had connected to the engine as the start mechanism.  (Sadly, one time when the boat was put away, the door was closed, and since the propeller couldn't rotate, the electric motor burned out.  There are white traces inside the cabin which look to me like gunk from the dead battery.)

The aerial on the roof is connected through to the inside of the roof so that it can be wired up to be a real aerial.  I assume I'll need:

- electric motor with some kind of mount and couplings
- battery pack
- speed controller
- radio controller and servo

I'd be grateful for your opinions on things like what size of motor and battery pack to buy, etc.

Thanks!

[Tom@Crewe]

This is only my personal opinion.

I would not add anything to the boat (glue anything to it, drill new hole or screw into it)

Where the motor was mounted fit a new ply mounting plate using the old screws I see in the bottom of the hull and the existing holes in the motor mount, then fit all the new modern radio gear and motor to that, also keep the original rudder arm linked to the new servo.

It maybe a little harder to plan and fit the gear this way but if you every want to strip the gear out the boat stays as is and not full of new holes and glue marks.

[Circlip]

WoW, ean25, my old Dad will be bouncing in his coffin trying to get out. What you have there Sunbeam is only the second one I've EVER seen, the first one was in about 1955 and was our indoctrination into toy boats. Ours was glued together initially with "Croid" (It re-kitted itself) and then with "Cascamite". The coupling between the 2.46 "Racer" and the shaft was one of the original floppies, a piece of thick walled PVC tube which proceeded to snap the propshaft. This was replaced with a "Rip-Max" universal coupling (Chrome plated steel) another first and the shaft changed to Stainless. A commercial three bladed brass prop of built up construction sat on the go end and was fine tuned (The prop) with a pair of pliers from reasonably quick to WHOOOSH. It free ran in a d*mn great arc on the local park lake as RC was limited to the "Affluent" and the best combo at the time was the "Hill" hard valve receiver and a Tri-ang transmitter.

  If you go across to the Model Boat site, someone over there will be exstatic to see a picky. If you can locate the original plan and instructions that came with the kit, I'd love a scan.

  OH yes, before I forget, it'a an Adamcraft Seaplane Tender  Deans have done it since but yours is the ORIGINAL. Can't remember seeing an ad for it either.

   Best regards, thanks for a real blast from the past,  Ian.   

[Circlip]

Adding another post rather than disrupt my last one, Despite what Tom has said, Essentialites I WOULD change (Bear with me Tom) are the INTERNAL propshaft support, the SKEG, and check the propshaft tube. I Qualify the first two cos they were/are zinc diecastings  and if you can either copy or get them copied in Brass it could save it's bum being ripped out, and the prop tube may benefit from a replacement.  (Don't think there's enough room to re-bush it).

  Regards   Ian.

[ean25]

Many thanks Tom@Crewe and Circlip!

Tom@Crewe, I shall probably do as you suggest.  The old electric motor would have been a lot bigger than the new ones, so the mounting would have to be different anyway.

Circlip, glad you liked it!  I've posted the pictures to the model boat forum as you suggested.  I don't think we have the plans or instructions any more.

I'm afraid I'm a bit lost concerning SKEGs and propshaft supports - could you point these out on to me on my photos?  Having parts made up in brass sounds expensive - where would I go for this?

Thanks again for you advice.

[Circlip]

We'll turn you into a boaty yet, OK, the Skeg is the bit underneath that is supporting the prop shaft, and the internal propshaft support is the orrible grey bit fastened to the Bulkhead? inside just below the door. They may have survived the years, but cos the base metal is subject to rotting (Same stuff as car door handles used to be made of) if you try to re-bush these aswell you might end up with a handfull of dust. I'm sure some kindly person with machining facilities would help out.

   Regards  Ian.