The bottle was the easy part and once the kids had consumed the contents, I took off the label and removed the sticky remnants of the glue with “Sticky Stuff Remover” (Lakeland) washed it out with warm soapy water swilled it out and let it dry.
Another bottle boat builder Walt Hollinger in the USA always has problems with stopping the bottle curling in when it has been cut – On Tubby I had solved this by using a small Swarfega Tub and decided to do the same with this build.
This has some immediate advantages
1. Its water proof ~ so I get a double hull
2. Having a screw lid it always goes back on to the same place
3. It gives a flat surface to bring the servos through (or build inside)
4. Room to hide other things ~ to be revealed later……
I created a paper template and trimmed it so as to allow the tub to pass through as a tight fit. (Remember that the bottle is curved so it’s not just a direct trace round the tub)
Then mark out and cut the hatch, checking that the tub could still get through.
You will notice that there is quite a gap between the bottom of the tub and the side of the bottle ~ this will form the area taken up by the keel assembly.
The keel is made from scrap ply that I get from the back of my greengrocer – it’s the Satsuma crates he throws out with his rubbish – bit of TLC and good as anything you can buy at the model shop – unless that is you need some real thin stuff. I’ve nicknamed it Satsuma-Ply.
Once the keel is shaped I glue a ply block either side of the keel and then make shallow “D” shape matching the curve of the bottle in some more ply to go either end of the keel blocks so as to form an “H” section. I then top off the “H” with more ply to make it very ridged.
At this point I would normally sand prime etc before fitting but on this occasion I have to start to reveal part of my secret weapon… I drill a 5mm hole down through the keel platform so as to exit below the hull at the trailing edge of the keel.
A 5mm aluminium tube is then inserted trimmed and glued flush to the trailing edge but proud of the top by about 12mm. This allows me to connect something later…
Now I prime and spray to finish.
More later
Rgds
AndyT