Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: Townsend Thoresen Free Enterprise V / P&O Pride of Hythe - development of a kit.  (Read 280103 times)

derekwarner

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Thanks for that FctM........I have followed Carls build from day 1, however missed the link :embarrassed:

'But it does exist' .........  http://www.linkspanmodels.co.uk

Derek
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grendel

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if you have ever watched the dover ferries start up after just a 20 minute stop, and the clouds of black smoke that erupt from the funnel, it would not surprise you.
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carlmt

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A bit of colour now added to the ferry  :-))
 

 

 

 

 
Just the deck fittings, davits & boats and railings left to fit, and she will be finished!!!  %%

ballastanksian

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She's a credit to you Carl, and to your product evaluation manager.

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Ferry cross the Mersey

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She looks stunning Carl  :-))  She's come one hell of a long way, but wow, she's been worth the wait  ok2  Congratulations again.


Thanks Antony
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Nothing right now. Waiting for the right project. Come on Carl. FEV on the horizon!!

hama

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Wow!! Looking great!
Hama
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carlmt

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Cheers folks!!  :-))
 
Spent the weekend setting up our new laser cutter/engraver.  Different thicknesses of styrene require different speeds and powers applying to them to get a good cut without completely distorting or obliterating the styrene sheet!  A 5 minute job it isn't........
 
This is the machine:
 

 
And here is a test sheet of 1mm thick that was run off today:
 

 
Sufficient HIPS (styrene sheet) has been ordered for the first 5 kits and we expect these to arrive this week.  All the etched brass has arrived, as have the propshafts.  The hulls are in manufacture and the 3D fittings will be ordered this week and the new website is nearly finished.
 
The prototype 'Pride of Hythe' will be on display on the KMBC stand at the forthcoming Warwick show and we will also be having a stand at the Mobile Marine Models 'Christmas Cracker' show on the 28th November.
 
Finally for now, when I was still at school it was always my dream to join the merchant navy as a deck officer but unfortunately the recession in 1979/80 put paid to my sponsorship from BP so it wasn't to be.  However, seeing as we are now looking to have our own ferry fleet, I thought it time I was suitably attired when skippering the boat across the pond so I managed to source this:
 

 
I know it needs a bit more scrambled egg for it to be a skippers hat, but it is a genuine TTF titfer nonetheless!!!!
Pip pip!!!
Carl  :-))

ballastanksian

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Good for you Carl, you have to have the right hat for the job:O)

Is the other laser cutter being kept for experimental work and evaluation etc?
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carlmt

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We only have the one laser machine - this one!
 
In the past, we have had to use the services of an outside bureaux but it was taking a long time to get parts back and the quality was getting 'questionable', so we decided that if we wanted to take this seriously then we needed to invest in a machine of our own.
 
Not cheap by any means, but if it means we can prototype more quickly and have control over the quality of the kit parts then it will be worth it in the long run.
 
As far as I know, there are only ourselves and Deans Marine who will be/ are offering kits with lasered parts.  The use of a laser to cut the shape of the parts does not necessarily remove the need for the modeller to 'fettle' the parts once removed from the carrier frame, it just means that there should be an increased degree of accuracy over parts that are either printed or die-stamped onto styrene.  The modeller will still need to tidy the edges of the lasered parts in the same manner as if they had cut them out with a modelling knife.  The lasering leaves as slightly raised edge which needs removing.

ballastanksian

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Sorry, I thought you had one before but it must have been something else! Given that you provide square/accurate parts to begin with, the fettling should be much easier and less onerous.

The benefits of laser cutting is manifest in the chap from Tasmania's Springer tug kit (Sorry, I cannot revcall his name) with the tabs and wedges for assisting assembly. This equipment seems to give the designer so much more scope for helping himself and the customer.

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Brian60

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Sorry, I thought you had one before but it must have been something else!
That would be E2V, Ian.

Carl does it also cut 1-1.5mm ply? I know yo are going to use it for your kits but what about accepting 'outside' work for a fee to keep things ticking over? Assumoing that is, that potential customers supply you with the G code, it does use G code doesn't it?

carlmt

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Hi Brian - Yes, it will....but it wont like 'ordinary' ply due to the glue and voids.  It would have to be 'laserable' ply - ply that has been developed specially for use in laser cutters/engravers.
 
As to the 'code'. I have no idea what 'G' code is.  All the stuff I put through it is in dxf format. However, there are other formats it can read - I will investigate this evening.
 
Would we be willing to cut/engrave other work? Yes, of course.  This machine is going to have to pay for itself!!! Let me get back to you on what it can 'read' and we can talk some more........

carlmt

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A little bit of late night trivia.........
 
I have just worked out the cost of all the 3D fittings in the Free Enterprise V kit and they have come out to just over £110!!!
 
Somewhat surprising........ But then, I guess quality doesn't come cheap.... ;) .
 
Developing this kit has certainly opened my eyes to the incredible value of some of our 'home grown' model boat kit manufacturers......

carlmt

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A few details added to the bow and stern of the model - all of these fittings are 3D printed including the windlasses and mooring winches:
 

 

 

 
And now on to constructing the railings..................
 

 
As the brass etched railings are so small, there is a very slight tolerance inconsistency with the hole sizes - very minute - but it means that the modeller will have to just run a 0.45mm micro-drill through each one just to ensure that the horizontal wire rails will pass through.

Capt Podge

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Looking good Carl - most professional. O0
 
You can be justifiably proud of your achievements to date.  :-))
 
Regards,
 
Ray.
 
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carlmt

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Thank you Ray - I have to say, whenever I clap eyes on the model now, I certainly feel a sense of having accomplished something  :-))
 
Made a start on fitting the railings and handrails today.  All the stanchions and the top, flat, handrail are etched brass and the intermediate horizontal rails are 0.45mm dia brass wire:
 

 
The stanchions are superglued into tiny holes drilled into the deck.  It was originally planned that the flat handrail would have been soldered to the tops of the stanchions but, as an experiment, these bow rails have been entirely assembled using medium thickness superglue and it certainly seems to work!! Once left to dry for an hour or two, the whole assembly becomes very rigid. I think this will be the recommended method that we will write into the instructions.

carlmt

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With the International Model Boat Show looming over the horizon we have been mad at it trying to get the boat ready.  Whilst she is 'structurally' finished with quite a few details added, I really want to get as much of the railing finished as possible.  To that end, any spare time (ha ha!!) is spent on the brasswork:
 

 

 
Whether it will all be painted by show time I don't know, but we are getting there!!!!

essex2visuvesi

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That would be E2V, Ian.

Carl does it also cut 1-1.5mm ply? I know yo are going to use it for your kits but what about accepting 'outside' work for a fee to keep things ticking over? Assumoing that is, that potential customers supply you with the G code, it does use G code doesn't it?


3d printers use G-code, the laser cutter uses only 2 dimensions


The file format varies with the make and model of the laser cutter.  Although the cutting software can usually translate most 2d design file formats, For example Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, auto-cad et al
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carlmt

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3d printers use G-code, the laser cutter uses only 2 dimensions


The file format varies with the make and model of the laser cutter.  Although the cutting software can usually translate most 2d design file formats, For example Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, auto-cad et al

Agreed!
 
I am an AutoCAD man myself (have used it for nearly 30 years) therefore I design in AutoCAD and save files for laser cutting in dxf.

carlmt

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That's me done for the evening!!!
 
New funnel painted and P&O flag logos added (just the very top to paint black, but I need some Tamiya tape....), half the bow railings painted white and more railings added generally:

 
Day-job tomorrow then back at it in the evening  :-)) :-)) :-))

Ferry cross the Mersey

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Wow  :o  She is looking superb  :-)) 


Very well done Carl and good luck with the show. I'm sure there will be lots & lots of interest  :}


Thanks Antony
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jarvo

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Hi Carl


Have followed this from the start. Just to ask a few questions, the 3D printed winches etc, in the pink they seemed to be slightly rough, did you sand them? as the fitted bits seem nicely smooth. Also you mentioned painting the railings, were they removed from the deck when the glue dried or painted in situ???


Mark
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ballastanksian

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What a crisp and professional looking model. I echo what the others have said about wishing you the best of luck and trade at the show Carl.
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carlmt

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Hi Carl


Have followed this from the start. Just to ask a few questions, the 3D printed winches etc, in the pink they seemed to be slightly rough, did you sand them? as the fitted bits seem nicely smooth. Also you mentioned painting the railings, were they removed from the deck when the glue dried or painted in situ???


Mark
Hi Mark - re the 3D winches, due to their size and delicacy, it would be very difficult to sand them.  Some of the parts are only 0.2mm thick.  All that has been done is that they were gently 'washed' in luke-warm soapy water and left to air-dry and then sprayed with grey primer.  The thickness of the paint imparts a degree of smoothness.  These winches (and a few other fine detailed parts) are printed in a material called Frosted Ultra Detail - a resin type plastic - but can be quite brittle and need considerate handling.
 
As to the other, white, 3D parts.....they are printed in a 'nylon' type of plastic.  They are printed in a powder medium which needs to be cleaned off before painting.  Again, these are washed in luke-warm soapy water and left to air-dry.  One issue with the 3d printing process in this material is that the parts are microscopically porous - paint will 'bleed' through the surface.  On a solid object that is a single colour this isn't an issue, but with parts such as the vent cowls with red innards the red paint will bleed through to the outer surface of the cowl.  To prevent this, a single coat of satin varnish was applied following washing and left to dry for a couple of days prior to final painting.  These 'white' 3D parts have a slight rough finish to them (a bit like 1200grade wet n dry).  This finish doesn't really detract from the finish of the part but if the modeller requires a perfectly smooth finish then they will need to give the parts a light sanding prior to painting.
Railings - These were painted in situ on the model.  Again, the stanchions are scale height and thickness so are quite delicate until they are combined with the horizontal railings and handrails.  I am still experimenting with different methods of fitting the railings - so far I have threaded the rails onto the stanchions 'dry' off the model and then, using superglue, located the stanchions into pre-drilled holes in the deck.  Once the stanchions had dried, superglue was then touched in on the joints of the stanchions and rails using a piece of brass wire.  The following day, the flat-top handrail was either superglued or soldered to the tops of the stanchions.  My next experiment is to use a copy of the deck plan fixed to a flat piece of wood as a template and assemble and paint the rails off the model.  Luckily, the plethora of railings on this ship are broken down into manageable chunks as there are small gates at intervals.
 
I will try to pop up some more photos a little later.
 
Carl

carlmt

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Off to take the model to the International Model Boat Show at Warwick very soon.....
 
Not much more I can do to her today - but I think she is presentable enough for now.
 
Work in progress as they say!!!
 

 

 
 :-))
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