Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.

Author Topic: Aquarama Build  (Read 174332 times)

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #200 on: November 19, 2011, 11:41:26 am »

its not that i was against the use of cooling fans, its something used reguly. i use car esc's for my boats and people will disagree with that. All i was pointing out was why use fans when a few bits of pipe and a water scoop would do the job sufficiently? its a lot simpler, cheaper, not likely to go wrong, you wont need to worry about what ingress at all and if there is it wont damage anything. Do as you wish its your boat :-))

Just a leg pull Mike, no more than that.

Mike.
Logged

MikeA

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #201 on: November 19, 2011, 12:41:25 pm »

only a bit of banter :}
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #202 on: November 19, 2011, 08:30:04 pm »

These are things that I had already started but until I receive items that I have on order I thought that I may as well finish.

The wiper blades do need trimming I know.

Mike.
Logged

Norseman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,466
  • Location: Huyton, Liverpool
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #203 on: November 19, 2011, 09:50:57 pm »

Hi Mike

I've got an old fifties Hales Spraymaster to work on / change around, and I'm hoping to find some inspiration in your build - I'm just off to post number 1 and a nice long read of your build  :}

Regards Dave
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #204 on: November 26, 2011, 07:19:12 pm »

Hello All.

Am modifying the model a little in an attempt to prevent spray from entering the hull and also to make it an awful lot easier to access the rear of the boat.

Have moved the rudder servo position forward 1 frame and opened the access to the port rudder tubes and cooling water intakes.

Have modified the Sundeck hatch floor so that I can fit a closed cell neoprene seal around the ply to make this water tight.

I hope that by hardening up the chine and making it into a continuous spray rail , this may divert an awful lot of the spray into the boat that these models seem to suffer from.

Also, following hours of practice with my 5 quid sewing machine , I am going to alter the Sundeck and Cockpit coaming upholstery also the seats , will post some pics when complete.

Here are a few photo's.

Mike.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #205 on: November 26, 2011, 07:23:01 pm »

Forgot to say.

The seat squab has been re shaped and is still waiting for me to make the new covering.

Mike.
Logged

turbinecol

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #206 on: November 26, 2011, 09:38:21 pm »

Interesting stuff Mike. Have you had to move the servo forwards to help you with your water cooling strategy then?

Also, what are the different colours on that exposed seat squab - the white and black sections?

Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #207 on: November 27, 2011, 08:54:26 am »

Interesting stuff Mike. Have you had to move the servo forwards to help you with your water cooling strategy then?

Also, what are the different colours on that exposed seat squab - the white and black sections?

Hi Colin.

The different colours are because there are 3 types of foam, each with different densities, the white is the hardest with the main black one medium and the little end black bits are the softest.

The final covering will have a layer of 2mm soft foam glued to it then fitted permanently.

I've made a test piece of the faux leather covering and it seems to work well enough, holds it's shape perfectly.

I am struggling with the sewing tho', a sewing machine must be one of the most complicated devices ever made, I can get perfect top stitches with birds nests underneath

or perfect stitching underneath with birds nests on top coupled with constant thread breaking. The thing defies all logic.

Still, there is no rush to finish so I will get there eventually.

I moved the servo fwd. so that I could remove some of the ply to make more access to the water pickups and rudder posts.

Mike.



Logged

turbinecol

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #208 on: November 27, 2011, 07:02:20 pm »

As I mentioned before, I moved my rudder posts rearward about 10mm, and convinced myself I could get to them before I planked the hull and finished the deck. Well, access is certainly not easy at all. I have a real fight to get the washers and nuts and bolts in place down there.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #209 on: November 27, 2011, 07:16:04 pm »

Hello each.

Have been working on the hatch in the Sundeck in an attempt to make it water tight.

In the kit all of the corners are left open which was asking for trouble, especially as this model is prone to chucking large amounts of water into this space.

Have sealed all the way around the sides and modified the area where the ply hatch sits, adding a lip that allowed me to fit a soft silicone tube seal all around

The hatch cover is now fixed with 2 countersunk M3 machine screws into tee nuts underneath, Amati made no provision of any kind to either stop water ingress or to fix the hatch cover.

So that I only needed 2 fixing screws I deliberately introduced a double bow, (warp) into the ply cover. A negative one in the fore and aft plane and a positive one in the port /stbd plane making the fixing screws the apex of the bows.

Seams to work O.K.  Will have to do something to stop water entering via the rear hatch but this I think will be a little more difficult.

It is now an awful lot easier to get access to the port side rudder tube and water pickup point since I re located the rudder servo and removed the unnecessary plywood

Have a look and see what you think.

Mike.
Logged

turbinecol

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #210 on: November 27, 2011, 08:51:35 pm »

looks good, very good infact!
Logged

MikeA

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #211 on: November 28, 2011, 03:59:45 pm »

very nice mike. looks pro!! :-))
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #212 on: November 30, 2011, 04:46:55 pm »

Hello

This post is probably of more interest to Colin ( turbinecolin) or anyone else building or contemplating building the Amati Aquarama.

I have had to modify the waterproofing of the rear hatch because the manufactures of this, ( not cheap ), kit has given no thought to the possibility of water entering at this point.

I have had to modify the construction of the rear hatch seating to effect a watertight seal,. This has proved very difficult at the almost finished stage and would have been very easy earlier in the construction, before the deck was fitted.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures to show what I have done to solve the problem, the closed cell Neoprene has yet to be glued in place.

A 2 mm machine screw through the pennant staff socket will fix the rear, with the same through the shower outlet, (how posh is that ?) will sort out the front.

Mike.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #213 on: December 02, 2011, 06:25:57 pm »

Hello everyone.

Regarding the post earlier where I moaned about the quality of the mushroom vents, which were in fact supposed to represent the fuel filler caps.

I sent them off for re-plating and polishing, here are some some photos of the finished items. An improvement I think you will agree.

All for 5 quid.

A question, I need some soft foam rubber to allow me to continue with the new upholstery that I am trying to do.

I need a piece 4mm x about 300mm x 600mm. Light in colour so that I can mark the positions for the sewing.

Can anyone help, I have asked my very good friend in France the same question.

Some photos.

Mike.
Logged

turbinecol

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #214 on: December 03, 2011, 09:00:25 am »

Those chrome parts look better.

I love the rear hatch, one of my favourite parts of the boat.
Mine is quite a tight fit, I am not sure how much water will get past it but I need to run a test.  To start with it didn't fit at all, but I brought the boat back into the house at the end of the season (from the workshop outside, too damp down there really) and it has shrunk enough that the hatch slides in now. The wood moves about with moisture and temperature quite dramatically it seems.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #215 on: December 03, 2011, 04:22:29 pm »

Hello All.

Foam rubber sorted, made it myself.

Mike.























Logged

Norseman

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3,466
  • Location: Huyton, Liverpool
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #216 on: December 03, 2011, 05:42:12 pm »

How did you do that Mike?

Dave
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #217 on: December 03, 2011, 06:46:12 pm »

How did you do that Mike?

Dave
Hello Dave.

Due to the absence of any help here, I bought a block of 75 mm thick  x 400 wide x  mm x 600 mm long foam rubber , ( none fire retardant, the fire retardant stuff is rubbish ), then cut slices 3 to 4 mm wide on my ancient Burgess band saw.

Worked reasonably well, at least allowed me to continue with the upholstery, which will be Coffee and Cream BTW.

Will take a little while to complete but I will post some photo's of the upholstery when complete.

Mike.






Mike.
Logged

MikeA

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #218 on: December 03, 2011, 09:09:43 pm »

its not that people wont help mike in some situations people cant help. When i did my upholstery i used some old ebay packaging. just the same stuff as what your using albeit less of it. whats wromg with the current seats u have anyway?
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #219 on: December 04, 2011, 10:00:34 am »

its not that people wont help mike in some situations people cant help. When i did my upholstery i used some old ebay packaging. just the same stuff as what your using albeit less of it. whats wromg with the current seats u have anyway?
Hi Mike.

I know that if people could, they would. That goes without saying.

The 2 front seats are O.K. but the two parts that make up the cockpit rear bench seat didn't fit at all, not even close. Also, the seat squab has to be easily removable to access some of the gubbins that make the boat go.

As you saw in an earlier post, the Cockpit and Sundeck coaming upholstery are a disaster, maybe I've just been unlucky and received a Friday afternoon kit.

So, having to remake those two bits and also uncover the rear seat bits for re shaping I will be using the same material that I have used for the cockpit flooring, it's off white which means everything will have to be changed to suit.

Had the woodwork not turned out quite so well then I would have probably used the parts as supplied by Amati, although how I could have fitted the bench seat I have no idea.

I also prefer the more subtle colours, Cream and a sort of Coffee, rather than the gaudy blue and white, which reminds me too much of a spiv in a pair of cheap trainers.

As the cold damp weather has arrived I can't do any varnishing, as I can only work in my shed at the bottom of the garden. This gives me plenty of time to fiddle about with things like the upholstery to get them as perfect as my limited ability allows.

Griping over, take care.

Mike.
Logged

MikeA

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #220 on: December 04, 2011, 10:04:59 am »

no varishing eh doh. looks like theirs nothing else for it but to move into the house  :D. You must make a video of this on the water, speaking of water have you tested it in the domestic tank yet?
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #221 on: December 04, 2011, 11:02:54 am »

no varishing eh doh. looks like theirs nothing else for it but to move into the house  :D. You must make a video of this on the water, speaking of water have you tested it in the domestic tank yet?
Not yet Mike.

The only water that it has seen so far is my washing up liquidy spray used for closing the nail holes in the woodwork.

You've set me thinking now tho', what if instead of going forwards, it goes downwards. Think I'd better tie a bit of string to it on it's maiden.



Logged

MikeA

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #222 on: December 04, 2011, 11:30:41 am »

do a  bath test we all do just hold on thats all  :} use it to check for leaks, though i doubt you will have any, but i find its the best way to make sure that the heavy componets are sitting in the right place and that the waterline is correct.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #223 on: December 04, 2011, 12:32:06 pm »

do a  bath test we all do just hold on thats all  :} use it to check for leaks, though i doubt you will have any, but i find its the best way to make sure that the heavy componets are sitting in the right place and that the waterline is correct.
Will do that Mike.

Thanks for the tip.
Logged

ukmike

  • Guest
Re: Aquarama Build
« Reply #224 on: December 04, 2011, 03:05:05 pm »

Those chrome parts look better.

I love the rear hatch, one of my favourite parts of the boat.
Mine is quite a tight fit, I am not sure how much water will get past it but I need to run a test.  To start with it didn't fit at all, but I brought the boat back into the house at the end of the season (from the workshop outside, too damp down there really) and it has shrunk enough that the hatch slides in now. The wood moves about with moisture and temperature quite dramatically it seems.
Hi Colin.

You are quite right, the wood expands quite a lot whilst it's in the shed, mine also, suddenly my hatch doesn't fit ant more.

Brought it into the house,( sneaked it in actually), hopefully it will shrink a little.

This site is great, don't you think. You can get help, silly suggestions and even thoroughly usefull information from builders far more advanced than we two. ?

Mike
Logged
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.107 seconds with 22 queries.