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Author Topic: crash tender (Fireboat) refurb and brushless conversion start to finish project!  (Read 52998 times)

red181

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Hi Mike,
 
the founder of the fireboat website is also a merseysider, so we have a few of these boats in the North west, and some at Morcambe that hosts the aerokits vintage meets, so we could have a north west get together! :-))
 
Thats if I ever get finished, its been 18 months in loft from original purchase off ebay, and now   1 yr 3 months getting refurbs, and you are catching me up after only a few weeks! {:-{ :}
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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I've also been told that the Southport Model Boat Club, have a "Aero Kits" meeting, I'm sure we will meet at some point.


I'm likely to have the 46" at the Ellesmere Port show, in what ever state I get to by then....possibly exchange ideas then.... %)


Mike
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red181

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I must work quicker!!
 
Anyway, I have been very lucky to talk to a guy who actually piloted number 93, without hesitation he has confirmed the early version of 93 pre any refits, had 3 different versions of fire monitors, the first didnt last long, they were short and painted red, the next are the clam shell design, the ones I am modelling, they were grey! and the final set were the commercially available ones, they were red, so the grey paint came back out!
 
I have also finally fitted the rescue nets donated by Ned, they were real good, but when fitting they just seemed to be very stiff, and not very realistc. I decided to use some heatshrink to attach the loop securing to the roof (copied from someone else, its a real good idea!), as I was heating the shrink using a heat gun, the netting started to shrink and go soft, so by pure fluke I was able to dust the heatgun over then netting, which made it go all soft and drop, making it look far more realistic :-)) , bit of luck there.
 
Centre cabin roof now completed, the small padlock was the finishing touch, from modelling timbers :-)   
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tt1

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A very enjoyable build log Paul am enjoying the journey, impressive scratch building and machining skills to boot. Looking forward to the next installment.
                              Regards, Tony.
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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Hi Paul


Them monitors are brilliant.... :-)) :-))


See you soon
Mike
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Norseman

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Just had a little build reread Paul - sometimes its just nice to revisit things.

Dave
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red181

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was meddling for a bit tonight Dave, got quite a few bits done, had a few inspirational moments, with things that had been a problem for some time, sometimes it just goes that way! Ive arrived at 2/3rds towards the back now, at the Davit, after that, its the well deck and its finished, decals on, running gear back in, check nothing missed, and it can get wet again . The only real annoying thing is a there is a crack in the paint, on the front cabin roof, it will be real awkward to redo, especially as the weather is too cold, I am currently warming aerosols on the radiators in the house, so I think it will just have to stay, dont think I can face painting again!, I vowed  I would not use plasticote again as there always seems to be "blooming" problems, even with same brand primer and laquer, but seeing as I had tons of it in the shed I have kept using it, every paint job on this boat has been done 2 or 3 times over to get a good finish, with very careful prep work, with the exception of the grey paint, this was mixed at a car factors, and was perfect every time, lesson learnt! >:-o 
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Norseman

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There is a crack in the paint, on the front cabin roof, it will be real awkward to redo, especially as the weather is too cold, I am currently warming aerosols on the radiators in the house, so I think it will just have to stay, dont think I can face painting again!

Boat hook etc laying over it ... Scuba tank & flippers?

Dave
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red181

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yes! I will have to be constructive with some deck clutter.............in a number of places,  :embarrassed: amazing how you can polish through paint when flatting it with wet/dry!
 
Then in my rage, I throw the sanding block at the wall (it does make you feel better doesnt it!), it bounced back and hit the boat, resulting in more deck clutter required, its going to look more like a floating skip that an RAF Commissioned fast and light boat %%
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essex2visuvesi

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jerry cans can hide a multitude of sins as can toolboxes etc
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tt1

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I think we've all been there and done that  :(( I've made and placed hatches where they shouldn't be, made up signs and decals as well as the usual ropes and clutter, as my old Pa used to say use ingenuity to "make a feature out of a cock up" and nobody knows!
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Netleyned

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Not a lot you can put on the forrard cabin roof Paul.
Can you get away with a rope coil cheesed down.
Not a lot of scuba gear was carried back then Dave  8)


I am sure you will overcome




Ned
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red181

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Hi Ned, the nets look great have you seen them, then at Xmas I was up a ladder taking down Xmas lights, and stuffed some into a roof tile to stop a pesky starling getting into the roof, so a double win there, many thanks!
 
Yep, its probably going to be some old rope, its by the sand anchor right on the joint of a roof section, the burnt paint is in two parts, not telling yet, we can play find the burns when its finished! :} :} 
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red181

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well the title does say start to finish, I just didnt say when it would finish! Project has been getting some attention, but other things seem to be getting priority, like rebuilding crashed rc helicopters!
 
Clearview was a triumph, and a failure, I could not get exactly what I wanted, so made my own, in a cobbled up sort of way, I was delighted with the results, then thinking I was using clear set cyno, stuck it on, and guess what, it wasnt clear, so the windscreen is now smudged with cyno, and the clearview has gone cloudy, but at this late part of the build, its not getting another windscreen, it would be too much work, so maybe one when its all finished. Also done some other fittings, the davit took ages to do. The nav, mast and cabin lights are all wired up and fitted, just the rear well deck, tow hook and a few small bits and bobs to do, trouble is I cant remember how all the running gear goes back together, its been that long since I stripped it all out!  %%   
 
I used a piece of stock bar in a lathe chuck, and using double sided tape stuck a piece of clear plastic on the end. Using a sharp scriber, I then cut the circle, then turned in the lathe the outer rim, cleaned it all up, used a dressmakers pin for the centre stud, some plastic card for the wiper and stuck it on the windscreen
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red181

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The final part, the back end.
 
I have started planking where the tow hook goes, and will plank the well deck, then use a wash, so its painted grey like the rest of the boat, but the planking is visible, hopefully it will look ok ok2
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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Hi Paul,
Glad to see your near the end....just hope I get there to.. :embarrassed:


It certainly looks the part, the mistake with the screen is easy done, and have done this many times on the planes over the years.


Look forward to seeing it in the flesh........ %% %%


all the best


Mike
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red181

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Hi Mike, I was at Newsham sunday before last, didnt have a boat with me, met a friend there at the cafe, he was saying there are plans for a jetty, I havent seen fishermen on that lake for sometime, hopefully they have all b***ered off!
 
Yep, feels like I am finally on the home stretch with this boat :-))
 
Paul
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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Hi Paul,
Not been down at the lake on a Sunday for a while, and only made a brief visit this Wednesday.


Yes we are getting a jetty built, and the area around it is being tarmac hopefully in the near future, Glendale have been given the contract, and are probably waiting for the weather to improve.


As for the anglers, well they are few and far between, but do show up now and then......see how things develop on that front... 8)


Glad to see your on the homeward stretch....I'm still at the starting line... {-)


Drop me a line if you are going up to Newsham, will try and meet up.


all the best
Mike
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Norseman

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I might bring a rod or two Paul.
I might hook up and waterski behind you.  O0
Good luck with the final stretch anyway.

Dave
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red181

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GOT TO GET THIS FINISHED!! :embarrassed:
 
Mike is catching me up again with his build of same boat, and its been a bit of a disaster lately. I dropped something on the centre cabin roof and damaged the edge, will have to patch it up as its not getting another made, and whilst admiring my work tonight, I was horrified to see a very strange 1/8 size hole in the side of the hull, which is totally unexplained, nothing inside the boat to suggest I have been working etc, the only explanation I can think of is during the cold weather, as the boat is in the garage, possibly there was a plug of some sort that was painted over, and has fallen out? Thats a real set back, I have no intention of painting the hull again, so the "FIRE" decal will have to be over this hole, and plugged from the inside. If it ever goes up for sale, you have been warned its got a hole in the hull! :} 
 
So the tow hook section is nopw planked, a very slow process, lay a plank, glue it, cut the grey caulking card, glue it, wait till dry, next plank, next caulking strip, and so on. I didnt need to be too fussy at the centre as the tow hook will be here
 
 
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red181

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Having had experience of the smaller 3 foot version of this model, I know these boats have a tendancy to get water in the rear section, so I will copy what I did on my 3 footer, and make the rear well deck like a bathtub, so if water gets in, it stays out of the hull and away from servo, electrics etc, pull the bathtub out and drain the water away from the boat.
 
As I cant knock a nail in straight, I dont use wood much, so as with the rest of the build, its plasticard. I find it easy to work with, easy to mark out, cut, glue and its quite cheap. This is 1.5mm. When finished, I will plank on another piece of plastic, or thin ply, and drop it in, it will be easier to do that way (I hope!)
 
Working in chaos as usual, no wonder things get dropped and damaged :embarrassed:
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red181

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once the well deck is finished, its the tow hook, it will be brass, I am looking forward to making that, then wiring the lights which are fitted to the unit that will operate them all, red and green nav, white mast, blue front nav,, all led's,  then two in  wheel house, and a further 6 for the cabins, all pygmy 12v. I want the cabin and wheelhouse to be a realistic yellowish light instead of bright led's, I tested them all when fitted, I hope they still work as that feels like it was months ago!
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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I don't think I will catch you up....but loving the way you've done the rear end.....food for thought there for me....... O0


Great job...Paul  :-)) :-)) :-))


all the best Mike




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red181

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"you know who" gave me the idea Mike, he was always full of good ideas! one thing is clear, working with the 4 footer is way easier than the 3 footer, I can see things without glasses! :}
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FLAT-TOP-FLYER

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Well it did cross my mind when I looked at the picture....seem to remember it being mentioned in conversations with Peter when he found out I had a 34" FireBoat.....Peter was a clever man full of ideas...and you always ending up thinking..."wish I had thought of that"  %)


Glad to see you on the final stretch... :-))
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