Topic: PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) Vietnam Swift boat build (Read 63176 times)

red181 · « **Reply #150 on:** July 27, 2015, 06:12:58 pm »

After much studying, it appears that no two of these Swift Boats are exactly the same, however I have spotted on a number of them the turret searchlights, so decided to make them.

Very fiddly, but I found a use for the tiny 10ba and 12 ba nuts and bolts I have:)

need some final cleaning up, bulb insertion and the lens, should look nice!

RAAArtyGunner · « **Reply #151 on:** July 28, 2015, 12:57:48 am »

Am having problems with the link, Incorrect link message

red181 · « **Reply #152 on:** July 28, 2015, 11:26:42 pm »

try this

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__26114__Multi_Remote_Receiver_operated_on_off_Switch_UK_Warehouse_.html

Wired up the front wheelhouse searchlight tonight, takes flippin ages to solder tiny wires, fit small led bulbs, and remember to solder in the resistor so they don't blow!

RAAArtyGunner · « **Reply #153 on:** July 29, 2015, 01:43:47 am »

Quote from: red181 on July 28, 2015, 11:26:42 pm

try this

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__26114__Multi_Remote_Receiver_operated_on_off_Switch_UK_Warehouse_.html

Wired up the front wheelhouse searchlight tonight, takes flippin ages to solder tiny wires, fit small led bulbs, and remember to solder in the resistor so they don't blow!

Thank you,

works fine now, that is a nice bit of kit

red181 · « **Reply #154 on:** August 04, 2015, 12:30:16 am »

most of the wheelhouse, cabin etc, and the turret, is plastic, so it wasn't a great ideas to decide to solder the rail that goes on the mast with a blowtorch! but it was the quickest way to do it. I don't even know what that thing is for!

red181 · « **Reply #155 on:** August 04, 2015, 12:32:41 am »

some of the lights being fitted.

I now have

3 mast lights
2 nav lights
2 turret searchlights
rear deck searchlight
front wheelhouse searchlight

and will soon have the cabin lights and wheelhouse lights

Its going to be bright when all those are on, seeing as I have the hobbyking toy to work them all, why not?

Mad Scientist · « **Reply #156 on:** August 04, 2015, 09:23:01 pm »

I think that the railing on the mast is to protect the mast from being shot by the gunner.

I'm sure that I've seen something similar in an old photo of a warplane, from WWII or earlier. - Tom

RAAArtyGunner · « **Reply #157 on:** August 05, 2015, 12:33:00 am »

That makes sense, as with most weapons on these type of craft the weapons had 360 degree traverse.
Some system would be needed to used, instead of relying on the Gunner to remember to not depress and traverse the weapon and "shoot" up his own boat in the heat of battle.

Build is looking good

red181 · « **Reply #158 on:** August 05, 2015, 01:20:17 pm »

that makes sense. I would probably end up blindly shooting everything and cutting the mast in half!

DavidHughes · « **Reply #159 on:** August 07, 2015, 10:54:34 am »

Love this thread - and love the detailing

Cant wait to see the finished boat!

Perkasaman2 · « **Reply #160 on:** August 07, 2015, 02:09:37 pm »

The thing you soldered is a deflection guard rail that restrictserts the arc of the twin barrels from shooting up the boat as the gunner traverses rearward.

red181 · « **Reply #161 on:** August 21, 2015, 10:00:41 pm »

started the wiring, and got most of it done today, the end is in sight!

red181 · « **Reply #162 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:58:41 am »

so the lights now work, although they do need a fair bit of tidying up. I have used bright LED's, not scale, but a bit of modellers license here, as I want them to be visible on the lake in dull or dusk conditions. I have used grain of wheat bulbs for the cabin and wheelhouse, then they will have a more realistic yellow light, and are under voltage so remain a bit dim.

The hobbyking sequencer switch for the money, a few dollars/pounds, is real good. You get a choice of sequence for the lights, you cant just programme it yourself, shame, as that means you cant just select one light, on and off, etc. But for the very infrequent times I will want the lights, its fine. I have to decide on the final sequence, this was just a test run, for some reason the settings on the camera are off as the lights look way brighter than they actually are!

Put your sunglasses on before you hit the youtube link below!

https://youtu.be/E2hBsLOH_bQ

TugCowboy · « **Reply #163 on:** August 24, 2015, 08:56:07 am »

Looks fantastic but I did have to look away when the first Green came on and assaulted my eyes, can't say you didn't warn us though!

Those HobbyKing controllers are great value for Money, I have one sat somewhere awaiting some LED's to control. Think I paid about a fiver for it.

oldflyer2 · « **Reply #164 on:** August 25, 2015, 12:02:28 pm »

I have just found this thread and have had a read through. Excellent job and it's going to be a great boat.

Cheers

Tom

red181 · « **Reply #165 on:** August 27, 2015, 08:02:02 pm »

did a lot last night, hung a rope on the front rail

red181 · « **Reply #166 on:** August 27, 2015, 08:06:27 pm »

sometimes you just get a bit of luck. Yesterday in work new kitchen cupboards where getting fitted. I saw the answer to the gun mounting problem for the turret.

Back home and a day off work today, so wasted most of the day messing around making the mount for the twin 50 cal machine guns

red181 · « **Reply #167 on:** August 27, 2015, 08:09:27 pm »

Now that I am inspired to carry on, its time to clean up the guns, and piece them back together. Many layers of paint by previous owners had hidden much of the detail, it was a painstaking job to scrape all the paint off.

Trial fit on the mount in the turret, and the gun sits too close to the operators backrest, so I had to cheat and move the backrest furthert back. Hopefully once painted it will look ok

red181 · « **Reply #168 on:** August 29, 2015, 07:18:41 am »

I need some advice regarding final painting, I have posted here

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,52195.0.html

If anyone has any advice it will be most welcome

Thanks

red181 · « **Reply #169 on:** August 29, 2015, 11:44:58 pm »

Hmm..

The painting is now causing a potential problem. A lot of the weathering was done with humbrol weather powder. You mix it with a colour, like earth, thin it a bit, and dab on, creating lumpy mud. What Humbrol don't actually tell you, is that it needs sticking to the model, and sealing, with other products. Really annoying, it should state this on the bottle! So, if I wet my finger, and rub, it comes off, not great for a boat!

After a lot of late night reading and watching youtube, it should have been mixed with something like decalfix, guess what, a Humbrol product, and then sealed with a clear cote, another Humbrol product

So, do I get it all off, and start the weathering again, or push on. I decided on the latter, then after use, if it starts looking bad, I can get it off then.

I was now forced into buying a selection of products, and testing them. Youtube favourite seems to be Humbrol matt clear. I want to retain a matt finish, thats real important to me, so it was a good job I tested this first, the results, with an airbrush, was a silky almost dull gloss finish

I also had an acrylic matt varnish rattle can, instead of a lacquer. Not cheap at £5.00 for a diddy tin, but was real good, very matt, but I'm not convinced it has sealed the weathering. Its such a good matt flat finish, I decided to do the hull. On the red, perfect, on the green sides, there was a bit of paint reaction, but looks ok. There is enough left to do the deck etc, so Ill give that a go in the morning. Hopefully it will look ok, and will seal things in

red181 · « **Reply #170 on:** August 30, 2015, 11:47:21 pm »

Everything seems to have now locked in, using the humbrol acrylic matt varnish, everything else was pretty useless. I am sure I will lose some weathering, but it might add to the realism! It has dried real nice and dull matt, just hope it will actually do something to protect the paintwork

Yet again spent an age making something real insignificant, but you know when you want something just so... it was this, the top of the flagstaff. I wanted the flag to hang with a degree of realism, I hate those flags that just sit there like a piece of cardboard.

Mounting the flag was a special moment, I have been looking forward to this as it is what this boat is about, with its history . I wet it, and used the clamp to pull it down, and sprayed it with hairspray, Hopefully it will keep some sort of realistic shape.

Not far to go now, notice the turret still isn't done

red181 · « **Reply #171 on:** September 09, 2015, 11:18:20 pm »

PROGRESS!!

Back in the water today, good and bad news. It ran fine, no signs of that earlier electrical glitching, however, the water leaks are back, just the same as before

So, if I hold the boat and let the motors scream, its bone dry, so no water entering round the rudder tubes, water pickups, or shafts, all the usual suspects. Run the boat without cabin etc, its ok, fit the cabin, and its got a load of water washing over the deck, as it did back at the beginning. Even with everything taped up, the water is getting in somewhere, and it looks like its over the deck, towards the rear, that's were it all is.

This is a setback, I suspect that I have made an error when the spray rails where fitted. Way back then, this cured all the water entry problems, now the boat is heavier, sitting lower in the water, I think the spray rails could be too low

, also, the break midships in the coaming is where most of the water is getting onto the deck, so I might have to fill that in.

I really cant be bothered!

some pics, no idea what setting the camera was on, but it looks foggy!

derekwarner · « **Reply #172 on:** September 09, 2015, 11:52:42 pm »

That Mekong river fog mist looks very realistic Red

.....image 181041 brilliant

.....if it is deck wash, you will sort out the leakage .....just perseverance ......Derek

red181 · « **Reply #173 on:** September 10, 2015, 12:13:44 am »

yeah it is a bit weird!

I can start on the crew once the water stays in the lake and not in the boat

red181 · « **Reply #174 on:** September 13, 2015, 11:15:56 pm »

so, between working all weekend, I managed to grab a test Saturday night. I have resealed a few things, particularly the two panels on the rear of the deck, under the panel I fitted clear plasticard so I could visually inspect inside the hull, and sealed them with silicon bathroom sealer, so its sealed, but not permanent. I also fitted with clamps, so a temporary test, higher sides to the deck.

Back in the water, the wash on the deck had certainly been minimised, but there is too much water going on the deck. Its bound to leak again, and looks pretty rubbish, these tests are on a pretty calm lake, so in choppier water I envisage leaks!, so after all this effort I couldn't ignore this, and accepted its time to take drastic steps. Earlier in testing, fitting the spray rails eliminated this water ingress problem, now the boat has become heavier, the cure must again be the spray rails, so off they come

(its not quite as wet as it looks, it decided to start raining!)

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Author Topic: PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) Vietnam Swift boat build (Read 63176 times)