Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Tow Barge  (Read 6840 times)

AlanB

  • Guest
Tow Barge
« on: May 27, 2006, 01:46:52 pm »

Some pics of a Tow Barge that I have just built.
It is 6' long 2' wide and 16" deep, so hopefully it will prove a good challenge.
It should sit in the water with about 12" below the surface and 4 above, so plenty of drag.
The tug at the front is a MMM Portgarth, which is quite a big tug, just to show the scale.
The Tow Barge is being donated to the Edinburgh Model Boat Club for tug towing events.
Logged

Pirate

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 141
  • Location: Lincoln Uk
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2006, 08:36:05 am »

Fantastic!!!!! Thank you for the piccies. Any chance you could let us all know how its constructed? Are the holes in it to allow water in/out thus it reachs its own bouyancy? or can you adjust its overall weight in the water???? Personaly very interested in your creation for its apparent simplicity. I am in the thought stage of building a good tow for our club (Grantham & District MBC), but due to the size of our pool/storage and age of our members the simpler the tow the better. Looking forward to your or any one elses replies on this subject.
Keep on tugging
Regards
Pirate
Logged

AlanB

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2006, 08:47:18 am »

Pirate

The tow is a very simple construction, the bottom section is sealed and the holes are to allow air to escape when the tow is placed in the water. It will sink under its own weight to the level of the holes drilled in the side and then the blue water containers can be filled to lowre the level of the barge.
I will take some pics of the underside later today and a brief description of the construction, mostly 12mm marine ply and srtips of 18mm x 25mm wood. Nothing expensive or complicated, the whole thing cost about ?35.
Logged

AlanB

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2006, 08:21:02 pm »

The barge had its first sucessful outing today and worked well.
It proved a challenge to my own tug, which has a bollard pull of 8 - 10lbs and that was pushed to the limit at times.
Next time the water containers will be filled with some water for the actual tug towing event.

In reply to Pirates question, the barge is a box shaped affair, made with 12mm ply and has a false bottom which is free flooding.
The attched pic will give you some idea of what I mean.
Logged

Jake Swann

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2006, 01:00:04 am »

That is very cool from jake 15
Logged

boatmanic942

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 57
  • www.newquaymodelboatclub.org.uk
  • Location: cornwall
    • my club site
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2006, 06:38:24 pm »

thats huge compared to what i tow
Logged

KIMBO

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2006, 01:59:59 pm »

JUST STARTED ON A BARGE, STILL DONT KNOW WHAT TO PUT ON THE DECK

[Too Large - attachment deleted by admin]
Logged

Doc

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 327
  • Location: Oklahoma USA
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2006, 06:24:27 pm »

...you know, if you ever have to move, load that barge with stuff!  I'd probably only have to make two or three trips with it.  Wish I had something to pull it besides my truck...
 - 'Doc
Logged

KIMBO

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2006, 06:35:34 pm »

hi doc, there,s plenty of tugs at our pond, but nothing to tow,  there is?now? ;D ;D ;D
Logged

towboatjoe

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 165
  • Rollin' on the River
  • Location: Flatwoods, Kentucky
    • Towboat Joe
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2006, 07:50:29 pm »

KIMBO, that would make a perfect crane flat. You could use a crawler crane or a cherry picker type.

[Too Large - attachment deleted by admin]
Logged

KIMBO

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2006, 08:08:27 pm »

that will do joe, easy and practical, i was going to make a rubbish barge like they have in the states, just apply some glue to the top, and roll it on the floor of my modeling room ;D ;D ;D
Logged

towboatjoe

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 165
  • Rollin' on the River
  • Location: Flatwoods, Kentucky
    • Towboat Joe
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2006, 08:15:01 pm »

With the way the deck is removable, you can make an r/c crane. I've had a lot of fun with mine.
Logged

Jake Swann

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2006, 05:17:09 pm »

how have you made a model crane ? from jake  ???
Logged

towboatjoe

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 165
  • Rollin' on the River
  • Location: Flatwoods, Kentucky
    • Towboat Joe
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2006, 06:07:41 pm »

The hull is is 2 1/2" styrofoam sheeted with 1/16" acrylic plastic. The generator room is acrylic plastic and houses the 12v battery, reciever, and servos. The crane and boom is all brass except for the control cab, stairs, and stair railing.

[Too Large - attachment deleted by admin]
Logged

towboatjoe

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 165
  • Rollin' on the River
  • Location: Flatwoods, Kentucky
    • Towboat Joe
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2006, 06:09:29 pm »

Here's a few more photos

[Too Large - attachment deleted by admin]
Logged

2772e

  • Simon
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 452
  • The Sea Shall Not Have Them
  • Location: Colchester, Essex
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #15 on: July 05, 2006, 06:13:59 pm »


You could always use it as an aircraft carrier? ;D ;D ;D
Logged
Rubbin is Racin!

Jake Swann

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2006, 09:37:21 am »

Cheers towboatjoe ;D
Logged

cbr900

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,857
  • Mayhem is the Only Forum!
  • Location: Taree New South Wales Australia
    • Roys Hompage
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2006, 02:21:32 pm »

Alan,

The tug that you show hooked up to the barge do you tow that barge with the tug, if so can you tell me the paticulars of the tug, ie: length, motors, props, I am interested in starting a similar setup over me neck of the woods....

Roy
Logged
I try not to be naughty but nautical

AlanB

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2006, 02:35:41 pm »

The tug attached to the barge in the pics does tow the barge.

It is a Mobile Marine Models Portgarth, slightly modified superstructure etc.

Length from memory is 38" and beam 15"

It is powered by 2 x Graupner Speed 90BB Torque motors on direct drive to 2 x 70mm Kort Props from Prop Shop.

The props are in 2 x steerable 70mm Power Korts from Mobile Marine Models.

The model also has working sound (turbo cat diesel) and smoke (old smokey) courtesy of JJC Electronics.

It is on a 6 channels RC setup, with independent control of both motors, steerable kort control, bow thruster and ships horn.

The whole setup including the working deck and navigation lights is run from 2 x 12v 7 Ah batteries.

The bollard pull was measured at 11 lbs.

Hope this info helps

Logged

kninghtsy

  • Shipmate
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
  • Model Bioat Mayhem Forum is theBest!
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2006, 07:55:18 am »

Hi Alan
The use of a smoke unit in a diesel tug interests me.  I looked on the JJC website and that unit blows white smoke.  I always thought (not a marine engineer though) that a diesel blowing white smoke was not well.  Is the smoke unit rigged to the speed controllers?  How does it look when underway?  Any pics?

Thanks Trevor
Logged

AlanB

  • Guest
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2006, 08:33:26 am »

Here is a rundown of how the Old Smokey unit was fitted to the tug.

The unit now produces blackish smoke using food coluoring in the water.

As the basic unit has only one outlet for the steam /smoke and as the model I was fitting it in had two funnels, I had to do a bit of plumbing.

It was a case of fitting a standard T fitting to the end of the unit and 2 right angle fittings on the end of the T fitting.
Then drilling out the solid funnels and running 15mm plastic piping up through them and connecting the whole lot together.
Plastic tubing was used throughout and standard fittings from the local DIY store are ideal.

It works well when connected to the JJC Cat Turbo Diesel sound module and the speed controller.

All in a very nice piece of kit, puts the old oil burning ones to shame.



Logged

kninghtsy

  • Shipmate
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
  • Model Bioat Mayhem Forum is theBest!
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2006, 08:48:17 am »

Thanks Alan
What colour food colouring?

Trevor
Logged

cbr900

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1,857
  • Mayhem is the Only Forum!
  • Location: Taree New South Wales Australia
    • Roys Hompage
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #22 on: July 13, 2006, 11:12:50 am »

Thank you for the tug info Alan I will try to organise a tug tow over here and see what happens,,


Roy
Logged
I try not to be naughty but nautical

Doc

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 327
  • Location: Oklahoma USA
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #23 on: July 13, 2006, 04:53:47 pm »

Trevor,
Chocolat, naturally!  LOL

 - 'Doc

Psst... green + blue = diesel
Logged

kninghtsy

  • Shipmate
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
  • Model Bioat Mayhem Forum is theBest!
Re: Tow Barge
« Reply #24 on: July 14, 2006, 12:04:19 am »

Thanks Doc. I will be purchasing noise and smoke shortly for my current model.  Will let you all know how it goes.

Trevor
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.109 seconds with 22 queries.