Topic: Linkspan Models : MV Spirit of Free Enterprise - Development of a kit (Read 20879 times)

ballastanksian · « **Reply #25 on:** February 06, 2018, 08:48:49 PM »

Groan

I expect you will have a fair idea having designed several kits now what is needed weight wise, so I doubt you will find any problems. I wasn't aware of differences between the acrylic family but it makes sense.

carlmt · « **Reply #26 on:** February 06, 2018, 09:12:36 PM »

Some acrylics are cast and others are extruded. Cast is best as the molecules have not been put under tension by being extruded with the risk of the acrylic crazing later (so I was told by my laser supplier). And Perspex is the 'go to' brand for quality acrylic because the formulaic make up of the acrylic is constant. A little more expensive but you are paying for quality.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #27 on:** February 06, 2018, 09:15:03 PM »

That is useful to know.

raflaunches · « **Reply #28 on:** February 06, 2018, 09:17:45 PM »

Excellent quality stuff- I use Perspex for turret barbette rings and funnels after reading that Brian King used it for the same reason.

Klunk · « **Reply #29 on:** February 06, 2018, 11:34:45 PM »

Flo is getting slow on the planking Carl. Does she need some more bubble wrap???

Brian60 · « **Reply #30 on:** February 07, 2018, 06:54:43 PM »

As Carl says, there are several variants on acrylic sheet. Extruded or cast can be cut on a laser but by far the best result is from cast. trouble is the stuff is not cheap compared to extruded.

I've found it can be bonded ok after cutting on a laser (extruded) but does craze like mad sometimes - I think this is down to individual batches rather than 'across the board' so to speak.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #31 on:** February 07, 2018, 09:57:19 PM »

To paraphrase the saying: 'You normally get what you pay for'.

carlmt · « **Reply #32 on:** February 12, 2018, 11:34:47 PM »

Another chilly evening in the workshop - roll on summer PLEASE?????
Have now finished the planking to the hull below the belting line - just awaiting the delivery of a load of jelutong wood. The gaps you see in the keel near the stern will be filled with jelutong and then carved and sanded to shape. The same with the bow and stern.

The hull sides above the belting will be created using sheet as opposed to planks as, other than a slight horizontal crease midway along the sides, they are flat. The bow and stern where the doors are will be created using the jelutong again carved and sanded to shape.

Once all this is done, the whole plug will need to be sanded smooth, skim coats of filler applied and sanded again. This will be repeated until we have a very smooth and fair hull and then the whole lot will have three or four coats of filler primer applied and then rubbed down, wet, until we have a glass-smooth finish.

derekwarner · « **Reply #33 on:** February 13, 2018, 12:08:15 AM »

Carl......the hull bellying is unique

...does it have a design reference?.............. Derek

carlmt · « **Reply #34 on:** February 13, 2018, 12:37:35 AM »

To be honest Derek I have no idea! I created the frames from the lines plan and this is how it has turned out.
It looks pretty drastic in the photos but in reality it is very shallow - I think the line of the planks emphasises it. Where the hull skin rises again is where the A frames for the props sit - perhaps it helps direct the water flow into the prop? Just guessing there....

hama · « **Reply #35 on:** February 13, 2018, 04:45:10 AM »

Looking good Carl!
Best wishes to you and Flo

Hama

carlmt · « **Reply #36 on:** February 15, 2018, 11:03:31 PM »

Quote from: hama on February 13, 2018, 04:45:10 AM

Looking good Carl!
Best wishes to you and Flo
Hama

Cheers Hakan !! By the way, we have a nice package here for you - we will send it over soon. Hope you enjoy!!!

Been back in the workshop this evening (what's new there I hear you cry!!!). Blocking in with Jelutong where some shaping and carving is to be done.

Firstly the bow below the belting:

And then the stern......which, once dried, I couldn't resist carving and sanding to shape. It is SO satisfying to see it emerge!

We had a delivery of 3D parts from Shapeways today as well - which included the stern rudder and skeg, bow rudder and frame and the bow and stern loading platforms.

Here is a shot of the bow rudder and it's frame placed in position. Marks will be made in the hull to locate the rudder shaft as well as the location for the propshaft - as you can see, the shroud for the propshaft will sit half into the hull so a slot will need to be cut to accommodate this. The shroud will take a 6mm o/d tube which will contain an M4 stainless steel propshaft :

Kim · « **Reply #37 on:** February 17, 2018, 12:38:39 AM »

Hi All,
Cast / extruded argument eventually showed up in Laser cutting discussions..

CNC cut Extruded will be the cheapest option to get the parts to fit (Remember, cast is nominal thickness so no matter how good your calculations are the material will stuff you .....how do i know ? ..... i sold 5 stands before making the discovery! ...many moons have past ...

For tolerance work now I either cnc extruded for cheapness or use Hesaglas on the Laser.
Cheaper in the long run on tolerance work.
Hope it helps/ saves costly mistakes.

Regards,
Kim

Kim · « **Reply #38 on:** February 17, 2018, 12:50:00 AM »

But i have to say at the risk of being cheeky ...
Carl, you need to get some filler on that dip... I often wonder if it was a Pre-Digital thing to stuff one former on a drawing. It throws the faithful copier right off ... lol

I laugh with you as i have just encountered almost the same problem recently.

Regards,
Kim

derekwarner · « **Reply #39 on:** February 17, 2018, 01:21:32 AM »

So Kim suggests.....'you need to get some filler on that dip'

Maybe just over 1/2 a litre volume per side?..........

....Polyfilla + Microballoons ?

Derek

carlmt · « **Reply #40 on:** February 20, 2018, 02:17:30 PM »

On the case chaps........on the case. No idea what happened but it is an easy fix.

Now started to get the hull sides fitted above the belting line. A little tricky as there is a horizontal crease running the length of the hull that is quite noticeable on the real ship but, when scaled down, is less so, but is nevertheless there.....

Getting there bit by bit

ballastanksian · « **Reply #41 on:** February 20, 2018, 07:56:40 PM »

To save the time and cost of filler (though I see a good smothering of the stuff :O) Could you pop the joins between the planks and fraes at this point and fur them with shims of wood? You would end up with wee diamond gaps between the planks but maybe less filler or smartly shaped fillets of wood would sort that out.

Looking fab Carl, Your work on the crease is tidy.

carlmt · « **Reply #42 on:** February 20, 2018, 08:29:46 PM »

Quote from: ballastanksian on February 20, 2018, 07:56:40 PM

To save the time and cost of filler (though I see a good smothering of the stuff :O) Could you pop the joins between the planks and fraes at this point and fur them with shims of wood? You would end up with wee diamond gaps between the planks but maybe less filler or smartly shaped fillets of wood would sort that out.

Looking fab Carl, Your work on the crease is tidy.

Hi Ian - Many thanks for the compliments!

I see where you are going with the idea, but there isn't a great deal of filler needed really....and what will be slapped on helps to get everything nice and smooth before painting.

Cracking on with sheeting the hull - just waiting for some more sheets to steam so that they wrap at the stern without breaking....

carlmt · « **Reply #43 on:** April 30, 2018, 02:33:18 PM »

Bit of an update - we were hoping to have had a prototype hull with us at Dortmund recently but time was against us.

Nevertheless, we are progressing with the plug and can see light at the end of the tunnel

Once all the woodwork had been prepped filled and sanded, a couple of coats of wood primer were added by brush:

Then a single coat of filler primer was added by spray gun and flatted back with 400 grit wet n dry used wet:

Once cleaned with neat alcohol and tack-ragged, a further two coats of filler primer were added and we are now waiting on this drying before flatting back again:

More soon!!!!

big_bri · « **Reply #44 on:** April 30, 2018, 05:01:05 PM »

WOW! your doing a tremendous job Carl.

hama · « **Reply #45 on:** April 30, 2018, 10:54:22 PM »

That' s looking splendid Carl!
Hama

Dreadnought · « **Reply #46 on:** May 01, 2018, 07:51:23 AM »

Wow looking great!

Brian60 · « **Reply #47 on:** May 02, 2018, 07:05:27 PM »

Coming on nicely, can't wait to see the first hull out of the mould. By the way your significant other likes Lurpak, either that or you have shares in the company

carlmt · « **Reply #48 on:** May 06, 2018, 12:04:19 AM »

Thanks for all the kind words friends

And, yes, it is me that prefers Lurpak - Flo prefers salt-free butter (President if she can get it...). The tubs are extremely handy!!!!

Major milestone reached this evening - the plug has now been separated from the building board and, after a few little touch-ups here and there, it will be off to the fabricator for moulding:

Bow and stern door edges have been scribed onto the surface - it will be up to the modeller if they want to make them operable :

Test cutting of the superstructure framing will commence tomorrow

CT

derekwarner · « **Reply #49 on:** May 06, 2018, 08:27:13 AM »

Looking great progress Carl

If I am not mistaken, the designers of this Vessel chose the more conventional arrangement for the deployment of the stabilizer fins

in that the pivot is FWD of the fin blade

Derek..................opps..the image file fell off

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Author Topic: Linkspan Models : MV Spirit of Free Enterprise - Development of a kit (Read 20879 times)