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Author Topic: Amati Riva Aquarama build log  (Read 20228 times)

Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #50 on: August 14, 2019, 10:11:59 am »

Thanks Shadysadie,  Waiting for Amazon to knock at the door with various bits including wire.. Thanks for the heads up though.....
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #51 on: August 15, 2019, 01:30:46 pm »

Wire arrived and all the electrics are now complete save for a few cable ties to keep everything in its place.  The main battery (I'm using a separate receiver battery) will probably go in between the motors and the esc however I'll not install any fixings for it until I've at least tried it in the bath as I'm a little concerned about the weight so high in the boat.  If I think that'll be a problem then the battery will go under the rear seat just forward of the motors.
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #52 on: August 15, 2019, 01:41:20 pm »

Last job today was to get the LEDs for the mooring lights installed and wired through.  Made a few schoolboy errors along the way including dropping one LED on the garage floor which seems to have vanished for good, blew up another LED when I forgot to install the resistor, and whilst I was poking around with a volt meter trying to diagnose that problem I managed to short the battery through the LED lead I was holding and now have a nice burn line in my finger.   {:-{   Good job I had a few spare LEDs to hand.


Woes now all forgotten when that last test showed that all the electrics work as planned.....
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #53 on: August 17, 2019, 04:15:50 pm »

The next stage is to prepare the still square and rough bulkheads for planking by removing copious quantities of wood and preparing a skeleton on which the planks will lay smoothy.  At the bow this involves being pretty aggressive with the dremel although the further back you go the less wood there is to remove.  I'm judging how near I am to the correct depth by leaving a small amount of the dark laser cut edges still showing.


I've now glued in the mooring lights using a piece of planking to judge the correct position and the first bow section will then be hand sanded to shape once the glue for the mooring lights has dried.
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #54 on: August 20, 2019, 11:33:53 am »

Yesterday I fitted the first pair of planks, one at the chine and one at the keel.  The chine planks went OK but the keel planks were completely misshapen by the clamps.  Where I was trying to squeeze the planks together whilst the glue dried I'd applied rather too much pressure and the clamps had lifted the planks at the boats centreline away from the frames.  I tried and tried to make the best of a bad job but eventually ripped, sanded and planed them off.  I guess because I had so many clamps holding everything together I just didn't see what was happening underneath!
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #55 on: August 20, 2019, 11:39:14 am »

Today I tried a different approach for the keel planks and resorted to CA glue to get them lined up and attached after which I've squeezed Tightbond between and behind the planks, right or wrong it's certainly looking rather better than it did when I took the clamps off this morning!
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #56 on: August 20, 2019, 11:43:21 am »

By the way UK Mike, I was re-reading your Riva log last night and saw your picture of the horizontal stern piece that gave you problems.  Do you think that Amati were monitoring your progress as this seems to have been fixed.  Here's a couple of pictures of the stern before and after a quick sand....
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #57 on: August 21, 2019, 10:31:20 am »

Just checking these still work before I can't get to the wiring behind the planking...
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #58 on: August 21, 2019, 10:31:57 am »

And the next pair of planks
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #59 on: August 28, 2019, 11:47:15 am »

Had a few days away in Cambridge so took a break from planking for a while.  For the most part it seems to be going OK but fitting the planks around the stern tubes is proving to be quite difficult.  I think that at some stage Amati changed from direct drive to geared drive but failed to go back and see what effect that had on the build, having to plank around the tubes in situ is not covered at all in the instructions and if I'm ever faced with the same situation again I'll do everything I can to find a way to fit the planks first and cut the stern tube exits out last.  Moan over, here are a few pictures of progress so far....
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #60 on: August 29, 2019, 12:48:34 pm »


                           HELP PLEASE

A question if I may for anyone who's built one of these....


Frame numbers 6 & 7 close to the bow have a small step cut into them.  This notch or step follows the line where the sides and bottom of the boat meet.  My question is, should the planking follow this step or is it there simply to show where the first plank should be fixed.  If the step were any more pronounced I'd be pretty sure that it should be replicated during planking but as shown below it's so small that it will be really difficult not to lose it after two layers of planks have been fixed and sanded smooth?


Cheers
Nigel
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Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #61 on: August 29, 2019, 04:11:16 pm »

Hello,
I am in the process of building this boat but it is for now and then when I get time! If I remember corectly you should lay a plank along this line from front to back on both sides as shown in the boek.  This is the overgang from bottom to side. I am also using the Amati drive set and layed planks upto the inside of the propshafts then took the shafts out. When you lay the next plank you have an idee where the shaft comes out and trim the plank first then afterwoods make the right size with a round rasp.  Uk Mike has given help in the past and his build blog is eerste klasse! I recommend reading it.
Hoop it goes well for you.
Mvg Andre
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Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #62 on: August 29, 2019, 04:14:42 pm »

Spinney, from your fotos this part looks ok.
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #63 on: August 29, 2019, 05:33:12 pm »

Thanks Andre,  UK Mike's build was one of the reasons for buying the kit in the first place and I've read it at some length.  He used his own drive set and mine does not allow me to remove the shafts one planking started.  I'm passed that stage now but thanks for the steer....
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #64 on: September 30, 2019, 12:08:23 pm »

Thanks to Mark T who wins the prize for best suggestion for my mysterious rubber grommets (on page 2).


I finally received a reply from Amati (via the shop that supplied the kit) who had this to say. 


"I’m sorry for the delay.  These two rubber pcs. are not necessary, you will note in the new motor set they are not included.

Modelers are free to use them or not, they were included to attenuate vibrations but they don’t work very well."


Just a thought - are they meant to isolate the motor from the motor mount to reduce noise?


For anyone else who decides to build this kit I would definitely advise against getting the Amati hardware to go with it, the vibrations that Amati mention above are better described as a horrible clatter and as I've mentioned before, none of the running gear can be removed once installed.
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Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #65 on: October 03, 2019, 03:43:09 pm »

Hi Spiney,
Having bread what you had to say about the motors & propshafts I decided to just loosely connect mine up and see what happens.
The noise and vibrations are unbelievable and I had to turn it off after a couple of tests in each direction.
Normally I would buy motors & propshafts etc apart but as this motorisation was from Amati I thought it would be good Quality.
I have just contacted Cornwall Model Boats about this but they have not heard of any problems. They suggested e-mailing Amati which is what I will do although I doubt this will offer a solution.
The only alternative now is cut the propshafts out of the hull and start again.
To echo Spineys words do not buy the Amati motor kit for the Aquarama!!!!!
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derekwarner

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #66 on: October 04, 2019, 01:03:28 am »

Andjo......are you able to photograph and post images of the motors & mountings, couplings and propeller shaft tube assemblies?


Such resonant vibrations & noise is usually attributed to mechanical/alignment issues......


Derek
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #67 on: October 04, 2019, 06:39:43 am »

Thanks Derek,  Quite a few photographs on page 2.  It's not alignment causing the problem, just a poor gear set and shafts that are a poor fit in the shaft tube bushes.  I suspect that this model is destined to spend most of its life as a static and that I'll build something else for the grandsons to play with.
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Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #68 on: October 04, 2019, 03:49:18 pm »

Hello Derek,
Thanks for your interest. I have just spent 2 hours checking and testing and as Spinney said nothing seems to fit properly. Both the inner shafts are slightly bent and for the rest well!!!!!!!!!!!


I shall be spending some time with the Dremel and removing the motors and shafts and start again.  It's not impossible but needs patience which I have a lot of.  Maybe this is an option for you to Spinney.
Regards Andre
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Mark T

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #69 on: October 05, 2019, 12:05:12 pm »

Just a thought - As your propshaft tubes are already installed could you not modify these?  Could the plastic bearings at each end be removed and replaced by brass ones with a new shaft running through the centre?  There are a few companies that supply propshaft's that I've heard mentioned on here may be able to help you.  It would save ripping the complete shafts out of the hull.

Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #70 on: October 06, 2019, 09:25:04 am »

Spiney, it is not my intention to hijack your blog but I thought this might help you get it in the water!!


All the old out, reuse the motors (budget) and new propshafts and couplings.


Andre
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #71 on: October 06, 2019, 10:52:27 am »

Blimey that was fast work!

Many thanks for the suggestion but I think I'll continue with what I have.  I have been thinking that as a 'toy' for the grandkids this was never going to have been that suitable as it is supposed to to be a bit of a wet boat on the water and the seals to stop water getting to the electrics give away the original Amati intention of a static model.

For the kids I rather fancy a big huntsman with loads of room to be creative with the running gear!
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Andjo

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #72 on: October 06, 2019, 05:01:04 pm »

Spiney,
Been there done that, 46" Huntsman, loads of room inside.
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Taranis

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #73 on: July 06, 2020, 08:45:26 pm »

Where are we with this now Spiney? I hope your are well, its been a while  :P
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ANDY
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Spiney

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Re: Amati Riva Aquarama build log
« Reply #74 on: July 07, 2020, 10:12:20 am »

Hi Taranis, Indeed it has been a while, the boat is in the workshop in pretty much the same state as the last post.  Although I really like the look of the model it weighs an absolute ton and I've not even started on the second planking layer yet.  As the excuse for building it was for the grandson to sail I decided that the likely all up weight would make it too much of a handful and kinda lost interest.  If I was starting over again I'd heavily modify the build and get as much weight out of it as possible and install my own power plant to boot.  Hopefully I'll be back at some point with another build no doubt inspired by some of your builds (I do fancy an RNLI inspired craft myself).


Thanks for the interest and hope to be back soon.......
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