Topic: HMS Broke (1914) Flotilla Leader - scratch build 1/96 scale (Read 14346 times)

Dreadnought · « **Reply #50 on:** June 12, 2020, 02:27:28 pm »

Looks Great

Geoff · « **Reply #51 on:** June 12, 2020, 04:05:47 pm »

I agree, looking really good.

Geoff

JohnG · « **Reply #52 on:** June 12, 2020, 05:05:01 pm »

thanks guys..

ballastanksian · « **Reply #53 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:20:45 pm »

The slightly deeper draught at the rear makes her look like the Captain has ordered all ahead full to engage the enemy and she is digging her stern in as she spools up her turbines/engines. I can imagine the sooty smoke as the stokers get busy with the shovels (or the oil sprayers were opened up

)

Anyhow, she looks gorgeous and will be great to see on a lake, perhaps one in Kettering next May.

raflaunches · « **Reply #54 on:** June 12, 2020, 11:37:31 pm »

Looking fantastic! I’m really impressed with the result so far. Can’t wait to see her on the water.

JohnG · « **Reply #55 on:** June 21, 2020, 07:35:30 pm »

READY FOR SEA TRIALS....

well the funnels, main bridge, big ventilators, and main deck structures back as far as the aft bridge are fitted. also the torpedo tubes. the fore guns are temporarily mounted pending the turret rotation system.

and the basic electrics and software are functioning. so she's ready for sea trials (well actually a friend's swimming pool) planned for tuesday... exciting times. report to follow.

i've fitted a mini camera in the centre porthole just below the bridge. just for fun i tested it taking a snap looking a a picture of a ww1 fleet. it's an actual image transmitted from the model looking forward over the guns, capstan and foredeck, with the model placed in front of a computer screen. the idea is to be able to see the 'view from the bridge' when she's sailing.

(and a challenge for the sharp eyed - what's wrong/unusual about the pic on the screen?)

raflaunches · « **Reply #56 on:** June 21, 2020, 07:42:06 pm »

Are they German ships that she is tailing?
If they are British ships she is too far behind- should be in front screening the Battle Sqn.

Looking fantastic- she’ll look brilliant on the water.

JohnG · « **Reply #57 on:** June 21, 2020, 09:27:38 pm »

well spotted Nick - correct - German ships around the time of jutland....

JohnG · « **Reply #58 on:** June 25, 2020, 12:58:24 pm »

SEA TRIALS REPORT

i'm delighted to report that the sea trial (aka test in a friend's pool) went remarkably well.

here's a link to a video.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_CxpOSRNiaY5FyZGBVZiwKiS1f4Qv9YV/view?usp=sharing
( btw if you get a 'couldn't preview' error from google drive, just click on three dots on top right corner of the page and then click 'open in new window'. A new window with video will be opened and it should be ok. )

what went well:
- the bluetooth control via the raspberry pi: faultless link, very responsive (you can see how confident i was getting towards the end of the video clip... – watching afterwards I flinched as it headed for the wall..! )
- ample power in the motors - if anything too powerful. i must research 'scale speed' in a little more detail! (the original was capable of 32 knots, which i calculate to 3.75mph scale speed- the model is capable of well over that..) comments on this welcome!
- steering: the software 'mixer' for the motor/rudder control took a while to get used to, but had a very good turning circle at low speed going forwards- remarkably so given the size of the rudder.
- the batteries lasted well (6 recycled 18650 lipos from old laptops: 4 for motors, 2 for control). minimal voltage drop after the whole trials session.

what I learned/need to correct/reflect on:
-   The list to port!! It comes from running the wires down the port side. I knew it was there, but wanted to see her under power before intervening too much. Should be easy enough to fix.
-   Steering in reverse – near impossible to helm anything except ‘straight astern’. Control is bound to be harder going astern, but need to look at the ‘soft mixer’ settings to see if it will improve.
-   Power ‘instant on’: The nature of the control via the ‘blue dot’ app means she can go to full power almost instantly. (just put a thumb on that part of the control ‘dot’). A gradual build-up of power would be more realistic. I think it’s mostly a matter of more gentle handling of the controller, which will come with practice.
-   I blew out a motor controller at the end of the trial: the starboard prop shaft seized due to the lock nut on the prop not being fully secure. Not a big problem, but in stalling the motor it blew out the l298n motor controller (symptoms: no longer controlling the motor, and power from the control pin leaking to the motor circuit.) Fortunately the pi was unaffected and I have a couple of spare controllers. I have a 5 amp fuse on the motor circuit – maybe it needs a 2a fuse on each controller.. since they are rated “2A for 2 minutes / 1A continuous”

Overall a most rewarding session… she performed well, and I learned a lot.

Geoff · « **Reply #59 on:** June 25, 2020, 05:23:55 pm »

Very nice indeed! Well done and hope to see her at Mayhem in due course.

Cheers

Geoff

ballastanksian · « **Reply #60 on:** June 25, 2020, 07:00:11 pm »

Amen. I won't comment on the list as you have it covered

As for control of speed, if you can have a slower acceleration and an emergency engines ahead full just in case you need to evade a mad captain's Iron Duke

then that would be good. Definitly pop some fuses in, as it gets expensive making the magic grey smoke all the time

It looks like you have some spare bouyancy for more detail if you plan to go all out.

JohnG · « **Reply #61 on:** June 25, 2020, 07:15:55 pm »

thanks guys. comments appreciated.

i like the comment about keeping the emergency full ahead. actually it's the full astern that i was thinking of keeping for emergencies.! fuses are ordered

yes quite a lot more detail to add. smoke unit is the heaviest item still to go on - so if i can nudge that to the starboard side.......

raflaunches · « **Reply #62 on:** June 25, 2020, 08:29:54 pm »

Looks fantastic John, as you say a little fettling and you’ll have a nice sailing destroyer which is pretty unique as far as I know. I’ll look to your next update.

JohnG · « **Reply #63 on:** June 28, 2020, 12:48:25 pm »

smoke generator mk 1 - testing

the vaporiser arrived yesterday...... a first fit gives a rewarding amount of 'smoke'.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_nhVUDUB0jNCf3_vbL0de9FTurmjjdVv/view?usp=sharing
[size=78%]( if you get a 'couldn't preview' error from google drive, just click on three dots on top right corner of the page and then click 'open in new window'. A new window with video will be opened and it should be ok. )[/size]

as noted by geoff (v helpful comment - reply no 18 on https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,60314.msg637518.html#msg637518 ) the 24v vaporiser is quite big and needs headroom to function. something of a challenge to fit it into the space - esp the headroom. but then on the original, much of the below deck space was taken up by the 6 boilers , so not so much changes..

i'd tried a small disk vaporiser, and was disappointed by the vapour generated. this is much more promising..

i think i'm going to tweak the container to be wider at the top so there's more water and it will run for longer.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #64 on:** June 28, 2020, 06:42:09 pm »

Looking good

JohnG · « **Reply #65 on:** April 23, 2021, 06:49:51 pm »

well, it's been a while since i posted (a couple of lockdowns ago!!). Hms broke is coming on. adding the rigging made a big difference to her looks. Though of course as soon as i'd finished the rigging, i could see things to improve...

JohnG · « **Reply #66 on:** April 23, 2021, 06:58:27 pm »

now i'm in the middle of adding stanchions (you can see the unpainted ones ..) - somehow i'd been putting that job off - but actually it's not so bad - after the first hundred......

at last i start to feel the build is coming towards the end. still got quite a few things to do (creating the whalers + davits is the most challenging), but it's definitely 'end in sight' now..

raflaunches · « **Reply #67 on:** April 23, 2021, 08:16:12 pm »

Hi John

Great to see the build is still going ahead- looks stunning

JohnG · « **Reply #68 on:** April 24, 2021, 10:26:14 am »

thanks nick - comment appreciated - i'm all too aware that i'm a newbie at this art...

had a few unexpected challenges along the way. the worst was that the 3d printed ABS hull moved/deformed a little in the months since it was printed. not something i expected - had to fettle the carefully cut deck sections, and add an extra cross beam to cope. if i was doing it again, would be a little different - either put wooden beams along the inside top of the hull , or more radically 3d print a mould rather than using the ABS as the hull material.

On a different topic, anyone got advice for how to form h beam brass into davit shapes?

i'd found a copy of norman ough's detail in a 1959 model boat mag - then saw i didn't need to buy it cos it's on mayhem...
https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,14183.msg136980.html#msg136980
along with other helpful details

but a first test at bending the h beam to shape shows it's not going to be easy even heating with mini gas flame...

ballastanksian · « **Reply #69 on:** April 27, 2021, 07:39:38 pm »

She looks amazing! Like with any form of art, you have to learn how to say 'that's enough so you can move on and do other things without getting obsessed with one project.

JohnG · « **Reply #70 on:** April 28, 2021, 03:28:20 pm »

Thanks for the comment. Agree there comes a time to say ‘enough’ .... but not just yet though.....!

Btw did you get back to yr m19 monitor? Would love to see pics if you did..

ballastanksian · « **Reply #71 on:** April 28, 2021, 03:35:32 pm »

I mean to, it's just I fluffed the deck/superstructure join up a little last year and it dispirited me. It isn't a million miles away from completion as long as the interface between Davits and hull work.

Geoff · « **Reply #72 on:** April 29, 2021, 04:06:45 pm »

To form H beam brass into davits just anneal it with a gas blow lamp and you will be surprised how pliable it becomes. You may need to do this several times. After it cools it will naturally regain its strength.

Looking very good indeed.

Cheers

Geoff

JohnG · « **Reply #73 on:** April 29, 2021, 07:07:32 pm »

thanks Geoff - v useful - that's roughly what i was going to try so this is definitely helpful.

and ian, do give it a go - a davits/deck pic would be welcome exactly now!!

ballastanksian · « **Reply #74 on:** April 29, 2021, 11:18:38 pm »

I have a plan but have a few bits to do first before getting back to it properly. Real life things like a garden bench for a relation.

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Author Topic: HMS Broke (1914) Flotilla Leader - scratch build 1/96 scale (Read 14346 times)