Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: This could be the end  (Read 4734 times)

BORIS

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This could be the end
« on: November 09, 2007, 10:51:09 pm »

Ballast...I never thought i would have such a problem as i have with this...trying to get any lead where i live is virtually impossible..first tried all  of the local builders merchants...any lead they had was padlocked [lock and key].!!!!had a quote for the one decent roll that i thought i would need for 3 boats im building..only £160!!!! it was not much bigger than a can of beans...so off i went to the scrapyard...None .....tirefitters ..again .nothing as they are selling the wheel balance lead weights for the money...could this spell the end of my model boat sailing  :'(
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Colin Bishop

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2007, 10:52:59 pm »

Try porridge!
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Stavros

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2007, 10:54:46 pm »

Ok simple this one as your profile does not say where you live,where do you live?????

stavros
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RickF

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2007, 11:30:17 pm »

As I mentioned on another thread, thefts of metal - scrap or otherwise - are currently rife in this area. Last week the parish church was hit. They are currently being re-roofed and three rolls of lead were taken off the scaffolding overnight. And no, I didn't get any!

Rick
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Colin Bishop

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2007, 11:35:13 pm »

It's the people who steal cast iron manhole covers from the middle of the road leaving a gaping hole which gets me - unbelievable!
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gingyer

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2007, 11:51:49 pm »

It's the people who steal cast iron manhole covers from the middle of the road leaving a gaping hole which gets me - unbelievable!

If you ever see an old cast Iron radiator (from old schools and hospitals) get a hold of it.
most companies when renovating bin them but the scrap yards give on average £150 for one.
This is how I funded my hobby when an apprentice and doing refurbishments  ::)

Colin


 
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Tom@Crewe

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2007, 09:23:54 am »

Local gun shop sells shot ......... Very easy to get weight just right as its in small balls, takes up small area again as it small balls, fix with apoxy either mixing in with the shot or just over the top to hold in place.
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RickF

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2007, 09:50:07 am »

Tom, it's not the nonavailability of lead thats the problem, it's the current price. If you can still get lead shot at sensible prices, buy it now and stock up. But I thought we were supposed to be saving the planet by killing animals with non-toxic shot?

Rick
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bogstandard

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2007, 10:59:18 am »

Get yourself a plastic bag, mix up some cement mix, pour into the bag and put it into the bottom of your boat and mould it to shape, let dry, remove from boat, take off plastic bag, varnish it and stick it back in the boat. Not as dense as lead but it is a way around the lead problem if you have the room to do it.

John
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Bunkerbarge

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2007, 12:48:12 pm »

Use dry clean sand.  Pour it into your boat, distribute it where you want, leaving yourself a degree of a safety margin, and then pour resin over it to seal it in.  The resin will soak through and it will be there for the life of the model.

Lead just happens to be very dense so it doesn't take a lot to give you the weight you require but it is by no means the only medium suitable for ballasting.
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Bryan Young

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2007, 02:13:55 pm »

Just a thought, but why not use batteries. Even dead ones have weight, and if you use "usable" ones you will have an extended sailing time!
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funtimefrankie

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malcolmfrary

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2007, 12:09:31 pm »

Ideally, the ballast should be denser than water.  lead is ideal, steel nails can be used, as mentioned above with other materials, spread out and resined in.  Water ballasting should only be a trimming device as it will raise the centre of gravity and reduce stability.  On a large model, due attention must be paid to where the CoG ts before you add water, and after.
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bogstandard

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2007, 12:11:00 pm »

Have you seen the size and weight of those things, it would cost more than the boat was worth to use those things in a large model.
I think that is trying to exploit those who know no better.

John
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dreadnought72

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2007, 12:52:45 pm »

Ideally, the ballast should be denser than water.  lead is ideal, steel nails can be used, as mentioned above with other materials, spread out and resined in.  Water ballasting should only be a trimming device as it will raise the centre of gravity and reduce stability.  On a large model, due attention must be paid to where the CoG ts before you add water, and after.
Agreed - though in practical terms, iron/steel (~7500kg/m3) isn't much different to lead (11300kg/m3) and obviously much cheaper. The breadth and inherent stability of the ship I'm working on (a 1/72nd scale Dreadnought) is making me lean towards concrete (~2400 kg/m3) as I want a slow roll and a more realistic metacentric height than those narrower hulled models you see where the ballast is too low and too dense.
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BORIS

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #15 on: November 11, 2007, 09:44:26 pm »

right , i think i will just buy a roll of lead at £60 simple...i dont want the hastle of using nails. ball bearings.  sand, concrete, resin etc.
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Jonty

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #16 on: November 11, 2007, 10:04:38 pm »

  Just bought some half-kilo bars of solder from my plumbing wholesaler. Forget the exact price, but in the order of £6.
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Shipmate60

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #17 on: November 11, 2007, 10:08:38 pm »

Anybody near me want some lead,(southampton) I got too much of it, about 5cwt at a guess.

Bob
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Stavros

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #18 on: November 11, 2007, 10:44:09 pm »

Boris if you told us where you live(town) then maybee someone on this forum would help you.But if no one knows which town you are from then we can't can we

Stavros
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wideawake

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #19 on: November 12, 2007, 07:18:04 pm »

There was lead shot on ebay recently - 10kg for £25 if you collected it yourself.  The chap seemed to deal in Subaqua stuff and sold the shot for making weight belts apparently.

HTH

Guy
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BORIS

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2007, 08:19:59 pm »

Update.....I Have taken the plunge , today i brought a roll of grade 4 roofing lead ..£47...should last me a couple of boats ..well it better do!!
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Roger in France

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #21 on: November 14, 2007, 06:26:44 am »

I saw reference to the fact that many churches are marking their lead roofing to enable identification when stolen. So, look out you guys!

Roger in France.
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Shipmate60

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #22 on: November 14, 2007, 09:36:56 pm »

My offer for free lead not taken up so paid a visit to local scrappies and sold 240Kg of it.

Bob
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Ghost in the shell

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Re: This could be the end
« Reply #23 on: November 17, 2007, 03:05:06 pm »

well I got a roll of lead flashing fro B&Q, however the weights that tyre places use are 60g steel, they are still suitable as lead.

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