Member postings for Charles Oates

Hi Roo, I run a similar sized model, your motor and battery seems fine to me, it won't hang around. What capacity is your battery? Gel battery in a quick model!! , definitely not my way of doing things.

Charles.

Edited By Charles Oates on 17/09/2023 12:04:58

Hi Andy, it's listed on their website but with no specs. However, it does say it's an aircraft one, 40 amp max. To me that suggests no reverse, and possibly made for 7.2 volts max, as was once popular.

Hi Paul, yes your pics are fine, and I have misunderstood what you're doing. Can you say which part on the pics you are referring to please.

.6 mms between the holes leaves no margin for error, and hardly any strength in the wood . If I have to drill so close together in brass, I make a template in steel, just a small piece with the holes accurately done with a pilar drill.

If I've understood you correctly I would be looking at a way to use 3 mms holes maximum and altering the davits.

A picture of two of what you are attempting would help get a better answer.

Thanks for sharing that Stephen. It's so unusual to see an article like that anywhere in the press.

Thanks Richard.

I think I messed up the link. If you type. refurbishment. Into this sites search box, it should be the top one of two results.

Charles

Hi Mike, you might find this link helpful, it includes a picture of a similar model beautifully detailed and finished.

https://www.modelboats.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=136956

Charles.

Bowman launches are still very collectable. If it were mine I wouldn't use ebay, I'd contact a reputable auction house and put it in a specialist sale. Back when I was working, Tennants of Leyburn had annual model sales and had buyers from all over the world, a very reputable company. You could contact them for some help.

I totally agree with Chris, that's an incredibly high kv for a fast scale model, 1400 kv would have been fine. To give you some idea, I have an rttl, about 1 meter long, with a 1400 kv motor, 2836. It has way more power than I need, it looks daft when going flat out, so I use the throttle a lot.

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What many of us do is but a few cheap nylon propellers, say 30, 35, 40 mms 2 blade standard props plus a couple of 3 blade ones. Then we try them out on the model preferably with a wattmeter/ ammeter. When you're happy with your choice you can either stick with it or invest in a cast metal good quality prop. Doing it this way helps you get experience of the effect on speed against amps drawn of the different sizes. I'm pretty sure you'll end up using a standard 35 mms prop with that motor.

Now that's said, you've got a major problem with the lead acid battery, it's completely unsuitable for both the Percasa, because of its weight, and wrong for that motor because it can't cope with the current needed.

There are 2 types of battery you can use, nimh. ( nickel metal hydride ) or lipo ( lithium polymer) if you're new to all this I suggest the nimh battery because lipos need informed and carefull maintenance that comes with experience.

The highly regarded component shop is a popular source of supply, you'll find them on the webb. You might re consider the voltage, perhaps starting with a 7.2 volt pack which will give over 10000 revs on the prop. I run a model with that motor, so I think you'll be surprised what it can do.

Charles.

YouTube has an excellent time lapse video about building one, they are probably the simplest build possible. Great fun to sail too. Just enter Springer the build into YouTube and you'll find it.

John, my sincere condolences, it's an awful time to get through. I've seen others in a similar situation, and the emotional turmoil makes longer term decisions difficult. Twice I've seen friends give up the hobby only to return to it later when life settled into a new shape, they missed the camaraderie and positivity of building and sharing with friends in the club.perhaps you can consider keeping some of your stuff in case this happens to you.

Whatever happens, all the best to you..

Charles.

I forgot to say, I've seen some similar ones, very cheaply made that don't compare with the Olfa.

Hi Chris, I chose this one, the dl7. I think I got lucky getting one that suited my hand.

I ordered an Olfa knife and it arrived yesterday, so I spent some time cutting some 1.5 mm ply last night. I needed some strips 4mms wide. Total success, the knife fits my hand so I need much less grip to hold it properly. The blade went through the ply beautifully, 2 light strokes and 2 with a bit more, job done. The shape of the thing means it puts the pressure on the back of my hand and doesn't twist when I cut.

Anyone who has grip problems or painful hands could look at these to see if they would suit them.

Thanks Trevor for some really helpful advice.

Charles

For the fittings have a look at a company called ' model boat bits ' . The nearest popular scale to your model is 1/48 , so close any difference is imperceptible.

Thanks everyone for some really useful help. As sometimes happens, after I read the answers I realised I should have explained better. I already have a scroll saw although it's a pretty ancient Dremel one it still works beautifully, as does my ancient bandsaw. I still use a knife for a lot of fine or detail work, probably because that's what I'm used to doing and it's so much easier for me with fine or curved cuts or interior cuts.

Niel, thanks for the help with a rotary cutter, I've enough unused tools that just decorate the shelves, so I'll give them a miss.

Trevor, the Olfa knives look really interesting, so I'm going to try one out, thanks.

Richard, the proxon looks like a great little machine, I could use that to save on a lot of knife work and save my hands for the fiddly bits.

Thanks again to all.

Charles

After 60 years of cutting wood, mostly thin ply etc, the inevitable has happened, arthritis in the hands. I've always tried to cut properly using lots of light strokes but now even that is very painfull.

My trusty old Stanley knife is not too bad to grip, but I'm hoping someone on the forum has found something better. Is there a decent rotary knife that will cope with 1.5 mms ply?

I would guess that there are many of you with a similar problem so any advice or ideas to help me keep going is much appreciated.I

Charles.

This is a personal view, others might disagree. I would not add any ballast at all, if you can avoid it, maybe just for trimming the model.

I'd do a flotation test, and mark a new waterline, if it doesn't seem ridiculous I'd paint it there. If it does look a bit silly, I'd compromise and lower the waterline as much as looks ok. Once the model is finished and working I doubt you'll ever give it any thought again. Once you see it powering over choppy water and see a graceful high speed turn you won't give a fig for the waterline. Great models and great performers.

Charles.