Firewood.

Didn't expect getting to version 4... 3 versions for firewood. Ended up taking a couple of prints from the Italia model and then drew my own plans. The problem is the deck cutouts for the torpedoes and getting thr bulkheads in the right place for coŕect shape. Took to version 4 to sort it. Decided a cambered deck was trying to be too clever so have done it flat. Maybe version 5. Anyway a bit more sanding and filling and will start on the super structure. Comment, critiques greatly received.

Andy

Edited By Andy Barker on 04/04/2023 22:23:55

Andy. I feel for you.

Are they SO awful that you can’t use them...repurpose them as air-sea rescue launches or something?? Take the bow bit off to leave a flush hull. Seems a shame to bin them all.

Ashley

Just a thought...how about making the hull and deck out if a single piece of blue foam, then when happy cutting it through in sections to get a template to make the bulkheads. Could be a bit messy!

That said it looks like you've cracked it already and should make a great model taking into account the effort you have made to get thus far. Finish them all and you've got your own private navy.

Hi Andy,

Suggestions for versions 1,2 &3 :-

1. Donate to a local school for a 'DT' project

2. Donate to a local model boat club (plus, join if it's nearby)

3. If you have the storage space, keep for a rainy day (something's bound to turn up eventually !)

Happy modelling,

Dave

Hi guys thanks for the comments/suggestions. Bows are going well, BUT (theres always one) Im now on 4th coat of Model Lite after Eze Koteing the hull and still have slight imperfections in the bows.

Question: thinking of eze-kote the hull and cover in tissue. last time i did this was using Dope on a plane. anyone done this. what are the pit falls/issues. does it give a good finish. Saw a post about this but cant find it.

Andy

Andy. A very common way of finishing off. It will require more filling afterwards as the tissue will not be 100% smooth, but a couple of undercoat coats should sort that out.

In the warm, EzeKote dries quite quickly, no smell and is easy to sand. It is not particularly hard however like proper polyester or epoxy resin.

Ashley

Hi Ashley, good to know. I have a couple of places on the block balsa of the bows which seem to raise no matter how much its sanded. So put a couple of coats of eze-kote last night and hoping it will sand and then the tissue will consolidate the the surface. Thats the hope anyway.

The more Im doing the more its turning into a test piece to do a larger engined model. I have a Taycol Supermarine motor circa 1980 and lead/acid battery (never had acid in) plus prop shaft and prop.

Andy

I recently used 78g/M glass fibre cloth and Z-Poxy epoxy resign. Easy to use and decent working time and cures in a few hours. All good apart from the cost which is more than polyester resin...case of smell versus ££. I used a few coats on a 36" launch style hull and that took most of a 12oz pack.

I also tried flexible car plastic filler, designed for plastic car bumpers etc so a little more sticky than standard two part filler and seems softer to sand.

Think Ill stay with the tissue for now, but good to know there are other fillers apart from P38. have no love for that stuff, used it a lot back in the day. The other problem would be smell, at the moment the wifes letting me use the kitchen, that would certainly stop if I used any solvent based material.

Not sure about the glass fibre as its only a 20" model, but good idea when I do the larger model. Dont have any good memories of glass fibre either though.

Andy

Good news with the epoxy resin is that it is odourless, but more pricey. Trick with it is to cut the fibreglass to size with little overlap and warm the epoxy to make it free flowing, and have the talc ready if you get any on your hands as it makes washing off easy. Strange how the glass fibre cloth just disappears as the epoxy soaks in...