thibaultron

Darius, I can one falling asleep in a chair like that. Especially when one can recline the backrest to that extent. 

I have one of these ,(the earlier version Anda Seat AD12XL-03 Gaming Chair XL) ,but it's the same chair - It's on the expensive side but I've got a shot spine and on the larger size so it was worth the investment!
It's my computer chair and modelling chair in one seeing i do my modelling at my computer desk😎 ,and it has got to be one one of the most comfortable chairs ive ever owned ,(fallen asleep a few times in it😏🤣) ,5 years and the only thing wrong is a small split on the front of the seat!
https://www.andaseat.ca/products/dark-knight-gaming-chair

I can now look at assembling some of this heavy metal, as well as looking at how it'll be powered and displayed.
 
A substantial electric motor is hidden in plain view on this model, in the ancillary equipment which sits on the outside of the low pressure housing. Here you see the motor being fitted into that. You'll see the gearing too. I do pack this out with some model grease which isn't shown in the photos as it's fairly gunky.
 








One thing that doesn't need to be assembled is the control unit. This is a self-contained unit which has a shiny button on the left for engine sound, and a toggle on the right for simple engine on/off. In the middle is the working throttle. This is connected to the unit I just built to test that all is working. I left this for a minute or two to properly bed in.

The engine test cradle is now put together and the control unit bolted into position.




 
The engine needs to be built up before it can be mounted. The forward low pressure rings are now bolted together with a mix of both locking nuts and regular nuts with thread-lock applied.

 
 
Enter the large low pressure fan I built at the beginning. This is now slid into position and a high pressure rotor bolted into place from the rear.


 
More rotors now slid into position.


 
 
The electric motor needs to have a gearing system in place which turns the rotation through 90 degrees towards the main fan shaft. This little unit is now built and greased and then inserted into the intermediate green casing which will be seen in the next and last update.


...to be continued.

Cleats are located outside both quarter blocks.  The length of the cleat is 125% the diameter of the yard.  The easiest way to make two identical cleats is to glue two pieces of the correct width wood together with PVA.  Shape them and then dissolve the bond in isopropanol.  The cleats were glued to the yard outside the quarter blocks. 
 
 
There are three more blocks on each side of the yard: two buntline and one clueline.  These are  single blocks and are stropped just as was done with the quarter blocks except the strops are not served.  I used 3 mm single blocks for them.  Because these strops are not served, it was easier to make an eye-splice on each end to form the loops, just as was done for the futtock shrouds (minus the thimble).  As with the other blocks, the strop seizing is on the fore side of the yard.  The buntline blocks point skyward and the clueline blocks downward, as seen below.

I have temporarily inserted the pin connecting the mast and yard.  The pin passes between the turns of the double strop of the jeer block.

For anybody interested, the kit is now available through the NRG store.  https://thenrgstore.org/collections/plans-and-projects/products/masting-and-rigging-kit
 
The jeers are the pulley system used to raise and lower the lower yard.  This ship has three jeer blocks, one attached to the lower yard and two others suspended by strops from the masthead.  These blocks are not included in the kit.  They are large enough that they are not difficult to make.  The jeer tye runs through the blocks.  The tye is a 6” rope with a scale diameter of 0.04”; the opening for the sheave is just large enough to allow the rope to run through it.
 
Look at the block proportion drawing.  The sheave opening width is “1” on the drawing.  The length of the block is 8, the width is 4, and the breadth is 6.  The sheave opening length is 5.5 times the sheave opening width.  It is not centered in the block, as shown in the drawing.  The jeer blocks have a double strop, so the blocks will need two grooves on their sides instead of just one.

 
To make the three blocks, I took a piece of boxwood a little larger than required and sanded the sides to the correct width and breadth.  Sanding instead of sawing prevented any burn marks on the wood.  The tops and bottoms of the three blocks, the sheave opening and the strop grooves were drawn onto the wood.  A  space was left between the blocks to make shaping the bottom of the blocks easier.  These blocks will have a false sheave and the sheave bolt is omitted because it is hidden by the strop.
 
I started with the sheave opening.  A 0.045” opening corresponds to a #57 drill bit.  I drilled the holes for all three blocks at the same time.  I used a drill press but this could be done with a pin vise.  The key is to keep the drill bit exactly at 90 degrees to the wood strip.  If you do not have a drill press, I would suggest drilling shallow holes from each side and having them meet in the middle.  This is what happens if your angle is slightly off and you drill through from one side.

A #11 blade was used to score the block along the pencil lines between the two holes and using a combination of files and #11 blade, the area between the score marks was shaped to simulate the sheave.  Two shallow cuts were made all around both ends of the blocks and halfway between them.  Using a V-shaped chisel, the strop grooves were cut.  The halfway cuts acted as a stop to prevent from cutting into the next block. 
 
With a sanding stick, the upper part of the block was shaped on all four sides.  I removed most of the wood between the saw cuts and start shaping the bottom of the block.  Finally, the block was cut free from the strip and the lower edge was shaped. 
 
The jeer block is located in the center of the yard.  The double strop for the jeer block is made from served 5” rope.  Just like the quarter blocks, the jeer block is not centered on the strop, but at the 1/3 mark.  The strop eyes are located on the fore side of the yard and secured with a seizing.

 
I made a template for the strop from a scrap piece of rope following the instructions below.  It took a few trials to get the correct length.  Once I was satisfied, the strop splice was unglued and the total length required was measured.  The pictures look somewhat crude but consider that the entire strop is less than 1.5” long.  These pictures are enlarged so that you can see the process.  I served a piece of rope, leaving extra unserved rope and serving thread for the splice.  The two ends were untwisted to make the splice.  This was glued and, when dry, served over with the extra serving thread.  Eyes were formed at both ends of the strop.
 
The block was positioned on the strop and seized so that one leg was twice as long as the other.  The splice is on the side of the block, where it will be less noticeable.

 
The arms were wrapped around the yard and the two loops were seized together.  These pictures show both sides of the yard.  The seizing is on the fore side. 
 
 

Mary,
    Many thanks. 

We just activated it in the store a few minutes ago.  We have an initial batch of 25 ready to go.  If they start going fast we will order more parts right away!
 
Mary

The lower yard is specified on the plans as 41.5 feet long, with a centerline diameter of 9.2”.  Just like the mast, the yard is divided into quarters.  There are four quarters on either side of the centerline.  The two center quarters are octagonal and the yard tapers from 9.2” to 7.8” at the end of the second quarter.  Because this is a desktop model, I did not want the yard to extend beyond the side of the hull and made only the middle twenty-five feet.
To make the yard, I started just like the mast, marking the dimensions on all four sides of the dowel.  Because this is such a short piece of wood, a template was not necessary.  The center octagonal section was made first.  Then I wrapped tape around the center quarters to protect them and tapered the outer part of the yards.  Finally, I rounded the tapered portions with sandpaper.  The drawing illustrates the dimensions.

 
A pin was placed in the center point of the yard to secure it to the mast.  The yard sits at the level of the futtock stave so I drilled a corresponding hole in the mast.  You can see the mast hole location in the picture in the previous post, just above the uppermost woolding.
Nine blocks were installed on the yard.  The jeer block is part of a pulley system to raise the yard.  Its configuration changed several times in the eighteenth century and varied with different sized ships.  This configuration is appropriate for a ship smaller than 28 guns in the last quarter of the 18th century.  Quarter blocks carry the topsail sheet falls.  Clew lines run from the corner of the lower sails (the clews) through the clew blocks.  The buntlines raise the foot of the sail for furling and run through the bunt blocks.   

 
The quarter blocks were installed first.  The kit will include 5 mm blocks; mine were slightly larger to be the correct length of 5.2 mm.  These blocks are stropped with served line.  This is my technique.  Serve a piece of line that you think will be the right length; on my model this was 1.6”.  This is running rigging so the serving thread is natural color.  I used Gutterman sewing thread.  Leave a long tail of serving thread on either end.

The first step was to make a loop at one end.  Untwist a short segment of rope next to the end of the serving on one side and cut the untwisted threads at a 45-degree angle to decrease the bulk.  Form a loop, with the untwisted threads laying alongside the served part of the rope.  With the tail of serving thread, wrap the untwisted threads and previously served line.  In actual practice, the untwisted line would be laced into unserved rope and then the service would continue along the loop, terminating at the throat of the loop.  Temporarily seize the block and measure how long the strop should be by wrapping it around the yard.  The loop ends do not meet; a seizing will run between the loops to secure it to the yard.  Make a kink in the rope to mark the spot.  Remove the block and make the second loop the same way.  Measure the length of the finished strop so you know how long to make the strop for the other side.
 
Reinsert the block and secure it with a throat seizing.  The seizing is located on the fore side of the mast and the block hangs below the mast.  This picture incorrectly shows the legs the same length.  Finally, the strop was wrapped around the yard and the two loops were seized together.
 
 

Really well done!!
Rick

Thanks Ian,
i wasn’t sure how those things would work out. 

I think she looks great with furniture and crew of models aboard!

Not in my workshop, but at my computer. I broke one hip 25 years ago, and had the other replaced two years ago. Sitting in any desk chair was very painful for my legs after a half hour or so, and I would have to get up and sit in my recliner, or lay down. Any chair with a regular cushion had the same effect. I saw a review of a chair like this one and bought one to try out. I can sit for hours at the computer now! I spend a lot of time at my computer, drafting various things for my models, so this chair has been great.
 
https://www.staples.com/union-scale-flexfit-hyken-ergonomic-mesh-swivel-task-chair-black-un59460/product_990119
 

 
 

Just a few detail shots while I wait for my new Tx/Rx and ESC.  At times I don't like the way this boat looks.  And at other times I do like it. It is not a perfect build for sure. But I like these detail pics so here they are.

Wow that must have been fun.  I know nothing about R/C boats.  My main hobby has been model trains.  I have built trains, planes, boats, ships, cars, trucks and other things. I am amazed how involved you can get with models.
 
I found this drawing on ebay.  This drawing may be of the real boat or it may be a plan for a model. I bought the Marx version of this boat on ebay and with this drawing I may complete a model with a complete interior. 

Assembling the high pressure compressor
The previous two assemblies cab now be fitted together. Whilst one of these rotates within the other, there's no need to add any lubrication as the centre assembly will rotate on the main drive shaft and is clear of the outside casing. 
 

Combustion chamber
The first assembly also has a cutaway window so the modeller can see the interior parts while the engine is running. 




A few small external details are now added to the completed chamber, namely the fuel branch pipes and distribution ring. 

 
High pressure turbine rotor
You'll start to see a pattern of seemingly similar items being built. The assembly of these is very, very similar, even if the completed units are physically different. 






 
 
Low pressure turbine case
As before, this has another viewing window and there are more stator blade elements that sit within. These are held in place by a black ring which sits atop them and is secured by four screws from the outside of the casing.


 
 
The various stator parts can now be fitted in conjunction with the rotary units

 
Now a large section of the case is fitted onto this unit, trapping the rotors and stators within. All of these circular assemblies are first secured with a small number of bolts and locking nuts. When everything is guaranteed to be central, the remainder of the bolts are fitted with regular nuts. Again, all are thread-locked.

 
 
This unit is now fitted out with cooling pipes and their connection units. Extra clips are fitted over these which hold the pipes into the correct position to each other. The pipes are also numbered so you get them in the correct sequence, starting with the largest diameter ones. As with much of this engine, this assembly is quite heavy.


 
....to be continued.

Work begins!
 
Fan and main shaft
We are immediately thrown into the main event on this kit, namely the engine's driveshaft and the intake fan (first low pressure rotor). The driveshaft is first bolted to the fan drum. Whilst you see a lock washer here, I have used thread-lock throughout this build to protect bolts from rotating parts, coming adrift, and also static bolts which could be affected by vibration. Oil bearings are lightly oiled and modelling grease compound has been added where appropriate. 
 



 
 
All of the fan blades are perfectly created so they are balanced. You'd have a real problem if the main fan was unbalanced. All of these blades are slotted into the drum. There is a little 'play' in these, as there is in the numerous other fans. This is perfectly normal. 


 
 
The blades are now fixed in situ with these fastenings which sit between the blades and are screwed from the rear of the fan drum. 

 
 
There is still a little unevenness in the position of the last parts, but this is entirely removed when the fan spinner is screwed into place. Note the spiral which is a safety feature of the real thing. 

 
 
This is already a heavy and substantial subassembly. I put this to one side while I worked on the rest, making sure I didn't rest it on its fan blades. 


 
Second Low Pressure Rotor
We all know thatches engines have various high and low pressure rotors/compression, and this assembly is the rotor which will sit to the rear of the main fan. The parts to build this are seen here, with the separate blades. The two turntable parts are first bolted together and then the blades slotted between them in the correct orientation. Finally, a stopper is fitted to complete the turntable and prevent the blades from escaping. 
 
 



 
 
Second stage low pressure rotor
This assembly is built in exactly the same way as the one above. The only difference being the blade angles and the turntable drum shapes. 
 

 
 
First low pressure stator
Whereas the previous assemblies were moving items, this one is static and will sit between the others. This consists of a static low voltage connector ring in which a set of stator blades are slotted into an internal recess in the ring. These seem a little loose until the securing ring is tightened up onto the blades and they form a complete circle which droops from the ring. EngineDIY sent me a set of replacement parts for these as the original ones  and their customer service was super fast. No complaints whatsoever. 



 
 
High Pressure Lower stator Case
We now turn attention to a part of the engine's outer case. This will sit just to the rear of the main fan casing and consists of two nicely machined halves into which clear viewing windows are inserted. Inside these sit two more rows of static stators, seen here in black. These are simply pushed into place and will move about, so it's a case of making sure they stay still until the halves are eventually bolted together.


 
 
High Pressure Rotor
Inside that housing sits a high pressure rotor assembly. This is essentially a set of drums and rotors which are bolted together into a single unit. These are all slotted onto three rods which are then secured at each end of the drum. 




 
....to be continued.

i need one under my backside to get some projects moving, great review @James H

1:10 Turbofan Engine
Teching
Catalogue #33ED3479934
Available from EngineDIY for $999.99USD (minus discount)
 

A turbofan or fanjet is a type of air-breathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a combination of the preceding generation engine technology of the turbojet, and a reference to the additional fan stage added. It consists of a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanical energy from combustion, and a ducted fan that uses the mechanical energy from the gas turbine to force air rearwards. Thus, whereas all the air taken in by a turbojet passes through the combustion chamber and turbines, in a turbofan some of that air bypasses these components. A turbofan thus can be thought of as a turbojet being used to drive a ducted fan, with both of these contributing to the thrust.

Animation of a 2-spool, high-bypass turbofan 
A. Low-pressure spool
B. High-pressure spool
C. Stationary components
1. Nacelle
2. Fan
3. Low-pressure compressor
4. High-pressure compressor
5. Combustion chamber
6. High-pressure turbine
7. Low-pressure turbine
8. Core nozzle
9. Fan nozzle
 
The turbofan was invented to improve the fuel consumption of the turbojet. It achieves this by pushing more air, thus increasing the mass and lowering the speed of the propelling jet compared to that of the turbojet. This is done mechanically by adding a ducted fan rather than using viscous forces by adding an ejector, as first envisaged by Whittle.
(Information abridged from Wikipedia)
 
 
The kit
This is a large and heavy kit. It's also very expensive and I make no secret of this. The box with contents, weighs in at about 5kg, and the completed model at around 4kg. In all, there's over 1000 parts, including the various fittings of course. That product box is extremely sturdy and takes a real effort to get that lid from the base. You can get an idea of the size of this kit with my magnifying visor sat on top. The engine seems to be based on the CFM International LEAP turbofan engine, as fitted to the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320 Neo. The finished model also features a test stand and a throttle unit with full engine sound. 

 
Here are a few more specs, supplied by Teching.
Material: Aluminum alloy + Stainless Steel Model: Dual Rotor Turbofan Engine Scale: 1/10 Model Length: 380mm Fan Diameter: 165mm Number of Parts: 1000+PCS (Components: 400+PCS, Screws & Nuts: 600+PCS) Drive System: Motor-driven Battery: 3.7V 800mAh Lithium Battery Power Charging Cable: DC 5V USB Cable Charging Time: 3 hours Battery Life: 1 hour (at Full Charge) Assembly Time: Approx. 10 hours
 
Underneath that heavy lid are several trays of parts, all numbered so you know exactly where to find the parts you need. A number of parts are fairly similar, so it's important you use the correct ones as you go. On top of the parts trays is a clear acetate sheet to make sure nothing comes loose, and lastly, the colour instruction manual is provided.

 
 
Here you can see just how those parts are supplied. Many smaller parts, such as stator blades etc. are packed into clear wallets and then sat within their numbered recesses. One point to note here is that there is a little fine, slightly powdery debris on many parts, from that foam. I found that blowing the parts with an aerosol cleaner helped first...especially as the construction is precision. 
 
Tray 1

 
 
Tray 2

 
 
Tray 3

 
 
Tray 4

 
 
 
Tray 5

 
 
I've now laid out the trays so you can see the parts a little clearer. the main parts have either an anodised, dipped, or painted finish. All of the finishes are robust and not easily marked. All of the black parts you see are also metal. The only plastic parts I believe I encountered are the clear viewing windows for the various cutaway sections. 





 
 
As you can see, many of the cutout have more than one part, but all are so carefully packed that nothing whatsoever is marked or damaged. 

 
 
Instructions
This comes in the forum of a full colour, glossy 124 page publication, which details every single stage in wonderful clarity, with sometimes more than one single image to show a particular stage. The manual is published in both English and Chinese text, and not only includes the instructions, but also a little about the engine, some safety notes, and also a full colour parts key at the end of the manual. I didn't find a need for the latter, but it's there if you feel you need to reference it.












 
 
Tools
The model is also supplied with a set of tools. I did have problems with the 1.5mm hex driver as the head sheared off. That's no problem for me anyway as I wanted to use my own Wera tools. Some small spanners are also supplied.

 
Fittings
Two plastic compartment boxes are included. As well as the screws, bolts, nuts etc, the boxes also contain bearings and other parts specific to this particular kit. All in metal. 


 
 
Conclusion
You really have to like assembling mechanical models to get the most from this kit. There are LOTS of nuts and bolts to tackle and you'll need a reasonable bench area to store the various subassemblies as the build commences. The model is all metal in construction (apart from the clear viewing panels) and is something that really should not be rushed, and why would you want to if you are paying a premium for such a project. Tools are supplied with the kit, although my 1.5mm hex driver head did shear off and I continued with my Wera hex head set for most things. This is very much a precision kit and the excellent instructions need to be followed at each step. There are more than enough images for you to get orientation correct, and the text is very easy to follow, with no ambiguity. The only thing I would suggest is that you get a little model grease for the various gears, and a little lube oil for the bearings. The kit does have a space in the accessories box for that lube, but it's not included in the UK shippings, for reasons I don't know. If you've ever wanted to buy a model engine of a turbofan, then it gets no better than this one. 
 
So what do I think of the kit in terms of build-ability? Well, we'll look at this over the next posts I make, culminating in a full build and video test startup. 
 
My sincere thanks to Lucas at EngineDIY for the opportunity to build this remarkable kit on Model Ship World. To buy directly, click the link at the top of this article.

To get a nice fat discount on this kit, use the voucher code JAMESHATCH at checkout.
 
...TO BE CONTINUED.
 

 

Ha ha... I'm not going out alone. "I'm taking you with me!" ☺️

Ha ha! You're doomed. 😮

I think that this was ccoyle's fault. I was looking around and accidentally stumbled upon a 'cardstock' build in the forum. Looked kinda interesting so I thought "What the heck!" I went to the named manufacturer, in Poland, and started looking around. Today, an international package arrived containing Shipyard paper model kits for the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Not sure when I'll actually start working on these, but 'by-golly' I've got them!     

All nice chairs. Moonbug, that thing is a beast but I think out of my price range. At least what I’m willing to spend that kind of money on. 
I think I’ll be perusing Amazon to see what they’ve got. 

This is mine, from Amazon. What I like about this one is it's quite tall at its upper end and can also sink low enough for a regular desk.
 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BFLRH7WJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

I've had mine since Feb 2023 when I moved the shipyard down to a basement room.  It's quite comfortable to sit for hours at a time, has wheels (as you can see) which makes it nice to roll easily to a couple additional tables I have in the room, and I like the arms to rest on, but they do both pivot up out of the way, if needed.
 
Amazon.com: Modway Veer Reception Desk Flip-Up Arm Drafting Chair in Black : Office Products
 

About 35 years ago I attended my first Nationals with the RC Warship Combat Club (we had radio controlled warships with radio controlled BB guns on them and each team tried to sink the other side's ships). Well we were on one of the reflecting ponds at a former Worlds Fair site. There was a nearby building with a glass outside elevator. Very time the elevator moved my steering servo gliched, and I lost control until the elevator stopped!. Not a good thing! That night the boat worked perfectly at the hotel. In desperation it took a 3 foot long twisted shielded pair cable I had in my tool box and replaced the servo wiring with that. I left the whole thing coiled up in the hull. The next day the ship worked perfectly! I left it that way all week. I took it out and reinstalled the old wiring when I got home, and the boat worked perfectly for the next two years.
 
The combat is not as destructive as it sounds. All the electronics were in watertight and BB proof boxes, and the plywood ribs withstood the abuse. The only thing we had to do was periodically replace the silkspan covered 1/32nd balsa skin. Generally once or twice a year, if I attended every event I could (one week long Nationals, and 4 or 5 weekend long events). We also had mesh armor on the inside of the ribs to protect the equipment, but still allow water to come in through the holes. There was also one bilge pump, that had a restricted outlet. As long as it kept up, the boat stayed above the water. We did this in shallow water, so we could retrieved sunken, or out of control models. I participated for 15 years, and no one ever lost a model.