Riva Aquarama by aydingocer - FINISHED - Amati - RADIO - A new challenge for a so-far static ship builder

[aydingocer]

END of BUILD DAY 20.

 

6,5 hours today.

71 hours into build in total.

 

I managed to do sanding and plank altogether 10 strips today. Not bad. Here is the status below. Thanks for watching.

 

Edited July 18, 2016 by aydingocer

[cog]

Aydin,

 

A rubber band might work too, if you need some more pressure that is, and to compensate for height differences you could add a piece of wood

[Keith_W]

Looks great. What glue are you using? It would have to be something that does not dissolve in water?

[Nirvana]

Aydin,

 

Looks great. What glue are you using? It would have to be something that does not dissolve in water?

 

Keith has a point here, which I think many of us never thought about when you started your build and specially going for RC version.

Some of us in here has built RC boats; including me, see my T37 sailing yacht.

I never used anything but Epoxy!

It is messy, but it is a guaranty from water damages.

I just recalled the instructions from my RC build.

Even the inside of the hull must be treated otherwise you will have problems in the future.

Water will always finds it way in!

Otherwise beautiful build!

Edited July 18, 2016 by Nirvana

[EJ_L]

Aydin, she sure is looking good! Very nice work. I too was wondering about the glue you were using and what the plans are for sealing her up watertight. Would hate to see this beauty sink on her maiden voyage or any other for that matter. We do not need another Vasa reenactment.

[cog]

I build the Smit Rotterdam a very long time ago. The inside I sealed with epoxy resin, which sealed of the prop shafts, and fixed the rudders nicely too. The hull I glued with water resistant white wood glue. Since it gets painted, and lacquered, you won't need epoxy for that, at least ... if you do your paint work well ...

 

Cheers

[aydingocer]

I am planning to use fiberglass sheet with epoxy solution after I am done with planking, before assembling the ornaments.

 

Here is a good 15 minute youtube tutorial which I think I will follow the instructions in: 

[Nirvana]

 Aydin,

Don't make it to thick!...... carefully  with mixture as this is  almost like science

[aydingocer]

 Aydin,

Don't make it to thick!...... carefully  with mixture as this is  almost like science

 

Sure I will make several tests on scrap wood. You can't rush science... especially on a piece of art 

[cog]

That's the outside, I take it you have very little maneuverability on the inside, which was what I meant for the epoxy resin. Just coat the inside by rollin' it arround. If you get water inside, you'll have a problem too, so you can't rely on outside only, as it doesn't always come through the outside. However, that tutorial is good, thank you

[aydingocer]

That's the outside, I take it you have very little maneuverability on the inside, which was what I meant for the epoxy resin. Just coat the inside by rollin' it arround. If you get water inside, you'll have a problem too, so you can't rely on outside only, as it doesn't always come through the outside. However, that tutorial is good, thank you

 

Ah, yes, you mean the inside. For that I have in mind to use epoxy based sealer, such as Hempel 599, which is used in yachts. 

[aydingocer]

BUILD DAY 21-22.

 

8 hours in two days.

79 hours into build in total.

 

Continuing with the second planking in these two days. No big surprises so far. The wood is extremely good quality which helps a lot.

 

Here are some details:

 

I have been using these special screws on some occasions where I tape or rubber band was not very helpful. These are the screws which I had mentioned in an earlier post, bought from Micro Mark web shop:

 

 

 

 

This is the status at the end of the day. You will notice some impurities here and there, some of which I filled with self-made paste by mixing wood glue and mahogany dust (collected by filing a scrap mahogany strip). So far I have filled some of the gaps below the waterline which will be painted in white, therefore the color difference is not a problem. If it works colorwise fine as well, then I will use it in other parts.

 

The bow will covered as well, using photo etched brass, therefore the color difference will not matter there either.

 

 

 

 

By the way; if any of you experienced fellow members have any suggestion for how to fill the gaps seamlessly, I would be more than happy to hear.

 

Thanks for watching.

Edited July 21, 2016 by aydingocer

[mtaylor]

Adydin,

 

Save the sanding dust from the second planking.   Then mix water and white glue together in a 50/50 mix or so it has the consistency of milk.  Add sawdust to make a paste (more like a slurry than a paste though) and put it in the gaps.  Let it cure and then re-sand.   You might have to do this a couple of times.  Do it before putting the epoxy on the planks for sealing.

[aydingocer]

Adydin,

 

Save the sanding dust from the second planking.   Then mix water and white glue together in a 50/50 mix or so it has the consistency of milk.  Add sawdust to make a paste (more like a slurry than a paste though) and put it in the gaps.  Let it cure and then re-sand.   You might have to do this a couple of times.  Do it before putting the epoxy on the planks for sealing.

 

 

Thanks a lot Mark! I think the diluting of the white glue with water is what was missing in my formula.

[GuntherMT]

Coming along nicely Aydin.

 

I was very successful using the paste/fill as Mark described, should work fine for you.

 

To avoid those gaps in the first place, each plank should be beveled on one edge to account for the hull curvature (if you are already doing this, sorry, I missed it as I just found this build and zoomed through the entire thing in one sitting).  You just need to knock off the corner that lays against the first planking a bit using sandpaper or a sanding stick, and it gives the planks along the curved portion a much tighter fit.

[Nirvana]

Aydin,

You mentioned to put fiberglass/epoxy on top of it all.

I think that will cover the beauty of the mahogany.

I would recommend to abort the planking, take of the current strips off and start over again, working with epyxy instead. I am afraid you are to experience problems with the exposure against the water. Specially after all the nice work you have put in.

Another area to work is the one around the prop and rudder shafts, this before any second planking.

 

When I build my T37, the instructions read - epoxy cover all the inside.

Even though I have only used epoxy I have a problem area on the deck where water finds its way in.

Oh, as for clear finish, I used marine varnish on all, none painted area.

 

It is just my two cents for what ever they are worth.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Nirvana

[GuntherMT]

Aydin,

You mentioned to put fiberglass/epoxy on top of it all.

I think that will cover the beauty of the mahogany.

I would recommend to abort the planking, take of the current strips off and start over again, working with epyxy instead. I am afraid you are to experience problems with the exposure against the water. Specially after all the nice work you have put in.

Another area to work is the one around the prop and rudder shafts, this before any second planking.

 

When I build my T37, the instructions read - epoxy cover all the inside.

Even though I have only used epoxy I have a problem area on the deck where water finds its way in.

Oh, as for clear finish, I used marine varnish on all, none painted area.

 

It is just my two cents for what ever they are worth.

 

If done properly, the fiberglass & epoxy resin will simply be a clear coat on top of the mahogany and look gorgeous when polished out.

 

I don't know quite why it works, but it does - See this tutorial on an R/C forum - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329811

[aydingocer]

Thanks for comments, Brian and Per.

 

I have investigated several build logs in the radio control kit forums and epoxy resin + fibreglass seemed to be working fine, as you guys mentioned, if done properly. I will work on a few samples before I hit the first brush stroke on my Riva, sure.

[aydingocer]

BUILD DAY 23.

 

4 hours in two days.

 

83 hours into build in total.

 

Almost finished with 2nd planking of the bottom.

 

Tomorrow I will be away for about 2 weeks of vacation, so no progress very soon. Thanks for watching.

 

[Red]

Hi Aydingocer,

Going on vacation just as your coming to the best bit!

I will get withdrawal symptoms!

Have a good vacation

Regards

Red

[aydingocer]

Hi Aydingocer,

Going on vacation just as your coming to the best bit!

I will get withdrawal symptoms!

Have a good vacation

Regards

Red

 

 

Thanks!

[aydingocer]

BUILD DAY 24.

 

Back from vacation and today I had some 2 hours to spend on my Riva. I finished the remaining 2nd plankings on the body.

 

 

Next I will continue with deck's 2nd planking.

 

Here is also a teaser for  your eyes, to be used on my seats. As I told earlier the seats which come with the new version is plastic (as opposed to the earlier editions which were apparently fabric covered). I have been looking around how to make them look better. As a try I bought a few (A4 size) faux leather sheets and asked a local tailor to make the stitches for me (by local I mean a tailor in my parents' neighbourhood in Turkey). He did an excellent job with making fake stitches. The stitches are 6mm apart from each other and about 1mm in length.

 

I have no exact plan yet on how to implement them to the seats. I still have a lot of tasks to do before it comes to that.  Here is how it looks:

 

 

2 hours today.

 

85 hours into build in total.

[gjdale]

I like the faux leather Aydin - can't wait to see it on the seats.

[cog]

The stiches look good, but how do they compare to the boat. If, as you say the stiches are 1mm wide and 6 mm apart it sounds a bit wide to me.

[Robin Lous]

Wonderful!

 

I was in Venice 2 months ago. Perhaps you like to see this....a Riva water taxi.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Robin

Edited August 14, 2016 by Robin Lous

[aydingocer]

Wonderful!

 

I was in Venice 2 months ago. Perhaps you like to see this....a Riva water taxi.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Robin

 

Wow, looks great! Maybe I will pay a tribute visit to Venice after I have completed  

[aydingocer]

The stiches look good, but how do they compare to the boat. If, as you say the stiches are 1mm wide and 6 mm apart it sounds a bit wide to me.

 

Hi Carl,

 

The "stitch lines" on the seats are 6mm apart from each other (see photos). 1st photo, as I posted earlier, belongs to the earlier version of the kit, where the seats are actually stitched. The second photo is what the contemporary kit (i.e. mine) contains as seats.

 

The seats that come with previous versions of the kit (photo credits hobbiesguinea.com):

 

 

Seats in my kit:

 

 

The stitch sizes (i.e. around 1mm) was the smallest size possible on faux leather using a special nail (we actually went to a tailor's supply shop together with the tailor to buy that sawing machine nail, can you believe ). I think it has even better looks-to-scale than the older seats in the first photo. 

[cog]

Now I see what you meant. Between the stich rows/lines you've got 6mm, not between the stiches. Hmm, I know it's very hard to get an accurate stich in faux leather, even with a good needle. Your second image does look better than the first. It seems as if the tension of the thread in the first image is higher than in the second, which leaves an ugly hole. So you've made some very nice upholstery

[aydingocer]

Now I see what you meant. Between the stich rows/lines you've got 6mm, not between the stiches. Hmm, I know it's very hard to get an accurate stich in faux leather, even with a good needle. Your second image does look better than the first. It seems as if the tension of the thread in the first image is higher than in the second, which leaves an ugly hole. So you've made some very nice upholstery

 

Actually the second photo above does not have the faux leather on yet. They are just pure plastic seats right out of the box. That's why I will still give a try how they would look after I cover them with my leather sheets. Chances are I just give up the idea if it won't look good and just use them like that instead. I may also use some paint to color the sides to turquoise like in the upper photo.

[cog]

Your stiches on the fabric look good (#263), so I cannot imagine it'll be less than those from hobbiesguinea (#268). However, if you do not feel comfortable with the choosen material, you could give a less shiny fabric a try, something deerskin-ish, which may give you a better result.  Shiny surfaces for fabrics/leather in models often give a fake impression.

 

I like the effort you put into it, to improve the kit !