USS Crockett by mtdoramike - FINISHED - Dumas

[lmagna]

On 7/19/2020 at 9:03 AM, mtdoramike said:

I'm figuring it will require quite a bit of weight to keep it from wanting to pitch to much and to be more stable.   

Even though this is a pretty good sized model in length I think you will find that if it is to float at the proper level it will not weigh all that much. The real ship was one of the first US Navy's "Littoral" designs of shallow draft high speed vessels. The real ship only drew about five and a half feet of water.

 

You are doing a great job. This model is easy to end up with a twisted hull as it is so long and narrow. Also it has so much balsa, (Not my favorite hull material). I also always wished that Dumas had chosen a more common scale than 5/16th. It would have made some items like guns so much easier to obtain.

[mtdoramike]

I agree Lou, The twisting of the hull was a major facture for me when I planked it. 

[mtdoramike]

I was finally able to glass the inside and outside of the Crockett hull. The rain and humidity let up enough for a few days I finally got to it. I'm doing some finishing touches to the main cabin as well as cutting out the stuffing tube slots in the hull for the drive shafts. I decided to cut out a couple of the solid frames toward the front of the hull so that I can slide some ballast weight towards the front if needed.  

[mtdoramike]

I Bit the bullet the other day and ordered the running hardware package for the Crockett. There were a couple of drive shafts in the kit when I got it, but not the whole running hardware kit, which for I believe was not included with the Dumas Crockett kit when sold by Dumas. I thought I could cheap my way out of it by piecing the running hardware together with what ever I could find. But in the end, it wouldn't have been much cheaper. So I broke down and spent the $148.00 for the running hardware kit.  

[BobG]

1 hour ago, mtdoramike said:

I Bit the bullet the other day and ordered the running hardware package for the Crockett.

It would be great if you could document the steps of installing all the necessary RC gear. I love to see how it's done. 

[mtdoramike]

I'll see if I can takes some pictures of the installation steps on the stuffing tubes for the drive shafts as well as the drive shaft struts and rudders. Now the motors are a catch can type of installation, meaning they install a bit differently on every boat, it's not the motor as much as it is the motor mounting and building up structural support for the motor mounting as well.

 

 

[mtdoramike]

I cut out the slots for the running hardware stuffing tubes and drive shafts, epoxied the drive shaft struts to the outside bottom of the hull and preparing the area between frames 8-9 for the motor mounting deck, which is a 1/4" piece of plywood. The running hardware kit comes with written as well as diagrammed instruction for the running gear installation, but like my wife points out frequently, I'm not much at following directions hahahaha.

[mtdoramike]

Your bravery test as with all of these models is cutting out the slot(s) for the stuffing tubes. It's really hard to cut into that perfectly smooth hull that you spent hours fiber glassing, puttying, sanding, sanding, sanding only to take a hobby knife to it to cut out the slots, hoping that they are in alignment with the motor and the struts. But no worries mate, you will have to fill the voids around the stuffing tubes with resin and bondo and then a layer of fiber glass cloth, then sand, sand and more sanding. You really do have to love doing this stuff.    

[BobG]

Sounds messy, Mike. Is that fiberglass stuff toxic?

[mtdoramike]

Nope, not unless you eat it😁 Although, I would recommend wearing rubber gloves when applying it. I have heard of folks developing allergic reactions after working with epoxy, but that is after working with it for years.  

[BobG]

1 hour ago, mtdoramike said:

Nope, not unless you eat it😁

I think my faculties are still good enough that I wouldn't do that...not so sure 10 years from now!

[mtdoramike]

I temporarily installed the motors so that I could get the drive train lined up with the motors and the struts so that I could epoxy in the stuffing tubes for the drive shaft. Once the stuffing tubes were epoxied in, I applied some bondo over the stuffing tube channels as well as the base of the struts. Then I will sand, apply and sand and apply until I can get a decent smooth surface to apply some fiber glass cloth and epoxy it in over the stuffing tube channels as well as the bases of the struts. I hope this make sense. I know it looks like crap now, but It will beautify shortly.     

[mtdoramike]

looks a might better. I will have to wait a week or so before laying fiber glass due to the pending storm and humidity levels. I have learned from experience to never work with fiber glass and resin when humidity levels are running high because the resin doesn't want to cure properly.

[CDW]

Sounds like you and I attended the same institution, the school of hard knocks.

Shaping up nicely, Mike.

[mtdoramike]

Yep, I know what you mean. It took me a couple of times to figure it out, but after dealing with a gummy mess, it finally sunk in.

[mtdoramike]

I was finally able to fiberglass in the stuffing tubes and the struts and gave the last coat of resin to the exterior of the hull, which makes three layers of resin. But in actuality winds up being two coats or layers since I sand in-between each coat. I made several of the deck furnishing as well as temporarily placing the deck onto the hull to check the fit and finish. It looks good except for one area, the rear hatch, which allows for access to the rudder posts as well as the rudder servo. I find that if the rudders are installed where required, access to the rudder posts will be hard to access for adjustments when the deck is installed.

[mtdoramike]

Checking her for fit. I also received the brushed dual motor ESC that will go in it.

[mtdoramike]

I have the servo box installed and received the 4mm bullet or banana connectors to solder onto the two 550 motors. 

[mtdoramike]

I'm planning to get started on making the railings for this beast. I so hoped that I could find some pre-made railings that would have worked, but the spacing between stansions are not equal. I have been dreading this part of the build because there is so much of it and I literally suck at soldering. I watched a few You Tube how to's, but I know my limitations. we'll see.  

[BobG]

3 hours ago, mtdoramike said:

I suck at soldering.

Good luck, Mike! I've never soldered anything in my life and I may need to do some on my Pen Duick build so I'll be viewing youTube as well.

[CDW]

Hobby Wing makes great ESC's. Good choice!

Your work is fast and high quality, looking so nice.

 

[mtdoramike]

Thanks CD, I was able to cheat a bit at least on the ladders anyway. I ordered these from Hobbylinc for less than $10.00 shipped. So at least I won't have the opportunity to screw those up with my inadequate soldering ability.  

[mtdoramike]

I installed the rear deck. I also enlarged the rear hatch opening, which will allow for better access to the rudder arms and servo. I will have to some figuring on building larger hatch cover.   

[mtdoramike]

Well, I'm going to get starting on making the railings today. If you don't see any new posts for awhile, I'll be hiding in my basement in shame. Oh wait, I live in Florida, we don't have basements. Maybe in the attic. 

[BobG]

3 hours ago, mtdoramike said:

Oh wait, I live in Florida, we don't have basements.

...but you can get an unexpected basement in Florida if your house is sitting over a future sinkhole!

[VTHokiEE]

4 hours ago, mtdoramike said:

Oh wait, I live in Florida, we don't have basements. Maybe in the attic. 

That’s my biggest FL gripe; everyday I wish for a basement. If your attic is anything like my attic the surface of the sun might be cooler this time of year 😀. 

[mtdoramike]

I agree, my attic is rocking on 115 degrees.

[mtdoramike]

I started working on those railings yesterday and was able to get most of the railings done for one side of the bottom deck and decided to install them on the deck before calling it a day. I woke up about 2:00am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep and for some reason those railings that I installed just wasn't sitting right with me, so I went to my work room and there it was slapping me right in the face. It was one of those Murphy's law moments I just couldn't believe what I had done...…………...….

[mtdoramike]

I decided today to take a break from the railings and built a display board for the Crockett.

[mtdoramike]

I was able to get some painting done on the Crockett this weekend.