Nordkap by robdurant - Billing Boats - 1:50 - RADIO

[robdurant]

As I near the completion of Barque Stefano, I had a hankering to build something that was simple, where I could just follow the instructions, straight out of the box. Time will tell how closely I manage to do that, but having looked longingly at Nordkap as a teenager, she was the vessel I settled upon.

 

Here's a picture of what she's meant to end up looking like

 

 

Nordkap builds up into an 81cm l.o.a, 21cm beam vessel - so there'll be loads of room in the hull for all the radio gubbins. She's also small enough not to be too cumbersome to move around when building. I bought a new building board, and set about separating the laser cut frames from the "sprues".

 

Then I looked at the plans and noticed some strange discrepancies... There are two sets of measurements on plan 1 - the first shows the gaps between the forward extents of the frames (4-7) - this should measure up to 159mm. A second set of measurements show the filler blocks that will sit on top of the keel - these are 48mm, 50mm and 50mm - 148mm, leaving only 11mm for three frames - but the frames are 4mm at the least - closer to 5mm in fact... The instructions simply say that the frames are "quite vertical" and then leave the builder to work it out. Instead of guessing, I decided that using the deck would be a neat way of ensuring that the frames were essentially in the right position, so this part was cut out as well and used as a guide to get the frames in the right place. So... so far I've fitted the frames, and added the blocks in between - which have all turned out to be around the 48mm mark. This _may_ come back and bite me later, but I feel much more confident knowing that the deck fits with the frames in their locations, than simply hoping for the best.

The observant among you may notice a curvature of the keel (higher in the middle than at bow and stern - it's around 4mm, although it looks worse, perhaps because of lens distortion in this photo) - ironically, having cut the keel parts to be 55cm and 52cm respectively, I now realise that these are perhaps slightly short for the deck... removing the deck after gluing the frames in place got rid of this curvature entirely, and so I probably will need to modify the deck a little down the line, but that's fine - it'll be millimetres here and there, not centimetres, and the hull will be the right shape. The next step is to add the stringers along the bulkhead tops, and as I do that I can ensure the keel is straight. I'm not worried about modifying the deck to fit, I just wanted everything to be in the right ballpark.

 

I've also added the doublers that create something of a rabbet at bow and stern. 

 

More soon

 

Rob

 

[yvesvidal]

Excellent choice of model. It will be interesting to follow your progress.

 

Yves

[robdurant]

A big thank you to whoever fixed the title on this log...

 

I've added the bridging pieces to the tops of the bulkheads and the stringers that run across the tops of the bulkheads to tie them together. The deck was added again while all of this dried to ensure that it was all lined up. It all seems to have gone quite cleanly. I also began to build the ship's boat davit while I was waiting for glue to dry.

 

The photo below is after all the clamps were taken off... 

 

 

[robdurant]

With the help of some of the planking pins, I glued the deck down. Once the glue was in place, I placed the deck, and the Aliphatic glue (Carpenter's glue) gave me enough time to predrill holes for planking pins, and secure the deck to make sure it was well in contact with all of the deck beams. Clamps were used round the inside of the deck opening.

 

 

I left it overnight to set, and then pulled the pins back out with some needlenose pliers... nice and easy. 

 

And here's a different shot showing something of her lines...

 

Thanks to those who've looked in  

 

 

[robdurant]

I had a little time to spend on Nordkap today, so here's an update.

 

I've added access to allow the tiller arm to be maintained without ripping up the deck, and begun installing the prop shaft and rudder shaft. A little fore-planning is required for the prop shaft, as I didn't want to install it and find that the motor was in a ridiculous position inside the hull (especially to find that it had to be mounted too low...) the flat surface where the prop shaft exits the hull gives some idea of the angle required.  I replaced the prop shaft with a 5" M4 shaft from George Sitek, along with a brass prop... I mistakenly ordered a 32mm prop when I realise now I need a 38mm one (so the 32mm prop looks a little small in the photos)... but the updated prop has now been ordered and will replace the smaller one when it arrives.

 

Here are some photos of progress...

 

The tiller access...

 

And the prop shaft... 

 

The next job will be to add doublers on either side of the tubes to strengthen them, and fix them permanently in place with epoxy.

 

Thanks for looking in

 

Rob

[hof00]

Looks awesome!!

I have looked many times at this kit....

 

Was any "Hardware" included in the kit?

So, looking ahead slightly, are you going to "Glass" the Hull or use something else?

 

Cheers....HOF.

[robdurant]

Hi HOF

 

Yes, a prop shaft, plastic propellor, rudder post... nice, brass fittings. There isn't any help in the instructions to guide radio installation, and the mistake I made was waiting until after I'd assembled the frame before I cut out the channel for the prop shaft. 

 

I'm planning to use fibreglass resin, but to use the planks themselves as the 'glass' structure within the resin. I may change my mind... we'll see

 

Rob

[mtdoramike]

I built the Nordkap a couple of years ago. There is no issue drilling the hull for the prop shaft, which I did after the hull was planked. I would highly recommend using the fiberglass cloth as well as resin for the hull, (I used 2 oz cloth). If the hul were plywood sheets, you could get away without the cloth, but with the wood planking, you will need the cloth for strength if you want it to last. 

[robdurant]

11 minutes ago, mtdoramike said:

If the hul were plywood sheets, you could get away without the cloth, but with the wood planking, you will need the cloth for strength if you want it to last. 

That's really helpful, thank you

[BobG]

I love these working boats so I'll be following along as well. Good luck, Rob!

[robdurant]

12 hours ago, BobG said:

I love these working boats so I'll be following along as well. Good luck, Rob!

Welcome aboard 😀

[robdurant]

Well, one very enjoyable holiday later, I'm back, and this evening I decided to sort out the rudder post, where it sits in keel as it extends aft. The instructions don't say anything about the base of the post, and I was concerned that if it simply sat in a wooden hole it would a) wear loose over time, b) provide a way for water to get to the plywood over time. To avoid this, I ordered some 3.2mm brass tube, and I've used a 3-4mm length of it to create a socket for the rudder post to sit in. The hole for it was drilled using a drillbit on the end of a brass tube that was put through the rudder post to ensure it was lined up well. Once the hole was drilled, the brass tube was glued in place with Araldite, along with some araldite to hold the other rudder and prop tubes in place.

 

In the photo below, the post dropping down is the rudder post provided by billings. The brass tube is beneath it, and the drill I used for making the hole is lying on the building board to the right.

 

And here's the finished article.

 

Once it's all in place, (and once planking is complete) I'll trim the rudder post at the top back to the hull, but it's helped get everything lined up neatly.

 

Thanks for looking in

[robdurant]

Thank you for all the likes.

 

The new prop arrived (38mm instead of 32mm, but with the same 4M (4mm) thread for the propshaft), and I'm much happier with how it fits the prop cutout at the stern. These George Sitek props are beautiful, and really lift the whole model. The Sitek props on my model of Cottesmore have taken on a beautiful patina with that deep bronze colour instead of the bright brass, and I'm sure this one will do the same over time.

 

I've begun the planking process... this starts with the transom piece, which I pre-bent using the rib-bending iron. Then the uppermost planks were added (the top row is a 10mm strip, then the following strips are 7mm), lining up with the tops of the bulkheads.

I love this stage where the hull lines begin to appear.

[robdurant]

A quick update... I've added the first three rows of planking on starboard and port, and also filled in the stern between the bulkheads with balsa. To get a nice curved shape, this seemed like a necessity, especially as this model has only a single planking layer.

 

[robdurant]

A few more planks on the starboard side, and the sides added to the centre part of the keel.

[robdurant]

Thanks for the likes

 

Planking continues... Port side is now planked, and starboard side well underway...  I'll leave the serious sanding until I've got the whole hull planked.

Also, the right parts for the universal coupling, along with a new motor arrived... 

 

[Ian_Grant]

Nice, sturdy-looking shaft and prop! Also, I don't see much "serious sanding" for your hull.....😉

[robdurant]

Thank you for the words of encouragement, @Ian_Grant. Yes, the prop-shaft and prop are from George Sitek - I've always been really impressed with their product, and that's no less true on this occasion.

 

The rudder servo tray is constructed, with the servo mounted and fitted... I've also installed the motor on its own tray and mounted that between two bulkheads. Everything's screwed in place so that it can be removed as necessary through the access hatch above. The receiver will go next to the rudder servo. A bit of brass wire has been used as the linkage between the rudder post and the rudder servo. This is bent so that it doesn't hit the bulkheads as it passes forward. Altogether, I'm quite please. Here are some pictures of progress so far.

 

I'm really glad I decided to do all of this before planking the other side closed... it's made life WAY easier

[Ian_Grant]

Looks good. My only comment is that the rudder linkage is much farther out from the centre of the servo arm than from the rudder shaft. The servo will hardly have to move to give rudder hard over, which means it would be very "twitchy" when moving the "stick" on the transmitter. Moving the link towards the servo shaft would give a better feel on the "stick", and give more torque from the servo though more is probably not needed.

 

Also not sure why the rudder horn holes are oval....🤔

 

Finally, you would get a smoother action if you employ "quick links" rather than bending the wire.

 

https://www.greathobbies.com/productinfo/?prod_id=DUB109

[robdurant]

Thank you for these suggestions, Ian.  

 

I've moved the linkage in from the end of the servo arm to be approximately the same distance from the pivot as the on the rudder horn. I agree that this is a more sensible setup. As far as the rudder horn holes, I'm not sure why they'd be designed like that, but that's how the Billing Boats part came (unless I've just misidentified the part, and I'm using something that's meant for another bit of the build, which is entirely possible! 😂)  I'm not too concerned about a small amount of slack in the system, as this is a scale fishing boat and not a high performance motor launch, so I'm not anticipating I'll need to be doing any precision manoeuvres at speed. It feels remarkably secure, and there's not a lot of slack in the system, so I'm happy enough. It helps keep the budget under control, and it's how I've always done it in my other RC boats  

 

There's not a huge amount of "interesting" progress to show, as I'm essentially just planking the other side of the hull to close her up... but I have planked vertically around the stern to bring the planking out to the same level. I've used offcuts of the planking strips to do this.

 

And, planking on the starboard side, so far...  I can normally get between three and five planks on in a session...  The first nine planks from the bottom of the hull are full width... It won't be beautiful when it's finished, but it will be a solid base to fill and smooth. Planks are glued to the bulkheads, and edge glued to make it as solid as possible. The clamps towards the centre of the hull are to help the planks to glue nicely edge to edge, and to avoid clinker, as the bulkheads have quite a distance between them.

[robdurant]

I've reached a milestone - the hull is closed up. I've also cut out the beams where the deck opening is to give space to access the motor, rudder servo, battery, etc... 

 

 

Thanks for looking in, for the likes, and the encouragement

 

Rob

[robdurant]

So... it seems like something of a crime to cover up planking, but I've used some car body finishing filler (polyester-resin) to begin making the hull watertight... and now begins the sanding... and more sanding... and then filling... and then sanding... and (you get the picture...)

 

First comes the filler... 

Then, after 20 minutes it's set enough to be sanded... and it's worth sanding it sooner rather than later, as it only gets harder...  I'm using a very coarse paper glued to wood to ensure I don't sand peaks and troughs into the hull... This is most certainly a job to be done outside, with a mask on, and with the door inside shut... the amount of dust is considerably...

 

It's a start. And it suggests that I will, indeed, end up with a watertight hull.

 

Thanks for looking in and for the likes and encouragement

 

Rob

[Ian_Grant]

Since you are not going to have visible planking, I urge you to use f/g cloth, if you're not already planning to. Wood around moisture always changes and cracks will appear in an unclothed hull. The cloth helps stitch the planks together.

[robdurant]

Thanks @Ian_Grant - yes, I need to source some light fibreglass cloth. I'm hoping to get a really smooth hull before I fibreglass it, so that the tidying up after is as limited as possible. 

 

I've gone through a few more rounds of filling / sanding, and it's really starting to look quite neat - these photos are from half way through the process. In-between filler and sanding, I put on a coat of grey primer so I can see where the peaks and troughs are...

 

The new speed controller arrived, so I've set up all the electrics and tested them. They'll do the job nicely. Things have moved on since I last made a radio controlled model, and this clever speed controller works out which way is forward based on the first direction you push the throttle stick on the radio control! Clever stuff! I had to solder a new receiver plug onto to the servo for the rudder, but otherwise, all very simple and easy. Rudder is channel 1, and Throttle channel 2. I tested the motor with an AA cell before I soldered on the speed controller to check that the prop would rotate in the correct direction - (clockwise as you look from the stern). It ended up as shown below.

I've also been looking at what colour to put on the hull... I don't want a bright blue, but something a little more towards the teal end, and somewhat more subtle... To that end, I've been experimenting... I need to re-run these experiments on grey primer, as I suspect the mix will need to change, but the picture below gives some idea of the colour I'm looking for... It's a 1:2 / 1:3 ratio of Vallejo blue/green and Vallejo blue... I tried Andrea Blue but it was too light.

 

I'm looking for something like the top left tone... Admittedly that tone will look different on each screen that displays this, but I've been looking at this in daylight and under daylight bulbs, and I'm pretty happy with the tone in real life. Having a 1:2 / 1:3 ratio makes it very easy to replicate should I need to. I just get the appropriate number of bottles and mix them in their entirety.

 

Big thanks to everyone for looking in

 

Rob

Edited October 11, 2023 by robdurant
removing duplicated text...

[Ian_Grant]

Yes, modern ESC's are vastly superior to the old big clunky rheostatic speed controllers used in the 70's, which needed a servo to move their control arm and wasted a lot of battery power. And remember cleaning their contacts? 🙄

 

Re fiberglassing - when I made my cedar strip canoe I had an ultra smooth sanded cedar hull which became lumpy plastic after three coats fiberglass resin with cloth. It was a letdown but it comes up beautifully with sanding. Even the guy who wrote the how-to book ("Canoecraft") wrote not to be discouraged when you first see the dried resin.  HaHa.

 

Going to be a great model. Looking forward to seeing the painted hull!

Edited October 11, 2023 by Ian_Grant

[robdurant]

20 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

Yes, modern ESC's are vastly superior to the old big clunky rheostatic speed controllers used in the 70's, which needed a servo to move their control arm and wasted a lot of battery power. And remember cleaning their contacts? 🙄

Aah yes.... I seem to remember they were called "Bob's boards", or something similar... and my Tamiya Grasshopper II had one in it... Back in the days when you had a race to use the RC before both transmitter and car ran out of charge. I seem to remember it had a ceramic heat sink to get rid of all the wasted power (not a sign of great sophistication!)

 

Something like this... ?

 

 

Times have certainly moved on  That brings back memories, for sure! Many a happy time was spent zipping it round the garden and collecting wet grass all over it until it crawled to a stop!

[Ian_Grant]

Back in the 70's I was into RC boats. Here is an old Dumas speed controller, with proportional forward, stop, reverse (complete with a blob of epoxy from almost 50 years ago!). I remember dismantling it to clean the exposed element in the wire-wound ceramic resistor, and the contact arm, to keep current flow steady. What wasted power in the resistor! As I mentioned you had to have a throttle servo to run it, unlike today's ESC's plugging directly into the Receiver.

 

I pity my kids who'll have to sort through all my old hobby junk when I'm gone. Or maybe I will one day dispose of stuff to ease their load. I seem to recall there's an apple basket somewhere full of old 0.049 airplane engines and parts, and I also have two 0.35 Enya engines which the hobby shop tells me are worth zero now. He did say the 0.049 engines are in demand though!  🤔

 

Fond memories .............

Edited October 12, 2023 by Ian_Grant

[robdurant]

That's some cool looking stuff you've got there, Ian... and that book looks great, too. I've been really enjoying watching your progress with your Roman warship. A magnum opus, to be sure!

 

Okay - so here's the plan for waterproofing... Having sanded the hull some more the other day, I noticed that when I hold the hull up to the sun, I can see not only thin areas where the planking had gaps, but more than that, I can see pinholes where the planks and the filler haven't completely bonded...  Suffice it to say, if I were to try and float this boat right now, the water would be getting in right away... So... I've had a bit of a look around, and this is the plan.

It's called Eze-Kote, and it's designed specifically as a finishing resin, but it's water based, so clean up is easy, and it's low odour - it's a much nicer chemical to be dealing with. In addition, I've bought the lightweight glass fibre they recommend to go with it. I wanted something very light weight, so that it forms round the hull shape nice and easily, and is relatively smooth out of the box. 

 

Last time I used fibreglass resin, I used automotive stuff, and both the results (I used fibreglass mat, not knowing that was a disaster in the making), and the resulting headache and rough breathing for a few hours after were enough to tell me I hadn't taken enough / appropriate precautions, so I'm hoping this experience will be far less unpleasant.

 

I'll let you know how I get on, but there's a little more prep to be done first round the prop shaft and rudder post. I'm working on the assumption that good prep is always time well spent.

 

Thanks for looking in, and for the advice and encouragement.

 

Rob

[robdurant]

So... here's the progress.

 

I did a lot of reading up, and the whole question of whether to use fibreglass along with the resin, or whether the resin itself is enough seems to be very much a Marmite one... I've opted to try without the glass. Many have said they've had success this way, and it certainly seems to have done the job from all I can tell. Time will prove me right or wrong I am grateful to you, @Ian_Grant for your advice, and you will absolutely have the rightn to say "I told you so" if this heads south as a result of my decision 🤣

 

Lots of prep, four coats of Eze-kote, with very light sanding in between, and the hull has taken on a lovely sheen - re-installing the prop and rudder shaft with some grease, and it was time for a test in the bath. It's years since I've done this, and I thought I'd ask my son to give me a hand... Here are the results. There was a brief false alarm as we mistook some bobbles of carpenter's glue for water coming in, but thankfully it was all a false alarm. She's dry as a bone inside.

 

 

Here are some photos of her.

 

In addition, I've begun marking out the deck for planking. The strips of planking provided are pretty rough, but thankfully I have a shedload of tanganyika left over from my HMS Diana, Caldercraft kit, that I'll substitute. Before I do that, I need to cut out the bulkwark openings (the anchor port, and the scuppers), and then paint the edges of the deck that will remain unplanked. Onwards and upwards! 

As always, thanks for looking in, and for the likes, advice and encouragement.

 

Rob

 

[robdurant]

My day off today has given me a good shot at getting some things done on Nordkap. I've opened up the scuttles (?) and built and installed the recesses on either side of the bow for the anchors. Each hole was started with a drill, and then opened up carefully with a craft knife and then a file. Once glued in place, the anchor recesses had any gaps filled with a wood, superglued in place, and then sanded flush.

I've also installed the cap rails... These were temporarily pinned while they glued, as otherwise they don't sit flat on the tops of the bulwarks.

 

Built and installed (temporarily) the rudder... before I glued the two wooden parts together, I bevelled the front edges to create a v-shape that the rudder post could sit in. Once glued together, the rudder was sanded to make it narrower at the rear - I always think rudders look slightly strange when they're chunky at the back... it just looks wrong to me. Then it was time to go into town a get a pasty for lunch!

 

I also made some progress with the bow weather deck and stern superstructure (this is easier once the cap rails are on, as the height of the rear area of the superstructure is determined by the cap rail (to ensure there's no gap).

 

 

 

Finally, it was all cleaned up, and another coat of the Eze-kote resin was painted on to seal all of the exposed wood on the outside of the hull (and in the scuppers). I need to do some testing to see whether I can put Eze-kote over the deck planking, or whether I'm better off with just matt varnish...

 

Thanks for following along.

 

Rob