Greek Bireme by bensid54 - FINISHED - RADIO

[mtaylor]

Ben,

Don't feel bad.  I put the blade on backwards and generated max smoke... recently. 

[Omega1234]

Hi Ben

 

How does the saying go ..."S..t happens"!!!! Honestly, I think I can recount an interminable amount of times I've made similar errors only to feel a bit sheepish afterwards!

 

No dramas, though. It's the end result that counts and your ship's looking brilliant.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Edited July 6, 2015 by Omega1234

[captainbob]

Where's the fun, without the smoke?

 

Bob

[bensid54]

Glued the rowers hatches in place today, I plan on having rope handles for opening them. Cut and fitted the mast today, it actually looks better than I expected so I think I'll carry on the path I'm on.

[BenF89]

She's really looking like a lean, mean, fighting machine now! Once it's done, you'll have to take a good picture that can be copied a bunch of times, and photoshop the battle of Salamis or something

[bensid54]

A friend of mine did that with a cannon I made and photo shopped it into a civil war surrounding. I should go find that picture I think I know where it is but in the meantime here is a picture I took of it.

[bensid54]

I clear coated the bottom of my boat with several coats of spray only to find that it dried in several spots like there was oil there, So I sanded it smooth you can see the results in the picture. Problem is when I used epoxy to glue together the planks I smoothed the excess over the planks I joined thinking I was going to seal the wood, bad idea! Epoxy it seems repels some paints and clear coats plus it won't blend together with itself just sticks together so sealing wood with it is a bad idea.

Edited July 24, 2015 by bensid54

[Omega1234]

Hi Ben

 

Sorry to hear about the problem with the epoxy and varnish.  

 

Do you have an easy solution to get around the problem?  It'd be a shame to paint the hull, if you could avoid it.

 

Cheers

 

Patric?

[bensid54]

Yes Patrick painting the hull would be a shame but I am finding a way around it. With a wire wheel attachment for my Dremil I can actually move the epoxy in waves plus some sprays off because it becomes fluid when heated so I can get most of it to spray off and what doesn't get flung off piles up and moves along as you see in the picture. Once I have the wood mostly clear of epoxy I use 240 grit sand paper which takes it back down to the wood, very time consuming but worth it in the end.

[Omega1234]

Hi Ben

 

That's a great solution and although time consuming, (as you've said), it'll be worthwhile at the end of the day.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[bensid54]

I'm about 3/4 of the way to having all the epoxy removed and am now finding cracks between the planks that the epoxy did not fill, so my next job will be to carefully fill those cracks. So as it turned out the mistake I made in the first place helped me correct a mistake I made before that.

[ioannis]

Hi Ben.

Im surpriced watching your effords trying to build your ship.My opinion on your problem.

You should have sealed the interior firstly,i mean the inner shell to avoid any structures timber deformation when it contacts with water.Its important also before paint the body to use wood sealant colour putty just to ensure its sealled,and before use any paint or varnish ,need to apply a primer oil.

Excelent work

[Omega1234]

Hi Ben

 

Sorry to hear about the problem's you're having, but I'm sure you'll get it all fixed.  After that, it's rowing time!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[ioannis]

Just for info.

An exact copy of trireme has been build in Piraeus shipyards on 1987.

Name .Olympias.

On May 2004 she carried the Olympic flame

This war ship that took place in 480bc salamis battle.

Warner bros has taken the licence for digital representation to use this model plans for the movie Rise of the empire

 

.Themistocles.

Edited August 9, 2015 by ioannis

[mpampis]

I'm so impressed with your info details. Thanks Ioannis.

Ben nice work!

[bensid54]

Watched the trailer now I want to see the movie. Ioannis do you have a Bireme as well as a Trireme? The Trireme looks like the mechanics would be easier to make now that I have the Bireme somewhat figured out, I built the Bireme because there were less oars to deal with and I had never built a rowing ship or even a static model of one before. I am getting Greek warship fever though and the Trireme is becoming more attractive to build a RC replica of. I also am making plans to build a RC model of the Boatman of the river Styx, I plan on mounting a camera under his hood and have his head turn left and right so I can use my Fat Shark goggles to cruise around a pond. Is it possible for me to get plans of the actual Trireme? 

Edited August 9, 2015 by bensid54

[ioannis]

i will do my best to find any plans or photoes

by the way i was lucky to get on board ...on the above picture .Olympias.but i must look for my old digital pictures 

Οlympias lenght 37 m

                draft 1.30 m 

                max speed 7-9 knοts 

fast maneuvring in shallow waters

Olympias midships section

 

 

trireme had many types with different lengh

Combat Trireme ship max lengh 45 m ,Breadth 6 m 

 

Trireme had  3 decks and 200 men.

upper deck men named as thranites 54 men as rowers

middle 2nd deck men named as zigites  54 men as rowers

lower deck men named as thalamites 62 men as rowers  ,on this level it was captains room

The 2 main types are..

1]Hoplite trireme with sealled the 2 lower rowing levels,and the 108 rowers[thalamites] replaced  by heavy and light  hoplites and their supplies.

 

2]Horse carrying Trireme up to 30 horses for cavarly

type of wood they used pine .fir,juniper

 

 

Trireme crew

Captain

chief officer

3-4 officers

2 wheelmen

2 piper

10-20 marine armoured for combat

170 rowers- free men not slaves-It was honorable to be as a rower inside this ship .....i wouldnt like it....in  case of combat they fight also

10 crew assistance

I hope  i helped you somehow i will look around for more.

WELL enough for now enjoy the movie 

 

OLYMPIAS PLAN

Edited August 10, 2015 by ioannis

[bensid54]

Not sure how to take the Donkey bit. The reason I like doing these things is not so much making it accurate but in the thinking up and creating the mechanics. Give you an idea how my mind works, because I'm a Mechanic I like to figure out how things work even down to the human body, I look at my body as a machine which is how I invented my leg cramp prevention device. I looked at my toes and what happens to them during a severe leg cramp the fact my toes always head in the same direction when I get a cramp gave me an idea, I created a device I wear 24/7 that has prevented leg cramps for the last three years so I patented it, I have several people wearing these things and they work for all of us. The thing about my invention is it doesn't make sense and yet it works great, that's the bottom line. You will see as I build things that my thoughts don't always follow the beaten path, sometimes that's good and sometimes it gets me in trouble but I won't give up till I make it work. I already have an idea how to work all those oars of a Trireme which will actually follow the lines of the hull this too has never been done but I can see it working, but first I want to build the oarsman for the river Styx before I start another long project. Still scratching my head over this Jacka$$ thing though.

[ioannis]

    Ben >About the donkey..is a....

Greek proverbs meaning  a man  who has great patience to manage what he wants    

Your patent is great and helps people who suffer.

Im sure you will find a way with moving oars .

The one  who tries and insists with the patience always succeed>>>another pvb

Edited August 10, 2015 by ioannis

[ioannis]

 You may find some interest in the photos>

 

 

[bensid54]

Been a while since I've done anything on the Bireme due to trying to get my scale RC helicopter in the air which is very much delayed. I've also been trying to get my leg cramp prevention invention public which is almost impossible even though it is hassle free and does not require meds, thank God I only blew the cash on a Canadian patent, so if you think you will make money on an invention think again.

Back to the Bireme: I have removed about half the unwanted epoxy and have only damaged not destroyed a few planks so that is good I hope to have some progress pictures in the next week or two. I plan on dedicating all my hobby time to the Bireme and hopefully not get distacted as I have been this summer. 

[bensid54]

Went out and got myself covered in dust today and cleaned the epoxy off of the bottom of the hull using a rotary wire brush on my Dremil. In places where the epoxy was thin it came off quite easily but in the places it was thick the epoxy came off like candy floss. The epoxy also started to pile up as I moved along during removal sort of like snow would do when pushed with a plow. 

[bensid54]

Finally got the unwanted epoxy off the hull I used 80,100,120 and 240 grit sandpaper. I used a rotary wire brush and a 80 grit flapper wheel to get the thick epoxy off, I found the flapper wheel worked the best out of the two. The whole epoxy removal took me about six hours to do, very dusty work but worth it in the end. 

[bensid54]

The good thing about all the sanding was it showed the places I had water ingress, you can see the gaps and cracks that were not really visible to my eyes. I will have some small areas that will need attention so that will be next, after that the rudder mechanics go in. Funny thing is with all my other boats I was always in a hurry to get to my next build but not this, I haven't got bored of it even after over a year. 

[bensid54]

Rudders and pivot plates, the drilled plywood will be glued in their proper location and have about 1/4 inch separation between them to allow for the hidden servo linkage to go. When finished the levers on top will move with the rudders so I guess I should make up some flexible little guys on top to steer or just call it a ghost ship!

[bensid54]

The items that will make up the rudder system, golden rod, servo, rudders, bearing blocks and two sheets of plywood glued together for me to make linkage arms from.

[bensid54]

The arms that I will attach to the rudder shafts for linkage the servo will move to steer both rudders.

[bensid54]

Rudders, bearing blocks, linkage and servo installed. The pliers in one picture are there to hold the servo mount while the epoxy dries. 

[bensid54]

Patrick could you please do me a favour and download my latest video? Rudders are now functional, the turning range isn't too much but the idea of the rudders was more for stability as opposed to steering. Now it's time to finish the sails, woodwork and brass battering ram.   

[Omega1234]

Hi Willie

 

No dramas - here ya go:

 

Looking good!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick