RANGE SAFETYKit
Review by Terry Small - Model Boats: April 2003 |
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The kit contents as in Photo 1 have been designed as a
relatively simple project to
get started in ship modelling using modern materials such as fibreglass
and plastic. The building of the model does not require great skills, as
many parts are ready made, thus ensuring that the boat is completed in a
relatively short time. The hull is a very nice thick grp moulding with
the deck and superstructure and some other fittings being vacuum-formed,
which simplified construction immensely; there are also some bags of
high quality white metal cast fittings, chain, rubber fender, brass rod,
brass rudders, props, shafts, clear and white styrene sheet, and styrene
strips, plus a very clear plan and instruction set – even a wiring
diagram showing speed controllers, etc. The motors and couplings are extra and well worth purchasing as
you will see later.
Hull and Running Gear:
As with all my kit reviews if it’s not in the text then
hopefully the photos will tell the story. The first job as always is to
build a stable stand. Model Slipway have included a plan and template
sheet to assist in this plus a suggested materials list. The top edge of
the stand uprights where the hull sits should be lined with dense foam
rubber, which can be stuck on with Evostik contact adhesive (They
suggest the use of an old computer mouse mat and that’s what I used). The hull was first sanded down all over with fine wet and
dry paper (360 grit) to remove the gloss finish and any remaining
release agent; this is to provide a good key for the end paint finish.
Main Deck: This comes as two thick styrene vac-formings, Photo 4, which require cutting out and sanding to size. The tip here is to cut slightly oversize by 1 or 2mm either with a sharp knife or heavy-duty scissors, then sand any rough or uneven edges flat - this can easily be done by putting a piece of sandpaper over the entire length of a piece of wood, say 300mm long by 50mm. By doing this you can get more of a consistent straight line. The next step is to join the two decks together. You will see that each half at the joining edge is a matching half, in other words they interlock with each other. Temporarily tape the two halves together at the joint and offer up to the hull top to confirm it fits – if not, trim to size for a snug fit. When satisfied with the fit, glue together with 5-minute epoxy and add some 6 x 3mm plastic strips underneath, as per the plan, for strength. When fitting the deck to the hull use coarse sandpaper and rub down the inside of the deck flange overhang, also roughen up the top 10mm of the hull moulding where it glues to. Then place the deck into position, tape all around holding it down on to the hull, Photo 5, turn it all upside down on to a flat surface and pour epoxy glue all around into that gap between hull and deck. To make the epoxy flow better, warm it up first, then set aside to cure fully.
Superstructure and Interior: This comes as a large one piece vac-forming, Photo 6, which requires all the shaded areas as per the drawing marked on, then cut out (Photo 7), then cleaned up with the aid of sandpaper and files. There are raised window panels on the moulding; the inner part needs to be marked up leaving a 3-4mm framework around where the internal glazing fits into. There is a rear cabin bulkhead (Photo 8) to be cut out of a
vac-forming, then glued into position - Photo 9 - at the same time allowing for the interior
vac-moulding to fit within. This is all built up external to the model
with chairs, controls, instrument panels, chart table detail, etc., from
the printed parts sheet Photo 10 - a nice added feature which due to the scale and large windows is a
must. This was all built up in-between the main build. When it comes to glazing Model Slipway have supplied templates on
the printed parts sheet for each window; the outline of these shapes is
then transferred to the sheet of clear plastic supplied and cut out. I
did find that these shapes were somewhat over-size so a little trimming will be required. These are then glued to the
inside of the frames using Evostik contact adhesive. Photo 11 shows the
model now in its raw state.
Cutting Out Vac-formings:
When it comes to cutting out the vacuum-formed parts I like to do
them all together. Now you can use a knife, which sometimes is the only
answer. If you have a bandsaw then life can be much simpler and easier
on the hands. It’s just a matter of knowing where to cut and having
some sort of depth/cutting guide in place. Photo 12 shows the parts to
be cut out, and Photo 13 shows depth guide and bandsaw blade with item
cut on the marked cutting line. Photo 14 shows the parts ready for
cleaning up and final assembly.
Railings: This is the part that can either make or break a model. The more time spent on getting all the uprights at the same angle and the bends equal as well as in the right place, the better it looks – see Photos 15 to 20. All railings were made up from 1.5mm brass rod supplied. Each length of rod was given a wipe over along its length with a cloth dampened with white spirit, then cleaned up with extra fine wet and dry paper – this helps with the soldering process. I always use a 60-watt soldering iron, standard electronics and pre-fluxed solder, plus, to help it flow even more, Carr's Liquid Flux. All the railing uprights should be cut 10mm longer than shown on the plan which is to allow for passing through the hole in the deck for fixing. These are indicated on the deck as small dimples, which need to be drilled out, but make the hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the brass rod so it’s a nice tight fit. The top rail needs to be bent to shape – just follow the plan and you will not go wrong. Offer up to the stanchion uprights and hold in place with small electronic crocodile clips or masking tape. As you can see from the photos I make sure it’s in the correct position, apply some flux with a small brush, apply heat and a little solder. All should flow resulting in a sound joint. There is a lot of railing work to do so think
about it and work in stages, then all should go well. As they say
practice makes perfect. To get all the centre cross pieces the same
height I used a wood block as a spacer and always place a clip lower
down near anything plastic to dissipate the heat away from it, as you do
not want it melting and making the hole bigger. After all the soldering
was done I gave it a good fine clean down all over with wet and dry plus
a suede brush (shoe type), and a final wipe over with white spirit
dampened cloth to remove any traces of flux residue. The stern ladder was constructed off the model to make life easier. Once again the use of an engineer’s square or metal block to get
true right angles is a must.
Mast: This comes supplied as a styrene printed parts sheet which just need to be lightly scored with several strokes of the knife blade, then placing your thumbnails either side of the score and your fingernails on the underside, raising this line up towards you this will cause the plastic to fracture along the score line – then simply bend away from you and the part will snap. Assemble as per instructions and drawings. The radar body comes as two vacuum-formed halves. The whole mast assembly on my models is made detachable via a small bolt encased within the base and 7mm of thread showing at the base, which then passes through a hole in the superstructure roof with a small nut on the other side to hold in place. The idea behind this is that it reduces the height of the model, resulting in a smaller carry box and less use of storage space. Fittings: The majority of the
fittings are white metal, Photo 21, and of high quality requiring very little if any cleaning up with a fine
suede brush, and then just painting. However I find it pays to give them
all a coat of white primer first before the main colour. When it comes
to painting them the same colour then I mount them on scrap wood and do
them as a batch. When gluing the fittings together or to the model I use
either standard Superglue or gel type depending on its placement on the
model.
Painting:
Large areas like the hull and superstructure were sprayed
with Halfords Acrylic sprays – Satin Black, Red Primer and Diamond
White. The green was hand-painted using Humbrol tinlet No. 87 and all
railings sprayed off the model with Halfords Mercedes Silver, Photo 22
(only the best you know!). Any other detail used Humbrol paints, as per
the cabin internals, Photo 23. Once all the painting is complete the
self-adhesive nameplates need to be stuck within the side panels, Photo
24. These are much better than waterslide transfers. The last thing is the rubber
fender which is fixed on the hull side using Evostik contact adhesive, Photo 25.
Radio and Drive:
Everyone has their own way of fittings the radio gear. I
try to leave it until all the building is done; that way I know it will
come out if needed, Photo 26. The only exception to this rule is the
rudder servo which sometimes you have no option but to fit earlier –
as long as you can get inside if problems occur then you are OK.
You can get away with a basic two channel set but if you are like me and enjoy a bit more control then a few more channels would be better, so I opted to use a 27MHz 4-channel set; one channel for the rudder two channels for left and right electronic speed controls, the other at a later stage for either sound or remotely switched lights. The motors and couplings are as Model Slipway recommends, 550 type, and they are good motors. Speed controls are from Electronize Model 43HX. I choose these because of the maximum current rating and BEC capabilities, i.e., no need for a separate receiver battery pack. The rudder control was a standard 148 servo. The main drive battery is a 12volt pack of 1700 Nicads, or you could use a 12 or 6volt sealed lead acid battery. Model Slipway have included a full wiring diagram to help with all of this if you are not sure. Trials: Once all was ballasted down to the waterline – in the bath of course – and it did consume a lot of lead, it was off to some water for a more proper test. Lucky for me I now live right next to a river and very large lake so no problem there. Before launching I made sure all the radio gear worked from a distance, i.e. range test it first, then slowly opened both throttles and away she went. At full speed she was a little above scale speed but that’s OK, she looked the part due to the large scale, and turned well. Reverse was a bit tricky due to the flat transom, but all said and done perfect running time on a full charge of 28 minutes, which would also be ideal for regatta work. The motors are an ideal match and well worth obtaining at the same time as the kit. Conclusion: I can highly recommend this kit as a beginner’s model with clear concise drawings and instructions, which is what the beginner needs with nothing left out. It is a nice scale size, nothing too small or fiddly to work on. Really a simple model to build with the use of modern materials such as fibreglass and plastic. The model lends itself to adaptation into other types of vessel. All parts supplied are of the highest quality as you expect from this top class manufacturer and the price in my opinion is extremely cheap –at around only £130 what more can you ask. Build it and enjoy! The Royal Maritime Auxiliary flag, Photo 27, is not included in the kit and can be ordered from Hand-Made Flags Ltd, 64 Copse Avenue, West Wickham BR4 9NR.
©Terry Small 2003 |
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