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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:21:22 GMT 1
Poul, you have a lot to answer for! ;D ;D Thanks to you and your scratch built Richelieu (you ripper!), I have decided that my next project will be a scratch build of the "MV Mountwood", the Mersey ferry featured in "Ferry cross the Mersey". I have tracked down and purchased a DVD copy of the film from "The Video beat" in America and have received permission from "Mersey ferries" to purchase a copy of the original plans from the naval architects who designed her. I also intend to make it radio control (new to me!), and have visions of installing an mp3 player in her and play "Gerry and the pacemakers" singing "Ferry cross the Mersey" whilst she is sailing! It will either turn out great or be an expensive disaster! I am also thinking of making the hull using plank on frame, and then making a mould of it and casting the hull in fibreglass in order to eliminate the waterproofing problems. Can anyone tell me if this is a practical solution?
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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:22:59 GMT 1
Ooooops !!!! What have I got myself into here WARNING !If your expensive experiment fails Mike B, then don't even think of asking me to reimburse you ;D ;D ;D --o0o-- I don't know if your idea about the fiberglass hull is good or bad since I have never tried it myself, but if you don't intend to make multiple copies of the hull, then to me it sounds like double work. What I mean is: If you make a separate fiberglass hull, you then have to make a complete new support construction for it. Ie. deck support, etc. and some kind of "anti-warp" construction - a new hull all over again. If instead you just coat the outside of your (already rigid) planked hull with the fiberglass resin only, then you achieve the same objective of waterproofing the hull. Maybe Swanrail or Markus can show some more light on this subject.
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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:24:26 GMT 1
Hi Poul, one of the reasons for casting the hull is that at the scale I envisage (1:48), I can recreate the rivetted plates etc. on the wooden master, before making the master fibreglass mould. I will then make wooden frames which I will glass into the hull when casting the copy. This will provide the basis for the deck and motor/receiver/battery mounts. The fibreglass copy will consist of a black gelcoat and then the glass coat. I feel this is the best way to exactly recreate the hull lines and contours. Glassing over a wooden hull will give no details. Also, if the hull gets damaged, it will be easy to make an identical replacement. what do you guys think?
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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:26:09 GMT 1
If it helps, I fibreglassed my Bismarck using a lightweight cloth usually used on model aircraft frames. Once applied and resinned it was transparent, so the wooden frame could still be seen. I then painted it and applied several layers of yacht varnish over it. This has totally waterproofed the hull and strengthened it against knocks and collisions. The full details can be seen on my photo site in the photo set named "Bismarck at 3 July 08" www.flickr.com/photos/commander-popeye/These are a couple of photos from the site showing the hull after the fibreglass and resin have been applied, before trimming round the top and then after trimming and adding a resin seal over the trimmed top (the boat is upside down to prevent the seal resin from dripping down the hill !)
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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:27:23 GMT 1
As Paul suggests, it's a good idea if you want to make multiple copies of the hull. Otherwise it's a lot of very smelly work for little gain. You should be able to make a wooden hull perfectly waterproof without too much trouble. I wouldn't advocate using a finishing resin, although the stuff model aircraft guys use to smooth a glass fibre coated wing would give you a good finish, but might be difficult to apply to a hull. Sealer and paint should be sufficient to waterproof. You should be able to add rivet detail to a wooden hull after sealing, but before painting. That's my random thoughts - please feel free to consider or ignore them as you like
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Post by Mike B on Feb 10, 2009 18:28:34 GMT 1
Thanks for the input, Mark and Popeye. My main reason for contemplating fibreglass is not for waterproofing but damage resistance. The lake we have access to is in the casino complex and is surrounded by concrete "imitation stone". I also want the model to be as accurate as possible and not "semi-scale", therefore the hull must be as perfect as possible so that it can also be displayed static. Keep the suggestions coming guys,
Mike
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Post by swanrail on Feb 10, 2009 23:52:02 GMT 1
Never tried fibreglass hulls myself, but if you want to make one being all fibreglass and not a coated over wooden hull, then you have problems. Going by yacht/dinghy makers, first you must make a perfect wooden hull, apply releasing agent to cast a "negative" the outside of which is reinforced with wood to make rigid, Remove this negative then make your finished hull inside it, again using a releasing agent. Paint wise, it would be better to put pigments into the resin to the correct colour, then if the hull gets scratched(as seems likely in your case) its would still show the same colour and not be so noticeable. With your mould, you could possibly offer fibre glass hulls to others who do not like planking!!! Note that this metod, you can fix the internal woodwork in place as you fibreglass, making a very strong job of it. Personally, to much effort, too smelly and I expect, expensive as a one off.
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Post by Mike B on Feb 11, 2009 22:44:26 GMT 1
Personally, to much effort, too smelly and I expect, expensive as a one off. Don, thanks for the constructive comments - that's part of the fun of scratchbuilding - the sense of achievement if it works! Back in the 60's when I was young and didn't know any better, I made a new fibreglass dashboard for my minivan from a master I made from bodyfiller and hardboard! I was amazed that my first and only attempt with glassfibre came out so well! This experience is one of the reasons I am thinking about glass as the route to go. It is very hard to restore a damaged wooden hull back to static quality?
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