Topic: Xrad's Brooklyn Tug (Read 19968 times)

xrad · « **Reply #25 on:** November 03, 2014, 08:25:26 pm »

Thanks!

She is coming along bit by bit....

xrad · « **Reply #26 on:** November 09, 2014, 02:11:10 am »

1 1/4 copper elbows and some aluminum pipe to route the stack. Looks bigger than it is due to photo angle. Machined up a brass spacer to get the 1 in aluminum pipe to fit the copper pipe. I thought the long pipe would inhibit the burner but it works fine. Aluminum pipe for the tall part to save weight. Thin brass outer stack will be permanently mounted to deckhouse so the whole unit lifts off. Also, the elbow pipe is easily removable from the boiler.

Small brass tube is for the pop off valve on boiler. Silver soldered to the last copper elbow.

rhavrane · « **Reply #27 on:** November 09, 2014, 01:33:36 pm »

Bonjour xrad,

I note a long chimney. Did you already test it ? I have had a bad experience with an equivalent, even without elbow, I have been obliged to cut it several times to find the appropriate length which allowed the burner to run correctly. Hopefully, the chimney of the model is wider than the boiler one, so, even if it becomes hot, it is not damaged.

xrad · « **Reply #28 on:** November 09, 2014, 01:55:16 pm »

it would take 1100 degrees to damage chimney, so no problem there. Yes, as described above, tested and works very well. Actually, it probably keeps a bit more heat in the boiler, which steams fairly fast.

The reason I did not make a short boiler chimney is that the condensation would run down the outer chimney and into the model, this way, it runs into boiler smokebox and is steamed back up and out of the stack. A tight fitting baffle and a short boiler stack could have been built, but the fitment to the deckhouse chimney was too difficult to make leak-proof.

Condensing tank outflow runs into the first elbow, poly tube not yet hooked up. So this condensate will also get steamed up by the boiler smokebox.

xrad · « **Reply #29 on:** November 12, 2014, 12:35:13 am »

Nearly finished with the pilot house. tried to make it prototypical with wood boards. will have some controls, windows, lighting, and a skipper.....eventually

Stained the upper deck a dark red. looks good. will post pics soon.

xrad · « **Reply #30 on:** November 13, 2014, 03:03:57 pm »

The super 'blue' plastic (clear when blue protective removed) is probably a polycarbonate lexan type so I will try some zap poly glue for windows. I built window frames for each so if not glued, windows will be held in by frames.

xrad · « **Reply #31 on:** November 16, 2014, 12:19:27 am »

a bit more work. second bottle of Ca...fingers like cement(I have no more fingerprints)....

Still test-fitting everything at this point.

Bernhard · « **Reply #32 on:** November 17, 2014, 09:06:53 am »

tip-top

xrad · « **Reply #33 on:** November 21, 2014, 07:09:37 pm »

Thanks Bernhard. Some more work. I did not solder every stanchion, not necessary. just the rear 5 , front 4, and middle one on each side. You can see how I hide the stack mounts. Light pole base is machined from brass and bolted to the deck. the pilothouse will be screwed to the deckhouse, removable so that the wiring can be accessed if needed.

SailorGreg · « **Reply #34 on:** November 21, 2014, 08:25:30 pm »

Lovely!

She's really coming together now, and I love your deck planking.

I empathise with you about the CA - it sometimes seems that more of it gets picked off your fingers than goes on the model. If I wanted to commit a crime I would make models with CA just to make sure I left no fingerprints behind!

(For any government agency monitoring this - I do not have, nor have I ever had, a serious desire to commit any criminal act. Just so you know.

)

Greg

xrad · « **Reply #35 on:** November 23, 2014, 01:50:47 am »

Thanks Sailorgreg! Some more bits: machined up a brass spotlight, chrome paint inside, flat black outside; top rails (stanchions not in kit, from harbormodels), antenna, fire monitor yet to be installed. Some tugs had pilothouse rails, I like the look so I added them.

Dinghy is from kit(but only came with vac formed plastic. So I braced on the inside and covered in fine cotton cloth (rough thread, stained with tea, and tied down per prototype.

more to come....

steam up · « **Reply #36 on:** November 23, 2014, 09:06:40 am »

That tug is full of character.

xrad · « **Reply #37 on:** November 24, 2014, 03:24:40 pm »

Thanks, that is my aim. Coal bunker covers installed. They should be level with the deck, so had to modify a wood hole bit so that it chiseled off the planks rather than drilling a hole. This was done by grinding off the edge points. Worked out great...except that I miss measured the location of the 6 center holes by 5/16th inboard. Dropped a few F-bombs on that one! I was very upset over that mistake........

anyway, they look good...

the kit was missing 4 of the small cleats, so had to make some up out of brass...

all metal bits attached to deck have fixing pins drilled through so that they are more strongly attached. The deck is not sealed yet so that the CA can penetrate. drips inside hull are from the deck epoxy dripping down . next time I will use some paper protector or similar.....painted inside a lite grey and sealed with testors dullcoat.

derekwarner · « **Reply #38 on:** November 24, 2014, 03:51:12 pm »

.... a simple understanding to your miscalculation is as follows

1. 5/16"= [0.0625 x 5 = 0.3125"]
2. or about 1/2 the diameter of your little finger
3. or about 0.3125" of red wine left in the glass]

You are doing a great job...........

.... Derek

Antipodean · « **Reply #39 on:** November 24, 2014, 07:45:52 pm »

That is coming along nicely, great work there.
I wouldn't say the measurement episode was a cause for expletives, it was just unintentional personalisation

xrad · « **Reply #40 on:** November 25, 2014, 04:26:34 pm »

Thanks fellas! :) Tried a pull-pull cable system with chain and quadrant (like original), but unfortunately , not going to work. Took 5 hours and x2 trips to hobby store. Fit a 'Z' bend solid link to servo in 10 minutes, works great.

xrad · « **Reply #41 on:** November 27, 2014, 05:03:10 pm »

Spent some time on the RC side of things. I use a Tactic x490 2.4 Ghz 4 ch from Harbor models. 70$. Does not come with receiver or instructions. I took the transmitter apart and lightened the spring rate (internally adjustable). I was going to remove the stick control springs (and convert to resistance) so that steam gear position and throttle position did not use spring return, but after running a while, spring return to full stop is nice.

Actually, its a 3 servo channel and one switched receiver. and only two of the servos will do full travel. the third servo channel is really for an ecu and does full travel in one direction and about 1/2 travel in the other direction (reverse). So I use full servo control for rudder and for F/R of the Hackworth gear. I use the full side of the third servo control with spring cushion for the throttle off the steam dome.

I have power running into the fourth channel, but could hook a relay to run lights or something. Anyway, I love this radio. No crystals, one button connect to radio. can easily switch from one receiver or radio to another and press one button and they are linked. Nice! and only 70$ (plus receiver etc..)

Radio only needs 4 AA and receiver only needs 4 AA so easy on batteries. I use one of these in another boat and have had ZERO issues and absolute full control all over the pond.

On to the steam engine. Installed, servos installed, links installed, superheater installed, adjustable burner mount machined and installed. Rough plumbing for the condenser... runs pretty well out of the box...have to shim the engine mount a bit as the hull changed shape slightly after deck laid.

first run vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_FIshrnKJ0&list=UUYQskpmHyALB5hsentYB_6g

xrad · « **Reply #42 on:** December 01, 2014, 01:13:06 am »

some more work (pleasure):

Made some cowl ventilators. Could not find the correct size or shape, so hammered some copper and turned some brass.... Not the exact shape I was looking for, but they will do (and functional too!)

Another mistake on the plans: life boat davits have to be further apart than the length of the lifeboat. Added some functioning double blocks. Stack stays adjustable with functioning turnbuckles. I use Proctor rigging wire #202 and their cable crimps..very nice scale wire. Don't even know if Proctor is still in business(they made some VERY nice WWI aeroplane kits)....

xrad · « **Reply #43 on:** December 01, 2014, 02:06:06 pm »

I am going to modify the lifeboat block straps. They can look better. It takes about 60 seconds to fill the small black gas tank. That, with a full boiler gives me 20+/- minutes of steam time (after pop-off and of course depending on use).

steam up · « **Reply #44 on:** December 02, 2014, 05:38:10 pm »

Would love to see a video on the water.

xrad · « **Reply #45 on:** December 05, 2014, 01:58:56 pm »

water vid soon enough....

Found some pics on how I made the fiberglass hull. I used polyester resin and spray wax release. worked well enough. Quick and easy way rather than plug and mold.

xrad · « **Reply #46 on:** December 06, 2014, 04:52:39 pm »

Some more completed. Fire buckets do not it the rails. most of the tug pics I have do not have the buckets anyway so left off for this build. Its a real shame the Dumas cheapened their kits by getting rid of the photo etched parts (I think are replaced by laser cut ply...which is done well) and the fiberglass hull, and now charges more for the kit. There are not too many fiberglass hull kits of workboats below 500$. Plenty of fiberglass hulls 'only.' However, even given the said 'flaws,' I found this kit to be a VERY worthwhile build. Both for the challenge and the fun of modifying as desired.

So far, ~100 hours in the build. ~ 1000$ in steam boiler/engine/ gas tank/ fiberglass/resin/extra wood/fittings/Tx-Rx/ original kit/ etc....

Not done yet, have to apply the washes.....

As a side note, I bought an aquacraft Rescue 17

http://www.aquacraftmodels.com/boats/aqub5700-rescue-17-fireboat/index.html

This is an all fiberglass model, even the deckhouse and hatch covers are fiberglass. These main parts painted, not colored plastic. can't tell by the website pics. Fairly good detail for the price. The most expensive bit was the lipo packs. I bought two 5000Mah 11s packs (no name brand Lectron Pro ~60$ each..supposed to have the same cells as Traxxas at half the cost...I have had no issues charging or using them..balanced ,too). I get nearly 30 min run time (total run time ~1 hour) at full throttle nearly all the time. this is a super hull design and does a near scale speed. makes a nice wake. The 2.4g tx and rx worked perfectly (which is why I bought another setup and more Rx's for my other models). Some of the detail like the rails are more toylike, but overall I am very pleased with this boat. It's my backup retrieval boat if needed! And I could put out steamboat fires if needed! This is a good sized model. Fast enough for fun, very stable, and a great beginner boat for kids.

xrad · « **Reply #47 on:** December 07, 2014, 01:24:56 am »

Almost done

A few small deck details to do...

used my airbrush. Sprayed some rust, and washes of light grey, black, and sepia. had some dribble here and there as the sepia did not want to thin all the way. Light rust all over hull. Other colors came out fine. Hard to tell by the pic (real bad fluorescents ). Looks really worn and used in real time.

Various tire sizes ; tires worn down on my grinder. Gave two coats all over of testors dullcoat. this really helped blend in the ash color of the light grey wash. Next nice day, out on the pond...

Antipodean · « **Reply #48 on:** December 07, 2014, 04:06:12 am »

Looking forward to pics of it on it's maiden voyage. Looking really good, even if you do say the lighting is bad.

steam up · « **Reply #49 on:** December 07, 2014, 02:16:28 pm »

Now that really looks like a working tug fab.

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Author Topic: Xrad's Brooklyn Tug (Read 19968 times)