If it doesn't start to stink within a week then .......😉
Oh 'really' Martin?😁
😎

I am like you, i very really throw anything away that might be useful for my model making.

Martin555.

" it looks like a gun. "
I hope you're not planning a Bank Bust Commander!!😠
FLEET// 😎
(PS My Cayman acct. # is ............!🤑)

Martin this is a lesson about my mantra ! never throw anything away, you never know when you'll be able to make something with it. the last thing I saved was the top spray piece from an empty air freshener, it looks like a gun.

I am giving the Lockdown Challenge quite a bit of thought.
At the moment i am routing about looking for Bits and Pieces to make something with.

Martin555.

"knowing you it would probably end up with firing torpedoes"
With ratchet & spring launching and baking powder propulsion Red - Why not??😉
Go for it Martin -You KNOW you want to!👍
😎
PS; Red; the torps won't get far with the sub in a Jiffy Bag🤔
Or is the Jiffy just meant as flotation bag? 😁😂

Come on Martin - you would knock out both of those in a jiffy - make a break from all the detail on the big Sub - knowing you it would probably end up with firing torpedoes - the bath one I mean.........

Hummmm!!!!!.
Something to think about Red.

Martin555.

Now this really is a bathtub challenge .............
Has to be scaled down of course !

The Germans have a saying Red,
'Es gibt nichts was es nicht gibt'!
Transliterated-
'It gives nothing what it not gives'😁
or
Nothing exists which doesn't exist!
So who's up first to prove it can work????
Cheers, Doug 😎

A simple item from the archives for those interested in airboats - could be played with in the bath! Not at full size of course .

Hi Red,
Some economies were deader than others before this whole mess started🤔
Topic change!

I have the Corel X8 Technical suite from 2018.
Does that make me the sharpest shooter in town?😁
I thought I'd have a go at the 7" job for the Bathtub Race,
although I think it should be a Time Trial to even out the lack of baths (🙊) and resort to kitchen sinks etc.
If I want I can scale it up or down in Corel with much better results than messing with a jpg.
Muchas gracias👍

BTW I checked my RC set crystal stock. Those I could find anyway!
Lowest I have is 40.665 (Ch 50) as I thought, but only one set and the mini versions for my Pico RX as I use in my sub. Sorry🤔
I do have a set for Ch51 I could let you have if that's any good?
If I run across anymore I'll let you know.
Doug 😎

I use the fer I mean forking process Doug just to make sure they are well deaded, if they have been water discharged overnight there should be nothing left to escape. I've done a few undischarged duds just by giving them a good 'raking' and boy do they smoke. Once done I leave them outside in the elements in a tin for a year then take them to the tip. Nobody recycles old used LiPos here so there's not a lot of choice on what to do with them.

I've charged a number of almost dead LiPos very gently with no problems (they just lose their capacity after that if they survive), in fact I have 2 -1800Mah 2s batteries which my son let go completely flat in a lantern about 6yrs ago and I still have them and use them for testing (they are probably about 8yrs old now). I seldom throw them away unless they are badly puffed or way off balance and are not the solderable type to turn into different cell numbers.

People tend to be scared of LiPos, but if you treat them well they can last for years, (still have my first 5s 40c and 5s 20c 3000Mah batteries I bought 10 yrs ago, have no guts now but still balance almost perfectly! You can always use them for low drain things like lanterns etc with a battery alarm monitor. I use an old 2s on my original (about 30yr old) 7.2v Ryobi battery drill with a cord and XT60 plugs, (old NiCad finally died) for small jobs. Just treat them carefully,- you have to be doing something pretty stupid to make one catch fire!.

BTW if people think LiPos are dangerous, try hard shorting a car battery, they have much nastier stuff in them which will eat your skin off, not just burn your fingers a bit! (I always keep a leather glove handy with the planes just in case you have to rip one out and throw it!😁
JB

Of course now the economy seems like a Dead Duck - common usage all over Doug.

What version of Corel do you have ? - I use X3 because of the Laser - better half uses X7 as she is quicker on the draw (pun intended) . Asking as earlier versions cant open later ones..............
Original plans are only large jpg format files.
Which length do you want of the Cabin Cruiser ?

"Iceland Parrot "
Of course it was Red👍
Somehow 'Dead Duck' sounds better though 😁

I have the Corel Draw Technical Suite so I would welcome a set of plans, in Corel format not pdf please👍
Started with Corel Designer decades 🙄 ago when it was still MicroGrafix.
Was quicker with pencil, T-square and set squares etc back then!!
Cheers, Doug 😎

"I will not try to revive this battery"
Very wise Martin👍
I wouldn't risk it either.
Zero volts on cell one indicates it has gone either open or short circuit.
The fact that you measure anything on the red plug indicates that it has gone short, or very low resistance which might account for the small difference between red/white and red/black.
Most probably chemical reversal is underway! Dump it.
Safe the wires and plugs, as JB says, for recycling. They're very useful.

Don't know about forking it though😮 Release of toxic / caustic chemicals!?😝
I take mine (have only had one so far, it was DOA in one cell) to the dump (sorry Resource Retrieval Centre!) in a fireproof transport bag or box and hand 'em over to the resident 'specialist'. "Orl right guv, I'll see to it"🙄
Cheers, Doug 😎

Would that not be the Iceland Parrot Doug ?

For anyone interested I have redrawn the 7" Cabin Cruiser parts - as usual the plan is not that accurate - not uncommon with old plans - when you consider they were all done by hand - no fancy drawing packages in the old days.
Corel lets you have spurious accuracy at 40k magnification - so imagine how easy it is compared to using a drawing board and French Curves. Still takes time however as its 2d unlike some expensive CAD packages.

Also have two other versions at 14" & 10" parts drawn - PM me if interested

Thank you for the information Jb,

I will not try to revive this battery as i do not have the equipment to do so, and i cannot afford to buy one.

We take our dud batteries to a shop that deals with the safe disposal of them.

No doubt by the time we are allowed out after this lockdown i will have a few more batteries to get rid of.

Martin555.

Re - Sorry i forgot to post the photo in the last post.

Hi Martin, Doug's probably correct as the voltage has gone below 3.3v/cell. If they are not left too long sometimes they can be saved by using the type of charger shown (they only charge one cell at a time through the balance lead ( the white plug) I have had a larger version (2x2s, 3s and 4s) for about 12yrs and it has saved a number of batteries (some only enough to be test batteries) but have found it great for the smaller batteries. Mine can do 2 2s batteries at one time (same type and capacity) which is perfect for my boats.

You can try to revive batteries with these on a low setting (500ma) and the charger lights will change colour when each cell is full, if a light goes back to original colour (mine are red on start, blue for charged) within 10-15 secs or charger lights flash on/off, that cell is dud so biff the battery (cut wires off one at a time and drop battery in a bucket of very salty water to discharge overnight) then next day put a garden fork or similar through it for good measure (carefully),- you probably already know, but if you were wondering about the safest way (plenty of rubbish truck fires from people just chucking 'dud' batteries in the bin)
JB

Not to worry Doug,
I will add this battery to the others waiting for recycling.

I still have a few more boxes of junk to look through.
Our lockdown has been extended by another three weeks and maybe extended again after that, so i have plenty of time to go through all of my junk.

Martin555.

Sorry Martin, I forgot the balance plug wires are colour coded😔

Sorry again; I'm afraid your battery has gone the way of John Cleese's duck
"Dead, deceased, gorn before, shuffled off this mortal coil ..."☹️
Cell #2 still has 'some' life but cell #1 has joined the Dodos.
Only thing left to do is give it a decent burial!

I'd add a similar battery (also 850mAh) to your relief package,
but that would probably result in the whole package being destroyed🤔
Ciao, Doug 😎

Doug,
Sorry i forgot to post the photo in the last post.
I have used the pointy things and this is what i got.

Red connector has Red/Black wires.
White connector has Red/White/Black wires.

Across the red connector i get 0.81
On the white connector
red and black 0.82,
red and white 0.92,
black white 0.00,

Martin555.

That would be a shame Martin🤔
Could you measure the individual cell voltages at the white balance plug?
If so, what were they?
There should be one black wire (-ve) and two red wires (+ve) one per cell.
You will need 'pointy' meter probes to get onto the tiny connectors through the back of the plug.
It's much easier with one of those little Battery Checkers😊
Cheers, Doug 😎

Thank you Doug.
Well to Battery Heaven then after lockdown.
Thanks again.

Martin555.

Hi Martin,
"I am assuming that the red and black wires with the red connector on it is for charging.
As for the cables that go to the white connector i it is duel output.
I have tried to find out using a multimeter but the battery is very low."
The red connector (JST?) is for output to ESC or whatever and for charging.
The little white connector is the Balancing Plug.
To correctly and SAFELY charge a multi-cell LiPo the charger MUST have a balancing port.
So that the charger can measure the voltage of each cell and alter the charge rate per cell to bring them all to the same voltage and (hopefully) capacity.
If this is not possible it indicates a Duff cell🤔
A great little device for checking voltage and capacity of LiPo cells is this little analyser. See pic.
Available all over the WEB market for less than a tenner😉
(You can see one of mine on the bench in my photo of LED test rigs.)
If the battery is really low; less than 3.0 volts per cell, and/or less than 20% capacity, chances are high that at least one cell is duff😭 Park it in a safe place OUTSIDE (out of the sun!) until you can send it to the Great Recycling Centre and Battery Heaven after lockdown.
Cheers, Doug 😎
PS Now is the time for all of us in the northern hemisphere to be doing our post winter checks and charging of all types of rechargeable batts 👍

Hi Guys,
At the moment i am in the process of trying to find some bits and pieces or odds and ends to see if i can take part in the lockdown challenge.
I have come across this battery.
The only information i can find on it is:-
463562 HP FBC8F30 7.4V 850mAh Li-Po 2s.
Dimensions 68mmx63mmx10mm.
I have looked on the net but cannot find anymore information about it.
I seem to remember it came from a model helicopter.

I am assuming that the red and black wires with the red connector on it is for charging.
As for the cables that go to the white connector it is dual output.
I have tried to find out using a multimeter but the battery is very low.

I am a bit dubious about trying to put some more wiggles back in to it just in case.

Has anyone come across these batteries before or can anyone give me anymore information please.

Martin555.

Springer Tug - rough shape only - superstructure not shown - one different superstructure picture

Here is Cabin Cruiser 7" - plan & drawn parts - dummy outboard is the rudder - included two types of keel as not all will have enough balsa to fit the bow - chine stringer can extend to bow. Thin balsa or card planking will fit. Print out directly - parts full size - all on a4. Note that rear sub deck should be fitted first - before main deck etc and part 6, 6a & 6b fit on top of sub deck - part 6 does not run full width as shown. Rudder servo wires should be fitted before sub deck is glued in place - former 3 & 4 should have holes cut to suit your installation.

Thanks everyone. I haven't decided what to build yet but it might well be a mini Lockdown of some sort.

Alice has been taking advantage of the good weather and apart from black varnishing sheds, has made a start on the restoration of a milk float.

Good wishes and keep safe, Nerys

"she is a 30" swim headed stumpy Thames Barge. "
So far so good Nerys👍
Too big for the Challenge?
No sweat😉
Just stick it in your 3D scanner/copier, set the scaling to 20% and awaaaay you go😁
Pleased to see you are still active Cap'n 😊 How many sheds has Alice built now???
Cheers, Doug 😎

Very nice work Nerys.
I will be following your build and I am looking forward to future updates.

Martin555.

This doesn't really come into the Lockdown Challenge because it is what I have been spending my time for the last three weeks or so building. Obviously nowhere near finished yet, she is a 30" swim headed stumpy Thames Barge. A type that disappeared by about the 1930s.

Cheers, Nerys.

LOL!! Thank's
My normal position then.

Martin555.

I wish I could join this challenge but I have had to increase my work time lately.
Can I suggest a handicap system. Perhaps Martin should have one arm tied behind his back, wear an eye patch and stand on one leg?

Martin will have go at the Springer & The Cabin Cruiser tomorrow at 6" length - trying to keep it simple Nerys so we can use whatever is at hand.

Nice simple little boat, If we all built one, you never know, fifty years time our grandchildren could find one in their attic and wonder why it was called Lockdown. The mini tug is nice too.

Nerys

I would be interested in seeing the springer.
I don't think i have the equipment to reduce its size.

Martin555.

Martin unfortunately Graham hit it on the head re copyright - unless you have a copy of the plan its problematic for anyone to build one.
Do have a plan for a Springer tug somewhere which can be easily reduced to 6" like Grahams if anyone is interested - simply trying to give us all something to do in Lockdown - open to suggestions as to what it should be for a group build............
I was going to use the Springer with the bits from a two motor cheapie RC boat (no rudders) - but think single motor & rudder would be better if RC is needed.

I like that idea Red, but i also like Graham's Micro tug.

What to do ????

Martin555.

That's why I put up this plan Martin - because it can literally be made from scrap cardboard etc - most of us have motors lying around - prop can either be brass or plastic - even card if you used poly resin on it. Its a very easy build - personally would use balsa/card for the boat. The plan is reproduced at 50% and shows all components - easily made from your favourite material plastic too - only needs the inside of a ball point as the rudder/propshaft tubes - I have some sucker sticks (plastic which fit nicely inside)
Can be printed out on A4 direct from the pictures as its set at 50% scale
If this one does not suit have a nice looking simple Cabin Cruiser tucked away somewhere

Red,
I would imagine if members were to enter the lockdown challenge then we would all have to make the same boat.
As a race between a fast boat and a tug altho interesting would not be the same.

Different races for different boats.

Martin555.