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124 posts · Page 9 of 11- LylePetty Officer 2nd ClassHello all you Fire Boat restorers, I carefully noted the rather belled style of the vents as less streamlined as compared to the bought ones and when the vent front edge is carefully sanded flush, I found suitably thickened in section, silicone "O rings" from my big box of multiple o rings pack as sold by car part and engineering shops. A small piece of plasticine was used to hold the rings in place and super glued to affix.With care the small dab of holding plasticine was uppermost to not stick as the glue ran around down due to gravity. When a few hours later the usual re paint of the modified vent was done,the paint adhered. I Oz I have to run in salt water at the lake entrance and no effects at all ( obviously). I love my I/c Fire boat ( some 34 /39 years or so) with its third engine now and I still cannot help myself as I did hinges for the rear hatch roof to now open. All the best for detailers. When Peter Dimberline stayed with us some years back he ran it at ballistic speed, which shocked me as I run it just up un the plane. (Secret) you can cheat and add an extra wide strip along the chine up to almost an additional 1/8 inch extra wide without visual loss to the lines of the vessel to help her get up and stay in a hard chop as mine is the 46 inch version and some 18 to 20 pounds in weight, so perhaps the smaller 34 inch version and electric may benefit from this idea as the smaller versions tend not to sit too well and seem too far out of the water exposing too much of the f'd keel for some reason? I really enjoy all the Fire Boat resurgence of you guys. Lyle.
- LylePetty Officer 2nd ClassHi, I was so surprised at your having some printed pictures and two reference pages of the Fire Boat ? is a set of emailed copies of the two reference pages displayed on the right hand side of your picture available to be sent my email if your are inclined, please ? (I can forward my address for email) Certainly very nice to have . Regards Lyle.
I have decided to finally bring my Fireboat out of the closet and up for inspection.
This is the first of my many boats I am showing, I will probably show others in the future.
I started to build her back in 2006 after being off work and having a shoulder operation. She was not going to be a R/C boat, just a bit of something to do whilst on recovery.
I have a 34" still in the box unmade, purchased back in 1994 from Aerokits.
I drew round all the parts and then shrunk them on my scanner. She is 27" long I think that's
just fraction over 1/20th scale . She is almost all balsa except the 2 under skins that are balsa laminated with 1/64th ply. The hand rails are 1/4" balsa blocks I cut from a strip and the rail is ally tubing.
The mast is made from plastic strip from packets from the model shop.
When I returned to work she was put into the shed and left unfinished.
I stumbled across the Fireboat website and registered in 2009 when I was off work once again. This then made me think more about working on her again and I decide to turn her into an R/C model. So out she came and I fitted an Electomax Delta 480bb motor and a M3sonik esc.
I also purchased a couple of Robbe fire monitors, put them together shortening the nozzles and cutting the bottom of the base of to try to look a bit moreto scale. I know they are not the correct type but if I want to go down the road of getting them working then these ones will.
Then off I went to Wilkinson's and bought some paint. Then set out to paint her, as I brushed on the paint it seemed to be drying almost as quick as I was painting her. Dragging the paint I had just put on with next brush stroke. What a TOTAL DISASTER !!. I gave up on her and back into the shed she went.
2010 arrived I started again rubbed the paint down a bit and bought some Tamiya spray acrylic and started spraying, underside red, it seemed look all right. I used a nice new roll of low tack masking tape, taped up the underside and the decking and sprayed on the black on the sides. I thought that look all right. Took off the masking tape, which also took off the red paint and the dope from the decks. Another DISASTER. Back in the shed she went once again.
A couple of months went by and I was up in Norfolk on my own boat and watching the workers in the boatyard, ideas came to me and when we returned home, out she came and I repainted the sides
and then with red oxide paint I painted her undersides to make it look like antI foul paint. I used some white stripe to cover the join of the two different paint colours.
I had bought some roundels in Anglia Model Shop in Gorleston and some lettering in a shop in Norwich and after painting put these on.
Not looking fantastic but passable I was a little happier with her, but still not satisfied, back in the shed she went again.
Now after so much nagging from my brother out she has come, I've started again. He talked me into changing and trying a brushless motor and a smaller esc he had in his tool box from his helicopter he was shelving as its rota head was damaged beyond repair.
I have now fitted them and if they work I will change the esc to a forward/ reverse esc in the future at some point.
Sea trials are still away off more than likely in the spring, because the decking has yet to be painted. That will be the next job.
I think that's all for now, as I have probably bored you all to tears. I hope update as I progress further.
Just to let you know I'm Tom (alias BOATSHED).
- BOATSHEDCaptainHI Squirtgun, up to no she still hasn't changed, and is still unfinished.
I did take her out and try her on Clapham Common Long Pond, a bit of a disaster ☺️ , the prop that was on her was a 4 blade 40 mm, was a bit to big and would not steer and tended to react to the torque and pull one way 😭 .
I have since purchased three smaller prop's 20,25 and
30 mm 3 bladed brass props. will have to experiment with these at some point.
Sadly what with work and trying to get some work done on a classic car I have, I haven't had chance to do anymore 😭 .
Haven't retired as yet, that date isn't until August, but as the law has changed, you do not actually retire anymore I'm told from work, you either work on until you decide or you just resign now.
So I will get some more done soon but have just been to busy on the classic car.
Thanks for asking and when done more I will post it.
Kind regards Tom (alias BOATSHED )Liked by Inkoust
works well on a Spekrum DX5E But can work on any other 2 channal transmitter .
Hope you enjoy the photos .
- NorthumbrianMidshipmanthat is a nice chinned hull Marblehead you have there I built a similar one called HAREM from a Vic Smeed plan
I have a Nylet Marblehead called INIGMA with a carbon fibre hull sails are on a swing rig they are great yachts to sail
Full working red & white leds on deck and cabin , lynxs helicopter with working rotor blades with landing lights. Working radars, bofor gun , A ships whooping sound . Runs on two speed 700 motors off a 12volt gel sell battery which give a good 1hr sailling time . Controlled by a 50 amp speed controller with two brass propshafts behind good size rudders which give a excellant turn .
My model HMS Avenger is a copy from the real ship in which took part in the Falklands war in 1982. Painted in the same grey with a green deck . She looks great on display or on the water . Avenger gets a lot of interest from the general public . please enjoy looking at the photos shown at Sheringham & Eaton park Norwich Norfolk .
" thank you .. A Prestney
- rustypistonLeading SeamanOutstanding piece of model building. As a plus it's an unusual subject, not typical of what most folk build. it's too bad these pictures aren't larger, your detail work is exceptional.
- Dave MVice AdmiralNice to see a scale model of an actual ship. Detail work looks outstanding and I agree with the previous comment re more detailed pics. Seen on the water she looks very realistic. As you have working lights a night time shot would be good 😀
A build blog of your next model would certainly encourage others to get building.
Very well done 😀
The first photo shows the boat as it was bought from an E Bay auction in late February for the price of 14.50, for that price I had to bid on it, even thought I had a new kit of the same model on order from a model shop from the end of December, before VAT went up. The models turned out to be the 4 feet versions some 11 inch wide and now is about 19 inch high. This model turned up several days before the new kit turned up, and was a bit worse for ware than anticipated as the deck had started to part company from the hull. After stripping the deck of all remaining deck furniture the deck was re laminated to the hull, prop shafts and rudder tubes also refitted using plenty of resin and cloth. A rubbing strip was fitted around the deck hull line to tidy up the visible damage. When I was happy with repairs the hull and deck was rubbed down and sprayed. Using the information in the new kit and some photos of actual boats, MJB's (My junk boxes) supplied all the required parts to scratch build 90% of the models fittings as seen, this includes the figures on the deck. These being obtained off an EBay site as 1/24 unpainted train scene figures that required some or may be a lot of adjustments to their appearance. Several items have still to be made and fitted. As I'm working on her sister boat P147, will make extra parts in one go.
The boat has twin electric drives, the motors, MFA 919D series, are fitted with their own 2.5/1 gearboxes and they drive 40 mm three bladed conta rotating brass props. They have independent 15 amp Electonize speed controllers run from two 7.2 volt packs in series. The switching arrangements for lighting has still to be finished off. Don't know if I'll fit a sound system as the boat is for my grandson.
The boat has had several trips on the Society's water at Cwmbran with myself and my grandson at the helm. it seems to go fast enough for him. (The new boat P147 has been built with triple screws.) Can't wait to see both models on the water together.
Hope you have enjoyed the pictures and information.
Regards
GreyWolf
- wilsonAble Seamanhi
I have just bought a home made model just like this one of ebay it is home built and built to a very high standard it had a glow engine in a one stage but by the look of things I dint think it has seen the pond , I was wondering if you could help me out by sending me some detailed pic's of the deck and fittings please
my email is (Email Removed - PM Only)
thank you for eny help ho can give
wilson
This was in poor condition, work was started mid January to strip down the various parts that required to be remade, deck/superstructure/roof panels/windows etc.
The hull needed stripping back to give a good surface for the finished paint work.
Completion of the basic boat is now getting near, and ready for fitting out with motor radio etc.
Hope to give more details later.
Cheers for now.
- Peter HS93Warrant Officerlooks great nice to see another boat brought back from the brink to do do another 40 years
peter
I have spent many nights trawling the internet to see if there is anything like my very detailed model but to no avail and I have even asked a few of my old work colleagues who are ex-naval men if they can help out in identification. I am wondering whether this could be an elusive Mk. 1 - the boat that was never put into commission.
I attach a few photos of my model in the hope that someone out there can throw some light on it. it is in very good condition and a few years old, is fitted with a Graupner Eco 600 motor on a single prop with 7.2 NiMh batteries. it is about 34" in length and 9" beam and goes really well, planes quickly and turns very tightly - in all a cracking boat. The numbers on the side of the boat are strange as they relate to what I believe is a coastal command unit - the numbers are not new as they appear to be original under the paintwork. Any help in identifying what actual boat it is modelled on would be appreciated.
Regards
Alan
- StonemonkeyMaster SeamanFrom the look of that transom, is it earlier, maybe between wars?
looks good whatever it is Alan.
Dean
Just seen your post. Very nice looking model. 😀 Yeomans were the official supplier of white metal fittings for the Aerokits fire tenders and from the pictures it certainly looks like an original Aerokits model. I sold just such a kit and the Yeomans fittings on this site last year.