the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
02-14-2012, 08:36 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hi Dauntlessfan..thanks …the color red adds a new dimension to the boat and from an onboard perspective is doesn’t seem like a ‘blue’ vessel anymore.
The two carpenters are fussing with the seats while Herc Looks on. They realized that the seats were too wide and should have been trimmed back further so they don’t block the gate..So now they need to remove the cushions, draw a line about ¼” or so along the back of the seats and cut off the section. This is so that people’s legs aren’t in the way when others board. The leather seat cushions for those two pieces need to be adjusted too. They are cussin’ and are not happy campers in the photos. Herc, not wanting to get too involved with the fiasco is deciding how to finish off the helm so it will be based on a two not four engine design. 
The men are hard at work to say the least but they always come through.
The men are hard at work to say the least but they always come through.Your Radar mast looks awesome man! You are also pushing the envelope and setting standards around here too! Both you and Bill will be my inspiration for the radar. I really like your radar reflector. How did you go about making it?
The early radar used on Dauntless may have been a prototype for all we know. Laurance was a very important venture capitalist that focused on providing seed capital to aviation and technology startups. Being that he had an interest in those companies I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he used his boat as a guinea pig to test some of those early developing military products. I posted a while back that at one point Dauntless looked liked a very intimidating government experiment on the ocean. (I wish I had that picture) According to the person at the family archive center he was self described as a ‘gadgeteer’.
Take a glance at some of his business interests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurance_Rockefeller
The anemometer seemed to have always been part of the radar design. There were times when it was removed but the base that the pole goes into was always there. Harbor models sell them inexpensively. I bought the 7/8” version a long time ago that I’ve been hoarding for when the day comes. It is cast metal so some of the flashing will have to be removed but then it’s ready for paint. Model Master has an entire line of WWII colors so color matching the radar should be a snap.
-Rich.
02-14-2012, 02:10 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hey D/F
I forgot to post this earlier but here is the link to the Anemometer:
http://www.harbormodels.com/Harborma...m12-access.htm
Gosh this site is so darned tempermental....
-Rich.
I forgot to post this earlier but here is the link to the Anemometer:
http://www.harbormodels.com/Harborma...m12-access.htm
Gosh this site is so darned tempermental....
-Rich.
02-15-2012, 02:24 PM
#2229
RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Thanks guys.
I'm having lots of problems with this site too. From it being slow in general or not loading at all, to not letting me read PMs, to not letting me post replies. I could not post at all yesterday.
Bill - Good advice on searching for radars, I already found a few details I haven't seen before. Yup, my platform below the antenna is the wrong size for sure. I may try to trim it down or come up with a different design.
Rich - I'm sold on the anemometer now, thanks for the link. Also I found the parts for this radar reflector in my model RR spare parts bin. The white piece with the two holes is just thin sheet styrene. The black piece was part of a plate girder bridge kit. The hardest part was bending it, and getting it to stay bent. I'm lucky I had three of these pieces. The first one broke apart when I tried to bend it cold. The second one melted when I tried to make it flexable using a heat gun too agressively. So on the last piece I had, I held the piece around a small glass bottle with my fingers, then again tried warming it with a heat gun held a bit further back. This time since my fingers were right there, I was painfully reminded if the piece was getting too hot.
I'm having lots of problems with this site too. From it being slow in general or not loading at all, to not letting me read PMs, to not letting me post replies. I could not post at all yesterday.
Bill - Good advice on searching for radars, I already found a few details I haven't seen before. Yup, my platform below the antenna is the wrong size for sure. I may try to trim it down or come up with a different design.
Rich - I'm sold on the anemometer now, thanks for the link. Also I found the parts for this radar reflector in my model RR spare parts bin. The white piece with the two holes is just thin sheet styrene. The black piece was part of a plate girder bridge kit. The hardest part was bending it, and getting it to stay bent. I'm lucky I had three of these pieces. The first one broke apart when I tried to bend it cold. The second one melted when I tried to make it flexable using a heat gun too agressively. So on the last piece I had, I held the piece around a small glass bottle with my fingers, then again tried warming it with a heat gun held a bit further back. This time since my fingers were right there, I was painfully reminded if the piece was getting too hot.
02-15-2012, 03:29 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
DF if you use that Google search method for Dauntless boat and go enough pages you will find pix of your radar mast and Rich's boat.
I got some auto sound deadening today and am going to try it on inside the cabin ceilings and hull and see if it cuts down on the motor noise. Those Graupners have a loud growl!!
Bill
I got some auto sound deadening today and am going to try it on inside the cabin ceilings and hull and see if it cuts down on the motor noise. Those Graupners have a loud growl!!
Bill
02-15-2012, 08:30 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hi captains,
The carpenters stepped up to the plate and cut both the seats and cushions back about ¼”. Now they fit perfect.
Next up is cutting a piece of aluminumwall to place behind the long bench seat to seal the bottom half of the cavity. The inside of the cavity is destined to become part of the stateroom display shelf. Once the wall is sealed on the outside'the caprenters'will make up the pleated leather seat backs. 
I thought that the Graupners sounded pretty cool in the video especially when you hit it in reverse to slow it down. They sounded like diesels for a second there..
Here are a few pictures.
Hey Bill,I thought that the Graupners sounded pretty cool in the video especially when you hit it in reverse to slow it down. They sounded like diesels for a second there..
-Rich.
02-17-2012, 06:55 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
I ordered an anemometer butI think I will mount it where it is in later photos. It appears above the radar on the small mast that is behind the radar. it would be nice to mount so it spins when the boat moves but don't know if that will be possible since it would just lift off the pin and get lost.
Bill
Bill
02-17-2012, 07:24 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hi Bill,
I think it is possible to get it to spin. Just put a little epoxy over the pin and it should be fine.
Below is a photo of the mast behind the radar with some detail. This was taken in 1959. Note that the mast was also pretty rigid. On the top of the mast is the Dutch Royal Flag and below the flag is the base to the anemometer sticking out further. The Royal Flag was in place because Princess Beatrix and her party were aboard the Dauntless so the anemometer was removed to make way for the flag. The below picture is the Princess waving as they were pulling away.
-Rich.
. I'm having problems almost every time I'm here.
02-17-2012, 02:42 PM
#2238
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Ditto to that DF. I'm keeping up with everyone, adding a post once in a while, soaking up all the great ideas for when I finally get to re-working my Dauntless. Really hate all the problems the site is having.
Bob
Bob
02-17-2012, 02:43 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
I can see the picture...
This site is really annoying me!!! I hope they work out the bugs beforewe move this show to another site....
-Rich.
This site is really annoying me!!! I hope they work out the bugs beforewe move this show to another site....
-Rich.
02-17-2012, 02:51 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
HEY GUYS...RAT ME OUT!!!
On my last post Click 'report post to moderator' and lets see if we can get a moderator over here to explain what is happening.
(Don't too many people do it..LOL)
thanks..
-Rich.
On my last post Click 'report post to moderator' and lets see if we can get a moderator over here to explain what is happening.
(Don't too many people do it..LOL)
thanks..
-Rich.
02-17-2012, 04:35 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Guys, I just managed to speed up the site considerably. Go to "My Account" scroll down to "see banner ads" and turn off banners.
Bill
Bill
02-18-2012, 04:17 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
DF, as you can see I only have basic membership but was able to turn off banners.Sofar it seems to have made a big difference. Still think there may be server problems though at their end.
Bill
Bill
02-18-2012, 07:57 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Had a real nice run of Dauntless yesterday but video did not run. Another nice day here today so I'm off to the pond soon and hopefully have some new video to share.
Bill
Bill
02-18-2012, 11:30 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Well here is some of todays outing. Again this is shot with Go Pro Hero so hands could be free so no zoom. Best to make full screen.
Some observations. She scrubs off a lot of speed in turns and she is a little bow heavy . I will move the batteries aft a little before next outing. I haven't added any other ballast to her.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv2eKUvt1iE
Bill
Some observations. She scrubs off a lot of speed in turns and she is a little bow heavy . I will move the batteries aft a little before next outing. I haven't added any other ballast to her.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv2eKUvt1iE
Bill
02-18-2012, 06:24 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Wow Bill,
The boat is running really nice!!! The yacht is very quiet, did you soundproof it?
BTW that is a really nice pond you are running on.
Also I LOVE this global warming thing!! I think I should get my speedboat prepped to run soon.
-Rich.
The boat is running really nice!!! The yacht is very quiet, did you soundproof it?
BTW that is a really nice pond you are running on.
Also I LOVE this global warming thing!! I think I should get my speedboat prepped to run soon.
-Rich.
02-18-2012, 07:00 PM
#2247
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Bill,
Thanks for the tip on the Banner ads. After turning them off I went to the bottom and clicked on "Click here when finished to see your public R/C Profile!". When I came back to check they were still turned off. I too am a "Basic Member". We'll see if it makes any difference.
Bob
Thanks for the tip on the Banner ads. After turning them off I went to the bottom and clicked on "Click here when finished to see your public R/C Profile!". When I came back to check they were still turned off. I too am a "Basic Member". We'll see if it makes any difference.
Bob
02-19-2012, 04:33 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich, that is one of the two parks in New Canaan that I use. It is a lot bigger than it appears in the video since what you see in the background is an island. The earlier video was at ther other park and is larger yet. They are not all that far from your workplace. Get the boat out on the water! The only hard water now is in the freezer or adult beverage of choice.
I put the self adhesive sound deadening material on the bottom by the motors since they are mounted directly to the bottom. I also put it on the main cabin roof and floor. It helped a lot. The GoPro camera works great wth a headband as it see what I am seeing. To bad it looks so far away. Ideally you could do that with a regular video camera. Just impossible to video and operate a throttle and steering.
Bob, glad to help with the banner info. I still hav a problem now and then but MUCHbetter over all.
Bill
I put the self adhesive sound deadening material on the bottom by the motors since they are mounted directly to the bottom. I also put it on the main cabin roof and floor. It helped a lot. The GoPro camera works great wth a headband as it see what I am seeing. To bad it looks so far away. Ideally you could do that with a regular video camera. Just impossible to video and operate a throttle and steering.
Bob, glad to help with the banner info. I still hav a problem now and then but MUCHbetter over all.
Bill
02-19-2012, 10:32 AM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hi Bill,
I’ll look up the park in New Caanan and I’ll see if it’s doable for me to come down for a lunchtime mission. I will keep you posted.
This morning I did a little work to Dauntless. I measured and cut the lower section aluminum wall for behind the seat. I also took the time to take measurements of the bridge deck back wall, aft cockpit back wall and the bow cockpit wall. These measurements are for the pleated leather seats that will be installed in those areas. The pleated seats will be made individually and glued tightly together to show the form of the seat.
After looking at a Dauntless photo with the pleated seat I was able to estimate and scale their size. Each seatback will be 1 ½” high and ½” wide.
I did bulk measurements today and drew them on a thin piece of wood. This will be the seat foundation for each piece that gets covered by the Tempur material and leather. Then they get glued to the wall.
I’m out of time today but here are some pics of the beginning process. There will be 42 individual pieces made for the exterior.
-Rich.
02-19-2012, 04:11 PM
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RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich the larger pond is Mill Pond and is maybe a mile north of the Merritt just off Rt123. The other is in Mead Park in downtown New Canaan.
Here they are on Google earth. In the view of Mill Pond the road at the top right intersection is 123 where 106 intersects it (traffic light)
Bill
Here they are on Google earth. In the view of Mill Pond the road at the top right intersection is 123 where 106 intersects it (traffic light)
Bill