dauntlessfan

Just added a few details at the base of the radar mast.

1. The aft mast legs were bolted to rectangular plates, so I added the plates.

2. There was a kick board between the port side leg and the dingy.

machinist007

Looking good Dauntless Fan, all work has stopped on my boat for now. Funding is at a all time low. So right now I'm just hoping that I can get the rewiring finished sometime this month, my boys have already asked about taking the boat out again. I was overjoyed that they asked, but saddened to have to say that "Daddy's boat is still being fixed."

Nice to meet you Don T, looking good so far.

I've been looking at the posts about the batteries and I think it is a problem that everyone on here goes through.

John

Rich404

I agree, the battery questions are not a new thing. What's great about this forum is that most of these obstacles were overcome by others that paved the way so it is easier and cheaper to learn from them.

minimans

I received my kit today! I seem to have got a good one as 95% of the wood is clean and crisp with no undue course grain. on checking the contents it all appears to be there, as for paperwork I have two sheets of A4 instructions and two sheets of building plans/placement drawings. of the fabled contents/part number sheet not a sign............. this is my normal building material so wood will make a nice change although I have just finished a 6ft wooden railway bridge as a warm up so speak. anyway back to work and I hope soon to build and post progress as i go.......................Paul

PS sorry about the picture I will have to work on placement skills!................. I managed to move it!!

rblubaugh

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Paul

Nice work.

Bob

minimans

One of my clients has a water jet cutter and he looked at my kit and said " you know it would be easy to knock out those pieces in aluminum".............................Funny I have a Tig welder and I'm not afraid to use it............Stay tuned................

dauntlessfan

Oh boy Mini. I have a feeling Rich's ears just perked up after your last post.


Also what are you thoughts on tig vs flux wire welding for small projects? My el-cheapo flux welder is pretty sloppy on small jobs. Blows holes in thin metal, actually.

minimans

Yes those flux welders are good for larger type jobs but on thin gauge sheet not so good! blow holes in a boat .............................. My Miller TIG can do 1/2 in plate down to thinner than I can manage so not to much of a problem, will try 1.8mm 6061 and see how it turns out but the owner of the water jet want's me to build a hull in brass as well now that sounds like bling to me............

Got my motor mounts from hong kong today very nice water cooled fully adjustable mount for $19.99 each

Rich404

A couple of months ago I announced to my wife that I was planning on building an aluminum Dauntless hull so that I could transfer all of my hard work onto it. So she said: "are you planning on doing this when you retire?" and I said: "No, I was hoping to knock it out in the next few months.." So she said: "If you start an aluminum hull now I swear I will divorce you!!" So there goes that...for now..LOL. I'm sure someday I will make it happen..but not anytime soon. If you decide to do it I will cheer you on...

-Rich.

minimans

Oh its going to happen Rich. Just not sure if it's before or after I build the wood kit! any thoughts on what material thicknes to use? if I go with 1.8 mm it should be compatable with the wood upper structure? but that will be a bit overkill? If I use 1mm that would be strong enough but I would have to watch my tolerances a bit closer. I now have everything I need to build the boat as is, so I may send the wood to the waterjet guy to scan it into the computer and then build the hull, as once he scans it into the CNC I can assemble the boat in wood and put the aluminium and brass parts on the shelf until I have a hull to work/compare to?
You were planning on just the hull in aluminium rich? I would guess your superstructure would just plop right on top? Is your shear exactly the same as the Dumas kit or have you modified it in anyway regards shape? i.e. smaller rather than larger? you can always file the hole bigger it's a bit more problamatical the other way round!

Rich404

Hi Minimans,

On the real Dauntless only the hull was 1/8" aluminum plates and the cabin structure was 1/4"-3/4" mahogany covered in canvas & glue to make it water tight.

1.8mm will be overkill..think light. I would use 0.19 thick aluminum or maybe even a bit thinner. This is the thickness used when I experimented with aluminum in my own build.

The idea is to make the hull lighter than the 1/8" mahogany hull. Because of my interior my boat is very heavy and I still have a lot of interior detailing to do. I think that if I can build a much lighter hull from aluminum she can be 'floatier" and more nimble.

-Rich.

minimans

Thats good advice Rich but the problem for me is welding 0.19 aluminium!! a proffesional welder I'm not, car restoration is my game but maybe I'll ask one of the fabricators at the track and see what he says........
I am going to assemble the shear and have it cut as one piece I think it will be much easier and stronger I think.

Since I can't start on the keel assy just yet I assembled the lifeboat/skiff today............

Rich404

I have used a lot of aluminum in my boat. I learned that aluminum does not take well to solder at all..You would have to rivet it..BUT I learned that you can drill small holes in the aluminum plates and then use resin to bond it to the bulkheads. In a sense it works initially like liquid rivets and the resin also bonds nicely to aluminum. The entire interior of my cabin structure was reinforced this way, the interior section of my entire bridge, as well as the bow and stern on the hull has aluminum worked into it with success. My conclusions with working with these materials is that I could use this combination to make a light and very strong hull without introducing rivets or being a metal worker.

I am going to eventually build a hull this way..Once I am done with my studies (which will be soon) and my young kids give me enough time to get back into the Dauntless it will happen. It will likely be once my entire interior and all other details are complete..Then I will be ready to build up the hull. My theory on this is that it will take me much less time than it did to make and glass a wooden hull because the aluminum will not need glassing.

BTW..your skiff is looking nice!


-Rich.

minimans

Yes Rich I think bonding the hull would be the way to go, but then I think 0.90 will be a bit thin for the hull itself, it would be subject to annoying dents everytime it got handled or bumped. I think I will talk to the fabricator on Monday and see what he says about what material to use I worry about using a "Hard" aluminium because of the vibration from the motors and general pounding may lead to cracks anyway lets wait till monday..........................

rblubaugh

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minimans,

Like the look of your Skiff however I guess it's my older eyes or a bit of color blindness or cataracts but I could not read "Dauntless" across the stern of the Dingy until I increase the size of the picture to maximum and even then it was difficult. Maybe it looks better in real life?

Bob

minimans

Ah it's there all right, but yes I was looking for a gold graphic but could only find yellow and there's not much contrast, perhaps I'll try again with black? After nearly thirty years doing gauge1 trains I have lots of stuff that is appropriate to both hobbys! Plus it's not very staight is it! I'll do it again and take a bit more care...................

Rich404

Hi Mini;

0.90 is stronger than you think. It would have to be handled rough to cause dents. As long as the skin is secured to the bulkhead frames well it will be strong and not flex. The real Dauntless hull had only 1/8" thick skin.

Rich

twyggi3000

hello everyone, i apologize this is off topic but i have purchased a billing boats BB500 Absalon/Esbern Snare. i am currently purchasing lights and other items for this model but unfortunately they do not manufacture the conversion kit anymore" RC Conversion Kit: BB05001000". can any one recommend a set up for this model, i would like to run this ship on rechargeable battery packs to save weight but i am open to any ideas. thank you all for your input.

minimans

And were OFF! Got the hull layed out and checked before gluing anything, then while the sheers were layed out pined to the board I glued them together. I think this is preferable to gluing them first then trying to get the alignment right. after that went off I glued the frames to the sheers using a square to keep them aligned and vertical. Glued the two halves of the keel together but waited to join them until I got the two keel pieces glued to the frames, again using the boat itself to keep everything aligned to the centre line on the building board. I pre bent the Chines by boiling the first 4in in water and then allowing them to dry overnight bent around a couple of screws on the work bench. I'm lucky to have a 12X10 shed to play with my projects so I have a cutting and gluing bench and a build bench opposite this will keep the boat free of "stuff" and damage while working (I hope) I'm finding working with wood a nice change from gluing bits of brass together with solder! I guess the "Train shed" is now "the Boat shed"

minimans

Ok the instructions say to glue the chines from the rear foward? seemed like thats ass about face? it was easier to glue the front to frames one and twoand let it go off then after it was dry it was so much easier to bend the chines around the hull and then trim off flush at the rear. to clamp the chines to the bulkheads while drying I used zip ties at each station so much easier than trying to get clamps or rubber bands or what have you! Any way thats all for tonight as they say a pictures worth a thousand words..................

minimans

One question the keel is proud of the bulkheads from about frame 5 foward looking at previous build photo's this appears normal? but tell me do you shape those down to the bulkheads before planking or bring the planks up to the keel and then shape?

dauntlessfan

Mini yours look just like mine did at that stage so A-Okay. It was many years ago so hard to remember but I believe I shaped after planking up to the keel where it protrudes beyond the bulkheads, and used wood filler as needed. Here are the pics I have from that stage. I remember LOTS of sanding after planking... LOTS OF SANDING....

dauntlessfan

For the square chines, I remember buying 1/4" square basswood strips at the hobby shop to use. It was much easier to bend than the spruce provided with the kit.

Also for the front side planking I used 1/8 x 1/2" balsa for easier shaping, knowing everything was going to get several coats of fiberglass and epoxy later to keep it strong.

It looks like the wood that Dumas uses nowadays may be easier to work with, however.

minimans

Thanks yes, I see now that plank then sand is the way to go. I think your right the wood in my kit is very flexible and I think it will shape well, Ive found that if I give it a spray with Methonal it shapes even easier! so sand chines today and fit skins tonight I think

rblubaugh

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I wonder of Dumas is using lite ply?