Springer's we need more springers!

Well as you probably guessed i'm building a springer!

but wit ha tad bit of a twist, this one is totally made from scrap materials i have laying around, including salvaged parts from other boats that no longer sailor from my heaps of spares. 

The aim is to show people how little it costs to get into boating as a hobby and that it really dosnt cost a fortune to have a boat to sail.

The budget for this boat is £20 (some part i just don't have laying around) but i will price up the total at the end of the project and i'm hoping that its less then £50, if you had to go out and buy the materials!

well less yacking heres the photos..

Started with a set of templates made from spare depron i had laying about.



Templates drawn onto 4mm marine ply and cut out,then glued together. adding a 3mm light ply base so it can curve and flex to the hull shape in one piece.



reinforcement bar added behind the keel slot to help the ply base keep its shape and also reinforce the keel so not to tear through the light ply base. 



the keel is a lamination of 4x4mm ply the interla 2 sets of 4mm ply are inserts into the hull (you'll see why later) and the outer 2 sides are covers to hide the slot hole as well and make the keel thick enough to be drilled to take a shaft tube. it looks a little bulky however once its been finally shaped and has the prop shaft in place it will look a decent side.  its also slightly thicker to allow for the boats stability on the deck and not require a stand

Looking good so far Aron. 

A tad more done tonight, i've fitted all the rear bulkheads and then a flat plate to the top this is for the electronics, and i've also fitted a forward bulkhead to help take the strain of the rams when they flex against the deck should the bot get quite a hard knock,
(I learnt this from my first springer when a ''young one'' was using it and smacked it against one of the retaining walls at the lake and it managed to split the decks glued edge and allow for a near fatal sinking!, sadly that boat will never sail again oh well good thing these are cheap!)

I've also fixed in the keel and prop shaft permanently.

I've also given the base of the hull a coat of epoxy this will allow me to get the ballasting resolved before painting, via lead acid batteries so not to give the boat to much fixed dead weight. 

Next job will be to start making up battery mounts, motor mounting point, rudder, once all those jobs have been resolved then i can fix the deck down and start to make the superstructure.

Todays post starts with a 'mishap'

Sadly at some point during the day while i was out my brother decided to hunt for something on my shelf's above the workbench and managed to knock or drop a tool straight through the hull of the boat,being light ply, it couldn't take the knock and put a good 1.5" break on the worst possible area of the curvature, and managed to flex out and shatter, so i spent most of the afternoon not only in a grump but working out the bet possible way to repair the damage.
which i have resolved and managed to get the hull pefectly smooth externally but it has left a weak spot in that area which i'll have to glass over in the next few days to make sure the split dose not return should the material expand for any reason.

the fix was mostly mixing up 5 min epoxy and literally rubbing it into the woods grain on the outside and pushing my fingers on the hull to get the popped section back into place and reduce the tearing. once the eexpy set there remained a reasonable bulge, so next job was to apply some p38 to the inside where the crack started. using the p38 drying properly i was able to push the section back into place and reduce the bulge further  while the p38 set which held the cracks position back to almost normal.

after that it was a matter of sanding the outside of the hull back  to shape and giving it another coat of expoy to help seal the exposed section as well as providing some extra strength. for now its holding but only a water test will prove if the bond is strong enough to keep the crack from re-appearing.

After that was achieved i started on the battery sections so only 2 photos tonight.

Darn, good repair Aron. 

I agree..................can't wait to see what's going topside.

A bit more done tonight. progress is a little slow as im trying to keep the inside as neat as the outside so taking the time to make up the battery trays and electronic mounting boards will be worthwhile for a decent finish inside. there is also one other reason for this, each new section make  the hull more ridged.

the other job today was to dd some glass matting to the inside over the damaged section. now should the crack re-appeal its only the external that suffers which can be repaired easier as well and ensuing the boat is actually water tight.

that is nice woodwork RR...........needs to be put in a glass case......................nahh.....get it used and enjoyed.

Nice work RR

Giving me some inspiration to make one myself - need to have a hunt for the 'plans' to take some templates.  Have stacks of 5mm ply here that I use for making the plugs for the ferries....

The only plan left on the forum that works is the diagram linked here...

https://www.thercmodelboatforum.com/t11-springer-tug-plans

the other links no longer work sadly  just a 404 error so if anyone has new working links feel free to post..

Overall measurements should be 18"x8" , the original plan states for a 2x2" rudder, no kort or other similar devices allowed ( i referred to my original springer which was built using the original plans) and some sort of super structure, Although really its free reign on running gear now, no one cares.

That's it plan wise

So yeah crack on boy, as the title says ''we need more springers''

Been a little busier today. although overall progress looks slow i can assure you more has been done then it looks!

First job was the float and ballast test. after a little experimentation, i've found that 2x 12v 3Ah LA battery's give the boat reasonable ballast however more is needed in the bow and stern sections which will have to be done via lead dead weight with some form of cover to keep the inside neat and tidy then just having sheet lead scatted about.  

I was originally going to use 6v LA battery's but found those to be far to light and the boat would have required even more dead weight, along with the need to make up wiring harness to make both the 6's into 12v.. simply due to the motors shaft output being 11,000 rpm at 12v, but with a 6:1 gear reduction to the spindle output is closer to 2500 rpm... if i ran at 6v the boat would never move let alone push or pull anything!

After deciding the final electrical power for this machine. I've made up the battery trays, then started this evening on the rudder which is a 2x2" lamination of 3x4mm ply, which will require a ''wing'' style shaping to finish, with a 4mm stainless rod as the shaft.

Tomorrow i will finish up the shaft cover and servo mounting tray.

that is lovely work matey.........just lovely.

Inside is nearly finished, the last few jobs for inside iare a servo mount and a rear upright section to hold dead weight and deck support beam which will also support the rear rams this beast is having..

Next job for this now is the focus on the rudder section. then i can start looking at the superstructure layout and fit the deck down once the cutouts are finalized.

as a heads up because i know some are wanting to know what the top may look like.... the last photo on the post is what im ''basing'' my idea off, which is a NYC water taxi. but i'm only using the wheel house section, the rest will of my own vision to include both front and rear winches.. this is still a tug after all, and will in turn become our clubs new rescue boat should it preform well enough.

I like it a lot Aron 

Little more done last night after my post. this is the start of the electrical control panel, it houses the ESC's on/off, lights on/off and an AUX switch for a extra feature. I'm not sure if i'm going to fit working smoke it will depend entirely if i can build a generator small enough to fit in the spaces left, or it could be something as simple as a sound board, it will just depend on how much i feel like fiddling with this project.

I doubt i'll get much done today have a family occasion to attend and im not sure that operating a Stanley blade while drunk will guarantee no loss of digits

well, you certainly had me fooled Aron.................I thought the top was ( by the style of the beautifully varnished wood on the interior)....

going to be either a grand paneled staircase to a stately mansion,leading to nowhere or a lovely polished and paneled library from a stately home.........

how wrong and warped can I be, lol

Sorry to disappoint you this time Neil. 

Although i love and enjoy building my mahogany varnish boats, this springer is the knock around boat to use as the clubs rescue boat, as well as the boat for people who want to 'have a go' so it needs to be robust , and not to 'flashy'
The 'jenny' project is another of my ongoing varnish finishes,  i also need a break and to do something different. 

The only reason for this one having a nice interior is to show the workings clearly which helps when talking to people at shows and at the lake side how things are done/work, there is nothing worse then opening up a boat showing someone the inside and its just a jumble of everything, every where, it makes the hobby look extremely complex which is not a good way to encourage people to take up model boating.

My only aim is to inspire people not to always just 'show off my ability's' nothing wrong with going 'check this beauty out' and pull out a  work of art, that can very disheartening & discouraging for newbies, they tend to just go ''i can't do that'' and give up. (especially the younger generations) where as with this tug its all made with a Stanley knife, glue, a drill, a load of sand paper, straight edge and the ability to read a plan and measure. as well as being overly Cheap, this project can be afforded on even some of the lowest budgets.

Providing you can read the plan, use those simple tools (or have help by someone who can)  
This project for any one new into the hobby is always a good starting point. young and old, father son project, etc  just so long as your having fun with it.

I must confess and be upfront about it mind, i find the sailing of boats not that enjoyable, after 2 hours at the lake i'm pretty much bored. I do however Really enjoy the building aspect of the hobby, the challenges it brings, learning new ways to do things, experimentation, i'm still learning with every project i do. 

Personally i'm not a 'cheque book' modeler, i have nothing against those who buy a model to sail and i understand the reasons why. but i don't find you get any sence of pride when you put that boat in the water and look back and say 'i built that' and for the younger generations that's a stepping stone not only to the hobby but could very well set them on a better path in life knowing they can accomplish something rather then being defeated by society. it also could help with bonding between parents and children, i never had the father son projects with my dad when i was growing up, he worked 6 days a week 12 hour shifts, time wasn't there but now hes retired in the past 10 years of boating I've bonded with my old man in ways i never though, I do believe my old man really regrets not doing this sooner with me after all hes been boating since he was 18!

and a suprb job you are making of it too, matey. 

Roadrunner wrote:

I must confess and be upfront about it mind, i find the sailing of boats not that enjoyable, after 2 hours at the lake i'm pretty much bored. I do however Really enjoy the building aspect of the hobby, the challenges it brings, learning new ways to do things, experimentation, i'm still learning with every project i do. 

 Totally with you on this Aron sailing is not as stimulating as the creation and innovation put into each model you build and learning new things with each build.

This morning i've started the rudder mounting point, which consits of drilling out the rudder tube hole on the boat, and making up a support which the end profile is the same as the rudder, the rear profile tapers to the hull, this will aid in tracking as well and being a decorative extra support for the rudder tube, whats left is to start building up the skeg for the model.

I've also re-ballasted the model and expoyed in permanent dead weight using fishing weights ( i didnt have enough lead sheet laying around), i just need to tidy the areas they sit up a little.

Coming nicely Aron  

Little tip Aron to keep cash in your pocket instead of paying for sinkers most Tyre sellers are happy to recycle s/h Tyre weights for a good purpose.

I'll keep that in mind bud but i had these knocking around in my fishing tackle box so no real money loss there, until i decide to go fishing tomorrow!

Tonight's last post just finishes up the skeg, which when the boat sits down is perfectly level, the skeg is 2 parts and the main section is removable to do any rudder maintenance, held in by 3 brass self tappers. nd finished of at the center of the hull with a bit of P38 to smooth over the gap. 

Tomorrow i will finish off the rudder if i can be bothered to shape it (need to be in the right mood for that) make up the boxes which hide the rear weights and probably should i get time the rudder servo mount.

Very classy.  A good solution. 

Cheers

ken

I didn't get as much done as i hoped today, reason being i spent most of the morning trying to resolve why i was getting servo glitch, it occurred to me, that the MFA geared motors are VERY noisy electrically, no amount of suppression will help, as i simply cannot solder more capacitors to the motor can,  the material is pretty much bollocks.

I tried swapping out the servo for a different one, started with a hi-tec, tried a decent futaba, and then an acoms, all 3 did the same thing, which surprised me as futaba servos tend to never glitch like this.

I've been limited on space inside the boat to move items around so the electrical noise from the motor is just being amplified by the wiring..., i have however managed to get the servo to work normally to pretty much 80% throttle, once i hit 100% the glitching starts again, the current solution was to grease up the gear box on the motor to hell, its pretty much packed solid, so i'm hoping this will be enough, but i'm open to suggestions to reduce noise.

Methods i tried,... that did not work

attempted to add capacitors.. can wont take the solder no matter what si iron i used even my 200 Watt one just went BLA!
3 different servos
2 different controllers 2.4 and 27mhz..
creating a sheet lead shield over the motor
wrapping the receiver in tin foil
wrapping all the wiring in in foil
made a tin foil hat to stop the aliens from probing my mind
greased the coupling 
WD40 the entire motor, including the brushes and running the motor for a good 30 mins at full throttle (seeing if i can wear in the brushes)

I wouldn't use that motor in a Springer.

The reduced  'Revs'  are compensated by the motor and gear wheels running faster and crackling, electrically. Have you tried a different motor yet, say something around a 500 or 550 type. ?

Cheers

ken

or how about a buhler direct drive to the shaft Aron........you'd get no interference with one of those.

I have a couple of unmatched ones....think one runs on 12v and the other runs on 24v.............you could have one if you wish but they are somewhat bigger than the one you have already fitted.................  they weigh in at 485 grams each. and are 50mm diameter............they will pull anything with enough volts through them and daw about .75 amp under full load.I had one in a Moubntfleet St nectan and it run and run and run...........infact there was dust on me before it ran out of battery on just a 12v 7amp hour battery.

just put a donation in the rnli box next time passing if you want one matey.
neil.

Thanks for the offers guys on trying new motors but i have resoled the issue, which was literally moving the receiver from where i would have wanted it to behind the batter net to the servo,  and in turn using the extension cable for the servo for the ESC cable instead, which have resolved the servo twitching completely. 

I've never had this issue in the past using an MFA motor as every time I've used them I've used ACTion parts for the electronic's, i guess its just one of those things to keep in mind for a later date. 

Tonight i'm planning on putting on the side stringers on the hull to support the length of the deck and should time permit making up a template at least for the rams one they are make this leaves nothing left but to stat the cutouts for the deck. 

Didn't manage to get the side stringers on tonight as i forgot to make up the boxes to contain the lead weights, which I've done tonight and also finalized the servo mount, the servo mount is held in place by a dab of expoy, but also 2 brass side bars, these bars stop and lateral movement to the servo as an epoxy joint is not that strong to resit a bound up servo or a ''jarred'' rudder (it happens especially during transport) now its rock solid and u can even pick up the boat in its entire weight just via the servo hole  

More tomorrow. 

Oh if anyone feels like donating something to the project... i am in fact in dia need of a pair of 27mhz crystals either green or red, I only have yellow and and blue which are used on my sail boats and not so easy to keep removing, I'm happy to pay P&P if needed just give me a pm!


Oh and has anyone used/owned one of these ???

http://www.technobotsonline.com/diesel-engine-sound-simulator-mk2.html

IF you have i would appreciate a review before purchasing one... i would have gone with the ACTion diesel sound machine but it only come in single cylinder and im not whacking out best part of a ton for the noise thingy

Today I've done a little more to the springer, this includes profiling the rudder, fixing the shaft tube in place, adding the deck stringers to the hull and finally cutting out a deck blank ready to start the planning for the super structure, next job tho is to start making up the rams as these position and size will dictate the bulwarks locations and sizes, which in turn enables me to look at the space available to build the wheelhouse and plan the various cutouts in the deck for access.

Started on the front rams tonight, first with a depron template (which i modified slightly later) 

I'm only halfway the bulk is a 3x3mm lamination, then it will get a 15mm capping strip over the edges, and i'll hollow out the centers later, this once painted gives te impression its made of welded steel.

only 2 more cutouts to go!!

Both front rams cores done, all that needs to be done is add the capping strips and drill some holes.

Started the capping of the rams today, started with drilling out the holes, and added a 15mm capping strip around edges, this gives thickness and will hopefully once painted, give the effect of welded steel.

I've only done one thing today which is to cut the hole in the deck out... its taken quite a bit of forethought to work out where things are going as well as trying to keep things in a scale perspective, its a springers no ones really going to care, but some proportions will look very strange is to large or too small.
i'm aiming for 3 box sections, starting at 1" heights rear side boxes, and bulwarks, the rear central box section 1.5" (sheltered engine room)the wheel house 3" in total height and the central box behind the wheel house 2.5" (exhaust vents)

Right now that sounds all very nice and don't make any sense to you i expect all this talk on boxes an all... lets just hope by me writing it down i'll remember my proportions and you'll be able to make head or tails with it as i progress!

Today I've started on the superstructure, its going to take a little time so progress is slow simply due to being a totally scratch built top with no plan, making sure parts work, hatches are accessible etc all have to be thought out, to be honest i spend more time scratching my head about what to do with certain parts.

Thank said i think .. for now ( final last words right...) i have figured it out, the bulk of the superstructure will be affixed permanently to the deck. which if i have got my sums right allows for the wheel house to be created along with the rear winch room section in one piece, and to be made up as a ''plug'' to slot into what i'm currently creating as the coming and lower body section of the boat. this will ensure water tightness as well as giving me ample room to work inside the boat at later dates.(nothing worse then a tiny hole u can barely fit your hand into, when trying to fix a problem!)

So today I've started with that lower body section which is a thicker lamination of 2x3mm ply 1" strips, this will give the strength needed to put up with years of brutality, as well as being the thicker ledge for the wheel house to clip onto.
I've also fixed permanently the front rams, this was achieved by countersinking 2 screws into the main body and into the hull with a lot of glue. This adds strength as well as not requiring any real effort to hold the rams in place by any mechanical means while the glue drys.

Coming along nicely Aron  

A little more done tonight. the other side of the main hatch coving, the triangular shape piece is part of the main wheel house plug, i need to make up smaller sections all over the boat until they all come together to keep myself on track as well as helping me working out how the superstructure will look overall and the start of the transom bulwark. 

I've opted to do something a tad different with the transom in regards to the rear winch, a more futuristic type twin side winch through a central deck loop, ( more like how trawler winches work pulling the net lines up each side. 

I'm also going for a 'shelter deck' type winch area. Reason for this is i need some space inside the superstructure to possible add a smoke unit as well as a pump for a water cannon. I'm not 100% sure if i can get both fitted in, or even if i'm going that far, but I'll like to know i have the option to even if its at a later date.

Getting there slowly.. 

Today I've nearly finished the lower coming of the boat but also had to patch the deck. a little bit of  mind change resulted in a 2" section of the deck needed permanently replacing, no biggy to be honest, and still enough room to get a screw driver into the rudders tiller so no problems for maintenance later either. 

While i was awaiting the glues to dry i got  a little bored and decided to make a decision on the water cannon and have opted to put on in,, it will sit on the wheel house roof and be a little bit hidden the way i'll do it so not to give it away there is one there.  

I purchased a windscreen washer pump of ebay for £6 which is vastly cheaper then the 'models pumps' from particular branded companys.. retailing in around £20.

I am hoping to control the cannon with just a micro switch on/off but should i not be able to find one thats a suitable price i have a spare mtronics 10amp esc, whcih i'll fit in place to give me full range control. although until the pump arrives i wont know what full range of the squirt will be, if its only a few feet then i'll go for the micro switch option, if its over powered the ESC will be used basically.

the main body of the cannon is 4mm copper tube. with a little nipple screwed into one end (its a little long right now will be much shorter once finished. and an inlet of the same material which will be fixed through the bottom of the hull shortly.

I am aiming to articulate the cannon with a left and right function using a servo and fix it at a 30 degree fire angle 
i would give it up and down ability but simply i don;t think there will be any need depending on the power the pump puts out. besides its just fun squirting peoples feet when the model drives by, and kids love it.

Pm me your address & i'll post ya a switch Aron I assume your wanting a lever switch? or plenty to be had from dead ptonters or other electronic equipment.


Damien.

Like this? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RC-Turnigy-Receiver-Controlled-Switch-/161492605554?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2599b59a72

Welldone.. now to find that in the UK!

You should be able to buy from Hobbyking, or when you know the current your pump draws, I'll build you one.

Barrie

I did check  hobby king UK but the could order it for you.

It doesn't seem as though the Turnigy switch is available from the UK or European Warehouse, but this http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__63810__Dr_Mad_Thrust_Electronic_On_Off_Switch_EU_Warehouse_.html is available from the European Warehouse. Its actually cheaper to buy from the European Warehouse as they offer cheaper postage than the UK  Small items usually take about a week to arrive from Belgium.
On the other hand, search eBay for Turnigy Receiver Controlled switch - there are several listings at around £10.

Barrie

I covered this in your request for a switch section before I came across this section.  (my,  what a busy forum )  tehe

Regarding your query about water cannons,  I have fitted these devices and found a simple  on/off  switch was all that was required because  the amount of flow was governed by the aperture in the nozzle.
Are you making your own  'water cannons' and 'nozzles'  ?   I am after the Graupner ones but they are no longer available so a self design might be the route to follow.

cheers

ken

yes ken its all  scratch built cannon, i've no idea what type of flow i'll get from it until i test the pump once it arrives, i'm fairly confident i'll get a good jet, windscreen pumps tend to be pretty powerful. as for motor draw well I've no idea but i can't imagine it being more then 2amp or so seeing that the motor is probably around a 385-400 size given its size in comparison to the terminals.

guess we will find out.

this is the pump incase anyone is interested.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230974374924?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Today i've not done to much but i have totally finished the base of the coming, fitted a brass strip across the base of what will be the winch house, fitted a brass rod across the inside coving which is the attachment point for any towing that might occur, i'm also trying to work out where the water pump motor may sit and planning ahead on the wiring for this, i'm attempting to keep all the wiring inside the boat so not to lift off with the super structure, i'ld rather just have the water line on extra lengths then electric cables. but this may not be possible as i've still got to put on the LED's for port and starboard, and a couple more on a mast and a flasher on the very top. so i may have to make up a new wiring harness. 

next job will be the which room housing which i'm thinking may be big enough to contain the water pump on a floating shelf keeping it inside the boat yet easily removable for servo and rudder maint.

im having to wing a lot of this as i want to keep the main area of the wheel house empty to either fit a smoke machine later or at the very least some internal detail.