Having had a break from building for a while (mainly due to space for models) I've re-modelled my garden shed with a new bench (all comes apart and folds down) and made some more space. Latest project is a landing barge with which I'll be trying different rescue methods. The hull is made using foam blocks and f/glass again, as balsa prices are just getting ridiculous ! - more expensive than normal timber. As usual, filed to shape with a Surform file and glassed with 60z cloth. The propulsion will be semi tunnel drives, using twin 550 brushed motors and twin ESCs (usually reliable and fine once you have the reverse method sorted). The LC will also have twin El cheapo sound units from Ali Exp,
Wheelhouse is from 4mm light ply, recycled from a recently purchased Hyundai chipper crate, and only weighs 700g.

Hull is 800x330x60mm and weighs 880g (probably 1kg with another coat of resin and paint) so will be very buoyant, (my other barge which a similar size but 10mm thinner, barely moves with a 2kg RC 4x4 on it,- even easily supported my 6kg 6x6 amphitruck). Very cheap and quick to build, unsinkable, super durable and no rot problems. Being winter here, I have to wait for warm days to do more glassing, so it's taking time. Along side the LC, I've also been rebuilding a plane, which was built from only a few surviving photos of a rare one off early 50s prototype from a small US private aircraft co. Wing was a guess, as no good pics of the shape, but was a failure, (before, crash, rebuild pics) so have designed a new one. Fuselage just rebuilt,- wing to go.

A bit of metalwork done for the bulwarks,- made from 40x12 aluminium, plus the loading ramp side angle pieces. Landing ramp, ply cut and now resin preservative coated, along with the wheelhouse. Crew entry way now cut into the front of the wheelhouse, (I meant to make that when sheeting the front but forgot). Also 20mm long 8mm dowels set into the hull now with epoxy, to enable the bulwarks to be screwed to the deck, (can't screw into foam obviously, but this also locks the bulwarks into the hull, rather than relying on 1mm of f/glass on the deck, which could be ripped off the foam if hit or dropped. Other items attached to the hull will be done using the same method.

JB

More progress with bulwark gussets, hinges done for the ramp, light boards, more windscreen dividers, and sealer coat added over the second resin coat

JB

Started a bit of painting on the LC , and modifying a toy truck as part of the intended 'boat fishing' system for becalmed/stuck boats etc. Boom (modified for 360deg) will hold a releasable shore line with a magnet or hook, to catch the boat, so it can be reeled in from shore (that's the theory) will be a fun experiment. Might be able to servo operate the boom rotation as well.

JB

Good day for painting, so did the wheelhouse roof and exhausts. Re hinged the ramp as well, as it was slightly off square ( like my eyes) . Made the paper templates for the decals also and printed the results on decal paper and dried them in the oven at 25deg c Decals are copied from one of 3 landing craft which operated from a base not far from where I lived in Auckland. The particular LC pictured, MV Port Kennedy, was built in Whangarei NZ in 1965 and was the first to be built for vehicular transport since 1937) originally used an early 60hp 'Harbourmaster' stern drive (see pic of present example) under the wheelhouse, but was later changed to twin commercial Hamilton jets (the first LC/barge to be jet driven in NZ) - twin GM 6-71 powered (it was loud !)

The method I use, is to design the decal in MS paint, get it printing to the correct size, (taking note of which way the print came out) then lay a slightly oversized piece of decal paper exactly over the print and sellotape the edges or ends to stop the print head catching. Put the sheet back in the printer tray the way it came out, (depends on how your printer feeds the paper from the tray) and print it. Leave the printed decal on the paper for it to dry, { makes it easier to clear coat later). It can then be cut to size from the paper. This method saves wasting scraps of expensive decal paper.

JB

More painting done, ('anti fouling' and waterline) decals applied (had problems with the ink leaching under the clearcoat for some reason,- decal paper might be too old or the clear is not bonding to the ink), Had to make them a few times to even get a few reasonable ones,- I've made hundreds and never had this problem before. I can always remove them and re-do them if I can find the problem. Sorted the ramp lifting mechanism, (20kg servo with spring assist) to be fitted to a closed mount/cabinet, and anchored to the deck with set in dowels.

Have also hacked some slots for the prop shafts (tunnels were a bit off so needed some serious grinding for the shafts to line up) no problem with the foam though, just fill and re glass bits later. Looking at ply lining round the inside of the 'machinery' recess to tidy it up, and have something solid to attach things to on the sides. Made a rough dash (won't easily be seen) to help fill the wheelhouse cavity, which will also have a few floors and partitions. Have epoxied the bulwark front extensions into the main bulwarks as well.

JB

Doesn't look like a lot of progress, but the few bits done took a while. I went to fit the shafts and found that one of the bearings was dud (think they forgot the balls) so I had to turn up a nylon bush to replace it (had some spare bearings from years back, but they were in the 'I'll put them here so I can find them later' box) While I was at it, I made some press on shaft oiler fittings from nylon, with a brass tube filler pipe. The shafts were fun to fit, as I had a rather large slots to fill due to a 'slight' miscalculation ( nobody has seen anything like them before ) with the positions (hazards of designing on the fly again).

I secured the shafts in position, taped the bottoms up, mixed up some epoxy, filled the slots with coarse mahogany saw dust, and poured the epoxy through it. had a few leaks out the underside which required constant dabbing till it set enough to stay there, but it worked out ok. Poured some more resin on top once it had cured and sanded it down. Epoxied in some ply liners inside to mount things to to use up some epoxy. The inside is now completely sealed, but still needs some top coamings to locate the cabin and keep any water out. Painted the deck as well today, and sprayed some satin clear over the waterline pin stripe, to help keep it in place.

Motors to fit now, and need to sort out the ramp winch and the smoke conveying items.
JB

Managed to fit the motors today (stbd one needs a bit of clearance ground out to move back a few mm). Took a bit of juggling due to a lack of clearance, but milling slots in the motor mounting holes, and drilling the mount to hull holes out to get more adjustment, helped get things lined up. The motor shafts were 3,175"/1/8" (still have no idea why the Chinese mix metric and imperial with their smaller motor shafts), so used some 4mm od brass tube, attached with thick cyano to make them 4mm to match the prop shafts. Using some thick walled silicone tube for the couplers.

Started on the coamings round the top of the hull cutout, and made some new decals for the bow nameplates, as the first were not the best - tried some new decal paper from Ali Exp this time, as I was having trouble with the ink bleeding out under the previous decals after wetting, and suspected the acrylic clearcoat, so used a non acrylic clear this time and it seems to have stuck.

Still have the wheelhouse to wire up for lights, windows etc and the rudder set to make, then maybe I can start to fix all the parts to the boat permanently.

JB

Got sidetracked and forgot to post this update, went back to find it and it had disappeared. Went to do an update now and there it is?! This was last weeks update.

More progress due to the cold weather keeping me inside,- a number of 0 deg C mornings and rain.
Wheelhouse lights, nav lights and deck spotlights wired up, windows in, loading ramp mechanism under way, exhausts attached, bulwarks screwed on, mast fitted, and finally a tank test. Also have some spotlights to go near the landing ramp. Had a problem with the 540 brushed motors in the LC, where a number of them I had were LH timed and can't be made to run correctly in reverse with the El cheapo ESCs I'm using, (just want to run anti clockwise, and forward acts like reverse (ie needing a jog) Seeing that the LC has twin motors and I want both props tuning outwards it was going to be a problem.

Update,- fixed it, had to wire the motor backwards and reverse the channel. Hadn't used these ESCs in a twin setup before, so this was an odd one.

Luckily I found I had the same motor in a different brand (Gool RC) which was a RH motor which solved the problem. Even tried another cheap ESC and had the same result. I've used a number of these motors as a single motor so never needed to worry. I'm going to try a Hobbywing ESC to see if it's just these cheap ESCs. They have always been reliable ESCs
The tank test was fine,- no problems and enough power and maneuverability by the looks of it, (might not even need rudders yet, proportional control might be good enough) The boat floats as expected unloaded, and spot on with a 5lb load on the deck
JB

Managed quite a bit this last week, - ramp is operating, ramp spots are done, dash panel fitted, rudder set made (tonight), housing for the ramp winch, and sound units fitted, (speakers upside down under motor covers (front of wheelhouse). Sound units are not that brilliant, but were cheap.

The bow ramp winch was made using a cheap JX yacht winch with the drum removed, and 2 round servo 'arms' substituted , (making a smaller lower geared pulley,) and secured using a double length screw. I had these sitting around, as they didn't center well as a sail winch, but they are perfect for this job . The servo is also spring assisted, so doesn't have a lot of work to do.
The Wheelhouse is removable, so has a large number of plugs needed for all the lights and speaker connections. I made a 'bonnet' stay to hold the wheelhouse up while connecting things, or fitting the batteries etc

Rough vid of the ramp and sound.
Shafts make a bit of noise out of the water,- haven't fully oiled them yet.
JB