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 X craft build 14212712

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 X craft build 14212712

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    X craft build

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Tue Sep 24, 2013 4:19 pm

    Whilst waiting for the bits to arrive for the Skipjack, and trying to avoid the decorators ( just one more day of decorators, then one day of carpet fitters to come yet) I thought I'd make the most of a good day (hands and fingers cooperating) and make a start on my Models By Design X craft kit. I haven't done anything to the actual boat yet, but I've started (and practically finished) the cylinder for it. It's going to be a dynamic dive boat, so the installation was pretty simple...just two servos, esc, rx and the motor.

     X craft build Image_10

     X craft build Image_11

    Tomorrow I'll finish off the wiring and connecting the various radio bits, and make up the battery tray to hold the 9.6v 2200a/h sub C Nimh pack, and apart from the end caps ( a friend is making those ) that's the cylinder more or less done.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Sep 25, 2013 11:21 am

    Just finished making the stub shaft and the watertight stuffing box. The stuffing box is a SubTec SBS2, which is glued through the rear end cap, then another coupling takes it to the main prop shaft. There will be a 4mm styrene support just to the stern side of the coupling.

     X craft build Photo_49

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Sep 25, 2013 2:22 pm

    And the MicroGyros leveller installed.

     X craft build Photo_51
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    Post  tattooed Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:02 pm

    don't you ever rest mate looking good
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:12 pm

    Just making the most of the good days, mate...you never know what tomorrow may throw at me.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:45 pm

    Oh, the joys of drilling and filing flood slots in fibreglass hulls...luckily there's not many slots on an X craft, but there's hundreds of 1/16" holes.


    (and yes, Andy, I did wear my face mask...)
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    Post  tattooed Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:10 pm

    good boy thats what i like to here
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:30 pm

    Thanks son...told you I'd be a good boy, didn't I?
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:45 pm

    No signs of the parts for the Skipjack as yet, but the end caps have arrived from Donald in Hong Kong for the X craft, so this morning's task was to drill the hole for the SubTec stuffing box in one cap. It went reasonably well, despite sore wrists, so I'll have a go at drilling the holes for the rudder and vane linkages next.

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:46 am

    Cracked on a little bit this morning, installed the Velcro strips to secure the cylinder, and fitted the propshaft. I need to shorten the stub shaft to allow me to move the cylinder back a bit, and make the final adjustments to the cylinder's final position in the hull.

     X craft build Photo_54
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    Post  profesorul Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:58 am

    HI RICHARD,


    How do you finish them so fast for me is an enigma!!!.
    YOU have more energy and gain  then a 25 year old guy.For ME YOU are a LIVING EXAMPLE about PASSION for MODELING.THANK YOU for That TOO!.

    What battery do You intend to use?.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:57 pm

    Oh Marius, thank you...but there's a long way to go yet, I'm afraid. The battery is a 9.6v, 2500a/h pack of AA sized nImH cells which will sit in the keel, under the cylinder.

    Here's the cylinder in its proper position...stub shaft and prop shaft shortened, everything fits better now. And that's it for today...my hands are telling me I've done enough.

     X craft build Photo_55


    Last edited by Richard(Admin) on Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:21 am; edited 1 time in total
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:20 am

    I ordered a custom built, fully marinised battery pack (9.6v, 2500a/h, AA sized cells, with special long leads) from the Component Shop, and it duly arrived this morning...it fits perfectly in the keel, under the cylinder, despite the postal services trying to bend it into a U shape!

     X craft build Photo_57

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sun Oct 06, 2013 11:17 am

    And so it begins...the worst part. Drilling a myriad of holes and the opening up of the flood slots. I managed to drill fifteen holes before my right wrist declared 'enough'...it's going to be a long job.

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sun Oct 06, 2013 2:10 pm

    The holes were too small, so I decided to open them out to 1/8"...shouldn't have done that. Practically every one I did splintered the gel coat...I was not impressed. Luckily, I had plenty of those brass servo mounting bushes, which fitted a treat...not exactly scale, I know, but by the time they are painted they will hardly show, and it's better than having cracked gel coat on show for all to see...and easier than trying to fill the holes and start again.

     X craft build Photo_10
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    Post  tattooed Sun Oct 06, 2013 4:17 pm

    looks good to me mate give yourself a pat on the back
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sun Oct 06, 2013 4:47 pm

    Thanks Andy, but I'm not happy with it...I'm going to try inserting some short lengths of styrene tube and sanding it level with the deck, otherwise it means I'm going to have to use those brass inserts in every hole.
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    Post  tattooed Sun Oct 06, 2013 5:35 pm

    thats what i did on the LA that i'm building at the moment put some of that filler on it mate and you'll be fine
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:53 pm

    Ah, the "special" filler that you got me...that would be ideal, mate. As they say...watch this space.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Tue Oct 08, 2013 2:02 pm

    I had planned to make a start on opening out the flood slots today, but my hands just refused to cooperate with the file, so I had to content myself with just drilling a few more small holes and making the rear locker.

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Tue Oct 08, 2013 2:49 pm

    Just had a look at the dive vane supports as they come with the kit...more of Andy's very special filler needed!

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:49 am

    Yesterday I noticed a strange thing about the X craft kit...on this one,  the two hatches are different sizes. On X 24 in the Sub Museum, both are the same size. On some models I've seen, both the hatches are the same...on some they are two different sizes. My first one, an original early Darnell kit, had two different sized hatches...Andrew Douglas's boat, which I believe was the next one out of JD's moulds, the two hatches are the same size. And on some boats the hatches are in different postions too. I'd never noticed the  differences before...strange, or what?

     X craft build 42782810

    My first X craft, X22.

     X craft build Andrew10

    Andrew Douglas's boat.

     X craft build 15330810

    Paul Cook's X7'

     X craft build Photo11

    And these are the ones supplied with my kit.

    Most peculiar..

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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:05 am

    The saga of the X craft hatch positions rumbles on...having spoken to a few people far more knowledgeable than I on the subject, it would seem that due to the fact that so many shipyards were involved in the building of these boats, that differences did occur, not only with the hatch positions, but various different things, mainly the placement of external items.

    Therefore, I claim "modellers licence" with mine, the whole boat is so far out of scale anyway that hatch positions won't really matter, as long as it resembles an X craft from forty paces, then I'll be happy.
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    Post  Tom(ADMIN) Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:29 pm

    I spoke to Andy (tattooed) and he's very kindly offered to make me a new alloy rim and a clear lid for the radio box...thanks ever so much, mate.
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    Post  tattooed Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:48 pm

    you don't have to thank me Rich it's always a pleasure to help a mate

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