Hi Cash - pity we live so far apart looks like San Reno would give Darth Vader a run for her money - pretty impressive............nice sized lake too........
One question though - where's the Road Runner ?
I know ...I can't help it...thought I would share some pics of my collection. I have been adding Dodgers, handrails etc and continue to do so as well as starting new builds. Enjoy
Using the e-cig element in the alloy box again but with the old smoker pump bored out and converted to a single outlet in line with the piston. Even makes a cool sound out the exhaust side!. Still waiting for my air pumps so just playing around in the mean time. Also trying glycerin and water 50/50 instead of baby oil. The pump doesn't shift much air ( slightly more blowing than sucking, - sort of pulsing back and forward) but if I blow down a tube I get clouds of smoke, I'll see what the air pumps do. Still only running on 2v.
JB
Hi JB, That's interesting about the Dutch Girl, wonderful trip. I know about the Welsh settlements in Patagonia of course. Many of them are very proud of their ancestry. I was at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen a few years ago and an official party from Welsh Patagonia were there as an official delegation.
I agree with you about the shops and what gets us is the scripted speech from the till assistant, 'can I help you with your packing, do you need bags? do you have a store card' and so it goes on. Try and enquire about something or ask for information and more often than not, they just bluster and cannot answer. No proper training or product knowledge at all. But this is it, the modern world, one often gets the impression that the government wants a populace of ignorant easily manipulated sheep, who will believe anything they are fed.
Made a few changes to the pulsing frequency/timing, and to the plumbing where the smoke is mixed with the water. Video shows the pulsing speeding up with throttle setting. Happy with this now, I can adjust the volume of smoke once it is installed in the boat. Probably will need less, but it is difficult to be sure as conditions on the lake are different to those in my workshop!
Re: I was wondering if adding propylene glycol might make a difference.
Don’t know what effect this would have. I’ll be interested to hear what happens if you try it. I find I have plenty of smoke using plain vegetable glycerine and I can increase or decrease it by adjusting the power to the smoker coil.
Graham93
Re:Had a look on the Microchip site, basic kit not too expensive but, as so often, the stuff you need to make it work well ain't so cheap☹️
I just use the PICKit2, which was cheap, and the free development software. The software lets you run a simulator on the PC where you can monitor your code, single step, set a breakpoint, etc. You can also monitor and change variable values. Some of the more sophisticated PIC16f chips allow you to debug your code running in the target hardware using the PICKit2 as the debug interface to your PC.
This version of a smoker box uses an E-Cig element in an alloy electronics enclosure.I gave the lid and box a 7mm haircut on the mill to reduce the size, (now 50x50x26, - was 50x50x33) but it could still be 1/2 the width. haven't found a smaller alloy box yet but might come across one, (only really needs to be 35mmx35mmx25mm The element is mounted on a bracket screwed to the bottom of the box (the box being the resevoir and neg) and against the outlet tube, and the pos wire runs through the side (in silicone tube) to the element.
The box is packed with cotton wool which is surrounding the element and soaked in smoke fluid (in this case baby oil) but leaving a passage through the center for air flow. I'm waiting for a couple of air pumps to arrive but I've used the old smoker unit pump again to demo the smoke and pulsing, (makes good smoke rings too)😊
The element is capable of taking 4.5v, but I'm only using 2v for the test and it smokes quite well. The pump is running on 7v but can be varied from around 3v - 8v. The large tubes are to allow for later exhaust fitting (water or dry stack). Once I get the air pumps I'll be running this one with the water again. I've done this (like Grahams version to be able to easily replace the element as the Heng Long smokers, while working ok (but noisy) have non replaceable elements, so if you kill one, it's off to file 13 at the end of the bench😉😁
The pump actually works quite well and if you mount it on sponge rubber it is reasonably quiet and could still be useful in a boat with a bit of interior room.
Super, I will be watching this with great interest. When the final version is finished I would like a set of diagrams and instructions. Or I could place an order for a dozen units.
Cheers Colin.
At last after 8 months I've finished my Vietnam River Gun Boat.
I've built this vessel using a made up fibreglass hull that pretty much measured up to the 1/9th scale with some modification that I wanted.
I will post photos of the build of the build over the next few weeks and answer any questions as they arise.
These pics show the initial hull modification underway.
Interested in your build of the Pibber River Gunboat. I have the Pro Boat version which performs well. Would like a bit bigger hull as there is not much room for normal size batteries.
Which hull did you use?
Also interested in the Patrol Craft Fast ( Swift boat)of the Vietnam era
Inspired by jbkiwi's experiments on a smoker, and interested in developing one for my Crash Tender I have built an experimental rig based on using an e-cig for the smoke generator and an air pump. The air pump is driven by an electronic lash-up which pulses the pump at a rate depending on the throttle setting. The video shows two tests, first with the water off, then with it on.
Re: Can you give me more info on the electronic lash up you have made for the pulse circuit working from the motor speed control and the electric circuits for the e cig and pump.
The attached drawing shows a block diagram of the electronics. The 'smoke pulse generator' is a PIC10f220 microchip programmed to measure the pulse width of the throttle channel from the receiver. This width is used within the PIC to generate an output signal which is in effect the on/off waveform for the air pump driving the smoker to produce smoke pulses. The higher the throttle setting, the shorter the off time of this output signal and hence the more frequent the smoke pulses. This signal is connected to the PWM speed controller to control the pump speed. In the first iteration of the circuit, the PWM speed control circuit was built with two 555 timer chips and a bunch of discrete components. The second iteration, put together today, replaces the 555 timers and all the discrete components with a second PIC10f220 chip.
I'm still working on the settings and timings for these circuits adjusting the pulse widths, pump minimum and maximum speeds, etc to try and get a more realistic effect.
Thanks for the info. Afraid the programming of the chip a bit much for me, the timers circuits not a problem have used them before with success. However enjoying the progress of the smokers you doing a good job
Using the modified fan forced Heng Long smoker box, and a dead unit pump to pulse the smoke. This version is a 'dry stack one', which would look good on tugs and work boats. Still working on perfecting the 'wet' version.
Told you to get on with a new project before you sank the ship........ Interesting that Bluebottle is still around - so which one are you ??????? Next thing you will be talking about Iceland Parrots (aka wheels-up) . What were you putting in the smoker ..............
Hi Peter, if you meant what am I using for the smoke,it's baby oil, or if you meant what am I putting this system in - nothing as yet. have to reduce the size, but I could fit it in the Fairacre or the Maiami as I have enough room in both to fit something.
JB
Hi Martin ,ref Juno - here is a response from our club member Dean who built "Juno"
Juno is quite a basic flat bottomed boat, mainly due to my very basic modelling skills, and is intended to be a bunkers barge. She is roughly 1.24 scale, approximately 43 inches by 8 inches and is made from recycled and up cycled materials wherever possible. She has a single rudder and propeller, powered by a single motor from a drill, and two 6v lead acid batteries.
She is a totally freelance design, but I took inspiration from Humber barges such as the Humber Princess, which I used as a rough plan for the deck layout.
Found a way of pulsing the water using the pump of a dead smoker (Hen Long smoker that is) In this test I used a pump to prime the smoker pump (smoker pump on 2s) and the rest is just syphoning through the pump to the smoker. You can vary the amount of 'spitting' from the exhaust by running the pump at low voltage or maybe using a peristaltic pump with a small flow.
I did not connect the fan powered smoker unit as I ran out of silicone tube, but the result should be the same as the last vid but with 'spitting' water. Using the smoker pump for water is not perfect as it would need sealing properly, and it's cumbersome, but you will get the idea. I have ordered a couple of small air pumps, so might have another crack when they come. I'll use them at the exhaust to disrupt the water flow if they are powerful enough, rather than use the smoker pump.
Re - As the saying goes good one Cyril
Thanks peter, not quite perfect but it's certainly heading in the right direction. At least it might get people thinking about something different to try with their boats, which if tuned right, might give them extra Brownie points at the pond. Would also be even better with a good sound unit! I'm sure someone will come up with a good idea to refine it sooner or later, (probably on the long drop at 2 in the morning!😁😂!) If I can refine it more, I'll post the results.
JB
"Genie" was a classic Marblehead 50" long. Designed by Vic Smeed, she had a hard chine hull construction.
This was my first "home brew" model yacht and I ended up building 4 of these in total - so pleased I took some picies.
Hi Phil, brings back a few memories. The guy who started producing glass Marbleheads in Auckland in the 70s (Fred Martin) lived just round the corner from me at Bucklands Beach. He was probably partly responsible for the large interest in the class in the early days. They weren't cheap even back then, but it's gone really stupid with the newer IOM boats being as much a $5000 these days. I know what I'd rather spend that sort of money on - a full sized yacht, Just ridiculous!!
It's become a rich couch yachties game. I see them where I run my boats, all turning up in their Land Cruisers, Mercs and BMWs, and most live in exclusive areas. Definitely not a kids hobby any more!
JB
Purchased original Rojair Mickey Finn from Ashton Models 35 years ago - hull suffered damaged so made a F/G mould before repairing and sailing. Made spare hull from mould and there she sat for 35-40 years. Original Mickey was sold many years ago but as retirement approached the burning desire to fulfill old challenges re-emerged.
So , after putting out calls for help, diagrams, photos or information on the model boat forums, thanks to "John Dowd" and a couple of other guys, I finally got round to resurrecting this fantastic little yacht.
One question though - where's the Road Runner ?