1:75 diving support vessel Well Enhancer

[ARH]

Love the Budgie,

[Neptune]

Hello Josse,
very nice project you got going there. I love that hull and special subject.
A few questions about it though,
what did you use as filler on your hull?
And did you afterwards apply fibreglass? Or only epoxy resin without any glass fibre cloth? And what did you use as a finishing layer before you started painting?

Regards,
Roel

[tweety777]

Hi Roel,

I did use fibreglass, and insteat of epoxy i've used polyester as i find that nicer to work with.
I've learned to work with both materials at school, but i wont easily use epoxy anymore, no room for any help when it's cold.
The filler is polyester based, and i also use wood-filler as well.
There are coming very thin wooden planks on the hull to give the effect of the welding of the hull as the plates bend inwards due to the heat.
Because of that i will add another layer polyester to seal the lot.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Tiny little update:

Started with the end-plate of the crane-arm a few weeks ago, but in order to save the drills it took quite some time to complete it.
Today i did the last bits and pieces, and then soldered the first of the 2 plates on the crane-arm.

The crane-arm defenatly is the highest point when turned up to highest point.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another small update:

Did some more grinding on the hull.
After that i've added the first frame, which will be used for testing this method.
When the glue has dried i will grind it in shape.

View on the side of the first frame.
Makes a nice straight line down to the keel, which is like it should be.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

Some more frames added.
To get the lot in shape i will some molds which will get some sanding-paper on it to make it easier to get the right shape.

Rear end of the part with the bigger framespacing.



I've tried to get the shape in it by grinding, but that turned to be very tough.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Because of a visit of Tweety i'll post a photo-update:

"Lets taste what material this platform is made of".

"Hello, anybody home here?"

"Then i'll check the window".

"If there is anyone inside how could he possible get out of there through that tiny little door? That isn't possible".

"I'll see if i can make that door bigger".

"Stupid photographers, stop flashing, i'm starting te be blind because of all that light".

"A surprise? Is the hull starting to look really very realistic after all then?"

"Those doors need to be much bigger".


An overall photo.

Most work is done on my room right now, was pretty much about time, it was a real mess.

Greetings Josse

[GTDEATH13]

Question: I thought that the hull was finished... Are you going to attach anything to it? Styrene sheets or anything else?

P.S. Are those Logitech X-530 surround speakers ? I have the same in my room...

[tweety777]

The hull will be sanded in shape so that the bending in the plates due to the welding of the frames on the real ship is visible.

The speakers are Logitech X230's, also a pretty good set.
Subwoofer is right besides my laptop on the desk, when the volume is at a not all to high level i might hear my laptop vibrating.
The intere desk is also often vibrating due to the power of the subwoofer.
I love good music (Gospel in my case), so a good sound-system is pretty well helpful.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Time for an update:

Placed the ESC nearer to the engine's so there is more room for other electronics.





This is the set-up of the control of the foghorn.

The arrangement of the lot.

The foghorn has been tested, and it works.
As the purpose of the foghorn right now only is telling others there is danger or morse-codes there is needed to be a "morselight" attached to the foghorn-control, which will also be so on this model.
Here's a movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLFX5a1xAcI
What is there being said be means of signals?

Greetings Josse

[GTDEATH13]

I do not think you require any kind of help , so why the distress signal? _ _ _ . . . _ _ _ (SOS)?

I have not understood what you are trying to accomplish with the frames you are installing, so I will have to wait to see where you are getting at...

So many cables in there... I sure hope your watertight integrity is saficient in order to protect them...

Nice work so far...

[tweety777]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the compliment.

The distress-call is about the only one i know, so that's pretty easy.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:





Some light-strings hang on the superstructure for fun.









Rush-hour is over here.
I've heard rumours that they serve pretty tasty food.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

Starting to get in the X-mas-mood, so i wanted to do something with lights.
As most of the lighting will require some grinding work in order to attach it to a power-source i decided to start with the searchlights as they will stand on the top deck and don't have that problem.
Here the LED with back-plate is being glued on the tube.

The mold for grinding the planks in the right shape.
The first test is succesful, but the pics i made don't show the shape quite that well, so those pics will come later.
Maybe some paint will help.

Made the first support for the light.
I think the result isn't quite that bad.

These parts will keep the light in place.
For height-control i will use a rod in the wires that power the LED.

Greetings Josse

[indonesianspirit]

wow nice build...
i must learn more from you to build like this

[tweety777]

Finally some more progress!!

Work on the hull goes to fast for the glue to dry, so i continued work on the superstructure.
Here 1 of the sidewalls is kept in position so i can tonight light up the places where the windows are coming.

Placed the rear wall which will keep the other walls in place as soon as it is glued to them.

This photo shows quite well what i'm going to do with the planks, though this bit also is work in progress.








Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update!














































Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Last update for today:

Added another platfrom.









Platform for the tautwire.
The tautwire needs some wiring for possible future use (exact use will remain secret for now on), but this might be too few wires.

Platform is properly in position pretty quickly.

Pretty much crew to check if all goes well.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Update:

Made the inner part of the cilinder fit inside the outer tube.

Started removing the lights from the mast so i can place the new LED's.

A half mast.........

Started making the new walls tougher.

A lot of crew checking the progress.



Checking if things really are straight.

Yesterday i also removed the captains guns, he really wont need them at all.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Update:

Added the second knuckle and the first 2 frames.





Finished the work on the horizontal strengthenings.

Lot's of work done on the frames.

To show just how big the real ship is i put an officer under the bow.



That's more like it, more up to date.

Added some reinforcement.



Calling the fireman, something went wrong.
Unfortunatly someone forgot to make pics of what went wrong.............

2 overall photo's.

This is what she looks like now.

Greetings Josse