| I needed a short break from
sanding so I worked on the rigging. First clean up the
insulators with the smallest file you can find. Next cut
a length of string (1 to 1.5 mm in dia.) to 5 mm. CA glue
the ends together then place a .5mm piece of heat shrink
tubing over the glued area. Insert the insulators. To
shrink the tubing DO NOT use an open flame, use a hot
source i.e. halogen light or soldering iron. |
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| The connecting
bolt is a bit more difficult to clean up. I used a micro
drill to clean out the slot. By drilling out the center
and rolling the drill on the side you are able to clean
out the part. After, thread the string through the connecting
bolt before closing the loop with CA glue. Linking up
sections is done in a similar way. Thread the string though
each section prior to closing the loop. |
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| Each rope section can have
one end permanently attached to the hull giving a more
realistic look. The sections are then secured by a taught
piece of elastic polymer thread (EPT). In this case I
used thread called "BLACK Stretch Magic™" To match the
diameter of the rope thread I used 1mm diameter EPT. I
attached a small brass hook at each of the end of the
EPT and secured it with CA glue and heat shrink tubing.
I made the EPT 1 inch shorter than the length I needed,
hook the line through the plastic connecting bolt, and
I have a taught line that can be remove for service. |
| Although the stern
is probably the second most daunting area next to the
wintergarden it is possible to make everything work together.
As I have found out making it all work together is the
most important aspect. I cut out an area about 3/8” X
2” under the prop housing. The resin prop housing is hollow
which allows the prop shafts to “float” in order to find
alignment. Rubber bands and duct tape temporary hold items
in place. Important: make sure props spin when they are
attached to the shaft and placed in the propeller housing.
I made a jig to hold the prop shafts at a spacing of about
2 ¾” inches inside the hull. If you have the WTC place
it inside to make sure the shafts come out as straight
as possible. To fill the holes in the propeller housing
I used automotive filler then filled and shaped it accordingly. |
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| A jig was made
to aid in the alignment of the rudders. The jig helped
in aligning the X, Y, and Z axis. One foot long steel
rods helped in visual configuration of the rudders and
three foot long brass rods helped in alignment of the
prop shafts. After the rudders were placed in the stern
post was reinstalled and the rudder support arm manufactured.
A small brass eye screw inserted into a brass tube over
a brass rod help make the support arm. A large propane
torch was used to solder everything together. Aluminum
heat sink clips and a wet rag were used to control the
heat from spreading to the hull. |
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