TEV Wahine 1/35 Large Scale RC build

The parts that are RC are as follows

Motors, individually
the twin rudders
The bow rudder
Lighting,
Nav Lighting
Fore and Aft lateral thrusters, individually
pump for overboard discharges
 
RichardHDunn said:
Motors are Ride on Scooter motors that require 24 volt batteries to run, here is one while I fit the mounts which will be glassed in. The prop shaft is continuous from the motor room bulkhead to the prop itself which makes the A bracket visual only, the shafts are totally to scale but enclosed over whole length so luckily it was possible on this ship, basically its the same setup as a smaller model, a shaft with bronze bearings at each end and a grease nipple in top.
the rest is all visual to make it look proper.
I was going to use 4 x12 volt batteries about 8 AH but am considering Lithium packs now, just scared of fire risk...not to mention 24v Lithium batteries are between $1000-2000 each.
Believe it or not the finding the batteries has been the hardest part of this build for me..so if anyone has suggestions please shoot.
Here are the motor specs.
I should add the motor specs were given to me by the guy who built the props, as I am not great at that sort of thing.

XYD-6B 450W 24V DC Motor - High-Power at 2600 RPM with Chain Sprocket

Upgrade to high-power performance with the XYD-6B 450W 24V DC Motor. Features a Chain Sprocket for efficient and reliable operation at 2600 RPM.
www.motiondynamics.com.au www.motiondynamics.com.au

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H
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Have you thought about using pro video camera batteries that are 14.4 volts and only weigh about 1.5 pounds each. They’re considerably less expensive and they are LiOn. You’d have to modify the brackets and probably connect them in series or use a step up transformer? Just a thought.

 
HPeterB said:
Have you thought about using pro video camera batteries that are 14.4 volts and only weigh about 1.5 pounds each. They’re considerably less expensive and they are LiOn. You’d have to modify the brackets and probably connect them in series or use a step up transformer? Just a thought.
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I wonder how that would perform over time with the load on it, weight is not an issue, I have 80kgs to make up in ballast.......
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30 years ago I could have calculated that. Now, well …

Here’s the specs on this particular battery pack. I’ve not used this particular one, but the specs will be similar. There’s larger packs with more Watt hours and of course more money. I’ve used similar brands and at the time I bought them (new) they were at least twice as much.

I have bought lots of equipment from B&H and their other store, Adorama and if I was in the market for pro video/still photo equipment I’d do business with them again. I would imagine that there’s probably some really good video/photo places nearby…after all Peter Jackson created a masterpiece in your “neighborhood”!



Pawa VM-99-UC​

Highlights​

  • Compact Form with Standard-Size V-Mount
  • Lightweight at Only 1.2 lb
  • Up to 13A Continuous Draw
  • D-Tap Output, 10A
  • USB-A & USB-C Outputs for Mobile Devices
  • USB-C Charging Input
  • Backlit LCD Status Display
  • Built-In Intelligent Control Circuit
  • USB-A & USB-C Cables Included

Features​

The Pawa Mini Brick 99Wh Lithium-Ion V-Mount Batteryhas a standard-size V-mount in a compact form factor that provides a lot of benefits. The smaller size makes it easier to pair the battery with smaller camera setups and with gimbals and drones. The smaller size is also beneficial to more common setups, simply because the battery is substantially lighter this way. Pawa also blends the compact size with a modern design for a sleek, contemporary look.
Featuring a 99Wh capacity, the Mini Brick is suitable for short to mid-level shoots as far as runtime, depending on your camera. Used with a small mirrorless camera, it will certainly multiply the runtime you would normally get with the camera's standard battery. When the battery is in use, the remaining battery capacity is displayed on a backlit LCD that's located on the rear of the battery where it's easily visible during a shoot. When the battery is being charged, the LCD shows the remaining charge time.
The Mini Brick also features four accessory ports, three of them for powering accessories and one for charging the battery. A D-Tap output allows you to power an accessory, such as a monitor or light, simultaneously with your camera. (The D-Tap output supports up to a 10A draw.) USB-A and USB-C outputs let you power and charge mobile devices on set, such as smartphones. And a USB-C input can be used to recharge the battery over a USB cable as an alternative to using a V-mount charger. Two USB cables are included with the battery.
The battery supports up to a 13A continuous draw, so it can power up to some of the most power-hungry cameras and lights if you ever need to. Such a high draw isn't too common in batteries that have around a 100Wh capacity. Most generally go up to 10A (or even 8A).
To help maintain the lifespan of the battery, a built-in intelligent control circuit protects against damage from current or voltage overload, overheating, or short circuits.

Key Features​

  • Compact form factor with standard-size V-mount
  • Up to 13A continuous draw
  • D-Tap output with up to 10A draw
  • USB-A and USB-C outputs for powering/charging mobile devices
  • USB-C charging input
  • Backlit LCD status display
  • Built-in intelligent control circuit

USB Outputs​

  • USB-C (PD): 5V = 2.6A, 9V = 2A, 12V = 2A, 20V = 2A
  • USB-A: 5V = 2.6A, 9V = 2A, 12V = 2A
Good luck with this project, I’m going to be eagerly awaiting the ship’s launch!
 
HPeterB said:
Good luck with this project, I’m going to be eagerly awaiting the ship’s launch!
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Thanks, I will see if i can find out about this info.
Yeah its going to be a bit of a deal when it goes in the pond the first time, even my dentist has asked to be there. we built a water feature onto our house last year, it's a "pond" with a waterfall at one end, and good for dogs to cool down, the fact that it is 5.5 m long and 800mm wide is complete coincidence I promise..... yeah no it's also a test tank. I can avoid any embarrassing problems now before that day

What to do if the bath is no longer big enough!
after.jpg
As I said, having a wonderful wife is a big help.
 
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RichardHDunn said:
Thanks, I will see if i can find out about this info.
Yeah its going to be a bit of a deal when it goes in the pond the first time, even my dentist has asked to be there. we built a water feature onto our house last year, it's a "pond" with a waterfall at one end, and good for dogs to cool down, the fact that it is 5.5 m long and 800mm wide is complete coincidence I promise..... yeah no it's also a test tank. I can avoid any embarrassing problems now before that day

What to do if the bath is no longer big enough!
View attachment 418568
As I said, having a wonderful wife is a big help.
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I totally agree about having a wonderful wife. Your pond is impressive. Your copper work is also impressive. I only recently started working with PEB, it’s been fun learning how not to do something. I’m a firm believer in learning something new every day! I get lots of inspiration here on SOS, hopefully I remember what I learned and put that knowledge into practice.
 
RichardHDunn said:
Included in Hull kit so far, and this will change

All cut frames with internals left in for scrap
Keel, Deadwood, stem and sternpost, mast steps and knightheads
The tween and main deck, all the counter frames and parts for the saloon.
The longitudinals on the decks and bilge stringers
Paper templates of the frames for bevels and of the rabbet.
The deckhouse carcasses
The main rail, Topgallant rail, break of poop plank and break of foredeck plank

The catheads with sheave slots cut in

The plates for the counter and bulwarks from ply and aluminium with washports and hawse pipes cut in
The topgallant vertical rail

Cnc cut decorative mouldings for the panelling. Estimated box size approximately 900mm x 500mm wide and 150mm deep
I need to find out about the whole bring wood into countries thing. When I moved to Australia from New Zealand in 2000 I had have all my guitar making wood fumigated.
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Richard,
To say that your work is impressive is an understatement. You have my respect for tackling this project for such a long time. I can understand your passion. The only wooden boat that I’ve made was a US Coast Guard Life Boat from a Dumas kit. I had zero experience working with wood at the time. That project took me 10 years to finish and then I lost it in a move across country… about the same distance between NZ and Sydney. Since then I spent another 10 years concentrating on my career. About 3 years ago I was determined to start building models again, but plastic because we moved from our house to an apartment with no workshop. Plastic was and is still rewarding to me because I concentrate on the end result and enjoy the journey getting there.

You’ve mentioned that you build or built guitars? What type? My son and daughter in law are both very talented musicians, my son plays guitar…. Electric and acoustic, piano and keyboard… he’s adept at playing most styles: rock, jazz, pop, etc. His wife also plays piano and guitar and sings. Me…. At this stage I play audience and videographer and photographer. My wife…. Well she’s an inspiration to us all… she sings, plays piano and is one of the best tv journalists I’ve ever worked with. Long 43 year story!
 
RichardHDunn said:
I have been building this model for 2-3 years now and had a build on another site but due to requests I have decided to do a build of sorts on here as well but will spend some time just getting everyone up to speed as its a complex build and lots to grasp.
This is not for the faint hearted,
First off the most common questions I get .

Why this ship
Because she is a stunning looking ship and has ties to my family and personal history. also I was presented with a very unique opportunity to catalogue all the Union Steamship Company plans for the archives and also had some left to me my the designer of the ship so in a trade I gave them mine in return for what they had.
In short I have over 400 actual shipyard plans and hundreds of slides and photos from the archive and personal collections.

Why so Big
I have in the past built a number of hulls for test tanking use for naval Architects and wanted to have a model that behaves on the water correctly and starts to produce a wake and bow wave correctly, so doing it at test tank size seemed logical, I know many will question my sanity on this.
The other reason is when you have soo much detail on a ship that you don't have to guess anything you need to or owe it to the job to do it right and in my opinion to get it all in it needs to be a large scale.
I don't live far from my local model boat club lake (5min drive) and will have a custom case and trailer made for it.

OK the ship
She was the largest RoRo vessel of her time built in 1964-65 at Fairfield's in Govan Glasgow to do the Wellington Christchurch run in New Zealand she foundered in 1968 with the loss of 52 lives due to being caught in a cyclone and overwhelmed.
My parents worked for the USSC who owned her and my father built a couple of models of some of their ships for the company.
View attachment 417356

The research involved in this project has been over 10 years of my life and goes as far as getting samples of paint from artefacts from the ship and getting it analysed and the paints reconstructed and made, painted out to fade and then matched to a model friendly form.
I found the masts in 1985 and had them conserved so was able to get that colour that way.
The models my father did were painted from the paint in the ships paint lockers, so was able to find those at Otago Museum in NZ and get those colours that way, the rest were in the paint spec document for the ship.
I will put up some images of the model as it is now and will then cover it in sections, like interior spaces, running gear etc
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Did many overnight sailings Wellington to Lyttleton and returns on her. Most enjoyable and some fairly rough Cook Strait crossings but all fun when one is a teenager :p
 
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HPeterB said:
ou’ve mentioned that you build or built guitars? What type? My son and daughter in law are both very talented musicians, my son plays guitar…. Electric and acoustic, piano and keyboard… he’s adept at playing most styles: rock, jazz, pop, etc. His wife also plays piano and guitar and sings. Me…. At this stage I play audience and videographer and photographer. My wife…. Well she’s an inspiration to us all… she sings, plays piano and is one of the best tv journalists I’ve ever worked with. Long 43 year story!
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Steelstring Acoustic, Classical and Archtop Jazz, I studied under a guy in my younger years after I left school.
I wont photo bomb but here is a couple

001_Acoustic_Electric.jpg

006_Classical.jpg
 
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RichardHDunn said:
Steelstring Acoustic, Classical and Archtop Jazz, I studied under a guy in my younger years after I left school.
I wont photo bomb but here is a couple

View attachment 418632

View attachment 418633They look like Gibson’s. Beautiful guitars. Scott’s got about 8 guitars at this point. Gibson is one, the rest are a variety of Fenders. I’ve been threatening to buy him a Dobro or a pedal steel for his birthday but since they have a brand new musician, only 7 months old, he probably won’t have time for a while to get proficient for a while. IMG_9027.jpeg
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This is really a GREAT project - and highly interesting - completely different and unusual - I love it already
 
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