RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
[quote]ORIGINAL: Sound Sailor The Ca will stick well to paint although severe contact with a foreign object might jar it loose. ;) [/quote] I can attest to that, when my boat fell off the garage top shelf, one of the chine rails came loose and had to be re-glued... among other damage [:@].
Posted on: 5/17/2013 3:34 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11514601

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Alright folks, trying again with pics of the aft deck's canvas top...
Posted on: 9/16/2012 10:09 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11230649

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Bill - Your fighting chair is remarkably accurate, well done! Rich - I wouldn't be surprised if Laurence knew the Vom Hofe family personally, right? All - Another important detail of the model I've been putting off is the canvas shade for the rear deck. Tonight I finally dug in and got started by shaping the frame, soldering it together, and cutting a canvas piece to attach to the brass frame. I've tried for more than 20 minutes to upload pics. It fails every time. I'm getting messages like below. I'm REALLY ready to take this discussion elsewhere.... [i]500 - Internal server error. File is too large!!! There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed.[/i]
Posted on: 9/15/2012 11:23 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229749

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Thanks Bob, I'll check that out! All - What are the chances that Dauntless' fighting chair was a unit hand-made by Edward Vom Hofe (a man considered by many collectors to be the greatest fishing reel-maker of all time)? The design similarity is surely remarkable... Description for a pair currently for sale - "Edward Vom Hofe fighting chairs (2) circa 1930’s with bronze hardware, German nickel rod gimbals with E. Vom Hofe – NY stamped into them, adjustable seat backs and original flanges on the bottoms. Probably used for sailfish in the Palm Beach, FL area. Extremely early and rare chairs for the serious collector…24�h x 18�w x 18�d. $6,000/pair" (Text and photo credit: americansportingclassics.com). Wikipedia says "Vom Hofe had become famous for his precision salt-water big-game bait and casting reels constructed of nickel silver and hard rubber (ebonite), along with recently discovered metal named aluminum. Vom Hofe was a machinist, fishing-tackle builder and noted big-game angler who outfitted the famous anglers of his generation." Looking on FeeBay - recently an Edward Vom Hofe reel was bid up to $21,800, and still the reserve was NOT met[X(]!
Posted on: 9/14/2012 8:27 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11228927

RE: PT Boat Jet Drive Conversion
Maybe check FeeBay to see if there are any fiberglass hulls available. I bought a 36 inch fiberglass PT hull there a while back for I think about $60 + ship.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 7:18 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227858

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Got the bow, port and starboard navigation lights mounted, wired up and tested tonight. All that's left to make her legal for night runs is hiding the wires to the 360 degree light atop the radar mast. Hiding the wires AND keeping the radar tower removable will be the challenge...
Posted on: 9/12/2012 11:14 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226890

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
You guys are so lucky to live near the ocean. Here in North Texas, low tide is called a drought [:D][:D][:D]
Posted on: 9/12/2012 7:51 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226805

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
I'm using Blue Locktite as well for the prop nuts in my current setup and no problemos.
Posted on: 9/11/2012 6:50 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11225623

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Bill - thanks for posting. Very nice! And thanks also for noting that the pipe support probably carried the wires to the bow light. From this I was able to solve tonight's wiring problem. See there's a bow former that runs along the centerline. So drilling straight down for a cable run isn't possible. So I ran the bow light wires throught the pipe support, then down at an angle. Next I used a hole saw to create an access point in bulkhead #1 to catch those wires. And... voila! The grain-of-wheat bulbs are rated for 16,000 hours according to harbor models' site. I was going to put an LED in the bow, so I wouldn't have to worry about replacing it later. But now, looking at this rating, I figure I should just use the included incadescent bulb. Plus it has a more realistic output than an LED. Also putting the rated 6V to this light seems overly bright. So I tried 4.5V and it seemed much more 'scale' and would probably add life to the bulb? Anyone have an opinion on if it's worth it to put in LEDs or just use the included (Robbe) bulbs?
Posted on: 9/10/2012 9:54 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11224604

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Awesome Rich, thanks for doing that! So cool of you. I can't wait to get it! The bluish light is coming from a tiny LED utility light that I set in there to light up the bridge for the pic. I found it at Dollar Tree. At a buck I figured what the heck just to play around with. Most of the stuff I find at the dollar store is... well... worth about a dollar. But this little thing is actually solidly built, suprisingly bright, batteries included, and it has an effective diffused lens. Huh! Are you thinking of backlighting your bridge area when it's on public display?
Posted on: 9/10/2012 10:06 AM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11223819

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Thanks Rich and good thinking on re-purposing that complex and impressive air chamber! DS you continue to amaze. Bill thanks for the davit details and I'd love to see a pic of your final crane design and rigging. Maybe you already posted it. I'll check. BTW Bill is to blame for tonight's addition using scraps of vinyl sheet protector as he did a while back[:D]. I highly recommend this very quick and easy detail. Adds a great amount of realism and interest to the boat in no time. And it didn't cost a dime [;)].
Posted on: 9/9/2012 11:06 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11223352

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Houston... we have a davit...[:)] So in the prototype pics of Dauntless that include the dingy crane, there's never any rigging on it. Is this another area where the crew stows all of that away to keep things neat, proper, and tighty? Even the pulleys? Also there had to be some sort of winch... hand cranked or otherwise, to lift the dingy, right? Where would that have been on big D?
Posted on: 9/7/2012 10:39 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221465

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Very interesting info, thanks so much!!!
Posted on: 9/6/2012 5:24 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220075

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Hi Bob! Yes I'll continue the bow lip slope to the data line, I'm having a hard time shaping those final parts for some reason. The ones I've made just don't look right so far [:@]. I decided not to include the hollow area because I wanted this bow lip to be as strong as possible. My boat tends to hit solid objects from time to time [8|] so I made this feature out of solid hardwood and attached to the deck with a thick layer of 5 min epoxy. You'll again have to excuse my land-locked ignorance of large craft operations. By 'anchor chain guide' do you mean the cutouts built into the bow lip on each side? Also I'm wondering about the anchor chain's placement... What's the term for the oval hole in the deck where the chain is fed into a locker? Did Dauntless have one or two of these holes? Was the windlass on the bow solely for the anchor chain, or did they use it with rope while docking her too? Is an anchor chain even a necessary detail consideration for my model, or was the anchor chain stored away and not visible at all while underway?
Posted on: 9/6/2012 2:33 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219895

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Bow details coming along...
Posted on: 9/6/2012 10:46 AM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219643

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
A look at some of the preliminary work on a more accurate bow area, and replacing my previous delicate styrene bow lip that eventually broke off. The bow light is one detail I've been wanting to add for a very long time. I just love the look of it on Big D! I'll also include a short flag mast here to display the Tarrytown flag. Of course, some day I'm going to have to face my fears and make an accurate forward seating area and venturi as well[8|].
Posted on: 9/3/2012 10:03 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11216500

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich My 5-year old watched the first video together and during those last couple of seconds when you put it in reverse, water gargles and it slowly goes backwards off the screen... she looked up at me and said, "Daddy, I think something was eating that boat." [:D] So now if you watch it a few times and use your imagination it does make for a LOL moment [:)][:)].
Posted on: 9/2/2012 8:49 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11215178

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich your boat looks lean-n-mean out there on the water, I'm impressed with the speed! Thanks for posting pics and vids. On that motor have you removed the brushes to make sure they're seated correctly, or the springs like Bill mentioned?
Posted on: 9/2/2012 5:36 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11214965

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Added the guy wire that supported the 360 nav light on the radar mast. Used 24 gauge solid wire. Only took a few minutes and adds a feel of intracacy to the radar tower[8D]. And added the second trim piece to the stern wall as promised. Finally, getting around to painting the recently rebuilt main cabin windshield area white as well. It's taking several coats to cover the grey and not show brush streaks for some resaon but I think my patience will be worth it in the end.
Posted on: 9/1/2012 11:15 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11214148

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Okay Rich, adjusting for the slight dimension differences between Big D and Dumas D, here's what I came up with as a middle ground: Cabinet door height (ALL) = 7/8" Center door width = 1 1/4" Outer doors width = 1 3/4" I quickly cut and taped up a set from craft foam so you can see how this looks as compared to screenshots I pulled from the final Big D walk-thru on UTube. And a few questions in red if anyone can answer those [8D]. Now I'm off to add that newly discovered trim piece... tonight's 15 minute project!
Posted on: 8/31/2012 9:19 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11213225

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
I made those three doors a while ago. But never put them on because the wood I used was too thick, and I had rounded the corners too much that they looked out of place to me. Same for the cabinet doors on the main deck walls on each side of the jump seat (Rich already has these added). I'll check my notes and screen grabs of the boat's final walk-thru and see what I did to come up with the dimensions since I need to make a new set anyway.[;)] On the video there was also an access hatch on the floor of the lazarette I think to get at the rudder linkages. Maybe another detail to model and let sound through?
Posted on: 8/31/2012 2:58 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11212852

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Russell - Welcome and wow that's a good looking and fine running model you've got there. Only took 18 months and your first build, WOW! DS - Very nice work as usual! Bob - I don't see thousands of video icons in my subscription. Not sure what the deal is. Rich - I'm excited about your weekend test runs! All - I think I'm finished with this version of the radar. Guess it's a semi-sorta-kinda version of the military-looking radar she had in the stock pic. Not the detail or rotating dish I wanted, but it'll do (unless my toddler gets his hands on it again) [:)]. There wasn't room on this radar tower for the cup anemometer. I may mount that next to the spot light temporarily since I really think it is a cool detail.
Posted on: 8/30/2012 3:54 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11211969

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Added the ship's bell last night. Funny I told myself I'd put this boat away for a while and work on other hobbies... not as easy as I thought[:)].
Posted on: 8/29/2012 11:06 AM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11210426

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Is it A? Guessing the length published (66 ft) is the absolute longest so it would be measured at the bow lip then to stern, so at waterline would be a few feet less? Rich if the motor mounts you're making tonight are anywhere near as beefy as the ones you made for my boat, they'll each hold onto dual Astros no problemo!! BTW judging by the specs, the Astro 25s should make your boat scream across the water!
Posted on: 8/28/2012 8:58 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11209851

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Great pics guys! So... who gave Dauntless her name? A. S & S Designers B. Jakobson Shipyard C. Laurance Rockefeller D. Rich [:D] I don't know the answer and was just curious.
Posted on: 8/28/2012 3:49 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11209533

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Yeah for the last week or so I've had to wait a very long time for this thread to appear. I usually just minimize the window and do something else for a few minutes. Strange. Well I went to my college reuninon at the lake last weekend, but did not take my Dauntless. It was a 5-6 hour drive and the boat would have been in a truck bed at highway speeds nearly the whole time along with duffel bags, foam rafts, etc. Plus the forecast called for heavy rains, and it did pour down quite a bit. So it just wasn't worth the risk, I would have been a nervous wreck and drove my buddies nuts wanting to pull over and check the boat all the time. While there I spent some time on a friend's Formula Fas-Tec. With two 305s pushing twin props it cruised at 70mph comfortably. I grabbed a pic of the wake to post since it made me think of Big Dauntless and all her power[8D].
Posted on: 8/27/2012 9:15 AM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11207664

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich - Great photography, looks fantastic and the videos are awesome too, thanks for posting the trials!
Posted on: 8/26/2012 3:33 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11206785

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Rich - looking forward to seeing that radar! Bill - Thanks for the recommendation. I like the redundancy idea. The ESC I'm using is made specifically to run two motors at once. But the specs call for 550-sized motors, not 700s. I'm guessing that's what's heating it up. Is there an inexpensive, reliable marine ESC you can recommend I buy a pair of?
Posted on: 8/22/2012 2:37 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11202483

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Well captains, it's been almost exactly one year since mine's been in the water and today... SUCCESS! It rained all morning and the pond was muddy, but I managed to run the boat during my lunch hour. It was an absolute blast. No problems with the boat at all, everything behaved as it was supposed to! The first run was with two very heavy 12AH sealed batteries. Made a tremendous wake with so much weight to displace. I brought it in after about 20 minutes of stop-n-go drive-bys to check everything. The motors were only slightly warm. The speed control was hot but quickly cooled down. The second run was with smaller, much lighter 7AH batteries. Made quite a difference. Much more nimble and jumped out of the water. The motors seemed a lot more responsive. After another 20 minutes I checked the gear and same results, the motors didn't break a sweat. I never noticed any water spurting out of the water-cooling exits, so either the flow was very low or they're not working at all. But I gotta wonder if they're doing something for the motors to be so unexpectedly cool. I've had this boat for more than 10 years and it's never been so fast or fun to drive. Thanks everyone for all the advice, ideas, and comments that got me to this point[;)], I'm a happy camper for sure!
Posted on: 8/21/2012 3:23 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201307

RE: the unofficial home of the dumas dauntless
Yeah Bill I can't wait! I've been gluing down the rest of my recently added details tonight in hopes of getting her in the water ASAP. If the old batteries aren't dead from sitting for so long, I may give it a spin tomorrow. Update - I hooked up some old batteries and the RC gear tonight and let both props spin "dry" at a medium-low setting for about 5 minutes.... silky smooth! Nice steady hum and none of the friction points (prop struts etc) were even warm to the touch, motors stayed at room temp (obviously under load this will not be the case). I promised my daughter I'd take her to the pond to feed the ducks tomorrow. May throw Daunty in the truck and take her along too, if it's cool with my kid [:)].
Posted on: 8/20/2012 9:59 PM by Author "dauntlessfan" in the forum "RC Scale Boating"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11200197