Showing off my RC model boats

[Firstram]

Was thinking this. Get it to the general shape you want, heat it to harden it, then use files or other tools to get further into the detail.

I have done that, it works but, you spend more time cleaning the files than filing. Someone mentioned chilling it before chasing the fine details, I will see if that helps next time.

 

[Ken_NJ]

Done with building, on to painting.

I used Callie Graphics for my decals. Some of them were stencils and some were decals. I used Duplicolor spray paints.

Started with spraying the cockpit white. I'd have to find the cans to see if it's gloss but I think it is gloss.



Applying 3M fine line tape. Notice KUDU RACING TEMAM on the side.



Spray paint international orange. Other masking already removed.



Removed more masking.



Removed KUDU RACING TEAM.



Applying 3M tape for underline and number stencils.



Painting gloss black.



All done.





Once all painting was done, I sanded with 600 wet/dry then gave multiple coats of a 1K clear gloss, then wet sanded with 1000, 3000 & 5000 grit foam pads. Came out to a real nice gloss shine.

 

[Ken_NJ]

Here we have the bow logo. Painted on the same way as the engine cover numbers.











And a few pictures of the bow of the real boat.



The number 80 boat and 89 boat are two different boats. Mine was modeled after the 89 boat. Easily distinguished by the engine covers.

 

[Ken_NJ]

And finally the hull. First I used construction paper to get the approximate layout.



Before



Applying masking.







Bow numbers.



Painting.





Removing masking.







Hull painting complete.



Some lettering.

 

[francist]

Looking at your work in these past photos reminds me a bit of some of the historical costumers I’ve been following as of late. These are people who make reproduction historical garments for film like Titanic, Braveheart, etc that take place at various times in history. In their world, reproducing even the smallest detail of a stitch is what can make or break the believability of the film. You do kind of the same, except instead of reproducing you’re creating the illusion of a part, like bits of wire “piping” to cap off the tucks in the seat upholstery (brilliant, by the way!). It’s still the degree of detail, though, that makes your models so convincing.

I am curious, and I apologize if this has already been asked, but roughly how much time are we talking about to build something like KAAMA, say? And I don’t need precision, actually don’t want precision, but just an idea of are we talking months, years, decades to make some of these models?

It’s fabulous work, almost mind-numbing to see the amount of depth and precision involved. Just fascinating.

 

[Ken_NJ]

Thank you for the kind comments! And your observations.

I looked at the dates of the original pictures of KAAMA from my DSLR and can say that it took about one year from May 2014 to March/April 2015. I have 'completed' picture of the boat in my yard and pool dated May and June of 2015. Bear in mind I did not have to 'build' the entire hull. This was done part time as I had a full time job and house to maintain.

The SS Miss Belmar rebuild, hull #2, was pulled from the plug I'd say before 2000 and sat for 10+ years until 2008 when I started on the actual rebuild. Looks like I finished it sometime in 2010. The cabin & pilot house were also reused from the original boat that was built back in the late 70's to early 80's. Again had a job and house.

The Marlin was November 2011 to about April 2013.

I can admit this. There is plenty of detail missing from KAAMA and and SS Miss Belmar. Things that I mean to go back and add or upgrade at some point. But I have a whole series of model boats I would like to build, I know which ones, as time can afford me. The Marlin is done, just have to keep it running, and submerging.

Coming up....
More video & pictures of KAAMA, and pictures of other offshore powerboats that I took from my boat in the 70's and 80's.
Another model submarine, the USS Skipjack.
And another 100% scratch built party boat from the Belmar marina from the 70-90's that I am currently working on. I am building this one from pictures. I am really really proud of this one.

 

[Ken_NJ]

Some posed pictures.

To finish up the painting, the entire boat was wet sanded, then a few spray coats of a 1K clear gloss rattle can. Then the clear coat was wet sanded with 1000 to 5000 grit foam type pad. Then a few coats of Turtle wax automotive wax. For the registration numbers on the bow, NJ 1958 KD, I live in New Jersey, my year of birth, my initials. The NJ registration sticker has the year 2015 on it, the year I finished the model.

 

[Ken_NJ]

In the pool.

 

[Ken_NJ]

And a few running at the lake. The same lake I lost the Marlin at.

You know the boat is trimmed properly when at speed, it sits on a very small area on the bottom at the back.
I put my phone in double zip lock bags to record the speed, didn't have a speed gun. Clocked it at 45 mph. The real boats go over 100 mph.











Coming around a turn



Bird photobomb.



Perfectly trimmed!



Perfectly trimmed!

 

[Ken_NJ]

I have a some video that is pretty cool that I have not processed/edited yet. Will work on that, need to do it anyway.

In the meantime this is a video of the three boats so far, SS Miss Belmar, Marlin and KAAMA.
By the way, in the video section for the KAAMA at 9:38, I was in a build competition on a forum for Keith Bradley Boats which is a fast electric model boat web site. I won that online competition for my unique build of the KAAMA.

At 12:50 in the video you can see weeds I picked up on the sail. That is about the same spot where the boat got tangled and lost in weeds four years later as previously described. Also, this was the first time the Marlin was run in a lake, something other than my swimming pool.