BB26’s Weblog

It is 5:25 am and I am working the backshift. I have not had a call for over an hour and 41 minutes. So let’s see what I have on my mind other than sleep.

The model warships are progressing fine. The USS Alabama (go BAMA) is almost completed. I am in the process of sea trialing her to make sure all systems work. The last outing had a pinion wheel come loose on the shaft. A little bit of CA and that issue was resolved. I used some glue on the set screw and tighten it up. So the screw should not come loose. Or at least that is the plan. I plan on taking the boat out for another run on Friday to see if it is working correctly.

The SMS Prinz Eugen is almost completed. A friend of mine in Newfoundland is completing the build for this one. The boat runs and runs well. He is just finishing off some superstructure details before shipping it to me.

HMS Dreadnaught will be the next project. It is unlikely that it will be completed this season but definitely ready for next year.

And the newest hull to join the ranks is DKM Graf Spee. The hull is spectacular. I just have to plan the cuts. I may be able to cut it this year. I think this will be an interesting project.

I do have to add that the price of gas sucks. I say drill more and screw the moose or whatever is in the way. And maybe they will finally build a new refinery to boost production.

More to come

Well the Libs this week announced their green shift.  They propose a carbon tax on fossil fuels. Of course they “claim” it is revenue neutral.  I think the only green will shifted is out of my wallet to the government as no tax is ever revenue neutral. They say  they will cut some taxes to compensate. it is brave to propose this in summer but I bet they would never try this in January when you need the heat.

Well I cam across this article in a paper from the U.K.  Here is the link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/30/eaclimate130.xml

It is just more confirmation that the enviro wackos just want to destroy the economy.  They want us all sleeping in caves and eating leaves.  There is one thing to want to make sure the water is clean. It is another to fear monger people into thinking the sky is falling and throw people out of work. And if these companies are killed, who is going to pay for people’s RRSP investments?

Well it is time to charge the batteries and check the radio as it is almost time to battle. The smell of spring with the crack of bb’s flying into freshly silkspaned balsa. My winter build is almost completed. What is left to do is install a new rudder servo. There is one issue remaining. The pneumatics are not working. I am have some issues with the quick disconnects. They keep popping off due to the pressure. The pressure from the regulator is set to 150 psi which is in the legal range. I will probably have to clamp down the hoses. But still I want to check to see if there are any other things that can be done. Otherwise once rudder servo is installed I can get it on the water sailing.

Ahh to sail. I have been waiting a while to get the boat out sailing. I need to check for leaks and stuff to make sure it is water tight for the balsa when it hits the water. I also want to check the weight to make sure it is where it should be. Once I am satisfied that she can there are no issue, then it is to sail it to learn how it handles. I want to see how well it handles. This will be one of three new ships to be hitting the water this year. Once this is done then I will commence construction of HMS Dreadnought. Ready Aye Ready

Well tommorow I am off to the warm Dominican republic for 7 days. It is time for some fun in the sun. An escape from the cold and remnants of snow.

Well here is an interesting story from the  CBC. Granbma’s house got raided by the narcs. They did not find anything.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/04/08/deveaux-raid.html

Of course the cops won’t fix the damaage.  But  still the question remains why they had to barge in. couldn’t they have knoced and server the warrant? But then this is Capre Breton. I guess the cops wanted to be macho. Maybe even make an episode of Cops.  I can see it now. Cops racing to Tims as there is a reported suspicious powder.

With the ice off almost every lake I can now get ready for another combat season. My winter build project is getting close to completion. The USS Alabama is almost ready for sea trials. The might BB60 is down to some painting and the installation of two servos.  This makes me happy. I have only been picking at this for a year and a half.

The balsa sheeting went well and should be waterproof.  The silk span was applied and I am pretty happy at how it is turning out. Today I got the hull painted read.  The rest was painted gray. Now I have to do some detail work on the super structure. The pneumatics are good to go but I definitely need a place to test fire the bb cannons. I am hoping to finally get it on the water Thursday for a much needed sea trial.  I need to test pump and check the water integrity of the sheeting.

Well I have started on boat number 2. Since the Sodak is waiting for parts I might as well satrt on the second project. HMS Dreadnought. The ship that started it all. I also have as a runner the boat that should have been the first all big gun battle ship. that is BB26 USS South Carolina. The funny thing was that the US Congress dickered over the cost and that permitted the British to build and launch Dreadnought. Hence the name for the world. Anyways the Dreadnought has had the engines installed. It is running on direct drive. It is a class 4 battleship. This means it has 3 guns and an all important bilge pump. It shouldn’t take as long to build.  I just have to waterproof the receiver and I think I will build a water proof box to seal in the servos and poppet valves. Stay tuned for updates.

Today is one of those WTF sort of days. It must be the freezing rain. Or the nutty callers. Half a dozen of one 6 of the other. Anyways construction on the SODAK has sort of stopped for a bit. I am awaiting the shipment of some gears. Once the gears are in then I can start wiring and installing the pneumatics.  I just can’t wait until I can sheet the hull and commence painting. I really can’t wait until I get this boat on the water.

The month of February has been a good month for construction of my newest warship. The USS South Dakota (BB57) is well on it’s way towards completion. I am hoping to have it available for sea trials by April 1st.  The scale of the warship is 1/144. There was little done on this boat last year as I was more preoccupied with my wedding plans.

I had originally purchased the hull last year and had the deck installed. But during  the year I hated the deck that was installed. The deck material was too thin. So in November of this year the entire ship was gutted. Any work I had done was trashed. The deck was removed and a new one was cut.  Try shaving sintra with a dollar store knife. It was a pain in the ass. So after a build session The Sodak had a new deck cut and taped down to proper width.

In December I decided to fibreglass resin in the deck. The weather turned cold and I don’t think it dried properly in spots. Or the hardener did not work well. Anyways the deck was installed and it seems to be holding well. During that time I made sure I had my parts supply brought up to speed with a few orders to Battlers Connection.

February has seen some tremendous progress on the Sodak. Thanks to Craig for helping to build the super structure. That was a great relief. So far the deck hatches have been cut, the Barbette’s have been installed, the bb cannons have been installed, some water channelling done and the interior armour to protect the internals from damage. I have started work on installing the gears.

So if you wish to see pics of the work, then go to www.rcnavalcombat.comand check out the North Atlantic Battle Squadron. It is under the topic Sodak build.