My first build, and I need help!

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  • He Who Shall Not Be Named
    Moderator

    • Aug 2008
    • 13420

    #106
    The only mechanism that directs the builder/assembler to attain his best work in ALL areas of the job is to make the activity competitive.

    Look at Nat's or FAI sanctioned r/c scale plane events, for example: The plane has to be a stunning, museum quality build; Structure strength and weight have to be managed to insure that the plane will perform in a scale-like manner; and the entrant himself has to be a skilled r/c pilot.

    Same in all model building/kit-assembly endeavors: if you compete -- present your work for critical evaluation, where all aspects of vehicle look and performance are scored -- then you are driven (the degree of that drive a function of how bad you want the Gold) to excel in all areas of research, design, assembly, systems integration, finish, and operation.

    The most cowardly and stupid statement I hear hacks use -- all too often, on Internet chats, blurted out in order to inoculate themselves against any form of criticism -- is the inevitable, "I only build models to please myself". Oh yeah, ****-head!? If that's the case why did you post a picture of it at a forum/brought it to the local IPMS show-and-tell/talked about your hobby at work/entered your model in a contest?

    These people should be killed and eaten immediately.

    When I hear one of these ****'s proclaiming, "It's only a hobby, there is no right or wrong way to do this", Ellie has to snap my choke-chain or I wind up in jail.

    David
    Who is John Galt?

    Comment

    • jlday1256
      Lieutenant
      • Jun 2011
      • 78

      #107
      Yea... I hear that. I think that for me the joy of RC anything is that it takes into consideration ALL the aspects, building, detailing, mechanical elegance, skill in operation, and trying to harness whatever natural medium you find yourself in. RC sailing adds some tactics based in naval warfare of old, at a speed than a 60 y/o guy can handle like a chess match.

      Nothing beat showing up at the pond and having some of the other captains all atwitter over you most recent project.
      Doodah
      If you ignore the problem long enough, it will go away. Even flooding stops eventually!

      Comment

      • He Who Shall Not Be Named
        Moderator

        • Aug 2008
        • 13420

        #108
        Before the availability of RTR product, yes, it was a lonely activity. An activity practiced by qualified elites. You either built the stuff your self, or you sat on the side-lines. The days when only those who knew what they were doing before they could share the flight-line, with transmitter in hand, are gone; those who design, build, set-up, perfect, and operate r/c vehicles -- people who do (because of necessity or desire) all those things -- are, in these times of RTR product, rare birds indeed.

        Most engaged in the r/c hobby today are Driver's. They buy a toy, wind it up, toss it into the medium of choice (water, ground, air), grab the transmitter, assume their station on the flight-line, and play, shoulder-to-shoulder with idiot and expert alike. I miss the natural filter that was in place when you had to build the stuff you drove, or you simply did not drive. I now share the flight-line with idiots, posers, and damned few peers. Darwinism is no longer at work as to who is Selected and who is culled from the r/c activity herd. Today, if you have the cash, you can drive. The r/c participant end of the hobby has a very murky gene pool.

        (I'm an Elitist. Get used to it!).

        All too often you will find RTR idiots goose-stepping along the club flight-line, with brightly colored club wind-breaker flapping in the wind, occasionally slapping their swagger-stick against their balloon pants as they bark out club rules to anyone making a transgression; or that Tobacco juice dribbling hay-seed at the hobby-shop race-track talking NASCAR **** to anyone within ear-shot; or Herr Kapitan, who in real-life never Served, at the annual SubRegatta sporting submarine Qualification pins on his hat and club T-shirt being interviewed by the local NBC affiliate, talking about how he's honoring his comrades who ride the real things by playing with r/c toys.

        The flight-line Nazi, the racing goober, and the submarine fan-boy; these guys are the public face of their respective disciplines within the hobby -- Driver's who know little more than how to charge, operate, and call technical assistance. To be fair, most Drivers are harmless. But some are intrusive, brutish, know-it-all's: those good-time-Charlie Drivers, they're the type who seek and secure leadership positions within a club. Know-it-all's who don't know it all; people who don't build, don't engineer, and don't know anything about the activity other than how to drive the vehicle around in circles and collect club dues.

        Meanwhile, those who invent, produce, advance, and foster the activity of r/c vehicle operation are left on the side-lines, wondering just what the **** happened to the good old days when you had to know about the vehicle in order to drive it.

        I miss the clarity and purity of an activity that once demanded of its participants ... competence.

        David,
        Last edited by He Who Shall Not Be Named; 11-10-2011, 07:34 PM. Reason: spelling, not harsh enough
        Who is John Galt?

        Comment

        • jlday1256
          Lieutenant
          • Jun 2011
          • 78

          #109
          Love it [Last edited by Merriman; Yesterday at 06:34 PM.Reason: spelling, not harsh enough].

          As a retired USAF officer, I think I would b%$*h slap anyone who wore a specialty badge who had not otherwise earnered it. I am also from the generation the DID NOT wear military badges with civilian attire. Sign up, work your ass off, get your own d%#n badge, serve, and then you can wear it.

          I am afraid that we are part of a fading group of hobby craftsman. The youth entry level has all but disappeared (they all have their faces glued to monitors). How many kids do you know now that sit down with a plastic kit over a weekend?

          Our last true, serious Hobby Shop here in Montgomery closed more than 10 years ago. Caswell aside (since they are producing a highly specialized product), anything you buy, you buy sight unseen, with no expertise (like old Mr. Keyhoe at Hobbyland in Columbus Ohio, who gently led me by the hand with kits, adhesives, paint, slot cars, RC planes), and outrageous shipping charges from big box stores.

          The purity of the activity taught more than competence; it taught patience, attention to detail, research, and pride in workmanship. You don't get that from a computer.
          Doodah
          If you ignore the problem long enough, it will go away. Even flooding stops eventually!

          Comment

          • beeryboats
            Lieutenant Commander
            • Jun 2011
            • 124

            #110
            [I miss the clarity and purity of an activity that once demanded of its participants ... competence.

            David,[/QUOTE]

            Aha! But competence comes from experience. Correct? Your first model will tend to be a bit rough. As you build more you gain experience and therefore competence. Personally I have not touched a plastic kit in over thirty years. I've been making lots of balsa dust in the shop all this time. My first plastic sub build will be somewhat rough and I hope the more experienced builders that contribute to this forum respect that.
            Jay

            Comment

            • He Who Shall Not Be Named
              Moderator

              • Aug 2008
              • 13420

              #111
              Respectful AND playful, Jay. I think you can take it.

              David
              Who is John Galt?

              Comment

              • jlday1256
                Lieutenant
                • Jun 2011
                • 78

                #112
                From Dave? No way...heh heh
                Doodah
                If you ignore the problem long enough, it will go away. Even flooding stops eventually!

                Comment

                • Kazzer
                  *********
                  • Aug 2008
                  • 2850

                  #113
                  Originally posted by Merriman
                  Respectful AND playful, Jay. I think you can take it.

                  David
                  Playful??

                  Playful????


                  What's this, The Wizard's 'word of the week'?

                  Good grief!
                  Stop messing about - just get a Sub-driver!

                  Comment

                  • beeryboats
                    Lieutenant Commander
                    • Jun 2011
                    • 124

                    #114
                    Click image for larger version

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ID:	65165Ok, I got one side to look pretty good. It still will need a dab of filler here and there.

                    Comment

                    • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                      Moderator

                      • Aug 2008
                      • 13420

                      #115
                      Very good work. Your reward will be an easily accessed interior.

                      David,
                      Who is John Galt?

                      Comment

                      • beeryboats
                        Lieutenant Commander
                        • Jun 2011
                        • 124

                        #116
                        Through trial and error I found the trick to using the Rage filler. I was being generous with it and then trimming off the excess with the hobby knife. After some pretty good initial results, it would tend to come off the plastic. Now my process is just use a dab along the gap, place the deck on the hull and walk away. My last section, which was really a repair of a couple areas that had lifted off, sat untouched for two days. I sanded off the excess and hit the inside with CA.

                        Comment

                        • trout
                          Admiral

                          • Jul 2011
                          • 3658

                          #117
                          Great way to overcome!
                          Outstanding!
                          If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                          Comment

                          • pjdog
                            Commander
                            • Apr 2009
                            • 302

                            #118
                            Coming along nice Jay.

                            Jack

                            Comment

                            • beeryboats
                              Lieutenant Commander
                              • Jun 2011
                              • 124

                              #119
                              Tonight the wife had a Pampered Chef party so I could enjoy the whole evening working on my sub and watching a little TV on my new flat screen. Hey, ya gotta take a break once in a while! I got all the alignment tabs on and life is good. I have a couple gaps in the hull to deck joint that I didn't have before. Small, but noticeable if you look hard enough. I also got half the weld lines filed and sanded off. Looking good so far, but I need to add a little filler at the fore and aft hull joints after I finish the welds on the other side.

                              Comment

                              • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                                Moderator

                                • Aug 2008
                                • 13420

                                #120
                                Don't obsess on the small-**** ... Finish It!

                                David,
                                Who is John Galt?

                                Comment

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