FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the frequently asked questions to assist you with your build.
1. Where are the keel box details?
There is no keel box as the keel is fixed directly into the hull. In the build sequence you will see PJ inserting a piece of 2mm aluminium between strips of 1/4 balsa on the deck behind the centre bulkhead. The aluminium is removed and well glued these balsa strips are quite sufficient to take the load passed through the keel. This is best done at the time of the bulkhead attachment whilst the deck is easy to access. If you chose to fit a keel box this is not outside of the rules provided when the fin & bulb are fitted they remain in the location and to the dimensions on the plans. As far as details are concerned you are on your own.
2. Looking at the Wee Nip plan, there is a 200mm length from the bottom of the Hull to the bottom of the Keel bulb, is this important or does it come under the all same models rule? I have just measured my blank fin and it is somewhat longer..............
It is most important that you adhere to the maximum dimension of 200mm from the bottom of the hull to the lowest part of the keel bulb, this is to ensure uniformity of the boats and that no one boat has an advantage, it is checked when the boat is weighed prior to a competition starting.
The Aluminium keel is supplied as a blank and requires shaping to fit, the angle at the top needs to be altered to give the correct angle of the leading edge, it may also be shaped at the leading & trailing edges how much effort you want to put into this is up to you. It should be trial fitted in the hull and the fin reduced in length to give an overall length of 200mm including the keel bulb.
3. Can you tell me how important the angle of the bulb is, in relation to the deck or Keel................I have finished the Hull and just need to fit the Keel and Rudder.
The angle of keel to the waterline is important, and this should be at right angles to it. This is why there is a slight angle which needs to be cut from the top of the supplied Keel blank as the deck is at a slight angle to the (static) waterline.
With regards to the keel bulb to the (static) waterline angle this is a personal preference, although for the best performance this should be at least horizontal with the (static) waterline on the keel bulbs lateral axis. Many skippers prefer to mount this with a slight angle, between about 2 to 5 degrees upwards at the front to take into consideration the dynamic waterline. On my own boats I usually mount the keel bulb with about 3 degrees of elevation.
Please remember that the distance between the bottom of the keel bulb and the bottom of the hull measured on the centre line of the keel should be no greater than 200mm.
4. How do I finish where the keel comes through the bottom of the hull?
Once the hull is complete to glass stage it is quite an easy job to cut the slot in the bottom and pass the shaped (you need to angle the top to get the correct keel angle, see drawing) and adjusted for length of the keel whilst in the boat and glue it into the slot. Either then use two strips of 1/4 balsa either side of the keel on the inside at the bottom to make a collar, into which I put resin to stiffen up & seal the bottom where the keel passes through, or use car body filler to do this job which is probably easier. Note the length of the keel and bulb needs to be adjusted to 200mm maximum from the bottom plank of the boat at its lowest point.
5. How do I form the nose at the bow?
You can glue three strips of ¼ balsa together or a solid block of balsa over the front bulkhead and then sand it to a nice round shape. (See the plan view on the drawing of the nice round nose)
6. The templates have big holes for the deck hatches should I use these?
You can put the deck hatches in whatever size or form you prefer, the plan has some suggested positions which are smaller and we know work, the forward circular hole being to allow you to attach the foresail sheet line later, however although fiddly it is possible to do this without this hole. Remember if you do go away from the suggested details you will at some stage need to get back to the servos and ancillary parts through these hatches.
7. I am about to glass cloth my hull this is my first attempt what advice can you give me?
We have tried to make it clear in the video & pictures how to glass cloth the hull, however if you are using Z power finishing resin then mix it as the instructions, always use a bit less hardener than resin as the other way around it turns out rubbery. With regard to total quantity for a Wee Nip you will need about a quarter of the 12 fluid oz pack however this is for the whole hull approximately 2 fluid oz (1 fluid oz each of resin & hardener) for the bottom and 1 fluid oz for the deck and transom. You can judge this as you pour it out by standing the tubes back on a flat surface and seeing where the liquid settles too. If you are bit short of mixed resin then use it all up and then a mix a bit more to finish the job, you can get away with this for finishing resin as it has a longer cure time.
Start by covering the bottom & sides completely with resin, then lay over the cut glass cloth, adjust this to a nice fit and then using a stippling action working from the middle to the edges add more resin. Now smooth the excess resin over the surface with a plastic card again work from the middle to the outsides, cleaning the excess off the card as you go. Check the glass cloth is down all around the edges and leave to dry. (Approximately 8 hours depending on temperature). Then sand away the excess glass cloth around the deck/side join and repeat the process for the deck and transom. The finish surface will probably require some smoothing before painting; this can be achieved by sanding with wet and dry paper using it wet with a little soap mixed in with the water to flush away debris. Do not sand through to the glass cloth. If you do recoat with resin allow to dry and wet sand again.
8. My hull is now complete do you have any advice before I start the Rigging Details?
The drawing only references bowsies, and these are adjusters made from wire or plastic, they allow for adjustment of various lines. There are two at the head of the jib one to tension the sail against the jib luff line and the other to tension both the luff line and the sail against the mast which is reacted by the jib attachment to the deck at about twenty five percent of the chord of the jib from the luff line.
Incidentally it pays to try to get the the foresail close to the deck as possible. See the pictures on the build details tab of the web site for two possible methods. The adjustable one on Sheep Dip is better than just a fixed one on Red Rooster. So you need to make another bowsie and an attachment aft of the jib pivot in the deck. The backstay adjustment on the main sail also needs a bowsie for adjustment with only minimal tension in the line. A downhall is desirable on the main sail at the bottom of the main sail where the vang tensioner pivot is situated, this is to tension up the luff or forward edge of the main sail and is reacted by the attachment of the top of the mainsail to the crane at the top of the mast.
9. What sail servo would you recomend I buy, the details say a 6.5kg pull arm servo but which one?
We used to recommend the following servo ;-
http://www.howesmodels.co.uk/RadioControl/viewProduct.php?Action=addItem&ItemID=2918&ProdID=2918
however following a very strong wind event at MK we had a number of failures. It could be that in the early days Howes were having somewhat of a run on these servos' with something like a dozen skippers all trying to order them at once. Here are some of the other servo's skippers have fitted to act as replacements, however any standard heavy duty servo with at least 6.5kg pull will do.
http://www.componentshop.co.uk/39g-twin-bearing-standard-servo.html
http://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=HITHS635HB
http://www.racingpunk.net/rc-car-6kg-high-torque-double-bearing-servo-futaba-wired.html
because the Wee Nip is a one design, the sail servo does need to cope with quite a large load in very strong wind conditions, it is helpful if the skipper is sympathetic to the equipment on board and in these conditions doesn't try to force the sails onto a tack but turns the boat to allow the wind to assist in closing the sail. Much like one would with a footy in a strong gust on a larger sail.
10. What voltage batteries do most skippers use? From what I'm seeing it would seem there is the option of 4.8 or 6 volts?
You can use either a 6v or 4.8v hump pack in your Wee Nip, a 6v will get the most out of the sail servo torque performance, and does have the added advantage that it can usually do a whole competition without the need to change batteries, the additional weight is marginal and it doesn't seem to matter and if the hull is well built it can be included within the 1570 g class weight.
We purchase ours from the component shop http://www.componentshop.co.uk/6v-aaa-950mah-flat-battery-pack-low-self-discharge-type.html
1. Where are the keel box details?
There is no keel box as the keel is fixed directly into the hull. In the build sequence you will see PJ inserting a piece of 2mm aluminium between strips of 1/4 balsa on the deck behind the centre bulkhead. The aluminium is removed and well glued these balsa strips are quite sufficient to take the load passed through the keel. This is best done at the time of the bulkhead attachment whilst the deck is easy to access. If you chose to fit a keel box this is not outside of the rules provided when the fin & bulb are fitted they remain in the location and to the dimensions on the plans. As far as details are concerned you are on your own.
2. Looking at the Wee Nip plan, there is a 200mm length from the bottom of the Hull to the bottom of the Keel bulb, is this important or does it come under the all same models rule? I have just measured my blank fin and it is somewhat longer..............
It is most important that you adhere to the maximum dimension of 200mm from the bottom of the hull to the lowest part of the keel bulb, this is to ensure uniformity of the boats and that no one boat has an advantage, it is checked when the boat is weighed prior to a competition starting.
The Aluminium keel is supplied as a blank and requires shaping to fit, the angle at the top needs to be altered to give the correct angle of the leading edge, it may also be shaped at the leading & trailing edges how much effort you want to put into this is up to you. It should be trial fitted in the hull and the fin reduced in length to give an overall length of 200mm including the keel bulb.
3. Can you tell me how important the angle of the bulb is, in relation to the deck or Keel................I have finished the Hull and just need to fit the Keel and Rudder.
The angle of keel to the waterline is important, and this should be at right angles to it. This is why there is a slight angle which needs to be cut from the top of the supplied Keel blank as the deck is at a slight angle to the (static) waterline.
With regards to the keel bulb to the (static) waterline angle this is a personal preference, although for the best performance this should be at least horizontal with the (static) waterline on the keel bulbs lateral axis. Many skippers prefer to mount this with a slight angle, between about 2 to 5 degrees upwards at the front to take into consideration the dynamic waterline. On my own boats I usually mount the keel bulb with about 3 degrees of elevation.
Please remember that the distance between the bottom of the keel bulb and the bottom of the hull measured on the centre line of the keel should be no greater than 200mm.
4. How do I finish where the keel comes through the bottom of the hull?
Once the hull is complete to glass stage it is quite an easy job to cut the slot in the bottom and pass the shaped (you need to angle the top to get the correct keel angle, see drawing) and adjusted for length of the keel whilst in the boat and glue it into the slot. Either then use two strips of 1/4 balsa either side of the keel on the inside at the bottom to make a collar, into which I put resin to stiffen up & seal the bottom where the keel passes through, or use car body filler to do this job which is probably easier. Note the length of the keel and bulb needs to be adjusted to 200mm maximum from the bottom plank of the boat at its lowest point.
5. How do I form the nose at the bow?
You can glue three strips of ¼ balsa together or a solid block of balsa over the front bulkhead and then sand it to a nice round shape. (See the plan view on the drawing of the nice round nose)
6. The templates have big holes for the deck hatches should I use these?
You can put the deck hatches in whatever size or form you prefer, the plan has some suggested positions which are smaller and we know work, the forward circular hole being to allow you to attach the foresail sheet line later, however although fiddly it is possible to do this without this hole. Remember if you do go away from the suggested details you will at some stage need to get back to the servos and ancillary parts through these hatches.
7. I am about to glass cloth my hull this is my first attempt what advice can you give me?
We have tried to make it clear in the video & pictures how to glass cloth the hull, however if you are using Z power finishing resin then mix it as the instructions, always use a bit less hardener than resin as the other way around it turns out rubbery. With regard to total quantity for a Wee Nip you will need about a quarter of the 12 fluid oz pack however this is for the whole hull approximately 2 fluid oz (1 fluid oz each of resin & hardener) for the bottom and 1 fluid oz for the deck and transom. You can judge this as you pour it out by standing the tubes back on a flat surface and seeing where the liquid settles too. If you are bit short of mixed resin then use it all up and then a mix a bit more to finish the job, you can get away with this for finishing resin as it has a longer cure time.
Start by covering the bottom & sides completely with resin, then lay over the cut glass cloth, adjust this to a nice fit and then using a stippling action working from the middle to the edges add more resin. Now smooth the excess resin over the surface with a plastic card again work from the middle to the outsides, cleaning the excess off the card as you go. Check the glass cloth is down all around the edges and leave to dry. (Approximately 8 hours depending on temperature). Then sand away the excess glass cloth around the deck/side join and repeat the process for the deck and transom. The finish surface will probably require some smoothing before painting; this can be achieved by sanding with wet and dry paper using it wet with a little soap mixed in with the water to flush away debris. Do not sand through to the glass cloth. If you do recoat with resin allow to dry and wet sand again.
8. My hull is now complete do you have any advice before I start the Rigging Details?
The drawing only references bowsies, and these are adjusters made from wire or plastic, they allow for adjustment of various lines. There are two at the head of the jib one to tension the sail against the jib luff line and the other to tension both the luff line and the sail against the mast which is reacted by the jib attachment to the deck at about twenty five percent of the chord of the jib from the luff line.
Incidentally it pays to try to get the the foresail close to the deck as possible. See the pictures on the build details tab of the web site for two possible methods. The adjustable one on Sheep Dip is better than just a fixed one on Red Rooster. So you need to make another bowsie and an attachment aft of the jib pivot in the deck. The backstay adjustment on the main sail also needs a bowsie for adjustment with only minimal tension in the line. A downhall is desirable on the main sail at the bottom of the main sail where the vang tensioner pivot is situated, this is to tension up the luff or forward edge of the main sail and is reacted by the attachment of the top of the mainsail to the crane at the top of the mast.
9. What sail servo would you recomend I buy, the details say a 6.5kg pull arm servo but which one?
We used to recommend the following servo ;-
http://www.howesmodels.co.uk/RadioControl/viewProduct.php?Action=addItem&ItemID=2918&ProdID=2918
however following a very strong wind event at MK we had a number of failures. It could be that in the early days Howes were having somewhat of a run on these servos' with something like a dozen skippers all trying to order them at once. Here are some of the other servo's skippers have fitted to act as replacements, however any standard heavy duty servo with at least 6.5kg pull will do.
http://www.componentshop.co.uk/39g-twin-bearing-standard-servo.html
http://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=HITHS635HB
http://www.racingpunk.net/rc-car-6kg-high-torque-double-bearing-servo-futaba-wired.html
because the Wee Nip is a one design, the sail servo does need to cope with quite a large load in very strong wind conditions, it is helpful if the skipper is sympathetic to the equipment on board and in these conditions doesn't try to force the sails onto a tack but turns the boat to allow the wind to assist in closing the sail. Much like one would with a footy in a strong gust on a larger sail.
10. What voltage batteries do most skippers use? From what I'm seeing it would seem there is the option of 4.8 or 6 volts?
You can use either a 6v or 4.8v hump pack in your Wee Nip, a 6v will get the most out of the sail servo torque performance, and does have the added advantage that it can usually do a whole competition without the need to change batteries, the additional weight is marginal and it doesn't seem to matter and if the hull is well built it can be included within the 1570 g class weight.
We purchase ours from the component shop http://www.componentshop.co.uk/6v-aaa-950mah-flat-battery-pack-low-self-discharge-type.html