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Topic: REPLICA 80 foot ELCO UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
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Stearman
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Dec 22, 2019 - 9:00pm
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Hay Jeff, tell your friend, the next time he surrounded by such homely women, I would make the supreme sacrifice and hurl my body on top of them to protect him!
Seriously though, I wish I could send some money, it is an unbelievable quest he is on! Unfortunately, I am eyeball deep into a 1890 Queen Anne house, which is a pile of fancy lumber that will eat up all the money you can throw through the front door.
I try to remember, there will be some people in the distant future who will thank us for this trial of money, blood, sweat and tears!
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Total Posts: 150 | Joined:
Nov 1, 2017 - 9:38pm | IP
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Jeff D
Moderator
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 Posted on: Dec 23, 2019 - 7:01am
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LOL at body hurling, and I recently read an article about restoring historical homes. You (and your bank account) have my sympathy! Do you have to go through such things as using original wood types (even if painted) and traditional woodworking methods? I think that's only for a special class of restorations, from what I remember reading.
My biggest money hole was restoring an old vette, 3 years of blood sweat and tears and tens of thousands of dollars. I had everything working for about a whole week!
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Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
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Stearman
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2019 - 8:00pm
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There not that strict here, but I have tried to use as much original hardware as possible. I can't imagine doing this before the internet, I could have gone to a hundred garage sales and not found one doorknob, let alone entire rare mortise lock sets. When this is all done, I am going to look for a classic car to have some fun. I have restored many classic motorcycles, ranging from pre WWI through the 40s.
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Total Posts: 150 | Joined:
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Dec 24, 2019 - 9:04am
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Has anyone thought of starting a go fund me for this PT boat build?
https://www.gofundme.com |
Total Posts: 126 | Joined:
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Dec 25, 2019 - 4:16am
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Thanks Travis I'll bring that up to him.
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Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Dec 26, 2019 - 7:54pm
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all,
I had the privileged to spend a couple weeks traveling around the Munda, New Georgia/Rendova area with Paul back in 2008. We found some neat things and although my main interest "then" was the PT boat situation in Rendova Harbor and a USAAF B-17 wreck on the island- it soon blossomed into so much more mainly being the US MIA in the Solomons.
Paul's enthusiasm into all things PT helped keep my interest alive during return trip's down island (2009/2012), but the MIA subject was my primary focus. Paul is doing a great work in keeping the memory alive over there in OZ and if you make it over there look him up and shout him a beer..lol..great conversation!
My interest in the PT boats has never left, but the MIA will always be my number one priority now- and that work is endless and often well beyond my budget; however, like Paul I will carry on.
For those of you doing the books and such- Munda and surrounds will grow and the history will get covered, or scrapped - so the time is now to get out to those old sites..someday they will be gone forever. There is soooo much to follow up on stories, rumor's, wrecks..
One rumor I remember and did not pursue is someone on one of the island villages in Rovianna lagoon supposedly has the wheel (helm) of a PT boat- I do not recall how this came up in conversation, but the local telling me this was fairly certain it was from a PT boat. I do not know if it was from the two that went on the reef nearby, or the one that was is (in WW-II) partly in the shallows off Lumbari island..or even from a PT boat?
Millions of stories-
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Total Posts: 147 | Joined:
Apr 17, 2008 - 10:19pm | IP
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jan 3, 2020 - 10:14am
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Shaneo2:
Happy New Year!
That wheel could be from one of 4 boats, 117, 153, 158 or 164. (a 5th boat and real long shot would be PT 166, but I believe this was sunk in deep water, in the area) it would b great to find it/buy it from the local, if it is a true ELCO wheel.
Take care,
TED
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Total Posts: 3059 | Joined:
Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: May 24, 2020 - 9:55am
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Paul sent me an update, full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes! Most excellent Paul, you sure know how to get things done even in tough times:
Hi Jeff.
Latest update as at May 21, 2020.
All 5 bulkheads and all 35 frames now completed.
Big trucks required to transport these components. ($$$$)
Frame rider fabrication specialized equipment,
expensive, but makes the assembly fit perfect.
For the technically minded.........
10mm 5083 H116 DNV aluminum
Welding to x ray quality and destruction test sampling.
Weld machine Fronius 320 pulse* mig with 1.2mm 5356 wire.
The Fronius welder is the latest intelligent version.
The cutting edge boat builders in OZ have ditched their Millers and Lincolns.
After imputing the parameters - material grade, thickness, filler wire grade and size,
deposition mode required.......consistent perfect welds. (and, 100% duty cycle ! )
After just 1 week of training on these welders........perfect welds.
Watching these machines in action is like having a cup of tea with God.
* pulse mig is the difference between a weld and a perfect weld.
Zero income having an effect on construction timeline, as expected.
But, as usual..........Damn the torpedoes......full speed ahead.
Starting now on the hull longitudinals and engine girders.
(engine girders are 5m x 1m x 16mm thickness........4 required)(5083 ally of course)
Also, deck scantlings.
( 50mm x 75mm x 6mm angles......16 x 80 feet = 1280 feet .....there are 1320 feet in a drag strip!)
Pedaling as hard as I can.
Stay safe Jeff.......and many thanks for your assist to date.
Paul.
(model boat builder, scale 1:1)
(Elco - Australian division)
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Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am | IP
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Will Day
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: May 24, 2020 - 2:04pm
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MIND-BLOWING PROJECT...
Will |
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm | IP
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Scott C |
Advanced Member
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Posted on: May 24, 2020 - 2:18pm
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Paul, what a great job you are doing. as stated before as a welder I know the old school way of welding aluminum with TIG and feeding wire. new technology and computers are great. Maybe these old eyes could do the welding after all ! just need a few thousand and the wife's permission- that would be the hard part!! for the trip down under during your summer. Again great job!! Scott
Scott Campbell 2nd gen,PT 248
Ron 20
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Total Posts: 106 | Joined:
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