1 Post
2 Followers
2 Likes
New to me bulk carrier
Hello, I've been given this ship and would like to refit and refloat her. I don't have any info on the ship but I plan to out fit with new parts mostly 3d printed. Would anyone have any info on the ship or maybe the time lines she represents, (1960s ?). Thanks for any info
๐จ๐ฆ Westwind
9 hours ago
17 Posts
17 Followers
149 Likes
NEW GLASS ON FOAM CATAMARAN PROJECT
Started on a 1m catamaran on the weekend as another design as you go project. It will be modelled roughly on the 18' Ron Given (NZ) designed 'Hustler MK2' 'A class' catamaran I restored in 1979, (pics) and so far it's progressing ok. Hull is from three 25mm strips of polystyrene laminated using foam safe contact spray. Laid the 2 blanks on a flat board with 2 4" nails through each to stop them moving, and weighted them down for a day to set.
While waiting, I cut the decks from 5mm ply and shaped the bow sections. When the blanks were dry, I glued the decks on with lots of PVA glue, (which sticks foam well to wood,) and weighted them down with clamps sideways to stop them from moving. Left them for 2 days to set in my warm shed then gave the bows a rough shaping. Next was the fun part, shaping the hulls using a Surform file which creates a major mess with lots of vacuuming needed. The beauty of it is, is that the basic hulls were shaped and tapered (bow to stern) in about an hour. The laminating seams are used as a guide when shaping, plus eyeballing and straightedges.
Today, while the deck sides were still parallel, I set the hulls up in the work table and routed out preliminary spaces through the deck for winch, rudder servo and radio. Tomorrow, I'll hopefully be routering a side taper to the decks, (hulls will taper bow to stern on bottom and sides) The hulls will then have to be refiled to the new shape.
Shaping is done 90% with the Surform, then longboard sanded and hand sanded to the final shape, later to be completely sealed and glassed.
Crossbeams are 12mm ally tube with orange conduit bored to a tight fit and epoxied to the ends, then steel saddles epoxied over them. The whole tube/saddle assemblies will also be drilled and screwed together to prevent any tendency to turn. Center beam will probably be a double like the 100% cat, (yet to be worked out). Would be nice if they could be made like the originals, but welding thin ally tube might not be feasible.
JB
๐ณ๐ฟ jbkiwi
10 hours ago
8 Posts
9 Followers
44 Likes
MM337 Thorneycroft MTB Model Boat Plan
Has anybody built this recently? Just got the plans so any advice/help will be much appreciated.
At 86 it's years since I built a model!!
๐ฌ๐ง cheddarman
11 hours ago
1 Post
3 Followers
6 Likes
Model Slipway Tsekoa restoration
I bought this boat second hand about 15 months ago, built and supposedly ready for the water, but although the exterior looked good, the shafts were rusted into the shaft tubes.
The model came with a transport/storage box and a display stand. I have discussed the model with Dave Metcalf (formerly of Model Slipway) and sent him some pictures and he has told me that it is one that he built - so this model is definitely worth returning to the water.
Other than minor cosmetic issues, the prop shafts and tubes are the only issue. I have removed one without any collateral damage (not easy as DM had installed them very thoroughly!) and have made a start on the second.
I now have to decide what to replace the shaft tubes with - the underwater fittings and the hole in the hull are for 8mm tubes, so my choice is limited. The de-luxe option is a pair of Raboesch prop shafts & tubes - but at a price - ยฃ120 for the pair, or I can use the simpler but equally sturdy tubes from Model Boat Bits, who have supplied the majority of the prop shaft assemblies in my other boats and all function well. The cost for a pair of these complete with oilers is ยฃ32.00 - quite a difference.
As this is not a high powered or fast vessel, I am inclined to go for the latter option and save myself nearly ยฃ90 in the process. As a pensioner, I do not have unlimited funds available.
Does anyone have any other opinions on my choice? It is a lovely model with an interesting provenance, but I suspect that the MBB shafts will be good enough - the model was originally fitted with similar shafts.
๐ฌ๐ง Oxford-Dave
13 hours ago
6 Posts
13 Followers
45 Likes
IMEX Taurus-from Sport fisherman to police boat toโฆ.police boat?
Hi yโall. Almost 8 years ago I posted a build log on RC Groups where I built and converted an IMEX Taurus Sport Fisherman into a police boat, simply by moving and using the windshield as a fairing, adding a light bar and police decals. It ran good, looked okay, and I gave it to my Daughter Grace who ran it twice and then it sat in my shop till a few months ago. I got it back in the water, and I was surprised at how well it ran and handled. To make a long story short, I received a Fiberglass hull for Vhristmas from Modelmast in Poland. Itโs not a kit, nor is it a very popular subject, but I have to scratch build everything from the deck up including the build. Iโve done simple projects before with plasticard and wood, the most complex thing Iโve done was to build up a superstructure for my PT15 that went overboard on her maiden. Iโve decided that as a warm up, Iโm gonna make the Taurus โPoliceโ boat moreโฆpolicey.
First thing I did was to get rid of the rails, details, etc, in doing so I heard a crack. My glue joint was giving way!! Now, I do use a combo of filled epoxy and ca to build my boats, and Iโve never till this time have had an ABS joint come loose as long as Iโve scuffed the joint and used a good epoxy with a filler. Looking at the failed joint, I realized I used a โplastic epoxyโ and upon further inspection I realized I hadnโt scuffed the joint at all!! I also remembered this boat was knocked Offaly branch during some moving around at least once. Anyway, I cleaned off the old glue, scuffed the joint and rebuked it.
Iโll keep this as short as I can, cause it could get a little confusing. My goal is to make a more modern 2-4 person patrol boat. So I basically googled โpolice boatโ and came up with a design in my head. Didnโt draw a blasted thing till I got to the cabin proper. Now, the original hatch is the entire superstructure, from just forward of the stern all the way to maybe 9 inches from the bow. I built a well deck aft over the rudder linkage using plastic for a bulkhead, some strip wood for support and reinforcement, and made up a hatch in the floor for rudder servo and linkage access. I then started to build my coaming, and halfway into it I realized itโs not going to look right, and my coaming is too short. So I got the Dremel and a cutoff wheel and went to town on the deck. Iโve been off all week, so 3 days later, I have a decently proportioned deck, sub deck/hatch and the start of a modern (to me at least) cabin. Iโll post pics, please be honest and tell me what you think. Remember her, this is NOT a scale boat, itโs the faul of my fevered imagination and Google..
Cash
๐บ๐ธ Cashrc
22 hours ago
43 Posts
24 Followers
318 Likes
A new build
I will, most likely, have to rename this Blog, at some point.
In the mean time...please do not expect much for a while as she is in her very early stages.
First a disclosure: This hull was built for me by another gentleman. It was delivered in a not quite completed state. Therefore I have spent the last two month working on it to get to it's present state.
So.. what is it? She is one of four ships in a class that was later enlarged to around eight maybe ten members of the class. Her main armament was eight 5"/38 caliber twin turrets. She and her class namesake sister were both lost during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This ship is most noted due to the loss of an entire generation of one family, five brothers.
This should be enough for identification.
She is being built in my preferred scale, 1/48th or 1/4"=1'.
This ship was used for numerous camouflage scheme experiments and, sadly, there is little definitive documentation to pinpoint her second to last and last schemes carried. That said, my plan, subject to change without notice or reason, is to present her as she appeared following her New York Navy Yard overhaul, or perhaps as she may have appeared after repainting in Placentia Bay NewFoundland, 1942.
She measures out to 11' 3" and her power plant is to be two 24 volt Buehler motors.
Pictures of her and the build to follow.
Wish me luck please, she will not fit in my van....
๐บ๐ธ ToraDog
3 days ago
1 Post
4 Followers
16 Likes
Jack D- tug/ work platform for harbour surveys
Based loosely on a couple of photos taken in Dover Harbour, Jack D was scratchbuilt with ply hull,and 3D printed deck and wheelhouse by my lad, neilw .Many accessories have also been produced by him as well as installing twin motors and rudders.
At 1:16 scale,Ive fitted out the wheelhouse and built the rc controlled crane which Will eventually launch a small recoverable USV also R/c
Still some detailing to complete before lake trials in late March
๐ฌ๐ง Peewit83
4 days ago
2 Posts
5 Followers
13 Likes
A Banana Boat??!
Happy Groundhog Day fellow model boaters. Seemed like a good day to start a build blog after the weather we have been having here in SE Texas. From hurricanes to snow fall, now nice sunny temps in the 70's.
I asked my grandson earlier this summer what boat would he want me to build next. Without hesitation, he said a cargo ship showing me a picture of a Maresk Lines container ship in a children's picture book. I thought about this one for several weeks wondering how to build a realistic replica of something that large. My dry dock isn't very big, and the Admiral frowns on large models. One morning at breakfast I was peeling my banana, and I realize the perfect boat. A quick google search verified my thinking of the perfect cargo ship.
I have lived in this area all my life, and my first job was in the small gulf port town of Freeport, Texas. In the early 80's it basically only served the shrimp boat operators and commercial fishermen as well as a few cargo ships for Dow Chemical and the like. The size does not compare to the Port of Houston or even Galveston. However, in the 90's the Dole Fruit Company started operations delivering containers of tropical fruit for distribution to the US.
At that time I was commuting to Houston for work, and would see the Dole container trucks on the road and would chuckle to myself "must be a banana boat in port!
The Dole company just celebrated 30 years of service in Freeport, and in 2023 launched two sister container ships, the Aztec and Maya, specifically for the Gulf of Mexico deliveries. These are smaller ships which I estimate carry only about 500 containers.
Since I could not find any plans on the internet for a smaller container ship, I decided to make my own. From pictures of the Aztec, I free handed a graph paper drawing of what I intended to build, and when satisfied, I produced a CAD version in Autosketch.
The attached pictures are of the Aztec in port at Gulfport MS.. The Maya being built in drydock. My hand drawn rendering on graph paper, and a .PDF of the cad version with bulkhead detail.
The model ship will be about 26.5 inches long with a width of about 4.5". I plan to have a brushless motor driving a 1 inch 5 bladed brass prop.
Chris
๐บ๐ธ cjanik001
6 days ago