Forgot I had the Optimist to re-do so I'll do a short blog on what I'm doing. I had already re-fitted the stays with solid stainless fishing trace as the original wound wire stays had frayed and had nasty sticky out bits. I had also re-joined the cabin roof which I had cut behind the mast for R/C and battery access (once assembled the model had no access to the interior and involved removing all the stays sheets and mast to get at anything,- about 10 mins work!) Now with long lasting LiPos there will be no need to remove the top for the whole day. I have two 'El Cheapo' winches to fit,- one for the jib and one for the main. Not sure how long they will last as they won't even center properly and sit there and hum most of the time. The alternative is a very expensive modern winch, around $600 or maybe a winch servo arm type, (still quite expensive). I have ripped the rudder and shaft out as it had completely seized up over the last 40 years and was spinning in the hull, (having broken the epoxy) I've made a new shaft and bushes to go back in, and will be adding a lower (skeg) and upper (deck) bush as the original had none and just sat in a hole in the ABS skeg, and the shaft tube was just held by 2 ply wedges to the inside of the hull. I am strengthening all this up, and the top bush will now support the shaft where it comes through the deck to stop any flex in the ABS. It was a very nicely made model in its day but ABS was the wrong material to make it out of, considering the weight of the keel required. If you pick the model up on its side, the hull flexes, so I might glass the inside for a bit more strength as it's getting old and probably a bit brittle in that area, (as long as polyester resin won't distort the hull) The rudder shaft goes through the deck, through the shaft tube and into a brass tube which is epoxied into the rudder blade, and through to the bottom bush of the skeg. The shaft and blade tube are drilled through before the blade tube is epoxied in place. Shaft and rudder blade are then assembled as one unit into the hull ( shaft going through everything) with all the bushes epoxied in at the same time to line them up The shaft and blade are then pinned in place through the pre drilled holes. This time I'll fill everything with grease to hopefully stop it seizing again. Might use a small stainless split pin to lock the blade and shaft as it might be easier to remove. This design also was not a brilliant way of doing the rudder, and prone to corrosion inside the blade tube. I have also re modeled my modelling room as a complete area, (was getting sick of working between rooms. Have put both 6ft tables in so now have more 'bench space'. Now to get rid of some planes!

Good evening everyone, Here is my final summary for the creation of my Dutch crewman. Once again I will post the starting photo from the web that I will base my crewman on, as a reference to save looking back at part 1 for a reminder. Photo 1. Having got the figure to a good scale height of 120mm, I now decided to pose him in a sitting position to keep his centre of gravity low. I would have preferred him to be standing at the tiller, but there is not enough head room under the working main boom on this particular model. I have found with this type of play figures that the joints do not have full natural movements for some poses. This was the case with the limited hip movement, so using my mini grinder with drill bit attached, removed some of the plastic to enable a 90 deg hip bend. Photo 2,3,4. This completed the desired sitting pose position photo 5. The next task was to remove the wrist cuffs and convert into a tight fitting cuff around the wrist. I had not at this stage glued the various body parts up as it is easier to do these modifications while apart. Photo 6. I then at this stage supa glued all the joints together in my final required pose, when set I trimmed the joints with a sharp craft knife to remove the excess plastic and round off the joints into a more human form. Photo 7,8. When happy with the shape I filled all the joints with modelling putty. Photo 9. When dry I sanded the figure smooth, and made a small barrel for him to sit on. Photo 10, 11. Next I made out of card the waist coat and collar, a bit of trial and error before it was right. Photo 12, 13. The large baggy over trousers were the next task, for these I used modelling tissue, as in aeroplane wing covering. This is strong enough not to tear when spread with PVA glue. A couple of small squares were coated and wrapped around each leg then gathered at the waist and ankles. Using this tissue leaves nice folds and realistic creases, then left overnight to dry. In the meantime I cut the figures boots off and using modelling putty shaped a pair off clogs. also worked a neckachief into the V of the waist coat collar, photo 15,16. After a dry run to check the pose one last time, I dismantled the components and gave them a couple of coats of paint. Photo 16. When all was dry the Dutch man was glued together in his final sitting pose with his left hand resting on his left knee, his head slightly turned to one side, as he relaxed while smoking his now fitted in his right hand a new meerschaum pipe with smoky wisps emanating from the bowl top. Photo 17,18,19. Then finally I bonded the crewman and barrel using double sided tape to the deck of Karoline. Photo 20,21.

This model was part of the yard sale find .There was a lot of parts missing but kit box had diagrams & missing parts still had cut out's so I could trace & cut parts needed.

Hi y’all. Since I’ve maidened the Pilot, I found myself with an empty workbench. I really like to build, as my building time seems to help me focus on other things in my life, family, work, etc. Calms my mind, I think…so I decided to build something a little smaller. I had a Dumas ST74 kit that I received Christmas 2 years ago, so I decided that would be my next build. It looks relatively simple, but that can be deceiving… So, the ST74 is typical of the newer Dumas kits. Nicely laser cut wood, expanded PVC sheet, styrene hull and molded parts, some fittings, strip and wire. You also get a full size plan view, written instructions and a booklet of illustrated building steps. The hull is a 2 piece affair, and both halves matched up well. First thing one does is to build the simple stand, built up of what looks like 3-4 mm expanded PVC die cut parts. You could use this as a permanent stand, but I’ll build something better once the boat nears completion, as it’s really designed to be just a cradle to build on. Like my Whitehall I built a few years ago, the hull is constructed from 2 halves, glued together and the joint reinforced with fiberglass tape flooded with thin CA. Thankfully this hull is a little thicker material than the Whitehall. Then it’s a relatively simple task to install the stuffing tube, rudder tube, deck and a 3/16th keel which covers the hull joint from the knuckle of the aft hull forward and up the bow. Now, this boat is supplied with a nicely made 1/8 inch diameter shaft and matching stuffing tube, but since I have quite a few 4mm props, I elected to set the tug up with a 4mm shaft and tube. I had a very long Caldercraft Fineline unit that I cut down, and used the cut ends bushing to mate with the tube. Once I had it freed, I pressed it in place and used the shaft to finalize alignment the soldered it to make sure it wouldn’t work loose. Now, this boat is designed for a 400 size motor and 4.8 volts for power. That is not how mine will be powered. I’m using the same Zippkits 36mm 650KV motor that I’ve used in boats from my Taucher Wulf down to my little Kragle. My reasoning is that this motor is deigned for tugs using 6-7.4 volts, and the tugs gonna need ballast anyway. Also, I’m not using the little white nylon prop that Dumas has been using in their smaller kits for years, as I’m running a slightly bigger 3 blade Graupner prop. Now, changing motors from design necessitated a different mount. I usually do a bulkhead style mount, and screw the motor in place thru th pe bulkhead, but this time I used the supplied cross mount. I had to Dremel off one of the legs so it would clear the hull bottom, then screwed it to the motor, and used socket headed sheet metal screws to attach the assembly to the mount. This gives me more room to make removing the motor a little easier. That’s where im at now. I also built up the rudder using 1/16 ply vs the 1mm styrene in the kit. Next up is the front bumper and rub rails, then I can start on the deck coming and bulwark rails. Cash

Good evening, with all of my vessels I have crewed them with figures. I always think a boat looks strange without a crew showing, this is only my personal thought for my boats and I get as much pleasure from making the larger scale figures to suit the boat in person. It was with these thoughts that I decided to have a go at a crewman for the Karoline. I first did a search for photos of period Dutch fishermen, which produced the 1st photo shown below. The guy on the right was the one I was to use for apparel ideas. The figure I used for the base is as before from the children’s Doctor Who series of play figures that I have acquired over the last few years for just this purpose. Photos 2-3 are the starting figure. I started by making his hat from light card, side, top and peak, photos 4-11.next the coat was removed, photo 12. Next an amount of mathematics to correct the figures height. The boat is 1/15th scale which equates to a 6 ft man ( 1828 mm) being 122 mm figure at this scale. The figure is 140mm so he needs trimming down. I have found in the past that the figures have longer legs and torsos for some reason, and find can be cut down and still look in proportion, also the neck can be trimmed too. photos 13-14-15. I cut the figure in pieces as shown and tidied up the new joints until happy with the overall size.

One of my first attempts at building from scratch, although my rc "expertise " was very limited and I couldn't get it to work properly, so shelved for the duration. Now brought back to "life " as the need for a "rescue craft" /on the odd occasion when at the lake on my own-I always take a spare vessel and tx with me, but nosing a striken boat back to shore with a "pointy bow " is difficult . So stripped out the rudder, realigned the prop tube as that wasn't central and replaced the water cooled motor which was ineffectual with a brushed motor, possibly a 340 from the spares box . Hopefully I can finish off this weekend and give it a test run

Picked this up at our first scale meet of the season early April, too much going on at the moment, but eventually managed to start this evening. The kit is over 20yrs old, was started and then put on "hold" by the previous owner. Hull is already assembled as was the observation chamber which was situated at the bow. As this "lends " itself to being lit internally, I have removed the brass observation windows plus the one on the bow and then attached some clear acetate on the back of them to make this forward area watertight. The observation chamber now glued in place, spraying to be carried out once this is dry and the "windows " can then be reinstated. Going to be a long job but looking forward to the build.

To keep myself occupied while I gather the necessary equipment to jump into my Robbe Topkapi I had the great luck to win this half hull in an auction in Rhode Island and plan on restoring it. It's an old yacht showroom sales demo (note the hook eye), but with a nice history. It's a Pearson Triton 28 designed by legendary designer Carl Alberg in 1958 for the (now defunct) Pearson Yachts (Portsmouth, RI) and was one of the earliest (if not the first) commercially available mass produced fiberglass sailboats. Jouet in France licensed the design for European sales. Over 700 were built up until 1968. I am going to clean it up, copy the lines, and mount it on a plaque. I have a fascination with half hulls. Down the road I am going to build a cutaway off the lines with an interior. Add it to the list!

Picked up a nicely laid up glass hull of the Smit NEDERLAND. Spoiler alert; it won’t be the NEDERLAND.

I bought this kit about 10 years ago from a German model shop. It is definitely old-school, with great detailed plans, detailed stock list, but no instructions beyond a couple of paragraphs. I have not built a model in 20 years but was very active in my youth 50 years ago. I find that my skills have deteriorated and this will not be a great build, but it is enjoyable solving the problems and figuring out how to build this thing. It has a plastic hull, a very nice plastic fitting set, but the rest of the kit is wood, with many pieces which have to be cut from printed sheets. Luckily, I have access to a wood shop with jigsaw and sanders. I have fitted out the hull, added the motors, and started the superstructure. Stay tuned for further progress, I hope.

For more than two years I build model Thames barge "Champion class" according to the adapted Chapelle´s drawing (in the book by F.G.Carr) . At the very beginning I would like to state once more, that this was a working title. In the final consequence will be the model name Capricorn (scratch building, of course) as will be explained later . I began to think about building a model TSB some day a few years ago, when I met Thanes sailing barges for the second time /really!) and did found the sailing barges really exists and Lady Daphne is not only picture in Harold Underhill book (Sailing ship rigs and rigging) but in fact quite nice boat .So decided to buy from England plans just for the sailing barge Lady Daphne by Harold Underhill … and bought I bought it from Brown, Son and Ferguson . When I prepared model Lady Daphne ( "LD") at a scale of 1:28 ,I am on the Internet stumbled on plans for further barges, and it was TSB Nautilus , TSB Champion. In the books of England there was described TSB Kathleen and construction of its model . Along with plans Kathleen was little plan TSB Giralda - "champion of champions". Giralda had done a lot of winning races barges around 1900. I was struck that the ship had virtually the same dimensions   and profiles as those listed for TSB Champion . Plans for the Champion, as I later discovered, are from one book by the American author H.I.Chapelle , and plan itself is marked as "Champion class sailing barge". Given that a plan for the Champion were not detailed drawings or sail plan, I was forced to redraw it in 1:24 scale(also the ribs for LD to scale 1:28)), so to get an idea of the dimensions of the construction details, sails and structural elements. Even so, during construction showed imperfections in the structure of ribs, due to enlarged artwork for my use at least 20 times. As a jobbing basis, I used especially plans for LD and pictures from books and photos from the Internet. A great help for me to were web pages dedicated to tsb > modelbarge.info < in which were published methods of building models of tsb by authors Kim Holland and Bob Smith. Also pages about the theory and construction of TSB, which was published on the Internet by Mr. Ivor Bittle (unfortunately no longer available)) are directly textbook models not only for Thames barges builders.Unfortunately, the site is no longer available - try searching... I cut out keels for both barges from the 8 mm plywood , for LD in scale 1:28 with a length of model 98 cm, and Champion 1:24 with a length of model 110 cm. Followed by cutting of the ribs from 3 mm poplar plywood for both models. Fins for both models I've cut out from 8 mm plywood. Picture x   I now had a choice .. and so appeared crucial question .. what to do next? Build both models, or just one? Champion resemblance to the Giralda, which was designed and built especially for wins in the barge races , and cargo for her was in second place, decided. I chose Champion .. and so prepared for me a series of unexpected difficulties, of which slightly asymmetrical hull was just the beginning. To do this, I want to point out ... I do not know how will behave my model on water. It seems to me that just Champion for my model is too optimistic name , and so I decided then to name the model of one zodiac sign "Capricorn" So .. I had ribs and keel for Lady Daphne and Champion as I stated before. Since I was curious to see what will be the Champion hull shape as the real model, so I chose Champion. I did not start building the model too happily, because only after coating the hull I found that keel was glued little asymmetrically . Nevertheless I decided go on building of this model. Somewhere in the books I read , that similar accidents occurred also among reputable barge builders ( no comment ). In my gallery photos you can monitoring the progress of construction of model. But I have to admit that the process and materials used during construction were amended several times. After considering all the pros and cons I decided to glue the keel of 4 parts of plywood, 8 mm thick, with an integrated shaft for fin. Shaft thus formed central portion of the keel. (here mentioned inaccuracy occurred). Pict 2 Shaft I created such such way - the keel model was divided into two parts, leaving between them a gap in width of the keel (2 ) , front and rear part are joined with side walls , which form the own shaft .The plywood fin is tucked into centreboard casing only provisionally , for accurate keel sticking - but insulated with Scotch tape so they don't stick. On the keel I'm stuck ribs of poplar plywood 3 mm (not very good) .Pict 3 To reinforce the keel was higher with notches for individual ribs. As an adhesive for the keel and ribs a I used epoxy, for most other connections I used a polyurethane adhesive.( picture 4 and the following).                                                                              

Hello everyone! Who has ever dreamed of a model jetty? We are doing it ! On behalf of our MSC Orion we are looking for ideas from model boat clubs or interest groups who have already built something similar. Who can help us with valuable tips? You can find a lot of plans on the Internet, but not a lot of experience. We would be grateful for any help. As I have been the club's actuary for a month now, I would like to thank you on behalf of the MSC Orion and hope for some cool ideas. Your Michel-C. Ps : A jetty like the one in the picture would be more suitable for old frigates and co