Hi y’all.I was off this past Friday so I did the fwd bulwarks supports and cap rail, built just like the aft. Once I had everything sanded I proceeded to primer and paint the hull. Not going into too much detail but since the push knees are already bonded to the hull, we’ll, there was a lot of masking tape being applied,, removed, then new tape applied elsewhere. I still have a couple of cans of French blue so I decided on a rust red bottom, upper hull and bulwarks French blue, the inner bulwarks and deck light gray,and the push knees are in black. Once everything had cured I primed and painted the Kort nozzle to match the bottom hull and reinstalled it and the prop. Now, im ready to start the hatch covers and superstructure.
Cash

Hi y’all. I had to fill in for my coworker last Saturday, and we ran models that Sunday, so very little work done till late this week and some this weekend. I did get the push knees made up Sunday afternoon, these consist of 6 1/8 ply parts that are laminated together and then once sanded epoxied to the bow. I also decided to add a cross bar between the knees as there is a large hole in the knees in the perfect location. I had a plastic tube that was almost a perfect fit, but I’m pretty sure it’s a polystyrene tube, and that’s one plastic that’s problematic to bond and paint, so I used some aluminum tube that’s a little smaller that the holes in the knees. I cut the tube down a bit shy of flush, then once I had it tacked in place making sure it was straight, I filled the void with scrap balsa and thick ca, the house thin balsa on the outboard sides to flush up the holes. I still have a little filling and sanding to do on the inboard joints.
I was going to do a bulwarks all round the deck, but in some pics I’ve seen of the real boats there’s a partial bulwarks forward and a partial aft, so that’s what I did. I used plasticard to make up the bulwarks, once glued in place I added 1/16 styrene supports to the aft bulwarks and then used 1/8 by 1/4 balsa for a capping rail. That’s where I’m at now, the next step is to do the same to the forward bulwarks. You’ll notice there’s a freeing port in the aft bulwarks, but none forward. My thinking is since most Springers ride a little bow high at speed, there’s more of a need aft the forward.
Cash

Hi y’all. I’ve decided not to glass the hull of the Springer, from what I’ve read most people don’t, so I gave her a good painting of 30 minute epoxy inside, and 3 coats of lacquer based sanding sealer outside, sanding between coats. Had to leave after each coat to let dry and get away from the fumes before I started having conversations with Elvis.🤣 Anyway, once that was done I reinstalled my equipment, same as before except I moved the esc on the fwd side of the bulkhead for easier access.
I work in a Ford dealer in Frisco Texas. We got a new battery rack from our vendor who services GM dealers as well. When the rack came in it was supplied with flat decorative panels advertising AC-Delco (GM) batteries. My boss asked if I could use the panels for building models, I took a look and said sure!!! I went home with about 6 foot by 2 foot of 2.5 mm plasticard!!
So, I had decided going in my Springers deck was going to be plastic, and my hatch/superstructure opening was going to be smaller. So, once I had everything measured to my liking, I flipped it over and laid in reinforcing wood strips, as well as outlining the hatch openings with wood to give the coaming more area to glue to. I used parts for the kit that were originally for the stock hatch and cut them down to glue to the inner hull sides, bow and transom to give the deck more gluing area, then glued it down with 15 minute epoxy. Once cured I trimmed and sanded the edges. I also test lubed my stuffing box with my little grease gun. I was able to get enough pressure that the grease oozed out of each end with the shaft installed and connected to the motor. That’s what I try to accomplish with all my boats..it’ll be easier to build a more rugged greasing tube with the soldering rig I have now.
That’s where I’m at now, I just have to design the 2 hatches and decide what wheelhouse style I want, and then start cutting plastic.

Hi y’all. Since Dickey has maidened I decided I wanted to do one more project before I attempt to overhaul my garage workshop. I’m thinking I’ll be down a month or more if I get done what I want to get done. In that vein, I’ve decided to attempt another Springer tug. Some years ago I built one before I really had ballasting down right..she ran okay, but I kept messing around with the ballast, epoxying it in, and when I tried to remove it to make changes I severely damaged the hull. So, I removed all equipment, fittings, etc and scrapped the hull. I’ve been wanting another go at it, so I ordered the Zippkits tugster, just the kit no hardware, and started to lick my calf over (old country phrase for a “do-over”)🤣
I built the hull proper per the instructions, and that’s where that ends. I’m using a 4mm shaft, the smaller Robbe/Krick Kort nozzle, and a home made stuffing box. She will be powered by my fave working boat motor, the Zippkits 650 kv outrunner fed by 2 6 cell nimh in parallel.
My stuffing box is made up of a thick wall brass tube that accepts a Traxxas 4mm i.d flanged oilite bushing. The bushing is tapped in with a hammer, and I use an old 4mm shaft to make sure the bushings stay aligned as I install the other bushing. The 1mm thick wall allows me to drill a hole the same size as the brass I’m using for an oiling tube. I’ll grind down the fitted end just a bit to get a decent, thight mechanical joint. That way when I silver solder it in place it stays put and is a good strong joint. The reason I’m so picky is that I use a mini grease gun from Horizon Hobbies, I can old it in place and pump, and I get just a wee bit of grease showing at the bushing under pressure, that way I know darn well it’s full.
I used part of the keel parts to fit the tube, cutting it shorter to allow me to swing the Kort nozzle hard over to make it easier to change props without removing the Kort nozzle, depending on the size of the prop. I cut an oversized slot for the tube as I use solid couplers, and with the motor fitted I could get everything lined up and tack the tube in place with ca, that way I have no binding. I don’t like using universal joint couplers unless I really have to. I get my couplers from Servo City, as they are steel, use larger socket screws, and don’t have any runout. Very solid.
The kit uses a radio plate to to mount the servo, receiver and esc. I cut that down and built up a servo mount, and it’s installed on the same bulkhead shown in the manual, but I mounted it to the fwd side vs the aft as in the instructions. My deck opening is going to be different. I’m using Dubro pushrods, but good old Amazon was out of the ones with metal quick links, so I ordered the ones with nylon. I dug thru my junk box of hardware that I have been collecting since 95 or so, and I found gold!! A few Dubro and Sullivan threaded metal clevises, and some solder clevises too. I mounted the servo, made sure everything worked correctly, then uninstalled everything and gave the inside of the bow and transom and the bottom of the hull a coat of 30 minute epoxy.
That’s where she’s at now. I’m thing I’ll spray the rest of the inside of the hull with clear lacquer ro finish waterproofing, then I have to make a decision. I dont know if I need to glass this thing, or maybe glass the bottom and the just seal and paint the heck out of the sides, or….I’ve also heard that some people just epoxy coat the outer ull with thinned epoxy, then prime and paint. She’s gonn be a working boat, used as an emergency push boat when needed, so she needs to last…if I can get her ballasted properly this time, that is…🤣🤣
Cash