Okay, so I’ve just finished the Graupner Taucher Wulf, and I’m one of those modelers that likes to have the workbench..ahh..working. Now, the Wulf was a bit of a pain in the rump to build, mainly because the instructions were almost non existent. There were pictures, mind you, lots of pictures, some even contradicted each other..but precious little info, measurements, that sort of thing. Anyway, I swore up and down that I would never build another modern Graupner boat again. I have a small stash of kits and a couple of boats to restore..nope, not doing it.
Then, that little voice in my head returned..same voice that tells me it’s okay to drop the hammer at a red light because that voice didn’t see the police cruiser in the parking lot..same voice that says “you’re not THAT full, one more slice of pizza wont kill you”. That voice. The one that said..”Look! The little Hertha Jeep is on sale! You’ve already seen the worst with the Taucher, go ahead and buy it. You KNOW what your getting into this time...ahhhhahahahahaha!”
So theres a Hertha Jeep on my bench. And, again, lots of pics, a little more info this time, some things that make me scratch my head and some that make sense. The hull is blow molded..I think it’s ABS but it just looks different from any plastic I’ve ever seen. Nicely made though. The kit parts and fittings looked good, so I dove in.
I decided that this time, I was going to build everything as sub assemblies and make sure everything fits to my satisfaction before I build myself into a corner like I did with the Wulf. The first thing I started was the cabin. It’s built from some very thin laser or machine cut abs. Much thinner than the Wulfs pilothouse. The cabin roof is molded in either resin or plastic and primered, and I used that and the hull to jig up the cabin. Everything fit okay until I got to the forward windscreen. The oblique angles and the way the darn thing fit had me stumped. Then I trimmed it, which was a mistake. However, it started to look decent when I realized that some of the ca had dribbled down and glued the bottom edge of the windscreen to the hull. !!@&&%!!!!
I had to break the bottom edge of the windscreen to get it loose from the hull. However, I was able to fix the damage with some scrap plastic and a little “modelers bondo” (Tamiya plastic filler). This was a rookie mistake, I was thinking of protecting the hull with wax paper, but I didn’t heed THAT voice, and got burned in the process. Lesson learned.
Once the cabin was done, I built the insert that goes into the aft part of the hull. I don’t have pics of that yet but I’ll post them soon.

Real quick update. I built up the stuffing tube and rudder post. Both are made from 6mm brass tube in which you install flanged 6x3 mm bushings. They’re a tight fit, but I soldered themin just in case. I installed the rudder post tube into the hull, followed by the ply bushings that are glued in place over the tube and against the hull, then slathered epoxy over the joint. I also started test fitting some of the motor mount parts to get an idea how this will all fit.
Hopefully I’ll get more done this weekend, once the power system is in, I can concentrate on finishing up the upper superstructure, then, it’s time to paint and detail. Thinking about either airbrushing her or Tamiya rattle can. The Tamiya paints aren’t cheap, but they cover well and dry fast.

I decided to do a bit this afternoon, got the motor mount/stuffing tube assembly completed and installed. The stern tube is glued to the mount then goes thru the bottom of the hull and out the rear of the keel. I did a quick lash up to check fit, and started to tack the keel on, when I found the keel was twisted to the point the boat would have a permanent trim to port. I was able to get the keel off, thought I could tweak it straight, but found there was a molding error that could only be fixed by cutting the lower part of the keel. This allowed me to assemble everything straight, then I glued the cut piece back on and filled the cut with scrap plastic and filler, then sanded it smooth. Before I shut down for the day, I gave the superstructure a light coat of primer so I could better see what I needed to sand or fill on my repair on the fwd window section.

Did some painting today and added a..I don’t know what you’d call it, but it’s a rail that runs around the deck just inboard by 12 mm or so. I’m using some Home Depot rattle can white and Tamiya orange and green, with some leftover appliance epoxy for the hull below the waterline. Going to try to do a bit more tomorrow.
Cash

So, my lovely spouse and I went to a function at our Church Friday night..it was a lot of fun, called a “Getaway”..it’s primary function was to have couples young and old to rediscover each other, both spiritually and secularly. Anyway, by Friday I’m worn out, work takes its toll. I’m paid well, but I think some of my soul is stripped away each week. Long story short, I told her if I go to this shindig I’ll probably lay off service Sunday. When Teresa and Grace left for church, I went out and did a little painting. That’s the way the day went for me..paint a bit, go get groceries..paint a bit, do the dishes..paint a bit, watch the Cowboys. I got a bit done, however, I just realized the aft part of the deck is mostly white with green panels. I may or may not “fix” that, as the deck and hull are joined from the factory, and I think I have stock in masking tape corporations by now.
Came out pretty good, did a little touch up and I need to do a bit more, but it’s looks ok. Next up is trimming and detailing fittings for the superstructure, windows, add rudder linkage, then glue in the aft deck insert and start to finish her up.
BTW, thanks to all who have posted so far, I appreciate the kind remarks and input!
Cash

Nothing earth shaking tonight, I installed the skylights in the cabin roof, and the window frames in the cabin proper. I didn’t paint the frames, they’re molded in with, some guys paint them, some don’t, I elected not to. The windows supplied with the kit are tinted and laser cut, but still have to be trimmed as they are a mite oversized.
Going to see how they fit in the window frames, if I don’t like how the fit I’ll cut windows from clear and make my life a little easier to boot.
By the way, I use RC56 to do all my glazing, it’s designed for plastic canopies and dries crystal clear. It’s not waterproof but it is water resistant, had several planes get pretty damp flying in misty weather never had the glue let go.

So, tonight I finished the windows, decided to use my own stock of clear for the forward and side cabin windows, used the kit smoked windows in the skylights and aft cabin and door. I kept looking at that green aft deck, and decided to “make it right” i.e match the box art as close as my skills would allow. So..I masked her off and painted her, and let the paint dry while I glazed. Came out ok😀

Had a little time to work today. I left work early today to pick up my upper dentures, which broke in half a few days ago as I munched on a pickle spear😠 I’ve had bad gums since my late 20s, have had a full set of dentures for three years, the uppers are over ten. Anyway, I had them repaired, picked them up and went home. Only pain I felt was in my wallet....🤣
Soooo..I started detailing the mast. Went for the airbrush first, but I’m still new to it, and the paint I was using came out a little wetter and runnier than I liked, so I Tamiya rattle canned the parts, let them dry and installed what I could before dinner.
I have a few more to do then it’s...wait for it....railings.😮
Cash

Hi y’all. Been a bit since I posted anything on the Jeep. Did a test run on the motor and shaft, sounded a bit “buzzy” at mid throttle but smoother out in low and max power. Then, I installed the prop, and tested again..this time, I thought she was going to vibrate to pieces, and the amps went wayyy up. I tried reinstalling the motor, checked my coupling motor and shaft alignment, all looked good. Then, when I had it a low throttle, barely “ticking over”, I noticed the prop was a little..wobbly. On close inspection I found that the shaft was slightly bent right where the threaded portion ended, causing the aft end of the prop to rotate out of round by about 2mm. Now, I don’t have the tools to really straighten a shaft this size and get it dead on, so I looked the shaft over, found the bend, put it in my vise and gently bent it in the opposite direction. I got lucky as subsequent tests showed I was on the right track. Much quieter, very little vibration and the amp draw diminished dramatically. But, it’s still not right. Usable, but not dead straight. I found a vendor on eBay with 3mm model boat shafts that are threaded, so I’m waiting for that to arrive. Once it’s here, I’ll cut it to size and retest.
I did get the upper railing made up and installed, did a combo of soldering the easy joints and ca’d the rest. I also got the towing bar and gear built, painted and installed.

Well, this is pretty much how she’ll look when she’s splashed. I might have a minor detail or two to do, but right now all she needs is esc, receiver and a battery, and there’s a access panel in the aft lower bulkhead that I need to fit and tape on. It allows access to the rudder arm. Hopefully I’ll have some maiden shots next week.
Cash