Hi Martin,

Thank you, yes it really makes a difference when you finally get to make something even is it is only a wee bit. Tea now and off to do some more 😊

Bill

Hi Bill,
Good to see you have made some progress today.
As you say "So a good day all told"

It should give you more of a boost to tackle the next bit.
Keep it up.

Martin555.

At last, some progress, just a wee bit though. My lite ply arrived and boy is it thin, 2mm - my own fault, I should have got a ruler and checked, but the good side is you can cut it with a scalpel, so both sides are cut out and clamped to the board for now to see if they will straighten out, but they will need some kind of a frame, no problem - that will be the next wee job, I also got part of the super structure cut out from thin balsa, (done before the liteply arrived-so it's getting used 😊) and my first photos. So a good day all told, progress at last

Bill

Hi Martin,

Great idea, I have one of these folding workmate benches that I can put your sanding block in vertically and lay the sides flat and do it that way, yep that will work, thank you.

Bill

Hi Bill,Ref :-
"I think I can rescue it with a sanding drum fitted in the drill press which should straighten"

Just to get you started you could screw a block of wood with sand paper glued to it on to your bench and with the wood flat on the bench just keep moving back and forth rubbing against the block.

I hope that makes sense.

Martin555.

Hi Chum,

Many thanks for the pointers, my hull cutout didn't go well (I can't cut a straight line 😊) but I think I can rescue it with a sanding drum fitted in the drill press which should straighten up the sides, just now I'm waiting on all the other material, tool thingy's and supplies to arrive, but hopefully that start to arrive this week, the stuff I need right now I've ordered from the UK-the stuff I've ordered from China I don't need just yet.
I know this should be a simple build, but I'm woefully short on what I need at the moment.
It's frustrating having to wait for things, I've even thought about using balsa but that would leave me short on height for the batteries.
Unfortunately we don't have garage sales in Ireland which is a pity, the closest thing to that that we have are the charity shops and they are still closed, but I'm still looking at ways to move this forward, I like your idea of building the superstructure just now, as it will have a flat deck that can (easily ???) be done.

Bill

You got the hull cut out?? dont need lots of the gear to get started.The basic hull can be built,most important part is getting the shaft drilled right and straight.You could make the rudder,2"x2",get it soldered together,ive used many RC plane parts in mine also.Actually you can build the structure and leave the deck loose.Got a motor yet,go to garage sale and find an old cordless drill and pull the motor out,should have a motor with a built in fan for cooling,I used 1/2a running hardware with the dumas 1/8th dogbone set up,need a weak link in case the prop gets bound up.Mine are powered with a 5000mah 2-s lipo but a small 6v gel battery will work,ESC is of the $12 brushed motor type with a fan or without 120amp china type,dont buy an expensive one these boats are not worth it.Im pushing #1200lb pumpkins and have gone thru a couple from overheating them,LOL As for a radio,any cheap 2.4 2 channel radio will work,I say 2.4 is because you shouldnt have radio issues with it,fm stuff just seems to have problems at our pond due to the large power cable in the pond area

Hi Chum,

Many thanks for your offer of help, I might just take you up on that. At the moment I'm just waiting on bits to arrive so that I can restart the hull construction.

Bill

oops sorry wrong motor, this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sharprepublic-Surpass-Brushed-Motor-Crawler/dp/B07MW82Y

Hi Guys,

Has anyone used Surpass motors or know about their reputation, I'm thinking of using this combo

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SURPASS-high-Brushed-Motor-Crawler/dp/B085L8ZTS4/ref=sr

Have decided, since I already have one tug - HobbyKing 'Southampton', older version currently being upgraded, to scrap all plans to build a full size class regulation Springer (lost the taste).
But will still tinker about with the micro version as and when.😉
Have the electrics, now to sort the 'packaging'.
Now back to solving the gear box conundrum on my fish cutter.
(Retreats scratching bonce into the workshop)
Cheers All. G'night, Doug 😎

Ive built several tugs over the past few years,more than happy to help you out any way I can

OK Joe. I'll leave you a clear field.
No one is sparring just presenting different solutions to the same problem.
Just because I have not yet built the springer does not mean that I have no experience with this type of construction.
Used for many things which have come and gone over the years. Not just boats.
I have however done considerable research on the Springer itself and seen several Utube vids of it's construction.
My suggestion was simply how the designers designed it to be built.
Bill will ultimately decide for himself what suits him best.
Bye for now.
Doug
PS Next time I won't stay up so late!!

Hi Martin,
Yep I agree totally, I think that when my stuff arrives that will help a lot, I'll be planning a lot before I rush in again, it was probably partly due to the sun making a rare appearance yesterday that I started on this without having the right things to hand 😊 but the weather is back to normal now-so I'll have the right materials and attachments before I start.
It's funny, most countries have the majority of weather related injuries in the snow and ice, not in Scotland and Ireland 😊.
Many thanks for the offer, I'm sure to be calling on that one.
Bill

Hi Bill,
My advice is for a first build is keep it as simple as posable. (I know you already know this) but even simple takes quite a bit of thinking about and planning.
It is easy for us to forget our first builds and the problems we encountered, but we all try to help in our different ways.

You will get plenty of help here if you do run in to problems, just shout.

Martin555.

Hey Guys,

I think I might have a solution which is sort of halfway between your advice(s).
As I've already ordered a sizeable piece of 2mm liteply, I think a frame might work with the ply glued and screwed to it (I'm a bit of a Clyde built kind of guy) but absolutely not 17mm ply 😊. Hopefully thinner timber might be easier for me to work with plus the frame will give added strength. I'll also be ordering a sanding drum set from Screwfix which should help me keep the shaping of the sides at right angles.
I've attached the plan I've been using.

Bill

Doug,
I am trying to give the simplest way to build this Springer Tug. Not helpful to spar on techniques as I am trying to help a first time builder. I have built this tug and it is a simple build if no carried away. Good first time project for learning. If you have not built it why give advise?

Actual experience.....
Joe 😎🤕🤕😎😎

"Doug,
Can you please post your springer tug build log.
Joe "
Not yet I'm afraid Joe, cos I'm trying to make a micro version for the Bath Tub Challenge.
Got as far as sorting out and testing all the electrics, to run off a single 3.7V LiPo cell, and cut out templates for a potential hull size.
More soon, IF I don't get embrangled in building a 1/96 Colossus carrier!!
Superstructure design is still in my head, based on a Norwegian Navy Minehunter bridge which I surveyed some years ago.
Was an 'all round island design' with two sets of controls so you could drive it forwards or backwards without getting a crick in the neck😊
Cheers, Doug 😎

Doug,
Can you please post your springer tug build log.
Joe

Ah gotcha Doug, Joe sent me these as well but I used different plans because I thought they were simpler 😊 but they hadn't met me ha-har. Since I'm back to square one I'll probably use either these or a simplified version of them.

Bill

Ah great stuff, many thanks Doug, I'll have a good look at those.

Bill

Hi Bill,
Attached are the original plans from the Springer brothers, using 1/8" (3.17mm) ply for the sides and bottom (😮) with 1/8" supports to strengthen the joints.
No need for pins or 12mm wood.
Cheers, Doug 😎

There's a great charity shop just a stones throw from my house that I usually have a nosey around and he's always needing room, I would love to help him out of course 😊 it's a pity they have to close as well.

Bill

Ah I see what you mean Joe, I'll have to have another think about that, many thanks for the advice.

I've just measured the height of these mini sanding drums that you get for dremels and the like and they are 12mm high, so I could go for 12mm or even 10mm (wiggle room 😊) plywood and finish the shaping on the drill press.
Excellent, thanks Joe, now where's that card

Bill

"You could always nick the back of the wardrobe when the missus is out, no one would ever know."
He He! I also thought 'Hey! That rings a a bell!'
I've used the 1/8" ply back of an old bureau I dismantled for all sorts of things.
Including boat stand bases and a temporary aft deck for my Sea Scout!
😎

Hi Colin, Funny you should say that, when I moved to this house I managed to lose the fixings for a wardrobe and it's now the "donor" for a thickness sander and mini table saw I'm making 😊 - just waiting on some bits to arrive from China so that I can finish it. Unfortunately the back is just thin hardboard 😊😝.

Bill,
It's best to use a thicker plywood for the sides and the thin for the bottom. I posted some photos from my build blog. I used 12mm for sides which if you look closely to the photos allows for a nice, strong corner joint. The thickness also gives you a nice form to bend the thinner bottom ply and a nice surface to glue and nail to.

Your thicker 17mm is a little more material than needed, but would work for the sides as these boats require ballast to sit in the water correctly. It will not "sink like a brick". Trying to use thin ply at sides will cause two problems, first you will not have a stiff side to bend the bottom ply over and secondly the joint does not have enough surface the allow for temp nails and glue. Take a close look at the drawing I posted to you earlier.

Good luck,
Joe 😎

You could always nick the back of the wardrobe when the missus is out, no one would ever know.
Cheers Colin.
(Wandering pics removed Colin 😎😉)

That is good news Bill,
I will be following your progress.

Martin555.

Hi Martin, thank you, ah it's all part of the learning curve, but the good news is I somehow came across a mail order model shop here in Ireland so I've got a big chunk of 2mm lite ply ordered, now I'll have enough for the sides and the bottom.

Bill

Hi Bill,
I am sorry to hear that your Springer build is not going according to plan.
I know what it is like when you don't have stuff to build something with.
Hopefully we will get back to some sort of normal soon.

Martin555.

Ah they'll all be 6's Doug 😊, yeah I don't think I would have needed much in the way of Ballast in retrospect-the maiden voyage would have been interesting though, if short lived😊. I'll have to find (much thinner) plywood somewhere, all the diy stores are still closed and the local one doesn't deliver ???

Bill

Must admit my eyebrows rose when I read you were going the build her from 17mm ply Bill😮🤔 She might have floated like a brick😭
3mm should be enough👍
Use the remains of the 17mm for a stand😉
OR, if you end up with odd shaped dice make sure the bias is towards 6+6 or 6 and 5!😁
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Joe,

Many thanks for your thoughts, I've had a good think about this, using all the one manufacturer makes a lot of sense, especially for a first timer, as you said ease of setup. Using a 20A esc with a Johnson 540 on 6V it will have a fairly low current draw, even on full speed (I can't find figures for stall current). I'll be putting fuses between the batteries and esc's and between the esc's and the motors. If I make the latter quick blow fuses that might give me an added layer of protection, in case I run into weeds. Money wise there's only a fiver in it (in favour of Mtronics)

Bill

https://howesmodels.co.uk/product/johnson-540-3-pole-motor-4-5-15-volts/

Bill,
I have been using the Mtroniks Esc's for years, my preferred esc! I am not sure about the rating issue but I have never had any problems with them. Easy to install, program and use.
Joe

Ah great stuff, thank you Doug, I've read that a few times, I don't know how I managed to miss that vital wee snippet. 😊 that's great I can get those ordered now and that's everything I need (I hope 😊)

Bill

Hi Martin,

Many thanks for that, I've found the same, I could use the Mtronics 20A esc but I've seen in a few places that when they say 20A they mean 20A, no overhead whatsoever, so I'm going to use the esc on Howe's website that's rated 50A forward 20A reverse, it seems to have a few different names depending on who's selling it, but no bad reports. Thank you for looking into this.

Regards

Bill

Hi Bill,
The short answer is yes! 😊
It says so in the first paragraph of the One page manual, see attached pdf file.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Bill,
I have had a good look around on the net but unfortunately came up blank.
I am sorry i cannot help.
Maybe you could contact Mtronics and ask.
The only problem with that is they will want to sell you their product.

Martin555.