Hi Y’all. Did a little more today. The lights were soldered up to a Graupner SXM switch. This is a neat device, it allows you to run 4 different banks of lights from 1 channel and a 3 position switch. They are still being produced by Graupner, and it’s 27.99 dollars. Easy to set up, works flawlessly. The part number is 3971.
I’ve also added sound from a MrRCsounds sound card. Don’t think I’ll use the engine sound this time, just the foghorn and bell.
All my major electronics save the esc are mounted in the superstructure. Easier to get ready pondside, at least it is for me. Only drawback is that if I lose THIS superstructure, all my electronic bits will go with it. I’ll need some really good magnets and a mechanical attachment…pins, nylon screws, something that will keep at least one end tied down mechanically. Oh, checked motor and esc, that’s working well too. Just need to finish the helm and a few odds and ends and she’s ready!!

https://youtu.be/MU3SWqboF2Y

https://youtu.be/MU3SWqboF2Y

🔗

Hi y’all. Got the mast finished up. I shortened it a bit to make it easier so store and to transport. I painted bot the mast and funnel red, then installed the light fixtures, bulbs and wiring. I had to cut a channel in the backside of the mast to hide the wires, then hit that with another coat of paint. I also extended the radar arm up a bit, and finished installing all bulbs.
I’m at the point to where I need to finish up under decks, and cut and solder the bulb leads prior to hooking up to a Graupner SXM electronic switch. I thought I’d have her in the water by next weekend, but there’s still more to be done, plus I need to touch up a few oopsies and finish up a couple of details before I’m satisfied with her. Oh…ballast. Need that too!!
Cash

Hi y’all, Merry day after Christmas!!
I spent a good part of the day modifying a Lego into a radar housing. It’s a little short, but the radar works so there’s that. I was going to install a Graupner anchor windlass that I’d already built and painted, but I thought it didn’t look quite right so I used the kit parts to build one, but I traced the parts on plasticard instead of using wood for the housing. I also installed the life raft station.
She’s close!! Next thing is the mast.
Cash

Hi Y’all. I decided to take some time this morning and finish my ladders, and work on some of the lighting. I had started on one ladder last week. I decided to make it easier on me by using brass tube and small split pins to assemble the ladder then solder it up. I had soldered the first 3 steps then decided that, since I have a mechanical attachment using the split pins, ca glue would do the job just abs out as well, so I ca’d the bottom steps and completely built the second ladder sans solder. Worked out nicely. I then painted and installed the ladders.
I had built sideboards for the port/starboard nav lights from plastic sheet instead of the ply in the kit. These were painted gray and glued in place. The kit comes with solid brass “lights” that are supposed to be painted up and installed, but I want my lights to light up, or at least have the option to do so. I ordered some light fixtures in the right diameter from Harbor Models in California. They’re not terribly expensive, and you can remove the lens from the fixture, paint the fixture, then reinstall the lens..so that’s what I did. You could also leave the lamp fixture natural brass if wanted. I then drilled thru the sideboard and hull, then glued in the lamps.
I also decided to do a working searchlight. Now, the Grimmershorn kit does not come with a nicely molded searchlight like the old Graupner and RoMarine/Robbe kits did. Instead, there’s a sheet of abs moldings that the body is located on, you cut that out and build the thing up from that and bent brass wire. Ugh. Fortunately I had a Robbe searchlight kit in my stash, I built and painted it up with bulb and wiring installed, then attached the assembly to the upper cabin roof.
I have more to do, some other fittings and deck equipment, then it’s on to the mast.
Oh…thanks for all the wonderful comments, they are much appreciated 😀
Cash

Hi everybody. Had a little time today to finish up and install the rails I bent up a few days ago. Nothing earth shattering, just test fit, drilled holes, and installed. The upper railing on the roof was the only one I had to solder up, the platform for the rearward white nav light is a repurposed Lego. I have to solder up the ladders and make up some smaller handrails, then it’s on to the mast and lights.
Cash

Past 2 evenings I’ve started the brasswork, railings and such. The upper railings weren’t that hard to do once I figured out my angles. The forward cage, which I thought would be easier, turned out a little more difficult than I thought. I decided to glue the fwd inner uprights as I was pretty sure I would end up desoldering the upright they were being soldered to. There are brass bushings that are supposed to go into the holes drilled for the rails, but I decided not to use them, the rails are glued in directly. All this was built in situ, I drilled the holes for the rails and jigged/soldered them together on the boat. Since it’s a wood cabin and not abs, there’s no worry about hot brass melting plastic.
I have quite a bit more railings and hand rails to bend up, bit more soldering, then it’s on to other details.
Cash

I had the day off today, so I repainted the bulwarks, touched up the deck and got the new rub rail installed. It’s not perfect, but it fit and laid down much better, stretched around the bow with very little lifting, and I was able to do the entire circumference of the hull with one piece and one joint. I’m happy!!

Hi y’all, I’ll keep this brief as it’s 1 am here ( woke up at 1230 can’t sleep). I got the hull flange cleaned up, trimmed a little better and sanded. I also cut the freeing ports out of the bulwarks. My goal is to try to finish the repaint tomorrow and get the new rub strip installed, once that’s done to my satisfaction I can resume the build from where I left off.
Cash

Hi y’all. The past week I was sidelined with an upper respiratory infection AND pinkeye!! I felt better toward the weekend,so I spent a couple of hours removing the old rubrail and associated adhesive. The original rubbing strip did not want to fit well, and in my frustration I over glued it. I was successful at getting all removed. I found a c channel rubber strip off Amazon that is very close to the same dimensions, it’s a thinner material but testing shows it lays in place much better!! Once I finish sanding and repainting it should install with less issues and much less adhesive.
Cash

Hello gentle readers. In our last installment, our hero found himself thwarted and frustrated by the seems-so-simple task of installing windows in the superstructure of the Grimmershorn. Ashamed, he withdrew to building more familiar models…will he prevail? WILL HE???!?!!😂

Okay. So, if y’all remember I really botched up installing the forward window/frame assemblies in my Grimmershorn. The windows and frames are molded together as a unit, all in one large sheet. I botched cutting one or two out and then made it worse when I tried to fix them, resulting in a mess. What I’ve decided to do is to remove all the glazing, sand and respray. the superstructure, and then I’ll glaze all the windows from the inside. It’s cheating, I know, biput it’ll look okay. Also, I’ve removed the rubber rub rail from the hull, as it just didn’t fit to my liking. I have what looks like a better fitting rubber channel coming in a week or so. I need to sand the heck out of the flange, and trim it up. This will result in a repaint of the black part of the hull, but I want this boat right, at least to my standards of “rightness”.
This is going to take a while, and I’m not hurrying this along, as that’s what got me in a bind last time I worked on the boat. I figure it’ll be after Christmas when she’s finished, so the updates might be slow, but they’ll be here. I have a couple of pics of the sanding and first coats of the superstructure.
Cash