Response

Re: (Naval Ship) PT 109

A while back now but ... Excellent Boatshed👍👍👍 and that's precisely the colour I'm going to use on my PT109 conversion, together with some darker MTB Green splodges. Where did you get it? I also have a true to scale 37mm army field gun kit to add to the foredeck as JFK and co did😉 I'll use a pair of brushless though. Maybe also a brushed 3rd motor (a la RH Baker's Brave Borderer) for stooging around / berthing. We'll see😊 How did the repairs go? Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Fairmile D 1/24 Scale Build

Hi Sakibian, The PT boat site now sells stuff too, but was originally a site where the author John Drain described how he was building his PT boat and then the E-boat. There are good plans and examples of how he has constructed these boats. My Fairmile D was made from plywood frames, pine stringers, planked and skinned with balsa and then fibreglassed. it was a very interesting and difficult shape, but very satisfying once completed. it sails beautifully in the most difficult conditions. I have also included a few more pics of my friend's E-boat with the newer for further inspiration.

5 years ago by reilly4

Forum

Fairmile D 1/24 Scale Build

The E-boat was built and belongs to a friend of mine - Graham Smithwick. it is a fibreglass hull and he has had it for a long time. There are plenty of resources on E-boats. This is a very good one. http://www.pt-boat.com/ I have also included some photos of his E-boat before the newer .

5 years ago by reilly4

Forum

HMS Campbeltown 1941, 1/96 scale

Hi Steve, prop guard looks good👍 Don't forget the 3 angle struts underneath 😉 What colours did you settle on then? I've decided to do mine in her Western Approaches pattern, a neat looking blue and white with a grey/green deck! i already have the Life Color set for this. Although it's a 'Late War' set the blue and white are the same as early war (Campbeltown's time) and I can use the Semtex green with a little dark grey for the deck. The dark flashes on the hull are just charcoal grey. The correct underwater hull red is also in the set. The Corticene (a type of lino deck covering) I can use on other ships like Hood, KGV, PoW, Ark Royal, etc where it was commonly used for things like the Admirals Bridge. The green I'll probably just mix into a batch of US Tropical green. 😉 Happy painting, Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Bit of a problem.............

Hi again Neville, Onetenor just posted this response to your 'Bit of a problem' but on the wrong thread😲 "Re the leaking boat problem. I would cut away the section between the stem and first bulkhead/frame. Replace with new wood.Then pour the resin into that space. No need for cocktail shaking ( unless you like watching wife ) just keep turning so the resin/varnish runs around all the seam/joints in that section until it sets.👍" OK, would fix the leak; if it is in that section and if it's done right. BUT: it would leave a kink in the hull lines cos the wood would no longer have the natural bend between the bullheads. The inserted piece would be flatter. You can see this effect clearly on the port side of my PTB hull in the pic. At the top in the pic. You can 'see the join' quite clearly When I'd cleaned the old paint off I found that there was a separate piece from stem to the second bulkhead. Repairs to the chine line made that look a bit smoother but nothing I could do about the rest without re-skinning the whole side😡 which I didn't fancy. I'll try to disguise it a little with the pacific paint 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Leaking Boat!

Thank you Colin. That commits me to re working the whole of the paint job on the Hull! Now if it were in /dazzle colours I could hide the join............... Cheers. NPJ

6 years ago by NPJ

Forum

Bustler class tug

Hi Marky, Your interest in the Bustler design is correct. I have a relatively basic model of this class of vessel, built my late father and it is a superb runner. Earlier on this year, my partner Maggie spent some time in Liverpool for the Tall Ships rage. We found this example in the Royal Albert dock dry dock. it has been painted in a WW1 dazzle and modified to serve as a pilot boat.

6 years ago by wunwinglo

Response

Over Spray!

Hi Doug, I'm going to take a better look in the morning! I used Rust-oleum light green!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

54 year old Crash Tender

Hi Boaty, right on MOST counts👍 But some of us have 'The knowledge' 😉 Check out my 'Sea Scout Jessica - Renovation' build Blog. There's a section in it where I renovate the Taycol Target Dad put in the Sea Scout in the early sixties, with two wet cell lead-acid accumulators! I also converted it to run forwards and backwards with a normal brushed ESC. How is described in the Blog. A few pics attached, from dismantled to reassembled with new brushes. Pic 3 it the test set up with Servo tester to simulate RX, standard Graupner brushed ESC and my conversion board connected between ESC and motor. Then two pics of the input waveform to the motor; forward and then reverse. Last pic shows the 'unconverted' waveform, complete with whopping great sparks 😲 I've now upgraded the Sea Scout with a brushless and the Taycol will go into a Danish Fish Cutter I am currently renovating and converting from static to RC. The Taycol's sedate performance will be more suited to the cutter which only plodded along a 8 knots or so 😉 Complete process is described in the Blog. Otherwise you are right, with few exceptions the current young 'boaters' mostly belong to the 'instant fun chuck it when it stops working throw away' generation 🤔 Cheers, Doug 😎 Martin; for yonks I did my warships in RAF light grey which mysteriously used to turn up in Dad's office in the Electronics Bay, of which Dad was the CO. 😉 A bright yellow for my scooter also appeared one time!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Seaplane Tender 360

Hi Bryan, If you want to do the SOE version she was most likely painted all matt black! The colour of skulduggery 😉 What ever you do, despite your good intentions to retain the 'old patina', judging by the photos you are in for a complete strip back and redo. Just as I have discovered with the PTB I bought. Thought it would just be a 'cosmetic job', flatten back and respray with Pacific green . Ho ho ho! Pics show what she currently looks like after cleaning off layers of enamel, and discovering that the prop shafts and rudders were misaligned and the chine strakes glued to the paint. 😡 Never mind an engine room fire when I tried to test the 'as bought' motor installation. 😭 Since those photos I have fitted new a new chine strake and started reinforcing the thin hull with glass fibre tissue. Next issue; set prop tubes properly and make an alu bracket to mount both the motors. Then set the rudder stocks correctly. Last thing I want is to dampen your enthusiasm, but that hull looks like it needs oodles of TLC. 🤔 Be aware of what's ahead of you and plan accordingly👍 Deck looks pretty neat, if unusual for a WW2 in service boat! As far as I can tell from the photos it's not just the cabin roof which is warped 😲 cabin and window frames will also need some attention by the looks of it. Before you run that motor I would strip it, clean all parts and check brushes and commutator for wear. See my Sea Scout blog 'Taycol Target motor' for a 'How to'. Should run well with a 3S LiPo, 11.1V. These boats weren't the fastest, 28 - 30 knots I believe. Which is why ST360 was reduced to more mundane duties after try outs by SOE. Don't forget some spark suppression!! Good luck, whatever you decide to do have fun doing it, Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Fittings & Detail Parts

Hi Pete, "Moorhens — sometimes called marsh hens — are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae)." Good ol' Wiki😉 When they are young they are much smaller, brown and fluffy. You often see up to six of 'em in 'convoy' behind Mum 😁 Maybe they have a different 'handle' in N America? 'Marsh Hens' perhaps? I guess plastic / PTFE is OK, after all as you say, the Tugs are not exactly Sea Greyhounds so they ain't under much stress😉 I never guessed either😲 Re humble pie! Ask the Missus to top it with Lemon meringue, delicious 😜 Crow with Sage & Onion stuffing perhaps!? Anyway we all had to start somewhere as well😉 More soon, am currently stripping the hull of my 28" Elco PTB, prior to repainting in Pacific as PT109😲 Cheers, Doug 😎 PS: YOOHOO! The new ESCs for the PTB just arrived 😊 HobbyKing HK-30A, 30A cont. complete with finned heat-sink and fan connection, $10.29 a chunk. Can't grumble at that Grimble😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Bristol pilot cutter mascotte

The bench is so well d I couldn't find the ribs at first 🤔 Watching with interest to see how you get 'clinkered' up 😉

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Sanding down.

Thanks Colin. Sounds even better. I will be spraying the whole boat Doug. All I don`t think I will do is the different colours. I will do the botton in antifoul red with a close match of Pacific green for the rest. Good luck with the removal of the brittle parts. I will not be tackling mine for some time as I have so much other work to do first. I will be watching your blogs with great interest. 😱

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Response

Sanding down.

Thanks for all of your help. This is really useful information. I think I will leave the and just keep to the base colour. Would you paint to the waterline in matt red. I have looked at the shapeways site and they sell Mk 12 carriages in 1:35 scale which I think yours is at 28" over 80`. The gun tub was only placed on the deck for the photo. I have several pictures now showing the correct position. I will alter it and fit just before painting.😊 Thanks again. Peter.👍

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Blog

WWII Italian MAS 562

MAS 562 (Motoscafo Armato Silurante: Torpedo Armed Motorboat) While Browsing the internet I came across a free plan dated 1969 if a italian Motor torpedo boat I found the craft interesting as it had a stepped hull, and this looked like a challenge, so more research and historical digging. Built in 1941 by Baglietto, Varazze: built of wood (mahogany). Baglietto, Varazze: built MAS 561 through to MAS 570 MAS Baglietto class 500, 4th series" Displacement 27.8 tons Displacement max 28 tons Length 18.7m Width 4.7m Draught 1.5m Propeller shafts 2 Machinery isotta Fraschini petrol engines and Alfa Romeo or Cararo cruising petrol engines Power, h.p. 2000 or 2300 / 140 or 100 Max speed 43 to 46 knots Fuel tank 1.5 tons Endurance 350 nautical miles at 42 knots Armament 1 x - 13.2/76 or 1 x - 20/65 Breda 1940, 2 x 450mm Torpedoes , 6 - 10 x Depth charges Crew complement 13 persons MAS 562, was captured by Germans 9/9/1943, transferred to RSI, was painted in disorientation , was captured by American PT' boats on June 30, 1944 and PT 306 towed the prize into Bastia. it was painted in disorientation camoflarge It is one of the few to have survived the war and passed to the italian Guardia di Finanza in the 1950's. in 1940 there were 48 MAS 500-class units. The plan shows the gun on a box platform not the case on the real boat. Making this boat so small has been a bit of a challenge. Running gear 2x Graupner 600 8.4v about 70watts each at rated voltage. 2x shafts 2x opposite turning propellers (2 or 3 bladed) 3 blades on real boat. 35-40 mm 2x ESC 1 or 2 Batteries The Model after studying plans and photographs I could see a few things that I could add to the plans. A cambered deck A revised transom shape (not square) Two propshaft and two electric motors with air cooling. A reduction in the number of frames /ribs as the boat I was going to make was only 29in (83cm) long. the three main problems with the hull where :- the new frame positions and the thickness of the stringers the wood I used was too thick 12mm x 6mm for a small boat Correct gun and position. The Hull is now skinned I will upload some photos soon.

6 years ago by CB90

Forum

PT109 Refit

Re "It is believed PT-109 was painted a flat, dark green at Noumea, New Caledonia" Just found this- >>The Elco boats came from the factory painted overall "battleship grey." in the Solomons, however, the boats were often moored under or near shoreline trees and vegetation, and the grey color was too conspicuous. No official Pacific scheme existed at the time I show PT-155, and each crew repainted its own boat during the campaign with whatever materials it could scrounge. To one of PT-155's crewmen, J.M. 'Boats' Newberry, I am obliged for information on the vessel's colors during the campaign for Rendova and New Georgia islands. PT-155 and other boats of Squadron 7 & 9, including PT-109, were simply sprayed overall with a green paint from some local source, probably USMC. The green became lighter when applied, apparently due to the grey undercoat oxides. Over this, PT-155 was painted in random black patches. No standard pattern was used.

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Media

Schnellboot & Fairmile D

Both boats are 1/24 scale The E boat belongs to a good friend. it has just had a new pattern added. The Fairmile D is scratch-built, it took nearly 4 years to build, launched in 2011. The sound effects were added for fun. The location is Albert Park lake in Melbourne, Australia

7 years ago by reilly4

Media

RC Titanic II Landing Craft

Found this Dense block of foam, floating in local Ashton Canal, whilst sailing other boats with my brother, whilst rescue a stuck boat from the reeds, in 1996 was temporarily on the dole at the time, struck by her Landing craft shape on turning it over plus realised I could carve it like wood, later using my bits box, after carving a couple of box shaped groves, for battery, motors and rc equipment, literal rammed a prop shaft, and rudder shaft through hull, and fashioned some balsa sheet into superstructure suitable d , I had a "US Army Vietnamese River Craft" of sorts and with its 1 1/2 to 2" thick Hull virtually unsinkable, hence its name :-). Here she is in 2000 sailing at Ethrow Park. May in the future alter her superstructure, she makes a handy towing barge for both mine and my brothers Tug Boats, and if rc left connected can even act as rescue boat if they pack up or get weeded up :-) - Have delete this from You Tube and replaced with slightly clearer version, but it seems to be still working here mysteriously, may cease working eventually, new version above :-)

10 years ago by Peter47

Blog

PT 301 Snuffy Smith update

The build is now well on its way with a new paint job. She has spent a whole day floating in a tank with no leaks. The motor and R/C gear has been installed and tank tested and it works. The real 301 served in the Pacific and had a green paint job. The model has a grey paint job as recommended by Aerokits. My cameraman could not find her on Fleetwood lake on a grey day. Had her first sea trial, we had issues with the battery, nearly a disaster. More with the next update.

12 years ago by Gabby

Forum

Fire boat colours

HI Peter, I've done a bit of digging. The type of paint on the drawing looks like 'Cerrux' who appear to still make marine paints. if you search BS631 (Federal Standard FS25352) it's linked to an Xtracolour paint X029 RAF Light Stone which is available, another site links it to Humbrol 167 RAF Barley Grey which later became Grey. It so happens I have an old tin of 167 Barley Grey which is a fairly light colour and would explain why in some pictures the deck and superstructure look quite 'bright' - so if the paint is still OK I'll try it out. It's interesting to note that both the deck and roof areas were non-slip but does make perfect sense when you consider the amount of activity which necessitated working on the roof, not least of all operating the water cannons. I've been thinking about your idea of mixing blasting grit with the paint but don't know if I have the courage to try it on my lovingly prepared surfaces so may try some test pieces, having said that some of my less successful jobs look as if I already have !! Thanks again, Roger

13 years ago by thelegos

Media

Aerokits PT restored by Graham Taylor

I rescued my PT Boat from EBAY in August 2005. it was owned by a young boy in Birmingham whose Dad had built if for him. it is an original Aerokits kit Fast Patrol Boat. When I bought the boat it had a sound hull with a few damaged fittings, which I removed. Since then I have made new guns, extended the front cabin to carry the life raft to make it look like a late World War II Elco PT Boat and added other new fittings. I have made 6 working exhausts in brass tubing, have fitted a new open prop shaft running an Octura race prop and a Merco 61 glow engine. it still needs torpedos, guard rails around the machine gun turrets and a few other fittings. The number 349 is from an original Pacific Theatre 80' Elco PT Boat whose name in Bee Bee, which I hope to add at a later date. I have also painted it in an original Pacific Theatre from a PT Boat book which I bought for reference and to make it look like a standoff scale model. This boat was also photographed by the local Burton Upon Trent newspaper at the Fireboat day in September 2006. I ran this boat at the Burton Model Boat Club's Fireboat day in September 2006 briefly until I broke the exhaust manifold and had to retire it early.

16 years ago by froggyt996