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Krick Police Launch

I have just started to build the Police Launch that I have had for a while. Work commitments have left me with little time lately but hopefully I can get a good run on this one for a while. I hope to finish it by late July which just leaves me enough time to send it to Hungary so that I can test it. The kit is said to be good for a beginner. This would be good as many years ago I built a Patrol Torpedo Boat which took me five years. I am currently restoring this one as well but I think that will take most of this year to complete.😁 I have started by buying the speed controller. The motor is a 400 brushed. Probably not going to be too difficult to keep up with this one. The kit itself is not too bad considering the price, but I do feel that the ABS vacuum formed hull could be of a slightly better quality. Also I am finding the ply wood to be rather brittle. Does anybody have an idea for a good filler to use to fill the chips which will take to acrylic paint. I have prepared the hull and added the propeller shaft and rudder holes. Care taken here to avoid splits in the plastic. Cellotape on both sides before drilling helps.🤓 I have assembled the internal parts which hold the motor, battery and rudder and also fitted the prop shaft.😲 I will start on the deck and superstructure next. An additional note about the kit. The instructions are reasonable but they are in black and white which is not helpful considering they are photograph based with text. I found a PDF on the web which is in full colour. Why don`t Krick supply this. Surely not that expensive.🤔

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Forum

Planking

Hi Dave, I was faced with the same question last year when renovating and restoring the hull of an ancient Billing Boats Fish Cutter 'Gina 2' that I had inherited. The Blog gives blow by blow account of how I stabilised and waterproofed the hull. https://model-boats.com/builds/view/43305?goto=43306 Otherwise Haverlock is quite right too👍 I would have liked to have had a varnished wood finish but the original hull construction was so bad I had to fill it (after applying glass-fibre tissue to the inside) and the green filler gave it a tortoise shell effect!!😲 have fun. Cheers, Doug😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Internal wiring & bottom skins

Hi Rob, I'm really pleased to see construction detail, I suppose in preference to a finished boat, you may ask why? well looking at your pictures, the last two in particular they show the precision of your woodworking skills with a distinct absence of any filler, really nice. Looking at the first picture (top view) is there any reason why the battery and ECS can't go in front and behind the motor addressing the issue of short wiring runs (not that I have a clue about wiring and electronics) PS. however it looks like its too late as some wiring is already installed and by now the skins are probably on now Keep up the good work

5 years ago by mturpin013

Forum

Pretend deck planking

McDonald's have changed the shape of their stirrers all wavy sides I have seen a deck with the planks held down with drawing pins to make the gap between them. This was into a wooden sub structure then the gaps between the planks filed with black bumper body filler Scout

5 years ago by scout13

Blog

HMS BRAVE BORDERER

Back to the build. Next milestone, to complete the superstructure and engine covers. The superstructure is essentially a cowl that supports the open bridge and serves as the air intake for the gas turbines. The engine covers fit into the rear of it. The superstructure is full of curves and will be interesting to make. Still trying to save weight, decided to make it out of glassfibre. Rather than first make a plug then a female mould and finally the cowl, wanted to try the technique of making a plug out of styrene foam sheet, then covering it in a glass fibre matt. Once the glass fibre is set, the foam is dissolved out using a solvent and the cowl remains – inshallah! To ensure the foam did not react to the glass fibre resin, painted the finished cowl with enamel paint before sticking the matt down. See pictures. What a mess! The resin had crept under the paint and into the foam dissolving it. When the resin dried the plug had shrunk slightly and had the surface finish of a quarry. First thought was to hurl it and start again, this time in wood. On second thoughts, wondered if the plug could still be used. Decided to build it up with and from it make a female mould, as originally intended. The cowl would then be made from the mould. Built the damaged plug up and sanded it smooth. As the plug would be covered in fibreglass, the surface finish was not critical. Brushed a coat of fibreglass on the plug and, after drying filled any defects with glaze putty and sanded smooth. Once the finish and dimensions were satisfactory, applied a thicker coat of glass fibre to the plug. This was again smoothed down, waxed with carnauba polish and then covered in mould release. From it the cowl was made. Picture shows plug, mould and cowl placed side by each. The cowl requires reinforcement; the fittings and various mountings then adding before installing. A trial installation showed that it fitted properly the deck and was accurate. A lesson for the next time is to make the plug and mould much deeper than the finished item. That will allow any rough edges, on either the mould or the component, to be trimmed off leaving a smooth fibreglass edge.

5 years ago by Rowen

Forum

Ship rudders

Two wooden pieces, steel rod, each hinge 3mm i/d brass tube, shaped with filler and then each hinge covered and the shape made using Strips of five glass and epoxy finishing resin. File to suit. Pins for hinges clevis type 3mm.

5 years ago by Toby

Response

Still Stripping......With Care!

Evenin' Neville, I told you you'd get the hang of it pretty quick. (It was either that or you'd burn the house down😲)😁 Seriously; I'm proud of you👍 You had the guts to give it a go and you're learning fast 👍 Hat off Sir! A few observations; (Colin might also have some at this point, had a very nice chat with him on the phone this afternoon - but that's another Encyclopedia Britannica!) #1 if the paint scraps are smoking the gun is too hot or too close, or moving too slow. Wind it down to 350 and see how that goes. Back up to ~400 if seems necessary. #2 Bow cracks; I see a bodge up there where someone couldn't bend the skin properly or, benefit of the doubt (In dubio pro reo!), maybe it was collision damage. Whatever; filler in a thin crack will always vibrate out again sometime😡 Try to get at the inside and seal it with two layers of fibreglass tissue well soaked in resin, EzeKote is what I used. Wait about 10 minutes before applying second layer. Then it should bond well with the first. When that has set (ca 20 - 30 minutes) then you can apply some fine filler from the outside. When set sand smooth and seal the whole hull outside with two layers of FG tissue. Sand smooth and if any bare wood appears apply wood sealer or EzeKote thinned with 10% warm water. Don't overdo the water or it takes yonks to dry and set - Yes, it happened to me🤔 Then continue with priming / finishing as described above; or look in my Sea Scout 'Jessica' blog for the fine details. The beauty of using EzeKote for all this is that you can get a whole hull done inside and out in one day and no mixing ratios to cock up😊👍 If it's any consolation to you; when I did all this on my fish cutter and PTB loads of filler went soft and fell out as well, and the 'goo' holding the prop shafts in my PTB as well. No sweat as I wanted to realign the shafts anyway! TIP: I removed all shafts rudders and any other protrusions in the way so there were no 'twiddly' bits left to make things awkward. Leaving the odd patch of sanded paint which is still firmly fixed to the wood is OK; as long as you can't feel a 'bump' with your finger tips and you are going to seal it with resin and primer anyway. Then it can't react with the new paint. Here endeth the 3039th epistle from Admiral Doug. Will all dissenters, contradictors and other lobbyists and Trump lawyers please queue up at the Spanish inquisition Office next door. Take a number, we'll grill you in turn 😁😁 How do you like your stake? Cheers All, Happy building and renovating, Doug 😎 Now back to me fish cutter gearbox, mechanical gubbinses are not really my strength🤔 HAMMER, have you got a minute please!? (Viewing / reading tip; click on the thread title, then you can read the the structured version in paragraphs as I wrote it 😉)

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Leaking Boat!

Depends on the resin, NPJ. if it's epoxy you've bought, you need to weigh out 1/5th of the hardener to any amount of resin. Ergo...20 grams of resin, 4 grams of hardener. So get some electronic scales (very cheap and essential to the use of resin)put 20 grams in of resin and then, without touching the scales pour in drips of hardener till you have 24 or 25 grams showing on the scales. Don't go above that. Epoxy requires accuracy of measurement and endless mixing. Just mix and mix till you're fed up with it, then mix a bit more. Don't use large amounts as the heat from the curing of a large amount will set it off even quicker. Looking at your bottom picture, I see bubbles in the paint. Scrape them right off and see what's below. Probably soft wood, so scrape that out too and allow to dry thoroughly. Then in with the resin. if there's a bit of a dip, you can make your own filler by mixing fine sawdust with the resin into a peanut butter consistency and look and apply that to already wetted out surfaces. I used that on a full sized wooden canal boat. Worked a treat. When that's set, you can file it flat with a rasp and a second cut then wet'n'dry on a block to finish. Finally repaint and wax. But, as Doug says, you need to see if the water's getting in somewhere else like the shaft or rudder areas. Good luck, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Blog

Fairey Hunsman renovation part 2

The boat was free but I gave a small donation to the club,(Darlington & District Model Boat Club). Started by removing all hardware, motor mounts, prop shaft, rudder, water-scoops and outlets. Next fill the holes I have made, remove some excess wood. roughly sand down hull. Foam bow area, and glue crack in deck. Find a lot of damage to the fibreglass hull, large chips out of the gel coat and associated stress fractures, and other spider web cracks. Drimmel all crack lines and open up chips and dents, then fill with a filler. an experimental mix of P38 and Araldite, hope it works. Start planning drive options I have a number of items that I have brought and not used that will be put in this boat, otherwise they may never find a home. last picture shows drive option to use up components.

6 years ago by CB90

Forum

knitting pins

Just thought always looking for that odd bit of rod for bits of stancion etc so there in the box with the "that will come in handy one day bits".would be better knitting some of the bits might not need as much . CHEERS Marky

6 years ago by marky

Blog

Gina 2: A Messy Business - Hull Restoration

First five pics show 'square one'. 😲 Dave_M reckoned she'd been plastered not painted.😁 Before attempting to strip the hull I figured I had better stabilise it so it wouldn't fall apart when I removed about 1mm of ancient paint. So I applied a couple of layers of resin and FG tissue inside. Pic 6. Not so easy between those somewhat rustically built bulkheads! They weren't even shaped so that the planking fitted properly! Sanding was obviously out of the question so out came the heat gun. On medium heat (ca 300°C) about four layers of paint started to bubble up and fly off, gently persuaded with a not too sharp 3/4" wood chisel. Pics 7 to 10 show the results; almost more filler than wood and Horrors! Upper Stern / gunwhale made from a chunk of thick cardboard cut from a 3M sticky tape reel 😡 This was promptly replaced with a carved chunk of hard balsa. Pic 11. I will later add a mahogany step deck on top of the block, and a mahogany cap rail to finish off the hull. Last two pics show current status after filling, sanding and applying a coat of EzeKote to the outside. Shame the woodwork was so bad, she might have looked quite nice with the wood cleaned up and varnished 🤔 In between these jobs I also stripped and EzeKoted and primer/filled the hull of the PTB I'm renovating as well. Saves getting the same tools and materials out twice😉 But that's another B....log! As Bamber Gascoigne (What a moniker😁) used to say "I've started - so I'll finish"!! Oops! Forgot the last pics🤔 Last three are today's status 😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Bits n pieces arrived / Aft Deck Mk 2 built ;-)

6mm lime wood planks from Krick and 4mm tap from Conrad arrived on Wednesday so Full Speed Ahead. This time formers were made from the 6mm lime so no bending or slitting required, new piece of mahogany cut so that this time no inserts left an right were needed. 😊 Formers attached using Rocket cyano and a bag of clamps and left overnight. The 'Riva' tank filler caps were tapped 4mm and appropriate holes bored in the deck piece. Neodymium magnets attached to forward edge. Deck fitted and trimmed in situ for flush fit all round. Transom got scratched during this process so will need a respray🤔 Underside sealed with two coats of EzeKote and sealing / varnishing / lacquering process started on the topside. Last two pics show current status; So Far So Good.😉 Next step; fit windows made of 3mm green tinted acrylic 'glass', which also arrived Wednesday. Will now have to start thinking about what to do in the cockpit 😲 All I have so far is a 25mm ship's wheel. Furniture building is not exactly my Forte! First time for everything I suppose! Suggestions gratefully received!! Ciao for now, Doug 😎 Almost forgot! While waiting for varnish to dry I tackled an old problem with the rudder. Namely; asymmetric rudder throw caused by the rather bulky connecting rod binding on the rudder arm! Suddenly remembered I still had some E-Z Connectors from old aircraft days. Been hanging around for 35 years or so waiting for something to do! So replaced the old plastic linkage with 1mm spring steel rod and two E-Z connectors. Works a treat 😊

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Wianno Senior

Planking done and first sanding, some applied in the cracks/seams. these photos are after the first sanding, next I will use bondo or exterior for the low areas, then do a second sand. If you have anything to suggest or add please let me know. I am giving the model a 24 hour rest as some parts were just glued today and will need sanding.

6 years ago by Ronald

Blog

Let’s make a stand!

More progress today! First thing was to make a stand from 6mm ply and 18mm dowel using the hull templates as described in the instruction sheet. Was a good excuse to get my scroll saw going! The rear stand will have some more cut-outs to clear the prop shafts, will do that when I’ve installed them. This was followed by a very messy and dusty couple of hours sanding and flaring the hull external sheeting followed by a good dose of cheap ( £1.99 from a pound shop in stowmarket, works well, sands nice!) in any gaps, cracks and imperfections. Will leave to dry overnight before sanding back and refilling where required before a couple of coats of sanding sealer, sanding back then on with glass clothing.

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

Planking almost very nearly finished!

Finished nights this morning, had a couple of hours kip then thrashed some more planking! Stern end finished, main hull finished, just the bow uppers to put in. Once completed, will get some pva squeegee’d into the inside joints between planks and formers then will give the inside a couple of coats of resin. Once that’s done, rough sand the hull and fill the remaining gaps and blemishes with before final sanding and touch filling prior to glass clothing. Before I glass cloth, shall install prop shafts, motor mounts, motors, install decks then onwards with clothing.

6 years ago by Skydive130

Blog

MV TEAKWOOD

Before the funnel could be installed wanted to fit a working radar scanner, navigation lights and the batteries. Decided to use sub C NIMH batteries in plastic holders, they should have the target endurance and provide some ballast. Fitted two sets of 4 cells, one at the forward end of the superstructure and the other at the rear, both at keel level. These were inserted into wooden battery trays to hold them in place. A dry test run showed a full speed motor run time well exceeding the hour target, so will try on water. Also took the opportunity to fit the Rx and then adjust the rudder before finishing off the wiring. Both the navigation lights (LEDs) and the radar scanner work. The radar is driven by a servo with the potentiometer removed and a magnetic drive shaft run up through the superstructure from below the deck. The motor requires about 9 volts to run at what would seem to be something approximating to scale speed; fitted a voltage reducer to allow the lights and the radar to work on less than 6 volts. The mast lights are to be installed in a separate circuit after the masts are added. As I get more into the detail it is evident the GA drawing and the photographs of the vessel in service differ. Fortunately the component locations seem consistent, although the equipment is not. This most apparent in the hold ventilators. The GA shows the standard cowl vents, but the photographs show a mixture between an vertically squeezed oval vent (which am advised is more typically German) and ventilator columns with cylindrical caps. The column style vents with cylindrical caps were easily made from two different sizes of styrene tube with the cap tops made from styrene offcuts. The squeezed oval style vents were more difficult. Broke them down into the major parts of the cylindrical vertical tube and, from a larger tube cut a small ring and filed one end to straddle the tube once it had been squeezed oval. Glued it into place whilst restrained in a small hand vice. Once set, removed and sanded the the two to give a smooth transition, closing the rear aperture off with styrene offcuts. Then resorted to , filed down to give a smooth, oval vent.

6 years ago by Rowen

Blog

MV TEAKWOOD

There was considerable sanding required around the bow. Once complete, decided to continue and remove all the hull detail not appropriate to the Teakwood. Used an orbital sander for this and it turned out nicely. The detail seems to only be in the gell coat and the actual glass – fibre core was untouched. Suggest do this outside and wear a mask as it creates a lot of dust. Had originally thought of covering the bow with light glass – fibre cloth and stippling it down with resin. After looking at the bow area decided that a coat of glass – fibre resin, applied to the new portion and extending an inch or so into the original hull would be adequate. The / styrene / steel wire structure is quite rigid and robust. This has turned out nicely and the bow area is now complete. Retained the anchor hawse pipe detail as, much to my surprise, it is in the correct location for the Teakwood. Inspected the hull shell from all angles (this usually any reveals errors or inconsistencies), pertinent dimensions were also checked with a steel rule, protractor and a spirit level. Found nothing amiss. Whilst cannot be absolutely positive the bow entry lines are correct (do not have a lines plan), checked them against a number of similar vessels. These range from the Liberty, through SD 14 to the “City of Toronto” - which is of a similar vintage. They look quite close. Have now completed the major transformation of the Velarde hull into the Teakwood and can move onto the remainder of the build.

7 years ago by Rowen

Blog

M.V. TEAKWOOD

The only remaining area requiring significant rework was the bow. Decided now to concentrate on getting the shape and dimensions correct. Made a template from a steel wire coat hangar, shaped to follow the Teakwood bow profile. Cut a mating recess in the upper bow and bulwark, fitted the template into it using CA glue. Once fitted and relatively rigid, cut a piece of styrene to fit into the space between the hull and the template. Epoxied the styrene into place at both the template and to original Velarde hull bow profile. This gave a nice looking bow from the side elevation, one that is also strong. Unfortunately, when viewed from the underside, the usual nice smooth water entry is not apparent. Had two ideas to attempt to blend the bow into the hull sides properly. The first was to cover this transition area with thin styrene and then feather it into the bow and the hull. The second was to use the modelers secret weapon, and do the same. After either approach planned to cover the whole area in thin glass-fibre cloth and sand down until smooth. Mocked up the styrene installation and decided to abandon the idea. The styrene makes the bow transition bulky, it also became quite clumsy around the upper area. Thought would try the approach instead. Shaped the rough filler with sand paper, it worked out relatively easily as it required little rubbing down. The modification worked out well and the bow looks satisfactory from both the side and underside. Decided also to replace the pulley drive arrangement with a toothed belt system. Have never tried this before and, as a friend of mine had a selection of belts and pulleys, thought would be useful experience to try it. One question perhaps somebody can help me with – what colour was the deck on this vessel? All my pictures showing the deck are in black and white!

7 years ago by Rowen

Response

Model boat Club Japan

some magnificent craftsmanship on display ,the one with the carved dragons is incredible doesn't look like they used any unlike some of us (me) ,well back to the whittling with the laser .

7 years ago by marky

Forum

Crash Tender Shaft Tube Poistion

Hi Doug and Neil Fascinating details about full size props and distances. Our scaled models sail in water which is not scaled so I am not convinced the maths helps. There are many examples of Fireboats on this site and as has often been mentioned the original Aerokits were designed when IC engines were the fashion and as a result the prop shafts were at a very acute angle to accommodate the fitting of the engine. If you have an original kit model the easiest solution is to remove all the engine mounts and any oil soaked wood from the hull together with the prop shaft and tube. You can then buy a suitable motor and prop and work out the best alignment. Buy a prop shaft and tube to suit the distance and adjust the slot in the keel to allow fitment. I usually make the slot big enough to allow for alignment, you can repair any gaps later. I usually tack mine in place with small dabs of superglue to hold in place, not too much as you may need to reposition. Once all aligned you can fill the gaps as Doug says with balsa. I just use Plastic Padding car body filler, but either will work. Once all is set hard you can fettle to the keel / hull shape and make good inside the hull. Not sure which model size you have but am attaching pics of my 34" Crash tender which may help. Happy restoration Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Directory

(Pleasure Craft) Dolphin 16 (19)

This is the Meccano Magazine January 1967 issue plan, built in balsa. I didn't do a build blog as the construction is well covered on the net. Started with an A4 plan and used Excel to enlarge it onto 9 A4 sheets. I chose something simple as I haven't built a boat for thirty years. Really enjoyed the build and re-learning how to overcome the problems that always arise. She is oversized being 19" long and having a 7.5" beam. She sits nicely on the water and begins to plane. Will upgrade the the battery sometime. The decking is worktop edge strip pre-glued but in future will use the unglued strips. The cabin was adapted to extend over the whole boat as there was little space for modern electrics. I will add in and out air vents as the motor will need to breathe. Also, the true model should have an upper deck and windscreen and this will be easy to add sometime in the future. Really surprised and pleased with results from aliphatic wood glue. The finish, which I am not completely happy with, due mostly to my own impatience, was achieved with Ronseal multi purpose , lightweight fibreglass laminate with Eze-Kote. Paint is Acrylics and Marine varnish. The electrics are: Acoms AR 201 Reciever, Servo Acoms AS 12, Cheap Chinese ,supposedly, 320 amp ESC and 7.2v Nimh battery pack. The Graupner Speed 600 8.4v, bought it cheaply some months ago, was already in one of my boxes and you can see the adaptation required to fit it into the boat. All the Acoms controls I picked up at a boot sale including an Acoms Techniplus Alpha Transmitter on 27mhz. inside I used Hammerite Smooth Gold as I couldn't buy silver. Modern Hammerite is thin and squeamish and took 3 coats to provide reasonable coverage. One final rant I do like the new silicon wires but they are a nightmare to solder to a motor. I think I will use soldered connectors in future. So there we are, first model in 30 years and now so many models to build and so little time. Lessons learned...... don't be impatient. (Motor: Graupner Speed 600 8.4v) (ESC: Chinese 320amp) (7/10)

7 years ago by AllenA

Forum

How do I resolve my varnish problem?

Hi John, Suggest you sand as this will flatten the planking, no doubt each plank has curved slightly as the wood had dried out. Hoover out all the dust from the cracks and fill with a mahogany filler and re-flatten. The inside of the hull will also need varnishing to stop the wood drying out again. Would not advise wetting the planking to raise the grain as is normal practice as this might swell the wood and loose the filler. First use a good quality polyurathene varnish, brushed on but avoid runs, lightly sand to give a key before recoating. At this stage do not worry about the brush strokes showing. After at least 8 coats use wet and dry paper to sand the surface flat. Now apply a yacht varnish that does not dry so quickly and brush strokes will on the whole disappear. I suggest at least 3 coats to finish lightly wet and dry between coats. The more coats you give the deeper the shine. Use a good quality brush, a cheap brush drops hairs and does not give a smooth finish. if you look at my harbour and look at 'River Dance' you will see the finish this method can achieve. Good luck and hopes this helps. Vic

7 years ago by HoweGY177

Forum

glass cloth or tissue?

Hi again! I used tissue on my destroyer (1.35m) with success, light and strong and minimal filling and sanding of lumps and bumps :-) Don't make the resin mix too thick and sticky or it won't soak in properly. Brush a thin mix into the wood to seal it first. Start at the keel and work up. Not too much hardener or it can go brittle, apart from going off too fast ;-( Shame to cover up all that lovely woodwork though 🤔 Can't you use a suitable coloured then varnish it? 'Wood' 😉 look wonderful. Cheer Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

water proofing

Hi can anyone help me im building nordkap trawler, can anyone tell me how to waterproof inside as well as out side, and what sort of water proof , some one told me dope to do inside is correct, any help would be appreciated, colin😭

7 years ago by jaffy012

Forum

water proofing

hi i use Ronseal High Performance fills any depth dry in half an hour sands lovely.fills holes.

7 years ago by rmwall107

Forum

water proofing

hi dave can you recomend please mate

7 years ago by jaffy012

Forum

water proofing

Hi Colin The Billing plank on frame models are from an earlier era and were very popular in their day. My first model was their Mercantic. I used Cascamite glue which worked fine for about 20 years but then the wood cracked along the glue lines😡. The solution depends on the hull finish you seek to acquire. If you want a bare wood finish then you need to fit and glue the planks very carefully so that the joins look correct. You then need to seal the inside with a thin coat of resin run all over the inside right up to the bulwark. For best results you can use tissue, glass fibre or cloth cut to fit between the formers. Just make sure you stipple the resin into the cloth and try to avoid any bubbles. If your hull will be painted then, after final preparation, you can cover in a similar way as described above. You then rub down and fill any imperfections with Body filler. I usually also do the inside also to protect the internal wood from any water ingress. When I built the Olympic and Titanic with my friend Bill we used this method. I have attached a few pics showing the stages. We built from plans with ply frmes and 4mm balsa sheet. The outside is covered with glass cloth and epoxy resin whilst the inside is covered with Fiberglass cloth and poly layup resin. We took many pics and I have them on my Dropbox account. if you send me a private message with your email address I will share. its free to join and you can view on line and download as many as you want. Have fun Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Blog

DAMEN STAN 4207

The weather has turned colder and forstalled any temptations to spend valuable boat building time outdoors. Have now been able to focus on finishing the hull. This was done with the usual technique of rubbing down (both mechanical and manual) and then filling any depressions or defects with either or glaze putty. Then rubbing down again ' and again! After each completed rub sprayed the hull with aerosol paint, initially primer, then working up to colour and finally a clear matte to protect the decals and dull the earlier gloss finish. I prefer to use gloss for the intermediate coats as it reveals the surface defects clearly. The only problem encountered was with the opening stern gate, after much trial usage this began to get a 'chatter' during opeation. Dismantled and examined the micro servo and found that several small gear teeth had broken off. Attributed this to operating the gate by hand during the build. in future will only operate the gate under power. Whilst more time consuming this prevents any tendency for the linkage to go over centre and lock up, thus overloading and breaking the small gear teeth. The pictures show the hull finished up to deck level. There are no fittings installed. From now on anticipate the model completion will follow traditional lines, so will confine blog entries to those that either capture a milestone, or where something interesting or unusal has happened.

7 years ago by Rowen

Blog

Gunwhale strakes

Now that the hull has been skinned in fibreglass and given it's first rub down the next process is to fit the rubbing strakes The gunwhale strakes are made from strips of 3/8 x 3/16 obechi and they need to be bent and formed to follow the curvature of the bow, so it's out with the wallpaper steamer and steaming tube again! I steamed the strips very thoroughly to get them as flexible as possible because they need to be bent in two planes, the first is the curve of the bow and the second is the change of angle, in effect a 'twist' where the side skin angle changes. I dry fitted the strakes and clamped them in place to conform to the hull shape and pre-drilled holes for the fixing pins. After the wood cooled and dried it was possible to remove the temporary clamps and pins and happily the strake kept it's shape so that the final epoxy glueing and pinning should not involve stressing the wood to much further degree. The strakes were fixed with the upper edge slightly proud of the deck so that once planed down they will be flush with the deck. A little bit of filler was needed to fill the gap between the lower edge of the strake and the hull and in the pin holes left after the pins were punched into the strakes. I repeated the process for the other side and felt quite pleased and relieved that it went so well, and without anything snapping 😁 Another piece is fitted on the transom and this only has a gentle curve and is a breeze to fit compared to the other parts ! Now onto the Chine rubbing strakes.

8 years ago by robbob

Response

Trimming the skins and shaping the keel.

Hi Boatshed I'm not Rob (!) but have you tried Ronseal 2-pack . The reviews look good but you do need to ensure not to use too much catalyst. Edward

8 years ago by cenbeth

Response

Trimming the skins and shaping the keel.

Hi Rob, could you tell me what the name of the two part is called please, I think I will be getting some of that. it sounds a lot better than the P38, I was going to use that on a Perkasa hull that I got on a boot fair that needs some filling. Regards Tom.

8 years ago by BOATSHED

Blog

Trimming the skins and shaping the keel.

The skins have now had plenty of time to set and now need trimming top bottom & stern, the skin is first trimmed with a saw along the chine and then planed flush. Similarly the top of the skin is trimmed and planed flush with the deck all the way round including the transom. I can now shape the keel to the hull profile, fill the nail holes and a tiny bit of filler on the bow and rub it all down to get quite a nice 'pointy'end. The filler is a two part from Screwfix that is not as 'hard' as isopon P38 and can be sanded a lot more easily without removing too much of the surrounding area, it's also wood colour ! I'm very pleased with the bow section, particularly as I remember making a bit of a hash of it on my first boat, but then I was only 15 years old. I need to think about the motor and mount so that I can set the prop shaft in the keel but before that I need to make a supporting cradle for the hull as it's getting a bit big for the bench now.

8 years ago by robbob

Forum

Sealing hull

Hi all in need of a bit of help I'm building a Solent class life boat the hull is all wood I'm using p38 filler what can I use to really tuffing up the hull on my smaller boats always used sand sealer on them but now not to sure any help would be great full.

8 years ago by Vickers1979

Forum

Sea Commander

A sharp tap with a small hammer, not a smack with a large hammer 😀 I am looking at mine as I write this and would not fancy trying to remove the whole side. If there is fuel in the plywood it might not glue. Why not try this. Get a piece of ply the same thickness (remove the two uprights as they are only glued in) place the ply on the inside and with a sharp pencil mark the arc above the window and the shape of the window, cut these out and sand until they mirror the original, now cut out the bad piece, sand the edges nice and square with sandpaper on a block. Now place the new piece of ply behind, mark where you have cut, cut the new ply just oversize and sand with a sandpaper block until you get a nice fit. Glue in place with wood glue, clamp a steel rule to the outside of the frame to make sure your new piece is flush, fill the joint with filler and sand until you can't see the joint. Glue the two uprights back in. A bit of messing but it will make a good repair. Alan

8 years ago by AlanP

Forum

Pilot Cutter Deck

You should be able to get pond sealer from a garden centre that deals with ponds and fish. Or just use sanding sealer. I think I would be tempted to lay a few planks on some scrap wood and try the method out first. Or after sealing planks, mix some black paint powder with P38 filler and fill the gaps with this, that should sand down to a nice finish. Again, try out on scrap planking first. Let us know how you get on Derek Alan

9 years ago by AlanP

Response

Coast Guard Life Boat

After you have finished planking I use a matt fibreglass cloth. Put it on in very rough squares or odd shapes to suit. Do not worry about overlapping or odd lumps. Sand down higher bits with power sander. I use a WORX tool that has a triangular sanding pad of carbide at this stage. You need not be too fussy. P38 is a fibreglass filler having a 2 part mix. Used by car repairs. Easy to mix, do not mix too much at a time as it can begin to set in 5 min. Again spread P38 filling any hollow areas. I use a piece of 2x1 wood about 18 inch. long with sandpaper strips of different grades stuck on each side for sanding the hull along the easy to reach areas and for inside curves a round or half round file followed by hand sanding. it may take 3-5 applications of filler before an acceptable finish is achieved. I then use car spray paint red primer to achieve a good finish but the first coat may show up any blemishes that may take more filling. if you have pin size blow holes these are filled with gell coat filler, it is very difficult to fill such minute holes with P38 as is is too course. I you want a devorce do the sanding in the lounge otherwise I suggest you wear a mask and do it outside...lol Hope this all helps.

9 years ago by HoweGY177

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s

We should wear a mask, but we don't very often.

9 years ago by hammer

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s

Hey Mates, Being very "green" to this modeling sandbox, what are the good s to use? Also, once I finish planking my hull, I'll need to water proof and cover with something. I seriously doubt the hull of this Coast Guard life boat had It's planking hull showing. Is there some type of film or skin, I can shrink-fit?

9 years ago by RedRider

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s

Hmm, not a bad idea.....until I sneeze!

9 years ago by RedRider

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s

As you sand the hull, save the wood dust. Mix to paste with resin W glue. ideal for filling cracks, even when stain & varnish is the finish.

9 years ago by hammer

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s

Hey Mates, Based on your replies, it looks like I need to raid my auto-body supply cabinet. One of my other passions is restoring classic cars from the ground up. I'm pretty well versed in body fillers, not so much fiberglass techniques, as I prefer to MIG weld steel panels. So, I'll use my 3M glazing polyurethane resin. it's a for very thin filling applications and is easily sanded and accept all types of primers and sealers. As to the fiberglass, I'm going to look at some of the heated treated thin film wraps body guys use to color panels in lieu of painting them. I'll keep you posted when I get to that part of the project. Thanks for your input, all great replies. Happy Trails......

9 years ago by RedRider

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s

I should have added that the North American equivalent to isopon is Bondo. They also make a , but I have no experience with that. Roy

9 years ago by Trillium

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s

You should also consider Minwax High Performance . This is also a 2 part filler like the car body filler, but it's softer and therefore a little easier to work. Roy

9 years ago by Trillium

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s

Hey Redrider, Welcome to the mad world of modelling where every day brings a new question. On the issue of fillers I and many others tend to use a car body filler generally marketed as isopon P38. To waterproof and strengthen the hull we tend to use fibre glassing techniques with fine cloths Impregnated with a resin. Horrible job to complete and lots of hard work with wet and dry to "finish" but well worth it. Good luck with the build. Cheers Shaun

9 years ago by Flack

Response

46 Inch Crash Tender

If you still have woodgrain showing after sanding sealer, I use Spray Filler from Halfords, sometimes called Spray Putty. 500ml tin which goes on yellow, and sands nicely, and most of all it fills all the tiny grain pieces.

10 years ago by Rookysailor

Blog

refurbishment of Ignotus

I can't find out what this boat is, think it is from the 50s or 60s so it is now going to be known as Ignotus. It has a FG hull with plywood superstructure. The hull has been bashed in at the bow and then filled with what I can only describe as gunk, the plywood on the superstructure is delaminating (if that's the right word) First job is to remove the deck so that the hull can be repaired. Using resin and filler the bow starts to take shape, well I think that's the right shape 😁

10 years ago by AlanP

Blog

Cariad Scratch build

Once the stand Is built It's time to start work on the hull. I have another hull from Chris Brown for the smaller Celyn and will use this to aid the discussion. Firstly check that the top of the bulwark Is level all round the hull, sanding away any high spots using a long (about 9" - 12") flat sanding sheet. I make my own from flat white wood or mahogany sticking the sanding sheets on with contact adhesive. I buy the sheets from a local supplier by the metre In several grades. Around the bulwarks on the Inside edge the fibreglass matting needs to be carefully rubbed smooth and filled with car body filler so that you have a nice solid flat surface between the decks and capping strip along the top of the bulwark. Initially you need to mark the deck level on the Inside of the hull - I use a felt marker - but anything that shows the level Is suitable. Although the hull Is relatively thick and strong be careful not to overdo the rubbing. An Initial gently sand will remove the high spots and an application of body filler - applied with the supplied plastic spreader - will fill the low spots. Progressive sanding and filling will produce a nice smooth unblemished surface. Remark your deck line. You will need to decide how you are going to complete your deck. I used a piece of ply covered with Individual planks so you need to allow for the thickness of both when drawing the line. I relied on Chris's hull casting being correct to produce my line as I don't have detailed drawings to work from. As there Is a raised prow I extended the line forward from where the raised portion started, At some time during Its lifetime Cariad had a small engine and propeller fitted. I fitted such to my sailing model and If this Is to be fitted a hole will be needed In the hull for the propshaft. I fitted this later so will not describe the process at this stage. The rudder requires a support at the bottom attached to the hull but again I fitted this later. The next post will cover the fitting of the deck and bulwark support rails around the hull and the cutting of washports at deck level through the bulwarks. 😀

11 years ago by Dave M

Forum

SET-UP ADVICE PLEASE.

HI yes seen the model - made by NPS Plastics in Blackpool. Looking at the model I don't think it is the right shape for HMS Repulse. This hull will work very well with a single prop and motor and for your first model this will make construction much more straight forward. The warships that would fit this hull are some of the modern RN warships that have raked bows and flat transoms at the stern. You could build a Police/Patrol boat or an open cabin fishing or day boat which will not require much superstructure. Recent copies of Model Boats or Marine Modelling international carry articles and pictures of such vessels and they both sell plans if you want to make a more detailed model. To mount the motor and prop shaft and propeller you need to have a shaft long enough to allow the prop to clear the hull and allow your motor to clear the inside of the hull. You cut a hole in the fibreglass where the prop shaft enters the hull. The longer the shaft the lower the motor can be mounted in the hull. You can obtain these up to about 20" long. ideally you need to decide on the type of vessel before you fit the prop as you need to allow space for your Motor,Radio, ESC and battery. if possible keep all the heavy bits low down and towards the middle so that the boat is not bow or stern heavy. Deck openings in the rifgt place will make subsequent work so much easier. You can approximate the prop shaft length by drawing the keel outline on a piece of paper. Mark the prop position allowing for clearance of your chosen size and leaving space for a rudder between the stern and the prop. Draw a straight line to where you want your motor. I suggest you use a universal coupling between the motor and shaft so you will need to leave space for this. Measure the distance from the prop to the coupling. Moving the motor higher or lower will shorten or lengthen the prop shaft. The motor can be mounted on a wooden block attached to the hull. I use car body filler to fair in the prop shaft to the hull. if the shaft sticks out more than a couple of inches you may need to provide a bracket for support both inside and outside the hull. Make sure that you get the shaft in straight (bow to stern) and that the rudder is vertical and directly in line with the centre of the prop. There are some cheap 50 amp ESC's that should suit a Johnson on 12v with an SLA. Hope this helps but please keep asking if you are not sure orneed more help 😀

12 years ago by Dave M

Forum

Billings Boat

Hello again Dave. Thanks for your response, yes the woodwork is mahogany, thankfully there dos'nt seem to be any problems with the joints, not that I've come across yet, but then I'm too busy with the Billings Kadet which is needing almost a total stripdown to remidy rough painting by the builder. Why spend so much time building a kit and then ruin it with shoddy paintwork I'll never know. You may recall my previous post regarding adhesives, for the Kadet, to fix the wood deck to the styreen hull I chose to use "Gorilla" glue. It has a finished dry appearannce like foam filler, sticks like you know what to a blanket and is claimed to be 100% waterproof. The dry edges did require some filling with another adhesive though as the finished edge did appear to resemble a aero chocalate bar. Back to the boat in question where the cabin edges rest on the deck there is some light splintering. The product that I usually use in these circumstances is "Ronseal Wood Hardner" its a thin resin wood rot treatment that really soaks into the wood and does what it says on the tin! binding the fibers together. This will be the first time I will try it on mahogany though so I am hoping for the same results that I have had with lighter woods. Till the next time, Cheers John

12 years ago by bikerjohn57

Forum

Clinker waterproofing

I had a 12'clinker dinghy once and I agree they need to take up to be watertight (it didn't half leak whilst that was happening!) but wouldn't like to rely on this for a model. I take it we are talking about a model. I think it would depend on where you are with the hull- building from scratch or re-furbishing an existing hull. if you can get to bare wood I would use an epoxy like ZPoxy which goes on well and sands nicely.Was the boat built with a waterproof glue like epoxy or alipahatic resin? it might be possible to run a fillet of slightly thickened epoxy into the plank lands- one additive looks like mahogany when mixed, I use it with ZPoxy as a glue and filler. There is a finish made by Deluxe called EzeKote which I think is water based but I have no experience of this- others might have. Let us know what you decide- all adds to the body of knowledge! All the best...Ian

12 years ago by ianed57