Thanks Martin!! To be honest, somdays I feel like a “sprung “ chicken😂

So...today was my birthday..I turned 60. I’m officially older than dirt. I splurged a bit, had saved up a bit and bought a new kit and radio, plus took the day off. I went out this morning, paid my property taxes👎😭, went to the grocery store, and then about 11 am set about to build the torpedo tubes. The tubes are built up from hardwood dowels that are just shy of an inch in diameter, some sticky back paper, die cut parts and assorted smaller bits. The first thing done is to shorten the dowels to the proper length. Then, the sticky back paper is cut in varying widths for the tube straps, then the mounts are built. Not really that hard just slow tedious work. I got all 4 tubes cut and strapped, and built all 8 mounts and called it a day. There’s a bit more to do, plus there’s 4 thin ply parts that wrap over the top of the tubes. It’s suggested to soak them in water and then wrap around the tube, or something similar and let dry overnight, that way theyll be formed to fit. I used the cut off from the tube body and used zip ties to secure them as they dry? I then shut down my shop, and made myself a dinner of “Spamen”, a James May recipe from his book “Oh Cook”. I substituted Panko crumbs for the crushed cornflakes, made the spam, ramen, and tossed the ramen with stir fried bok choy and onions. It was good!!
Cash

That’s okay Fleet, it was late when I read the post and I read it as Commander. 😁

Thanks Fleet. I will strive to execute my duties faithfully and honorably.🙂

Martin has a good idea. I’ve used CA before in lieu of solder on some railings, long as they are not in a position to be stressed or under tension they hold up well, and paint or clear coat seals the joint.

Hi Peter. You’re Düsseldorf is coming along nicely!! I’ve always wanted one, it seems a daunting task to fit that boat out with pumps, lights, etc but you’re doing a nice job. You’re railings look spot on, and I agree with you on the Tamiya paints. The rattle cans are pricey, but they cover well, and dry quickly. Like you, I have a FrSky transmitter, a Taranis Qx7, it has a multi protocol module installed that I purchased off RCgroups a few months back, works well. I’ve never used the Sbus, might try that. However, I turn 60 this Monday, and saved up a bit for a new boat kit and radio. I picked up the Radiomaster 16s with the Hall gimbals. I’ve booted it up and played around with it, uses OpenTX as its operating system. I’m accustomed to OpenTX, but it’s set up a little different than the Taranis, so my buddy JP is coming over to guide me thru transferring my models from the Taranis to the Radiomaster. JP knows OpenTX inside and out, so we shouldn’t have any issues. I’ll give more info once we’re done, if you like.
Cash

Hi Ian, sorry for the late reply. Dumas kits have a weird reputation here in the US. The materials they use are good, but the older kits did have some rough die cutting. A lot of their kits are laser cut now, and the fittings seem to be getting better. This kit is pretty well made and thought out, and the diagrams are helpful.
Cash

Hi Ian..I’ve them a while, they’re sturdy and comfortable to use. I think I’ve had them for 15 years or so, maybe longer.
Cash

Hi Griss. It’s a good kit, there is a fair bit of work involved as it is a Dumas kit, and there’s more going on then first appears. Bear in mind it does not come with rudder, stuffing box/shaft or motor, you can buy that as a separate kit from Dumas or do what I did and supply your own. The hull is molded well, and the laser cut parts and fittings are of good quality.
Cash

Hi y’all. Got the cabin for the Higgins mostly done. I added the mast, antenna, throttles, handrail and other details. I gave it a ligh coat of primer, which helps me find any gaps that need filling, and lo and behold there was a gap between the starlord gun turret and the aft locker that Errol could fit thru😂..so I filled that and set the cabin aside.
Then it was time for the gun turret guns, the twin .50 brownings that occupy the turrets either side of the cabin. The guns are built from cast metal fittings and brass tube and rod. One word about the fittings. The are not the usual soft whit metal fittings like you see in Deans kits, but they are cleanly cast with very little flashing and the are HARD. My usual drill bits just barely scratched the surface, so I had to go out and buy some cobalt bits. That did the trick! An hour or so later I had 2 guns assembled and ready to paint. I still have to build the torpedo tubes, aft gun, and assorted deck details.
Cash

She’s coming along nicely Nerys..keep soldiering on! BTW, I used CA, Stabilit and epoxy when I built my Dean PBR, I scuffed the plastic at each joint.
Cash

Video added

North Texas Model Shipwrights at Josey Ranch 17JAN21

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Here’s a few pics from today’s run at Josey Ranch. It was a little cool (48 degrees Fahrenheit) but we had fun!!
Video to follow.
Cash

Hi y’all, I’ll keep this short. I built the final superstructure for the cabin assembly, they are made from laser cut thin ply and 1/8 stripwood, then handrails are made up and glued in place. Then, it’s...time..to..assemble the cabin. The cabin is located on the hull. The aft 1/4 inch of the cabin lays over the hatch, from what I understand the hatch is slid forward under the cabins aft edge and pressed into place. Anyway, once I had my cabin in place I drew location lines on the hull, reset the cabin and taped the fwd edge down..this allowed me to lift the cabin up and place wax paper between it and the deck without losing alignment. I then had to glue the turrets to the cabin, and the lockers to the turrets. I would love to say that everything fit perfectly, but not quite. In fact, once you have it all tacked together with CA, the instructions quite clearly state to “fill any ugly gaps” I had a couple😂
Anyway, it looks pretty decent, once I finish sand and primer she’ll look better and be ready for some details and paint. Then it’s off to the guns and torpedos..
Cash

Hi y’all. Well, the next step in the construction of the cabin assembly is the gun turrets. They are cut from supplied pvc pipe, and the bottoms are sanded at an angle so they lean towards the bow a bit. This compensates for the slightly bow high attitude the boat has, especially under power.
The turrets look deceptively simple, which means they’re actually a pain in the rump. Let me explain...
The turrets are cut and sanded , marked port and starboard, then 2 rings of plywood are glued on top. Simple, easy-peasy. Then the fun begins.
You see, there’s tiny triangular supports under the rings glued to the rings and the pipe. Now, there’s a template to mark the turret..oh look, it’s not one support in order, they are in PAIRS!! Now, it’s my boat, I could have left them off, most people wouldn’t miss them. But I would know, and I suspect some, if not most of y’all would catch it too.
So..I hemmed and hawed and tried to think of an easier way to do this, then I had it. Instead of trying to cut matching triangular parts from .5 mm sheet, I decided to cut rectangular pieces, glue them in place, then cut and sand them to shape where they sit. It worked!! They’re not perfect, but good, I’m happy with the result. The tubes are then drilled for railings that will be installed later, and the gun mounts, which I bent, glued in place and soldered.
That’s all I have done this morning, took me about 4 hours to get from pvc pipe to gun turrets. I might be able to do a bit tomorrow, if I do I’ll post it that evening.
Cash

Early on in the epidemic there wasn’t a mask mandate, but social distancing (I really hate that term, btw), was being enforced in most public places. The grocery store I go to limited the amount of people in at one time, and had 6 foot markers on the floors. I really think that went a long way to slow the spread of Covid...however...there’s no shortage of idiocy over here either. I was in said store, before the mask mandate. I didn’t have a mask on, but I kept my distance from people, 6 feet or more. I was in line at the deli when a gentleman, wearing a mask, leaned in to grab an item and got maybe a foot in front of my face. He excused himself, but if my eyes were Bofors guns he’d be done. Jesus it’s easy!! Keep your distance, wear a mask when needs be, get the ##$$!!! shot!!
Look. I am conservative. I voted for Trump, I’m Baptist, a Christian, only thing I don’t have is a firearm in the house or I’d hit the Trifecta that some people on the left rail about. My best friend on the planet is liberal, looks like an old hippy, drives a Prius and plays the hammer dulcimer. He and I agree on more than we disagree with, and we both have come to the conclusion that the lack of common sense prevailing on the planet is shocking. What galls me is how both sides blame the other for the pandemic, and the stupid, ignorant bull**** that gets spouted such as microchips in the vaccine, etc “I’m not getting the shot because the left/right wants me too”!!! Rubbish.
Sorry for the rant, been a little stressed, just wanted to let y’all know I’m with you. I pray to God that all of you and yours keep safe, that the vaccine gets in circulation quickly, and that we as a planet start healing..and talking.
I’m going to go post a bit on my build blog, then I’m gonna fire up World of Tanks Blitz, get in my IS2 and give some poor soul in a Panzer a bad night🤣
G’night y’all.

Hi ADIMike. Some time ago I lost the superstructure to my Robbe PT15, it came loose during a violent maneuver and was lost with all hands. I was in a jam, as this boat is way out of production, so I decided to build up the superstructure with sheet plastic. I had never done that before, but luckily the PT had a full sized plan so I had dimensions to work with. I used balsa triangle stock to reinforce joints, say where an outer wall and roof meet. Also, make sure you scuff where you have glue joints. CA glue works well, but the scuffing gives the glue a better grip. Don’t try to cut clean thru the plastic, just score it where you want to cut then flex it, it should snap off cleanly. If you’ve never worked with plastic sheet, get a few sheets and just try making a simple box. I’ll be willing to bet you’ll find it easier than you first thought. If this old country boy can do it, then I’m pretty sure you can too. Look in the build blogs under my name, it’s probably about a year and a half old but I did a build blog detailing the rebuild of the cabin, it might help.
Cash

Hi y’all. Started on the cabin a day or so ago, it’s really just 2 pieces of vac formed abs with some wood and brass for details, and pvc floor and aft wall. It looks very simple, and essentially it is, but it could be really easy to flub it. The only hitch I had was the way the aft wall went into place. It’s supposed to butt against the floor and glue to the upper, curved aft end of the main cabin molding. It’s shown that way on the plans, and called out in the instructions. Now, I cut the cabin out close, but not directly on the cut lines, that way I can have a little room for error, and once everything is in place I can sand flush. There was now way in hades that the cabin wall would fit as directed, as doing so would have the wall lean forward by 10 degrees or so, and you would have to press down on the cabin top to mate with the upper edge, deforming the cabin as a result. So, I did what “looked right” glued the cabin wall on the upper edge of the floor and it fit 90 degrees and up against the roof almost perfectly. I’m kinda wondering if there was a running change in the kit that wasn’t adressed in the plans or instructions. Anyway, it turned out pretty decent, needs a little filler and sanding and then it’s off to the gun turrets.
Cash

Seems like she’s coming along pretty well. You did the right thing by redoing the window sections with thin ply. I’ve had a few rc airplanes years ago that were given to me that were “worn out”, you just can’t be afraid to cut bad wood out and work new wood back in. You’re doing a good job!!
Cash

Nerys, thank you for the photos,both boats are looking good. Are you going to have to unfasten the deck on the LST to change batteries, or are you going to charge them in place? I know that personally, I tend to think myself into a corner and have to build my way out, hence my question. From what you and Alice have been thru, plus the dialysis, I think you’re doing a grand job. 👍
Cash

Martin, she’s a little over 31 inches long from bow to stern measured at the deck. The hatch looks a little narrow, but there’s plenty of room to work in. So far I really like it!
Cash

Hi y’all. I’ve decided to go ahead and start on my Christmas present, a Dumas Higgins PT boat. This kit has an abs hull, a plastic deck, vac formed cabin, and numerous wood and metal fittings. Like most Dumas kits it does NOT come with running gear, nor shaft tube or rudder. However, I have those things in my “stock”, plus I’ve decided on a 1700 kv 36mm o.d outrunner. I’ve used this particular size and power motor on several other boats of roughly the same size, so it should serve me well here.
The hull needs to be trimmed, then the deck is assembled and installed. The deck is in 2 halves, split right down the middle. I glued it together, then added the reinforcements. The hull “droops” a few degrees from level around 1/3 baxk from, and to the bow, and the deck follows that. The reinforcements have that designed in, and when they are glued to the deck it builds that curve right in, and once trimmed, it fits almost perfectly. The deck was bonded to the hull with medium ca, and what little gaps I had were filled with ca and then top filled with putty.
I used a rudder assembly and stuffing box from Cornwall models. The rudder is from Radioactive, the stuffing tube a Caldercraft Fineline unit. I used the kits pine rudder support block and drilled it for the rudder tube, once I had it all sorted out I installed the rudder tube and block, run the nut down on the tube till just snug, and once I had it all lined up I snugged the nut another quarter turn and epoxied it all in place.
I cut the slot for the tube just a wee bit oversized, but no problem there. I used the kits skew to get the angle right, tacked it in place, checked alignment then ca’d it all in place. I then made a scab plate to help cover the slot inside, and epoxied the plate and tube.
I made a bulkhead motor mount from scrap plastic sheet. I put the coupling on the shaft, and “painted” the motor end with a red marker, and used that to mark my center on the bulkhead. I then drilled that out, and used that to line up my motor mount holes. I went ahead and installed the motor, added a reinforcement to the bulkhead, and tacked it in place to check my alignment with the shaft. Once I was satisfied I ca’d it in place then coated the joints with filled epoxy. It lined up true, and when I test ran the motor it was very quiet, no vibrations nor binding. I also built up the hatch, and added the chine strakes.
Next up is a final sanding of the hull, then I’ll start building the above deck details and cabin.
Cash

Colin, so glad everything is working out with your mom and her dog. Stories like this make me feel better about our species. Thanks for posting this.😊
Cash

Thanks Phil. I need to load up a few more videos, haven’t updated in a while.
Cash

Cute as they can be!! I love tuxedo cats.
Errol says hi.

Hi y’all. I’ve been away from here for a couple of weeks, here’s a SITREP on the Hargett family. About a month ago, my Daughter, Grace, confesses to us that she has some suicidal thoughts. Now, bear in mind that she’s a bit like me, marches to the beat of her own drummer...also, she had a breakup with a boy she had been seeing for about a year, and she spent all her time with him either in person or online. When the relationship flames out, she really didn’t have a strong network of friends to support her, basically just Mom and Dad,and we’re old, and don’t “get it”. Anyway, she’s been in therapy, and she’s on a mild anti-depressant. She seems more grounded now, and I think she’ll wean off the medication in time. I’m worried about her, haven’t seen the bills yet but once the insurance is sorted out I know they’ll be here, we’re short handed at work, and to top it off, my upper denture broke clean in half last Thursday, and I’ve been without them all weekend and I’m 400 dollars poorer.
Still, we’re blessed, we’ll be able to make a payment plan for what we owe, and we’re still good financially. Grace seems happier, and we’re all in good health...but it hasn’t been much fun past 2-3 weeks, and although I rarely drink, I might send off 2020 with a bit of Clyde Mays Alabama whiskey!!!!
Y’all keep us in your thoughts, we survived the torpedoes but we’re still patching the hull.
Cash

She’s looking good!! Glad you kept on it and saw the build through.👍

Hi y’all, I’ll keep this short as it’s late. The “Aphrodite” was maidened this past Sunday, and she exceeded my expectations!! Handled both 2 and 3 cell power with aplomb, ran well, handled well, all functions worked as advertised and no leaks. Yay!!!
Here’s a link to the first run on 2 cell power.

Maiden of Wedico Christina/RAF launch Aphrodite

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Nerys...that tiller? No, just no. A poster on RCgroups was badmouthing the old Robbe and Graupner kits because they had ABS hulls and molded ABS superstructure. I think they build fine, and their fittings spoiled me. I think Deans should farm out some of their fittings, tillers, etc to Krick or Caldercraft. Just my two cents.
Cash

So......I have a partially built Wacht Am Rheins deans kit sitting on my bench. I acquired it in a trade with my trading buddy Larry about a year and a half ago. I pit it aside until I had more experience and felt comfortable working on it. With the Aphrodite done and awaiting maiden, I wanted to have something on my bench as a winter project, and the Wacht has a lot of detail that I can gain more experience with. However...the tiller for the rudder is..um..can’t really say how I feel about it and not offend somebody. It’s bad, really bad, and I replaced it already. I’m also stuck with the stock stuffing box as it’s already installed. The hull is glass, and made nicely IMHO, some of the fittings look useable, some are maybe kinda adequate. I’d pay a little more for a Deans kit if the fittings were better.
I’ll post a pic or two, will start a build blog soon.