Hi everybody. Will keep this short and sweet, have to hit the hay. Superstructure pretty well done, mast installed and a couple of details added, and I decided to go ahead and install the running lights. She’s looking almost shipshape now!!

Rabbits have been inactive so far. However, I have come to the conclusion that, even as our new flagship is being built and fitted out, there might be a need for a second military craft, one Lt Errol can command. He’s a cat, cats are fast and maneuverable (usually). Might be a Deans Marine Pibber would be a good match. Although I run the checkbook, I’m thinking this would be on the order of a Christmas donation to the Western Fleet, so I will have to put a bug in Teresa’s...err, the Commodores ear.

I really can’t complain. We share chores, I do most of the cooking, the cat boxes and cleaning the toilets, she does most of the laundry and the rest of the house, and some yard work as I absolutely abhor yard work. However, in reference to funds needed for naval operations.....I make sure bills are paid and I balance the checkbook....😁

Hi everybody!!! Great weekend so far, drove the Studebaker this morning, saw “Ford vs Ferrari” with my family (great movie btw) and had time to work on the PT. I did the side aerials last night, got the mast about half done today. Now, if you’ve kept up with this blog you’ll find that I just don’t like making small detail parts from wood, unless it’s supposed to look like wood. The side aerials are supposed to be glued into small pieces of wood that are rounded and fitted to the side of the fwd cabin so that the aerials are about a 20 degree angle. Nope. Not doing that. I have a small stock of various sizes of carbon tube, it was easier and I think, better looking to cut a small piece, sand the angle in, glue that to the cabin and insert the wire for the aerial. Also, Robbe recommends that you put a loop in the aerial end for safety. I used small thrust buttons for rubber model planes glued to the tip. I think that looks better.
The mast was started today, I substituted 5mm carbon tube in lieu of the 5mm wood dowel, everything else is kit supplied. I think the superstructure will be done by Monday evening, maybe Wednesday latest.

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Coming along nicely Ed, it looks straight and true.👍

So, since I’m in command of North American operations, does that mean my wife (the Commodore) has to take orders from me?🤣

I don’t order from Hobbyking unless the product is in a US warehouse. The service is pretty good from there, however, if it comes from the “Global” warehouse(s) then it’s rolling dice on when you see your goods, plus they send them “signature required” which means I have to go to the Post Office to sign for the goods. I work 8-9 hours a day, don’t want to run all over town after work. I use Cornwall quite often, am very happy with their prices and service. I would probably order from Krick but I don’t think the Krickstore ships to the US. I also peruse EBay and RCgroups classifieds. I have quite the collection of older brushed speed controllers, motors, and non-digital servos, as I still find them quite useful...my Neptune utilizes an old Futaba MC210 speed control that I think I paid 15 dollars for.
My buddy JP orders from Banggood and is fairly happy with their service, seems to think they have Hobbyking beat on several levels.

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Hi Mouldbuilder! I agree with you, masking isn’t fun. My saving grace is Tamiya masking tape in different widths and some tape sold over her called “Frogtape”. That tape will not bleed, and really gives one a sharp line.

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Hi all. Did a bit more the past few evenings, got most of the railing installed. I really think next time I build a boat with hand rails and the like I’ll build up the superstructure, locate and drill all the holes THEN paint the cabin and install the railings after. I think 20 percent of the time I have in this is correcting any scratches and errant glue dobs that seem to haunt my work. Anyhow, a couple more small details then it’s antennas and mast.
Cash

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Hot dog! She’s looking good. You took your time and the results show it. One question, I see in the comments a reference to “green putty”. Don’t think I’ve ever heard of it, but most of my modeling experience comes from building airplanes. Is it made by Squadron? I know they have a green putty for plastic models.
Anyway, keep at it, she’s gonna be sweet.

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Looks like a fun build! Can’t wait to see her completed. What batteries and esc do you plan on using?

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Looking good buddy, looking good! You’ll have her in the water before you know it!!

Thank you Commander. Our newest acquisition is taking shape, hopefully she’ll see her maiden by the middle of December. However, the holiday of Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and as my land based duties include doing most of the cooking, I’ll be tied up most of that week. Cadet Grace is already clamoring for turkey, pumpkin pie and either a chess or brown sugar pie. However, Lt JG Errol is stepping up his patrols, and I swear, if I didn’t know better, that he was looking at trying to scab mount a a 6 pounder to the deck of my Taucher tug.
Need to keep my tools away from that cat....😉
W.O Hargett

Hi everybody. Got some of the details done on the superstructure...looking better, although there’s a few flaws. However, I might be a bit of a hack, but I know how to camouflage my mistakes🤣 Some of the detail pieces are supposed to be built up from abs and obechi wood. I COULD have done that, but then you have to fill the wood with a filler, sand, repeat, etc, all on a piece smaller than my fingernail. To me, it was easier to do a “midnight requisition “ on some of Graces old Legos (with her permission of course) cut down to shape and painted. I’m going to get most of the rest of the bigger projects done, then I’ll do the tiny fiddly bits like the door hinges and the cabin vents. I also need to start thinking about any additional functions, if any, such as lights or sound.

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From W.O Cash Hargett-Western Fleet
All apologies to Lt.Cdr Nerys and Fleet. I have been attached to the Inland Shipyard to oversee and help with the construction and outfitting of our newest boat, and have been burning the candle at both ends. Luckily, since the ambush and sinking of the San Jacinto, it seems the Oklahoma Rabbit Reserve has gone on vacation. Very little has been reported to me by my contacts up the Red River, and it’s been quiet onshore. However, last Sunday an unfamiliar craft was spotted at Towne Lake. It kept its distance, but we were able to get a pic or two. Fleet, can you pull some strings at Intel and see if they can get some info on the pilot in the pic? Looks familiar, can’t quite make his/her features out. If it’s who I think it is, then the blasted rabbits have made some unholy alliance, and we’ll have to get 3 shifts going at the Inland Shipyard.
See attached:
W.O Hargett signing off.

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You paint the exterior...Robbe did something similar with my San Remo’s cabin top, it’s made of the same material. It’s what they do,or did I should say. Come to think of it my Acapulco’s cabin is done up the same way too.

Hi y’all..got the superstructure masked and painted tonight..need to touch it up a bit but overall I’m pleased with it, didn’t muck it up as bad as I thought. Now I have just over 140 more small parts to build, paint and install!! Yay🤣!

Ron, that pilot boat looks nice, you did a grand job on her!👍

I don’t know where the Roadrunner is, maybe old Wile E Coyote scared him off.😁

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😭Video of my San Reno running around with a Graupner Kitty II and a semi scratch built tug on Towne Lake, was visited by Wile E Coyote too!!

North Texas Shipwrights 11/03/2019

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Hi y’all. Past few working sessions on the PT15 have been spent building the main superstructure. This is probably one of the hardest parts of the build, in my opinion. I just builds...weird. The main body is of some clear plastic, not abs, don’t think it’s Lexan either...it’s also a little on the brittle side. Anyway, once the main body has been cut out, the builder gets the joy of adding the door buckets, the aft superstructure, the fwd entryway, and all the inner supports, bulkhead and reinforcements. I found that either epoxy or Stabilit is the way to go here. Once I had that built, I decided to go ahead and build the aft ventilators and install them. I need to lightly sand the whole structure with very fine sandpaper, I have some 1000 grit on hand for that, then touch up my joints if need be and mask and paint. I’m not real happy with it, the aft cabin is a little swaybacked, but the way it’s glued in don’t know if I can adjust it. I think itll look good once it’s painted and detailed, most people won’t notice it but I know it’s there....😠

Ed, do you have a Hobby Lobby up your way? We have them down in Texas, kinda like a Micheals craft store. They have a hobby section, balsa, ply, styrene sheet, and they have their own brand of CA. I’ll bet money it’s made by Bob Smith Industries and packaged for them, but it’s good stuff. Thin, thick, medium and kicker too!! Better than the gunk they sell at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Cash

The hull trimmed out nice Ed!!

I vape, and I actually had something like this go thru my mind, but I’m not familiar with smokers anyway, so I let it go.
That is so cool!! If you don’t mind me asking, did you use a juul type ecig or a sub-ohm tank? It wouldn’t be hard to wind your own coils and set that think up like a rebuild able tank.
Kudos sir, made my day!😀
Cash

Thanks for the comments y’all, I do appreciate it😊

Got the hull where I could get some paint on it, used Tamiya’s Luftwaffe light green and Medium ghost gray. I did the waterline first, then a light primer topside to help find any blemishes, then sprayed the gray. It came out pretty good, still have a couple of touch ups but I’m happy for now. Next up is going to be the superstructure and guns...

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I decided to pull the 540 in lieu of an new old stock Goldberg “Turbo 550” I had built an old Goldberg Mirage airplane a few years ago and used a brushless outrunner to power it, the 550 motor was included in the kit. The Carl Goldberg company used that motor in both the Mirage and Electra sailplanes, when I was an avid aviation modeler I built both. I had built a Mirage while station in Germany in 88-92, and the 550 powered that plane nicely on 6 cells, even back then. It’s a long can motor similar to the EF76II that came in the PT15, but I suspect it’s a hotter wind, 27 turn or possibly 24, as it winds up considerably better on 7.2 volts. Hopefully I’ll have a decent turn of speed on 6 nimh or 2 lipos, if not I might do a brushless swap or a hotter open end bell brushed motor....or just go to a three cell lipo and see how long the motor lasts🤣

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Nerys, I don’t drink very often, but your right, I like bourbon or a smooth whiskey. However, I didn’t know what a Pussers Painkiller was until a few days ago when I watched the video on Pussers Rum. I googled that and found a link to the Painkiller. I have to admit, that sounds good. I also like a shot of Apfelkorn once in a good while.

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Nothing exciting this go-around. I added the rub strips to the hull, and the aft platform. I found that I inadvertently used the 3mm rub strip material for the inner deck supports!!! And, what makes this worse, is that I measured the abs beforehand, and I sweater it looked 4mm on the ruler, which is the size called for to reinforce the hull/deck joint. Sooooo....I used some 1/8th spruce and hard balsa stripwood with the remnants of the 3mm abs that I had left, and it turned out fine. I also applied a little Tamiya filler at the hull/deck joint and gave that a good sanding when dry. I’ll give the upper hull and deck a light coat of primer possibly tomorrow, that will help show any blemishes that need to be addressed before the hull is painted.

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W.O Hargett reporting:
Alls quiet in the West with the exception of a report from the Texas Rangers-they have reported the apprehension of a pair of Oklahoma Rabbit Regulars driving a tractor-trailer loaded with supplies and arms headed north on US75, they were stopped just shy of the Texas-Oklahoma border after a high speed chase that also involved units of the Texas Highway Patrol and the Feline Division of the Texas Navy. The arms and supplies have been confiscated and the Rabbits are being held for questioning. There is an envoy from the Oklahoma Legislature trying to secure the rabbits release. But I’ve been assured any attempts to extradite said rabbits will be tied up by diplomatic and bureaucratic red tape. The contents of the truck include:
Two 6 pounder guns, several 40mm Bofors, several .50 caliber Brownings, a crate of carrots, some anti-Texas propaganda leaflets, and what looks to be an attempt to build a rail gun using scrap angle iron and powered by a bank of slightly swollen LIPOs.
Other than that, a quiet night in North Texas, much better than a few nights ago when the tornado sirens went off.
Also-construction on the newest Texas Navy vessel continues, good chance it will undergo sea trials well before Christmas of this year.
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