Hi yβall. Iβve 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 βstockβ, plus Iβve decided on a 1700 kv 36mm o.d outrunner. Iβve 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 βdroopsβ 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 caβd 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 βpaintedβ 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 caβd 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 Iβll start building the above deck details and cabin.
Cash