1 Post
1 Follower
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Graupner Krabbe Ton 12โฆthe kit, not the boat๐
Hi yโall. After building the Caldercraft Clyde Puffer, and taking a break from building for a few weeks, I decided it was time to crank up my bench again. I had originally started on a kit that I got in a trade, a Deans Wacht Am Rheinโฆthis boat had been started some time ago, probably a good decade before I got my hands on it, and itโs been in my kit stash for a good 5 years or so now. The original builder got the rudder and tube installed and the aft and mid deck in place, and some bulwark detail. I was working on a motor mount when I decided I just didnโt want to deal with masts and rigging at this time. At some point Iโm going to finish that boatโฆjust not now.
Iโve had a Graupner Krabbe Ton 12 in my kits stash for a bit. Itโs the second version, when Graupner reorganized and sent the kit production to Asia, probably KYmodel. Same people who did the SAR rescue boat and the Taucher Wulf did this. Itโs a nice little kit, well made, instructions are somewhat between the Tauchers โguidelinesโ and a Billings kitโฆbetter, but not quite there. Now, I know I said I didnโt want to fool around with a bunch of masts and booms and rigging, and the Krabbe has that in spadesโฆso I decided to make something different. I thought about a slightly different take on a Kriegsfischkutter, or maybe a fishing boat to yacht conversionโฆbut, I decided on a simple tug. Basically a 1930s or so diesel or converted steam tug, something smaller that you might see in the Great Lakes.
With that decision out of the way I went to work. First thing I did was to make up a 4mm shaft and tube. I used a Caldercraft Fineline tube that I had stolen the shaft from. I have a small collection of tubes and shafts, and a very few that are complete. Anyway, the kit uses a 3mm unit, and thatโs just an odd size. Nothing wrong with it, just most of the props and fittings Iโve seen are for 1/8th, 3/16th, 2mm and 4mm. The 3 mm props and such are just harder to getโฆso I made up the tube by cutting down the Caldercraft unit to the length I wanted, and using the bushing from the discarded end I built up the tube, and added an oiler.
I then took on the task of choosing my power plant. The kit comes with a motor, a knock off of a Mabuchi RS380. My experience with these motors is that they make good model boat anchors. My first SAR that I built was completely stock, and I ran it on the recommended 6 cell nimh pack. After I had the boat completed and had about 6 good runs on it, she went dead in the water at Towne Lake. We retrieved it, and the motor had gotten hot, and the brush holders had softened from the heat and the brushes were not making contactโฆ.never again. I was thinking about my usual outrunner brushless, when I remembered I had a brand new MFA 2.5 to 1 380 sized geared motor in my possession. Went with that. After making up a mount and installing the shaft and tube I did a test run on the bench. At full chat, but no load itโspulling 0.07 amps on a 3 cell lipo.
Once that was squared away I used part of the motor mount/radio tray combo to mount the rudder servo, got the rudder mounted, and started to make up the deck houses.
One nice feature of this kit is that the deck slots into a groove in the hull. There are under deck stringers that are laser cut in the kit, once installed they give the deck a slight beam to beam curve. I used the kit parts to make up the aft coaming and house/hatch, and built up my fwd deckhouse and coming from plasticard. I then built up the wheelhouse using kit components..however, I built the deck and house โinside outโ, i.e Iโm not using the printed โdeckingโ side as Iโm probably going to paint the deck and house vs staining them.
Thatโs where Iโm at now. I think the wheelhouse, as built looks a little too tall. I might leave it as this is supposed to be a small, River or Great Lakes tug, not an ocean going boat, and in some of the pics I looked up to get an idea of how I wanted her to look, some of the real boats had tallish pilot houses. I might cut it down about a half inch, but havenโt made the choice yet. Once I make that decision Iโll finish up the house and start figuring out details and what job this boats going to haveโฆ
Cash
๐บ๐ธ Cashrc
3 hours ago
14 Posts
9 Followers
114 Likes
1/72 Clyde Puffer
Hi One & All
Back in 1997 I purchased two vacform hull for a 1/72 Clyde Puffer along with the drawings from Sarik (drawing MM1410), as we have been having some bad weather of late and due to their size they started to look like a good boat to start building in the house. (just to keep warm), over the last few weeks I have joined the two halfโs of the hull, fitted the motor and shaft, alone with the deck, I have made a mistake when it comes to fixing the rudder, I should have made some form of fixing that went into the hull, so that the rudder had some were to fasten to, (will sort that out later on in the build) also I need to make some form of support for the shaft as I think it will in time work its way lose, moving on, the stern deck has been started and over half has now been planked.
Fred
๐ฌ๐ง Fred
16 hours ago
2 Posts
3 Followers
14 Likes
52' Motor Lifeboat Victory
One of my nine-year projects is coming to an end. I am sad to see it completed in some ways, overjoyed in others. Many projects have been begun and shelved over those nine years; some are in the trash now.
What is known is the 213' WMEC-168 Yocona is hit or miss whether my attempts to waterproof a static hull will be successful. So on hold or a side project.
The Gunboat Philadelphia is on-going at work between shifts.
PBY that doesn't Fly I will place on hold, pending possible actual flight. (That will put three aircraft inline to be completed.)
The battleship North Carolina....Big. Not so complex as physically large undertaking.
SO, begin at the beginning as I tell my students. I pondered purchasing the laser-cut kit from Canada, but it is just frames, deck, and pilothouse. Yes, it is 1" to one foot scale, and would match my 44' MLB perfectly, but $286 plus shipping? For me too much, I will build at 1/24th scale for now. Small enough to store, big enough to detail and outfit with running gear.
My 44 MLB, is a leaky, but I am installing an automatic bilge pump. I get so much joy out of running it, and I will have the tri-fecta of MLB's 36', 44', and 52'. The 213 should be complete around the time I finish, so four CG projects in a years time, plus the Philly is a quick build. So, it is a year, year and a half plan.
This will be a slow one.
Non Boat picture is project that is almost complete.
Kevin
๐บ๐ธ KevinH
7 days ago
4 Posts
11 Followers
39 Likes
Aeronaut Graf Spee
I bought this kit about 10 years ago from a German model shop. It is definitely old-school, with great detailed plans, detailed stock list, but no instructions beyond a couple of paragraphs. I have not built a model in 20 years but was very active in my youth 50 years ago. I find that my skills have deteriorated and this will not be a great build, but it is enjoyable solving the problems and figuring out how to build this thing.
It has a plastic hull, a very nice plastic fitting set, but the rest of the kit is wood, with many pieces which have to be cut from printed sheets. Luckily, I have access to a wood shop with jigsaw and sanders.
I have fitted out the hull, added the motors, and started the superstructure. Stay tuned for further progress, I hope.
๐จ๐ฆ whittonm
8 days ago
25 Posts
19 Followers
185 Likes
THE AMPHITRUCK
Decided to do something other than a boat this time, but still with a nautical purpose,- a 6 wheel twin diff twin prop swimming truck. Been done before, but I thought I'd have a go at one of my own design. Drew up some side and end templates and made a start, Purchased all the mechanical bits, (diffs, front axle, prop shafts, props, ESC, wheels,) over a few months from uncle ALI and added them to stuff I had in my collection.
Using cheap 3mm packing ply, I made the floor base ( to suit the diff and front axle widths) and strengthened it with 10x10 ally angle. Next,-cut out the sides and front and back panels. The floor was scored at the front and back to allow it to be bent up to the sides for gluing. Holes were cut in the floor to allow the diff heads to protrude through.
I had to modify the front axle to suit the width of the diffs by adding in an ally angle center section. Also had a play with setting the diffs and drive-shafts up with universals. Drive motor is a 380 1500 RPM @ 12v geared reduction drive, which is the one I first used in my Jeep tow wagon for my Hartley, (replaced it with a 1000 RPM version for more torque) and uses a 3s LiPo and Quicrun 40A ESC.
๐ณ๐ฟ jbkiwi
9 days ago
3 Posts
8 Followers
45 Likes
Aeronaut Jonny
Hi all, I started a new build during Christmas and I'm just about ready to start painting the haul so I figured its a good time to get the build log going.
I've had this kit for about a year now, purchased from Bauer in Germany along with with the recommended equipment including their Schottel Drive system. The plan is to have the two Schottel drives, a bow thruster, one working Anchor (possibly two in the future of off the same winch), a sound system, two working radars, working spot light with pivot in pitch and yaw, always on nav lights and interior lights, RC working main winch and manually operated bow and side winches, tow separate working fire monitors able to rotate individually, possibly a smoke generator and final an auto bilge system This comes to a total of 18 RC, unfortunately I only have 16 available so we will have to see what ends up in the ship.
So far I have the drives and bow thruster all fit and ready for assembly. I then built up the frame work and made the holes for the fire pumps and bilge. then had to build the lower deck house so I could fit the deck in the right place on the ship. Once the deck was dry fit I cut the scuppers then glued the deck down. I then set to work making the deck splash proof by installing and extending the kits coaming. I also add a drop floor under the aft hatch that I'm hoping will allow me to keep the water that gets on the deck from leaking down into the haul. Now I've got the Bulwark stanchions and handrails just about complete. I also started work on some of the deck items as I need the locations to work out some of the modifications I'm working through.
I hope to start painting the haul soon, I'm going to try brush painting this ship as I was able to find some nice paints at an Art supply store and I don't have much access to a place to spray paint in the winter. I do think I will spray on the primer first and hope it helps absorbed some of the brush marks.
๐จ๐ฆ Westwind
9 days ago