A Tug of two halfs

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger and Ray, I am a bit concerned about the lack of balance area in front of the rudder, but I am following the drawing, I am going to use a larger than usual quadrant on the rudder and a metal geared high power servo from Howes. The rudder will be from wood as have all the rudders for my boats to date.

The stanchions will be Caldercraft 30mm 2 rail from Cornwall MB.

I have been looking at the SS Master a 1926 steam tug on youtube, the steering on that runs to the outside of the rails then around to the stern onto a quadrant on the rudder.

I also like the colour scheme of that tug.

If I was building this boat again I would use bass wood for the decks and not fit them until the hull was at the stage that mine is at now.

Regards.

Eddie

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi Eddie,

Where are you going to ballast to? The current waterline looks way too low for a tug but I don't know if it can be raised to just below the bulwark in the lowest place without compromising the water tightness of it?

Regards

Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, I was going to ballast to the shown water line, it is I" below the deck line and then there is another 1 1/4" of rail above that with the capping on top it should be water tight at deck level with the main rubbing rail supporting the base of the rail, if we ballast to the shown water line then more ballast can be added later, if there is space, to bring it lower in the water.

Looking at videos of tugs they look very low in the water around the midships

In one of your earlier posts you asked about gorilla glue, I have never used it, I have always used aliphtic resin glue as recommended by others on this site.

I have just picked up my May copy of MB and see that 40mm stanchions are recommended I thought they might be too high but as I have some in stock I will try them to see how they look.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, how is your build going? I have been trying to finish the steering gear but have run in to problems with the run of the control wires, there is not enough room for the 1/6" brass wire to follow the arc of the control horn.

Even after cutting some horrible holes through the deck, I then went to ss rigging wire but I am still not happy with this arrangement.

The holes have been tidied up with 1/32" ply pieces.

I have now sketched out a plan similar to that suggested by Ray, using quadrants and pulleys to guide the wire or chain around the hull, but have to decide if I take the wire/chain to the outside of the hull as the SS Master, a 1920s american steam tug, or to keep it inboard.

I will keep you posted.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi Eddie, I've now released the halves from the board and am doing initial rubbing down and filling (hiding all my cockups ). The build is far from perfect and even though it's my first build I have to admit to being a mite disappointed as to how it's going but that's not to say I'm disillusioned, I will continue and make good as I move forward and no doubt will get better as time goes on.

I will go with Rays' setup but think I will keep the mechanism inboard, being the easier route. I measured the stanchions on the plan and they are 30mm approx so am going with that size.

I have ordered some water foggers from China and will make up smoke units with those, £50 each is just too much. I am experimenting with the system used for vaping, my son builds his own cloud chasers and those would be enough to set up smoke screens for ww2 ships!!!

I'm already thinking about my next 2 builds, would like a fast boat, probably an mtb type and then maybe a sailer, something like a Thames barge (I blame you and Ray) or a Gloucester fishing schooner (beautiful lines), don't know if there are kits/hulls for them or if it'll be scratch build again.

I'll put up some photos tomorrow of my tug so far and wait for the laughing to die down.

Regards

Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, Don't worry about the cock ups, we all make them, it's surprising what you can do with a dollop of body filler!, I use the polyester based wood filler, it's white and sands very well.

I have decided to keep my steering gear inboard as well, am just off to the shed to make the quadrants for the servo and the rudder.

I would be interested to see your fogging unit setup, one of our club members has a design based on the water fogging units from China.

I have two or three sets of drawings waiting their turn on the building board,and a TSB to finish as soon as the tug is done.

Don't worry about laying the blame for wanting to build a TSB, I get the blame for lots of things!

They are fun to sail and look good on the water, sailing yesterday a club member commented on how good it looked, he then said it would be good if the leaboards worked, so I flicked the switch on the tx to lower it down, I can't repeat here what he called me.

Keep going it will turn out good.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi Roger – as said, don't worry about the cock ups. As Eddie says we all make them including the experienced guys I bet. As long as you can remedy them and get an acceptable result. That is the good thing with working with timber you usually can.

I'm hopefully learning from my mistakes but will probably make new ones on my next builds!

But hey, we're building model boats, that's the important thing.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 15/04/2019 13:47:37

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

A marriage of convenience!!!!

Had to put the pressure on

It was a tight squeeze

Got a tight backend

And let no-one put asunder, it aint coming apart now.

Stanchions came today, looking good, think the 30mm will be fine.

Regards

Roger

Edited By Roger Clark on 15/04/2019 16:47:42

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, now that you have the two sides together you can start to fair them to each other, the deck will of course be covered with the deck planking, the deck edge will have the rubbing rail around it, giving it its shape and strength, filler will take care of the rest and then the resin and glass fibre will encapsulate everything giving a good smooth base for the finishing paint.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi all, the hull is about as good as it gets at this stage:

I've beefed up the keel with a couple of strips of basswood and tidied up with a 'little' bit of filler, the bottom rudder 'hinge' will be fashioned out of brass extending back along the keel to firm it all up. I need to tidy up around the prop area and then it's time for epoxy and glass, not sure whether to add that strip along the hull for bulwark support first, if I do then I'll plank the deck first as I'll take the planking right to the edge rather than leave the ply exposed.

I'm not sure that tugs of the 1930's had varnish decking! Methinks it was more likely painted for ease of maintenance.

Onwards & upwards

Regards Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, its looking good now, I fitted the top piece of bass after the epoxy and glass, you get a sharper edge were it meets the hull, I fixed it with super glue.

If you look at the steam tug Kearne she appears to have scrubbed planked decks, and that is what i have gone for with 3 coats of thinned sanding sealer followed by 2 or 3 coats of satin varnish.

The rest of the boat I am not sure about yet, except the hull will be a dark green above the water line and red primer below it.with black and white for the rail / bulwarks.

Regards.

Eddie

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Thanks Eddie, looks like tomorrow is a poxing day then seeing as I can't play boats 'cause I haven't got one yet sniff sniff . I'm using Eze-kote it shouldn't take too long.

What sanding sealer and varnish do you use Eddie?

Regards Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Roger, get that job out of the way and the decking done and the hull is well on its way.

The sanding sealer is the aircraft dope type, thin it slightly then it will penetrate into the balsa, and three coats is enough with a light sanding between each coat, the varnish is Ronseal outdoor.

The Kerne tug has a painted steel deck, but I was sure I had seen a video of it with a wooden deck but the Daniel Adamson is scrubbed wood and it has two decks the same as ours.

I will be spraying the first primer coats onto the hull this weekend. I use Halfords high build primer for the first coats and then follow on with red or grey depending on the top coat colour.

Regards

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

What a lovely day for getting glassed!!!

I'll do a light sanding and then a coat of primer, then I can see it needs a bit of filler.

Went relatively well for a first fiberglassing job, Eze-Kote did make it easier but still had to slice some dry areas and restick but all in all I'm quite pleased with the result.

Time for a beverage I think.

Regards Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Have been busy putting finishing touches to the hull.

Rails and gunwales have been fitted with the vertical supports, quadrants have been made and fitted for the new rudder control system.

I have cut and fitted a 1/16"ply capping to the top of the gunwales, it will give a smooth surface to paint and add a bit more strength to that area.

Separate pieces were fitted at the stern and bows and then two more pieces fitted down the sides.

The same technique was applied to the engine house deck to cover the top edge of the balsa sides, but using 1/32" ply.

Decking being applied.

Decking finished and ready for sealing and finishing.

Eddie

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Roger you must have put your last post on as I was composing mine, its looking good.You are on a roll now.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Cheers Eddie, yours looks cracking, if mine ends up anywhere nears yours I'll be really pleased.

Regards Roger

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Yours is going to look great Roger.

Tim R

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Cheers Tim, trying to learn all I can from my peers.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Roger,I agree with Tim, you have got the hard bit out of the way now, the rest of the build is fairly straight forward and you will have a good looking boat to enjoy.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi Eddie, hard bit? the hard bit is motivating my planking team, flippin wasters

I decided to edge with planks as well, don't like seeing the ends of planks exposed. I.ve also steam bent the first Bulwark support, I'll finish planking this half then start the other side, phew!

A bit of brasswork for a change:

Not fixed in yet, a little bit of fettling to do to tidy it up but getting there.

Have to finish for the day now, back's playing me up big time. but a productive day. Looking at the deck I should have gone with wider planking but that was all I had. The walls are going to be ply and I'm going with a different style of roof light just because I can.

Regards Roger

Edited By Roger Clark on 22/04/2019 17:14:34

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Roger, I think the planking is just fine at that width, at 1/35 scale that is just under 3/8" to the foot so any wider and it would be over scale.That rudder support looks good,mine is just a piece of brass screwed to the bottom of the keel, but my keels are 1/8" ply.

I have taken the opportunity to get the first primer coat of paint on the hull today, I am now busy finding and filling all the imperfections that you couldn't see when the hull was bare.

Regards.

Eddie.

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi Eddie, thanks, I wasn't sure at first but it has grown on me now. Once I have the decking completed I'll primer fill and undercoat the hull then build the bulwarks and the superstructure.

Now that my steel line has finally turned up I will machine the quadrants and set up the rudder. I still need to make a bracket for the motor and am thinking it will have to be a wrap round, I don't think the screws holding the gearbox on would take the pressure somehow.

Regards

Roger

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Eddie, what make is your sound module? I was looking at the Action one but don't know if it will work with 50A Marine Boat ESC Electric Speed Controller from Howes.

Cheers

Roger

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi.Roger, Its by Forge-Electronics sold by Scalewarship, it's the combo sound unit Mk3. You will also need a speaker from Technobots, it uses a separate battery to drive the speaker,I am using a PP3 9 volt.

Eddie.

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