Billing Boats Smit Nederland

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I cannot remember seeing an 'unboxing' photo-sequence on the forum. Maybe due to me not paying suffient attention OR, so many members building from scratch… ie. NO box.

I have posted a few photos on 'album' of the kit contents of the Billing Boats Smit Nederland. I know this is not particularly interesting to see, but I wanted to see it!

This a 'new-improved' effort from the new owners of Billing. I think the instructional drawings have been made larger and clearer but the main thing being the kit now includes two solid brass Becker rudders.

When I built the Fisher and the Colin Archer the slogan was…"never mind the quality, feel the width".

The new slogan is " never mind the hull, look at those rudders"!Which is some thing I used to say in my younger days. Being Sunday, I won't expand on the new slogan.

There is an N-guage train layout occupying the 'builders yard', so the 'keel' will not be layed for some time…..after the summer I expect.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Unboxing

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The sun is shining but it's blowing 15 knots from the north, 8*C. So there was only one thing to do while the Admiralty was 'doing' her nails…..

I pegged it. Ply stiffeners carefully bent around the bows and stern and pegged in place. They'll be epoxied in a day or two.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Smit-Ned' is now back in the dungeon-storage with the rest of the navy. The Colin Archer rests on a transport trolley and has to be rolled out in order to get at anything else in the store room! I don't really have the space for another project so these small hardships have to be endured.

I've decided not to dismantle the train layout in the store room up in the flat so the Smit Ned' will be built in modules -in any available space- during rainy/windy days (most days!) this summer, autumn, winter+++.

Motors, batteries, switches, and other goodies have been arriving in the post at a rate of knots so the festivities have begun.

George

 

Edited By gecon on 23/05/2023 15:21:27

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

Some very fancy hardware there looks like Mr Billings is a very happy chap $$$

The rudders are indeed spectacular being articulated !! (shame we don't do humour here )

Your obviously going to need a bigger Boathouse, and the bonus is no sails to rig

Had great week on the Norfolk Broads which has me busy on the drawing board .

All the best Ray

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Good to see you doing another build George. Will be keeping abreast of progress!

And good to hear you had a great week on the Norfolk Broads Ray.

Chris

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. Yes, the rudders!. It would be nice to be able to buy them separately.

It looks like it will be fighting for space amongst the other important stuff!

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hei Ashley,

CMB have them for about £40 each,

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I've been rattling my grey cell to come up with a building space solution without packing away the train layout. I was lying awake at about 5am this morning at suddenly realised that I could install a new temporary shelf between the layout and the top shelf which is 1 metre above.

The 150cm x 30cm shelf -with trainset background scenery -will accomodate the wood, accessories and a few tools and the Smit Ned' will rest here while I'm not working on it. The top shelf has been cleared of train set snow-and-scenery-making stuff and will now hold glue, epoxy, tools etc. There is a drop-leaf writing bureau below the layout. The 'leaf' will be dropped when work is in progress on the tug.

I hope many members will be super-impressed by my determination to solve my building space issue. No? Not to worry, you won't be alone, someone else near me won't think much of it either…..when she notices it.

Sorry about all this, I needed the therapy,

George.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Unboxing the crew -who always seem to turn up early for duty. This time they don't seem to have quite got their act together. Some major surgery plus a visit by the Esté Lauder lady will be needed. Could not source the Vosper crew suggested by Harry, so this lot will just have to be 'doctered' as required.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I knew before buying the Smit-N that the most demanding issue would be where to get space for the build. The tug is now within easy reach in the flat, but there'll be a lot time spent tidying up after each build session. However the tug is not too large, and with no masts will be much easier to handle than the 3 previous long-masted efforts.

I read that a primer coat is not essential on ABS so long as it's de-greased and cleaned with ABS/Polycarbonate cleaning fluid. I have already bought Tamiya spray primer so it's going on anyway.

I have to spray outdoors. The forecast for the next week suggests that I should spray the hull soon-ish and then try not to scrape up the paintwork during the build. There are several 'modules' in this build, so a lot can be done without having to touch the hull.

The Smit-N kit is not exactly 'pioneering modelling' so I won't be clogging up the forum as with the 2 previous efforts. I'll post a photo or two -occasionally- of the different modules when they are assembled.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I did not intend to start on the Smit Nederland until after the summer. Hard not to ponder over the possible solutions to some of the small jobs which need to be done though. I'm not excactly 'unboxing' any more but more trying to work out why I bought a 1/33 scale model when I my eyesight was already taxed by the two previous 1/15 and 1/12 scale projects. Some of the tiny brass bits in this set are almost invisibble -to me.

I'm having a go at some simple plywood soaking-and-bending (fore and aft bulwarks) just to try to get up my interest.

2 days ago there was almost no wind so I managed to get the hull primed in light grey Tamiya primer. I had forgotten that the Comtesse was a pain to get sprayed (due to no suitable open areas) and should have opted for a brushed finish on the S-N. I could just brush paint from now on but I've bought the hull spray cans and I'm too cheap to start buying in alternatives.

George

Bulwark-bending in hot water.

 

 

Edited By gecon on 14/06/2023 18:26:35

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Found a secluded, industrial backyard just 3 mins drive away! So, on went the anti-fouling. Tamiya Hull Red. I think the standard colour should be Billing Boats Crimson but too bad, I like Hull Red. Got a few smudges on the light grey primer but that will eventually be black.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Managed to get the hull topsides sprayed in Tamiya semi-gloss black today. Sprayed the bulwarks too but they will not be fitted for a while yet. Have to first do a bit of planning to organise the optimum sequence for installing the drive line.

Will follow Harry's advice on incorporating stern tube greasing. The tube does not protrude very far into the hull but I think there will be space. I'll be using a stern tube grease nipple on a clamp/bracket.

Wish a good weekend to all, George

PS. Sorry about the background, took a quick pic just after removing the masking tape and plonked the S-N onto the edge of the Colin Archer transport trolley.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

As usual with Billings kits, you have to spend some time deciding the optimum build-sequence for each section. Billing produce a clear drawing but they don't write a single word of advice.

The Kort nozzles actually dictate the position of the other drive-train components. Stern tube position and angle in particular, have to be adjusted so that the propeller sits correctly inside the nozzle. Thereafter the motor and/or motor mount needs to be placed/angled to suit the propshaft. I think there will be just enough space inside the hull to fit a grease nipple.

The motor/equipment mounting tray (not shown) has just been painted and will be loose fitted inside the hull in due course. The Kort nozzles and shaft support brackets have been de-greased and will be painted this week, Maybe even fitted!

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Had a go at brush-painting the Kort nozzels. The hull is sprayed in Tamiya 'Hull Red', which I like. Tamiya brush-on Hull Red is more 'brown' than 'Hull Red'. Billing Boats Hull Red is more like a Crimson.  So now I'm buisy mixing the above two with red and/orange to try to match the Tamiya spray which is on the hull as 'antifouling'. If I can't make a decent blend I may paint the parts in a Humbrol brassy-copper mix.  But I don't think the acrylic will apreciate a 'visit' by old style Humbrol oil paint.

 

The equipment tray is an uncomplicated, Humbrol Light blue, and will receive another coat tomorrow.

George

 

Edited By gecon on 20/06/2023 15:53:17

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Yes I'll do it, I'll buy another spray can of Tamiya Hull Red tomorrow.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

I'm glad to see your getting on with the build very amused you have to nip out and find somewhere to spray

Best from the UK

Ray (I have PM'd you)

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Ray,

Yes it is a bit unusual I suppose. There's a lot of parkland and paths around the flats where I live. So popping out with two spray cans, a boat and a home made cardboard spraying booth makes you just a little bit conspicuous -not mention dangerous!

Anyway I now have a whole spraying-yard at my disposal, but I only planned to spray the hull, all the smaller stuff, decks and superstruture will be done by hand.

Regards,

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Here's yet another uninspiring photo of the Smit-Ned' project. This is the drive train -or half of it. The rudder has to be installed first. This is physically connected to the Kort nozzel by a short, fixed-length beam. These two parts actually dictate where the rest of the 'train' ends up inside the hull. I hope that the supplied stern tube is long enough to permit the incorporation of the plastic grease nipples which I already had in store. Otherwise, I'll solder on a brass tube.

Eventually the motor and adjustable-angle motormount will be placed on a light blue equipment tray inside the hull. The final position of this tray will also be dictated by the length of the whole drive-train.

George

Edited By gecon on 25/06/2023 13:45:12

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The Becker rudders were added this afternoon. Quite fiddly to get in place. They are not properly aligned yet, but they're not as wonkey as they look in this strange-angle shot. Thought I was going to fit the Kort nozzles too but I lost momentum somewhere along the line. I've planned the installation sequences though, so maybe tomorrow.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Wrestling with the rudders. Having trouble getting the Becker rudders to work as designed. Parts which ar not supposed to revolve are revolving! Tightening up sufficiently to affect a cure causes other parts that should revolve to became clamped and not revolve Maybe something needs to be soldered/epoxied (?) but nothing is shown on the plans…and of course, there are no instructional words from this particular manufacturer.

I have asked Harry about his 'refurb' of a Smit Ned' but he only needed epoxy to water-seal around stern tubes and rudder bearing shafts.

I have written to Billing Boats to ask for info, but welcome inputs from anyone 'in the know'.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The weekend has been all 'rudder-on-the brain-cell' . I have thought through a process (wow!) which I will try out on the Becker rudders. Not heard anything from Billing Boats yet so this morning I bought some 2701 Loctite. This is one notch up from 'Normal' strength and is apparently NOT easy to remove.

Loctite will be applied to most of the components shown threaded onto the rudder shaft in the photo below, and then lightly compressed by screwing on one of the brass nuts. Later, the two shaped bearing washers will be threaded onto the tube and epoxied -and clamped- to the hull; one inside the hull, one below.

Cannot see how the Becker rudder-flap can work without all of these components being locked onto the rudder tube. I'll leave out the rest of the boring detail and simply post again in a day or two -if it works or not.

George

Edited By gecon on 03/07/2023 12:03:51

Edited By gecon on 03/07/2023 12:06:48

[geconParticipant @gecon]

The last couple of days have been partly devoted to my rudder-trouble. I tried the 'heavy' 2701 Loctite on the first brass part to be threaded onto the rudder tube and was almost caught out by the speed of the curing process. I thought that I would have several minutes during which I could thread the various bushes onto the rudder tube, line then all up nicely, and then set aside for the day to cure. Wrong…again.

Beware, Loctite 2701 cures on brass almost immediately it is deprived of air! And thereafter does NOT release it's grip willingly. Anyway, with great care and respect for this product, the rudders are now resting on a shelf for a prescribed 24hrs.

This morning I received an e-mail from Billing Boat's Jens Henrik Thrane, who has been mentioned in the MB mag. He writes "epoxy or Super CA glue" to assemble the rudder-tube parts.

He also writes that Billing Boats website has been hacked and that it will take a month or two to retreive all the lost data and get it up and working.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

As I mentioned on Ray's thread, I got "perked up" by reading that it's usual to "slow down" occasionally. Not done anything to the tug for over a month. This week I've been helping my wife sort out a missing package sent from Birmingham UK. It was sent by 'FedEx' last week, and I have today tracked it down to having been sent to the wrong 'Stavanger'.

There is apparently a town called 'Stavanger' near a place called 'Norway' in the state of Illinois USA! The package has already been through Garland Texas, Dallas Texas and today in Memphis Tennesee. FedEx write that it's now enroute 'Norway'….but which one?

Getting back to the Smit Ned' project will surely be soothing therapy -if I'm not too exhausted by all this geography

George

[Author]

Posts