The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions > Lifeboats
US Coast Guard 45 RBm (Graupner Pilot Boat)
Umi_Ryuzuki:
I started this a while back, and have been pecking away at it.
Probably the first kit I have built in 17 years. But it was on sale, free shipping, and I accidentally purchase one. %)
It's a great kit, blow molded one piece hull and deck and Pilot house roof, and CNC pilot house walls and railings, a resin cast mast.
When I opened the box everything was great, even a set a plans,... but no instructions.
Ah well, I wasn't intending to follow any plans or instructions in the first place, but it would have been nice to
know where they had intended people to to start construction.
So the first thing I decided to do was sand away the top hatch, and open up two windows on either side of the roof.
I cemented a styrene patch to the interior indentation to make sure I didn't sand through the material and open up a new hole.
The bow was the next modification. The Pilot boat has a raised wave break, and the CG45 has a flush deck.
The hull is pretty thick, but a few strikes with a heavy duty Olfa snap blade, and the wave break parted from the deck.
The hull is ABS, or something, it weld pretty nicely with styrene. So I pushed an oversized patch into place from the inside, and
chemically welded that into place. Once that had cured, I placed a filler patch into the cut to flush out the deck. Then filled and
sanded that till the deck faired out smooth.
Umi_Ryuzuki:
After getting the hull back in shape there were also two hatches I needed to add, so I commissioned
Alex, at Barracuda Boats USA to CAD me up some hatches. While he was doing that, I started assembling the pilot house.
The parts are all CNC cut, so it was simply cutting the tabs, and a bit of folding to assemble the parts.
I used a 123 block to help square things up. Things were going so well, I didn't notice that the forward part of
the CG45 had some extra bevel cuts to the forward corners, and a slightly different panel assembly.
I decided to push forward as is rather than cut it apart and get full accuracy.
I did however rebuild the area at the back around the door. The CG45 has a bit more head room back there, so I
raised the sidewalls around the door, and cut the back of the roof piece to create a taller opening.
I cut the window frames clear of their sheet, and sanded each of the outer faces with 350 grit sandpaper.
I then applied dots of Extra thick CA cement to make up the rivets. Placing a couple of drops of kicker on the face of
the frames, and wiping it across the surface and away prevents the cement from spreading out, and keeps the round rivet head tall.
The CNC parts fit together nicely. :-)
.
Umi_Ryuzuki:
I then set to reworking the back of the pilot house.
The door and air intakes are just a bit different, so I set to making things right.
I built up a vent, and molded and cast up a pair. Then made up a left hinged door to match the photo.
Of course someone saw the door, and wanted a pair... so I made a pair. So as not to make it too
awkward, I matched the window base line to either side of the door. O0
I also added the tank and fresh air vents to the either side.
Umi_Ryuzuki:
The hatches came in, so I got those molded and cast and then added them to
the bow and center of the engine hatch at the back. I also created the lazerette for the stern of the boat.
The core of the lazzerette was designed to be screwed down to the deck and if necessary tow off of the bitt.
I also created a new base for the mast, I designed it to hold a servo for powering the radar.
Xtian29:
Hello Aimée
Very nice job, I will follow this topic with attention
I also "accidentally" bought one {-) My project is to built it as yellow dutch pilot boat.
Xtian
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