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[Billyruffian]

Need some advice please.

I have a Mountfleet model of the River Queen - a smashing little river tug - that I have been picking up and putting down for some time.

The fore and aft superstructures are fiberglass mouldings.  On the rear superstructure there are skylight castings and sliding hatchways.

My first question is:-

Is it worth going to the trouble of cutting the moulding away where the skylights and hatches go and,

What would be your best way / tools for cutting the fibreglass?

Your advice / opinions will, as usual be very much appreciated.

[barryfoote]

I always tape up the area to be cut out and use a modelling drill bit to drill holes through it near to the edge. The tape stops the bit from slipping. When I have holes all around, I enlarge one to get a hack saw blade in. Cut the unwanted section away and then file to a finished result.

Just my ideas and I am sure there will be many others.

Barry

[Guy Bagley]

i basically do the same, - you could always use a tool like the dremel moto tool to grind/ finish the edges

[norry]

I have found it easier when doing this particular type of job that it is easier to secure the Dremmel & move the part being cut...

[Billyruffian]

Thanks all - very helpful as usual.  I have the Dremel router base so I may give that a try but after i have tried Footski's way - better to be safe that sorry for the first one 

[andygh]

Yes, chain drilling & filing/sanding for me. Don't really see why you'd need tape, my drills never slip on fibreglass it's pretty soft stuff

[Dave Buckingham]

hi Billy
Same as Footski chain drill and file

Well worth doing on this model I put in Brass ports and used very thin Mahogany on the frd Accom.

Another thing well worth doing is to weather it looks a lot better

I made one of the skylights open and put the switch under it.

Note the steering wire go to a dressmaker and buy round black elastic.

Lovely model
Dave

[cdsc123]

The perfect tool for finishing off straight sided cut-outs is the missus' nail file (the large type).


((of file, not missus)) 

[andygh]

The perfect tool for finishing off straight sided cut-outs is the missus' nail file

I make my own, 1 piece of wood/plasticard + 1 piece of emery cloth/wet&dry + a bit of double sided tape, make any size or shape you want