Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 10:41:25 pm

Title: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 10:41:25 pm
Well it has been a while since i bought Model Slipways tug kit Dutch River ,err Blackpool show last year  :) .
She came in a strong sturdy box and on un packing what a great hull , bags of fittings and sheets of printed styrene as well as a great destruction manual that even i could undersand .
the plans ,two big sheets are full of detail and to the scale of the kit ,something to get reference from.
First things first something to sit the hull on.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000214.jpg)
oops forgot to take a photo of the blank hull but this will do with the anchor recesses fitted and the bow fender on.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000215.jpg)
and the bow thruster fitted.
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 10:46:28 pm
The next step was the bow fender and the thruster
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000209.jpg)

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000211.jpg)

and the running gear
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000206.jpg)

Oh and to give me something to work towards this is the real thing.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/dutchriver.jpg)

daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: DickyD on April 18, 2008, 10:50:13 pm
Is this Dutch River actually Dutch Courage or is it me again getting it wrong ? :-\
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 11:02:24 pm
Once the running gear was fitted then the motors were added a pair of 555's from model motors direct
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000210.jpg)

The deck frames were next ,in the kit all the styrene pieces for the deck frames are pre cut ,not to length and the instructions are clear on how to fit them
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000213.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000249.jpg)

and the forward frames
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000250.jpg)

daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 11:04:32 pm
yes Richard  it is ,but i have named mine Dutch River as thats what the river at the back of our club is called so i thought it appropriate  :)
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 11:17:48 pm
the decks next
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000216.jpg)

and the forward deck has a coming to be fitted that keeps the water out
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000217.jpg)

and the rear roller (ok it don't roll but thats what it is)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000224.jpg)

and a picture of the rear deck and the battery tray fitted for either 1 or 2 12v 7ah batteries.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000253.jpg)
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 18, 2008, 11:32:28 pm
The rear deck was also reinforced along the area where the winch and other fittings are to be fitted.
The next bit is the superstructure (boxes).
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000218.jpg)
the portholes are eyelets ,i think they look ok . And a locker to the front ,this is where the power switches will be hidden.
 (http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000219.jpg)
funnels next ,and these are easy to make ,just follow the instructions
 (http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000220.jpg)

The tricky bit next ,the wheelhouse ,now the book does say do all the cutting as they say in the order as once the roof is removed the whole thing is floppy
fitting the furniture and the glazing stiffens it all again ,and a lick of paint to bring it all together ,you may be able to se that i am not a detailist.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000221.jpg)

and with the wheelhouse in place
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000222.jpg)
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: AlanP on April 19, 2008, 08:22:56 pm
Interested in this one Daz, keep it coming and I might be tempted to part with some pennies at Blackpool this year, thats if the Greamsay is finished that I bought last year  :)

Alan
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 20, 2008, 06:28:34 pm
with the wheelhouse interior fitted a roof was needed and as per instructions the roof was cut and glued to the sides and a lick of paint around the coming
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000227.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000226.jpg)

after this i started on the mast ,i decided on the outset to illuminate the mast with lots of led's
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000247mast-1.jpg)
and this is where the beautifull brass etchings come in , the ladder rack for the mast needs to be formed and with a piece of plastic pipe and a soldering iron it didnt take long
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000229.jpg)
while i was at it with the iron i also started on the railings for the wheelhouse roof fidly bits
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000228.jpg)
to make the railings the instructions say drill the roof in the places marked and atach the uprights ,then fir the rails .
I on the other hand drilled the holes in the roof through and onto a piece of scrap ply and then made the railings up on that .
Thats my way you do your own.
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: Stavros on April 20, 2008, 06:41:53 pm
Portside make sure you got enough room to remove your motors when the deck is on as Personally I think you will be disappointed in the 555'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I was in a Yorkshireman,would not pull the skin of a rice pudding



Stavros
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 23, 2008, 10:01:17 pm
once the mast was wired i started on the electrics ,i wanted to illuminate as much as i could and decided on an electronic switching unit ,but i blew it (reverse polarity) so it was a mechanical one i made using a micro servo, three micro swiches and a cam .
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000242.jpg)

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000243.jpg)

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000244.jpg)

A simple design where the servo turns the disc which aint round more of oval and opperates the switches in turn,click,click,click.
and the last photo of it in place under the lower wheel house, the original idea was for it to opperate the coloured mast lights only ,like traffic lights but in the end i put them on one switch ,the interior lights and the navigation lights on the other and the deck spots on the third ,this may change yet.
 
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000259.jpg)

daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 23, 2008, 10:34:06 pm
now there are a lot of stages without photos of the build ,like when i painted the decks and fitted the simulated planking on the removable rear deck
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000348.jpg)
built the towing  winch and added the rope which i may change as it is a little thick
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000233.jpg)
also the anchor winch both of which come as metal fittings and are easy to construct and look ok (spot the mistake)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000279.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000351.jpg)
but i hope the photos i have will show what i have done
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 23, 2008, 10:49:44 pm
the hull was give a good sanding down with finner grades of wet and dry ,washed and given 6 coats of red oxide spray and after some advice masked off with tape and the upper hull sprayed with black .
There was a lot of different jobs going on at the same time at this point ,whilst waiting for paint to dry on the hull and the decks i fitted the brass window frames around the w/h
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000353.jpg)
and the fittings on the roof ,i also fitted the deck spotlights that came in the kit as white metal fittings ,which i drilled out and glued in white led's and blacked out the rear and the wires
cant find a good photo  so will edit this later.
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: Tug-Kenny RIP on April 24, 2008, 11:00:31 am

Hi Portside II

I like you rotating switch idea. Do they switch off when rotating past the individual switches or stay on, due to the oval size ?

Ken
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: Roger in France on April 24, 2008, 04:48:18 pm
I think Umi (from the States) who sometimes writes into this Forum has considerable practical experience of using cams and micro-switches. I am pretty sure she has written on the subject elsewhere. (This post may prompt a response from her).

Roger in France.
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 24, 2008, 06:30:45 pm
farid not Kenny they stay on .yes your probably right Roger she is a master'ess in mechanical'istics (if thats the right words) and i am suer she could make a better job ,but it works  O0 .
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 25, 2008, 07:36:28 pm
Following on from the switch i decided to make the spot lights on the funnels working ,using the fittings supplied in the kit i drilled out the centers and glued in a LED .

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000400.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000401.jpg)

this was fitted with a resistor and painted black to blend in with the back ground.

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000402.jpg)

This one was fitted with a blue LED  and will either be fitted to the top of the w/h or under the w/h roof facing the rear deck.
The next three photos show the white LED lamps fitted in place on the top of the funnel

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000386.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000387.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000388.jpg)
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on April 25, 2008, 08:08:48 pm
moving away from the lights for a moment ,
There are more jobs to do , i made a start on the bullwarks and sides ,i need loads of clamps .

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000277.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000276.jpg)

the sides made from plasicard were glued in place and the ribs were then glued to them before painting ,

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000359.jpg)

after fitting the other bits ,bollards,vents etc they looked better but i decided although this been a new tug  i would put some weathering on and put a smidging of red aroung the bulwarks to simulate rust and red oxide

(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000351.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000360.jpg)

daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on May 04, 2008, 04:46:41 pm
A bit more progress on the build to be added  ,the kit comes with tyres and rope for the fenders but from the onset i decided to attach the tyres with chain as that is what i have seen on real tugs . The chain is from the jewelry accesory store  i also replaced the anchor chain as the one supplied was a little weak ,ideal for its intended purpose but i thought i might break it whilst playing .
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000357.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000358.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000397.jpg)
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on May 04, 2008, 05:05:56 pm
Nearly at the end now ,well probably not  we never finish them ,allways find something else to do.
As it was getting dark i thought the lights would need testing to see how they looked.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000393.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000389.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000395.jpg)

And then it was down to the water for a pond test.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000374.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river/P1000375.jpg)

The result looks great in the water ,a little under powered but i was told that it would with the motors i had fitted ,as i did not intend to use her for heavy towing it wont matter ,but i may replace them in the future .
The other thing i found is the bearing seal on the bow thruster motor is leaking and as a result water is getting into the boat through the motor casing ,it is not a lot and after 2 hours of running there was only a little bit in the hull ,if it gets too bad then i will fill the can up with resin as the motor cannot be removed easily.
My thoughts on the kit ,excellent and thanks to Lawrie and Jackie for producing it, there are others who may build it their way and thats ok as we have the choice and our own preferences .
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: catengineman on May 04, 2008, 05:38:38 pm
Great build    O0

Nice set of pictures well done  whats the next on your agenda?

R,
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: RantandRave on May 04, 2008, 06:15:16 pm

Whats the stability like on water?

Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on May 05, 2008, 08:38:12 pm
Thanks  R, not sure which one to do next .I still have a tug510 part done on the shelf from Model Slipway ,and i have just cast a hull from glass fibre and would like to get some more done on that . I will try to make it like a tug down here in goole that used to move tom puddings on the canal (Welldale) .

Propshaft ,she is resonably stable under normal use but not sure how she would handle with a load on the end of the tow line.
daz 
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on May 31, 2008, 12:10:48 am
After the disapointment with the 555s being a bit flat i have now fitted a pair of johnsons ,the ones with the cooling fans fitted to the rear ,so its off to the pond sat aft to se how they perform i may also replace the original plastic props as i think they are warping under load .
pics and report to follow.
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: mikeflyer on December 07, 2008, 08:23:25 pm
thank you for doing all the photos just got the kit and its my first model boat so the photos will help a lot
so i know ware to start thanks again .     
                                                          mike
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: dan on December 07, 2008, 08:34:38 pm
looks great both on and off the water  :-)), how many LEDs have you used
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on December 08, 2008, 09:55:50 pm
Hi Mike , tha tug has started to undergo a refit  as i had some problems with water ingress (my fault ,didn't seal the deck properly).
So i have ripped off the decks and replaced them with grp sheet and hopefully sealed them properly but now with more access to the motors and a full strength towing gear plate of plywood , the rear deck can be sealed in place with sicoflex type sealant or vasseline to allow access later .
In the last photo you can see the threaded bar and bracket bonded to the hull for bolting down the deck ,for this i used a D link with a bolt welded to the pin so it can be used as a grog eye.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000964.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000969.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000970.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010154.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010150.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010149.jpg)
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: MCAT on December 09, 2008, 12:22:32 pm
PORTSIDE II   have you used some strange format on the pictures I cannot see any of them.

and am most intrested in this model
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: Bryan Young on December 09, 2008, 05:41:24 pm
Hi Mike , tha tug has started to undergo a refit  as i had some problems with water ingress (my fault ,didn't seal the deck properly).
So i have ripped off the decks and replaced them with grp sheet and hopefully sealed them properly but now with more access to the motors and a full strength towing gear plate of plywood , the rear deck can be sealed in place with sicoflex type sealant or vasseline to allow access later .
In the last photo you can see the threaded bar and bracket bonded to the hull for bolting down the deck ,for this i used a D link with a bolt welded to the pin so it can be used as a grog eye.
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000964.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000969.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1000970.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010154.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010150.jpg)
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u176/darran77/dutch%20river%20refit/P1010149.jpg)
daz
Where did you get those useful looking clamps? BY.
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: Brian Roberts on December 09, 2008, 07:44:34 pm
Hi

I recently bought an assorted pack of 12 clamps from my local B&Q which included four similar sized ones to those shown.

They were black and cost less than £6, pretty good value I thought.

Cheers

Brian
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: DickyD on December 09, 2008, 07:58:33 pm
PORTSIDE II   have you used some strange format on the pictures I cannot see any of them.

and am most intrested in this model
Hi MCAT are you logged on, you cant see all the photos until you are logged on. :-))
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: John W E on December 09, 2008, 08:25:58 pm
My dear friend Richard

Please think about your last posting, surely one must be logged in to the forum  before one can answer a reply :-)) :-))
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: portside II on December 09, 2008, 09:23:01 pm
That is what was confusinig me John .
MCAT , i cant understand why you cant see the pics , my they do look good if i say so myself  :D .
Brian, i cant remember where i bought them from , but i have since i bought them well over 5 years ago so far managed to loose one and also loose all but one of the springs ,apart from that they are realy good and i would certanly recomend them to anyone who is looking for some ,and if they find any can they let me know cos i would like some more  :-)) .
daz
Title: Re: here she is my Dutch River
Post by: craftysod on December 09, 2008, 09:41:25 pm
Can see pics fine and regards clamps,keep checking pound shops