I've never 'scratch built' anything , how hard can it be!?
Not keen on doing the hull, found a Precedent Huntsman 31 hull , in need of work , a fortune changed hands (£10 anyway) no superstructure , deck badly fitted etc . . .
Off I went , an EVIL paint scheme had to come off, Black / Yellow / Red flames , being Fibreglass NITROMORs stripper was out , tried everything, Fairy Power spray / Brake fluid , nil . . sanding wasn't denting the paint either , dawned on me that it's HAMMERITE silicone paint
idly flicking at it with an EXACTO chisel blade it started coming off !
Out in the yard after a couple of hours it's all off, they hadn't sanded the hull down luckily & the paint wasn't gripping , the yard looked like a Jackson Pollock painting tho '. . . Out with the frames / propshaft / rudder and anything else N B G
Having an elderly Aerokits Huntsman I just made cardboard templates of all I need
I elected to leave the windows / frames cut outs until fitted in place
The hull's now sanded, propshaft in & P framed , holes drilled for the rudder / etc
As I suspected the deck split away & needed re attaching with resin inside & out when I fitted the new internals , also fitted the motor mount bearers
cut a close fitting base for the cabin to be built on , & strapped it to the deck
This will stay in place til the cabin is assembled
Well deck frame ready to go in
Needed to taper the sides to leave an acceptably narrow joint at the top join
you can see the taper clearly here
Cabin sides / frames / front screen now fitted , window apertures cut out
Now for the dreaded roof, under advisement I made this from 2 pieces of 1.5 mm ply the faces NEXT to each other were scored radially out from the centre as ply will only flex easily one way & it's a compound curvature , glued together with 24hr ARALDITE & strapped down tightly to the top of the frames, next day PERFECT, after releasing from the straps, maintained the required shape
Glue on the roof
Did this upside down as ARALDITE runs when it cures , used ARALDITE thru-out the cabin build for the strength & no movement benefits
two earlier efforts using aliphatic resin were SCRAPPED as they twisted all over the place.
The cabin in all it's glory released & trimmed.
and the engine intakes attached, a coat of resin to seal the wood . . and on to the next stage.
Can I ask you not to post yet ? as I'll lose track of where I am in this saga, I'll be doing another 4 posts
Bill