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[madwelshman]

Looks good, she'll be on the water in no time Bob.

[zooma]

I don't have any building instructions for the Sea Commander, and I have never owned one (or seen another one being constructed), but from what I can see from looking at the plans, the chine stringers meet at a point on the bows with no internal support (like a second breasthook) underneath them.

Maybe adding a pair of secondary "breasthook" halves on either side of the keel to sit on top of the front doubler K3 (and under doubler K2) would be a good idea?

This would give some support underneath the chine stringers at this point and make for a stronger bows too.

If anyone who has built a Sea Commander has any thoughts on this area of the hull I would be very pleased to know how they got on with forming the chine stringers where they meet the keel at the bows.

[canabus]

Hi Zooma


I did the second breasthook on my Sea Hornet, but that had balsa block lower section.


I would put the chine stringers in and add more wood to the keel above and below.


This will give you more glue area for the plywood skins.


I did this on my Swordsman and added fiberglass as well to add more strength and waterproofing.


Harry

[Circlip]

All the Rowel hulls utilise the same construction, chamfered face of F2 aligns with outer face of chine stringer as shown on sketch 2. Stiletto is same.


  Regards  Ian.

[madwelshman]

I don't have any building instructions for the Sea Commander, and I have never owned one (or seen another one being constructed), but from what I can see from looking at the plans, the chine stringers meet at a point on the bows with no internal support (like a second breasthook) underneath them.

Maybe adding a pair of secondary "breasthook" halves on either side of the keel to sit on top of the front doubler K3 (and under doubler K2) would be a good idea?

This would give some support underneath the chine stringers at this point and make for a stronger bows too.

If anyone who has built a Sea Commander has any thoughts on this area of the hull I would be very pleased to know how they got on with forming the chine stringers where they meet the keel at the bows.

What about the build instructions that I sent you with the plan and templates Bob, do they not describe build order?


Will

[zooma]

What about the build instructions that I sent you with the plan and templates Bob, do they not describe build order?


Will

I have read and printed the basic build instructions that were sent to me. They mimic the standard assembly sequence for Aerokits models in general.

I am using my own plan that I bought from eBay before the lock-downs started.

The bulkheads I have used have not been cut from any drawings - I am yet to get a set printed.   If I like the finished model and decide to build another one (properly) I will get the ones that I have been sent printed at full size to use for my cutting templates.

The "instructions" build sequence is fairly obvious and is general enough to apply to almost any Aerokits/LesRo kit, and it is the same general sequence that I have used on this model as it is a fairly obvious way to work - as can be seen from the pictures shown on this thread.

In this basic assembly sequence there is no mention of the chine stringers at the point where they join the keel at the bows. The only mention of either stringer set is that they are formed from two laminated layers of 1/8" x 1/4" - a method I have alway used on any models I build. The plan shows the chine stringers meeting the bow end of the keel with no support or under-former.

This seemed like a fairly weak area to me so I was asking if anyone who had personally built a Sea Commander had used the method as shown on the plan (but not refered to in the build instructions) or had chosen to reinforce it as I have now done.

I have chosen to reinforce this area on my Sea Commander build with a pair of sub-breasthooks to align with, and sit under the chine stringers between the first bulkhead B1 and the bow end of the keel. This looks and feels really solid and is the same method I used on the Aerokits Swordsman kits that I have previously built. This will also give a bigger area of wood for the skins to bond onto.

Harrys contribution to this thread earlier this morning suggested adding more wood in this area for the same reasons, so we are on the same wave length

[Circlip]

Wonder how the hundreds of builders managed without the advantage (?) of t'internet? 


  Regards  Ian.

[zooma]

Wonder how the hundreds of builders managed without the advantage (?) of t'internet?   

Regards  Ian.

A very good point Ian.

Trying to salvage or refer to parts that have seen better days from a broken model can sometimes be worthwhile, but when they are incomplete, some are missing and others are delaminating and twisted it may not turn out to be the best idea - but it would have been a lot more tempting prior to the internet when such a good resource of information was not so readily available.

I am sure that if I had the chance to get the plan templates that I have been so kindly sent printed at full size, my build/restoration (not really sure what this project has turned out to be) would have been a lot less time consuming.

[tonyH]

Hot foot from Bob!

[canabus]

Hi Bob


I would guess taking the forward cabin roof right back to the bottom of the windscreen for a cleaner look.


Harry

[zooma]

Hi Bob

I would guess taking the forward cabin roof right back to the bottom of the windscreen for a cleaner look.

Harry

Good idea - I was thinking the same Harry.

Once the front windscreen is beveled and fitted I think the front roof should be fitted right up to the base of the window frames - but I have some way to go before I get to that stage.

At the moment I am checking the flow of the chine and gunwale stringers to make sure they measure right and look right!

I always spend some time at this stage (even when kit building) to check measurements against the plans at dozens of different reference points before finalising the stringers position as they affect the deck line as well as the hull skins. 

The inclusion of two of my own bulkhead shapes makes it even more important to take some time to check everything fits the plans on this model.

[canabus]

HI Zooma
My Lord, ewe have built a kit boat, I have never built a kit boat from the start !!!!
I have finished building a kit boat !!
I would have to say the Wavemaster was the hardest boat I ever built !!


Canabus

[Martin (Admin)]

HI Zooma
My Lord, you have built a kit boat, I have never built a kit boat from the start !!!!
I have finished building a kit boat !!
I would have to say the Wavemaster was the hardest boat I ever built !!

Canabus

Really??? - Why?

[canabus]

Hi Martin


What are posting about ??


The Wavemaster or the Sea Commander ???


Canabus

[zooma]

Fixing the front cabin roof will be left until (almost) last.

Once this non-removable roof is fixed there will be no way into this sealed compartment, so I want to take the time to epoxy coat everything inside (and probably paint it) before fixing the roof.

I have cut an access into bulkhead B2 to ease this situation slightly for any future needs (the original old B2 bulkhead I copied was solid), but I have also had to brace across the top of B2 as the cabin sides are warped and I need this brace to push them back out as an aid to straightening them.

The cabin sides have been clamped to straight wood blocks for several days - and this has helped quite a bit, and I have cut short square blocks that will fit in-between the bulkheads and I am continuing to leave them clamped to the exposed cabin sides overnight until they stay straight, and when they do straighten I will use some very thin self-wicking super glue to creep in-between the delaminated sides and help to maintain the correct re-instated shape.

[canabus]

Hi Zooma
The one I had had the motor in the forward cabin section.
It may limit you for battery placement for the boat balance???


Canabus

[zooma]

Hot foot from Bob!

Thanks Tony.

The top picture shows the two half breasthooks that I have introduced to strengthen the joint between the chine stringers and the keel at the bows with an overly generous amount of PVA ( before I wiped the excess off!   ). The modified breasthook shape can also be seen above them.

The second picture shows the new rear cabin wall and the rear deck combings ready to support the central rear deck skins. I needed to get this fitted and firmly clamped together to help straighten the warped and delaminating cabin sides.

The third picture shows the new bulkheads B4 and the "guessed at" shape of bulkhead B5 and shows the loose-fit cabin floor.  I cut the cabin floor and used it as a fitting template as I clamped the bulkheads into place to ensure they were parallel to each other at all heights.

Picture four shows the area that I cut away from bulkhead B2 to improve access after the front cabin roof is fitted, but also shows the brace that I had to add over the top of it to help straighten the twisted and delaminated front cabin sides. The picture also shows the windscreen shape that I had taken from the plans and drawn onto a scrap piece of 4mm ply ready for cutting out.

The fifth picture shows the windscreen shapes cut out and ready for profiling the joints prior to fitting, and also shows the lower windscreen former fitted and ready to accept the frames. Lots of clamps used to try to straighten the cabin sides and to keep the new top cabin side brace aligned over B2 until it had dried.

[zooma]

Hi Zooma
The one I had had the motor in the forward cabin section.
It may limit you for battery placement for the boat balance???
Canabus

I have shortened the M5 prop shaft length down to 11" to allow space to fit an alloy water-cooled mount for the out-runner motor with a PowerFlex coupling fitted, and it looks like the assembly will fit comfortably inside the engine bay - but I have opened-out the front bulkhead B2 in any case so I have gained a little "elbow room" if I need it 

[zooma]

HI Zooma
My Lord, ewe have built a kit boat, I have never built a kit boat from the start !!!!
I have finished building a kit boat !!
I would have to say the Wavemaster was the hardest boat I ever built !!
Canabus

Yes Harry - my first ever r/c powerboat was an Aerokits Swordsman that I built from a kit.  I had to save up for weeks before I could to buy this from my meagre apprenticeship wages in the 1960's.

I couldn't afford to buy another kit for several years after that, so I built from the free plans that used to be given away in the Christmas issues of Model Maker - including the Vic Smeed Remora and Suzy Q.

Later (1971) I bought an Aerokits Patrol Launch kit.

In more recent years I have bought an Aerokits Sea Urchin kit (I always like the shape of this little model) and a LesRo Arrow kit (not started yet), but I have also bought another Aerokits Swordsman kit that I am building alongside my scratch built Swordsman, and I have bought a LesRo Rapier kit and a LesRo Streaker (Javelin) kit and I have not started work on either of these yet.

My other recent kit purchase was an original HMM Wavemaster 34 kit that had been stored in a damp loft for many years!  I had to remake every part from new plywood - but I would still claim this as building a kit as I followed the plan and building instructions and made the jig to align the keel and bulkhead etc - a "proper" kit!

The original Wavemaster 34 wood has been kept pressed under a weight for months and will hopefully be flat enough to return to the box soon so it is a new and un-started kit with flat wooden parts that can be used to build a boat with!     

[madwelshman]

Fixing the front cabin roof will be left until (almost) last.

Once this non-removable roof is fixed there will be no way into this sealed compartment, so I want to take the time to epoxy coat everything inside (and probably paint it) before fixing the roof.

Bob, on the better of my Sea Commander, the Forward cabin roof is removable.
There's a hook in piece on the front edge of it to locate the front end of the roof and I will use magnets to hold the back end down.
I presumed that this is how it's supposed to be.
The other Commander I have is a real lash up and has been altered from standard and very badly too. It's a real dog.


I can take pictures of that fore cabin roof if you wanted to see.


Will

[zooma]

Bob, on the better of my Sea Commander, the Forward cabin roof is removable.
There's a hook in piece on the front edge of it to locate the front end of the roof and I will use magnets to hold the back end down.
I presumed that this is how it's supposed to be.
The other Commander I have is a real lash up and has been altered from standard and very badly too. It's a real dog.

I can take pictures of that fore cabin roof if you wanted to see.

Will

Thanks Will,

Every front cabin roof on Sea Commanders (and Queens) that I have seen over the years is glued down onto the fore-deck, just leaving the centre cabin and the rear cabin with a lift-off roof to provide access.

Being able to lift off all three cabin tops would give much improved access to the hull and does sound interesting.

[madwelshman]

Bob, here's a few pictures of my fore cabin roof and how it fits on.


Will

[madwelshman]

Hold on, I'll try again

[madwelshman]

2nd go.

[zooma]

Thanks for the pictures Will - that does give me "some food for thought"