Deans Marine Mastif Tug

My next project arrived this morning. Bought from eBay for about half the new price  It appears to be all complete with a nicely moulded hull. Its only  37cm long Designed to be run on two servo motors, I will be using two 140 size running from a single ESC.

The box photo was very tattered so this is the best I could do.



Barrie

That would look good lit up

hi barrie ,

looks like a nice shade of blue  . i will follow you as you go on with the build.

david

Hi David - Not sure it will be blue! I rather fancy all Red
Swab - as I rarely sail my boats and certainly not at night it is doubtful if I will fit lights.

I made a stand for it this morning, and started drilling for rudder tubes and prop shafts. According to the instructions the position of these should have been marked on the hull, but they weren't The rudder tubes are tacked in place ready for some P40 when I get the prop shafts in.

Barrie

The holes for the prop shafts have been opened out. When I removed the shaft tubes from the package I found that they were both split  Not much I could do about it as this is an old kit and not bought from Deans Marine. However, I did have some suitable brass tube so I made new ones and moved the bushes, push fit plastic, over.

The slots for the tubes are according to the dimensions given in the instructions, however they are far too big



Lots of filling to do here  The shafts are tacked in place at the moment. The motor mount tray is still to be trimmed to fit. I had to trim the end of one shaft as it wasn't true, so the other need trimming to match.

Barrie

The prop shafts and rudder tubes are now fixed in place with P40. I have filled the gaps with P38, and also applied P38 to the inside of the gunwales ready for sanding and smoothing.



I have modified the motor mount and it is now ready to be fixed in place. I will have to shorten the prop shafts, and the motors will require a little packing to get a good alignment.

Next job will be to smooth the gunwales. I am waiting for a new servo to arrive from Component Shop so I can make a mount and linkages before I get the deck in place.

Barrie

The gunwales have been sanded and the freeing ports cut. There was no information about size or position of the ports so I had to go by the photos.
I've also made the final adjustments to the motor mount and that has been epoxied in place. The servos arrived today so I can look to designing and making a suitable mount and linkage.

Barrie

Not too much progress this morning.  I started trying to set up the rudders. The supplied tillers are cast in white metal and come with some self tapping screws to hold them to the rudder shafts. After many tries I can't get these to hold firmly. I could possibly use some super glue, but that would be pretty final and I don't want to go down that route.  In addition, the linkage to the servo fouled the fixing screw on the tiller So - I will have to make some new tillers. The rudder shafts are 2mm and I have a couple of 14 swg collets which are the right size. I'll cut some arms from brass probably and solder them on.
I have epoxied a piece of plasticard across the stern as the start of a servo mount. I think I may get away with using double sided tape to stick the servo down - a method I've not used for a long time

The good news is that I don't need to shorten the prop shafts

Barrie

After a full mornings work, the rudder linkage is now complete
I had a number of attempts to get the linkage working. Its quite tight behind the rudders and stopping the tillers and linkage hardware fouling the hull too a number of tries of different hardware.
These are the new tillers - these were quite easy to make when I had found the right materials amongst my collection.



and this is the final (??) installation.



I will complete the motor installation next and then I can move on to the deck.

Barrie

The motors have been wired up but I decided not to install at this time.
I next moved on to fixing the deck bearers These are made from strips of 1mm plasticard. the first layer is stuck to the hull with CA, subsequent layers are stuck with liquid polystyrene. There are three layers and the stern is complete. Only one layer at the bow so far. Having got these in place I cut out the two parts of the deck so I could do a trial fit. Not so good Both pieces are not wide enough. You can see the gap in this photo



The foredeck is worse, although It may be possible to pull in the hull to make it a slightly better fit. At the moment I am thinking it will be necessary to cut new parts.

Barrie

I finished fitting the deck bearers for the foredeck. I then cut new decks. You can see how much smaller they were than needed in this photo.



I think the hull may have shifted with time - I think it was an old kit that I bought. I did consider trying to alter the hull shape, but decided it was easier to cut new decks. The aft deck has now been fitted, after making some changes to the steering so that I have access once the deck is glued down

Next I will tackle the foredeck, and then I think it is gunwale supports.



Barrie

Every piece for the coamings on the foredeck was the wrong size  I thought it must be my fault in getting the size of the opening wrong when I made the new deck, but no! They have now been fitted and the foredeck glued down. I made the hatch for the rear deck - again the side pieces were the wrong size and I had to make some of them from scrap. The details were added to the top.

Finally, I started to fill the gaps between the decks and the hull. This will need cleaning up once the filler has hardened, and may need a little more adding in places.

I'm not really looking forward to building the main cabin. Its a quite complicated shape and if the pieces are as far out as the coamings and rear hatch, then its going to be a nightmare

Barrie

Today I stuck some 1mm plasticard strip round the top of the gunwale to create a cap rail. I then filled the gap between the strip and the hull. This will be sanded later. The instructions suggest adding a strip of mahogany veneer to the top, but I don't think I will try that.
I should have gone on to making and fitting the supports, but have left that for now and instead started on the superstructure. This is quite a complicated construction so will take some time. I just hope the pieces are accurately printed on the plasticard. :

So far I only have a small piece done.



Barrie

Can you post some photos of the warehouse where you keep all your boats

Here you are Swab. Since this was taken I have sold four of them and added one. In addition I have 6 more in the house - not working models.
You will notice that I normally build small models - the Police Launch was an exception and was sold soon after I built it.
I will probably try to sell another two or three in the new year. The problem is its getting more difficult to decide which I am prepared to sell.



Barrie

Continuing with the superstructure, the lower level is all stuck together. A few hiccups along the way, and a couple of wrong size pieces, but its now waiting for the glue to dry. There is however a major issue looming. Its too big I assumed that it should tightly over the coamings, but its is too big in all directions A problem for the future - at least its better than being too small - I think!



I also sanded down the gunwale capping.

Barrie

I checked the superstructure against the original foredeck which has the marking for where it goes and it is almost spot on. That still leaves it floating about  There are no instructions for adding anything to make it secure  
The lower cabin now has its roof on, and has been sanded, now its waiting for filler to dry. The instructions say to drill holes for the portholes, but as there are no fittings I think it will look better if I cut black vinyl. In the meantime I have started cutting out windows for the wheelhouse. I think I counted 20  I just hope these pieces are all the correct size - I don't want to have to recut windows if I need to remake a piece

Barrie

Unfortunately there was a problem of size with the wheelhouse. Two in fact. The base was not big enough so had to be remade. and the window at each end was too deep.



I had to slim down the windows to fit as I didn't fancy cutting a whole new piece with all those windows  The wheelhouse is finished as far as I can go until It has been painted. If I put the roof on, I wont be able to glaze it.



I also did some work to make the lower cabin fit the coamings. I think I will need to find a way of using magnets to hold it in place as there will be quite a lot of weight up there.



I have cut some black vinyl portholes, and also some name plates ready for when its all been painted.

This is certainly not one of Dean's better kits. Far too many incorrect sized parts.

Barrie

Final pieces completed - the wheelhouse roof, the two funnels and the mast base. There are just some bollards to make. The funnels appear to be too tall. The platform which should link the roof the fire monitor is currently sitting 6 or 7mm above the roof.



I've also been looking at the towing bars. Both sit across the rear hatch and are white metal mouldings. I think the rear one is intended to be fixed to the hatch, but the forward one clearly straddles the hatch which is going to present access difficulties.

I am desperately in need of some clear photos of this model. The only ones I have are newspaper quality or worse printed on the plan.

Barrie

I started painting today. I've given the wheelhouse and roof two coats of matt white, and the funnels a coat of red. The funnels have been cut down so that the platform which sits on top of them is level with the wheelhouse roof - I think. I wont know for sure until things get stuck down. If the wheelhouse paint is good enough, then I can glaze it and stick on its roof. I have sprayed the clear plastic with window tint as there will be no interior detail.

I have found a sheet of photos at the back of the instruction book which are a little better quality.

Barrie

The wheelhouse windows have been fitted, so the roof is now on My paints arrived and the cabin has been painted cream. The decks and gunwales have been painted green. I have fixed the two funnels to the roof of the cabin, and painted the roof grey. The stanchions provided are not very good, but I'm not spending anymore money on this model, so they have been fitted to the Fire Monitor platform. After the paint has dried they will be strung with thread. No way am I going to try using brass wire Davidjt used thread very successfully recently, and I plan to do the same. It will be stiffened with CA glue.
I'm still puzzling out how to fit the towing beams to the aft deck whilst allowing the hatch to be removed.

Barrie

The railings on the fire platform have been fitted - I think they look OK. I will paint them black at some time. As you will see, I've also made and started painting two winches. I've also  painted more stanchions for the railings around the wheelhouse. The holes are drilled ready for them.
Finally, the underside of the hull has had a coat of red oxide. I'm not certain that the waterline is in the correct place as the the drawing and my hull didn't seem to match up



Barrie

A bit frustrated this morning My hands kept locking up - usually happens when its cold in the workshop, but it wasn't very cold this morning.
The underside of the hull was still tacky - should have brought it indoors yesterday I masked off the freeing ports on the inside, and painted the gunwales on the outside. This was intended to be dark blue, but the tin was empty The middle section will be black and I figured it would be easier to mask off the gunwales and also the black should cover the blue easier than the other way about

Finished the railings round the fire platform, and stuck the stanchions round the wheelhouse. I was going to thread them, but the fingers weren't co-operating Instead I added my pre-cut portholes and the remaining two doors. Also finished painting the two winches.
I think I've worked out how to mount the two tow bars to allow them to be removed - again non co-operating fingers meant I didn't get very far.

Barrie

Finished the railings on the cabin. I used some thinner thread and it looks better but he white metal stanchions are pretty hopeless. I also fixed the fire monitor.



I then masked up the hull and painted the middle section matt black. Removing the masking tape removed some bits of paint which have been touched up. The hull is now indoors to fully cure. There are still one or two areas needing attention, particularly the deck and gunwales.



It will need a coat or two of varnish to bring the various finishes together.
I've been trying to sort out the fittings. Not all are shown on the plan so working out where they go is a challenge.

Barrie

After a couple of days off, I made the remainder of the fittings this morning, and then painted them ready for fitting. I also went over the hull touching up the paint which I hope is now ready for a coat or two of Satincote varnish.



Barrie

I had a Morris Marina that colour Blue

More work on the fittings today, and the first coat of varnish on the hull. The names have also been applied to the hull ready to be sealed by the second coat. The superstructure is now almost complete. Two life rafts to add, and I just realised that there are handrails to fit.
I started to make nav. light boxes - nothing provided except the lamps. there are also lamps to add to the mast before it can be fixed in place.
Barrie

Handrails fitted to the cabin and painted. Many of the fittings now attached to the hull. The rear tow bar has been fitted, but may need to be removed. At the moment the vertical bars are removeable, and it should then be possible to lift the hatch clear.
The bars are held against the horizontal bar in wire loops so they will lift out. If that doesn't work Plan B is to secure the vertical to the horizontal, and free the horizontal from the hull.
I still have to fix the other bar. I am hoping that can be glued down and the hatch will still lift off. I wont actually fix that until I have completed the motor installation as it will reduce access.  
Once all the fittings are installed the deck needs a coat of varnish to hide the glue marks  
The hull still needs its second coat of varnish.

Barrie

OK - so Plan B it is - the posts were glued to the bar by the paint, so the whole lot now lifts off. I have also modified the forward bar so that it too will lift off if required, although the hatch will lift clear with it in place.



The nav. light boxes have been fixed in place, and the lamps fixed to the mast, which I had made too tall  The searchlight has been damaged and removed and will be replaced with the master binnacle.
The whole model has now had another coat of SatinCote and when that is dry and hard I will re-fit the motors etc and get it in the test tank - washing-up bowl I think in this case  

Barrie

I finished the model today. Fitted the receiver and ESC and tested everything The motors kept hesitating going forward, but were OK in reverse  I think maybe something was binding, or the 'bearings' in the shafts needed running in. I ran it for a while and things improved so I will leave it for now. It probably wont get much running as it will need calm seas or it will be swamped.
I put it in the washing up bowl to check if it needed ballast and it sat more or less on the line, so nothing added
No pictures of the inside because its a mess  I find it very difficult to be neat in these small hulls especially when the ESC has all fixed connections terminating in plugs and sockets.



My next project is a Police Boat from the Wooden Model Boat Company. Its all laser cut ply and balsa, only about 15 inches long. I plan to make it as a Pilot Boat. I will not be posting a build log.

Barrie

Tip top build - interested in the police boat build!

I may post pictures of the finished Police Boat, but not a full build log.

Barrie

Looks great Barrie.
Cheers,Murphy

hi barrie 

that red/ sorry blue boat lol   myself looks great i prefer blue glad all went well.

david

David - I had been looking at another of Deans small tugs which was all red and I thought it looked smart. However, the red I have is a bit too bright so I went with blue. Being a Yorkshire man I didn't want to spend too much money

Barrie