Pilot 40

This is my new project. I was planning on building a Sea Plane Tender from some Adamcraft plans that I have. This was the first model boat that I built with my father back in the 50's. However, I am going into hospital on Thursday for a major operation, which I am told will take 6 months to recover from. I didn't think I would be able to tackle cutting all the frames etc, so opted for something in plastic card - my favourite medium.

I bought the hull and plans from Model Boats - the hull is vac formed from, I believe, a Dave Metcalfe plug. My Tyne Lifeboat was from the same source and I should have learned my lesson! To make a start I cut the hull from the waste and leveled the top edges, made a stand and fitted some strip to take the deck. I then carefully traced the deck shape from the plans and cut the deck out of 1.5mm plasticard.

It doesn't fit




I don't think its the hull that has deformed with age, because it was delivered direct from the vac formers. I realise that I should probably have made a pattern in card first, but its a large expanse and I didn't have a big enough piece of card

So, first job when I re-start is the make this fit. I also have to decide on the motors. The drawings call for low drain 540s (2 of them) but this seems a bit over powered for this model. I am thinking of using two 'Black' 400s - particularly as I have one! I will be using my ACTion P94 that didn't fit in my little Stan Tug - there's no shortage of room in this one

I didn't realise until I got hold of the build article from Model Boats that this is a naval craft. I think I will portray it as though it has been sold out of the Navy into private hands.

To be continued - eventually

Barrie

Hi Barrie

I shouldn't be fazed by the deck not fitting. I personally prefer to have something of a gap at the edge
so i can fill it with car body filler or epoxy resin. If the gap is too small I would worry that any glue has
not gone in properly so it might split later.

To deal with this I would glue another strip of plastic to the underside of the deck to close the gap
and act as a platform for the filler. Then I would fill and sand down to the level of the rest of the deck.
If I wanted to be economical with filler or save weight, I might fill as much of the gap with plastic off-cuts
first and then the rest with filler.

Sorry to hear you have to go for an OP. I hope the recovery time is quicker than you fear. good luck!

James, I'm not too worried about the gap - some of that will go when I pull the sides in, but there's quite an overlap towards the bows. It can be dealt with, it just annoys me that they don't fit better. The Tyne lifeboat was the same or worse.

Thanks for the good wishes - I am hoping that they have told me the worst and things will turn out better All I'm really bothered about is being fit to go on the holiday we have booked for August. We've just had to cancel one booked for next week, and we missed the one we had booked last September because my wife had Bowel Cancer and was on chemotherapy. At least I shouldn't have to go through that

Barrie

Its now about 2 months since my op. I had expected to restart modelling before now, but I managed to acquire a virus which gave me Hepatitis - this was worse than the op! However, I'm now feeling up to the rigors of building model boats again. At least I was able to order up supplies whilst my liver recovered.

I have fitted the rudders and the prop shafts etc. I am waiting for some brass collets to make the tiller arms - I don't like the plastic ones supplied with the rudders especially as I need to link the two rudders. Next job is to mount the motors which are two JP pro 400s. I hope these will be sufficiently powerful, if not they make a 480 which is the same dimensions apart from length.

I have now got the deck fitted after quite a bit of fettling.



Before fixing the deck I carefully fitted some bearers to take a platform for the ESC , Rx etc



Unfortunately I had forgotten that there is a cabin floor in this model which will not leave sufficient clearance for the ESC so the platform has been removed. Although this is a very spacious hull, there is no real access to the forward third, so fitting everything in with the restriction on the clearance under the cabin is going to be a challenge.

Barrie

I wish you luck with your Op Barrie, and with your build, it's coming on.

Thanks Tony - the Op went well - saw the Surgeon yesterday and he is pleased with the outcome. Just need a CT scan now to make sure they got everything

The boat will be OK when I work out where to put the electrics. I thought I had plenty of room but forgot the cabin eats into the space quite a lot.

Barrie

I'm glad the OP went well Barrie. As regards the electrics when all else fails "Spread it out" You got my drift?

At last the weather has warmed up here in Essex, so today I started painting the hull. I gave it a couple of coats of Halfords Primer Filler, which went on very well. Then masked off the top of the hull, and spayed the underwater area with Halfords Red Plastic Primer, which didn't go on very well. I got lots of spots coming out of the spray, and its left a very rough surface. When its dried thoroughly I will rub it down and give it another coat.



Barrie

I wish i had somewhere to spray Barrie, but as it is i have to brush my paint on. You get a lovely finish when you spray paint.

Tony

Tony - I usually spay outside. That's why I had to wait for a warm dry day. If its desperate, I use the garage, but I prefer outside. I have an airbrush and I do use that in my workshop.

Barrie

Cheers Barrie. I had an Airbrush along with compressor sent to me last week, and Amazon didn't know anything about it. I wish I'd have kept it but i am too honest for that.

Tony

The hull has now been painted ready for some satin varnish, then I will add the boot topping using plastic tape and a final coat of varnish. There is also rather a lot of rubber moulding to go on


I have also made a start on the cabin which is a very complicated structure as part of it is double skinned, the interior also needs fitting out, so this will take me some time - especially if the weather stays as warm as it is. I can't stick in my workshop for too long


Barrie

Good work Barrie, as regards the Heat A Fan might help?. Just a suggestion.

Progress is slow at the moment, although there will be no more days lost to hospital visits as I have been given the "all clear" from the Oncologists. The Sarcoma was apparently a very mild one, and no further treatment is required

The hull has been painted and given a couple of coats of satin varnish. When I've fitted the boot topping I will give it one more. The cabin however is proving much more of a problem. I am having great difficulty understanding the drawings, which are different to the photographs in the original build article in MB. I thought I had it sorted, then came across another area which doesn't work as drawn!

This is what it looks like at the moment.


Barrie

I'm glad you been given the all clear Barrie , well done mate. The boat is looking good.

Thanks Tony - looking forward to my holiday in 12 days time - had to cancel two in the last year due first to my wife's cancer then mine.

Barrie

I've managed to get the rear of the wheelhouse completed, not strictly according to the drawings, but it looks OK - I think. It really needs a coat of paint to be sure I've found and filled all the holes

Painting is something that is going to be tricky, as the interior is fitted, and when the roof and floor are added there will be no access, unless I make the roof removable. I think that I will paint the inside next, before I finish the build. It will be easier to do that before the sides and front go in.




Barrie

I can't wait to see it on the water Barrie

That may be awhile yet Tony as I have two holidays before the end of September

Barrie

got some nice shots of a pilot 40 ( nelson type) whilst on hols.......built as a survey boat.....will post them if you would like.....shows both her running gear and the top side.

neil.

nhp651 wrote:

got some nice shots of a pilot 40 ( nelson type) whilst on hols.......built as a survey boat.....will post them if you would like.....shows both her running gear and the top side.

neil.

Yes please

Barrie

nhp651 wrote:

got some nice shots of a pilot 40 ( nelson type) whilst on hols.......built as a survey boat.....will post them if you would like.....shows both her running gear and the top side.

neil.

Erm what do you mean, 'if you like?'? Surely you know it is compulsory to post pictures of boats!!!!

Welcome back amigo, you have been missed.

thanks Barry....nice to be back ( I think).........although had lovely weather and good fun, it's always nice to be back in your own house and bed, lol













I found this boat on the hard standing at Ardrossan harbour next to the Calmac Ferry terminal whilst waiting for the ferry to Arran.

hope they are of usee to you

neil.

"Always Vigilante"

Thanks Neil - not quite what I'm building but interesting nevertheless - and Footski will be happy with the photos.

Barrie

TonyW wrote:

"Always Vigilante"

that's what the latin saying on the the boat

barriew wrote:

Thanks Neil - not quite what I'm building but interesting nevertheless - and Footski will be happy with the photos.

Barrie

Quite right Barrie. A good set of shots they are too.

I have prepared the side and front window frames ready for fitting, but before I do, I need to fit-out the interior or it will be very difficult to get access. These are the sides with one of the frames cut from 0.25mm plastic card on my vinyl cutter. An identical frame will hold the 'glass' in place from the outside.



The interior has a seat (waiting the "cushions"), a chart table and a helmsman's seat. The drawings didn't indicate any method for getting from the deck level to the cabin floor, so I have put in some steps.



That's it for a few weeks as I am off on holiday on Monday for two weeks , and when I get back I need to order some supplies. My final local model shop has closed down, so even paint has to be mail order now

Barrie

Back from holiday and the backlist of things to be done cleared, so I have started on the Pilot boat again. I need to get it finished as I ordered Ron Dean's new Tug boat Yarra at his show on Saturday

The wheelhouse interior items are now fixed - just need to make a Radar screen. I have a figure which I may fit - I have started painting it and will see if it looks right when its done. I am having problems with the two front windows. The first pair cut from the plans didn't fit, so I have started making a 2nd pair. One of the problems is that the plans called for the sides and fronts to be made from 0.75mm plastic card, which has no rigidity, making it quite difficult to get the correct shape and size, so the replacements are being made in 1mm.




Barrie

Coming along Barrie

I've been working on the roof of the wheelhouse - a complicated structure. This is where I've got to today. I'm waiting for everything to set firmly before attacking it with scraper and sandpaper to get some of the curves and rounded edges in place.



I have also been painting the boot topping. I usually use the stick on plastic strip for this job, but I find it quite wasteful as only a tiny fraction of the widths on the roll get used. I found an alternative technique using Pin Striping tape which has two masking strips at the required spacing on a backing strip. The backing strip is clear so you can see the align it along the joint between the underwater and top colours. The backing strip is then peeled away leaving a perfectly spaced gap for painting!

The first picture show the tapes after removing the backing strip



The second picture during painting


And finally the finished line. I'm very pleased with the result - I think it is better than the vinyl tape I usually use.



Barrie

I wish my Pilot boat looked like that Barrie, mind you it is about 40 years old .

Final post before I go off on holiday again

The basic shell of the wheelhouse is now completed and painted - there are some fittings to make or paint, then I will glaze it. Once that is done there are some quite complicated handrails to make and fit.
I have fitted two lots of foam rubber fenders to the hull. These are to be linked by other strips, but I've run out of foam! I'll order some more when I return.



I've also changed my mind about the electronics. I was going to use an ACTion esc/mixer, but having ordered Dean's new tug, I decided to use that in the tug, and will use a single Mtroniks ESC in the pilot boat. I think its more important to have the maneuverability in the tug.

Barrie

Nice Very nice indeed

A very nice neat job Barrie, you should be very pleased with what you have done so far.



Geoff

I've been making and painting fittings for a few days, but today started glazing the wheelhouse.



The motors and speed control are now fitted - it seems very noisy running on the bench. I guess the hull acts as an amplifier. Hope its quieter in the water

I'll finish the glazing in a day or two, then its time for the test tank and add some ballast before I start on the railings and finish installing the fittings. I think I now have everything I need to complete the model.

Barrie

Hi Barrie I must say she's looking good, I wouldn't worry too much about the noise as very often the hull does exactly as you suspect and amplify the noise, plus what seems loud in the workshop often sounds reasonable out on the water with some open space around and no walls to bounce the sound back at you.

Phil - the hull is only an ABS vac forming, so it make a very good resonator

Barrie

I'll bet mate !! Still getting some water around the outside will dampen it significantly if you'll pardon the pun

Instead of going sailing this morning, the weather and I were both iffy , I decided to get some more of the Pilot boat finished. All the windows are now glazed and most of the fittings installed - just waiting for paint to dry on the final ones. When that is done I will float it and install the ballast ready for sea trials, before tackling the hand rails which are quite complicated.



Barrie

This Pilot boat is a work of art Barrie well done ooh I wish I could work as fast as you some of the others on here can and I used too.

Thanks Damien, but its not really as good as it looks in the photos I had a lot of trouble getting the joint lines neat, partly because I followed the instructions on the plan and used material that was too thin for the job. It will look OK on the water though, and that is what matters to me

Barrie

Please don't run yourself down we all do the best we can, we all know the faults in our models but unless they're rivet counters folks won't notice and from my experience here in Aust. Rivet counters are usually not modellers just jealous wannabe's.

To a non modeller at lakeside it'll be a museum piece just enjoy the compliments our worst critics are always ourselves.

Well said Damien I heartily agree we are always our own worst critics. this really is a superb job being done here Barrie, thanks for sharing it with us.

Thanks for the compliments

I've almost done as much as I can until the Leamington Spa show in a couple of weeks - I need some long lengths of brass rod for the handrails down the cabin, plus a couple of fittings to finish her off. I was hoping to give her a maiden voyage tomorrow, but the weather doesn't look as though its going to co-operate
Since this photo, I have almost completed the radar scanner installation and painted the life rings, so maybe these will get finished tomorrow instead of an outing on the water



Barrie

that is looking superb....a real nice model, and a true credit to you..............hope she sails as good as she looks.

neil.

Some final photos until I get the last bits from Leamington.



I did manage a quick sail this morning. Here is a shot to prove it.



Not a very good photo but it was bitterly cold and raining and I only had my phone camera It sailed pretty well until the battery ran down. Not a very long run time, but I'm not certain the battery was fully charged. However, when I took it out of the water, there was a lot of water inside. Not sure where it came from - I will have to do some test tank tests

Barrie

Being Bitterly cold prob affected the battery life especially if there's not much current draw to warm it up a little as for water in her my 1st port of call would be the prop shaft tube and rudder shaft tube especially if there's a fair prop wash putting pressure around the rudder. Otherwise she looks good on the water, As expected mate Nice one

A beautiful job done Barriew