Fishing Boat Artur

As I said at the end of my Tornado build, my next project is a wooden kit from Czechoslovakia with instructions in German      I have tried scanning, OCRing and the Google translating, but wasn't really worth the effort, so its "flying blind" on this one     That's not entirely accurate as there are three sheets of plans, one of which is a pretty good exploded view. The only problem is there is no parts list to identify the parts. Most are obvious thankfully.

I did say I wasn't going to start this until after my holiday, but I got bored and the weather didn't allow me to do the outside jobs, so I have made a start. It is quite a change from the Aeronaut with its beautifully laser cut parts. There are no cut parts in this kit - just printed ply, and not very good ply at that   

All the formers have been cut, and one damaged   - that will be recreated in liteply. It gets a bit tricky at the stern, as the rear bulkhead has to be slotted on the rear upper keel before the keel can be completed. The propshaft goes through the join so getting everything lined up is tricky.

The pictures show the state of play with the pieces dry fitted ready for final adjustments and gluing after my hols.




The section between the front and rear bulkheads is planked and the bow and stern carved from balsa blocks.

Barrie

A nice Model Barrie I'm sure you'll do a masterful job of building as usual.        

Right - back to work after my holiday! I cut a replacement for the damaged former, finished filing/sanding to shape and dry fitted them to the keel. In this photo the propshaft tube is stuck to the lower keel with super glue, the remainder is just dry fitted.



It was a little tricky as the rear former is fitted to the upper keel piece from below so had to be glued before assembling to the lower keel   Here it has all been glued together and checked for square etc. Two strengthening pieces now help the joint between the upper an lower keels, otherwise its just the prop tube holding it together  



Before putting it all together I drilled the upper keel for the rudder tube - you can just see it above the rear former.

Barrie

This model has a wooden skeg into which the foot of the rudder fits. I couldn't see how you were supposed to achieve this, and as the instructions are in German, I had to figure this out myself    Other than fitting the rudder before putting the keel together, I decided to fix a strip of brass to the bottom of the keel. Before fixing, I drilled a hole for a short tube to take the foot of the rudder. With the strip in place I used a fine saw to cut through the skeg. I can now remove the skeg to allow fitting of the rudder and for removal of the prop shaft.  



The rudder is made from brass sheet and rod. I tried to silver solder them, but my torch is not powerful enough, so had to settle for soft solder.



I have also fitted the top stringers ready to start planking.



Not sure when I will get any more done - I'm battling with a new computer, and have a couple of boats to repair   

Barrie

Looking good Barrie.                  

In amongst repairing a couple of boats I have managed to start planking the hull. The material supplied seems to be pine  about 2.2mm thick. Its not the best material for planking! However I now have four planks each side. I have had to use brass pins to hold the planks - I hope to remove most of them. Its going to need a lot of sanding and filler to get a reasonable finish, then I will cover with tissue and resin inside and out. Both the bow and stern are carved from balsa blocks.

Barrie

 

i'm enjoying this build Barrie.

Specially for Damien who I know is going mad because he is not allowed into his workshop   , here is a progress report. There are now 9 planks each side - wowee     
Its rather like watching paint dry isn't it   Every time I build a plank on frame I vow never to build another    This one is particularly unpleasant as the 'planks' are a bit too plank like - not very bendable  
As you can see its not the smoothest finishes - when the planking is finished I will apply resin and glass tissue to the inside to support it while I apply filler and lots of sandpaper to the outside.

Barrie

 

hi barrie,

I cant believe you don't like plank on frame   , do you not wet the planks before fixing, all my boats are plank on frame, I love doing it but all ways use my trusted waste water pipe and old kettle, with one end bunged then pour boiling water in then put planks in bung top and leave for 5 min, then take out and fix in place with pins and clamps using p.v.a. glue you should be able then to shape how you want,

david

hi barrie,

 hope you don't mind me posting this pic but it is just to show how you can bend the timber with my method.     ( please delete if I have done wrong)












david

David,

Yes - I know it should be an enjoyable experience, that's why I keep giving it another go    I haven't steamed these planks as there is not too much bending or twisting required, but the wood is such poor quality its difficult to work even on a fairly straight run. I have used my plank bending nippers though.

I am going to start from the bulwarks very soon so I get a smooth upper hull which will be above the waterline.

Barrie

A few more planks fitted this morning. I've started from the gunwhales now so that I have a neat finish above the water line. The planks are going on a little easier now so made quite good progress, although you do have to let the glue dry from time to time   In fact there are now another couple of planks in place since I took this photo.

Barrie

I didn't think even Damien would want to see plank by plank photos of this build, so I have waited until all the planks were fitted. There are quite a few gaps so plenty of filler will be required    The next job will be to apply resin and fibre glass tissue to the inside to add strength before I start the sanding and filling cycle. There are also the bow and stern blocks to fix and carve, but I think I will wait until I get a reasonable finish on the remainder of the hull.

Barrie

Looking good Barrie                

After filling the worst gaps, I applied some fibre glass tissue to the insides - up to deck level to add some strength to the hull. I think this would benefit from another resin coat.   


Then some preliminary sanding of the hull, and I covered most of it with filler. This will be left until Monday at the earliest to harden fully, before I start the serious sanding.   

Barrie

  

a job I hate, and very unaccomplished at finally reaches a stage, barrie where I can associate with..covering the bloody lot with filler, lol.............
I just live in awe of these guys that produce the Scottish ringers with their beautifully varnished planked hulls..........could never get one even half as good as those...........and your planking is a whole lot better than mine ever has been. well done matey. neil.

Thanks Neil. The planking wasn't actually very good, but as the bow and stern are carved balsa it didn't really matter   It was going to have to be covered anyway.  

Barrie

The results of half an hour or so with my new mouse sander    Still quite a bit to do, especially at the keel, but I think I will add and carve the bow and stern blocks next job.

Barrie

I started on the stern blocks today and have them roughly shaped and fixed in place. Still quite a bit to do    I suffer from hayfever and trying to sand balsa whilst wearing a face mask with a runny nose is not easy.   

Tomorrow I will try to finish the stern blocks before starting on the bow which I think will be more difficult, especially as they are made up from two blocks with the grain going in different directions   

Barrie



(Apologies for poor quality photo - too much sun)

Well, all the blocks are carved - roughly   The stern blocks are pretty nearly there - just need to fair them in with some filler and make final adjustments. The bow blocks are still quite a long way off, but I decided it would be easier to finish them on the hull as they were getting difficult to hold. The first one took quite a bit longer than the second - I think the balsa was softer on the second and easier to carve and sand.

Barrie

 

it's starting to look the part now Barrie, Sanding is not my favorite job either and on my last model there seems to be more of it. But I played it smart this year at xmas I was asked what I wanted so my daughter gave me a rotary sander and my wife gave me a belt sander so on this one boat they have nearly paid for themselves.  and I don't believe it when you say that to much sun spoiled your photo, come on to much sun in Essex you must be joking.   LOL Anyhow keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing it progress from here.
John

Hi Jaydee from another sunny day in Essex       In fact this little corner of the county seems to avoid the extremes of weather that other parts of England get.

Once I started planking the hull I realised there was going to be a lot of sanding so I went out and bought a B&D Mouse sander - my birthday and Christmas fall in the same month so no point waiting for those    

I am hoping to get a few hours in today and get nearer the correct shape for the bows. Depends how long I can stick it before the sawdust gets to me. If I try wearing both a face mask and goggles I find the former causes the latter to steam up so I cant see what I'm doing        

Barrie

Quite a good session this morning.   I am nearly there I think. There is still a little filler required particularly around the stern where the strengthening plates were fitted to hold the keel together. I am then undecided what to do with the hull - glass tissue and resin or just resin. Its a complicated shape to fit the tissue around.

Barrie

  

hi barrie.
I normally just use resin on out side but all ways use fine glass tissue on the inside, only problem I had once was when I built a fishing boat like yours the joints where the balsa and timber meet, I keep getting a faint air line crack on all four joints, so on your boat I would say use tissue to stop this happening. it must expand and contract when the weather warms up   .

david

David,

Yes - that's a thought. I do have some of the tissue used on aeroplanes which is thinner than the glass tissue I have. I may use that with the resin. On the other hand, most of those joints are covered with filler, so that may be resistant to cracking.

Barrie

hi barrie
mine was full of filler and I think that was causeing the problem wood and plastic padding one shrinks more than the other, you don't seem to get it when you use it on metal though   , odd one I think. good luck   .

david

Finished adding filler then sanding it off          ...... at least until I get some paint on to see what I've missed.  
I've now come to the next problem. I started cutting out the printed deck from the ply sheets and as I did so the top veneer started breaking away. I also noticed that as the ply flexed, the top veneer was rippling     It is very hard material and obviously long storage has not helped. I will use the printed items as templates for either liteply or plastic card - then it will have to be planked. I just hope that not all the printed sheets are the same.

However, tomorrow I hope to apply a coat of resin to the outside of the hull as the next job, then make a mount to install the motor.

Barrie

I hope the rest of the ply behaves itself Barrie.

Damien wrote:

I hope the rest of the ply behaves itself Barrie.

I need it check it carefully Damien. The nearest model shop selling ply is about 50 miles away, but luckily on Monday I will be passing within a couple of miles of it as we head to Yorkshire. So before then I need to work out what has to be replaced. If I have to replace it all, I think this one may get put on one side for while.  

 I've also found out that I have got the shape of the stern wrong      I don't think its anything that can't be put right - not enough taken off rather then too much   - so that means more carving and sanding. I've just managed to get rid of most of the dust as well   

Barrie

Yesterday I cut out all the remaining parts without any more problems     , so its just the deck that has to be replaced. I used the jigsaw on my Unimat 1 which speeded up the job  no end as it would have taken ages to do it by hand with a fret saw. The ply is very hard and quite brittle - not at all like birch ply.  Today I will use the sander disc on the Unimat to clean up the edges. I'm really pleased I bought this machine. I really wanted a powered fret saw and a work top sander, but I just don't have the space. The Unimat packs away when not in use, and does the job if you take your time. 

Barrie

I've now made and fitted a motor mount, strengthened the prop shaft and made and installed a battery box   I have also cut out the window openings in the two cabin structures. They don't look too neat in the photo. This is partly due to the nature of the material which is ever ready to splinter, and because they will be filled with plastic mouldings which will hide the rough edges    

There are two access hatches, the forward one is shown on the photo, the other is towards the stern and is divided by the thick beam onto the side of which the rudder servo mounts. I am still trying to decide where to put the Rx and ESC - and of course a switch! The ESC is an Mtroniks so I don't need an Rx battery.

That's probably it now until the end of next week as I am going 'home' to Yorkshire for a few days.    

Barrie

  

Back home and all chores done   So now to some modelling   I collected some 2mm liteply on my travels, but failed on 2mm  brass rod    Ordered from ebay instead.

The new deck has been cut out and scored to simulate planking. Hopefully when I stain it, the marks will show up. I have also fitted the steering servo, the ESC and radio. I just have to decide on a switch. The ESC has a radio switch so I may not bother with a main switch as it very tight in the forward hatch. I don't want to use the stern one as its under the main superstructure which I would prefer not to remove at the lake side.

I have also cut some 0.8mm ply to line the bulwarks as they are quite rough. Next job is to stain and fix the decks.

Barrie

  

The decks have been stained - no pic - I had a choice of English Light Oak or Jacobean Dark Oak    I selected the light oak    as the best of the two. I have started on the wheel house. I recently bought the little gadgets shown in the first picture to help get things square and they work    A bit expensive but worth it I think.

The second photo show the current stage with the front fixed to a tin to try to develop a curve. I did a few other bits of preparation ready to fix the decks as the next job.

Barrie

 

Great use of the magnetic clamps i have a set and use them a lot for plastic card work. great investment in a tool there, keep up the great work its coming along nicely 

RR 

The decks are now stuck down and the bulwarks lined. 
  
There is a rather noticeable gap where the two parts of the deck join. I will have to find some deck clutter to disguise it.    

I have also fixed the front of the wheel house. The roof is not stuck yet as I am trying decide the sequence of completing this part of the kit. The plastic window frames require painting, and have to be glazed. I think it will be easiest and cleanest to fix the frames then glaze from the inside - hence the lid is still loose  



I wish I could understand the instructions. The bulwarks forward of and astern of those you can see are supplied as 1 mm ply, but the depth is greater than those built up from the planking    I'm not sure if this meant or if I should cut them down the match the planking. I think this is the way to go, but it would be nice to be sure   

The next job is to fit the coamings to the two hatches so I can build the forward hatch cover and the main cabin.

Barrie

Modelers = masters of innovation love the container to mold the wheel house front              

More progress today - coamings fitted to both openings allowing the main cabin to be built, the frame for the forward hatch cover has been started. I've also fitted the front bulwarks. I had to re-make the front and rear walls of the lower cabin - I assume I cut the opening too large   

Barrie

I have realised why the rear cabin and forward hatch didn't fit - looking again at the original decks, I think they were intended to be cut in two and trimmed  

I have now fitted the rear bulwarks and painted the inside of the main bulwarks prior to fitting the capping over them. I have also re-made the fore deck pieces as the originals started splitting when I tried to trim them (same sheet as the decks).

Its now out with the filler again to smooth in the fore and aft bulwarks, then maybe its resin time   

Barrie

Despite a few trials and tribulations Barrie caused by the actual kit being a bit wanting or so it seems,  you have managed to make a grand job of it so far.

The main problem, apart from one sheet of ply, is the lack of instructions in English  There are actually three drawings, but no parts list. Given its age it is going together quite well. I think I'm on the home straight now. Most of the tricky bits are done.   

Barrie

                

Change of plan   I decided that I needed to fit the capping over the bulwarks - not sure of its correct name - before I could fit the bow and stern. I did this as indicated on the drawings using 2 mm square timber. I also painted inside the bow and stern bulwarks as they will not be accessible once the caps are on. Once I have the bow and strn caps fitted then I can start to fair in around the bow and stern.



Barrie

Are you going to just clear varnish the decks Barrie?  They look like they will come up very nice from the pics

Yes - they have been stained with light English oak dye, and I plan to give them a coat or two of Humbrol Matcote. I am trying to decide what to do with the wheelhouse. This is the original wood from the kit which is darker than the liteply I have used for replacement parts. I think I need to try Satincote on some of the rejected pieces, and also the stain.

Barrie

I've finished filling the hull now and given it a coat of resin. I decided not to try to add any cloth or tissue as the stern is quite a complex shape and I wasn't confident I could make a neat job of it. When its hard I'll decide if it needs another coat. I am a little concerned about the balsa so may give it one more.

After that I want to get a coat of paint on so that I can see its not quite as good as I think it is   I have also been working on other items including tapering the two masts.

Barrie

The hull has now had two coats of resin and I am waiting for it harden before rubbing down ready for painting. Whilst waiting for that, I have been making and painting the various items for the deck. I also have started on the railings on the upper deck.

Barrie

Looking GOOD Barrie   \   

I have now completed the railings on the upper deck. Still need a little cleaning up before painting. Other small items are also progressing - the roof is ready to fit, but I want to paint the railings first as it is easier to handle as it is. I gave the hull a coat of primer. I'm not sure if it has taken correctly - it didn't look too good initially, but a second spray appeared to cover OK.

Barrie

This is the result of spraying the hull with Halfords white primer.    


Can anyone tell me why this happens? Obviously this is not a good foundation for painting, so I set to and rubbed it down well, concentrating on the areas of broken paint. After leaving to dry in the sun (yes sun) for an hour, I tried again. One side is now perfect, but the other still has some problems.   



I guess I will have to do some more rubbing down.   

I have now joined the upper wheelhouse to the lower cabin, inserting the supporting beams. These are still to be cut to length, and then vertical pieces attached to support the beams on the deck edges.



I have also been making the fittings for the masts, although it will be a while before I can fit these as the hull still has to be painted  

Barrie

Feeling rather frustrated at the moment    After all the problems with the primer, I've run out!! Nearest is in Cambridge some 30 miles away    So I thought I would get some white paint to do the railings. Tried the two 'Local' stockists (that is only 12 miles away) and both are completely out of any Humbrol white paint, matt, or satin   

I am going to Cambridge tomorrow to sail my boats, so I can try Halfords and a possible stockist of Humbrol. Here's hoping I have success, otherwise more delays whilst I order online.

On the positive side, all the fittings are now ready for installation.

Barrie