Hi all,
Well I thought I'd have a change in modelling subjects, and have decided to build a ship (an old dog CAN learn new tricks ).
Anyways I'm aiming for a Damen ASD (Azimuth Stern Drive) 2411 Tug,
1:1 specs are: - 1:48th specs:
Length O.A. 24550 - 511.5
Beam O.A. 11490 - 239
Disp 495ton(m) - 3.5kg (it's going to be RC'd)
Now into the fun part - the build, but first a pic of the 1:1

Starting with the hull


then a quick "play" with a commercial vac-form machine =

and here's the hull in it's 'raw' form (gave it a quick blast of primer to locate any defects), still have to do the deckline trimming, but at least it's a start


For anyone interested there are a few more pic's here:
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n270/casspir/RC_Tugs/2411/
Just started on the Bridge deck (lot's of lovely angles to join ).
More to follow as it happens.

Ahoy mate!

And a very interesting project that you have planned there!
Beautiful work on the hull, my friend...
I've made this post into a "BLOG" style thread, so that we can follow along with your progress...looking forward to watching her transform into an R/C beauty, for sure!

Cheers,
~Gunny

Nice one Roger!

Good to see you back.

Eh!---and YOU said I was scary ---sheesh!
Gone all wavy navy on me ----didn't believe it when my mate said it was you on "floatie-things"

I need to go flop ---got a head -ache ..........
.................good on ya ....looks --"GRRRRRRRRRREAT"as per usual
aye
BARV
(GOSMG)

Don't listen to him Casper.

He's just miffed 'cos it ain't REME and it hasn't got a sodding useless crane uselessly taking up the space where the business part should rightfully be!

Hi ya Gunny
Thanks for having me here and thanks to all the the positive words.
Spent today building the skeg, now just have to wait for the plaster mold to dry and then I can pour some lead for the skeg (must remember to fill the gas bottle).
Also spent today making some cardboard mockups of the bridge so as to get the panel dimensions. Other than that it's a case of slowly building the various fittings.
Thanks .
Roger.

Hi Casper

Carry on - you are going in the right course!
Please keep us posted with your progresses/doubts/requests!
Cheers,
Skipper

Hi Casper

Was wondering what you were doing. Now I see everything has gone to sea lately! That is one lovely looking project you got going on. A real break from wheely kind of things.

Did you just need a sea change?

Looking forward to seeing clips of this on the water!

Nige

Hi ya Nige, Barv, Murdo,
Yep a real change in direction , just found that I'd completely lost interest in wheeled vehicles and the challenge was no longer there.
I know with this project it will provide a number of interesting challenges, will need to learn a few new techniques and then there is the whole new aspect of R/C to learn. The brain is earning it's keep at the moment .
Just been giving the belt sander another work-out, making a pattern to vac-form of the gunwales. I had originally intended to hand-form them but this way it should provide some additional strength and will be less prone to any possible warping.
Hope everyones projects are going as 'planned' .
Picture progress soon.

Roger.

*Exactly* the kind of stuff i enjoy looking at in forums! Good luck with the tug, she really looks great already!

Hi all,
Thanks JBA.
Well I'm in a strange zone at the moment as I've been asked by a few people (R/C Tugboaters) if I would do this hull in a larger scale. Now they want the "conventional" R/C scale of 1/32nd but after doing some calculations I have found that the commercially available Schottel drives scale out to 1/35th. So the side of me says appease the majority while the side says go for 1/35th and be different (nothing new for me).
In the meantime I've just discovered I've made a very amateurish mistake with my deck measurements and forgot to add the fender bolting flange to the deck width . So now I have to build another deck plug (hopefuly this time - get it right). As nothing can really procede until I've sorted out the deck to hull mounting system, I'd better pull finger and give the belt sander another work-out.

Hello all,
A while ago I had the chance to view a number of R/C boats on the pond and came to the conclusion that my 1/48th scale tug may be a little small, so I'm now building it in 1/35th scale. Overall dimensions now are 698.5mm x 328mm. The new plug is almost finished ready for vac-forming, this larger version will use a sheet thickness of 3mm which in theory should give a hull wall thickness of approx 2.25mm after forming .
Had the chance today to sit down to do some serious building but Murphy's Law took effect. I thought I had enough I-beam channel to build the Superstructure frame but I quickly found out I only had enough to do 1/5th of that area. So a quick change of plans and I made a start on the bollards - well I would have if I had the right size tubing , I had every size but the one I needed (just typical),.
Anyways here's as far as I got with the couple of I-beam lengths I had.

Having never built an R/C model before I'm heading for the slightly over-engineered approach , so it should handle a few crashes and bashes .
Hope everyones projects are progressing a bit better than mine.

Roger.

Hi all ,
Long time no see , well after yet another extended period away from the workbench I've finally managed to get some 'modeling' done - if you could call it that .
Anyways, as I intend to build another Damen tug after this one and as they use the same angles for the various wheelhouses I decided to build some "building blocks/ alignment jigs" - as seen below:
A = lower front section (basic angles - no biggie)
B = lower rear section (awkward angles)
C = mid front and rear section (fairly basic angles)
D = front roof section (nasty angles)
E = rear roof section (basic angles)
F = cutting jig for the exhaust pipes, x 7 off
and Welder Willy looks on in digust at all the plates he has to join .
Another step in the build has been deciding which boat I'll build and I have finally settled on CentrePorts, Wellington, New Zealands newest family addition the "Tiaki" - gotta love fire engine red .


just spent a few hours practising my alloy soldering ready to build the exhausts and mast so things are starting to progress.
Hope everyones projects are proceding with calm seas and skies.

Roger.

Impressive approach!

Good work,

Cheers/Jan

Thanks Jan.
I routinely approach things in a slightly unorthodox manner and use techniques that must would not associate with task in-hand . Okay then I'll admit it - I'm an oddball modeler
.
More progress very soon.

Roger.

Looking very nice.

Kenny

Hi Casper!

Good to see that this one didn't got mothballed
I have found very interesting your approach on the superstructure master... Are you going to vacform those parts also (for sake of inner detail and especially weight)?

Please don't stay away too long or next time it will be a 1/24 tug that we will be looking at
Cheers and keep up the good work


Rui

Thanks for the comments Kenny and Rui.


Weight is not really a problem with this type of hull - beam = 1/2 the length, thanks for reminding me, I must do a displacement test.
Unfortunately vac-forming will not work for the wheelhouse or deckhouse as you can not get nice crisp edges, so it is just as easy to build panel by panel plus its easier to cut out the window frames while its flat plastic sheet .


I had originally intended to build in 1/24th, but fortunately common sense gained the upper hand - too bulky for transport and storage being 1019mm x 472mm in 1/24th.
Progress to date - all the wheelhouse window frames cut out and have just started to lay-in the actual framing lip. A slow process.

Regards to all
Roger.

Hi Roger,
I'm across the ditch in Wellington and in the process of developing frames for thr Tiaki in 1/32nd when I happened apon your efforts. looking good. I assume you have developed your plans from the pdf file off the web. I have previously been able to get copies of the hull plans from Centerport. They do hold plans to all current ships in their control and usually handed over the plan sets to what was the Maratime Musem in Wgtn when they no longer had a use for them. Cheers Doug

Doug,
Thanks fo the comments. I've got a plan printout from Captain Charles Smith plus he sent a number of photos and info, also I got the GA (PDF) - heres the direct link:
http://www.duwsleepvaart.nl/duwsleepsite/damen/TIAKI.pdf,
this site has Damen GA's of the majority of the tugs they build:
http://www.duwsleepvaart.nl/duwsleepsite/damen/damen.html,
I also have 100+ walk-around detail photos from the Barunga (the first 2411 built).
Once I've sorted out the Tx system (will operate as per the 1:1, independant throttle and 360 degree Schottel rotation) I intend to give it to Captain Smith.
Best of luck with your build.
Roger.

Hi Roger,
I have loaded the pdf into Autocad and worked up some frames from there. Until I finish the 1925 Toia and get the Ngahue under way I'll refrain from chasing the plans. The drive system is going to be interesting to see. The smallest I've been able to make had to be at 1/25th scale for the NZ built Gisborne tug which is fully operational and a enormus amount of fun to operate. The fun out weights the scale problem as everything I build is in 1/32nd scale to give perspective to all the tugs I have. They range from just over 180cm to the smallest at 72cm. I drive my Gisborne tug with a winch so it is capable of rotating 720 degrees. Makes reversing up the same as going forward, dead easy. If you need a home for the plans when you are done, they would be greatfully recieved here.
Regards
Doug

Hi ya Doug,
Sounds like you are slowly building the NZ tug fleet , once 'Tiaki' is on the water I may have a go at one of the "eggbeaters" (probably 'Kupe'.
If you need photos of the 2411's hull, I have 22 photos while in drydock (Barunga), also if you need wheelhouse pic's I've got them too , just PM me if you want them.

Roger.

Hi Roger,
Ngahue is the same type as Kupe but has a less cluttered deck arangment. A couple of links to my early schottl drive.
http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm414/old-timer_bucket/IMG_1188b.jpg
http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm414/old-timer_bucket/IMG_1193_1.jpg
http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm414/old-timer_bucket/IMG_1195b.jpg
Greatfull of any help with regards to Tiaki, thankyou.
Regards
Doug