Vac-U-Tug with mods to motor and drive system,,ON THE WATER TOO,,UPDATE!!

[rmdesignworks]

Well I decided to take a bit of a break from designing boats and build one. I decided to build one of Phil Pace's Vac-U-Boat Tugs. I didn't follow all of his recommended directions for building the boat..I changed the motor mounting and lengthened the dog bone and added a stuffing tube to the shaft tube. The roigianl motor tray setup was scrapped for a way to work on the motor and shaft/tube without having to remove the deck as stated in the instructions. The hull was almost entirely built using Polystyrene Solvent Cement and superglue was only used in the hull to secure the ballast cakes. Superglue was also used exstensively to detail the decks and cabin/wheelhouse. I handmade a bow fender by weaving tan cotton string into a mat with loops on the ends which were secured with more string then dyed. The deck winch is custom made. the lines and hawswers are made from hemp and poly cords, the hawsers are handwoven and all lines are eye looped.

[rmdesignworks]

More pics of the build,,the tug is actually close to completion

[rmdesignworks]

more pics of the build

[rmdesignworks]

i will post te balance of the build pics tomorrow, i need to sort through some of them

[rmdesignworks]

i guess in thinking about it now i should have posted this thread in "scale boating",i didn't see anywhere how i can move the thread,,can someone tell me how or who i need to talk to,to get it moved?

[toesup]

i guess in thinking about it now i should have posted this thread in "scale boating"

I think you will find, the Vac-U-Tug is not scale... :p

[LtDoc]

toesup,
Of course it is! It's just that the tug it happens to be a 'scale' version of was very rare before they became extinct. (Weak, but oh well.)

Part of this hobby is making a boat 'your own', making 'improvements', customizing. It appears that that is well on it's way. I'm certainly interested in how it will perform!
- 'Doc

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

I think you will find, the Vac-U-Tug is not scale... :p

Oh come on now, you build springers... :p

[toesup]

Oh come on now, you build springers... :p

Yeah, but i know they are not scale.. ;)

[rmdesignworks]

ok this is going to be my only response to the whole subject of "scale."

to build in scale is to increase or decrease by a fixed ratio, it is not to build a perfect representation of something specific,if it were then nobody on this site could say they build to scale as it would be necessary to build everything to scale,,ie: all enigines and motors would have to be reproduced in the same ratio as the rest of the boat. displacement would have to be exact (within a certain tolerance) to the 1:1 original. you would not be able to cover the hull with one long piece of glass cloth per side then coat with resin, you would have to use appropriate sized pieces at weight with the right amount of resin by weight and density for the build. no more flex cables running from 550 or ? motor hooked up to 2100 mah bats. come on..the thing about building models "in sclae" is as close a representation to an obviously possible 1:1 object. now, with that said, i do not know the exact original ship these vac-u-boats/tugs are modeled and manufactured after but i can say this,,,my efforts have gone forth to build a boat/ship/tug/vessel or whatever you wanna call it, that could sit along side another "O" scale or 1/48th scale vessel and be believable,,maybe not to a perfect standard like the smithsonian but to the other boaters and captains and spectators who look upon my vessel and see the hours of work,rework and detail i have put in to her.

this is my honest and frank opinion!!!! with that said id like this subject dropped as i revoke my question of putting my thread into the "scale" boating main.

onward toward the horizon,,,,,

[rmdesignworks]

build was not "completely" documented but most of it was,here are a few more

[rmdesignworks]

it just never seems to stop,,its like a lays commercial,,"you cant stop at just one"

[rmdesignworks]

more pics including night shots on the table

[rmdesignworks]

well,thats it so far,,i have a few more details and lights to go,,,plus open water trials,so far all testing has taken place in test tank( family tub),,there is a nice little city maintained pond close by that will provide a secure spot for manuevering and performance testing,,i think ill do that hopefully tomorrow,,,ill try to get some video,and some more pics..i still need to add my deck lights 2-3 per side, plus one bow work light and a stern/winch light. 6-8 more which ill probably use 4 aa's wired in parallel pairs to increase amps while maintaining the 3 volts i use for all the lights. the lights are all wired in parallel,,the search lights are reworked with AA minimag light bulbs and all other lights are grain of wheats. i may actually use 2 1500 mah sub c's for the lights and go to a central bus in stead of the wiring harnesses, but the harnesses do allow me to remove the wheelhouse/cabin roof access with only one connection to worry about. the rudder hatch will be secured the same way as the wheelhouse roof to the wheelhouse and the wheelhouse/cabin roof access is to the cabin. the elastic band is doubled for strength and durability. stryene blocks and opened eye hooks are used as the secure points in the hull and roof/hatch undersides...no hardware to worry about.

the fore/stern tow lights are wired into the same harnesses as the rest of the lights but the are switched seperately when towing. the tow switch is hidden under a couple of stacked crates on the port side upper deck. lift up the crates,flip the switch on/off replace the crates. i may interupt the search lights with a servo controlled switch..one servo with two push on/push off micro switches,one for the fore lights one for the stern light,,if i do that though ill use micro servos for that,space saving not weight.

if anyone is wondering i made the ballast cakes from bb's and resin ,i figured out how much ballast i needed then mixed the bb's and resin in a flexible plastic square container and just split them in half to have better placement in the hull. add equipment,just break off enough ballast to accommodate,,

more later

[rmdesignworks]

i just wanted to acknowledge those of you who have stopped to look at the thread and check it out or make a comment,,"EVERY COMMENT", we all have our points of view,and even though i know there will be criticisms as well as, i hope anyway, those comments that we all want to hear, i am interested in all input from any and all members..i will answer any question i can for future modelers of the Vac-U-Boat tug if they want to make the motor/shaft mods i made.

thanks again,,thomas @ rmdesignworks

p.s. it has taken about a month and a half working on it when i can to get it where it is now. i cant wait to see it on the water too!!! also all paint was applied with brush by hand, the hull and decks/roofs were done with flat black enamel hobby paint while the bulwarks and cabins were done with oil based fabric paints that should be a little more durable and chemical resistant.

[thorsail]

Hi
As a prospective vac-u-tug owner I really enjoyed the photo's you posted
up here - wonderful detail . I have a question/request - I do not know if
you know that there is a yahoo group for vac-u-tugs , it's " RCTugboat "
Would you ever consider posting up some of these pics on that site ? I have
just recently joined and if kept active can be a fine resource for info on these
wonderful RC boats . The group has not been very busy lately but it can
still be a asset to those of us interested in this . Thanks.....

Allan
Chicago

[rmdesignworks]

hi allan,
thanks for your comments and kind words,id be happy to share the pics at the yahoo site you mentioned. you can also post there about this thread by copying the url from your browser,its possible others at the yahoo group do not yet know about rcgroups.com spread the word as i will when i visit that site. if you have any questions you can post here or if need be pm me.

thomas @ rmdesignworks

[boat_builder]

i just wanted to acknowledge those of you who have stopped to look at the thread and check it out or make a comment,,"EVERY COMMENT", we all have our points of view,and even though i know there will be criticisms as well as, i hope anyway, those comments that we all want to hear, i am interested in all input from any and all members..i will answer any question i can for future modelers of the Vac-U-Boat tug if they want to make the motor/shaft mods i made.

thanks again,,thomas @ rmdesignworks

p.s. it has taken about a month and a half working on it when i can to get it where it is now. i cant wait to see it on the water too!!! also all paint was applied with brush by hand, the hull and decks/roofs were done with flat black enamel hobby paint while the bulwarks and cabins were done with oil based fabric paints that should be a little more durable and chemical resistant.


This has to be probably without a doubt the most detailed and nicely done "Vac-U" that I have seen so far. I tip my hat to you, very well done. :)

[rmdesignworks]

boat-builder,,,thank you very much i appreciate the comments i really do,it is nice to hear that you have done something in a positive manner,,thomas

[MILLERTIME]

Very nice build, we want pictures of it on the water.

Don M.

[boat_builder]

boat-builder,,,thank you very much i appreciate the comments i really do,it is nice to hear that you have done something in a positive manner,,thomas


Your welcome Thomas. Being that I'm finishing up a fresh Mr.Darby build I can definately appreciate the detail on this model. You get lots of respect here :)


Oh ya, pictures of it on the water are a must or we will all die from suspense! We want nothing left to the imagination! :D

[rmdesignworks]

boat....i definately hear ya about the suspense of seeing it on the water..i am an electrician by trade and i have spent a lot of years working with low voltage (dc) and it is really nice to see something like my boat come out so nice,and to know that other people think so too. hard work pays off,,i tell my kid that all the time...i live by a motto of "life is a 50/50 deal, 50% focus,50% application" i think on this boat i came through at 100%... thanks again

[rmdesignworks]

i decided to take a couple pictures of the hidden tow lights switch on the upper deck. the 2 tow lights are wired into the main light harness but controlled independantly by this small switch wired in on the positive leads. th switch is hidden under two hollowed out crates stacked and glued together. for now they sit loose over of the switch but ill be adding a pin or magnet to secure them for easy removal

[rmdesignworks]

the most important switches on the boat are positioned so that in the on position they are toward the bow,,,there are four switches as of now, the one that doesnt face fore is the main lighting switch,,thats because its actually part of the battery holder,,it rotates side to side closing the circuit between the batteries the other end of the holder has the wire leads to the lights the other three are the rx bat switch, the tow lights switch, and the esc main switch as stated before

[boat_builder]

boat....i am an electrician by trade.....thanks again


Cool. I'm an Operating Engineer (heavy equipment operator) by trade. I've found that by applying alot of hard work and determination into a project wether it be a model boat or anything else in life the end result seems to always be alot more gratifying than being able to take it out of the box finished or get what you want "right now." :)

[rmdesignworks]

boat....i agree with you 100%,,,i realized after rereading my post that i left part of what i meant to say out of that portion of my statement,,what i had meant to say is i am an electrician by trade and truely enjoy physical hands on diagnostics, design, redesign, and application of knowledge and skills. thats what ive been missing in doing all the design work on the computer and on paper was the physical, in my face gratification of doing.

[rmdesignworks]

do you guys think i should include the links and reference photos, urls ideas etc that i used to build my boat,,i mean i kinda think all that info is as much a part of the build as the kit,paint and glue,,,what do ya think?

[charlie eaton]

Go for it and keep up the good work. As for ''scale'' hey if it looks like a tug then it is a tug. It's just a never built design prototype.

[sleb]

rm,
That is by far the nicest looking vac-u-tug I have seen. As an owner of two of them myself I must say that the work you did to the kit is incredible.
Steve :)

[thorsail]

Hi May I ask what motors and props you are using on your Vac-U-Tugs ?
Did you use the motor upgrade and/or the 4 bladed prop ? That would be
my intention as I want to be able to drag a 10 pound Soling 1 Meter
sailboat back to shore if it becomes disabled somehow. Or , is there some
better motor to use than the ones offered thru Vac-U-Boats ?
Since I am so new to all this I am on a very steep learning curve about
these motors / props / speed controllers . A lot to learn but fun !
Any input would be helpful ! thanks.

Allan
Chicago

[Predreadnut]

There you go. :)

[rmdesignworks]

thorsail,,,i built mine using the stock motor and drive train including the 2 blade prop,,however i did change to a 3 blade brass prop,,and i modified the stern tube to have a built in stuffing tube..i also made the stock dogbone longer and moved the motor forward into the access opening through the main cabin roof. the stock motor is a 385,,which is a 380 sized motor but with 5 magnetic poles instead of 3 it runs smoother and cooler than a 380,,i run 6 sub c cells with 12 guage high strand silicone coated wire to the esc from the motor and battery with low voltage drop "deans connectors between the bat and esc and hard wired from the motor to the esc,,,all of my eletronic wires are coiled from point to point to reduce rf interference,,,i hope this helps,,,,thomas @ rmdesignworks

[rmdesignworks]

info for all,,,,
I have been talking to Phil Pace from vac-u-boat about what I did in my build and talked to him about the motor tray and he told me that even though it's not in the manual,,you can remove the tray with the deck on so I revoke my statement about removing the deck to remove or repair or service the motor...

Phil and I have also talked at length about the cabin/deck part of the kit and he told me that he is planning to rework the mold or at least remove the cabin portion of the mold since it is a seperate part and put on a lower profile wall or coaming which he will make available as a Topless deck/kit ,,,then we the builders can build our cabins however we want simply using his minimal opening under our scratchbuilt stuff...now he will also be making the regular deck/cabin as it is now in the kit from what I undestand,,as the buyer you just have to order which ever one you want..

As I told Phil,,I am planning a small fleet of these with sister ships for my current A.S.D. INC #5,,,but I would also like to use the same hull to build at least one 1/24th scale tug,,,and also an open cockpit one tug in 1/12th,,with this in mind i didnt want to order a full kit and have to cut it all up or be storing or throwing away parts I didn't use like the cabin, the wheelhouse etc.

I for one,, can not wait!

My boat will also be on his website soon as I am sending him pics too!

[rmdesignworks]

I was sending pics to Phil at Vac-U-Boat.com,,,and in adding text to the pics I realized I Listed the brass tubing used to extend the dog bone as 7/32nds Inside Diameter and it is actually OUTSIDE DIAMETER... The inside diameter is 3/16ths of an inch,,,sorry for the mix up,,,,Thomas @ rmdesignworks

[sleb]

Thomas,
I use the kit motors with a 1500, 1900 or 2400 pack. I did upgrade to the 4 blade props for the extra power/speed as it really does not affect run time. I can say that when I take out any of my boats I always have a vac-u-tug with me. They always run without problem, unlike all the other boats that the gremlins seem to hit at one time or another. They are there to have a boat to use when others are down or to rescue the other boats when the problem arises in the middle of the pond.
Steve :)

[CaptLee]

Thomas Got one of the Vac-U-Cam hulls underway with twin screw power, using two of Phil's motors on Prop Shop 1.3" 3 blade props and twin ESC(Mtroniks Viper 10)using a ten cell NIMH pack. Decided it was too much trouble to doll it up to your standard so am installing a camera in the wheelhouse(Scratch built) and quarterbitts and H bollard on aft deck. Try to post some pic's later.

[rmdesignworks]

Trip To The Pond Proved Very Successful,,very Happy With Maneuvering And Speed,,more Power On The Next One,,i Like This One The Way It Is,,the Only Problem,,i Forgot I Had Done So Much Testing With The Lights Lights Battery Was Very Very Low,,will Get Better Lights On Pics This Weekend,some Actual Full On Night Pics,,,but Here's The Ones From This Evening,,,,,,what Do Ya Think?

[rmdesignworks]

A Few More On The Water,,,miss Tresse Handles Very Well No List To Speak Of In Turns,,,reverse Is Better Than I Expected For Maneuvering And Docking,,,she Runs Smooth,,little Or No Noise,,,hidden Antenna Has Unexpected Good Range Being High In The Main Cabin Under The Main Deck

[rmdesignworks]

Well,,I will get some better pics, daylight and night with lights ( new batteries ) and hopefully get a short vid,,,this weekend

[MILLERTIME]

Looks good on the water. :)

[rmdesignworks]

Here's the work barge I'm planning,,,it will bigger than in the drawing as far as compared to the tug....

[DanL]

Just found this thread. You did a really great job on the tug! I totally agree with your philosophy of scale modeling. I built a VacUtug, Rosco, a couple years ago. It still runs great, gets great comments - it's perfrct kit to serve as a base for a creative tug builder.
Kudos to Phil for a great kit and the absolute best in customer service!
Again, great job - I love your detail.
DanL

[rmdesignworks]

captlee,,,yeah please do,,i look forward to seeing your wheelhouse,,

millertime,,,thanks, it was nice to see her sit in the water exactly the way I wanted her too,,

DanL,,,seeing your boat on Vac-U-Boat.com was part of my inspiration,,and I did talk to Phil about using some pics from his website as they were part of the reason behind my build so expect to see a couple of pics of Rosco on my thread as part of my inspiration post..and Thanks for your support on the scale issue,,and what do you think about my conversations with Phil about a topless deck or better yet a flat deck with a line marking the minimum cutout for access,,motor tray removal? I mean either way perosn could cut out the "cabin wall" to make a flat deck then reinforce the deck from the underside to gain back the lost angle strength. He would still have the stock rudder hatch but no walls would ROCK!!! Cut out the deck and install some simple styrene coaming then cabin or like I wanna do,,a drop in open cockpit like that one Springer tug I've looked at so much,,,,

and Thanks to all for your comments,,,

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

I used abhor the Vac U Tug, but seeing how many people truely enjoy the build, and
how quickly it goes together, gave me pause. Most of the people that started with this little boat, have moved on to bigger projects. And anything that promotes the
hobby in that way is a great.

The different details and finishes that each builder has applied makes each boat unique.
And this build, like all the builds here, is informative and inspirational.
Thanks for taking the time to document and share your build.
(I kept a copy of your reversing circuit from the other board.)

The barge build up is next?
:cool:

[toesup]

RM. Just a few points..

Yes, you have made a rather nice job of what is considered by many on here to be a begginers entry level model in to tug boats.

Please.. please, please can we get some decent pictures!..

Where did the big 'headlight' look come from?.... ewwwwww :eek:

Nice work.. however... a few other points..

It isnt, and never will be considered to be scale, no matter how much detail you add to it. It is a generic 'tug' shape that it a quick and simple construction and gives beginners a way of getting them quickly on to the water.

To say that the Vac-U-Tug you have made is equal to others scale models devalues the time and effort put in by others to produce scale models that have taken months / years to build.

[DanL]

"To say that the Vac-U-Tug you have made is equal to others scale models devalues the time and effort put in by others to produce scale models that have taken months / years to build."

Toesup,
Geez, lighten up.
The value is to the beholder, not defined by you. I like the whole VacUtug conceppt a LOT.
From reading some of your other posts, including your oft expressed disdain for RTR and your numerous almost unkind criticisms of others' work, you seem like a real "hobby snob" to me.

[LtDoc]

Just a few thoughts about the 'Vac-U-Tug'. Most of this is opinion but there are a few facts scattered in it too.

The 'Vac-U-Tug' is a -very- nice "beginners" R/C boat. It fills the requirements of such a boat because it's really about as 'basic' as you can get and still be a boat that YOU built. It can do exactly what it's supposed to do, which is to keep you interested, make you more interested, and make you more confident in trying something not so 'basic'. It is 'generic' enough so that it can be considered 'sort of' scale, and if you want to put some imagination into the building, turn out into something that is a huge amount of fun in a 'scale' sense. It is not 'scale' as is commonly thought of by 'R/C' people. (Phil will be the first to tell you that, and that it wasn't/isn't his purpose in making it.) "Scale" is a classification that it fit's in the 'best', it does sort of look like one'a them old tug boats. It certainly isn't a 'go-fast' boat, and it's a far cry from a 'scratch-built' thingy.
If you can get your shoes on the right feet at least half the time, you can build the Vac-U-Tug. Which, when you think about it, is just what it's supposed to be. It ain't the 'end-all' of scale R/C boating! Dang sure fun though.
Having said all that, I'm fairly sure that you can imagine that I like the Vac-U-Tug, and you are right. I also like a whole slew of other boats that are not made by Phil Pace. This isn't an advertisement for 'Vac-U-Boats'. Of course, if anyone would like to send me a royalty payment, I won't object! I'm also not going to have to worry about that at income tax time, I think... RATS!
- 'Doc

[toesup]

From reading some of your other posts, including your oft expressed disdain for RTR and your numerous almost unkind criticisms of others' work, you seem like a real "hobby snob" to me.

These forums allow us to express our likes.. and also our dislikes of others models. We have that freedom here.

We can also encourage and assist those that find these forums and wish to become 'model boaters'. This is something, if you read more of my posts than just the few mentioned, you will realise that i do more often than not, giving help and advice and encouraging those that require assistance.

[rmdesignworks]

Umi,,Thanks for your input.

DanL,,Thanks

LtDoc,,Thanks

Toesup,,,ENOUGH!!!
RM. Just a few points..
Yes, you have made a rather nice job of what is considered by many on here to be a begginers entry level model in to tug boats.
Please.. please, please can we get some decent pictures!..
Where did the big 'headlight' look come from?.... ewwwwww
Nice work.. however... a few other points..
It isnt, and never will be considered to be scale, no matter how much detail you add to it. It is a generic 'tug' shape that it a quick and simple construction and gives beginners a way of getting them quickly on to the water.
To say that the Vac-U-Tug you have made is equal to others scale models devalues the time and effort put in by others to produce scale models that have taken months / years to build.

1. Those of us who drag our knuckles and build boats with safety scissors and Elmer's glue will be happy to know that you will grace us with your kind words.

2. Adjust your resolution,,you are the only one complaining about something so petty as picture quality of something you think is so beneath you. What do you care what quality the pictures are it's still gonna be a Vac-U-Boat product. It isn't gonna make you think it's a 600 piece custom cut scratch built all balsa plank on frame build.

3. Ever seen a Bently or Rolls Royce up close?

4. You attack me then praise me. What is this some kind ofreverse phsycology? Build up my feelings then tear me down,then start kicking. Good thing we aren't sparring partners,,you would go get a bat eveytime i dare hit you.

5. Hmmmm, I'd like to see a "beginner" as you put it do the things to one of these tugs that I've done. In a total build time of about 40 days. Without asking YOUR expertise. As far as the level of skills required to build one of these little gems,,,I used the same skill set I would to build anything else. I would put my skills against you or anyone any day of the week and twice on Sunday. If by "scale" you mean, an exact replica down to the last detail of a real sea worthy vessel,,then I concede,,You are sorrect this is not scale,,however,,you are wrong! It is scale. It has scale working lights, scale figures and details..It can sit along side your boat/s or any other and represent the 1/48th scale. Do you know why? Because anyone who looks at this boat minus you sees a very detailed craft built to represent a tug boat in 1/48th scale,,now if someone looks at it and says "What is that?",and I mean someone other than a four year old child who has never seen a tug boat before then I'd say I failed to build it correctly,,however,,so far everyone has recognized it as a tug boat,,not a bottle of pop,,or an ash tray.

6. The only person to come into this build thread and act or speak of devalue is YOU! If someone has built a ship, or boat, or canoe, or paddle wheeler, or stuck a length of dowel in a 2x4 and spread a piece of their mom's bed linens across the mast and then turns around and compares their creation to mine and feels better or worse that is solely on them.. It is not for you to say how other's should feel or react or anything else. If you actions in my build thread were to get a rise out of me then you have succeeded. I have risen to the occaision..Actually,I never dropped anywhere to rise from. I am able to rise above you, I tried to do that in the beginning of this thread when spoke out then,,I figured since you had a such a low opinion of me and my boat that you would simply put my thread on your "DO NOT GO THERE" list of threads that are beneath you. You didn't,you came back to attack me again. I want to apologize to everyone who has come into my thread for whatever reason that I am at this point,,Do me a great big favor Toesup,,put me and my build thread and all Vac-U-Boats on your iggy list and leave us alone unless you can bring yourself to be ADULT enough to make your opinion,,positive or negative known then leave it alone, walk away and be happy with knowing you have said your peace.

FINAL NOTE: If scale means to build an exact smaller rendition of something then I'm waiting to see a 7 inch long, 140.1 horsepower,twin turbo deisel engine forged from steel and aluminum which by the way is a 1/48th scale version of a 5,000 bhp tug engine, oh and it needs to be endorsed by one of the major engine builders too not just copied with their name,,and how is that steel plated hull coming?

That's my free expression for ya,,take it for what it's worth.

[nick_75au]

That is a nice build, If you only saw the final (finished) pics you would be hard pressed to pick it as a vac-u-tug IMO. I wish I had the ability to finish a boat to this standard :). Regardless of whether its true scale or not I would be proud to have her in my fleet. It sure looks like a real boat to me ;)
Regards
Nick

[rmdesignworks]

nick,,thank you for your comments, i agree it turned out well, especially when you concider the base.

im proud of it, as i have been in the past with things ive built that either no longer exist or have gone by the way...

it may be a simple kit but going the distance with detail and care for the hobby's basic roots gives a nice representation,,again thank you,,thomas

[rmdesignworks]

i named this tug "MISS TRESSE" a play on words cuz of the way my wife hounded me during my time building,,,i think i'll start naming my boats after misfit themes form here on out,,the next one something like "black sheep" or "quasimoto" or how about another play on words,,"MISS UNDERSTOOD",,or "MISS TAKEN"

[HoaRC]

it may be a simple kit not at all.. if you get a chance post about how you did the painting, specifically which paint and how did you prepare the surface.. also how did you mold the lights and fit a small light bulb inside them? this is an amazing model for me (although not for others) and I am waiting to see what you do with the tow barge.

[charlie eaton]

i named this tug "MISS TRESSE" a play on words cuz of the way my wife hounded me during my time building,,,i think i'll start naming my boats after misfit themes form here on out,,the next one something like "black sheep" or "quasimoto" or how about another play on words,,"MISS UNDERSTOOD",,or "MISS TAKEN"

Please do not take the words of one opinionated individual to heart. Easy to build kits do not mean lowclass or poor quality and should not be treated with the distain that has been seen here. As far as ''scale'' goes as I have said, it is just a prototype model of a boat that has never been built before ;)

[Rex R]

with a name of 'Miss Understood' by rights the boat should be pink :)

[rmdesignworks]

If I could I'd go back and not put in that question in the first place....

charlie,,,,you are one of the biggest reasons I didn't ask the moderators to erase the thread and delete my account,,,I'm not a person who enjoys confrontation,,but I have no fear of it in any way,place or "forum"

When people ask me why I "didn't just let it go?" I tell them it isn't in my makeup,,I'm a "Kansas City, Missouri born, Scotch-Irish Blue Collar roughneck",,,,,the person always looks at me weird and I reply, " I'm all attitude with no lattitude!"

Rex R,,,, it's funny you say pink,, I was actually considering a fuschia color painted on with black at about the last quarter of the keel to represent a soft ladies' pettycoat,,weird huh?!

The weather here in Denver has been cold and rainy today,,all day,,so I didn't get to the pond. I did figure out which of my wooden tool boxes I was going to use for the "boat tote",,,it is heavy but outstanding strength and plenty of room for the boat in one side and all my fun-run gear in the other. it's deep enough that my boat is completely submerged under the top lip and I can cover it in the truck to protect it from uv and heat.

I am only now at 7:30 pm Colorado time getting on the pc so the barge had no desing work today,,,but will get some tonight,I'll probably start cutting foam through the night or in the a.m.

[Rex R]

heheh was thinking Gwen Steffannie a.k.a. Pink. to me scale is a frame of mind, as witness various model railroads built to a certain size... methinks people were rubbed the wrong way by another post(now locked I notice), reasonable sure that this too, shall pass. methinks your tug turned out very nice even if you didn't start with a pile of flat wood.

[rmdesignworks]

Hey Rex R,,what post do u mean ,,is locked? and thanks for your comments,,thomas

Rex R i went back to dock talk and it hit me what you were talking about

[sleb]

rm,
You may want to pick up an inexpensive 26" tool box. I have my Vacs in them. They hold the radio and the boat along with some spare room left over for parts and spare batteries.
Steve :)

[rmdesignworks]

here are a couple pictures of the tote,,(wooden tool box i built a while back,its seen some use) it is actually big enough to carry two vac-u-tugsand radio/chargers if i build in a tray,,cuz i will have more v.u.t.'s

[HoaRC]

Hi
As a prospective vac-u-tug owner I really enjoyed the photo's you posted
up here - wonderful detail . I have a question/request - I do not know if
you know that there is a yahoo group for vac-u-tugs , it's " RCTugboat "
Would you ever consider posting up some of these pics on that site ? I have
just recently joined and if kept active can be a fine resource for info on these
wonderful RC boats . The group has not been very busy lately but it can
still be a asset to those of us interested in this . Thanks.....

Allan
Chicago

I am thinking of getting the vac-u-tug and really enjoyed the photos, too. If you peruse the vac-u-tug website, they've got my favorite boat building information for newbies out there. It's too bad they don't have a forum dedicated to vac-u-tugs (http://www.vac-u-boat.com/Vacutug.htm) (im not suggesting rcgroups should have, by G-d)

If you find more vac-u-tug links or youtube videos, please PM them my way.. :)

Do you know where one could get 1:48 sized figures for the vac-u-tug?

Now let's put that aside and get back to RM's thread. I hear he is building a barge.. :D

[rmdesignworks]

here i have set the tug on the floor with the construction foam ill be using to build the barge,,one piece for test,,two pieces sandwiched together,shaped and covered plus deck plating for the build...simple plywood sealed with epoxy or resin will serve as the deck with the foam underneath,the test piece isn't marked or cut for the bow of the tug at the stern, and the bow of the barge is not cut or marked for the service well which will be about 12 inches wide and about 15 to 20 inches deep,,this barge when attached to the tug will also serve as a rescue vessel for disabled craft..more lights, "on poles" a couple of service buildings, maybe a motor launch,a large knuckle boom and a smaller jib crane plus a large "A" frame lift at the rear of the service well..the pics give a base idea of the size though,,,,,,,,

[rmdesignworks]

I get "O" scale train figures at l.h.s.,,as far as sites,vids things like that look around and I am sorry but I don't have time to look for stuff other than for what I need,and I flat refuse to get onto YOUTUBE,,,If i do happen upon somthing that pertains to my boat or other v-u-t's I'll post it in this thread,,I'm currently working up a list of credits as best I can remember,,of URL's and pics etc that inspired my build,,don't ask me when I'll be posting it,,it's a work in progress,and I think this thread right here is dedicated to at least one v-u-t.

And thank you but we are all aware of Phil Pace's site Vac-U-Boat.com,,in fact he's mentioned right form the get go in my thread and I mention him and other's mention him throughout this thread and other threads about Vac-U-Boats and the other products Phil makes. His site is very good but try "tug" or "tugboat" or "model boat" IN YOUR BROWSER and you will find a lot more info, Find a tug that suits you and go for a rework or just build Phil's product out of the box,,it's a good piece of floatable work for the money.

[rmdesignworks]

I missed answering your post from before specifically post # 53,,,

Yes it is a simple kit,,simplified for the builder for a beginner to easily get on the water and even easier for an experienced modeler..the detail you choose to add is what takes time and skills and knowledge and a lot of research,,,read the thread and the pic text's for info on the lights,,they ( the three large search/flood lights) are "O" scale pieces purchased and then modified to use the little Kryton bulbs from "AA" Mini-Mag light flashlights,,they have crome film inside to give better light refraction,,all of the other lights are 1.5 volt grain of wheat bulbs also from the l.h.s. and all the lights run off of two AA's with a switch harness. look at the pics and read the thread and picture text.

And please don't use my thread or anyone elses' thread to sell stuff,,this isn't E-BAY and it's a bit rude..start your own thread for sales or find a sales thread to post that stuff in..

thomas @ rmdesignworks

[rmdesignworks]

well i had just started to cut the foam board for the barge hull and thought about cutting in hatches ,some with internal details,,and also the necessary room for the rx, rx battery,,servos etc...for the cranes and "A" frame lift and deck winch,,,so i've decided to use plywood and cut the hull similar to a tow boat hull without the prop well at the stern...i'll use a lot of foam for floatation inside the hull,,i'm also considering a phototransistor for the overhead flood lights and work lights,,i'm also considering a photocell on my tug and future boats with a master switch,,turn on the master prior to running and when it starts to get dark the lights will come on by themselves,,,,

[rmdesignworks]

i was working on the hull plate design when i thought of something,,why not have a receiver and drive battery bigger than in the boat to drive the tug when the tug is hooked up to the barge,,,the cables could be removable and made to look like hawsers or refueling lines when hooked to the tug,,,that way the tug electronics would be ready to go whenever it is running alone or if needed for a rescue that the barge wouldn't work for

[rmdesignworks]

i know people have built boats with plywood and foam or ply alone or foam alone but what about O.S.B.? ORIENTED STRAND BOARD? ya know the blotchy looking ply that builders use on buildings, it is more resiliant than plywood but does require more prep to make a nice suface...but if epoxy or resin is goin over the entire surface then why not,,its also easier to cut compound curves into,,,,,hmmmmm, anyone ever use it for a boat? barge?

[DanL]

...why not have a receiver and drive battery bigger than in the boat to drive the tug when the tug is hooked up to the barge,,,the cables could be removable and made to look like hawsers or refueling lines when hooked to the tug...

This works very well. VacUTug Rosco is wired to connect to 4 different barges. One barge has two big SLA batteries - pushing barges around uses a lot of battery power. Also, the smoke unit on the tug uses a lot of power, so a big batt in the barge is a good thing. Also have wiring going from the tug to a sound system in another barge. That barge has a load of fake containers, and below those is a huge speaker with an amplifier. Great sound - no way you could get as big a speaker into the tug itself. Some pics attached. Power leads and control wiring plugs shown on front of tug.
The Cargill hopper cover was made from a plastic wallpaper soaking tray.

[rmdesignworks]

DanL,,
I knew I wasn't the only one thinking like me,,,ok Thanks for posting the pics,,I am probably going to use nicads as I'm building a flat deck work barge,,It will be a lot better to have my runtime increased without having to mod the Tug..I'm also thinking of hidden connections under fake hawsers and tow lines attached but not actually controlling the barge,other lines will serve that purpose.

[Aerominded]

Very nice job on the Vac-U-Tug! :)

[LtDoc]

And considering the size of the tug, and the barge, having a bow thruster on the barge is a nice thought. Sneaky, but nice... Whatever! Tell'em it's the dump for the port-a-potty on the barge.
- 'Doc

[rmdesignworks]

Aero,,,Thanks

LtDoc,,It's funny you mention that,,I was thinkin about a version of a prop well across the beam of the barge,,,using two 1 inch props,,in opposing directions,,one would be reversing while the other was running normal,,use a flex cable to gear mesh on a hard shaft in bearings,,,the well would actually be hidden until the barge was out of the water,,,but a thruster mounted right at the chine would be underwater,,,I'll be cutting the wood for the barge tomorrow and start assembly and I'll post pics as I can.

[DanL]

To answer a question about the lights on Rosco:
The lights are all LED's. The front searchlight is a superbrite white LED. This prticular one was from a very cheap key-ring mini-flashlight. I used the base/reflector of the flashlight as the body of the searchlight.
The deck/cabin lights are also LED's. To get the effect of incandescent lights, "Yellow Glo" LED's were used. They are very bright, but have a golden white color vs the bluish white normally seen in white LED's. The 5mm Yellow-Glo's are available here
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/475-1251010.

The LED's are made into lights per the attached diagram.

[fooman2008]

just a few thoughts having wandered inot this thread.

1)I would be willing to bet someone that almost every tug in the world is of some kind of one off design. Thus as stated before this is SCALE! Who knows what profile someone would use to make construction easier in some third world shipyard, or cheap first world country!

2) I have thought of making a barge for an upcoming vac u project. My thought was to use thin ply. Using PVC pipes to flood it down to waterline and for a reservoir for a fire monitor or two.

3) There seem to be a lot of people who are more worried about what it looks like than how is does what is is supposed to.....I.E. it is a tug boat! a WORKING vessel! You want a pleasure boat then build a yacht and let those of us you want to have a little fun have some.

FOO

[rmdesignworks]

First
Thanks to DanL for the info o the lights(led's)

Thanks to fooman for the comments,, I agree.

Second,,I've been out of it for a bit with an injured arm and doing some light testing on some different types of plywood from O.S.B. to door skin to light marine ply,,,comparing weight, composition etc. I'm waiting for some samples of some specialized ply's,,,while waiting I decided to work on a detail item goin on the deck of the barge either way. I wanted an R.C. component other than the cranes and winches on the deck. So, I scratchbuilt a "Grocery Boat"

The SMALL boat is made of 1/8th inch basla sheets glued with thin CA. The electronics are the guts from my Associated Electrics RC-18T Stadium Truck which include the stock Receiver, Battery,Micro Servo and Transmitter. With an upgraded esc,,a Novac Spy Micro. Prop shaft/stuffing tube are brass sleeves again using J.B.Weld for the joints and a flex shaft and brass tubing for the shaft turning a 1 inch plastic prop that I had.

I did some power and water tightness testing in the kitchen sink and WOW!!! I never dreamed it would have that much power,,at a slight twitch of the throttle the prop moved quite a bit of water,,,but at half throttle it runed my sink into an hot tub without the chlorine smell and heat. It currently needs the rudder and linkage,,and the main deck and wheel house but I am uploading pics of where it is right now..The hull is 8 inches by 4 inches by 1.5 inches,,it is tight in the as you will see in the pics but it works so far,,,,

[charlie eaton]

Your hull is almost identicle to my ''MONGO'' So it should run great. Mine is much bigger though.

[rmdesignworks]

Nice charlie,,how big is Mongo?

The barge is on hold for a while,,I've decided to build a much larger version of my deck boat in either 1/12th or 1/6th scale,,,possibly even 1/24th,,the build thread for that will start this weekend,,,,look for it.

Here is some info about the barge though,,,,

Ok, here's the hull design I'm doing for the barge,,,I'll be providing flotation by placing two 1 inch by 3 foot PVC tubes capped at each end inside the hull one on each side and epoxied into place. The hull will have four pieces of 1/2 inch plywood with matching ends running the length so i can get the pickle fork bow and tug boat notch at the stern. The hull bottom and deck will be covered with 1/8th inch door skin. Sealing the hull before decking with thinned resin and fiberglass tape. the entire exterior will be sanded, filled,, sanded again and then sealed with thinned resin. Thick resin will be used with taped on molds to replicate the hull plating and ribs. The deck will be covered with scale planks dyed, stained and weathered to show a well worn wood deck. Maybe even some missing boarding replaced with new ones. Deck board bolts will be made using a dimple punch, then painted with rust color and rust bleaching around each bolt. The deck buildings will be made of styrene and weathered as aluminum structures..I haven't decided on the cranes yet, or some of the other details.

[thorsail]

Hi Thomas
So I was thinking about the Vac-U-Tug I hope to build this winter - and
then I saw another thread about bulwarks and got me thinking , some of the
pictures of V-Tugs I have seen the boat seems to ride pretty low aft and so
how about adding a simple bulwark ? I am thinking from about the aft end of
the cabin house each side and all around the stern - say 1/4" or 3/8" high ,
maybe made out of a heavy but flexible piece of plastic like from a detergent
bottle or some such . would glue ok , would paint ok and would follow the
curve of the stern... high enough to help keep some water off but low enough
so a tow line would lead fair off a bollard. any thoughts ??
oh , and this might seem like cross purposes , but what about using a little
piece of a aerosol can straw ( like from a WD40 spray) as an insert to a hole(s)
drilled in the aft gunnels to act as a scupper should water be taken aboard ?

Allan
Chicago

[Predreadnut]

Im a Vac U Tug owner, and from my experience water getting into the aft area is not a problem unless your in fairly extreme wave/weather conditions. You will get a little water back there from time to time,but nothing major. The instruction manual calls for a certain amount of weight to be added in the stern area. In my case,I used BB's. If you want you could subtract some weight, thus allowing your tug to ride a little higher. I have found that my tug drops lowest to the water when at full throttle, which isnt all the time. At rest its quite a bit higher in the water.

[rmdesignworks]

thor,,you dont need bulwarks added to the existing bulwarks as you can float the boat however you want it in the water based entirely on how you ballast the hull once completely done and ready for final waterline trim.

the stern will drop lowest in the water when under full power when the bow rises out of the water or when pushing against something and the boat "digs in"

i have three sets of batteries in mine,,drive bats, light bats, rec bats mounted in front of the center line and i added less ballast at the stern to bring the stern up slightly and level the hull more,,mine sits nuetral at the point where the prop blades are just under the surface by about 3/8ths of an inch and a pretty good amount of rudder shows above the water line. i ballasted mine to be level with 1.5 inches of free board at the lowest point of the bulwark curve which is a little behind center line. seal your rudder hatch,,tape or silicone or weather seal ,,something!!

this hull is easy to build scuppers into if you want them, but i advise drilling,cutting and sealing them before you attach the deck to the hull. the scuppers should be larger than a tube from something like a wd-40 can though,,the surface tension of water wouldn't allow water to drain off the deck fast enough unless it was under pressure from the deck side..the scupper should be large enough to pass air and water at the same time so any water can exit easily..try two scuppers on each side, one about amidships and the other somewhere between the rudder hatch and the aft end of the main cabin or leave out the one around amidships. an easy way to do the scuppers since the hull is styrene is to drill two 3/16ths inch holes about a 1/4 inch apart through the bulwark(both inner and outer sides of each bulwark) and remove the material between the holes on either side then using the scrap stryene in the kit you can cut a piece for each opening,,mark the sheet where it exits the opening on the outside and inside of the bulwark and cut along the line you just made then glue into place,,i would use styrene solvent cement to glue the sleeve into the hole the use epoxy to make a final seal.. you can soften the styrene for bending by warming it with a hair dryer or heat gun but you will have to work fast and don't get too carried away and melt it...

finally i used ballast cakes made of bb's and epoxy instead of using bb's mixed with with epoxy poured into the hull..if i want to change electronics or whatever i simply pop out the cakes and remove the amount of weight i need for adjustment