"On advice of counsel...." I decided to go ahead and install the tubes. Pic attached. 1/8" brass tubes. The prop shaft and rudder shaft are cut from 3/32" music wire. The wire is a snug fit in the brass tubes, but turns freely (after dressing the ends I cut).

I'm still waiting for my FG cloth and resin (drums fingers impatiently on workbench), so today I think I will start the deck and cabin structure. As the entire deck is removable and therefore represents a seperate assembly, I don't see why I can't start on that. There are maybe 12-15 parts total to the deck and cabin, so it shouldn't take too long to get it built. While the instructions say you can glass the deck after building, I don't see how, with all of the cabin structure. I think it would be difficult to cut the cloth neatly around the cabin. So I will probably just paint it. I suppose the bottom of the deck could be resin coated to make it more waterproof. After all, this is the part of the boat that is supposed to stay above water, so I don't think there would be a huge issue with paint and perhaps a coat or two of varnish.
Any thoughts on using WBPU as a final clear coat over acrylic paints?

Mark

Looking good Mark!

Re: sealing, if you epoxy the interior, you may as well do the underside of the deck too- water gets onto the strangest places sometimes! depending on the epoxy you use, you should have plenty left in the batch you mix for the interior- Fiberglassing the deckis the quickest way to a smooth finish on a balsa boat if you use something light like .75 cloth, it will be easy to lay out and any rough edges can be easilly trimmed/sanded out- give it a try! WBPU over acrylic... I have no experience there but in doubt, it is is probably best to stick with a single brand/system to avoid potential bad chemical reactions

Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Aerominded! It is a pretty simple, straightforward build (except for getting the sheeting in the bow to do what it is supposed to do).

I hadn't thought about epoxying the bottom of the deck. Makes sense. That shouldn't be a problem. When I get the cabin/flybridge built and installed, I'll post a pic. Perhaps at that point you could make any suggestions about fiberglassing it. If the epoxy were thin enough, could I just "paint" it on the deck, sand it down a bit, and get a smooth(er) surface that way?

Again, thanks for the advice and support. Its appreciated!

Mark

Sounds good! re: sealing the top of the deck with epoxy, no glass is an option too-

West System epoxy flows well off of a brush and would do a good job filling the grain of the balsa- and can be thinned with acetone or denatured alchohol- spot putty here and there would have you set for a smooth finish! Some epoxys do sand better than others- I really like West and I think some folks here also like K&B- other epoxys like Great Planes, Devcon 30 minute, etc, while great for bonding are a little harder to finish in my opinion.

Aerominded, actually I've ordered up some West System and fiberglass cloth from Aircraft Spruce. Awaiting delivery (might even be tomorrow). I also have some denatured alcohol on hand, so I think I've got what I need to "git 'er done" properly. To be honest, I'm not looking for a "10" for the finish. My first effort at fiberglassing, other than center wing section reinforcing and some reinforcing of foam DLG wings. I figure I will have to hit the auto supply store at some point and pick up some Bondo to take care of any dings, nicks and other assorted "oops" I'm bound to inflict on the model.

Mark

Excellent! I think you will enjoy working with West System! You will get the hang of fiberglassing very quickly, have no fear! Have you seen Pat Tritle's thread on how to fiberglass mahogany runabouts? useful reading! I'm pretty sure it is in the 'sticky' section of Dock Talk...

Originally Posted by Aerominded

Excellent! I think you will enjoy working with West System! You will get the hang of fiberglassing very quickly, have no fear! Have you seen Pat Tritle's thread on how to fiberglass mahogany runabouts? useful reading! I'm pretty sure it is in the 'sticky' section of Dock Talk...

Yup, I've read the fiberglassing thread a bunch of times. In fact, I went through it today and excerpted out the basics to print out for reference. This is a learning experience for me, and so far I think it's going pretty well. Time will tell........

Mark

Busy night and morning!

The first pic shows the two deck halves joined, along with the first level of the cabin. I deviated a bit from the instructions here, as they call to glaze the windows at the end, on the outside. I chose to put them in now, so they would be on the inside. There really is no access to the interior of the cabin once the roof goes on. The second pic shows the flybridge in place. That pretty much completes the deck assembly, with the exception of a bow sprit, battery hatch, and battery box.

And what is a build thread without an "in the bones" shot, so here are a couple of pics of the deck sitting on the hull. Starting to look like a boat!

The fiberglass stuff arrived this morning (thanks, FedEx), so that will be the next thing I tackle. I expect my first efforts to be instructive, if not entertaining....(at least to those watching this thread ).

Mark

She's looking right boaty now. Good work.

I really like the look of your build Buzz, she is looking splendid now she has some superstructure on the hull.

Kind of reminds me of the Aerokits (GB) Sea Nymph that i have a plan for.. It's in the 'production' line, but about 4 or 5 builds away yet..

Keep up the good work, looking forwards to some sea trials pics..

wow buzz, shes looking great.....nice build

Thanks, Jeepers, Toesup and Larry. It has been a lot of fun so far. I've just mixed up the first batch of resin and put the cloth on the bottom. By tomorrow morning, I should know how it looks.

Mark

Isn't laser cutting great? Everything goes together so well.

Don

I agree, Don. Laser cutting is just fantastic. Nice clean edges, etc. I suspect that if Pat were to redesign these boats, he would be able to utilize the laser cutter's accuracy to an even greater extent, and simplify the build even more. Maybe someday the urge will strike, and Pat will redo the design at 28-32", perhaps with twin screws. That would be fun!

Mark

Nice work Mark! you'll be ready for the summer boating season in no time!