toesupwa

Grinder...

Have you done any more to your build?...

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry for not updating guys. Well the money finally ran out so that put a damper on the build but I did find out I should be going back to work around July 1st this yr. So hopefully fingers crossed I can have the tug build done by then. We also had a opportunity to use a Gov grant to have our house made more energy efficient. So we had insulation blown into the walls, 5 new basement windows and the whole interior of the house painted as a result of the approx 600 holes from the insulation being blown in on the interior walls. I think too I had a bit of build burnout. I had talked to MHZusa about the reduction drive and he said he should have some coming in on the next container from overseas. But I need to make room on the credit card before i can purchase one. So that is where I stand at this point. I did see a Mr Darby on Kijiji completely built but the owner wanted more than I was willing to spend. Plus too I was counting on my tax refund coming in to help get the project going and now the Gov wants more info cause it was to be substancial amount. So the waiting continues.

Grinder.

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

For anyone interested there is a partially built tug over on RCC for sale. Located in Oakville Ontario.
http://www.rccanada.ca/rccforum/showthread.php?t=86602/

Grinder.

Alantug

Well looks like another tug is going to be built. I have been able to get a set of plans and copies of the article that Mr Smith did years ago! When the article first appeared I had obtained the plans, wood and a radio from Francis when he has his shop in Norwood Pa. Never did get around to building it as the war (Viet Nam ) got in the way and then marriage, kids etc. Now that I am retired I am going to build that fabulous TUG!!

Regards,
Al

DONS BOAT WORKS

My Feedback: (3)

Welcome Al,
WE want pictures.

RCBOATMANIAC

I feel very relieved to see the tread is still some what alive, I started the tread to find the plans for the tug, and I would have never beleived that it would have gotten some much interest and inputs towards the tug. I personally haven't been able to start a project of my own yet, but I am still in the workings of it getting started soon!! I still have my Mister Darby to get finished who would have ever figured that the tug would involve so much money!, but once I get it finished I still have a Dumas kits American Beauty river tug to build and the angel gate tug to build, but hopefully in time I'll be able to post pic's of my own on the thread.

later

Happy building or for some Happy boating.

Alantug

Normally I am a laid back guy but I cannot wait for the plans to show up along with the articles. Iseem to recall it was in the mid 70s when Ifirst learned of Mr Smiths tug and actually saw it running down at Ridley lake in Ridley Park, PA. Iobtained the plans ans supplies from Mr Smith along with some good advice on the tugs contruction all forgotten over the years!
I hope I can do Mr Smith right with my first tug!

Regards,
Al

dallas2254

I am new to this thread and via a search on Google I found this particular thread on an 85 foot tug model. I had fun reading every thread and then it just ended with no tug being finished. Not that I was thinking of building another tug. I have a MR Darby, (2) 45 inch Shelly Foss' and a 36 inch Shelly Foss in my marina already. One of the 45 inch Shelly Foss’s is still in the box.

I live on an 8 square mile lake in near Seattle WA and the idea of building a 6 foot tug all of a sudden grabbed me. I have the boat ramp and a spare wave runner lift so this would be much more interesting that the other tugs. The fact that Joe (grinder) had done all the research and found where to get all the parts laser cut by Martin was a huge time saver right from the get go.

SO after more emails with Joe and Martin I order the plans from the [link=http://shop.ebay.com/great_plans/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340]ebay guy[/link] and ordered the cut out wood from [link=http://www.mraerodesign.com]Martin[/link] yesterday. $535 Canadian, inclusive of shipping to Bellevue WA seemed quite reasonable to shave off hours and hours of getting all the parts to have a precision fit. Thanks to Joe for making this an easy choice.

Martin even laser cut my wife's name into the name plates for me so my wife will have a stake in this build. The Name shall be the "Janet LaRayne"

Maybe this thread will have a happy ending with one if not both of these sister ships being finished and carving water on both far sides of North America.

Regards,

Dallas

Olli

Hi,

after a lot of reading in this very interesting topic, I wonder if someone has tried the [link=http://www.taubmansonline.com/LHD85STPLAN.htm]taubmans[/link] plan of this beauty. Even I found the Francis Smith plans on ebay (unfortunately only on CD and with the difficulty to print them out correctly) I think the Taubmans might eventually be an (even expensive) alternative.
Regards from Germany
Olli

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Well I could make you a copy of the plans and mail them to you and you could order the parts laser cut from where me and Dallas ordered from. https://mraerodesign.securicom.ca/ The benefit is Martin from aerodesign can cut out the parts in any scale you want.

Grinder.

Olli

Hi,

sent you an e-mail Grinder.

Olli

dallas2254

Well I have my foot three plans from ebay posted on my hobby room wall and I just recieved my laser cut out parts of the 72 inch version of the 85 foot harbor tug from [link=https://mraerodesign.securicom.ca/en/index.cfm]Martin[/link]. These laser cut out parts are very high quality and literally just fall out of the plywood templates. Took me just 30 minutes to inventory the parts and lay them out for the first step in trial fitting them.

I have taken over the unfinished section of our basement that someday will have a swim spa in it but for now it is a very nice place to build a big ass tug boat. Until you lay out the parts and start putting them together do you realize that blowing up the plans for a 3 foot model boat into a 6 foot model boat is going to mean two people need to transport this monster hobby tug. It would appear that it is going to take more than just one marine optima blue top battery to put this thing down to the water line.

I am thinking of converting one of my wave runner lifts on the dock to accomidate this big boy so I don't need to keep pulling it up on the beach. I am not going to be transporting this tug beyond the front yard.

This looks like alot of fun!

Dallas

dallas2254

Went to Harbor Freight and picked up an oak woodworking bench (with 20% off coupon on top of the sale price it came to under $139.00 for a very nice workbench and wood vice. The drawers are on nice ball bearings and felt lined. I also bought a 1 inch by 30 inch belt sander, adjustable clamps and various other consumables. This is the first time I have bought something that runs on electricity (belt sander) from Harbor Fright. If I get more than 20 hours of time on it before it breaks down I will be happy. I would use the word Cheap to describe that crap, not Inexpensive, but so far the belt sander has run for 2 minutes and counting. I am aware that you are pretty much just paying for the price of steel and shipping.

I was going to buy a Jet belt sander but the least expensive was around $289.00 so for $39 plus a 20% off coupon at Harbor Frieght ($3.50/lbs) it is was almost a toss up so I went China (oh I hate how they make that price point so close when you take into account quality. Quality vs Quantity.

On to the 72 inch Harbor Tug boat build.

Today was the first day that I broke ground on building. I built the Jig to hold the tug today and began using epoxy and fibercloth to hold the sections together on the non exposed side of each panel. I sure do like working with that laser cut wood from [link=https://mraerodesign.securicom.ca/en/]MR AeroDesign[/link]. It is like working with really big puzzle pieces that fit together so tight that there is no movement in the pieces before you glue them. Martin took the 'scratch' out of scratch built', well except for the fact that you still have to plank the hull and bend the plywood to form the Cabin. The pieces are going to gether very well with no additional cutting or sanding required.

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Looks good.

Grinder.

toesupwa

Looking forwards to seeing more of this build!..

dallas2254

Well I did not get much done today on the tug. Spent 2 hours putting the parts together now that I have the three decks that make up the hull completed. When I made the plankig jig yesterday, that holds the tug upside down and straight, I did not follow the directions for spacing the mounts as stated but instead used the middle plate section to accurately messure where the three wood mounts should go to be able to clamp the the three nearest bulkheads (#3, #6, #9) to the mounts. Works really great vs using the instructions to clamp to the middle deck as the instructions state. Bulkheads provide all the support for the keel when you are piecing them for a trail fit so it nice to have three bulkheads for lining the whole thing up with just one person.

Then it was off to church...I think I spent most of the time thinking about the tug then what I went there for. Came back home and spent the rest of the day reading and researching motors, prop sizes, shaft diameters, and bow thrusters. For the all the work that Joe has done before me I have more questions than answers.

BOW THRUSTER
I have settled on the bow thruster that Harbor models sells (same as Joe purchased) but I think I am going to put it further into the bow and fabricate around the front bow/keel stiffner so that I do not have to lengthen the tube. This build so far as been too easy so now is the time to make it interesting. Joe ran into that problem and by the pictures he posted (I can't thank you enough Joe for posting all those pictures). I think the bow thruster should be more forward because that is where it is on all the big boats I see in the boat yards.

PROP
I have decided to keep it a single screw tug, but it will be a big screw non the less. I have researched the props and Harbor models has the most [link=http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/main_pages/propellers_propshop.htm]prop choices[/link] in one place. I have concluded that the appropriate size prop that is to the best scale would be a 5-1/2" prop for my tug (my opinion). The largest one seems to be a 5.1�X 6.0� but that is just a nasty big pitch on that mother. But next to the size of that prop is says "A “showpiece� prop for the most ambitious models, with huge thrust" and it looks like it might come in 5 bladed version.....I decided that I am OK with that statement....SOLD ME or at least my ego was sold! This is just going to be a nasty prop to power though. Might as well move up to the 50 cc 4 stroke weed whacker engine too while I am at it.


MOTOR
The next problem which has taken more time than picking a prop is the motor and gearing issue. Not too much info on boats larger than 4 feet out there but plenty of issues on under powering a prop, cavitating a prop, and the big hurdle, burning up a motor or controller because of not understanding the dynamics of this issue. I have a set of astro flight marine geared 40's in my 45 inch shelly foss but they are only meant for 2.5 inch props. They have bigger motors with more windings but not sure if the gear drives will handle that additional power. Oh well I don't need to order the motor or prop yet but I need to order the stuffing tube because I am going to fit it in before I close up the hull.

REVISIONS TO THE KEEL
The rear keel has a cut out for the stuffing tube but to hold it together, there are two tabs that were not laser cut through. If I go with the Harbor Models [link=http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/main_pages/propulsion.htm]6mm (1/4 inch) x 18 inch long shaft and stuffing box[/link], I am going to have to fit this in now by cutting the tabs and widen the cut out. To do this I am going to have to build up around the cut out with stiffeners and then fit the tube in while it is not installed on the tug. This should save alot of time later when I would have had to line up a long drill or cuting tube to widen the keel/shaft later. I will install the bow thruster too while I am at it since I have not cemented in the front keel stiffener section yet.

PLANKING THE HULL
I am going to order up 1/8 x 3/8 x 36 inch bulsa strips tonight. I figure I need to cover about 2624 sq inches of hull or around 195 strips. After planking the hull I will coat the inside of the hull like the original instructions and glass the out side for strength. I will be drilling lightening holes through out lowest area of inside of the hull in order to catch water at the lowest point for the pickup on the bildge pump before I start planking the hull. I noticed that the laser cut pieces do not have holes cut in them so I will drill them out before I glue them in. I am amazed at how well these pieces go together.

Here is a picture with the pieces fitted together but not glued. I am off to the basement to work on it some more.

Regards,

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Whew!.

Grinder.

dallas2254

Well, today I ran out of things to do on the boat. I ordered a whole bunch of balsa wood form a company that does nothing but balsa wood and plywood. I think I will have no shortage of every size balsa wood is cut from in 48 inch long strips and bulk sizes for making the bow and stern. I wilol try to keep track of what I use so it will be easier to know what to order in the future.

I thought I would wait for the two additional parts that I was short on keel to arrive this week but I had time on my had so I pulled out the cabin and decided this was the day to learn how to bend plywood. I took Joe's idea of using sono tubes (Excellent Idea). I measured the the radius I needed for the front cabin on this 6 foot tug and it turned out to be exactly 12 inches. I looked up on the internet and sonotubes come in 12 inches so off to the lumber store. The problem is that the sono tubes are 12 inches on the inside but at second glance, when they build them, they usually transport them with multiple tubes inside each other so I reasoned that some of the tubes might just be a tad under 12 inches and I was correct. One tube was 12-1/2 outside diameter, another one was 12 inches exactly and the other about 11 - 1/2 inches but for building code purposes they call them 12 inches. I bought the papa bear and the mama bear one cut down to 4 feet for around $23 and headed home except for a stop into Home Depot and purchased a whole bunch of wood working tools.

The paper on a sonotube is about 3/16 of an inch so I cut the mama bear tube into 3 thirteen inch sections and made one length wise cut on two of them and spiral compressed them into the third uncut one so I would have a beefed up 12 inch outside diameter round object to wrap the cabin around. Then I cut the papa bear sono tube into three pieces about 13 inchs long each that were 12 inches on the inside diameter and I would eventually fit these over the other three sono tubes and wrap a few straps around them with the cabin sandwiched in between them. In theory it seemed like it would keep the cabin straight while it dried.

Then it was time to do something I have never done before.... bend plywood with hot water. I decided to go for it and not practice on some other plywood pieces, I figured Joe had done it already and it worked for him. I put the cabin in the bottom of our kitchen sink and poured in some boiling water (reheated the water twice) and after 15 mintues pulled it from the water ran down stairs bent it around the mama bear layers sonotubes and then expanded and wrapped the papa bear sonotubes around the outside of the wet plywood, aligned the bottom of the cabin to the flat edge of the sonotubes and took three straps with winched them around the outer sonotubes. Put some clamps around it for added compression and now I wait for a few days to see if it worked. I think it will though. This was very easy to bend the 1/8 inch plywood and took less than and hour to do including the time to cut the sonotubes. From what I understand it is important to have the grain of the plywood going perpendicular to the bend.

I guess I will have the cabin built sooner than I thought. I was a bit intimidated by the thought of bending that thick of plywood but it was very easy. There are many cut out windows in this piece so it is important that if you want a uniform bend that the sonotubes are the way to go. I have enclosed some pictures below.

I also finshed putting the laser cut boat stand together that came with the tug cut outs. Martin leaves nothing out and if he did he seems all to willing to add to the kit to make it better. I bought some spray paint for it and will paint it some time this week.

I also got on the phone with Harbor models and ordered the 3/16 inch 14 inch long stuffing box, the 5.1 inch 5 bladed brass prop, the bow thruster and the belt drive 800 series motor and a coupler to go between the motor and shaft. The person I spoke to there assured me that as long as I was not going to be going to the races I should not burn up that motor since it is geared 2:1. Besides for the price it was easier than trying to fabricate something at this point. I researve the idea that I might want to upgrade this in the future but for now I will just leave lots of room to do so. The guy on the phone was sort of purplexed as to why I would build such a big scale tug. I think he was trying to tell me that he does not sell any 14:1 scale accesories because there is no demand for that size scale....well at least not until you drink from the kool aid.

He did give me a great idea after I told him I was not going to be putting a wood dowel cleats on this tug. It was going to have to be solid in order to pull my boat. He recommended that I weld up a battery tray to lift the marine battery in and out of it and I got the idea that I could also tie the towing cleat into that tray and a quick release that would mount the whole thing to the hull. I have all the welding equipment so this will be easy to do.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Note to Dallas: I think I will design the battery tray around a marine Optima battery so I don't need to worry about tipping it over.

grinder-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

I got the same response from the guy on the phone from MHZ in Fla. about reduction drives.
As they say go big or go home.

Grinder.

dallas2254

Tonight my drive shaft, prop, and bow thruster came in from Harbor models. That five bladed 5.1 inch prop is quite the show.

I cut out a place in the the front bow stiffner for the bow thruster that is still accessible by hands when the hull is eventually closed in. With it pushed further up in to the bow it will easily clear and be flush with the hull when tirmmed.

I have not glued the ribs or four keel pieces together yet so it makes it really easy to remove sections and make changes to the hull. Next item will be to put the shaft in while the rear keel is not yet glued in. I ordered the 14 inch 3/16 shaft that screws right into the prop and is the right length for the hull. The rear keel has cut out tabs for the the drive shaft to slide up into once the hull is built and covered but I think I will put it in now while the keel is out and then block it in so as to keep the keel aligned while finishing the hull. Will save lost of time on drilling out he tabs and alignment issues later.

I bought a miniture table saw and 1 inch belt sander at Harbor Freight. That table saw is going to get lots of use and already has. It is so easy to cut srips of wood with this saw. The blade is so thin that it does not take much wood off. I ordered alot of bulk balsa wood as well as plenty of pre cut strips. This will make it very easy to cut different widths very fast while planking the hull.

toesupwa

Looking good Dallas!...

That Prop is a MONSTER!!!!... should look rather nice under the stern though..

Oh.. and that wheelhouse looks vaguely familiar!..
Are you going as the plan or are you going more scale with the wheelhouse and its roof?

dallas2254

The Prop fits very nice to the boat. I installed the drive shaft today before I put the rear Keel section in. The 5.1 inch 5 bladed prop is very proportional to the boat and actually just barely under scale for the boat but it is the biggest on out there I could find.

I am planning on building out the interior of the cabin to scale and looking for picture of the Angles Gate tug as a starting point to decide what to put inside of it. The windows are large and easy to see inside. I will be putting alot of lights and moving parts on this tug. I plan to use it as a static display in my corner window office sitting on my credenza during the off season. I have a ground floor office with plenty of traffic going by day and night so when it is lit up it will be noticable. I have the fish bowl office.

I am planning on painting it the FOSS TUB BOAT green and white colors since they are a local company that goes way back in the Pacific Northwest Maritime history. The name on the tug wont be a FOSS name but the rest of it will look like some of their old tugs around here even though I plan on keeping the Angles Gate as the primary focus. Hence why I wanted the big single prop.

I got a big box of balsa wood shipped in this weekend with all kinds of various sizes included. Enough to plank the entire boat in 1/8 by 3/8. I think I have enough for a few more boats. I am currently reinforcing all the ribs and I will begin planking next week and then glass over that.

The actually putting together of the cabin and hull has been too easy since all the laser cut pieces just fit together with barely any revisions. I think most of the thought process will begin with the finishing of the cabin and all the internal and external accessories.

The tug should be ready for the water in the few months or less. I will be buying the electronics for it in a couple weeks.

My youngest son actually came down to my hobby shop that I have set up in our pool room (no pool yet) and sat down in the office chairs looked around and commented that this was really decked out with lots of tools and promptly wanted to pull out all my other tug boats and get them running. Some of them are bit worse for the wear since I have not been into building or using them for over 16 years and they have been battered around in four house moves. So the Mr Darby and both Foss Tugs (36 and 45 inch) are out and ready for repairs too. I think this will get him away from the computer.

Dallas

toesupwa

For interior shots of Angels gate, have a look at this...

http://www.nonplused.org/panos/st695/index.html#image

I've also spent many hours round Angels Gate at San Pedro taking exterior detail Pic's...

You have a PM Dallas...

dallas2254

Drive shaft in and prop on for fit

dallas2254

well I have begun the planking of the hull using 1/8 x 3/8 x 48 inch long balsa striips. Due to the size of the hull it does not appear that I will need to use extra balsa blocks to shape the bow or the stern. I started by building the rub rail around the entire parimeter of the hull building up 1/4 x1/4 x 48 inch long strips (5 of them to complete the thickness of the rub rail) and for the stern soaking them in boiling water (using copper tubing over the gas stove filled with water and stirps) for 20 minutes then bend them around the stern. It is important to note the grain of the wood and how flexible the 1/4 inch balsa is before selecting which ones to soak and bend. I ordered a boat load of balsa in various sizes (enought to build many boats so I wont need to order some more for a number of years) so I figure this out after snapping about 5 of them while bending the around the stern. Then I began planking from the bow to the stern starting at the rub rail working toward the keel and form the bow to the stern. It almost looks so good I dont want to use any filler or fiberglass cloth to cover up the planks but at last I must because I want the hull to be extremely strong and I am going to paint the tug to resemble the foss tug boat color theme.

I am almost 1/2 way done with planking on one side. It is going really fast. I have about 3 hours into installing the rub rail and 2 hours into the planking so far. I used fiberglas s mat and epoxy resin to reinforce every part of the hull so the entire hull has no chance of twisting while planking. For added measure I have spaced the supports on the jig where the ribs come in contact with them so my clamps can be installed on the inside of the hull to clamp the hull upside down and stay out of the way of planking the entire hull while upside down on the jig.

I am getting close to having to install the bow thruster and build up the inside of the hull for support for the ends of the tubes on the bow thruster. This is definately a really fast build project. No need to soak the planks since the size of the hull allows for the shape of the hull. I am looking forward to the detail work on the outside and making all the parts for the outside and inside of the tug since there is really very little accessories built for this scale of 14:1

I want to thank Ralph for sending me a lot of pictures of 'angles gate' from various angles on a CD. That was very thoughtful, kind and helpful. This will be very helpful in building out the details of the tug

Pictures to follow.

Dallas