grinder-RCU

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I was able to get my self a copy of the Francis Smith plans of the Angels Gate tug from another RCU'er on here. I took the plans to Kinko's and had them blow them up 200% to a 74" hull. I sent the enlarged plans to a guy in Quebec and he is going to laser cut the pieces for me. Still searching for motor options and prop combo's. I got my jig built for the hull support for the planking. The jig is as big as our small couch. The laser cutter has a copy of the plans now on his computer so he can cut them to any scale you guys need. I'll give you his website but he doesn't have it up on his site as this is a new project. The tug will probably be in the neighbourhood of around 100lbs when i'm done. Of course most of that will be the 12v sealed battery. https://mraerodesign.securicom.ca/en/

Grinder.

toesupwa

The Francis Smith plan is NOT a plan of the Angels Gate tug, its a very close match to the real tug 'Angels Gate' but there are a couple of corrections that need to be made to get a model from these plans to be closer to 'scale'.

1/ The portholes and doors are in the wrong place and need to be re-positioned.
2/ The wheelhouse roof is 'cut back' above the captains cabin on the FS drawing, on the real 'Angels Gate, the roof oversails the 'walkway' to allow for the .50 cal. machine guns.

I have a copy of the original 1941 drawings for the 327 type if you are interested in a copy.

grinder-RCU

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You are correct. Thats what I get for late night posting.

grinder-RCU

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I have recieved the kit of the larger tug and tried a trial fitting just to get a scope of things to come. The Atlantic Harbour tug's hull is 31" and the larger tug is 74"

Grinder.

toesupwa

Whoooly cr*p batman... thats going to be BIG!

What are you going to power that one with?... and what size prop.. I hope you have a good back to lift that thing!..

Keep us up to date with the build please!...

Wheeeeew... [X(]

grinder-RCU

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I plan on using a 12v deep cell marine batt and 5" 4 blade prop. Still searching for that right electrical motor with the right rpm for the drive, probably go with a gear reduction as well. I'm guessing around i'll need around 150lbs to get it to sit on the water line. I also have to come up with a way to bend the wood around the front of the pilot house on the front of the cabin structure. I'm thiking i will have to use steam and soak the wood and then put it into a mold to hold it's shape.

Grinder.

toesupwa

Depending on the thickness of the ply (1/16"?) try soaking the ply in hot water for 10 minutes at a time and gradually (letting the wood dry in between try's) bend round something like a large paint tin..
It may take 3 or 4 wettings / dryings to get it round.

grinder-RCU

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I'm using 1/8" wood i'll try to get some pics up for ya. You don't think the wood will swell to much from the water?? and or steam. I guess i'll find out by trying. Think i might try on some scrap first to practice.

toesupwa

Thats how i did the wheelhouse on the front of my Angels Gate.. and no, it didnt swell the wood. That was 1/16" though, so with 1/8" thick you may need to seriously steam it to get it round the curve..

grinder-RCU

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Somone ws asking me off list about the larger tug build. You can order your tug through https://mraerodesign.securicom.ca/en/ He can laser cut your tug to any scale you want. Martin is a excellent pereson to deal with. I got a copy of the mag article and plans from another RCU'er. I took the plans to Kinko's and had them blow them up 200% and put onto a cd.

Grinder.

grinder-RCU

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Update: I got the boat stand assembled for the 74" hull. In the back ground is my Blackjack 55 with a 55" hull. My little xmas present to myself. In the middle is my Aquacraft 31" hull tug the " Amy F ".

Grinder.

grinder-RCU

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Oh yeah if notice to the right is the new kitchen cabinets waiting to be installed for the wife. Kinda a trade off.

toesupwa

I know which one i would rather watch you build...

toesupwa

Any progress on this build grinder?....

grinder-RCU

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Yup...the kitchen cabinets are installed and looking good. As soon as the xmas tree came down i started on the tug project. Needed the space where the tree was. I have glued all ribs into place along with the bottom deck and middle deck. it only took me one night to get it all glued up'd. It took 2 full bottles of ca. I was going to start on planking the hull but now i'm thinking i might put that off for now and get the drive train set up and bow thruster installed. I figured it would be easier without the planking on cause it would be a b****h to try to work in the confines of the hull with my large hands. So for now i'm going to start by ordering the motors and parts and maybe also start planning on the build of the cabin structure in my head. I'll have to check a few sources to see about getting that 1/8" pilot house structure bent to shape. There is a stair and railing company here in town maybe they have expertise in how bend the wood without wrecking it. I don't have access to steam or a large hot water source to do it myself. What do you recommend for sealing the wood along the bilge area along the keel on the inside of the hull not visable and does not need to be sanded and not smell up the house?.

grinder.

grinder-RCU

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Here is a link for the motor i'm thinking of. You can buy just the core motor for $81 bucks. I'm thinking two motors chain drive to one propellor shaft. Pulley reduced to get screw speed down to 0-1000rpm. " The starter can be operated on 12V or 24V, maximum 100 amps. Output is 600 in-oz (424 N-cm) at 12V, 1200 (848 N-cm) at 24V. 2800 no load RPM at 12V, 5600 no load RPM at 24V." I haven't decided if i'm going to run 24v or 12v.


http://www.shopatron.com/product/par....318.659.0.0.0

grinder-RCU

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Pic of the drive but will be modified for two motors.

toesupwa

Sounds as if progress is being made Grinder!...

Yes, it would be a good idea to organise the drive train and bow thruster before all that planking goes on, it can get quite tight working in a hull... even though your's is quite a large hull... (More later)
The stair company may be able to help, thats certainly worth a try, but if that fails, a kettle on a stove would be worth a shot as a steam source, though that may take a while. I've used the tub filled with hot water to bend 1/16th.. though it may take a LOT more effort to bend 1/8th... If the 1/8" ply wont bend, how about two laminations of 1/16th?...
To seal the wood internally, some glass resin would be the way to go. I use the West Marine 105 epoxy which has virtually no smell and seals the wood in one coat.

A chain drive may create a lot of noise... A toothed belt / gears may be a better and quieter option.
Have a look at Stock Drive Products range of toothed belts and gears https://sdp-si.com/eStore/

grinder-RCU

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wow thanks for the link, just what i was looking for.

grinder-RCU

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Here is a pic of the pilot house structure in a mold I made from a sauna tube that is used for pouring cement post. I soaked the wood in the bath tub for about 30-40 mins in very hot water and it soften'd the 1/8ply right up. I doubled up the sauna tube hoping that it would not flex out when trying to bend the wood into it. I think it turned out pretty well. I haven't taken the cabin structure out of the mold just yet. I'm letting it sit for 24hrs to dry out. Maybe tonight I will remove it from the mold. The curiosity is killing me. Once I have the wood shaped to where i'm happy I can start on other small projects. Like getting the cabin structure framed up, and hiding the wood joint on the front while waiting for parts to arrive from Ca.

Grinder.

grinder-RCU

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You can see in the first pic in the background the tug with the bilge area covered in epoxy. I wanted to cover this area as once i have planking on there will be no access to it to water proof it. $70 bucks worth of West systems epoxy #105 , #206 hardner. I'm sure I'll use all of that by the time i'm done coating the inside of the planking sections.

toesupwa

Grinder...
That 'bending' is looking GREAT!... take a pic when you get it out of the mold...
It may need another wetting and clamping to get it to do the 180, but its certainly an eye opener to see that done with 1/8" ply.

Oh... and the hull (in the background) is looking good too... Any pics of that as it is at the moment?..

grinder-RCU

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pics.

grinder-RCU

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More pics. Trial fitting of the cabin structure on the hull. Lots of work still ahead. Detailing of cabin structure, smokestack, lighting, painting, gluing, devise a method of making the cabin structure removable for transport while being water tight. I did some work on the main deck to prepare it for the coaming? that will go inside the cabin to act as flange to keep water out. I seem to be a regular at the LHS buying wood. So far I have into it $1,116 as it sits there. There is some hardware coming from Cal. Bowthruster and the such. Should be here this week.

toesupwa

Woooooooowwwww
Thats looking really good Grinder... and coming together very nicely!...
Look back at my 'reply #110 (page 5), the first pic shows the coaming on my ST-695. It sits about 1" above the deck and the superstructure sits snugly over that. I dont think you will need that much height as you shouldnt get much water on the deck of a tug that size.
Yeah... its a lot of money, but she looks WELL worth it!..