Sterling 48
 

I got an unopened Sterling Chris Craft Corvette from Ebay a while ago and have some time now to build it. I'll post some images as I go along. I have powered two of the Dumas 48" PT109 boats with twin Astroflight scale marine motors and reversible speed controls, Dumas running hardware and MACKS rudders. The propellers are counter rotating. The frame is done and ready for planking. I'll use 3/6 inch strips on the sides and plywood on the bottom. The sides and bottom will be sealed with five ounce very fine fiberglass cloth. I have two questions:
1: Is there a better way to do the planking?
2: Should I stick with the Astroflight motors or is there a more modern brushless system available?

RE: Sterling 48
 

That's the PT boat set up. Here's the Corvette progress. Dan

RE: Sterling 48
 

Here's the Corvette manual. Dan

RE: Sterling 48
 

Planking is underway. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Talk about some tedious work, looks good so far. I'm assuming you're going to glass it when it's done

RE: Sterling 48
 

Hydro, I’ll be glassing it with Hobbico 5oz cloth. It has a very fine weave. I’m an old planker from the Berkeley kit days. After I get started, I go in to a transcendental state and the world around me disappears. In no time I get a section done. Hardly notice the time it took. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

The bow blocks were glued on. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Wow that reminds me that I bought one of those Sterling 48's on eBay years ago. What I got was a completed hull but nothing more, no other parts or instructions. Unable to find any information about the kit, seemed like a hopeless project, so I just resold it. Wish I would've kept it... like all the other boats I've sold on eBay over the years :eek: .

RE: Sterling 48
 

dauntless, it's not a good kit. The diecutting is average but not a single part fit with it's mating part. The more the assembly progressed, the worse the fit got. I will have to sustitute a lot of parts when I get to the cabin. The hull was one compromise after another to get it straight. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

The hull is sanded and ready for some fiberglass cloth. The transom is 1/16 inch birch plywood with the grain verticle. It went around the stern easy and was secured with Gorilla glue. Masking tape held it in place until the glue dried. The pieces that came in the kit were of no value. I'll stain the plywood later. Dan

RE: Sterling 48
 

The hull is getting coveredd with 5oz Hobbico fiberglass cloth and Zpoxy finishing resin. It will take several sections. The transom will be left bare for staining. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Nice work, the stained transom will add a nice vintage look I'm sure.

RE: Sterling 48
 

dauntless, there was a "mahagony" one in the kit that was cr*p. I had to replace it. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Explain the use of the tape?  I wouldn't think a thin layer of epoxy would hurt/interfere with the next section of fiberglass you are putting on.

Bob

RE: Sterling 48
 

oops rb, I forgot to post the images of the tape. The sides and bottom of the hull abruptly come together at the chine. Although I used an abundant of gorilla glue, I needed some extra insurance of a good seal at that joint. The heavy fiberglass cloth I was going to use would not make that abrupt turn so I could not wrap it around. I have some light weight, tight weave one inch tape that when wet will take the 90 degree bend real easy. I used that to go around the chine and some on the keel near the bow. The heavy weight cloth just overlapped it. Thanks for asking. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

O.K., that's the same tape used to strengthen wing center joints, cowling and other uses.  It comes in 1", 2" and 3" from Great Lakes models.  Is that it?

Bob

RE: Sterling 48
 

Bob, I got the tape about 15 years ago. It was used to assemble some small parts that went in to satellites. I don't know what it is. Those construction tapes I have seen are very course and would never make a 90 degree corner without raising up. Do you have a link to the tape you are talking about? I am running out of mine. Maybe they have somthing similar. I sure can use some. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Dan,

This link is what I was thinking about, in particular the medium weight tape.  I've use it on airplane wing center joints many times (back when I used to build a lot of airplanes, and that has been a long time ago - that's another story).  Here's the link:  http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/gpm/gpmgpmr1054.htm

Bob<br type="_moz"/>

RE: Sterling 48
 

The hull has been completely fiberglassed and sanded. The fiberglass has covered a lot of ills and revealed a few. The few were filled with a mixture of Z-poxy and Sig micro balloons. I was very generous with the Z-poxy and you can see what is left from a start with a new set. It's great stuff and sanded very well with 80 grit sandpaper. The five ounce cloth has plenty of body to sand. Next up is work on the upper side of the hull and waiting for my finger prints to reappear. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Bob, it's hard to tell from here just how thick that tape is. It does look pretty hefty and since it is used for construction purposes I doubt if it will mold around a 90 degree corner. If I can get a good image of the tape I have I'll post it. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Bob, here's a shot of the tape. I don't have much left. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Dan,

I've seen that tape in use before but it's been too long ago for me to remember where.  However I think I have something that will work, at least it 'looks' like your tape, I just don't know about the thickness.  Take a look at this site and maybe you can tell which it is.

http://www.cstsales.com/glass_tape.html

Bob<br type="_moz"/>

RE: Sterling 48
 

Thanks Bob, that tape looks really close and at a weight of 2oz it may be it. I'll have to order some from CST.
The lake I run in is man made and the surface is about 1 1/2 feet below ground level. It's very difficult to launch your boat, especially when they weigh 20+ pounds. I use two three foot long pieces of piano wire with a handle on one end and a hook bent on the other. The boats have screw hooks attached to them with one at the bow and one at the stern. I lower the boats into the lake with the long hooks. It's definitely not scale but saves my back. I had to put these two hard points in the Corvette to attach the screw hooks. There's a chunk of 1/2 inch ply attached to the transom and one up by the bow attached to the two forward frames. The front deck that came with the kit was not useable. It is spilt down the middle and would not bend at all. I used some more 1/16 birch ply with the grain running fore and aft. Plenty of Gorilla glue and masking tape should do the trick. Dan.

RE: Sterling 48
 

Dan,

Are you going to veneer the decks? I did on my, still in process, Dumas 1954 Chris Craft 36' Commander. The attached pictures was taken more than one year ago, I've been working on another project since then and really the Commander is further along than this picture indicates.

Seems like I fail to mention how nice your boat is looking. I can appreciate the time you took in building the frame and then doing the planking. It's been a long time since I p;lanked anything. I have plans for the Chris Craft 63' Motor Yacht along with a pattern set but I just don't seem to get around to putting knife to balsa.

Bob

RE: Sterling 48
 

Bob, that's some nice boat you have there. I really like the veneer you have. I do have several sheets of mahogany veneer that I was going to use on this boat since the wood that came with it was so bad. After staining the birch plywood, I may not use it since the stain job came out so well. I'm really in to airplanes and needed a break from the complexity of them. I'm supposed to be relaxing in my retirement but my airplanes keep getting more difficult to build. I just maidened a 50cc pusher that I designed and I needed a rest. I can't stop building so I decided to get the Corvette going.

The front deck came out much better than I expected. The sheeting did not follow the frames exactly right but the Gorilla glue did its job and I have good adhesion all over. There are no concave areas. You can see a couple of areas on each side where the 12 inch sheetig was not as wide as the deck. I'll fill those in with some scrap. Dan.