Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9.- Micro RC-Novel

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Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9.- Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

During the peak winter month of February I decided to put a boat model together. I wanted to build it on a counter in my living room to take a break from the daily garage shop routine of repairing and retro fitting RC planes for awhile. Being a small model I could keep my work isolated to a small area. This thread here was just going to be a short time build originally just to make a display example of a general post war tugboat example. I am not concerned about making the exact tugboat Despatch No 9.

First A short history.
Standard Oil Co. tugboat Despatch No 9 worked in the movements of oil barges in the San Francisco Bay areas and was based in the Richmond, California as a base. She is equipped with the modern niceties in the end of the wartime era. She had an electric towing winch, a bow electric winch capstan, watertight doors, etc. It was an Army design that was built for the U.S. Marine Corps in 1945. It was later sold to the Standard Oil Co. The cabin design was to accommodate extra crewman if needed. It is possible it may have had a couple crew bunks below the deck in the bow also. She was originally built with a 20mm cannon on the pilot house roof.

So a bell went off while I was priming the parts and looking over the instructions, The house structure ends up in one piece and fits to the deck snug over a coaming. Hmmn!! I think I can actually find room in here to make a display model and a second life as an RC watercraft. Today's electronics are so advanced. They are small and used in cars and toys along with indoor aircraft that we fly in schools and halls during the winter. I always had interest in boats. I built my first wood Comet kit sloop in 1954 at 10yoa. See other boat threads in the website. I have experienced 22 years of service on tugboat and other commercial oil movement vessels. I also gained an extensive USCG license some years ago before I left.. I spent 25 years on my own sail vessels and power operation also with my family. The experience also helps my modeling abilities. I still have my Exxon Empire State hat and Manager jacket here in this recent photo. 32 plus years later.
Model built by Walter Pomniritz of New Jersey 20 years ago
Model built by Walter Pomniritz of New Jersey 20 years ago

August 20, 2022 Water trial Update:
or here:
https://youtu.be/A8sZVTvaxCM
Comments cannot be made here for visiting non members. They can in my RC Groups Blog.
Have a look at Page 02 also for the finish photos.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... o-RC-Novel

Note: I found a Model Shipways 1949 plan . It was the same vessel in wood display size. I enlarged it to 32inches. I think it is 1/24 scale. Look at Page #02 in this posting for the download in tiles. 28 pages to print and assemble to make the plan of the hull.
Tug Standard Oil - Despatch 9 -  ca1946 Ext.Hull 16in.jpg
Last edited by Neons on Sat Jan 06, 2024 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9- Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Here is where I start with a photo of the nearly finished model. I have added some more details since this photo was taken late June 2019. When I maiden the tugboat I will post a video link here.
Reminder:
Double click photos to zoom.
6-26-2019 Haarbor Tug -Detailing (2a).jpg
.
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6-26-2019 Haarbor Tug -Detailing (0b).jpg
6-26-2019 Haarbor Tug -Detailing (1b).jpg
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

I started this build early in March 2019. I bought the kit at Amato's Bros. hobby shop near Middletown , CT as a bargain sale for $14.00. What a great old fashioned hobby shop. Rare these days.
https://www.amatostoyandhobby.com/
You may still find them on occasion in yard sales, eBay, or hobby group threads. Here is the Lindberg box with the pre molded hull and deck. I gray primed all the parts with an enamel primer to grab the plastics. 98% of the finish paint are brushed and sprayed water based Acrylics for the finals.
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Lindberg model - No longer manufactured
Lindberg model - No longer manufactured
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9- Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

In these views I have painted the topsides of the quarters white . The roof and decks of the quarters is just placed together.
The main deck and the bulwarks are glued in place using a CA glue. I was not happy with the regular plastic glue. The hull was masked at the water line. after the rub strakes were glued in place and painted red flat acrylic paint. The black is water base acrylic flat in a couple coats. The flat patina is better than an enamel paint and looks real to the eyes. I do not like those hull display stands.
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3-12-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch (1).jpg
3-12-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch (0).jpg
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now I am progressing along and assembling all the trim and accessories on the plastic trees that come with the kit. It is starting to look like a boat.
3-14-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch - Painting (1).jpg
3-14-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch - Painting (3).jpg
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now that most of the parts have been painted and glue into place I want to make a stand. Most shipyards block up the keel every couple of feet to distribute all that heavy tonnage. So obviously this is a model stand and not a diorama stand.The yards also use wedge shaped blocks stacked up higher to the outer arcs of the hull to stabilize the vessel on an even keel. Huge staples are sledge hammered into the wood blocks to prevent them sliding or shifting while the work is commenced.
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3-16-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch - Stand (3).jpg
3-16-2019 Harbor Tug - Despatch - Stand (4).jpg
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now I am installing all the power and RC controls into the boat. I was undecided at the beginning about doing this, I went ahead with assembly first and painting. Kind of backwards. So here goes. I routed out a large hole for a rudder post after the removal of the prop, skeg, and rudder. I used some brass sheet and drilled a hole in it and soldered a piece of tubing to it. The plastic was sanded for a snug fit. The tube goes inside and has to end up above the hull waterline so water will not weep into the hull. Because of the acute angle to get the rudder vertical, it took some fussing with the Dremel tools to get it to sit straight. Note the propeller is plastic.
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (0).jpg
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (1).jpg
I found a plastic servo control horn to fit the top of the rudder and fitted it with the stainless screw. I tested the assembly over and over to make sure there was no rubbing and hitting the unseen below deck. The pushrod is carbon fiber. The monel fishing wire is CA glued and bound with thread and fitted to the horn. You will notice that I use all non ferrous metals to prevent corrosion in hidden places.
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (2).jpg
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now the process of installing the propeller shaft and stuffing box. (outer tube) I tested an angle that would work with the drive motor. Next I made a block of wood angle support for the outer stuffing box. When I got the angle I needed at about above the hull waterline to prevent water weepage. Then the whole setup was epoxied in place. The next step was to slide the shaft up the tube after a drop of oil was placed.
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (3a).jpg
The whole rudder assembly was wiggled and snaked up in place. After line up with the rudder skeg was place to line up the rudder epoxied the rudder housing in place and let it set.
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (5).jpg
5-15-2019 Tug Despatch -RC (4).jpg
I notched a piece of the rudder out unnecessarily. I will replace it later. You will notice the rudder skeg is 1/8 inch K&S brass. I broke the plastic when I removed it after it was glued.
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now that the motor and shaft are in place I have to build a sub deck for a motor mount and below it ballasting. I next looked for the right amount of lead to bring the whole system that is being planned on down deep to the waterline. I ended up with about 7 ounces of lead and it was very stable being low in the hull. By the way the whole vessel weighs in fully loaded as the opening photo at 20.5 ounces ready to sail. I fitted the lead and epoxied it central and low against the hull. The next step was to cut a rectangle peice of plywood and a pair of cross members for it to sit on low over the ballast.
6-18-2019 Tug Motor Setup (0).jpg
The new motor was donated to me by an associate and friend Walter Pomnitz along with a reversing speed control. The universal was found in eBay and ordered. I removed the set screws and replaced them with SS screws. I cut the prop shaft to get the motor far back as possible. The fit in the hull was also a test to draw up an aluminum motor mount special to this motor as seen in the next 2 photos. After I made the mount and got the universal and motor angles it was screwed in place.
6-18-2019 Tug Motor Setup (3).jpg
6-18-2019 Tug Motor Setup (1).jpg
This is a video with all the electronics in place and working. I fit in the servo for the rudder. the reversing ESC motor speed controller. I use a 2 cell lipoly 650mah battery. I still have to look at the final sitting on the water trim. I prefer slightly down on the stern for better handling.
6-21-2019 Tug RC Test (1).mp4
(8.38 MiB) Downloaded 277 times
The ESC is bagged. The Receiver is bagged up forward. There is a toggle arm switch. The lipo is a bench test battery forward.
6-21-2019 Tug RC Components.jpg
More on PAGE #02
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Re: Lindberg Plastic Tugboat Kit- Despatch No 9 - Micro RC-Novel

Post by Neons »

Now I am getting into more detailing. Here I am working on fenders.(landlubber -Bumpers). I was going to macrame' them but due to size of this vessel model they are small and do not justify the hours to make them. In these first photos I I am making the stern fender with common 3 strand string that has a loose twist on this spool. I laid out the filler with loops on the end to be attached to the tug. It is wound and pushed tight as I roll on the line. After I made it I sat it on the rub rail ledge for the photo.
6-24-2019 Hang Fenders (0).jpg
6-24-2019 Hang Fenders (0b) - Copy.jpg
As I move on to the hull beam protective fenders you see that I made the fresh cotton line individual fenders and hung them. These type fenders are over the rail and get shackled to a welded tab inside the coaming rail. They are new and very bright. I then weathered them with tan manila and some black from rubbing on docks and tows.

6-25-2019 Make & Hang Fender -crop a.jpg
6-25-2019 Make & Hang Fender -crop b.jpg
Now I made a video covering how to make simple fenders. Watch to the very end as there is a pause in the near end.

Click Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_3t9d ... ex=5&t=31s

Move on to page 2. Lower Right corner for more photos.
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