80' ELCO PT Boat by Timothy Wood - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - Scale 1/4" = 1'

[Timothy Wood]

Popeye and Elia,

 

It's 1/64 plywood alright and a pain in the backside to work with, the only good thing is the edges sand "fast" sometimes too fast.  I still need to work the overall height down just to make sure the top is level and square.

 

Cheers,

Tim 

[michael20]

Looking great Tim. I hope you bring it to the next meeting.

 

Happy Modeling and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

Marty G.

[captainbob]

You are right Tim.  Scissors are the only way to go on thin plywood.  Now she’s looking good.

 

Bob

[Timothy Wood]

Bob thanks for the kind words!  Hope you have a Merry Christmas!!!!    

 

Tim 

[dgbot]

Looking good Tim.  I have worked with this stuff before and it can be a bearcat at time.  Not user friendly.

David B

[Timothy Wood]

Dave,

 

I agree, fortunately BlueJacket supplies plenty with the kit!  Ive been pretty good at messing up a few pieces thus far!    

 

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

 

Cheers,

Tim                 

[Timothy Wood]

Greetings,

 

Merry Christmas to all....

 

My next step was to cut and install the plywood shelf which runs along top of the instrument panel.  This piece is also 1/64" plywood.  The shelf needs to extend over the companionway and is attached to the starboard spray shield.  

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2013 by Timothy Wood

[dgbot]

Nice work. I am surprised that you have not split the wood into a hundred pieces.

David B

Edited December 26, 2013 by dgbot

[Timothy Wood]

Dave B,

 

 I have!     There times when everything goes smooth, as with the shelf, too bad I can't say the same for the spray shields!

 

Cheers,

Tim

[Timothy Wood]

My next step is to make the antenna base from 1/8" x 3/16" x 2" strip wood, (easy enough), then cut the antenna base top from 1/64" plywood.  After this is complete it will be glued to the port spray shield.  Final step will be gluing the antenna mount to the base top.

 

Cheers,

Tim

Edited December 26, 2013 by Timothy Wood

[Timothy Wood]

Greetings,

 

My next step was to cut the antenna base from a piece of 1/8" x 3/16" x 2" strip wood, then glue the actual antenna base to it's stand.  After cutting the stand and fitting the antenna base I found the base was wider than the stand.  I decided to cut and glue two strips of wood to the inboard and outboard sides of the antenna stand to make them the proper size.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

are you going to round off the edges?

[Timothy Wood]

Hi Popeye,

 

The plans show the antenna base square, I will follow what the plans call for.  I did "slightly bevel" the top outboard edge of the base though.  It's so slight it's not noticeable.  

 

I also drilled out the receiver for the whip antenna!  I'll tell you now it made for some tense moments.  I'll try to  remember to add a photo of the drilled antenna base!

 

Cheers,

Tim

[Timothy Wood]

Popeye,

 

Here are two photos, the first an overall from above and the second a macro shot of the antenna base!

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

must have been hard to drill.......and leave such a thin wall!   very nice!  .......good photo of those shields.....sooooo thin

[Timothy Wood]

Popeye,

 

It wasn't easy to say the least!  Now I'm working on the 1" aluminum tube which the "gin tub' is made from.  

 

Cheers,

Tim

[Timothy Wood]

Greetings,

 

Photos showing on the forward gun tub.  I used my disk sander to work the tub to proper length.  The forward tube should have a small amount of "Forward Rake" to it.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elia]

Tim,

 

Your PT boat is shaping up nicely! I agree with Popeye - drilling that casting and yielding such a thin and consistent thickness wall is no small feat. Sweet. I really like the mixed materials of this build.

 

Cheers,

 

Elia

Edited December 27, 2013 by Elia

[michael20]

Your PT Boat is really coming along there Tim. When you drilled the hole for your antenna did you vice that and use a drill press or did you use a pin vice and go slow, it turned out superb.

 

Happy Modeling,

Marty G.

[Kevin]

Tim - have you seen this by any chance-  i was reading this on the Flory site - and thought of you

http://www.pt103.com/

[WackoWolf]

Kevin,

 

   Nice web site. Thanks for the link.

[Timothy Wood]

Ella,

Thanks for the nice compliment.    

 

Tim

[Timothy Wood]

Marty,

 

I held it with a vice and used a small plastic egg beater type hand drill to bore out the hole.

 

Tim

 

Edited December 29, 2013 by Timothy Wood

[Timothy Wood]

Kevin,

 

Thanks for the link!  I have seen this link and use it extensively, it has a great amount of information for the model builder and also the history buff...

 

Thanks for the info!    

 

Cheers,

Tim

[Timothy Wood]

Greetings,

 

My next step was to attach the backrest to the  forward turret race.  This unit is made from two pieces of photo etch brass, the back rest has to be shaped so it will fit the rearward section of the turret race.  After the shaping and fitting is completed it's then glued to the race with CA glue.  

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Timothy Wood]

Greetings,

 

My next step was to glue the turret race to the aluminum tube, I used a combination of CA and yellow all purpose glue thinned with water.  

 

 

 

The next step in the instruction booklet states: "Snip eight ammunition belts from the photo-etched sheet.  Paint the tips of the bullets copper, the raised portions black, and leave the cartridge case natural brass, and set them aside for later installation. 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Tim       

Edited January 30, 2014 by Timothy Wood

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up with what you're doing, Tim!

 

She's coming along very nicely indeed.

 

John

[Timothy Wood]

John,

 

Slow but sure!  I managed to get a little time at the bench after shoveling snow.  Virginia Beach was hit pretty hard, most people down here don't know how to handle this kind of weather.  I grew up in Michigan, so needless to say I'm loving it!

 

Thanks,

Tim

[PopJack]

Great project and great work.  I kind of smiled when you mentioned the forward rake of the turret. To a non-expert like me, I'd probably see the slope and figure your guide on the sander wasn't square! 

 

I've lived in the "South" for a while.  The lack of experience the drivers here have in any form of white stuff is startling.  Today I just closed my offices for non-essentials until the roads had a bit of time to clear.  The risk to these folks when they are forced to be on the road is just "to terrible to contemplate."

[Timothy Wood]

PopJack,

 

I agree,if you can't drive in the white stuff stay off the road.  A majority of the drivers in Hampton Roads can't drive in the rain, let alone anything more challenging.    

 

Best bet!  Stay home and work on a ship model!    

 

Tim