Krabbenkutter CUX-87 by slagoon - Billing Boats - Scale 1:30

[slagoon]

I don't know why, but I have a fascination with things that are out of the ordinary. While I think the tall ships like the Victory and Constitution are gorgeous I was drawn to the little fishing trawler style of ship. After looking at my options I settled on the Krabbenkutter from Billing Boats. 
 
I've started it at this point so it is time to share.
 
Pull up a chair, popcorn, beer, or cider and enjoy 
 
Lets start with the obligatory kit photos.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[slagoon]

Continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[slagoon]

Now that everything is all sorted it's time to start building! 

 

Lets get the stem and keel together.

 

 

Gluing things as a butt joint is tough so I used some scraps to stabilize the joint while the glue dried

 

 

after I took the supports off I still left the rubber-bands on.

 

 

the next step was to place spacers on the keel to keep the bulkheads the correct distance apart.

 

 

Now time to install the bulkheads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the wood provided was pretty poor quality....

 

These splits go 1/8 through the thickness!

 

they also get rid of the nice square edges.

 

 

 

[slagoon]

Next I added the pieces that run under the deck the length of the boat (what are they called?) thanks to the instructions (lack-there-of) I don't know what any parts are called. Then it was time to add the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok next is planking.  Popeye, did you decide, in retrospect that it would have been better to do the deck planking first? also, it sounded from your blog that you weren't thrilled with something in your planking, is there something I should do to not screw up?  I'm planning on putting in some balsa fillers.  Hope this works ok.

[slagoon]

Garward, Thanks! good starts help the builds go better (I hope) 

 

Sjors, yay food! welcome! Don't worry I have some photos for you today

 

Andy, I think fishing (old school style ones) are super cool. I may order new wood I don't know for sure yet.

 

Augie, I didn't know Popeye was the only one allowed to do a Billing boat....

 

Brian, do you have pics of the completed boat? I've only gotten to see Popeye's

 

Now for the updates! 

 

I started planking the deck since it seemed it would be more difficult once I'd planked the hull. As the instructions said (I think - hard to tell with 3-5 words thrown together in a random assortment) I left spaces for some of the deck furniture. I also checked with Popeye's log and it seemed he did the same.

 

Oh and in case you are curious - in order from best to worst of the instructions I've read so far (including those of my husband): Best - Robert E. Lee- Scientific, Bounty's Jolly Boat - AL, Harriet Lane - Model Shipways, Swift - AL, Krabbenkutter - Billing - Worst.

 

Ok here are photos of the deck planking.

 

I started by photocopying my plans and cutting out the deck so I could trace where the main bits of furniture belong.

 

 

 I marked where the furniture belongs

 

Then I started putting in the planks starting with the centermost to the edges of the outlines.

 

 

Then I put the edges of the outlines down

 

 

 

 

And put on the finishing touches

 

 

 

And now for a question since the instructions are sooooo horrible.... Do I shape this bulkhead down (it is on the stern, you can see it in the previous photo too)?

 

 

Also do I make the two other rear bulkhead pieces flush with the deck?

 

Thanks for stopping by and also thanks in advance for helping with the questions.

 

 

[john46]

Sarah, planking looks very well. Nice progress. Sorry but cannot advise you on the bulkheads, but sure you will get a reply from our more experienced builders very soon. Happy Modeling.

 

Regards,

John

[src]

Wow sarah, you dont stop do you? Nice start, gonna grab a seat here before they are all gone. Sjors, will you please pass me the popcorn?

Did I see an Iron Chef episode in the background there??

Sam

[slagoon]

Sam, really close, it is Hell's kitchen...hahaha my guilty pleasure, but I have managed to wing a couple recipes that didn't fall flat on their butts since watching the show!

 

John, thanks! I hope popeye shows up soon to answer the questions. hehehe

 

I am going on vacation for a couple weeks then moving so there won't be many updates during the next few weeks, but I will show you my stuff tonight still

 

I figured that regardless of if I should cut that area down or not I needed to install my balsa support things.

 

 

 

I also started working on my deckhouse.  

 

 

 

I decided that the interior needed a radio...(soon to be painted black and have a little print of a tuner placed on it).

 

[augie]

Moving right along  Sarah.  Lookin' good.  Love your decking.  And, of course, the radio.  Doll up that cabin ---- a nice small section of a map can serve as a wall chart of the local waters.  But all that comes later.

 

Good luck with the move.  We'll all be here when you return to full strength in your new digs.

[popeye the sailor]

I resemble that remark! nyuk.....nyuk...nyuk........a wise-guy....ehhhh     .......oh,  m'lady.....you should have PM'd me that you started the build.......I'm impressed!   I will say one thing though,  those blocks put in the stern is going to make for a lot of sanding.  you'll need to contour the stern to the deck.........it's just going to make it harder,  that's all.   The Cux has such a cute little 'rump' to her,  but {pun intended},  make sure you don't lose the countersink for the bulwark wall.  the part for that is about 1/16 thick,  and quite stiff......I think I showed how I bent it in my blog.   I used these wall componnets.......but I didn't on the mary Ann....basically the same hull

 

http://maryanndrydock.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/the-mary-ann-part-3/

 

you can even follow this log for the hull construction.  look near the bottom......it shows how I cemented in blocks for the mast placement.

     this is one of the problems you will encounter with this kit....especially with the mizzen.  you will also see what will happen if the bulwark post are not fared properly....my mistake for bringing the dog outside with me when I did it  {I think i mentioned it in the log}.  I tried to fix it,  but ended up ripping it all off and planked it.......got a big  "why did you do that?"  from Tom @ Billing's USA.

 

anyway......back to the Cux.......it doesn't really matter in what order you do this kit,  as far as the hull construction.  whether you plank the deck before the hull planking, or after.   it just means that you'll need to freshen up the decking after all the sanding.   not sure if you do it as a rule,  but your going to love leaving the structure areas blank......you won't see all those separation lines,  and will give a better look to the deck layout.

 

when I built the Cux,  I didn't have a build slip,  so I made my own.  to be sure that the ribs were  lined properly,  I cemented the deck platforms in right after the frame was made.  to do this,  I left the two stern parts #13 out of the frame,  so I could slide in the two deck joices that run underneath.  at this point,  these two strips of wood are not really needed,  but I put them in anyway.  the parts #13 were cemented in afterwards.

 

now that I found your build m'lady,  I can follow along.  The Cux,  The Mary Ann......the M&M ship......and even the trawler Syborn are the same hull design {the trawler having a few more ribs to 'er}.   it's a nice hull......universal actually.......make a hull,  and you can do pretty much what you want to do to them......perfect for a twisted builder like myself    build her the way you want to.......put your dinty moore into it  {you already have......that radio looks cool}  I'm sure you'll have a fine time of it! 

[jml1083]

Hi Sarah,

 

Looking good! Unfortunately poor wood quality is more and more common.

 

I really liked your idea for holding the rubber bands together using little clamps. I learn something new every day and that's why I stop by MSW every day (actually multiple times per day)

[popeye the sailor]

good luck with your move,  Sarah

I forgot to say

I hope that the move

all works out...OK

 

put that box over there

she said in a fog

allright,  whose the joker

that packed up the dog!

 

a nice sunny place

with a foyer and lobby

and a big huge room

to set up your hobby

 

I hope it's set aside

from the homey and formal

'cuz the sawdust you'll be making

will be far from normal!

 

have a good move........don't get too mad at the movers!

[popeye the sailor]

I think Sarah will do a splendid job on this kit........perhaps a little darkside too:

 

"imagine,  if you will........a door that leads to a world where imagination and x-actor capibilities apply.  a place where ideas and creative talent,   flows like a river,  to an endless sea........to the great expance of the unknown or untried.   where specks of sawdust come together to form massive hulks of hull and mast........only to end up battered by crashing waves of thought.    with visions of mind,  looking through the window of eyes........to materialize from the use of hand..........you know you've just stepped through.......to the darkside

[slagoon]

Sjors, Thanks - as far as his age.... isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black? Anyway, hopefully with age comes boat building skill!!!!!!!!!!!!! (wow I'm gunna be awesome when I'm as old as you! hehehhehehe)

 

Augie, thanks. Yeh I was trying to do something while the glue dried on the supports for the hull planking (since I have a bunch to saw off) You are right, Popeye is da man!

 

Awe, Popeye, I didn't want to be pushy and I knew you'd get here eventually. Yep I plan on making sure my planking reinforcements get back behind the rabbit-like lines that those extra pieces seem to put in. I'm gunna saw the balsa down real quick, don't plan on sanding that much - that'd be too much dust in the house.  On your Krabbenkutter it looked like you put on the bulwarks before planking....should I do that too? you also said in "Part 2"

"as the planking continued, I found that not doing to the stern in the way that I did in my previous build, might not have been a good idea......it wasn't coming out as I would like it to."

awwww you wrote a poem just for me!!!!!!!!  I can't get mad at the movers since they are just me and my husband!

 

Your latest prose looks like the opening words to a tv show like "twilight zone" except about "model builders" hehehehehe

 

 

Jim, yeh it really is a bummer about the wood, but I don't know if its worth replacing since most of it gets painted over anyway, so I just may have to be more creative with wood filler....

 

And to satisfy You Know Who, here is a photo of my radio now that it has been painted :-D

[popeye the sailor]

you must have taken that quote from the Mary Ann build......yes,  I wasn't happy with the fact that I hadn't fared the post correctly. 

 

what I would like you to do,  is fare the posts and put the bullwarks on.  you will then get an idea asto how much off the stern,  your going to have to sand.  fare it down to the deck line,  making sure that the posts and the deck are flush.

 

I will explain my reason later......for now,  I go to work.  hope you've gotten your things in the right rooms....HEE....HEE!

[slagoon]

Hmmm.... it seems to be an excerpt from your krabbenkutter log... http://seymore-cux87krabbenkutterpart2.blogspot.com/

 

Hopefully I have a little time to work on the boat Saturday once I have finished packing etc.

[slagoon]

Hi guys I'm back!!!!!!! What a FUN but exhausting trip. I'm gunna have a link to loads of photos from the canal soon. What a great experience. I'm moving this weekend (hopefully will get more-or less done) and then I can get back to playing with my boat!

 

While I was away from the internet I didn't really miss it, except for this community . I'll be catching up over the next few days and know I'll be looking at your logs even if I don't say anything