Marie Felling by rvchima - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:32 - Harbour Tug

[rvchima]

I've made several ship models in the last 10 years. My best work was on the HM Bark Endeavour by Caldercraft, but the model that gets the most compliments is my Anteo Harbour tug. I've been wanting to build another tug for a while and settled on the Marie Felling by Caldercraft. They offer a couple of other tug kits but they are nearly impossible to find at the moment, so I settled on the Marie Felling.

 

This is a BIG model, 43.5" long. It has a Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) hull and superstructure and is clearly made for RC. I just build for the fun of building, and will build this as a static model. Here's a photo of the GRP hull next to my Anteo.

 

MSW has no build logs for Caldercraft tugs or the like, so I hope that this will give the readers some information about  this. There are three good build logs on https://www.rcgroups.com, all of RC equipped models of course. Here are links if you're interested.

Marie Felling by Longbike

Marie Felling by Rmay

Marie Felling by Kaskazi

[rvchima]

What's in the Box

The BIG model comes in a BIG box, almost as big as the ARF airplane models for sale at the hobby store.

Most of the box is for the GRP hull and superstructure.

There is one page of plans at the wrong scale, and a slim instruction manual with only a few illustrations. All of the build logs on rcgroups.com agree that the plans are poor and the instructions are terrible. I've already consulted those other build logs several times to see how to build things. More on that later.

There are several sheets of high-quality laser-cut ply. The deck planking is printed nicely but I plan to plank the deck.

There is a quantity of dowels, strip wood, and wire and tubing. The kit includes two good prop shafts but no props. I just ordered those. A single screw version of the kit is also available.

Finally, the kit contains about 600 well-made white metal parts, package for each major assembly.

 

I'm not too fond of working with Glass Reinforced Plastic or of cleaning up white metal castings. What have I gotten myself into?

 

 

[ccoyle]

That is a lot of castings to clean up. 😳 But, on the other hand, I've always thought that some of those Caldercraft kits looked pretty handsome when completed.

[rvchima]

Prop Tubes Installed, Interior Framing Completed

1 month, 28 hours

Step 1 - Install the A-frames, rudder support, and prop tubes. The white metal parts required a lot of cleanup. The instructions are vague and the supplied bolts didn't fit. Thank goodness for those other build logs.

Step 2 - Build some supports for the sub-deck. The instructions basically say to superglue the deck in place and seal the perimeter with resin. So far I have done everything the same way that the RC builders have done.

I spent several hours yesterday building a cradle to hold the model while I work on it. I'll build a nicer stand for display. The model is too big to turn easily on my bench, but the cradle helps. Here the sub-deck, printed deck, and superstructure are installed temporarily to check the fit.

Edited August 17, 2021 by rvchima

[yvesvidal]

I will be following this Build with interest.

 

I love Calder Craft kits: they are incredibly well put together, have all the details you need to finish the model and always depicts unusual and endearing vessels. My brother built a few of their kits and they are just fabulous.

 

Yves

[Jim Lad]

That's a nice looking workhorse.

 

John

[rvchima]

I am happy to know that there are some Caldercraft fans out there. I love cutting wood so I am having some doubts about building this kit, but I also think that it will turn into a handsome model.

[rvchima]

Bulwarks and Hull Details, 48 hours

 

The inside of the GRP hull is rough. The instructions suggest smoothing it with some random resin., but I used Rmay's suggestion on rcgroups.com (see link above) and lined the bulwarks with 0.5 mm styrene with a 1 mm strip along the deck. I had to leave room for the side ports.

 

 

 

 

 

The rivets are made with Tulip fabric paint, another idea from Rmay on rcgroups.com. The container has a thin nozzle that is perfect for dabbing rivets. The paint is very thick and drys quickly with a distinct, raised feel. They look a little sloppy but should be fine when painted.

 

 

Finally, my 65 mm Raboesch propellers came today. They are just outstanding and certainly make the business end of this tug look nice.

[Jim Lad]

That stern certainly looks business-like, Rod.

 

john

[rvchima]

Deck Planking, 87 hours

I bought some cherry strips 0.5 x 5 x 1000 mm from agesofsail.com and used them to plank over the plywood deck overlay supplied with the kit. I used some cherry veneer for the curved pieces and they came out slightly darker. I filled the entire surface with Timbermate wood filler in white oak, sanded, stained with Watco natural, and applied several coats of Minwax Polycrylic clear semi gloss. The entire job took about 20 hours over 3 days, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

 

I love the way that the planks are stepped into the curved edges. There's a term for that but I don't remember what it is. Does anyone know?

 

 

 

 

[rvchima]

Help - Primer Not Sticking!

 

Yesterday I sprayed the hull with Rustoleum 2x Ultracover flat gray primer. After several hours I moved the hull to its cradle for some touch up work, and soon noticed that the primer was scraping off. I let it sit all night but it still scrapes off easily with a fingernail. The Rustoleum can says that it does not work well on polyethelene, but I think GRP is usually a polyester resin. The can also says that best adhesion on plastics is achieved in 5-7 days.

 

Should I try to remove the paint with mineral spirits, or should I wait 5-7 days and hope for the best?

 

Rod

[TBlack]

1 hour ago, rvchima said:

 

I love the way that the planks are stepped into the curved edges. There's a term for that but I don't remember what it is. Does anyone know?

 

Rod,

The curved edge is the margin plank, and the deck planking is nibbed into it. And it's pretty obvious that you know your carpentry. Nice work; very elegant.

Can't help you with the primer issue; I just deal in wood and brass.

Tom

[BobG]

1 hour ago, rvchima said:

soon noticed that the primer was scraping off.

Well that's a bummer about the primer. I think you will have to remove the primer and prime it again with a different product. Unfortunately, I'm not that familiar with primers for plastic so, hopefully, some of the plastic modelers here will offer some advice. I've had paint compatibility problems before where I had to remove the paint and start over. It's a pain but it was necessary. Good luck!

 

Also, just for your information, I clicked on the link for your Anteo Harbor Tug and it takes you to your U-Boat 47 build. 

[Ian_Grant]

Just a thought - did you wash the hull to remove any remaining mold release on its surface?

[rvchima]

TBlack - Thank you for remembering the names of the margin plank and the nibbing. Once you figure them out they are actually easier to cut and fit than long, narrow curved pieces.

 

BobG - I've already started removing the primer. After I brush on a little paint thinner and wait 5 minutes it comes off fairly painlessly. I'm still not sure what to use next. Thanks for letting me know about the link for the Anteo. It should be fixed.

 

Ian - No, I didn't know to wash the hull. I do now.

[yvesvidal]

1 hour ago, rvchima said:

Ian - No, I didn't know to wash the hull. I do now.

 

Yes, GRP hulls are notorious for using demolding agents and that is not good for any paint. 

Thorough washing with detergent (Dawn is very aggressive as the name implies ... 😉 , light sanding and primer coat. Then you can do all you want.

 

Yves

[rvchima]

Paint Stripping, Experiments, and Repainting

 

The Rustoleum primer did not stick to the GRP hull. This is what the hull looked like where it moved on my foam-covered stand. Soon after I made my last post I removed most of the primer using mineral spirits and coarse steel wool. The job only took a couple of hours wasn't as messy as I expected. I couldn't get everything and decided to leave the bulwarks primed. Here's the hull after stripping.

 

 

In the meantime I tested several kinds of paint on styrene sheet.

1.  Rustoleum 2X gray primer, the primer that I had trouble with. Later I put Krylon white primer over it to make sure that they were compatible. They were.
2.  Rustoleum Colonial Red. I really like this color for anti-fouling paint on the bottoms of hulls, but I've already used it on three other models.
3.  Krylon Fusion gloss black.
4. Krylon Colormaster white primer.
5. Krylon Fusion Satin Brick, an alternative for the bottom of the hull.

Next I tried to scratch each sample with a fingernail and then a hobby knife. They were all VERY difficult to scratch. So my original problem was  the GRP.

 

I still had two GRP superstructure components that had not been cleaned or painted. I cleaned one very carefully with Dawn and then TSP, then sprayed one face of each component with Rustoleum primer. The next day BOTH components scratched easily; so the problem was not lack of cleaning - Rustoleum simply does not stick to the GRP. I stripped both of those components.

 

I re-primed the hull with Krylon Fusion gray primer. This is my high-tech spray booth, AKA garage. I painted the lower hull with 3 coats of Krylon Fusion Satin Brick, masked the water line with Tamiya masking tape, and painted the upper hull with Krylon Fusion gloss black. Everything came out perfectly and does not scratch.

 

Here's the hull on the stand. You can see some of my other interests in the background.

 

I still love this view. Now time to clean up the garage.

[rvchima]

Cabin Details

I worked on cabin details while waiting for paint to dry. The GRP cabins tend to bend inwards and required internal bracing. Then portholes, doors, and other details were attached. Portholes were bored with a step drill that basically grinds its way through the GRP with minimal splintering.

 

The forward cabin has a lot of portholes, but there doesn't seem to be any doors! None of the 3 build logs listed above has mentioned that. Maybe the door is in the hidden space in the back?

 

The rear cabin has a lot of portholes and SEVEN doors. It also has 2 stairwells that had to be cut out and framed in from the inside.

 

Here's how I framed the stairwell. I will glue them in after painting.

 

Here's how everything will fit together.

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Rod.  You're doing some very nice work there.

 

John

[rvchima]

Miscellaneous Small Parts

Caldercraft includes several mini-kits for various pieces of equipment. Everything is white metal, which often gets bent when it is removed from the mold. Or in shipping. Or if you look at it crossly.

This steam engine for the capstan took a bit of straightening out and cleaning up.

 

Here's the finished capstan.

 

The anchor winch is very nice. I experimented with weathering the bollards but ended up repainting them.

 

The instructions call for two water tanks to be made from certain blocks of wood. The parts list gives the dimensions for those blocks but none of the blocks that came with the kit were close. I had some white Azek trim in a good thickness and cut my own. The white metal straps were much too long so I built new ones out of styrene strips.  The tanks were painted with a spray color called "Iron," which looks pretty convincing in reality.

 

These two grates go in the top of the rear cabin. I'll probably paint these "Iron" too.

[rvchima]

Moving Right Along, 117 hours

 

Here is everything stacked up so far. It seemed like this was going pretty fast but then I looked at how many white metal pieces are left ...

 

And here's my dog Loki admiring my work.

[yvesvidal]

Very clean work. Just gorgeous.

 

Yves

[rvchima]

Note to Self: Don't Use White Metal for Structural Parts

The forward cabin has a boat deck mounted on top with 8 little pillars made of white metal. I aligned the wooden deck and cabin, and carefully drilled the 8 holes through both pieces. Then I epoxied the pillars to the cabin, and later to the deck, and clamped everything lightly. Every thing seemed to go OK, but the next day, because of the curvature of the cabin, two pillars had snapped in half and two more had pulled away from the deck.

 

After a few choice swear words I came up with an easy repair. First I cut the remaining pillars,  separated the cabin and deck, and removed the pillar parts from the deck. I had to fill the holes and repaint the bottom of the deck. Next I filed the pillars remaining on the cabin down to the base, and drilled through the center to fit a narrow nail. I put nails into all 8 holes and flipped the cabin upside down over a narrow board on my bench, so that the nail heads were all level. Then I epoxied all the nails from the inside of the cabin. When that was dry I flipped the cabin upright and reglued the deck.

Poor photo of some broken pillars.

 

The cabin with new pillars made with nails. I'll post a photo with the deck in a minute. The kit comes with a big sheet of acetate for windows, but I painted some styrene black and glued it inside with RC cabin glue.

[rvchima]

Miscellaneous Small Parts and Bridge, 195 hours

 

Map and flag chest, two hatches, and stern companionway ready to spray.

 

Four ladders with white metal sides. The kit includes laser-cut ply steps but I used some scrap mahogany.

 

Parts for the skylights. I sure dreaded cleaning up all that white metal ...

 

but it only took a few hours.

 

Ten vents ready to paint.

 

The kit has printed plywood for the bridge. I covered those pieces inside and out with cherry, and used more mahogany for the rails. There were obviously lots of other little parts to clean and paint.

[rvchima]

Making Progress But More to Do

 

Here's everything stacked up. You can see the boat deck attached to atop the forward cabin now. Most of the small parts have been attached to the deck, but the cabins and bridge are all separate.

 

Lest you think that I'm almost finished, here are all the parts that I still have to complete.

[Jim Lad]

She looks first class, mate!

 

John

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work  - love harbour tugs.

 

OC.

[yvesvidal]

What great work. You are producing another little marvel, here.

 

Yves

[rvchima]

Searchlight Deck Ladder

 

The cast metal pieces for the ladder to the searchlight deck came out of the molds bent, cracked, and with lots of flash. I thought it would be easier to build my own from some square brass tubing and brass rod. It came out pretty nice.

[rvchima]

Stanchions and Railings

 

The kit includes single-ball stanchions for the searchlight deck, 2-ball stanchions for the main deck, and lots of nice, 1.5 mm diameter brass rod. Every build log mentioned above says that that the cast metal stanchions are just too flimsy, but one builder said that his kit came with brass stanchions, and another managed to buy replacements. Caldercraft does sell brass stanchions the correct height so I ordered some a while ago. I ordered 3-ball stanchions for the main deck, planning to cut off the top ball and cap it with a wood railing. When it was time to install them I discovered that the 3-ball stanchions had 1 mm holes, and the single-ball stanchions have .02" (.51 mm) holes, both too small for my brass rod. I ended up buying more brass rod the correct diameters.

Here's a sample of the cast stanchions at the top and the brass stanchions below.

 

I drilled mounting holes in the deck and assembled the railings in place.

 

I lifted the entire rail assembly from the deck and sprayed it separately.

 

The cap rails were made from some scrap mahogany using this jig to hold each piece while I rounded the edges.