Repairing the bow on an unknown model boat

[LyleK1]

I was recently asked by my yacht club if I could repair a model sailing boat that has been in the clubhouse for many years.

 

Most of the work needed is cosmetic and cleaning... However, the bow has been badly damaged from being dropped (I'm guessing) and I'm not 100% sure how to go about fixing it.

I can clean it up and re shape it with wood putty or some thing similar but the plastic black coating is not something that can be fixed easily, if at all. Short of doing the repair and painting it gloss black, I have no other ideas.

Any suggestions, ideas?

Pictures below if the model and the bow:

Anybody that knows what this particular model is and can steer toward a picture(s) that show the original bow shape would be helpful too!

Thanks!

 

[Jim Lad]

Lyle, does no-one at the club know what the original bow was like?  I'd guess that it just continues to follow that curve upward, but there might have some surpise near the deck, I suppose.

 

If you say the finish is a black 'plastic', can we assume it's a resin coating?  It may be lacquer, of course - lacquer at least can be repaired, if with a little difficulty - there are plenty of web sites to describe applying a lacquer finish.  Failing either of those it may be possible to fake the finish with a very smooth coat of gloss black paint - wet sanded down with very fine emery paper and then polished.

 

I'm sure other members with better qualifications on finishes will chime in, but at least this might be a start.

 

John

[mtaylor]

Are you sure that's black plastic?   Add a few more pics from various angles of the damaged area.

 

I agree with what John said.  Maybe up at the damaged area a bit of scraping could be done to determine if it's paint or plastic. Given the shape, I wouldn't be so sure of plastic.

[LyleK1]

John,

The shape of the bow shouldn’t be too tough to replicate just by following the lines of the hull and deck. There wasn’t anything special on the bow except the bowsprit which is damaged but intact.

10 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Are you sure that's black plastic?   Add a few more pics from various angles of the damaged area.

 

I agree with what John said.  Maybe up at the damaged area a bit of scraping could be done to determine if it's paint or plastic. Given the shape, I wouldn't be so sure of plastic.

 I’m adding more pictures… no, I’m not sure if it’s plastic or ???

 The pictures show it pretty well…

[amateur]

Did someone take a bottle of real-life black boatlacquer home to paint his model? 

It does nog have the looks of just black paint: it's very high gloss and a rather thick layer. Almost llike the real thing.

Do you know the age of the model? That might help to identify what was used.

 

I was wondering whether a putty-repair should be done, or a repair in wood. Some kinds of putty contract differently to moisture-variations than real wood. In that case, you will have a crackline were wood and putty meet rather soon. On the other hand: the dammage is a rather messy one, so just adding a pieco of wood, is not straightforward either.....

 

Jan

 

 

[LyleK1]

7 minutes ago, amateur said:

Did someone take a bottle of real-life black boatlacquer home to paint his model? 

It does nog have the looks of just black paint: it's very high gloss and a rather thick layer. Almost llike the real thing.

Do you know the age of the model? That might help to identify what was used.

 

I was wondering whether a putty-repair should be done, or a repair in wood. Some kinds of putty contract differently to moisture-variations than real wood. In that case, you will have a crackline were wood and putty meet rather soon. On the other hand: the dammage is a rather messy one, so just adding a pieco of wood, is not straightforward either.....

 

Jan

 

 

No idea on the age but someone may know…

I agree on the repair problems but really don’t know of any other options.

[Roger Pellett]

If I were fixing this, using a razor saw or other fine toothed saw I would cut away the damaged area.   I would cut vertically down from the deck and horizontally in from the bow.  This will form a step to seat a wooden block.  Regular lumberyard pine would be my choice.  The block will eventually be glued in place with ordinary PVA glue but first while the block is still square I would dry fit it and drill for a dowel.  Using a French curve I would extend the curve of the deck and vertical shape of the bow on to the block.  Away from the model I would cut the block to its vertical and horizontal shape slightly outside of the traced lines.  The block can now be doweled, glued in place and shaped using conventional methods.

 

Finishing is just a matter of finding something compatible with what’s already there.  I suspect regular hardware store gloss black enamel.  Not acrylic.  Rust-Oleum makes a nice black inanely in a half pint tin.

 

Roger

Edited January 20, 2023 by Roger Pellett

[druxey]

The missing shape appears to be:

 

[Jim Lad]

I totally agree with your assumptions regarding the missing bow, Druxey.

 

John

[LyleK1]

John and Roger,

I like your ideas and will work toward that as a solution...

We update the post when I have made some progress.

Thanks!

[David W]

Probably the only thing I would do, using Roger's method would be to use an epoxy rather then PVA. The base hull material looks like some sort of plastic or composite casting and PVA may not hold well.

 

Good luck with the repairs - and possibly you can "clean" up the kite string rigging too (I say with owning a model sail boat that's been waiting repair/rebuilding for over 50 years😬)

[Roger Pellett]

Oh!  I had assumed a wooden hull.

 

 

[David W]

49 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

Oh!  I had assumed a wooden hull.

 

 

It may be wood - just difficult to tell with it crushed in - but the OP said the finish looked plastic too, sooooo, adding 2+2 came out...  uhhh ... a guess😁

[No Idea]

On 1/20/2023 at 4:17 PM, Roger Pellett said:

If I were fixing this, using a razor saw or other fine toothed saw I would cut away the damaged area.   I would cut vertically down from the deck and horizontally in from the bow.  This will form a step to seat a wooden block.  Regular lumberyard pine would be my choice.  The block will eventually be glued in place with ordinary PVA glue but first while the block is still square I would dry fit it and drill for a dowel.  Using a French curve I would extend the curve of the deck and vertical shape of the bow on to the block.  Away from the model I would cut the block to its vertical and horizontal shape slightly outside of the traced lines.  The block can now be doweled, glued in place and shaped using conventional methods.

 

Finishing is just a matter of finding something compatible with what’s already there.  I suspect regular hardware store gloss black enamel.  Not acrylic.  Rust-Oleum makes a nice black inanely in a half pint tin.

 

Roger

This exactly what I would do - I'd cut the damage completely off in a straight line down towards the keel.  I would then glue a new piece in strengthened using dowels and then shape it to suit.

[LyleK1]

A difficult repair!

Matching the coating (some type of plastic) was nearly impossible. Especially, trying to get it as glossy as the rest of the hull.

Turned out ok... I made several other repairs to the bowsprit, mast and replaced some of the missing or damaged rigging. Re-glued some of the loose hardware and cleaned her up!

Looks good... going back to the clubhouse on Tuesday.

Thanks again for the help and comments.

[Jim Lad]

Looks like you've made a very nice job of that repair, Lyle.

 

John

[druxey]

Looks lovely now, Lyle. Well done.