The modern tug has a 'glass-house' on top. This is made out of stiffish clear plastic packing - about 15 thou thick. Sellotape a guide diagram behind it, and then use a contact adhesive like UHU to glue thin 1/16" strip where the frame will go.
Don't let it slip as you're adding the strips. A tweezer is handy...
Make up the four lower walls and assemble your window frames. Then UHU-glue them at their bases..
The edges of the frames are joined by gluing a strip of 1/16" square in place at each corner. Put a roof on, and there's your glass-house...
Once the rudder and prop (see fittings) are checked out OK, close up the stern with the sideskins and the stern gunwale. They will bend easily, particularly if steamed....
The wheelhouse of the Steam Tug can look quite good if you add strips of 1/8" square posts like this, and then make windowsills out of scrap 1/16" sheet. If this is pre-stained and painted, the effect will be pleasing.
Glaze with clear plastic, and add a roof...
Two Beavers with a hi-motor and lo-motor layout. Note the offset high motor - so long as there is a heavy weight of cells in the well of the hull it doesn't seem to matter.
Remember to check and replace the rubber band regularly when running, though....
And once the clear plastic is cut out you will have a neat little window,
Ideally, do this with pre-sanded and painted strip. This is the prototype build, and it would be impossible to sand and paint the strip once it's attached!
This is the sort of load I expect the boat to hold. There are 10 AA cells in there , a servo, a receiver, an ESC, a BEC, and a lot of wiring. And it all goes below the waterline! We should have cracked the Otter stability problem now...
Make sure to pack your batteries so that they don't move - especially so that they don't slide back into the pulley! Otherwise you will get funny rubbing noises...
This shot shows the installation of a 'low-motor'. Note that the rudder post is also in place. See the fittings page for more information about these.
A float test. The boat is designed to weigh 16-20 oz, but so long as the stern chine is under water, the prop seems to run properly. Of course, these ones are using large slow-revving props, which helps...
And there we are - a couple of Beavers, now with fittings :).
The Thames Lighters in the background will be coming out in a short while - to give you something to pull..!!
