Continued from a couple of pages ago
“The cockpit planking would be impossible to do in situ as sanding lacquering and polishing could not be done to a sufficient quality being inside a box!
So I made a false deck from 0.8mm ply which will be removable for the planking process and finally fitted when it has been lacquered and polished”.

Having made the frame to locate the motor housing and drilled a series of six holes 3mm dia to take the neodymium magnets. I drilled both the frame and bottom of the box together to ensure the holes line up exactly, this then allows me to push the magnets through the base so they are flush with the top edge; the holes in the lower frame are drilled flat bottomed so the magnets can be pushed in using some super glue.
The false deck will not be able to be fitted in one piece because when the planking is done it will become much stiffer as a result of planking, so it will have to be split in half, bow to stern. This is a simple operation with a Stanley knife, I then tape up the back edge to bring the pieces back together for the planking. Starting at the centre line the first plank is positioned using aliphatic wood glue and spans the full length of the deck, subsequent planks will be split at random intervals to add some realism to an otherwise large expanse of long planks.

I plank placing planks equally on either side of the deck using random pieces from the pack to ensure that the difference in colour isn’t confined to one area and is equally spread over the whole deck. To fit a plank I first spread glue the length of the plank and then using a stick I push the glue up the side of the previous plank, I then apply the black card and push it into the glue , this is quickly followed by a further pushing of the glue onto the card with the stick, finally the plank is positioned and pushed firmly home pressing any excess glue out, this is then removed with a stick. After gluing all the planks in place and they have set overnight the excess calking (black card) has to be removed, for this I use a safety razor blade to get the majority removed. The ends (bow/stern) have to be trimmed to length leaving the final operation of sanding to be done; this process is the most satisfying part of the planking as it brings the piece to life, especially if the face is given a quick wipe with methylated spirit.

I will leave the final fitting until later when I have decided what type of planking will be done on the side of the cockpit as it will require trimming to size, also the provision for battery housing and ESC/receiver have to be decided. also the lacquer will be applied when all the planking is finished so it can be done all together.

Steaming the edge planks
The Bow has a significant curve and needs a plank /piece of timber to follow the hull curve for a width of 8mm around the total circumference of the boat. Others have cut a shaped piece from a sheet of wood but this means the grain doesn’t follow the plank. I intend to attempt to bend some strip walnut (1.5mm x 8mm) around the bow curve. I will do this in two pieces per side with a join where the box starts, this gives about equal length to bend on each of the pieces
Step 1
In order to give some support to the timbers as they are pushed/bent into place the jig has to have a restriction to the top and bottom so the timbers don’t twist as they are bent.
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to bend a flat (8mm x1.5mm strip wood).but what happens is it can’t be done cold without twisting and splitting.
Step 2
You need two pieces of MDF 6mm thick and 1 piece of ply 1.5mm thick) and as long as the curve and about 25mm wider each side of the curve.
Mark out the required radius on the MDF and add to the curve the width of the plank (8mm), this is because there will be an amount of “spring back”.
The “added amount” of curve is a bit trial and error and should be applied to the tangential point midway on the chord, this was done by putting a nail at either end of the curve (chord) and placing a steel rule against the nails and pushing it past the curve by the width of the plank and marking that radius on the MDF.
Step 3
I now place 1 piece of 6mm MDF together the 1.5mm ply and cut the profile of the curve. Now discard one of the convex 1.5mm ply pieces (not required) and assemble the 6mm MDF and 1.5 ply concave pieces to the remaining piece of 6mm MDF this forms the base. The assembly should form the channel that the strip wood will be pushed into, its advisable to insert a piece of paper (0,3 thick) as well so the channel is 1.8mm wide to accommodate the swelling of the timber during steaming. The remaining convex 6mm piece is the “pusher” part of the jig.
Step 4
Make sure your clamps are open at the correct size and the base is firmly clamped to the bench. When you are sure everything is ready for a swift transfer from the steamer to the jig then it’s time to put the kettle on, sadly not for tea but to steam the timber, it only requires about ten minutes in the steam, I just keep turning the kettle on and off to keep the wood well soaked and hot.
Next speed is of the essence, out of the kettle, and into the jig. The clamps are then tightened until the curves come together. Now it’s just a question of an overnight cooling off period, and hopefully when the clamps come off you’re left with a bent piece of strip wood, this should be glued in place ASAP to avoid the possibility of it losing its curve, or left in the jig until required

Deck planking
Fixing perimeter planks
Having successfully managed to curve the bow planks and the follow-on port and starboard planks they need to applied asap, as leaving them out of the jig will allow them to start to return to their natural shape, this would not be straight but less of a curve to make it difficult to apply. The first Bow piece is prepared by shaping the end to fit the keel post then gently pulling the plank into place and preparing enough clamps to pull the and press the plank whilst it dries. I can quickly do the same to the port side and leave them both to set overnight. Next day I can apply the full length planks down each side, again to prepare I place pins along the length which will hold the plank against the outer edge whilst it sets. After the outer planks have set I need to ensure that the edge between the plank and deck is clean and free from any excess glue which would stop the rest of the deck planks sitting together without a gap.

Planking main deck area
Now the edge has its perimeter plank in place I can carry on with the main area of planking. I will first choose random planks from the stock to ensure a mix of colour calculating how many 1mtr lengths I need. I will cut all the pieces and set them out in their respective positions leaving some excess for fitting and trimming after fixing. Before I start I will place black caulking along the inside of the bow plank as far as the joint next to the lower deck. I start at the bow in the middle of the deck, fitting the first piece to the curve of the outer plank. I place pins on the centre line to have something to push against as we apply the first three planks and calking on the port side. Now these have set I can now move to the starboard side and plank equally as we progress across the whole of the deck to the point of a full length plank is required. When I reach this point I have to go to the underside of the hatch and fit these smaller pieces.
Next is to look at the full lengths, which has to follow the line of the “box lower deck” so I place some fence pieces along the edge of the box so I can push the planks against them. The area between this plank and the outer plank needs some delicate trimming of the pieces to ensure a good fit. I use a method to do this that for some may think is a long winded way but in the end it works perfectly. I roughly cut a plank to length and then cut a similar sized piece of stick label type paper and use this to “trace” the shape on to the paper, laying the paper against the adjoining plank I then use the brass rubbing method with a pencil to sow the profile on the paper. The backing is removed and the paper is stuck to the plank, I can now use a variety of tools to form the shape mainly a scalpel and disc sander and finally lightly trimming with a small fine sanding block dragging the plank on edge backward under the sanding block to avoid breakage until a taper is achieved to a feather edge, this will ensure the wood is visible between the calk and shows a fine point.
Having completed the bow and port/starboard sides there remains the stern area; this is mainly short pieces arranged around the two hatches. Again I place a fence edge along the hatch opening and along the end of the box, this will allow minimal finishing on these edges. All that remains is to let it completely dry before trimming the excess calking off with a blade, this starts to make the deck look better, but there still remains slight unevenness of the planks. I can now go for final sanding starting with a 180 grade which removes the majority of the excess material and then progressing through the grades of abrasive papers using a small electric sander until a smooth finish is achieved good enough for the first coat of lacquer.
One final process to be done is to make the marks where the nails are. This is done with a small jig made with a piece of 5mm x 9mm obeche; I drilled a set of 4 holes (1.5mm) either side of a centre line to represent the nail holes. This devise is placed over the plank joints and gently tapped to indent the plank. A further jig is made with just 2 holes for the end plank position, so a long process is followed until all the joints are marked, then to make them more visible it twist the point of a pencil in each indentation which makes each mark stand out.

You may have noticed in some previous picture that the rubbing strakes are attached; I forgot to put this in the correct sequence so here it is, albeit late –
The rubbing strakes are quite simple to apply, once you have marked their position, I did this by taking measurements from the plan at intervals of 100mm along the hull from the stern to the bow and transferring them to the hull sides with a pencil mark these lines can be joined together giving a clear position for the strips.
Starting at the bow I position a clamp so I can just slot the piece in place when it’s been steamed for 3 minutes in the kettle, I then clamp along the length of the hull using elastic bands and scrap pieces of wood to press on the strakes to hold in position overnight (sorry forgot to photograph this), hopefully when the bow curve will be set making it easier to apply and make sure it makes contact with the hull all the way along its length.
Now I can place the strake in position and drill and pin from the bow at intervals of about 50mm but not hammering the pins fully home, after drilling all the holes I can remove the strake and apply epoxy resin along its length and then placing back in position with the first pin this can be driven fully home then moving along we insert each pin in its pre-drilled hole and hammer fully home as I move down along the hull. Finally clean any excess epoxy with a spatula to make a smooth transition from strake to the hull.
Repeat on the port side.

The battery housing is a simple job; it’s been done before, and documented by Rob in his build The position of the battery is limited in this boat since the main body of the boat is open so concealment of the battery has to be at the bow or stern, we also have to consider the position of an ESC/Servo and since these have to be at the stern, the decision is determined and the main battery therefore must be in the bow area.
Rob (ROBBOB) documented this installation in his blog and it was an admirable solution to battery housing and more importantly to a concealed switching devise. There is nothing more to decide other than to work out some working dimensions. The steering wheel I will make to my own design, similar to the wheels I made for the Crash Tender and the Freeman 22 cabin Cruiser.

The Switch modification
The switch has a tapered spindle which needs to be parallel to accommodate the hole in the wheel shaft. The dismantling is quite simple, just bend back the tabs on each side and the unit comes apart, the spindle is turned down to 4mm to fit in the hole in the steering wheel shaft, I can now re assemble the switch by locating all the parts and finally bending back the tabs, this completes the modification.

The steering wheel
The construction of the wheel is quite simple; you may have guessed that it will involve a jig to make sure all the parts are soldered up in a symmetrical manner. I machined a wooden piece that would support the centre spindle, the radial arms and the outer ring all at the appropriate angles and offsets. The centre spindle is 6mm hex bar turned down to 5.5mm O/D with a 4.0 mm bore to fit the modified switch lever leaving a small section of “hex” to align the spokes to. The outer ring is made from 2mm wire which was bent round a piece of bar, the joint was silver soldered to allow the spokes to be soft soldered in position later , these have been prepared to length and a radius filed in the end to match the radius in the outer ring. The component parts are positioned in the jig, all cleaned ready for the application of some flux. Heat is applied on the centre ring when solder can be applied (a little is best) but allowed it to flow around the joint, I next apply heat to each spoke applying solder and again making sure it flows around all the joint.

Switch mount
The strongest and lightest material for this bracket is aluminium, 1.5mm sheet. The piece is marked out and guillotined to shape, then hole positions are marked and drilled whist the material is still flat. Marking out for bending is done, so the piece can now be bent in the folding machine.

Battery box
The battery box is made from 4mm ply, again a simple construction. All pieces are marked out and cut nearly to size on the circular saw and then finished to size using the disc sander. I’m going to pin and glue this box not because it needs any extra strength but because I just like constructing things in this manner. After the box is glued I can drill the holes for attaching the aluminium bracket

Wiring
The battery sends power via a switch in 12swg silicon wire directly to the stern down the tubes I inserted between the box and the hull earlier in the build where it will, via a fuse be connected to the ESC. The connections go through an XT60 plug and socket to enable the battery to be changed easily, then into the switch and finally another XT 60 plug and socket sends the wires into the bow area and down the tubes to the stern

Finishing.
To finish, the box is painted with silver Hammerite, the steering wheel is etch- primed and finished in satin black. All the parts can now be assembled into a sub assembly and placed on one side until final assembly

I have decided to use an ESC designed principally for cars, it is a Hobbywing Quicrun WP 16BL30 Waterproof Brushless ESC and I also purchased the Hobbywing XERUN / EZRUN Program Card C, to make it easier to set up. The main reason for this purchase was because an appropriate ESC wasn’t available from Hobby King.
An ESC in a car gets some cooling from the air circulating through the movement of the car however the ESC in the boat is housed in a wooden box so doesn’t get any cooling at all. I can’t think that this unit will really over heat but the challenge of making a cooling module that can if required keep the unit from overheating was something that needed to be done. The basic concept is to drive water from a water scoop behaving the propeller around an aluminium block which the ESC sits in with close contact so any heat generated by the ESC is carried away by the water and passed out of the rear of the craft.
I designed the block to maximise the amount of heat transfer, by allowing the water to circulate around the maximum surface area of the ESC as I could
The block was machine 20mm larger around its outside and just 2 mm deeper than the ESC. The fist operation was to machine the square aperture in the middle this is marked out on the surface plate. Because milling a square isn’t possible I drilled four holes at the corner positions this allows the slot drill to clear the length of each side of the square, the main material is cut out use a larger slot drill then using a smaller long series slot drill I carefully machine the square hole out to size, it’s important to get the size as close as possible to the size of the ESC ( + 0.01mm) so contact with the surfaces is maximised I will be coating the ESC sides and bottom with a Silicone Thermal Heatsink Compound to give better heat transfer.
Next is drilling the water matrix holes, these will be drilled 4mm on two levels around three sides of the block, the upper and lower “u” shaped being joined by a hole drilled vertically in one corner to join the two levels. The entry and exit holes are the two next to each other at one corner which will have a brass tube inserted for connection to the silicon water tubes this then leaves the 5 holes that need to be plugged with a 4mm dia x 2mm aluminium plug. The plugs are made with a 0.005mm interference fit which are pressed into place with some Loctite for good measure.
The outside faces are rubbed on wet and dry to flatten any protrusions on the plugs. Finally two holes are drilled in the base for screws to fasten it to the floor and a slot in the front face to allow the wires to come out, the whole unit will be painted Matt black at a later stage.

I want an additional battery supply for the lighting so it’s not using the main motor battery, there is space in the bow area and also in the stern but both of these spaces would cause extra weight in the wrong place. The only other place is in the centre of the boat under the motor box cover, to be able to fit batteries in this space I decided to use standard rechargeable AA batteries housed in a proprietary battery box (£1.50 each on EBay).
So that the boxes could be fitted and secured in this space they are best mounted at an angle this enables them to be joined together over the top of the prop shaft and fastened to the floor either side. I built the mount using some black pieces of 3mm black Perspex machined to give the angular mount, the pieces were glued together using Tensol adhesive. The wiring I installed earlier in the build can now be pulled up through the floor and used to send power to the bow or stern. At this point I haven’t decided what lighting will be required in the cabin area and also at the bow and stern

On the real boat the side panels are actually the inside faces of the planked hull and are angled at about 45 degrees, so to try and simulate this I decided to plank some side panels to fit down the sides of the lower deck, Once again I used some 0.8 mm ply as a backing. The backing sheets were cut to the shape of the box side which is tapered towards the stern, next I cut lengths of plank at random to mix the different shades and the ends are cut to 45 degrees so they can be set against the bottom edge when gluing, these are then laid on the backing sheet in position ready for gluing.
The backing ply is stuck to the building matt (which in turn is stuck to the building board) with double sided tape, this will stop the sheet warping when the glue is drying, it also allows me to fasten a piece of wood along the bottom edge to push each plank against and also to rest the angled “ply pusher” (see picture) against it to ensure each plank is at 45 degrees and is pushed up against the corking.
I work from a full length plank first to give a firm piece to push subsequent planks against, I will work from this plank to the right and then finish planks to the left. The process is quite repetitive – spread an area with glue just in front of the last plank then lay a strip of black card against that last plank making sure its covered in glue, then take the next plank and lay in the glue and using the angled “ply pusher” push the plank securely home, then remove any excess glue and repeat the process. This whole process takes about an hour to place all the planks in place, the side piece is then left to fully dry and the second side is prepared ready to glue.
Since the sides are planked with walnut timber its only right that the end sections are treated in the same manner to give a consistent look. For this I had already purchased some walnut veneer which I used on the motor housing. Pieces where cut to size for each end then the surfaces were coated with aliphatic glue and the veneer pushed against each end and pressed home using “ply springs” (bendy ply sticks)against a flat board. Once the ends are set I can then cut out the various apertures that were previously cut out for the wires, pipe ducts and fuse holders, these are carefully cut using taper cutters and small files.
There is a video clip showing my process, please forgive the background music and heavy breathing, it sounds like I'm on my last legs, it must be a very sensitive microphone on the camera😁

When applying the hull skins there was a feature incorporated in it (a fairlead) which ultimately is to be laminated with a 1.5mm piece of ply, however also included is a 5mm separate version so I choose to use the 5mm piece.
The 5mm component that is given in the kit first of all needs to be bent to the contour of the bow, because it’s made from 5mm ply which on such a small part will be difficult to bend. First I cut a former to the shape of the bow which will clamp the piece between it whilst it sets, so, jug kettle to the rescue, I dangle both parts in the steaming kettle for four or five minutes then they are quickly transferred to the clamping jig and left overnight to set.
Now we have the correct shape the piece has to be located in position on the bow, to make sure we have a secure mounting and also to ensure the shape is maintained I will place pins in the bottom of the piece, these pins will locate it on the bow.
Now since these are made from ply and the rest of the boat is made from walnut these pieces are to be veneered, pieces of veneer are cut to shape then glued in place using aliphatic glue and left to set using the jig as a press. Then top pieces are added and trimmed to size, finally the pieces are given three coats of gloss lacquer and a final coat of satin to match the deck.