I had the day off today, so I repainted the bulwarks, touched up the deck and got the new rub rail installed. It’s not perfect, but it fit and laid down much better, stretched around the bow with very little lifting, and I was able to do the entire circumference of the hull with one piece and one joint. I’m happy!!

Past 2 evenings I’ve started the brasswork, railings and such. The upper railings weren’t that hard to do once I figured out my angles. The forward cage, which I thought would be easier, turned out a little more difficult than I thought. I decided to glue the fwd inner uprights as I was pretty sure I would end up desoldering the upright they were being soldered to. There are brass bushings that are supposed to go into the holes drilled for the rails, but I decided not to use them, the rails are glued in directly. All this was built in situ, I drilled the holes for the rails and jigged/soldered them together on the boat. Since it’s a wood cabin and not abs, there’s no worry about hot brass melting plastic.
I have quite a bit more railings and hand rails to bend up, bit more soldering, then it’s on to other details.
Cash

Hi everybody. Had a little time today to finish up and install the rails I bent up a few days ago. Nothing earth shattering, just test fit, drilled holes, and installed. The upper railing on the roof was the only one I had to solder up, the platform for the rearward white nav light is a repurposed Lego. I have to solder up the ladders and make up some smaller handrails, then it’s on to the mast and lights.
Cash

Hi Y’all. I decided to take some time this morning and finish my ladders, and work on some of the lighting. I had started on one ladder last week. I decided to make it easier on me by using brass tube and small split pins to assemble the ladder then solder it up. I had soldered the first 3 steps then decided that, since I have a mechanical attachment using the split pins, ca glue would do the job just abs out as well, so I ca’d the bottom steps and completely built the second ladder sans solder. Worked out nicely. I then painted and installed the ladders.
I had built sideboards for the port/starboard nav lights from plastic sheet instead of the ply in the kit. These were painted gray and glued in place. The kit comes with solid brass “lights” that are supposed to be painted up and installed, but I want my lights to light up, or at least have the option to do so. I ordered some light fixtures in the right diameter from Harbor Models in California. They’re not terribly expensive, and you can remove the lens from the fixture, paint the fixture, then reinstall the lens..so that’s what I did. You could also leave the lamp fixture natural brass if wanted. I then drilled thru the sideboard and hull, then glued in the lamps.
I also decided to do a working searchlight. Now, the Grimmershorn kit does not come with a nicely molded searchlight like the old Graupner and RoMarine/Robbe kits did. Instead, there’s a sheet of abs moldings that the body is located on, you cut that out and build the thing up from that and bent brass wire. Ugh. Fortunately I had a Robbe searchlight kit in my stash, I built and painted it up with bulb and wiring installed, then attached the assembly to the upper cabin roof.
I have more to do, some other fittings and deck equipment, then it’s on to the mast.
Oh…thanks for all the wonderful comments, they are much appreciated 😀
Cash

Hi y’all, Merry day after Christmas!!
I spent a good part of the day modifying a Lego into a radar housing. It’s a little short, but the radar works so there’s that. I was going to install a Graupner anchor windlass that I’d already built and painted, but I thought it didn’t look quite right so I used the kit parts to build one, but I traced the parts on plasticard instead of using wood for the housing. I also installed the life raft station.
She’s close!! Next thing is the mast.
Cash

Hi y’all. Got the mast finished up. I shortened it a bit to make it easier so store and to transport. I painted bot the mast and funnel red, then installed the light fixtures, bulbs and wiring. I had to cut a channel in the backside of the mast to hide the wires, then hit that with another coat of paint. I also extended the radar arm up a bit, and finished installing all bulbs.
I’m at the point to where I need to finish up under decks, and cut and solder the bulb leads prior to hooking up to a Graupner SXM electronic switch. I thought I’d have her in the water by next weekend, but there’s still more to be done, plus I need to touch up a few oopsies and finish up a couple of details before I’m satisfied with her. Oh…ballast. Need that too!!
Cash

Hi Y’all. Did a little more today. The lights were soldered up to a Graupner SXM switch. This is a neat device, it allows you to run 4 different banks of lights from 1 channel and a 3 position switch. They are still being produced by Graupner, and it’s 27.99 dollars. Easy to set up, works flawlessly. The part number is 3971.
I’ve also added sound from a MrRCsounds sound card. Don’t think I’ll use the engine sound this time, just the foghorn and bell.
All my major electronics save the esc are mounted in the superstructure. Easier to get ready pondside, at least it is for me. Only drawback is that if I lose THIS superstructure, all my electronic bits will go with it. I’ll need some really good magnets and a mechanical attachment…pins, nylon screws, something that will keep at least one end tied down mechanically. Oh, checked motor and esc, that’s working well too. Just need to finish the helm and a few odds and ends and she’s ready!!

Hi y’all, long time no post. I finally got the Grimmershorn in the water last Sunday. She needed 10 pounds of ballast to make the waterline with the battery I was using. The motor/gearbox combo I’m using is an old brushes planetary unit that was originally designed for model sailplanes before brushless became common. It’s geared about 3.8 to one, so I thought I’d need at least a 3 cell lipo pack to make speed…turns out 3 cells is wayyyy more than this boat needs, 2 cells are quite enough. Only issue she had was the pinion gear started slipping on the second run. Turns out it’s a press fit pinion, but I was able to silver solder it back in place. Did a quick bench test of holding the prop and adding power and nothing slipped, so I should be good. No more photos as yet as I want to do some touch up and add a few more details, but I have a video of our club that has the Grimm in it, along with me realizing the pinions slipping!!🤣🤣
I’ll finish this blog shortly with more pics and a better video, but here’s what I have for now.
Cash

I spent the day fixing the bottom hull paint, installed anchors and chains, and started the lettering. The kit comes with sticky back litters that look more like plain paper than vinyl, so I gave the sheet a coat of white Tamiya lacquer then applied it to one side. I have to do the other side and the port name on the stern, then a little more touch up, odds and ends and a waterline stripe and she’s about as done as I’m going to make her.

Hi y’all. Took the Grimm out to the pond today, we had a chance of rain all day and got sprinkled on several Tim’s, but we had fun! The Grimmershorn has been lettered and cleaned up, all functions work as advertised. I’m still having issues with the red paint below the waterline, I think I just didn’t prepare the surface properly before spraying the acrylic. It scratches and peels easily. I’ll live with it for now, I still need to do a waterline stripe anyway, but later I’ll get some fine sandpaper, sand the bottom of the hull, repaint and apply the waterline stripe. Easy enough fix, but overall I’m happy with her. I settled on using 2 7 cell nimh 4200 mah packs in parallel, so I have 8400 mah on tap. Ran her for at least an hour, blowing the horn and ringing the ships bell, and when I did a voltage check after the run both packs were still showing a touch over 9 volts. This things just sipping juice! I have a video from today, there’s a lot of footage of the Grimm and us just horsing about, y’all enjoy!!