Mike, that's excellent advice from Cash👍
Only thing I could add is-
When doing the dry fit and alignment of the shaft and motor I use a rigid coupling, machined from brass rod. If you don't have a lathe (as I do😉) you can find various sizes of such couplings on the usual WWW sources.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Mike. You can get the same type of batteries here in the US, 6 volt gel cell or “pb” is pretty common. If you have the room, you could use 2 7.2 volt NIMH 3000 mah (3ah) for power. I see the kit recommends either a direct drive or gear drive motor. It does not have to be a Krick unit. The 600 motor is a 550 sized brushed motor, you can get those all over on eBay, Amazon and online hobby shops.
The 2.5 geared motor will give you more grunt, but less speed. My Neptun I built called for the Krick unit, but I opted for a less expensive MFA from Cornwall model boats in the UK. It works fine.
I think you need to sit back and see what you want to do with this boat.
If you just want to cruise around at a moderate speed, go with the geared setup. It will run forever on 3000 mah. If you want her to have a little punch, use the direct drive motor.
Also, don’t think you have to use a certain battery, The stock lead acid/gel cell, nimh, or lipo will all work fine. The only thing you have to worry about is the physical size of the pack (in regards to what space you have in the hull for mounting), and the weight. If you end up with a lighter pack you’ll need to add ballast to compensate.
As far as the propshaft and tube go, you are on the right track. What I do is I usually drill/cut my exit hole first. If it’s a little too big, you’re okay, as long as it’s centered. Try too keep it as snug as you can though.
Install the tube dry, no glue, get your motor, mount shaft and coupling. Dry fit the lot, if you can, and when you are satisfied everything is straight and lines up, tack the tube in place with a little ca. Then permanently install your motor mount. Install the motor, coupler and shaft, make sure there’s no binding, then epoxy the tube in place. I hope this is clear to you, any questions holler at me here.
Cash

Mike, she’s looking good, Krick makes a nice kit, you’ll like her when she’s done. I’m with Doug, I tend to stay away from most enamels except for smaller fittings and such. I like acrylics for an airbrush, and if I feel like splurging, I’ll use the Tamiya synthetic lacquer rattle cans. Only enamel I like is the older Krylon Fusion, but that’s getting hard to find.

Dear Group Krick Trawler.

1. Been away from model building for a while call me a beginner. Any suggestions are welcomed .

2. The model is built so the entire structure you see all lifts off in one piece so you have access to the motor and servos.

3. I have been building for a month up to this point. I am now prepping for painting.

4. I am masking all parts that contact plastic to plastic all the holes have been pre drilled.

5. I think I will end up going with an acrylic paint based on my tests even though the life vests and other accessories I have done in enamel have come out quite well but it is very hard for me to work with. Which acrylic paint do you like the best and the easiest to work with.

6. There is a great deal of detail yet to come and rigging. Question to the group and suggestions. The railings and the stanchions have come in brass and they use cotter pins on the tops for the brass railing. What color is correct for the railings and stanchions. What color should the window frames be. I am not going with the green on the hull. Mine might be a great looking light blue. I was going to do the frames of the windows in blue but they look gray in the picture let me know your thoughts.

7. I cannot on this model bring the batteries from Europe see attached requirements needed in US

&. I do not know how to drill the proper angle of the stern post I have attached the drawing. I showed a picture inside the hull and then a shot of the stern post. It would seem I need the motor in place and shaft to get the angle right.

Please note I have not cut the excess off the main hull yet

Best

Mike

Hi Mike,
Thought that might happen with enamel on a fairly large area🤔
"Should I still use primer"
Yes! Just make sure you get the same type as the top coat you will use!
I.e. both acrylic, and preferably from the same manufacturer, to avoid any nasty wrinkly reactions ☹️😭 Paints come in 'Systems' not just types😉
Whose acrylics:
Acrylics from model suppliers, such as Tamiya, Revell, Testors etc, are very good, and you can get small spray cans, but relatively expensive. If 'price no object' 🤑 OK.
If you don't need a specific true to original colour then get yourself down to your auto accessory or DIY shop and have a look through their spray can range.
They will be much cheaper 😊 and should be fine for your project👍

I only use enamel on small projects (Plastic Magic) or fittings or when I need a specific original naval colour. Then I use the Sovereign Hobbies Colourcoats enamels, 14ml tins, (based in California) or LifeColor, 35ml bottles, from Italy, who also now do a good acrylic range but neither do aerosols (rattle cans).
So I brush the little bits and dig out the airbrush for the big bits. Do you have one?
Hope this helps🤞
Cheers, Doug 😎
Sovereign Hobbies Colourcoats-
https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/
https://www.hbhobbies.com/pages/colourcoats-sea
Lifecolor-
https://www.astromodelstore.com/brand/lifecolor

Hi MIR,

I am sure you will get all the help you will need from the good members on this site.

Martin555.

No problem I could use some more help as I go along. Thanks Martin

Hi MIR,
When i said Build Log/Blog i was hoping that you would do a stage by stage build entry on this site with photos and text explaining how you are building it so that we all can follow your progress.

Martin555.

Doug you were right Thanks for your help. I went out to do some more tests and I am not going to go with the enamel paint. One piece came out fine but it is to hard to work with even out of the spray cans even when I do very light coats. Luckily I caught this before I started to do the the big parts. What company should I buy the acrylic paint from. Thanks for stopping a very big mistake. Should I still use primer Best Mike

Doug the boat looks fantastic. Mike

Martin I have been using the the step by step instructions what is a building log. I am sure it may help. Please explain. Best Mike

Thanks Doug I forgot to ask the most important question The first coat looks so good must I do a second coat and do I have to lightly sand the first white coat of enamel before applying the second coat. Per your recommendations I have taped all the areas and have marked all the areas that should not get painted. Hours of masking but I see it has to be done. Best Mike

Hi Mike,
If you did a good job on the primer and filling and re-priming everything should be nice and flat👍 So if you are happy with your first coat of enamel just leave it to harden before applying a second coat. Top coat should always be applied in several thin coats to avoid runs and/or orange peeling etc. Especially with a 'heavy' paint like enamel.
As Martin says 'de-dusting' is essential.
I like the sanding sponges as used wet they take most of the dust with them😊
I've used Tack Cloths and they are effective, but I'm always suspicious that they may leave some sort of residue on the surface. I find that a damp (wrung out) high density sponge (like the flat ones the missus might have in the kitchen😉) is also very effective.

As you are using light grey primer i hope you masked off all openings (windows etc) on the inside to avoid grey overspray getting in and spoiling things.
I would always use white primer under a white top coat anyway, as I did for the Arctic white on my Sea Scout, pic attached.
You can follow my Sea Scout restoration project (including the boobs!) in my detailed blog on the site.
https://model-boats.com/blogs/28209?sort=ASC
KUTGW👍
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi MIR,
It is best to sand in-between coats as it helps to flatten out the surface.

One of the best things to remove sanding dest just before painting is Tack Rags. (see link)


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-X-TACK-CLOTH-STICKY-RAG-PAINT-DUST-REMOVER-WIPE-DECORATORS-PAINTER-RESIN-LINT/193561528730?hash=item2d112a899a:g:r~sAAOSwVmJe0~RL


Are you going to do a build log ?

Martin555.

Doug I am ready to start painting and did a few tests. I used this light gray primer first by Testers and lightly sanded it with a sanding sponge. I cleaned the primer and then applied my white enamel very lightly sprayed on and got a beautiful shiny finish it looks great. Question do I have to sand the first coat of enamel or can I leave it alone it came out fantastic but just wanted to get your input. What is the best solution to use when you have sanded the primer to get off any of the primer dust. As always thank you for your help.Best Mike

Thanks Martin I was going to go with the aluminum look as well. I am now masking all the exterior parts that do not get painted. Thanks again Best Mike

Hi Mike,

1) If the inside is going to remain white then maybe it might not need to be painted, and you will be able to glue the windows in without any masking.

The outside where the frames go around the window edge can be masked or you could carefully scrape the paint off using a sharp blade.

As for the saloon area that is a decision that you will have to decide on. maybe just enough to show there is something inside.

2) Stanchions and railings is another part that you will have to decide on. I personally would paint them an Aluminium colour. Also the photo looks as if they are Aluminium.

At the end of the day it is your model and you should make it how you want it to be.

I hope this is of some use.

Martin555.

Doug A few questions.

I am going to use a gray primer. and sand before application.

1. I assume I have to mask before I do the first coat of primer. I have attached the You tube picture of the model. The model has windows that are put inside and glued and they have window frames that go on the outside that are painted light gray. This means by definition I have to mask both inside and out where ever plastic touches plastic. If you got up close to the model and looked through the windows the question is how much work needs to be done inside. This only effects the saloon area the rest of the model I see what has to be done.

2. The other question is the stanchions and the railings all come in brass. They use cotter pins that act as the eyelets for the railing in the picture. They look like they are painted an aluminum color in the photo. What colors are correct for the railings and stanchions I was thinking of leaving them brass and seal them with a clear coat of lacquer but I am not sure that is a good idea or correct. What do you think would be good.

As always thank you for your help and if anyone has any other ideas or suggestions please let me know.
Mike

Hi Mike,

You are doing a great job on your boat.
Keep up the good work.

Just looking at your hull and the plastic battery mounts.

I would fit the motor and prop, then the rudder and servo.
After those are fitted you can fit whatever batteries you can get and then make a battery holder to suit.
A quick water test will then help you decide where the batteries and other radio control equipment could be placed.

Martin555.

Dear Ian,

I have taped the model now that Martin has got me back on track. It all needs to be sanded and squared up and fitted. properly. Pardon all the blue tape. I have left a bit extra in each cut. The model is designed so the whole top section lifts off in one piece to expose the motor. The hull has not been trimmed as well as the main cabin but it gives you the idea. I want to get the motor in place and working while I have all the room now. I checked and I can't get the batteries from Europe since they cannot ship them but also the charging is different. You can see the two plastic parts that hold the batteries. They actually act as the ballast so I have to try to get something that fits. It takes 2 six volt batteries. I will need the servos as well as the controller. While I am figuring that out I have plenty to do on the whole deck assembly. Best Mike

Thanks Ian gray is what I was going with. I will be posting soon to get some help on some issues so I don't screw up the model. I am taping everything together first to see how everything fits and drilling all the holes. What color is used on the bottom part of the hull. I am using the 3 oz spray paint for testers Painting has not been problem for me but I have not worked with plastic. I will test before I begin When you see the next post it will show you the new issues. Martin solved the upper deck situation which by the way lifts off to expose the engine. Thanks again Mike

Hi Mike,
Tamiya makes a very good fine primer in white, light grey and pink. Even though painting a top coat of white their light grey is my preference as it shows the mould lines up. Suggest a couple of very fine coats at 20 minutes apart then let it rest for 24 hours before rubbing down. As Doug says lightly sand and Tamiya pads are very good for this. Tamiya also make semi gloss aerosols, expensive but worth it. They also make a semi gloss clear coat. I don't work for Tamiya but they seem to have the right products!
Good Luck
Ian

Good point Number 2👍
😎

Hi MIR,
Your question on primer before main coat has been answered extremely well by Fleet Admiral Doug.
The only thing i can add is if you use water based paint such as Acrylic Without some sort of primer the paint will not stick to the surface evenly.

Martin555.

Hi Mike,
Soooo - one thing at a time!
Or, as my German friends would say 'Alles die Reihe nach!'
Transliterated 'Everything the row after'😁
#1: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GLUE PAINT TO PAINT!😮
You are then relying on the adhesion of the paint skins to the parts to hold everything together. Any stress on the parts and one side is bound to give way and lift😭
Therefore do not paint the entire part. Mask the areas which are to be glued. Scrape off any paint that does get on these areas.

#2: If you want to wear gloves when assembling wear the thin nitrile gloves used in food preparation, doctors etc. Cotton gloves can leave tiny fibres all over your model☹️

#3: I only use instant glue (cyano etc) for spot gluing (tacking) parts together.
For plastics I use the appropriate solvent glue, ABS or Polystyrene etc, to 'weld' the parts.
I prefer the liquid plastic glues which come in bottles with a small brush so you can quickly apply to long edges, e.g. hull joints, or apply only a tiny drop to small parts.

#4: Acrylic or enamel: your choice. BUT, make sure primer and top coat are of the same type to avoid any nasty reactions and wrinkling😭

I don't know how much modelling / painting experience you have, but from your posts I deduce that the Nordstrand is your first go at such a relatively large scale model.
Therefore I would not recommend that you brush paint with enamel. I fear you will be disappointed with the result🤔
Instead use spray cans (so called rattle cans cos of the ball bearing mixers in them, nuttn to do with the 'orrible snakes😝). E.g. Tamiya perhaps for acrylic or Revell for enamel. Main thing is both primer and top (colour) coat of the same type. Cheaper alternative; auto spray paints like Duplicolor.
In case you've not used spray cans before - DON'T PANIC!😮
Shake rattle n roll the cans for a good 5 minutes after you hear the ball bearings rattling about. Warming the can in warm water (not boiling💥) helps the mixing and increases the spray pressure.
Do a short test spray on some scrap wood/plastic/paper to make sure the spray doesn't splutter or drip. If all is well -
Start off to one side of the item to be painted, fully depress the nozzle and holding the can 9 to 12" away spray a stripe along the top and go off the other end before releasing the nozzle.
Repeat working down the item with slightly overlapping stripes.
Spray LIGHT coats and move at an even pace. If paint runs appear you are either too close too slow or both! Practise!
If using acrylic it will dry in an hour or so and you can apply the next light coat.
If enamel you may have to wait til the next day for the paint to harden before applying the next coat.🤔
Spray several light coats in this manner until you achieve the colour depth you want.
Flatten off between coats with 3000 grit wet n dry used wet with a drop of liquid soap.
Be sure to wash all residue off with clean water and leave to dry.
With small parts; I just wash in warm soapy water, dry and spray a light coat of primer then top coat. For tiny parts I use a fine sable bristle brush. If enamel I thin it with ca 10-20% white spirit.
Hope this isn't teaching Granny what to do with eggs!!!😉
Takes longer to describe than it does to do!
Good luck🤞
Cheers, Doug 😎

I know I'm not Ian but for me it's just post and ask .Most of the time there will be an answer and it my give you another way to look at what you are asking . If you don't ask you don't get.It works for me.
Rick

Ian I am not sure had to post so I can get feed back from anyone who might want to help. How is the best way to do that. This is all a learning curve for me. Best Mike

Thanks so much Doug. Do you think it is a mistake to go with enamel.Maybe acrylic would be best. I was in the coast guard in my younger days. 175 foot coast guard cutter. I have attached a picture of the model. When you start to assemable I was thinking of wearing those white light cotton gloves. The other question is do you paint the entire part even if some of the part cannot be seen. Does the glue work painted to painted surfaces. I had a real learning lesson using that insta glue it is called Bob Stevens it sets up so fast and just a drop I realize is all you need. Only mistake I made was my finger was to close. That will not happen again. My approach was going to paint the entire part both top and underneath. Thanks Mike

Hi Mike,
Quick question - slow answer!😁
Before you start painting and gluing lightly sand the surfaces with a 1500 or 2000 grit wet & dry paper, to give a better key for the paint than the hard shiny, closed plastic surface. Use it just damp not soaking wet, otherwise you'll just polish! Tamiya sanding sponges are great for this👍
Then; wash in warm water with a drop of washing up liquid.
Rinse thoroughly and leave to dry naturally. NOT in the hot sun, unless you like banana shaped boats😁
If you're going to paint it white then use a white primer in a very light coat.
If you can find it use a plastic primer; e.g. Tamiya or Revell. Probably Humbrol do one as well.
When dry test the surface with your finger tips, better than eyeballs for that!
If you feel any roughness very lightly sand off with 2000-3000 grit.
Don't overdo it or you'll be back to priming.
Clean with a damp sponge or non linting cloth.
Test surface again. If happy apply your top coat in light coats allowing to fully dry in between.
BTW: every ship I've ever been on, civil and military, was painted with a satin finish, not gloss.
Not quite so blinding when you come on deck on a sunny day🌤️😉
Hope this helps shipmate🤞 Keep us up to date on progress please😊
Have fun,
Cheers, Doug 😎

Marin quick question do you use a primer coat on the plastic before painting. I just realized all these parts have to be painted before assembly. The boat calls for enamel white paint. I was going with a primer coat. Do you agree. I want that high gloss smooth finish. Do you sand after the each primer coat as well . I am now cleaning up all the cuts and smoothing things out. I was going to use a gray primer. Thanks Mike

I just read this post and this is why I like this site it may take time but the help is most always here.
Rick

Mike, I did nothing except kickstart your thread and I'm glad I did. I had a feeling the good folk on this forum would come through for you.

Good luck with the rest of the build.

Ian

Hi Mike,
If i can help i will, and i am sure other members will also help you.

Martin555.

Martin here is the fit and now the notches match up perfectly. I hope I can e mail you from time to time for your council. I have been away from the model building for a while. Thank you Ian for coming back to me. I was getting pretty frustrated. Thanks again Best Mike

Hi MIR,
I am glad the members here have managed to help.

Martin555.

Martin you are 100 percent right just went in and made the change. Thanks you so very much Mike

Martin. Everything else fits. In the model there is an overhang which is the wheel house part 35. The main deck part 38 fits perfectly with the slot into the back of part 35 . You can see in the plans there is an overhang of the wheel house part 35. I taped it roughly but the notch on part 35 does not match. Part 35 is actually covered up when you put the main deck part 38 on top of everything. Part 32 the main cabin I have not cut out yet you can see that on the plans of how all this goes. Part 32 is the main cabin part 33 is the salon. part 34 is the salon wall bar piece part 35 is the wheel house. part 38 is the awning deck part 43 is the wheel house roof If I was to cut part 35 so it dropped down it looks like it would work but the notch of part 35 and has a 1000mm notch does not match anything. I know this is so simple but I don"t want to cut the piece wrong. Again everything else fits. Thanks Mike

Just looking at this picture it seems the bridge is upside-down as Its obvious that its wider than the base it is to fit on, whereas the other-way up it will fit and this corresponds with the photograph.

Hi Mike,
I'm glad Martin has taken this up for you and his suggestion certainly looks right. I can't make much sense of the portion of drawing you photographed.

I did a quick search to see if there were any build logs of the Nordstrand but no luck. As you say, quite a few seem to have been built so there must be a solution. The wheelhouse windows certainly taper in towards the bottom and you seem to have it up the wrong way in your picture. Let us know how you get on.

Ian

Hi MIR,
I have just been looking on the utube videos and trying to compare with the photos you have posted.
It looks that you have the bridge upside down.
The widest part should be at the top, narrowest at the bottom.

Martin555.

Yes I have detailed instructions but it is not clear how part 35 the wheel house is cut and positioned. I am new to the website but I am sure someone has built this boat. Where they want you to make the notch does not correspond to how part 35 should fit on top of the salon. I may not be posting correctly feel free to send this out if you have any thoughts. I have written Krick but have not heard back. I have had to stop building until this is solved. Thank you for getting back to me. Mike

Hi MIR,
Do you have written instructions to go with the drawings.

Martin555.

Thanks for getting back to me the model by Krick Nordstrand Trawler K21430 is very popular and I have written Krick. I am just not sure how part 35 the wheel house goes into the model. It looks straight forward but I don't want to make the wrong cut. Again thank you for your assistance. Mike

Hello,

I'm going to stick my head above the parapet again as it always seems a shame when a request goes unanswered. Obviously nobody has built this particular boat (I certainly haven't) but there are some very expert builders on here and I bet if you were to describe the problem in more detail somebody might be able to help, even if it were only in a general way. Hope you get some help.

All the best,

Ian