Vac-U-Tow2

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Introducing the new Topless Vac-U-Tow. If you want to build you own structures on a pre-made hull here's your chance. Check out more info on the Topless Vac-U-Tow at

http://www.vac-u-boat.com:80/Vac-U-TowTopless.htm

For those of you who would like some type of plan for structures, I have drawn a modern design for the deck kit that has the narrow hatch (Topless Narrow Towboat Kit TW202) and a common design similar to the Crounse boats seen on the Western Rivers for the standard hatch (Topless Standard Towboat Kit TW201). The deck kits are compatible with the single screw or twin screw hulls.

Kits can be bought from Vac-U-Boat http://www.vac-u-boat.com/KitsParts.htm

Vac-U-Boat's tow knees can be used with both plans and the stacks can be used with kit 201 .

Cabin design for Kit TW202

Here's a modern design for a sharp looking boat

Cabin designs for Kit TW201

Here's a common design with a deck over the rudder access

Drawings will be $5.00 each and can be purchased by printing order form below or just jot it down on a piece of paper and mail to: Joe Brown, P O Box 461, Flatwoods, KY 41139

Click here to print an order form.

Building a modern towboat with kit 202

(Click on thumbnail to view larger image)

The material I will be building with is 1/8" x 4" basswood for the decks and 1/16" acrylic plastic for the cabins.

The build process is the technique that I'm used to using. Many modelers have different ways they find easier and prefer

different materials. This build is just a guide to help the novice scratch-builder get an idea of where to start. The kit comes

with step by step instructions on installing running gear. Hope your project is fun and have you building for many years to come.

Here's what comes with the topless kit. Not shown is stack, towknees, and rubber deck seal strip.

I have already installed the rudders, shafts, and servo. It comes with instructions on how to install the running gear.

The first thing was to cut the main cabin sides and mask the windows. Paint the inside black to black out the windows. Image shows masking and marking the windows then top part shows removing masking and leaving windows masked.

Here is a way to curve the corners. I used Plastruct HP 12 half round profile tubing. It's 1/2" wide. After cutting the length for the height of the cabin, split the tubing in half and glue on each corner as in photo. you need to shorten the front wall by one scale foot to alllow the corners to equal the right width.

Here's a top view showing how it makes round corners. I glue everything together with CA glue and then reinforce the corners with epoxy.

Here's another corner rounding technique using Plastruct MRQ-125 3.2mm quarter round.

Here's how the pilot house looks all put together. Notice the window masked off on the door. I left the windows clear for I may detail the pilot house interior.

Using basswood cut out the decks for second deck, third deck, riser for pilot house and roof. Next mark your cabins at their location on the deck and cut out the inside to save weight. Next step was to glue the upper cabin onto the second deck and the pilot house onto the third deck. For gluing basswood I perfer Titebond weatherproof wood glue and for gling the plastic cabin to basswood I have good results with regular Testor's plastic cement.

Here's what everythingshould look like once put together. Pilot house on third deck and cabin on second deck. The main cabin does not glue on, It's just sitting in place on deck TW 202.

Here's how it all looks stacked on top of each other. There are watertight doors on main cabin and regular doors on the upper cabins. For door frames I used Evergreen H-O scale 4" x 4"styrene strips. You have two options on mounting the main structure. I chose to glue it to the bottom of the 2nd deck. If you worry about large swamping waves you can glue the main cabin to the main deck to make it wave tight and make the 2nd deck removable.

Here's a closer view of the supports for the pilot house deck riser. These will be used to glue the "skirt" onto.

Notice the small holes in the doors. I'll be using the heads of straight pins as door knobs.

To form the riser skirt, I let 1/32" basswood soak overnight in a solution of vinegar. I then proceeded to wrap it around the riser and pinning it from the middle and out to the ends. After the basswood has dried, then it can be trimmed and glued in place. It's best to mark the edges of the skirting at the decks to help in trimming later.

Don't make the mistake of cutting the wood too narrow. The front of the skirting slants which will cause it to slant at the ends. Make sure to leave it wide enough to cover the sides.

I used sheet plastic to finish the run back to the end of the deck. Now it's really taking shape.

Don't forget to use plastic the same thickness of the wood used for the riser skirt.

Since we don't have a riser to glue the skirt to, we'll just have to make some stanchions to support it.

Here shows how I started skirting the second deck.

To add more realism to the hull, we need engine coolers. Skin coolers are the simplest to make. They are just half round pipes welded onto the hull. I used Plastruct 90171 (3/16" half round). I cut the ends at 45 dergee angle and cut in scale 40' lengths. I then sealed the ends with a piece of plastic sign stock.

To mark off the hull, take a scale model railroad rule and hold ot to the upper lip of the hull and mark a line. Next make two more lline a scale 1 1/2' above and below that line. Here is where we'll locate three cooler lines on both sides of the hull. Glue the top edge of the cooler line to the line on the hull. Be sure to mark a vertical line on the hull for the starting point of eack cooler line.

Here's what it looks like with three cooler lines on the hull. Be sure to do the same on the other side.

Here's what the coolers look like once the hull is painted.

Here's what I do with all towboats. I put skids on the bottom to prevent wear on the hull when moving model on table.

Here's the stack before preping for paint. Though it looks like it's angled in the photo, the front of stack is 90 degree to the base. The rear is angled and the sides angle in 6 scale inches from the base to the top.