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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic:
Elco bow curve
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How do you contour the bow of the Italeri PT 109 to get an accurate dip and eliminate the flat profile? Any tricks of the trade? I'm leery of just shaving away at it.[:-confused2-:]
Mike Winters
Posted By: Mike Winters | Posted on: Mar 12, 2014 - 7:12pm
Total Posts: 1 | Joined: Mar 12, 2014 - 6:31pm
Mike,
I had a go at it with my build last year. I just shaved down the bow but this creates a problem with the vee of the hull being reduced so you have to remove some of the groove under the deck so it will fit, and then reduce the overhang a little. This creates an acceptable dip but be careful of the screw pushing through the stem.
Have a look here:
http://www.pt103.com/Italeri_PT109_Build_Stuart_Hurley.html
You could also add shims under the deck further back, which I didn't think of, as David Waples did with his build to create some rise in the deck. Go easy or it will look more like a 77' boat which had a really pronounced S
Dont forget the rise at the stern, which is also missing.
Best Regards,
Stu.
Posted By: Stuart Hurley | Posted on: Mar 13, 2014 - 1:25am
Total Posts: 255 | Joined: Mar 19, 2013 - 3:32am
Just to add to Stu's comments. I used flexible steel ruler to bend around the bow section. I started where I wanted it to be at the bow and wrapped it around until it came flush where I wanted it to be which was at the widest point on the top of the hull. Then I drew a reference line. From there I started sanding it down with a sanding block. The idea is to get close to that line but remember you want it to be a flowing line too. There should be just a little curve coming from the bow to the point where it stops rising.
I removed the trim piece that starts at about the wide point of the top of the hull to the stern. I replaced it later with plastic stock.
As Stu said I added shims to the stern section for the flare up on the tail. You want to do the same thing for the tail. It should flare up to the stern but make sure you keep it subtle.
Also note that the deck should have a crown to it. I added a ship on the stern plate with a slight crown.
Doing all this I'm not trying to get exact measurements but rather give the boat the feel of a contouring shape across the top of the hull. Stu also had a good solution for supporting the deck but adding sprue supports from the bottom of the hull to the deck to keep it nice and solid... but I'll let him discuss that more. You can find his work in the PT103 web site.
Hope that helps.
Dave
David Waples
Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Mar 13, 2014 - 4:56am
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm
Hey guys!
If you would just choose to build a 78 foot Higgins, you wouldn't have to worry about no fancy curves! Hah! Jerry
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR
Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Mar 13, 2014 - 8:07am
Total Posts: 1472 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm
You got that right Jerry, the Higgins looks like a shoe box, Ha, Ha.
Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Mar 13, 2014 - 4:22pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am
SHOE BOX ? If anything the Huckins was a shoe box and the ugly duckling of the fleet. I've got a scratch built 1/16 th scale Higgins I finished recently and am very pleased with it's performance. At a little more than half throttle it planes and turn like the real thing.
Larry
62 Bel-Air
260 Eagle EXP
79 Cole TR-2
Posted By: bubbletop409 | Posted on: Mar 13, 2014 - 6:24pm
Total Posts: 164 | Joined: Apr 22, 2013 - 11:48pm
I'm confused, the Higgins has a far more pronounced reverse sheer than the Elco.
Posted By: cdsc123 | Posted on: Mar 14, 2014 - 9:06am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered
[IMaGe]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i204/alross2/hig_0001.jpg[/IMaGe]l][IMaGe]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i204/alross2/lines.jpg[/IMaGe]
Al Ross
Posted By: alross2 | Posted on: Mar 14, 2014 - 5:08pm
Total Posts: 993 | Joined: Oct 30, 2006 - 8:19pm