Concerning the initial problem I had when starting to build the Police Launch, after realizing the fundamental mistake I made by incorrectly positioning the transom frame which was kindly pointed out to me by Dave976 I now see that I can proceed with the build and look forward to completing the hull. Thank you Dave976 and all the others that took an interest in my problem.

I am also interested in the torpedo boat PT-109 made by the same company. I see that the hull is based on or is the same as the hull of the police launch so If I do decide to purchase the PT boat building won't be a problem 😁.

Greg 👍

Hello Dave,

Thank you again for more informative help and the PDF file.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg
Not sure if you have the building manual for your boat so am attaching a copy FYI.
You do not need to replace the servo tray as it is already fitted - just needs shortening at the stern.
You will need to replace/repair the two rear stringers with similar sized wood.
All the tabs are just there to help with alignment and provide support for the servo tray - which can be achieved with a fillet of wood as I suggested.
Using the outer skins will help you align everything.
You have everything you need to complete the model and the less you remove will be far the easiest option.
Cheers
Dave976

Hello Dave,

Wow. Thank you for all that information.

By coincidence I have the hull in front of me. I think this kit is fated because not being able to use my hand I just managed to break both of the chine stringers on either side. Don't ask me how I managed it. I haven't a clue.

You mention the servo tray. I will have to replace that as well because the chap at WBC said to make a larger tray from two of the same part so that it would fit properly. that is why he sent me another part 7 so I could cut the two and glue together to make the part longer so it located in the slot in the transom.

I have emailed WBC today asking to purchase additional chine stringers, servo tray and transom. Some how I've just got the feeling I'm not going to hear from them after my last email was not answered. The stringers can be easily replaced by using strips of 3mm square timber. I ordered the transom part in case I break it when removing it. The servo tray will have to be replaced as I altered it's length.

Anyway we will see what develops.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg
Ok when you are able the repair can be accomplished. At present you have a hull with a transom fully glued in place incorrectly. This is really the only part that need removing and is relatively accessible.
I would use a coping/razor saw to carefully cut thro the joint between the transom and the top deck. Leave the tabs in the top deck.
Then cut thro the joint between the servo tray and the transom. Ignore the tab. The round hole will now be open at the stern so you may need to temporally clamp a piece of wood 1/8"x1/4" underneath to support. I assume this is to give access to the rudder. When finally finished you may need to open the round hole to the original diameter with a round file.
Then cut off the join between the bottom stringers and the transom which can then be removed. You could cut round the join or cut flush and remove the stringer bits later.
Get some large rubber bands ( I get mine from discarded Postal services rubber bands) and put them round the hull fore, middle and back.
Insert the two side skins and align with the bow and hold in place with the bands (you may need to pin in places).
At the stern mark the edge of the skins with the bottom stringers and the servo tray.
Measure the thickness of the transom and use this to mark the correct position on the servo tray and cut using the outside (stern) of the marked line.
Try the transom for correct fit (top to bottom) and carefully sand (using a flat sander) until you are happy it aligns on both sides with the side skins.
Refit the transom to the underside of the deck and the bottom stringers. This will again require some careful sanding so take your time. It sometimes helps to take a break at this point and return refreshed before proceeding.
When happy glue the transom back in place. When set cut the stringers flush with the transom and sand smooth
To support the servo tray I would use a small fillet 1/8"x1/8" of wood underneath the tray, attached and glued in place.
You could order new parts but that will require much more work to remove the parts already glued in place and once built there will be no evidence of the repair I am suggesting.
Hope this helps for when you are able to proceed
Kind regards
dave976

Hello Dave,

Thank you for the sound advice. I won't have a problem making parts or remaking to fit. My added frustration is not being able to use my right hand following the surgery. Even slight movement at the moment is painful which is be expected. I don't see the surgeon for another month where I am hoping he will allow to remove the splint I have to wear 24/7 now.

Yes, I did contact the Wooden Boat Company directly although I purchased the Kit from Cornwall Model Boats. I contacted CMB the end of last week and they have said that they will look into the poor response I received from WBC.

I think, once I am able, I will order some new parts to replace those I messed up following the advice I received WBC and start again from where I went wrong.

I don't know whether I have already said, but having made contact with the above company about what I thought was a problem and on their recommendation I made a larger part to fit. And after making and fitting the part I found that I now had other parts that did not fit I did email the person again and said that I was disappointed with the kit and as I had no idea where things had gone wrong I had wasted my money buying the it and that I would have to stop building the boat and cut my losses. To date. I have not had any reply from them.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg
I do understand your frustration and feelings regarding the aftersales offered by the supplier. Many work on very tight budgets and simply do not have the staff to provide the support sometimes required. This is not a dear kit and it's possible the cost of the wood and production is barely covered. I am assuming here you contacted The Wooden Boat Company?
With your current disability with your right hand I do understand modifying the model will be a challenge but hopefully in time the situation will improve.
In my area we have a group called Men in Sheds that meet weekly and there may be similar in Exeter. I believe it is a Council supported venture and they mainly work in wood so could help. Also we have a few retired joiners in my club and if you can find one in Exeter they may be willing to help. If any of our members are local to Exeter and are able and willing to help I would hope they make contact.
As this is a laser cut model the sides will be cut to size and shape so should give the angle. You will need to carefully cut out the glued parts and once you have the Transom refitted remake the rear of the servo board to fit. Easy for me to say but I do understand this may not be possible without some outside help.
Kind regards
dave976

Hello Stephen,

I know Bude. I lived there when I retired and first moved to the West Country in 1998. Bude is over 50 miles from where I am so that and any other club of any distance are not options. My problem is driving and distance. The Arthritis in my hands becomes too painful if I drive the car a distance. I'm okay for the local area but that's my limit.

Good club suggestions though.

Greg 👍

Hello Nick,

Thank you for your post. Interesting. I haven't the kit in front of me at the moment but I will have a look. But I don't remember another part to the transom.

Greg 👍

Hi I believe the bude club is good they use the old canal I don’t know about it he club been to the torquay club once you might have to travel I live in west Cornwall my local club is Hayle a good lot tend not be a lot of help best ones for help has been the club at new quay but that’s trek I have a local lake that’s not used much least it’s not deep if anything goes wrong

Just looking at the photos. Is not the transom in place now just an inner skin, and you need an outer transom skin on as you complete the hull.
My Huntsman is like that see pics below for an idea what I mean I apologise for quality.

Hello Stephen,

I am a few miles outside the city of Exeter in Devon. Mid rural Devon. I also enjoyed the hobby of model railways. Mine was N gauge. I have a half finished shelf layout which I hope to return to finishing.

This forum and it's members has been absolutely great in helping me. I could not have done without it.

I just feel a few RC model businesses were the same.

Greg 👍

Where are you in the world I didn’t find them much help it’s a loot to take on board as new hobby I was into trains live steam but usual health issues went to boats been a lot walk learning without this website I would have given up plod on be worth dont forget to put the prop tube early on

Hello Stephen,

Thank you for your comments. I was beginning to think that I was getting too old to follow instructions 😁. As I said, if the person I communicated with via email at JP had been a little more interested in my problem and looked at the photographs I had sent them, which are the same as those in this post, rather than what they considered to be a quick fix and send me an additional part I probably would have realised my mistake. Also, being a beginner to RC model motor boats I did not know that all/most transoms are angled on motor boats as was earlier explained to me by Dave. If I had had the experience I would have set the transom at the angle required. At least I have learnt something so it won't happen again.

Your comments about joining a club. I did try, (twice) to get in contact with a local club that I found online. I emailed the person shown on their website only to receive a reply saying that the person I was trying to contact had passed on. They didn't even offer to get someone to get back to me so I gave it up as a bad job.

Thanks again.

Greg 👍

The instructions by the manufacturer was less than help full the rear transom wasn’t hat clear luckily by that point I had joined a good club why manufacturers don’t make instructions easier makes you wonder who wrote he original best of luck Stephen

Hello Dave,

Thank you for the advice. It is a shame that I did not get that from the staff member who replied to my email when I first needed help.

Okay, scrap plan B and back to plan A. This creates a few problems. 1) I have no idea how I am going to free the joints on the parts that are incorrectly positioned. 2) I can't see anywhere in the instructions what the angle of the transom should be so it would only be guess work which I think is why I got wrong in the first place. 3) Having created a larger part from the one I had and the identical part that was sent to me by the manufacturer. The part is now too big to fit properly so I'll need to get another part. 4) With my right hand unusable to at the moment it is going to be some time before I can attempt to correct the errors.

I know the error is mine to own but for the sake of someone at the manufacturer to take some interest in helping me I might not have as much to do now. It was their suggestion that I make a bigger part and not see from the images I sent them of the hull that the transom was fitted incorrectly. I was very interested in buying their Motor PT boat PT109 but that won't be happening now.


Greg 👍

Hi Greg
The sloping rear transom is there for a reason and, sorry, but you will need to remove the rear parts and rebuild as designed and aligning with your side skins. Your model will tend to dig in at the stern if you leave with a vertical transom and may be swamped by a following wave or when reversing.
I have been building models for many years and hate to think of the number of times I have had to alter and rebuild something and I'm certain I am not alone in this respect. It's a steep learning curve and one that is always present even now. We can all learn from other's experience and thankfully most are happy to share their experiences for all our benefit. I am continually discovering new methods thanks to site like this.
Modelling clubs are also a good source of knowledgeable modellers but sadly they can be difficult to find and the lack of local model shops doesn't help.
I do hope you make a full recovery and manage to revisit you build.
Kind regards
dave976

Hello Dave,

Thank you. Now I did think that the transom may need to be at an angle. But the more I looked at it and the read the instructions and looked at the pictures on the instructions I could not I decided whether it should be vertical and or angled so I went for vertical. I always offer up the parts before gluing and still did not see my error. I just could not see where I had gone wrong which is a bit strange because I am normally so observant. Perhaps my mind was pre-occupied with the pending surgery 😁. I am surprised that the manufacturer's member of staff did not see that when I sent the the same pictures. I just got the impression that he was disinterested.

Okay, when I can, I will the check the side skins. If they are not long enough I have an added problem there. As recommended by the manufacturer I made the new part to make it longer and have fitted and glued it in place. If the sides are too short I will have to come up with some idea of covering the gap that does not look out of place.

If the chap I emailed had been a little more interested I might have been able to correct what is my error.

Thanks again.

Greg 👍

Hi Greg
Looking at your model and reading the build instructions, in step 6 Part 8 the rear transom should be angled and yours appear vertical. This might explain the issue. All models will require some fettling to final fit and doing a dry fit is sometimes useful to identify what may be required before finally glueing in place.
I would check that the side skins are big enough the fit. If not you may need to alter (angle) the rear transom.
The rest of the structure looks ok so hopefully when recovered you will be able to complete the build.
Wishing you a speedy recovery
dave976

Thank you for your replies to my post.

The reason I asked if anyone had built the model is because I wanted to find out if they had the same problem that I have experienced.

I contacted the manufacturer via email explaining my problem. I have to say that they were of little help and did not seem interested that I was having trouble.

My problem is that when I came to fit a part at the stern it was too small for the hull frame that I had built so far. Their only suggestion was to send me a second identical part and said to cut the two parts down to make one bigger part so that it fitted. I received the part and made a new part from the two and fitted it okay. Moving on with the build I then found that another part was too small. Knowing that it was unlikely that I would get much help from the manufacturer I did emailed them again saying that I was disappointed with the kit and that I felt I had wasted my money and had stopped building the model. I did not receive a reply.

The frustrating thing for me was that if the parts were the correct size, which I suspect they were, I could not see where I had gone wrong when building the first part of the hull to cause the next parts not to fit.

Now having had my surgery I hope to take another look at the kit and the problems in a few weeks when I can start to use the hand again.

I have attached the same images that I sent to the manufacturer for members to see.

Greg 👍

Yes I made a jig to hold it square I did add a lot of extra blocks as I got into trouble with the build But resolved it in the end

Make sure everything is square to the keel and fully connected

Have built one of these have you checked the parts to The plan I had trouble with the hull what's the issue

I have not built this boat but have done other builds.
If you can tell or show were you are having problems we may be able to give some help.
Rick