Common information across all builds

Our full kits contain all of the parts and fittings necessary to build each hull, including the adhesive. Beyond the kit components you will need:

• Boat Components
• Rudder, keel and bulb. See our appendages section
• Radio controller transmitter
• Radio reciever
• Sail winch servo
• Rudder servo
• Rig kit (A, B, C) depending on wind conditions where you sail
• Sails (A, B, C)
• Tools and Materials
• Utiliy knife or cutter
• Masking tape
• 80 or 120 grit sandpaper to prep surfaces for glueing
• Isopropyl alcohol to remove dust and oils for glueing
• Drill and drill bits (2.5mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 7mm, 9mm, 11mm)
• Proteus only: Screw tap tool 3mm and 3.5mm and accompanying drill bits 2.5mm and 2.9mm
• Wire cutter and round nose wire bending pliers
• Phillips and allen screw drivers
• Sandpaper of various grits (80, 120, 240, 400, 800...) for finishing
• Ideally a random orbital sander with a thick foam interface. An oscilating multitool sander is also useful. Alternatively a lot of elbow grease and patience for manual sanding.
• A table stand such as this one would be very useful to work on the boat. Alternatively a towel or other soft padding could be used.

All hull parts will be supplied trimmed for ideal fitting. This is performed with a special deburring tool to fair the edges of the parts for precise fitting. The inside of female section of joints is bevelled at a 45 degree angle for tighter joint fit. Given this may be tricky the first time around and can destroy a hull part if done incorectly, we will supply all parts trimmed and deburred.

All parts that will be glued should be scuffed (keyed) with 80 or 120 grit sandpaper on both faces, then wiped clean with isopropyl alcohol to remove dust and oils. This is particularly relevant on the mating faces of the joints between sections.

It is very tricky to sand the areas under the wire loops and around the fairlead once those are glued in place. If the hull will be sanded when finishing, we recommend sanding this areas at least with 80 grit and 120 grit before gluing in the wire loops and fairlead.

• Plastic, particularly PLA, will deform if heated. Sanding produces friction and heat. If sanding with a power sander always use lower speeds and keep the sander moving to avoid excessive heat.
• Never use a belt sander as these will take away material too fast and overheat the plastic. Ideally use a random orbital sander and an oscilating multitool for detail areas. When using a random orbital sander add a thick foam interface between the sander and the sanding paper so the paper can follow the contours of the hull. Pay pariticular attention not to overheat sharp edges of the hull.
• Breathing in plastic dust is not healthy or smart. Always wear a mask and goggles while sanding.
• The first objective of sanding the hull is removing the 3D printing layer lines and fairing the glued joints. This can be obtained with 80 or 100 grit sand paper.
• Only move to finer grits once you fully remove the layer lines. Each next grit then serves to remove the scraches left by the prior grit. All of the flattening of seams and layer line removal should be achieved by the first grit.
• The best way to check for a good surface is to run your finger nail on the hull and listen for the sound of layer lines. Once you hear an even rough sound in any direction you scratch, you have successfully removed the layer lines.
• Be careful not to take away excessive material and weaken the hull.
• When sanding the glued joints, leave the masking tape on to protect the hull while sanding the excess glue bead. Once the bead is fully sanded flat and the tape starts to be attacked by the sander, remove the tape and sand the hull and joint together.

PLA can be glued with multiple different adhesives or fused with heat. Two part epoxi glue with added microbeads to make a putty is a common choice but is generally messy and slow, requiring long curing times before progressing to the next part.

We have found Loctite HY4070 to be the best adhesive for RC boat building. It is a two part cyanoacrylate/acrylic-hybrid adhesive that is delivered throught a convenient mixing nozzle at the end of a syringe. Its gel consistency is easy to control in any position. It is clear when dry, is easily sanded and produces watertight beads capable of filling gaps up to 5mm and leveling section joints. It is fast drying, fixing a 0,05mm gap (film) in under 1 minute and a 2mm gap in 4-6 minutes. The gel will cure in the nozzle in 5 minutes, so keeping a good cadence and moving across sections is critical. A vial comes with only 4 nozzles, so plan for up to 4 gluing sessions to get the job done.

Working with a fast adhesive like HY4070 requires planning and organization. Prepare all of the parts that will be glued in a session, scuff and clean them (see prior section on preparation). Lay the parts out and plan the sequence of movements. Plan to glue one part in one boat section, move to another section and then come back to glue a second part in the first section as the first part has hardened. Hold parts together for 1 minute before moving to the next part. Five minutes nozzle time in plenty to work calmly from part to part. There is no need to rush. Keep a timer handy. Voice activated phone timers (e.g. Siri) are useful. Do a few dry runs, going through the movements of picking parts up, applying adhesinve and holding parts together before moving to the next part. Only prime the adhesive and glue parts once you are comfortable with the movements in the dry run. Wear nitrile gloves.

When gluing internal components use enough adhesive so it oozes out between the two faces when they are pressed together. For structural joints, like the rudder trunking, add adhesive to form a reinforcement bead over the joint. To seal critically watertight areas such as the mast box add a bead of adhesive to the joint line.

When gluing boat sections apply masking tape to both sections leaving a small gap (0.5 mm - 1mm) between the tape and the joint. Do not allow the tape to fold into the joint or it will be impossible to remove once glued. Apply one continuous bead around the entire male joint about one third of the distance from the edge, so it gets squeezed along the joint when inserted into the female section. There should be enough adhesive to ooze out of the joint, completely filling the gap. Connect the parts firmly and make sure they are perfectly aligned. Do not exert too much pressure as this may cause misalignment. If there are any voids after joining the parts, apply adhesive as filler to eliminate any gaps. Wait for the adhesive to set and do not immediately glue adjacent sections to avoid causing misalignment. One strategy for a continuous glueing session is to glue sections 1 to 2, then 4 to 5, then 1/2 to 3, then 4/5 to 6 and finally 1/2/3 to 4/5/6. Some people will smear a gloved finger over the seam to spread the glue and then immediately remove the tape before the glue sets. This may be a useful approach if not planning to sand the hull at all. I personally prefer leaving the glue bead and tape in place until sanding.