CLEAN HANDS
Using “plastic friendly” spray paints or acrylics, you can paint the boat without sanding first. A clean oil-free
surface is important. Wash your hands with soap & water before handling the plastic, after meals, etc… Contaminants or
oily fingerprints can be removed with Windex, Alcohol, or Low Odor Mineral Spirits without affecting the plastic’s
ability to chemically bond with paints like Krylon Fusion or Rustoleum 2X Ultra Cover. Although they have a
reputation of being runny, with some guidance and patience you can get good results.
Conventional paint methods involving scuffing, priming, and painting for this boat are available and have been
discussed by several clubs. Avoid lacquers because they will melt styrene plastic. Wet-on-wet spraying of some
enamels can be harmful as well.
4
Styrene can be cut by scoring and breaking, or with scissors. The first score should be very light while concentrating on
accuracy. The second and third score is made with more pressure and will follow the first. Repeat scoring the line until
the part separates or after 2 or 3 scores, bend the plastic to break it.
INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the photos
and captions to assemble your boat. Read through the instructions before building. Assemble the
necessary tools and adhesives on a clean workbench or table. Keep paper towels handy to catch spills. Don’t forget the
safety glasses!
Read ahead
for each step. With hobby knives or box cutters, always cut in a direction away from nearby body parts.
Practice harder steps without glue to be comfortable with what is needed to ensure a good fit.
When drilling styrene
, drill at the
slowest speed.
The material is soft so little pressure is needed to drill into it. All
surfaces that will be glued with epoxy or CA-super glue need to be sanded/scuffed with 100 grit sandpaper to help the sur-
faces have a strong bond.
Sanding/trimming for a nicer looking model.
These instructions use the plastic parts just as they were supplied in the
kit. Some sanding/trimming of parts can improve the looks of the finished hull. In particular, the Deck Flange is as-cut from
the mold. It has a slight flare at the edge of the side flange. Using a sanding block with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, you can
sand away about 1/6-inch of material to remove that flange. It will be easier to hold and sand after it is laminated to the
Deck Reinforcing Liner but should be sanded before you attach the Hull to the Deck.
Light weight build.
There is a separate set of recommendations for trimming away parts of the kit to save weight in
order to stay close to the 10-pound minimum weight. Take a look and discuss with your club as to their recommendations.
CUTTING STYRENE
Bending down at the score will break the plastic along the scored line. Then, bend up to separate it cleanly. Don’t
tear or it will leave an uneven edge. You can cut with scissors if you prefer. Either way, any rough edges can be
smoothed out with the included 100 grit sand paper.
Be careful when drilling holes in sheets of plastic. Practice with the cockpit opening scrap. For tiny holes like the
5/64-inch (2mm) holes for the deck screw eyes, a standard drill bit is fine. For larger holes, a step drill will allow you to
drill or enlarge holes without the bit “digging” into the plastic causing the plastic to split.
