MEASURE
EQUIVALENTS
Daisy
BB’s
#9 lead
bird shot
# per ounce
22
-
Level Tablespoon
2.2oz.
3.0oz.
1/4 cup level
9.2oz.
13.3oz.
1/3 cup level
11.6oz. 16.3oz.
175
177
178
179
19
176
Apply decals after the paint has
cured.
Your tug is finished and ready to be
painted.
If you mess up the Rub Rail end
glue, you can trim off 1/8 inch and
try again. Get the extra length you
need by pulling off the rub rail down
each side, and re-installing with a
little pull as you go to stretch the
length of the rub rail a little. You can
also practice on the ends you cut off.
Re-install the Rub Rail starting with the
(front) bow end and work backwards.
The rub rail can be removed for
painting or repairs.
PAINTING TIPS: Click the Painting Tips link on the Vac-U-Boat home-page for more help.
It is easy to
get professional results with a spray can if you know the basics. The same rules apply to spray cans as apply to
professional painters using spray equipment. It will take 2 to 3 coats of most hobby paints to give a good even
color. Never try to get full coverage with the first coat. It will run every time! You should be able to see through
the first coat.
The best tip about any kind of spray paint is to
let the paint “flash” between coats.
A coat of
paint has “flashed” when it is dry to the touch. Don’t touch the boat. Touch the masking paper or somewhere
where a fingerprint won’t show in case you touched it too soon. Hobby enamel will take 5 to 15 minutes to flash
depending on the temperature. Different colors can take different times to flash. A coat that has flashed properly
will support the next coat and prevent it from dripping. The second coat will take longer to flash than the first. Be
patient! Practice on a scrap stood on it’s end. Your goal is to get coverage without runs. Avoid spraying enamel
on very humid days. Humidity can cause the paint to “blush” leaving a cloudy appearance to dark colors. After
the spray paint has fully dried, you can apply the decals. “Non-toxic” model paints are safest to brush on, for the
painter and the boat. Read the spray can. Some types must be recoated before X hours or after X days to avoid
wrinkling the old layer with the new layer. Temperature and humidity are important.
Mask the Drive Dog & Shaft Bearing near the Prop to keep paint from gumming them up. If you paint the
Boat Stand, let it cure 3 days before using it. Otherwise, it may stick to the boat. A couple of strips of felt along
the top of the Boat Stand will prevent sticking and scratching the hull.
DECALS:
Apply only after the paint has fully cured. Place the boat on it’s stand. The stand holds the boat at
a bow-up angle just like it sits in the water. Make sure that doors or square openings are vertical to this position.
Otherwise, if you placed the door decals parallel to the floor, they would be angled toward the stern when the boat
is in the water. Cut out the desired decal from the assortment. Separate the paper backing from the front tissue.
The decal will adhere to the front tissue. Place the decal on the hull and smooth it with your fingernail. Peel off
the front tissue paper. The decal set includes several types of Doors, Portholes, Scuppers (deck drains), exterior
weatherproof Lights (small ovals), Ladders, Ladder Rungs, retracted Anchors, and two
V
’s for “Vac-U-Boat” to
put on the Stack. The hinge-side of the doors point toward the bow of the boat. You will find left and right doors
in the set. See our website for examples.
All Done!
