92' Tug - Frenchman River

As soon as I opened the box I was very impressed with this kit! It was packed with great care - more care than I've ever seen in any type of kit. Every large piece was carefully and individually wrapped in bubble-wrap. The smaller pieces were wrapped in groups. There was no way anything would get damaged during transport!

I carefully unwrapped all the bits, especially the smaller parts. The big sections are quite sturdy, but the smaller pieces can get broken or lost quite easily. Then I washed everything in soapy water to remove any chemicals left over from the casting process. Paint will not take to the resin if any chemicals are left behind.

The instructions suggest painting the parts before assembly, which is a good idea since you can reach areas that will be in tough locations after assembly. I first sprayed everything with automotive primer (grey). Then I brushed on acrylic craft paint in my chosen colours. The one gotcha is that glue, I used CA, will not hold painted parts together very securely. So I had to remove a bit of paint from parts that would be fastened together. Perhaps it was because I used acrylic paint as opposed to another type.

Like the 45' Harbour Tug from Frenchman River, a lot of the details are molded into this kit. To make them noticeable you have to use a painting technique known as drybrushing. To do this you dip a stiff bristled paint brush in paint and then dab off most of the paint. Then you use quick strokes over the molded detail. The raised detail will catch the paint. You may have to make several strokes before the detail has the amount of colour you want.

This was the first time I painted kit parts before assembly. I was a lot easier to paint this way, rather than trying to get into nooks and crannies with even a tiny brush after assembly. So, even though I had to take the extra step of removing a bit of paint, I think it was worth it.

Once everything was painted it was time to put it together. I was pleased with this kit, that everything fit exactly where and how it was supposed to. Sometimes you get kits that require a bit of shaving or sanding of parts to get them to fit together.

It's almost finished in the picture to the right. Most of the major structure is assembled, including the ladders and railings. The railings went on a little loose, but according to the instructions, heat from a hair dryer or heat gun will tighten them up. I decided I would assemble the rest of the pieces and then give that a try.

So, here's what the railing looks like before heating. You can see the railing separated from the deck in spots. That was probably due to the paint since I didn't want to scrape it off there. I figured after heating it would tighten up and there would be less stress pulling it away from the edge of the deck. Then I'd be able to try gluing it again if I had to.

I tried using a hairdryer with no success. It was a big dryer with several heat settings and even the highest setting didn't do anything. So I dug out the heater attachment for my butane soldering iron. I thought it would be overkill so I was very careful and didn't put it very close. It still had no effect so I moved in closer while moving the heater back and forth. Still nothing so I held the heater in one spot for a few seconds. I noticed it start to shrink... and immediately melt. Yikes! I managed to get most of it shrunk without melting too much, but it reacted very quickly.

Anyway, here is a photo of the after effects of heating the railings. The melted bits aren't too noticeable from a distance, and actually look like the railing has seen some abuse. But if I had to complain about something with this kit it would be these. The material used for the handrails shrinks at too high a temperature and reacts very quickly with a high risk of melting. Be careful.

All in all this is a great kit, it has lots of detail and looks really good. She certainly looks right at home in my harbour scene beside her little sister.