Bait Boats - Top Desk and Assembly

You have got all the relevant sizes for each section of the hoppers, on the plans that I gave out earlier in this feature. The top deck and hoppers are made from 6mm ply the same as the hull. You will notice the boat that I am building for this feature, they are made out of 4mm tinted acrylic sheet, although this stuff is lighter its mostly for cosmetic reasons it is used, also good for demonstrating how the boats work. The drawing, which comes with this article, lists the parts in order of fitting. To start take piece B and 6mm in from each end fit a small piece of timber beading and fit in place. Now fit piece A and then piece C onto each end of B. Place top deck onto the hull

and fix in place with screws, the sections you have just put together can be placed in position on the top deck. Piece D should be fitted in place now and fixed with screws in the top two corners down into the top of the beading. The rear panel for the hoppers can now be fitted by screwing straight into the ends of the side pieces A and C. Eight inches in from the front of the boat, drill a 12mm hole in the middle of the top deck. This is to take the on off switch. Two inches behind that drill another hole using 6mm drill for the charging socket. The whole top deck and hoppers and hopper divider can now be painted. Once all the paint has dried, lift off the hopper assembly, remove the top deck and fit the on/off switch and the charging socket. Replace the top deck and refit, replace the hoppers and using silicon sealant, seal around the hoppers where they meet the top deck with a twelve mm bead of silicon, also seal down either side of the slope inside the hoppers and allow to cure. Once cured remove top deck and hoppers as one unit and then seal around the same joints underneath and allow them to cure. From the model shop you can get a small sheet of alloy plate about 1mm thick which is used to construct the doors. Measure the opening at the bottom of the hoppers and leave about 1mm gap all around the door and cut out of the alloy plate, remember to cut a slot in the middle of the edge that is nearest the boat, for your rig tubing to fit through. Then fit with the pin hinges from the model shop.

If you look at the photos you will see the rod that's connected to the servo has a metal clevice clip one end and plastic servo end. When the servo is in the neutral position the whole length of this rod including clips needs to be 1 inch short of reaching the side of the hull. It also needs to be connected to the side of the servo that pushes the rod towards the outside. Repeat the same process for the opposite side. The control rod for the doors is held in place by a plastic guide see PIC these are from the model shop, where the rod exits the back of the hull it goes through a small piece of plastic tube also from the model shop. So an inch down from the top edge of the hull and in direct line with the rod from the servo drill a 3mm hole, this is to take M3 x15mm nut and bolt to hold guide in place. If you look at the photo you will see how the servo end of the control rod

has been bent, copy this. When completed place the control rod end through tube to exit the rear of the boat, and fix the guide in place. Connect the servo rod to the control arm.

Do the same thing on the opposite side, now replace the top back on the boat. Where the control rod exits the back of the boat, hold the rod with a pair of long nose pliers and bend the rod down so it runs parallel with the side of the hopper. Then bend again at the bottom so it reaches under the hopper to hold up the door. See PIC. The rudder control is simple the PIC is self-explanatory.