Vac-U-Boat Combat Vac-U-Gearing User manual

Combat Vac-U-Gearing™
1:144 Semi-Scale Model RC Warship Combat Gearing-Class Destroyer Hull Kit
Manufactured by Vac-U-Boat 1259 Humphries Rd. Conyers, GA 30012 [e-mail]
The Gearing Class was a series of 98 destroyers built for
the U.S. Navy during and shortly after World War II.
While no RC Warship Combat kit is “easy to build or inexpensive”, this “Beginner
Class” kit will get you started in this fascinating hobby and not only give you an
understanding of construction, control and weapon systems, but will make an
effective addition to any fleet in battling against your buddies!
This Combat Vac-U-Gearing Hull Kit Features: Tough high-impact
polystyrene hull with polyurethane-bonded sub-deck and carbon-fiber-reinforced
hull-ribs & sub-deck cross-members. The sub-deck hatch openings and the hull’s
pre-formed penetrable area panels can be removed with a hobby knife or box
cutter. Clear hatch lids & hatch tape waterproof the hull. The deck supports
realistic details and can house a forward-firing 50-round cannon or mounted as a
stern gun (not included). The rudder kit includes twin 1-1/8 square inch rudders
(Total 2.25 square inches.) cast on brass shafts with a self-aligning rudder
brackets, rudder arms, stainless steel pushrods, and e-z connectors servo.
A mini servo is included for the rudders. Servo models will vary according to
availability. The twin drive kit includes two “365” motors direct-driving counter-
rotating precision stainless steel shafts supported by Oilite® bushings in brass stern
tubes with brass couplings, injection-molded copper colored polyethylene props, 6-
32 threaded drive dogs, and prop nuts.
This Gearing-Class Destroyer is a 1.5 unit ship under the rules of the
International Radio Controlled Warship Combat Club. It can be equipped with a
“1/2 unit bilge pump” and a 50 round cannon (Not included).
© 2020 Philip Pace dba Vac-U-Boat™ 1

Now for the Warnings!
Read all of the instructions! Review and understand each step, and the one after, as you build
your boat. Don’t rush. Good work takes time.
This is not a toy! I know. It LOOKS like a toy, but it isn’t. Toys are generally safe for small
children. This boat is not safe for small children. Assembling it requires the use of sharp tools
that can cut skin, strong adhesives than can bond flesh and injure eyes, spray paints that can be
flammable and toxic, as well as batteries that can short causing severe burns or fires. Read all of
the instructions and warnings on all of the tools and chemicals you plan to use. Use protective
eyewear when recommended. USE SAFETY GLASSES! If you think you don’t have the
skills, or are uncomfortable with tools and chemicals, or just changed your mind, then pack
up this kit and return it immediately for a full refund including economical standard return
shipping. If you need some help, find a local boat club to join, check with the hobby shop
where you purchased your radio gear, or contact local RC Warship Combat clubs and
organizations for assistance. Keep your work area away from children. Even if you have no
children, when not working on the kit, keep all sharp objects and all chemicals locked away in a
safe area. You never know who will come to visit and how well they will supervise the young
ones with them.
This is STILL not a toy! Once you complete the boat and are running it in a lake, know that the
boat can injure life, limb, and property. Never touch the propeller, spinning or not, while there is
a battery inside or connected to the boat. Even if it is turned OFF, assume it can glitch and run on
its own. Never run the boat if swimmers are in the water. Don’t chase wildlife. Be careful with
rechargeable batteries. They have the ability to dump large amounts of current in a very brief
period of time if shorted, causing burns or fires. Never store the boat with the battery inside it,
connected or not. Keep your batteries in a safe place, out of the reach of children. You are
responsible for the safe use of this product. You are responsible for choosing wisely, those who
you entrust the use of the boat and radio, even for a few minutes at a lake.
Never swim after a disabled model boat!
All of these warnings are just for the Hull Kit! Add the RC Warship Combat parts and this
model is ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS. Use safety clips in the cannon when not battling to
prevent accidental firing of a bb. Know that Lithium batteries are dangerous if mishandled,
damaged or if charged improperly. CO2 powered firing systems contain pressurized gas
that can project parts at a high rate of speed during assembly or repair. Everyone wears
SAFETY GOGGLES when in combat, repairing or testing on the work bench.
WARNING
CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
WARNING - To avoid danger of suffocation, keep plastic bags away from babies and children. Do not use in
cribs, beds, carriages or play pens.
WARNING: Brass parts in this kit contain lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and other reproductive harm.
WARNING: THIS IS NOT A TOY! Once completed, this model should only to be used with the Safety
Rules and guidelines of the International Radio Controlled Warship Combat Club
http://ircwcc.com/main/home/rules/ 2

KIT CONTENTS
Hull & Sub-Deck
joined with openings
reinforced with carbon
fiber rod. Top view
and bottom view.
Pre-Trimmed Deck
2nd Deck & Deck
Components
Boat Stand and
Internal Electronics
Tray.
Internal Armor, Hatch
Covers & Balsa Skin
Cutting Template.
Hull Hardware Kit
with stainless steel deck screws,
plastic & brass 5” gun barrels, prop
alignment templates & torpedo
launcher base, 2 rudders, self-
aligning mounts, rudder arms,
stainless set screws, stainless
pushrods, ez-connectors, mini-servo,
sanding block, sandpaper, hook &
loop tape and 72 yards of hatch tape.
Twin Drive Package
with stern tubes, precision
stainless shafts, couplings, drive
dogs, prop nuts, props, synthetic
grease, motors, motor/servo
mount, couplings & template.
3

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.
INSTRUCTIONS
We are ready to get started building this combat gearing hull kit. 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!
To build this kit you will need: A variable-speed drill. A hobby knife or box cutter, sharp scissors, medium CA
glue or Gorilla brand super glue, Devcon 2-Ton epoxy or hobby epoxy with a 30 minute or greater cure-time. 5
minute, 7 minute, or 15 minute epoxy is not waterproof and has too short of a working time to fold in filler and
use with this model. Baby powder (100% Talc), micro-spheres or your preference as filler for epoxy. Drill bits
3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32”and 3/16”. A #2 Phillips screwdriver and a roll of painter’s masking tape. A step-drill bit is
handy for making large holes safely. Following smaller drills with larger ones will work. A Dremel Rotary
hobby grinder will be helpful to cut flats on the shaft ends.
Read ahead for each step. With hobby knives or box cutters, always cut in a direction away from nearby body
parts. Practice harder installations, motor/drives for example, without glue first to be comfortable with what
steps are needed to ensure a good fit.
When drilling styrene, drill at the slowest setting. 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 sandpa-
per to help the surfaces have a strong bond.
Bending at the score will break the plastic along the scored line. You can cut with scissors if you prefer. Either
way, any rough edges can be smoothed out with the included 100 grit sand paper or sanding block.
The stand fits the hull as shown. The right end of the stand lines up with the rear of the bilge keels on either
side of the hull. Outline the bottom of the sub-deck openings with a pencil. Use slight outward pressure on the
pencil so it will follow the outline of the recess. The mark helps you see where to score the opening. 4

5
Use a 3/16” drill to round the corners by drilling next to the marked line at each corner. Do this for all 4 openings.
Score along an opening, lightly the first time and with a little more pressure the 2nd or 3rd time. If you knife
falls through the slit, tilt it sideways to pull it free. Press on one end flexing the plastic until it separates.
Continue to work the plastic with your finger until it breaks free. If it resists, then score the opening one more
time with the knife and try again.
Save the scraps. Repeat for the other three deck openings. The side openings have three sides that are easy to
mark. The bottom is located by using the side of a pencil to mark the change in the hull curve.
Make the bottom mark about 1/16” ABOVE the pencil line. Drill the four corners of each opening with a 3/16
inch drill. Score the four sides of an opening. It is thicker at the bottom line. Additional scores there.

6
Tape the deck to the sub-deck/hull assembly. Set upright. Make a light line above each side cross-member
mark. At the center of the stern (back end) make a dot 1/2 inch from the edge of the deck.
At the bow (front end) make a dot centered one-inch from the tip of the deck. On the sides, mark the dot 3/8 inch
from the outer edge. Drill 3/32 holes through the deck & sub-deck at each dot. (Six holes.)**
Push the side panel inward causing it to separate at the bottom and remove it. Repeat 13 more times. Mark the
upper side of the hull at the center of the front two sub-deck cross-members to help locate the deck screw holes.
Set the deck on the sub-deck. Turn it upside-down. Look to see that it fits into the deck overhang evenly.
**You can omit screws at the rear-most crossmemeber without affecting the appearance of the kit.
Remove the deck. Drill through the center of the deck holes with a larger 5/32-inch drill.

7
Spread epoxy on the rudder mount. Press into the hull. It should look like this. Less epoxy is OK.
Check the alignment and set the hull aside for the epoxy to cure. Lay out the deck and deck accessories as shown.
Insert the #6 x 3/8 inch Phillips pan head screws. Keep them straight as they thread into the sub-deck until just snug.
Don’t over tighten. Next time, start them by hand and lightly snug with screwdriver. Use a 3/16 inch drill to drill into
the center of the rudder inset at the stern of the hull. Wallow out the hole a little so the rudder base will fit.
Remove the deck. Test fit the rudder mount. It should drop in and sit flush. If it binds, enlarge the hole a little
with the 3/16 inch drill. Sand the underside and stem of the aluminum mount and the inside of the recess.
Fold in the same volume of filler until smooth. Rub a little into the sanded area of the rudder recess.
Inside the hull, sand the top of the rudder mount recess. Test fit the rudder mount again. Mix epoxy together.

8
Bend the cut line back & forth to separate. The rough edges can be smoothed with the sanding block & sandpaper.
The slight curve to the edges of the part remains and helps align the 2nd deck to the top of the deck. The 2nd
deck sits centered on the deck house. Here are comparison photos of deck parts and their location.
The 2nd deck sits on top of the deckhouse. It has a raised outline. Mark the bottom of the outline with a pencil
and use your knife to lightly score the line. Repeat scoring 3-4 times until the edges will break away.
The torpedo launcher is installed behind the first stack. One of these rectangular bases helps glue it to the deck.
This one happens to be located where an installed bb cannon’s magazine filler cap emerged from the deck.
These brass rods, plastic tube, gun housings and bases go together to make three of these dual 5-inch gun
mounts.

9
Sand the gun housing back and forth on the sanding block, rotating frequently to remove the curve evenly.
Sand only until the curve is mostly gone. Before & After sanding.
to form the two exhaust stacks. This hatch surrounds the stern anti-aircraft guns (guns not included)
Consider the up-angle for your gun barrels. Mark each gun and drill with 1/8-inch drill, each at the same angle.
Trim the gun housings close. Then, lay the scissors along the side of each to trim closer. Once trimmed, the gun
housings will still have a slight curve or flair at the bottom.
These two parts form the Bridge. Troll-Captain not included. Four stack-halves are glued together...

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Trace around the raised area to guide your cutting. Cut to the line with scissors. Sand away any edges missed.
The sanded base has smooth turned-down edges. Sand the inside bottom of the gun housing. It is a good idea to
put a piece of foam inside the housing for flotation in case your gun gets shot off of the deck.
Gun housing and base ready to glue. Put superglue around the inside edge of the housing. Set the base on a flat
surface that the glue won’t damage. Don’t forget the small piece of foam.
Press the gun housing over the base and hold for 10 seconds. When picked up, the bottom of the gun housing
should look like this. Repeat for the other two guns. Cut a 3/8-inch long piece of plastic tube.
Separate the three gun bases. Trim away the edges as shown. Turn over and trim closer but don’t cut the raised area.