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New here - help with Graupner Fish Cutter Elke kit please!

A

ajcooper4

Joined
Apr 13, 2025
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Hello everyone. I am new here and new to ship modelling - but an experienced modeller in other areas.
I saved a Fish Cutter HF 408 Elke from being thrown in a skip! It's clearly lain gathering dust for a long time - I think it may be a 1969 kit.
I have instructions in English which refer to figures (photographs/images) which are absent. I think I read somewhere that these 'figures' appear only in the German instructions I don't have. Can anyone offer words of advice to this newbie please?
An experienced boat modeller told me to throw it out. I'm not going to do that because I like a challenge and its wasteful!
Apologies if this is in the wrong thread. Many thanks.

1000017316.jpg

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Thank you for your welcome everybody. I have the 1:1 scale plans which will definitely help.
 
Welcome to SOS, I am in the same boat as everyone else, no help but glad you joined. Good luck on your journey !!
Bobby K.
 
Do you know anything about the finished vessel? A reasonable assumption would be that it’s a German fishing boat based on its name, Elke. So, start by looking up German fishing boats on the internet. According to instructions that you posted, the kit involves completing a moulded plastic hull. So, see if you can fin a boat with a similar shaped hull. You should then be able to use the picture as a guide.

Roger
 
Welcome Aboard! Not able to answer your question. I have only started this hobby.
 
Thank you everyone. I have found numerous pictures online of the finished vessel from a number of different angles. I am, going to use these as a guide but I think it's going to be a challenge. I'd really like to bring this abandoned kit to life after all it seems wrong that it was left in the box for 50 years and then thrown away!
 
If anyone can advise on the best glues to use I would be most grateful. Plastic to plastic and the wood sections. I have glues but one has to be careful - don't want things melting away!
 
Hello AJ and welcome aboard. I did a quick Google search and found a build thread in the site "RC Groups" for the Elke that had some construction pictures attached. If you don't find any useful information, you may want to hold on to it and get an easier model to start with. Once you are more experienced, you should go back to the Elke and complete the build.

Bill
 
Thanks Bill. I have found this thread thanks to you kindly pointing me in the right direction! I shall look through it carefully - no rush, it's been in the box for 50 years! I shall have to use Google translate!
 
ajcooper4 said:
Hello everyone. I am new here and new to ship modelling - but an experienced modeller in other areas.
I saved a Fish Cutter HF 408 Elke from being thrown in a skip! It's clearly lain gathering dust for a long time - I think it may be a 1969 kit.
I have instructions in English which refer to figures (photographs/images) which are absent. I think I read somewhere that these 'figures' appear only in the German instructions I don't have. Can anyone offer words of advice to this newbie please?
An experienced boat modeller told me to throw it out. I'm not going to do that because I like a challenge and its wasteful!
Apologies if this is in the wrong thread. Many thanks.

View attachment 513409

View attachment 513410
Click to expand...
 
Hi ajcooper4,
Graupner used to be my 'go to' brand in the 80ies, I built Elke's (that's a northern German female first Name BTW) sister (Brother?) Shrimp Trawler 'Tön 12' as a teenager, a typical North See Shrimp Trawler.
Graupner went out of business many years ago unfortunately but I will check, If they left any 'digital heritage.

Update: Just checked, I can get the German Plans for a few bucks. I could scan them and send them to you:

www.kleinanzeigen.de

Bauanleitung +Stückl. von HF.408.Elke von Graupner

Hier eine sauber hergestellte Bauanleitung und Stückliste vom Fischkutter HF.408.ELKE von Graupner-...,Bauanleitung +Stückl. von HF.408.Elke von Graupner in Baden-Württemberg - Kehl
www.kleinanzeigen.de www.kleinanzeigen.de

The 'Tön 12'
1000028186.jpg
 
Hello,
Somebody is selling the instruction sheet in German:
www.kleinanzeigen.de

Graupner HF 408 Elke RC 1:36 Bauplan Zeichnung

Ich miste gerade aus, hier: Eine Bauanleitung für den Bau des Fischkutters Elke von...,Graupner HF 408 Elke RC 1:36 Bauplan Zeichnung in Niedersachsen - Marxen
www.kleinanzeigen.de www.kleinanzeigen.de

Could be that can help. There are a lot of pictures and with an on-line interpreter...
Let me know if I can help here from Germany.
Good luck - Otto
 
jackofalltrades said:
Hi ajcooper4,
Graupner used to be my 'go to' brand in the 80ies, I built Elke's (that's a northern German female first Name BTW) sister (Brother?) Shrimp Trawler 'Tön 12' as a teenager, a typical North See Shrimp Trawler.
Graupner went out of business many years ago unfortunately but I will check, If they left any 'digital heritage.

Update: Just checked, I can get the German Plans for a few bucks. I could scan them and send them to you:

www.kleinanzeigen.de

Bauanleitung +Stückl. von HF.408.Elke von Graupner

Hier eine sauber hergestellte Bauanleitung und Stückliste vom Fischkutter HF.408.ELKE von Graupner-...,Bauanleitung +Stückl. von HF.408.Elke von Graupner in Baden-Württemberg - Kehl
www.kleinanzeigen.de www.kleinanzeigen.de

The 'Tön 12'
View attachment 514490
Click to expand...
Definitely an RC of exceptional quality. Would love to read about the power systems, servos, and controllers.
 
Sorry to have been away from the forum for so long - tiny grandchildren are occupying much time then I was elected Mayor of my town - busy busy!

Thank you to everybody for your input, much appreciated. I am still enjoying the build when time allows. Considering that it was a skip rescue and not entirely complete I am very pleased with my progress. Of course, the RC layout plan is not of use as the RC equipment has changed so much since 1969. I am getting this in place little by little and securing the RC equipment securely - mostly with hand made wooden supports with velcro glued to these pieces and the RC components. Just having a fiddle with the steering servo just now.

I have used a different rudder as the original rudder moulded in ABS was too brittle. I have positioned the rudder immediately behind the propellor and it's surface area is similar to the original.

I welcome any pointers but have a couple of questions in relation to the prop shaft and its outer sleeve.

It's quite noisy when it runs - more speed more noise. Is this likely a lubrication issue? If so I was planning to use a light oil like 3in1 - I have used this all my life and it always performs well. I have a lubrication access nipple on the outer shaft.

Should there be any forward/backward movement? i.e. reciprocation. Some information I have read says there should be a little and some say not.

I have attached some pictures of my set up - please be kind :) I am finding my way slowly with a vintage incomplete kit!

Many thanks to you all.

20250821_132617.jpg20250821_132611.jpg20250821_132604.jpg
 
Your noise can have 2 other sources: bad alignment and cavitation. You use one toggle between the motor and the prop shaft. You could try 2 of them, to eliminate any issue here (You will have to move the motor further forward to install that 2nd one). Cavitation would be from too much propeller pitch for its rotating speed and the rudder being too close behind it.
 
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