A good hello to all members.
Now that I finished The Fireboat, I would like to add to the forum my favorite build, one you are all familiar with.Hello fellow members.
The Juanita Stern Wheeler.

This an amazing, high end kit that that when finished will be 40" LOA & should weigh under 10lbs ballasted.

According to online sources the JUANITA was built in 1954 by O. F. Shearer & Sons at Cedar Grove, West Virginia. Another source on the internet says that the JUANITA has been "in operation since 1977."
The present owner of the JUANITA is Tom Cook of Dunbar, West Virginia on the Kanawha River.

I was lucky enough to be a part of the first clients that purchase the first run of this fantastic model and I got it for a very reasonable price.

With that being said, I would like to show you guys a building log for this model but buy no means I will say that this is the best way to build the Juanita but this is how Im building it with my limited knowledge and the help of the instructions emailed to me by the designer.
I also like to say that this kit does not have written instructions since this kit was produced in a rush job before kits had to be sent out; the only instructions is a PDF file containing drawings showing the main steps of building process, but the designer himself is very helpful in answering all of my emails about specific needed details in the build.
So, lets get started.
I will start by showing the real Juanita.
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Considering that the kit came from China, it was very well packaged. And the wood is excellent with very clean laser cuts.

The kit includes a jig to assist with soldering all required brass components. In addition, the 3D-printed parts are accurately produced and show a high level of detail. The kit also includes a motor.
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Also included are two very practical 9 g servo trays, intended for the steering and speed control mechanisms.
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When ordering the kit, you can choose between plastic or brass rudders. I elected to use the brass rudders for this build, as their accuracy and level of detail are truly exceptional.
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First Step
I began with a dry fit of several frames to the hull bottom. The fit is almost snap-together in nature, with the parts aligning perfectly. However, there is a specific assembly sequence that must be followed when gluing the frames to the hull bottom to ensure proper alignment.

One side of the hull bottom had a slight bend, which I corrected using my guitar wood bender. In retrospect, this may not have been strictly necessary, as the frames would likely have pulled the structure straight during assembly. Nevertheless, I preferred to correct it beforehand to ensure everything was properly aligned before gluing.
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Once all the frames had fully dried, the next step was to install the bow bottom B3 and bow tip A1, followed by the stern bottom B4 and stern tip A15.
The bow tip A1 is a thin piece and requires sanding at a slight angle. Care should be taken during this process, as the part is fragile...I broke mine while sanding, as shown in the drawing.
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Once all the frames had fully dried, the next step was to install the bow bottom B3 and bow tip A1, followed by the stern bottom B4 and stern tip A15.
The bow tip A1 is a thin piece and requires sanding at a slight angle. Care should be taken during this process, as the part is fragile—I broke mine while sanding, as shown in the drawing.
The final photo shows how I filled the curved bottom joints using thin leftover material to improve continuity and support.
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Hull Interior Sealing and Deck Preparation
1. The entire hull interior was sealed with epoxy. The products I used were purchased from Amazon.
2. After the epoxy had fully cured, I sprayed the interior with primer, followed by paint.
3. Once the paint dried, I scraped the mating edges that will receive the deck to ensure proper glue adhesion.
4. The forward deck was sealed and primed prior to being glued to the hull.
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Once again, I’d like to emphasize that all of the parts shown so far interlock perfectly, with no adjustment required. In this particular case, I did have to apply slight pressure during installation because some paint had entered the slots. Even so, the part snapped into place cleanly, much like a precision-fit kit component. Overall, this is a very well-engineered and accurately manufactured kit.
You can also see the reference marks on the deck indicating where each component is intended to be installed. With the deck now in place, the rounded bow corners can be filled using leftover scrap material to complete the area cleanly.
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