RCU Forums - RC Surfer

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- - RC Surfer (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-boats-general-discussion-77/5503299-rc-surfer.html)

Califkid,

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I appreciate it. However, i would like to fight me own battle and keep others out of it. I do not want todividethis forum.

Yeah, making RC Surfers from scratch is a massive task. John from MauiRC has definitely perfected his Surfers.

My first one (Might Mo) was ok, you can see the footage onYouTubeif youhaven'tseen it. My second was better, but my third is 35" is shapedexactlyto the NQD board but about 30% larger in scale. I got the weight down to 2.6kg which is great in calm conditions, but as soon as it blows offshore, the board flies off the back of the wave if it is high on the wave. I will need to add some extra weight to the keel.

It is a rocket and performs well. My only dislike with these boards is that when it wipes out on a large wave, the board can sometimes wash up all the way the beach. My Lisa board is 2kg and it goes under the wave immediately after a wipe out and pops up behind the wave ready to boot out the back again.

So what's your situation, are you new to RC Surfing or been ripping it up for awhile?

Seb

Jimi,

Cananzi and I bought our latest boards from a local RC Shop for $60 each. ioffer.com has (or had) boards, just make an offer and see if they accept it. I got one from there for $100 which included postage.

There are out there, just requires some searching.

Venom Lipos are much more expensive than Turnigy Batteries. I could understand if he is paying a lot more for them wholesale than you would be for your Turnigy batteries retail.

With the access to cheap parts online, small physical retailers are going to feel the pinch. Plus a lot of these online retailers are in Asia and have local access to cheap good and even cheaperlabor.

Competition is healthy and ultimately the consumer is the winner. However, the owners of mom and pop stores are oftenthe losers.

Brett,
If you melt your doll I will give you one mate, for free.
If you pay the postage cost I will help you.
You never know until you try.

Seb.
You did ask.

My Jimi Dude only costs $20 for materials but he does take 4 or 5 hours to build.

I think he has 40 parts or something.
Armaflex Dude – “Jimi”



 The following list of items can be used to make a fully functioning “Indestructible RC Surfer Dude”.

 Head 1 x Table Tennis Ball Eyes 2 x Pet Rock Eyes Hair 1 x Black Shoe Lace 

 Shoulder 1 x 60mm 9 x 25 Armaflex Ins. Foam Tube Body 1 x 110mm 9 x 40 Armaflex Ins. Foam Tube 

 Inner Back Curve Wire 1 x 100mm x 1.6mm SS Wire Back Curve Wire Stoppers 2 x Plastic End Stoppers Outer Back Bone 1 x 100mm Jelly Rubber Arm Skeletal Wire 1 x 330mm x 1.6mm SS WireInner Arms 1 x 250mm Hollow Jelly RubberInner Arm Ends 2 x 50mm x 10mm Solid Cylindrical Rubber Outer Arms 1 x 330mm 9 x 10 Armaflex Ins. Foam Tube 

 Hand Supports 2 x SS Poultry Skewers cut to 50mm Hands 2 x Hand Shaped Neoprene 

 Legs Skeletal Wire 1 x 430mm x 1.6mm SS Wire 2 x 380mm x 1.6mm SS WireInner Legs 1 x 280mm Hollow Jelly Rubber 2 x 50mm x 10mm Solid Cylindrical RubberOuter Legs 1 x 380mm 9 x 10 Armaflex Ins. Foam Tube

 Ankle Support 2 x 20mm F/F Retic. Fitting 1 x 20mm M/M Reticulation Fitting (cut in half & filed) 2 x 35mm x 1.6mm SS Wire

 Feet 2x 20mm x 25mm Armaflex Ins. Foam Tube 2 x 250mm Tommy Tape 2 x 100mm Double sided tapeWaist 3 x Long Zip Ties

Seb.
It is not $60 boards I am after.

It is UNASSEMBLED UNSTICKERED White boards..

No guts.
No Lisa doll.
Nothing else except New Seals.

For $80 - $90 + postage

Sorry about the size of that Jimi Dude stuff.

I freaked when I saw that.

Sea Ya.
JIMI

Sebski Dude,

You avoided my question.

Yes we can all get boards for $60 - $120 I know that, but they are already made.
I got 3 for $112.00 each delivered a while back.
I don't want to go through the whole dismantling process.

What do you say is a fair price for DR Curlz to offer us

ONE UNASSEMBLED NQD.

Not

What is the cheapest NQD available in the whole universe.

Please give us your realistic price.

I am asking everyone else here to do the same.
If you participate then I am sure your loyal following will too, you Guru of the NQD.
Then we can take an average of what the general concensus says is fair to both us and The Curls Dude.

He can then assess if it is a viable product and price/profit margin for the very little effort of ordering six and selling singles to us.
Everyone will win.

Just imagine, you want to build a new shooter, you send Curlzy a hundred bucks and you get your NQD clean as a whistle, no stickers, no epoxy.
Just nice white plastic hull and another Barbie.
.
Straight into the sealing.
Load her up and your out the back in no time.

If we miss this opportunity then we are all stupid 'cause very few of us are ever gonna buy six at a time.
JP will.
Especially if he has won our general consensus support by offering them to us at a price we basically agree on.
Then he will know that he is the only supplier in the whole world offering a single unassembled NQD and that we consider his price on that most important product to be fair.

So I am asking you again, PLEASE put your current feelings about "Surfcurls" aside and offer up your value of the product I am describing.

You said yourself you would like to avoid the hassle of all the extra work, you also said you don't really need to buy six at a time.

If my idea works, and it easily could, then God Forbid, one day even you might buy hulls from "Surfcurls" but you better get your o-rings elsewhere.

Hey Dude.
Sea Ya
JIMI

MORE INFO ON VARIOUS DUDES AND LISA.

A "Lisa Doll"stands approx. 12 inches tall
A "Kyosho Dude" stand approx. 9 inches tall.
A "JIMI Dude" stands approx. 81/2 inches tall.

I don't know the weights yet
I think I will take a heap of Dudes and Dolls to Bob's workshop tomorrow and find out the data.
I will weigh the following figures:

Homemade JIMI Dude
Unpainted "Wombarra" Kyosho Dude
Painted "Wombarra" Dude
Carbon fibre reinforced, painted and epoxy coated "Wombarra" Kyosho Dude
Fixed and repainted "Surfcurls Dude
Kyosho Lisa
NQD Lisa

The "Wombarra" Dudes are the original 1st generation Dudes, they have blue plastic and have that blue and white foam inside, they also have a wire that runs through between the legs.
The "surfcurls" Dudes are 2nd generation and have white plastic and a different white foam inside and don't have the wire running between the legs. (These are easier to fix as there is no wire to twist around if you break his leg, just a clean break.)
The loops under the feet are lower on the "Surfcurls" ones and I use a size smaller o-rings for these.

Judging by hand I think "Jimi" may weigh in somewhere in the middle.
But due to his low centre of gravity and high floatatiion he works extremely well.
He also has a small amount of flex due to the materials used.

I am certain that it is not only the weight of the rider but the height that seriously affects the self righting quality.
Lisa is far taller than all the others and that definately makes her more vulnerable to falling over or getting stuck on her hands and knees.
That is why you need so much lead ballast.
A Carbon fibre reinforced, painted and epoxy coated "Wombarra" Dude will probably weigh in the most.
But once again he has a very low stance compared to Lisa.
That is why I am using about 128g of lead now.
When I had a painted "Wombarra Dude without CFE, I only needed 56g of ballast, but the Dudes regularly got busted up in 3 foot grinders.

So it appears to me that if you can lower the stance of a Lisa doll you will greatly increase the self righting property.
But Lisa is hollow and prone to filling with water so that would need to be addressed.
I don't know about melting her but cutting and then epoxying the new join could work well.
If anyone tries it I would suggest a height of no higher than 9 inches would be optimum.
But what would I know, I have only been at this for 6 months or so.

I will be back when I get some actual weights.
JIMI

I know you want more!
You can see from the pic that Lisa stands a whole head above a Dude and Jimi is even smaller again.
I know of a guy inOz that runs a Kyosho Lisa without the head because she self rights so much better.
More acurately, the Kyosho Dudes are actually 9 1/2 not 9 inches tall, and Lisa is 11 3/4 not 12 inches tall sorry.
So go for that height if you can.
But I really can't see how you can reduce a Lisa Doll by 2 1/4 inches.
Unless you cut the stomach and fold her forward and cut behind the knees and fold her back again.
Thus creating more of a squating position, that could work???

Thanks, Jimi. That's exactly what I wanted to know. Wow, Lisa is quite a bit taller than her friends ! I agree that the height has something to do with the self righting problem. It dosen't help that I am using a heavier than stock dolls head as well. If I could get her to crouch down a little more, like a dude, that might help. Look how close the dude's hands are to the board, compared to Lisa's. Shes not even trying !! I think I'll try to change her a bit. If I mangle her too much, at least I know other riders are available.

That's right mate.
I am sending off an email to Sebs connection about hulls now.
I wanna know if they sell white ones.
I prefer them in white, better for painting and look more realistic unpainted too.
I am also enquiring about Unassembled ones, heck, I don't even want the motors or radios.

Let you know what I find out.
That thing between the other guys is as crazy as some of the prices being discussed.

How much would you be prepared to buy an Unassembled NQD for if you were looking for one?

If I have to buy 'em myself then I guess I will have enough to last several years of hardcore abuse.
I do have all those Dudes to find boards for I guess.
If I can seal them properly from the start then it will be worth painting them up nice

But it will definately be so much better starting from scratch.

JIMI

Seb,
Thanks for the link on hulls, I have sent an email.
Please keep links coming bro, great stuff. Thank you.

Where do you get all the contacts? (Stupid Question?)
Maybe you can just post a list of the supplying companies that you are aware of, that would be cool.

If Dr Smurfswirls is not interested in my idea about supplying single unassembled hulls at a reasonable price then I will be very interested in buying a six pack.

If I can find a supplier who is willing to sell them unassembled in white at that kind of price.
If they are willing to supply them without electronics or riders perhaps the postage cost will be even a little less.

Keep up the GOOD work. (Info)

JIMI

Bob is away,
No Dude weights available today.
All blogged out.
JIMI

To anyone remotely interested.
Just got an email from Seb's link.
They do indeed have White hulls available.
Catherine did not say if she was able to supply Unassembled units.
I have emailed her again requesting confirmation on the matter.
Jimi

Jimi

thanks for the offer on the doll mate.

Seb

I was going to ask if you were the bloke that lost the rc surfer here on the goldy!becauseIremember seeing it in the paper. I think I also seen you down ''The Alley'' one time whenIwas going for a wave awhile back.

Anyone out there who knows of using Rc Jetboat units to power there surfers? ive just brought a jet unit to try sumthing different in a foam board ive shaped.

Hey Goggs,
I was lookin' at those a while back.
A boatbuilder friend said that the bulb in the hull shape might stop enough water feeding into the jet.
But I don't think so.
Just like everything else, just give it a try.
I suppose you just need a good flexi shaft to make it easier to fit and couple up.

I reckon it will probably go insane.

Jimi

R C Surfer Builders,
Not 1 suggestion for a fair hull price eh?
Well, I guess nobody wants access to single well priced unassembled hulls in the future then.
Oh wel, I tried.

JIMI

Jimi,

Just separate the hull yourself, when you have done one you will see how easy it is to do.

If a company has unassembled hulls they might sell you some, I found out a company that did a while back. However, at least if the board is assembled, all the screws and pieces are included. If they send you an unassembled surfer, some parts maybe missing.

A fair price for an unassembled hull is whatever you would pay for an assembled hull.

Seb.

It's the weekend buddy, jump away from the computer and chill out with a few drinks!

Cool Bro,

Whatever you would pay minus all the extra work.
Cool if you don't mind doing it.
But I would rather bypass that if possible..

I am just doing a bit of work on my Kyosho Lisa.
I have the wingnut footpegs installed and I just added an extra layer of epoxy around the seam, just to be sure.
It looked good anyway, but ya never know and Barrels told me to do it.
Barrels and Dave Reese also told me to use a brass single fin and Andy reckons he will send me a couple to copy.
Those guys have been running these for years so they should know.

You should see the reverse rocker in the tail, it is so cool.
Looks almost like someone took to it with a hairdryer except it is perfectly curved not warped. Ha Ha Ha

I might give the Jimi Dude a run on it when it is ready.

Sea Ya ,
JIMI

Sebski,

I just went and checked the surf, nasty wind and not enough swell for the sheltered spots.
While I was driving home I thought to myself:

"HOW DID YOU LOSE AN RC SURFER OUT TO SEA?"

Can't ya swim bro?

I always have a 6' 0" thruster in the car, if I can't be bothered swimming I just paddle out and get him.
I have had to do about half a dozen rescue missions.

Hey, I wonder how the guys are going with those top heavy long legged Lisa's, HA Ha Ha.
I hope their idea works for them.

Sea Ya Dudeski,

JIMI

Just finished modifiying Lisa. I used a torch, and heated various arm, leg, hip, and waist joints. I got her down to an overall height of 9.5 inches. I widenened her stance a little and made her crouch down a litle more. So far, she looks a little better on the board. Will it make a difference ? I don't know yet !! Can't be any worse though. For those wanting to try it yourself, be careful. It dosen't require much heat to bent the plastic. Also, the plastic tends to fold, rather than bend. You end up with wrinkles on her knees and elbows. I think that if you paint more of her legs and arms black, it would look like she is wearing a wet suit. The arm and leg wrinkles might look like they are just wrinkles in the wet suit ! I'll try that soon and then try her out in the water.

Kev.
Post a pic bro.
She will surf.

JIMI

   I'm dyin" to try her in the OCEAN!! Hopefully this will make a difference. If not, Lisa is gonna get wet !! I guess I shold put my name on it, in case it gets away from me and somebody else finds it !  I sure don't want to swim for her the water here looks stinkin cold!!

      I took one picture of chinese Lisa before mods, and I'll take one of her after I paint her. Then I'll post both pics for comparison.

guys

I did try it yesterday and like Kevin said the plastic justshrivelsand folds instead of bending which leads me to a new idea of just chopping her at the joins and epoxy her joins back up

OR you could do it the easy way and just buy a dude!!! bahaha

Im still waiting on my motor and esc!!

Well, she's painted ! I'm quite pleased with the results ! What do you think ?

My first attempt at uploading some pictures didn't work, so if they don't appear, bear with me, please.