cybercrxt

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This build started on intlwaters a week or so ago, so if some of the posts sound a little odd, that is due to the time lapse! Mike Luszcz, ML Boatworks (252) 717-6282

For those that have had the chance to see the prototype gas outboard tunnel that Buddy Lowe has been driving for the last year or so, will enjoy seeing, and knowing that prototype has found itself into a kit form, or can be built by myself at ML Boatworks. This was a joint effort by Dick Loeb and myself. Dick had design ideas he wanted to use, and I helped finesse those into CAD. The excellent promise it has shown since its inception has led me to layout an easy-build kit for those that like wood over foam, but also like the kit to offer a little guidance of its own. You will find toy tabbing to help lock parts together, low weight crossmembers in the sponsons to help guide you threw building the sponsons as they were designed. As you know, gas tunnels have had the reputation of not turning well, or not running fast enough for their size. This hull breaks that mold, offering the user excellent turns while running some of the best speeds out there. I am sure you have heard that before..Ask some of those who have seen this hull run, they will back me up! The gas tunnel also paved the way for the PS295 FE 29.5" tunnel that currently holds all 3 IMPBA records, the QS370 FE 37" tunnel that holds the IMPBA SAW record and a 72.5mph one way pass, and the NS295 Nitro 29.5" tunnel that has propelled Dick Loeb to controlling his own destiny in D12 B-Stock tunnel this year. The NS295 is also being put into the hands of a couple other gentlemen that want to pursue the IMPBA B-mod SAW record and Austrailian mod records.

The prototype uses the lawless gas lower, which unfortunately has its share of problems but hopefully those issues can be resolved soon helping to grow the class. I think this introduces the hull enough for now. Questions are welcome. Lets get to the build! I had this kit cut for James Beasley a couple months back, but at the time, I had no time to build it for him. Since my recent unemployment bout, we talked, and next thing I knew the kit was back in my garage. I could not wait to get started.

Here are a couple pics and a video of Buddy Lowes prototype tunnel:

Video:

[link]http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e324/spoonefcrx/Gas%20Tunnel/?action=view¤t=IMGP1577.mp4[/link]

Pics:

cybercrxt

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And now, time to start the build. The first thing you will notice when you get your kit, is everything wood related is included and lots of it! It can be overwhelming, but it should not be. The parts are almost self explanatory, and with the help of this thread, it should guide you threw the build if your plans are building your own!

Parts:

cybercrxt

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The first part of the build I recommend, is the sponsons. They are the most time consuming, so why not get them out of the way first so the easy to build center second is left last!

First, find your sponson keelson stringers, and your sponson crossmembers and pluck them from the sheets. Clean up the edges with the "breaks" left behind. These are the break points between the full size sheeting and the parts.

You will also notice most of the parts has laser etched numbering or lettering to help guide you in your build. The numbers on the crossmembers match the number on the sponson stringer. "R" stands for right, "L" stands for left. Easy as that!

Also remove the toy tab rectangles from the sponson stringers. This allows the crossmembers to then be glued into the sponson stringers:





Ply layered nosing for the sponson tips. CA them together, then bond them to the sponson stringers at the front. You will see they are a little bit shallower than the stringer. You can then add a scrap piece of 1/32" ply to the back side to flush out the inside edge of the sponson.

cybercrxt

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You can then pull out the sponson outside strips from the kit, and just check fitment. The top of this outside strip is curved, the straight side should be closer to the bottom of the sponson. Be sure to check this before you glue it later in the build. It is not to be glued at this time! I just want you to see that, and also, mark with a pen on the inside which end goes towards the rear of the boat. The top curvature should match your crossmembers exactly. If it doesnt, you most likely have the front at the rear and the rear at the front!

cybercrxt

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I also called James Monday, and asked him to give me some mounting height info for his lower unit. He plans on using the Xray lower, which does mount about an inch higher on the center former transom. Due to this, I am going to draw up some taller transom plates for him so we are sure he has enough height to mount his lower. If you know you might need a taller transom, let me know. I will get those 6 pieces of ply cut taller for your application. The standard transom height is about 5-3/8" tall off the setup board. James needed 6" minimum, so I am getting his cut 1" taller. please note, that will delay the center former build for this thread by a week or so! We will focus on sponsons until then.



Here are some fun pics to compare the size of this tunnel to the PS/NS295 tunnels at 29.5"!

cybercrxt

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Back to the build. This will be the last segment for now as this was my stopping point on monday. You will find in your kit, foam templates for both the center former, and sponsons. Pull the sponson foam templates and review them. you will see a series of cut lines all the way down them. These will be used to help guide you where to cut your large shaped foam blocks once they are made. Being as I am in the south, I can only find 1" thick blue foam, but do have one source for 2" when I really need it. I decided just to stack 3 layers of 1" blue foam to form the sponson foam parts. You will use your templates as a guide to cut the foam with your hotwire cutter. Pictures will help explain this:




Once all your foam blocks are cut, then you can glue them together to the correct stack height:

cybercrxt

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Got the foam cut and installed inside the sponson frames:

cybercrxt

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OK, got more done on this. Once your outside strip is glued in place, you can then use the hot wire foam cutter to trim the top of the sponson foam like so:



Next, on the bottom of the sponson, you need to use a bandsaw to cut the correct dihedral in the sponson bottom. You use the bandsaw to cut that foam from the rear of the sponson to about 8" from the front. The reason you stop cutting with the bandsaw at that point, is your dihedral angle will force the blade into the outside strip of wood. That front section will need to be rough cut to remove the bulk, then use a sanding block, or disk sander, and bend in the front foam:

Note: This picture was taken after the block had been cut. The front 8" were rough cut with the bandsaw, then disk sanded to lay out like it should.

cybercrxt

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Next you want to take your primary ride pad (the wider one), and use it as a straight edge for hot wiring your non trip foam angle. This takes time to setup, a lot of checking wire to wood distances. Doing this right is critical to the proper non trip angles. The good thing is all those sponson crossmembers serve as really nice lining up patterns to make sure you have the ride pad in the right spot for hot wiring:



You can see where I cut out a couple sections with the cutter to show you how it works:



Now Bond the non trip to the sponson:

cybercrxt

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Next, is the Primary ride pad. This is another critical part of the boat. If this goes on out of wack, you can probably guarantee porpoising, or erratic behavior of the boat. The wood must overlap the inside sponson edge enough that you can sand down to the inside sponson stringer and a nice, sharp edge be left behind on the ride pad. You will notice, I glued some 1/8"x1/8" blocks along that inside sponson ride pad edge. This will give you a true, straight edge down the sponson stringer up to the break point. This also holds that ride pad in place while you tape the ride pad to the sponson. You will also notice those laser etched circles. Those, if you want to use them, will line up with the secondary ride pad that goes on later This will allow you to drill a hole, and put a dowel threw the primary and secondary ride pads, ensuring they are lined up properly. Because I have built so many wood tunnels in the past, I have other techniques for lining them up, so I chose not to use them with my build. The choice is yours! OK, on to the install pics:




I also chose to put an 1/8"x 1/8" block on the trailing edge. This will help lock the ride pad in place while gluing. I glued that to the ride pad, before ride pad installation to the sponson. This kind of locks in, so pay attention when bonding your ride pad!

cybercrxt

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Now, you will see in these next pictures, I applied the masking tape a particular way. This s CRITICAL for a nice, flat ride pad. From the rear of the sponson, to the point where it breaks and basically gets higher off the water, I taped from front to back, no overlapping, no doubling. Then, in front of the break, I just started wrapping around the sponson like I normally would on the other pieces. The reason for this, is we need to keep the ride pad tape flat and uniform in this area. What we do after taping that ride pad on both sponsons, we then lay the ride surfaces of each sponson against each other and tape them down. This puts both ride surfaces against each other, flattens them out, and ensures they are right!

cybercrxt

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Primary ride pads glued, here they are:

cybercrxt

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Secondary ride pads. These are the final step in the sponson bottoms. Again, the dowel hole templates are there, I chose not to use them, instead opting for the 1/8"x1/8" blocks on the inside edge to ensure correct overlap:





Now sand the inside edges clean, and your sponson bottoms are finished:

cybercrxt

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And now the sponson top decks get glued on. Again, I glued some blocks, this time only 1/16" x 1/16" wide as you don't have as much material overhang with these. This is where I am at now, they are in the garage drying right now! Stay tuned, I am getting the radio box designed, and transom plates recut taller. This will delay me about a week before I start the center section.

cybercrxt

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Here are some pics of the dry fit center section and the finished sponsons. I just finished drawing up the custom radio box, new transom plates, and air brakes(forgot to draw them with the original kit!):

cybercrxt

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Here are some new build pics. I received the radio box and transom parts yesterday. I got the radio box started, and as you can see, it has a really nice radio tray which is customizeable depending on the buyers needs. I can set the tray up to be cut per their instructions. Also got the new, taller transom parts. I did the initial tack up this morning. I will cut foam probably sunday or monday, and get the center former top deck installed. I am done for the day as the storm is closing in, and I have some things to do around the house. Enjoy, Mike

cybercrxt

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This gets the build up to date. This build started on intlwaters a week or so ago, so if some of the posts sound a little odd, that is due to the time lapse! More soon! Mike Luszcz, ML Boatworks (252) 717-6282

Hesco Racing

Nice kit that nice size. Very neat work and looks like the kit's fit is neat.

Neilb1

were do you buy these kits from  ?

cybercrxt

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Thanks guys, The kit/ hull is built and sold by me. I offer it as a kit, as well as my smaller tunnels. Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks, Mike

Hesco Racing

AS the boards are fairly long what so you think the shipping for a kit would be to Cape Town South Africa?

Cobus

cybercrxt

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I will have to check for you and see how long a box can be shipped to SA. Right now tho, I gotta get off the computer. We are in the middle of a hurricane, and I am getting a little worried about power! Talk soon, Mike

Hesco Racing

Good luck

cybercrxt

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Unfortunately, with USPS priority, which is the cheapest choice for shipping, the max length is 42" for the box. I can have the kit cut differently to incorporate dove tails in the longer pieces, but that is something you would have to decide that you can deal with. Let me know if I can help. thanks, Mike

F1madness

Hi Mike
Another great looking build.
Guys for those who havnt see the smaller 1s vids,there great and this guy does a fantastic job
Good luck Mike
F1