Test005

Hello guys
I'm a RCflier since 9 years, mainly flying sailplanes at the moment... I bought myself an electric Aquacraft Supervee27 a few weeks ago and love this thing.
I find RC boating very fun and want to take another step into this branch of the RC hobby.

Did some research on boats and wanted to go for gas so I ordered a boat called Sigma51 from Dave Marles in England, this one looks good to me and I look forward putting this kit together...
I got the "Deal 2" from this website, but swapped the engine to a standard Zenoah. I figure a stock motor is better for a beginner and I also hope to race in the Offshore Zenoah standard class. [link=http://www.prestwich.ndirect.co.uk/sigma51.htm]Link to Sigma51[/link]


Do you guys have any advice for me building and painting this thing?
I'm experienced building airplane kits and working on motors, but this is my first Zenoah, watercooled and also my first boat build.


I guess I'm looking for some do's and don'ts when putting a gas boat together...
-how to meassure, drill and install stuffing tube & strut
-how (with what) to paint the hull
-general tips for making installations

Thanks
-L-

w3bby

Hi Linus

Good choice of boat
Here's a good place to start
[link=http://www.prestwich.ndirect.co.uk/siginstructions.htm]Sigma instructions[/link]

brodjack

Ask Dave himself,thats the benefit of buying from a reputable guy.
Nobody knows more about Sigmas than him[8D]
Brod..

Test005

Thanks Ian, those instuctions are a great start. Eventhough I need to read them many times more to understand them fully. I'm not English speaking by tongue and this techie talk is a bit hard to get my head around.. But I think I got it


*****
The Strut MUST be fitted at the position shown in the top right drawing. Check the drawing above for the position of the tube through the transom. Using Zenoah engines the propshaft should be offset to the right(starboard) by 2 to 3mm as shown on the drawing. DO NOT use an angled strut or angle the strut with packing under the brackets. It should be parallel to the keel when looking from underneath the boat. Drill an oversize hole for the proptube in the ‘V’ of the transom. After first tests the seal the tube exit through the transom with silicone tube or silicone sealer. Cut the prop tube to length so that it is about 10 to 15mm from the coupling but pushed into the strut as far as possible. The tube should run along the bottom of the hull from the transom and then be curved upward to slide into the coupling. The tube should slide inside a piece of the next size bigger tube ( KS 11/32) of a length of around 100mm. This short tube should be epoxied to the hull after the tube is lined up so that the centre of this tube is approx 250mm from the transom. The front end of the tube near the engine must be supported. A T-bar can be used or a piece of carbon sheet or 6mm plywood can be slid over the front of the tube and it must be epoxied in place.Cut the flexi to length, remembering to leave a gap of 5 to 6mm (not less than 5mm) between thrust washer and the strut. Do not cut the flexi too short, because it has to go inside the coupling as far as possible. The collet in the coupling may be closed up, if so then open each slit with a knife blade or something similar. When the collet coupling is tightened onto the shaft, use a lot of force.
*****


Another Q: can I paint the boat with hobby grade enamel spray paint and a coat or two of 1 component laquer? (Do I get away with this?)

martno1fan

Car paints will do the job (spray can) then use a compatible laquer or clear coat over the top.

Test005

Thanks.
Looking very much forward to get the boat, Dave promised to ship it Monday so it might be here at the end of the week.
I'll go get building supplies tomorrow!

Just curious, do you have any speed guestimate with the stock Zenoah? (Im sorry, don't know what prop is included with the kit)

glennb2006

Hi there Linus,

good choice, I am sure that you will have hours of fun with your boat - not sure of speeds with a stock Zen in a Sigma, but I do know that we got 52 (GPS) MPH on a Panther with a stock Sikk 26cc motor.

Dave makes good boats and gives even better advice. Follow the instructions you have and you will have a good boat. If you get stuck on the English give Ian (Wobby) a shout - he does Swedish well and I think Norsk OK - so you might get some translations from him.

Ian - if you get stuck with the English, don't ask me!!

Glenn

w3bby

Your English is better than our Finnish You have my e-mail so any specific translations you need ask away, you can get them in Swedish only[X(]

Test005

Thanks guys
I've started to round up supplies for my boat and got a paint scheme figured out.
Bought some automotive spray paints and laquer today('Acrylic' type I belive), and some other bits and pieces I might need to put the boat together...

Just waiting for the S51 to arrive really. Exciting!



Boat! Boat! [sm=drowning.gif]...Need a Boat!

Test005

I bought automotive paint (acrylic 1komponent) and planned to paint the Sigma with this. Just be sure, I test painted my electric SV27 boat and I don't really like the result.
(I did a good cleaning, painted a few layers of primer and finished with three-four coats of green and lots of clear coat)

The paint chip easily and is quite soft, I will have to go to the car painters and ask to buy real 2k paint or have them shoot my Sigma... I wanna gloss finish



[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQN7zr5_s1s]VIDEO[/link]

This boat used to be white.

Dreamin Hemi

Did you use thoes little auto-laquer spray paint cans from companies like Dupli-Color? Or are you actually using a commercial style basecoat/clearcoat system? If you sprayed all thoes layers of laquer from a can, you have to now wet-sand and high speed buff to get a good shine. Also, another quick point is these spray cans (if you used them) are not really fuel proof, especially with gasoline. Ask me how I know [&o]. Let us know or even take a picture of the paint you used. If you color coat looks good, ANY real automotive clearcoat system that uses a hardner will work right over it and give you a mirror shine.

Test005

It's spray can acrylic primer, paint and clear coat.
Perhaps I can buff it to some shine, but it's just not hard enough to withstand wear and tear.

I will leave it like this on this electric boat and go with a 2 component laquer for my Sigma.
The local car paint shop can probably sell me the good stuff, hardener and all or even shoot the paint for me for a small fee.

...Anyways, lesson learned and this was meant as an experiment so I can make my gasser have a good finish.

Dreamin Hemi

Heres what I use for my own customers when they buy my hulls....it's an inexpensive clearcoat that I sometimes spray directly over a rattle can color base. Gallon of clearcoat...$28. Hardner $12. Excellent results with a simple cup detail spray gun, definately good enough for the abuse we put our boats through.

Test005

Thanks, that's an option too.
If the paint shop don't work out I might paint with a spray can and then use a real clear cote with hardener to finish it off.
It's the 2 component (laquer AND hardener) that's the key to a smooth, hard and shiny surface.

Test005

I received my boat today, very fast service and right on the money when Dave said it would be delivered.

Now, I don't know much about boats, but I've been in the RC hobby for about 9 years and I know a quality product when I see one.
This hull is great, the CF finish looks excellent and the hardware package seem (too a beginner like me) very complete and of high quality.
Included is a Zenoah (stock I presume), a steel pipe with muffler and all hardware to run the boat. Even fuel line, small parts like brass cooling water outlets and Dubro ball linkages for the throttle.

Im super happy I decided on this one and I can't wait to start building and running this boat.


Dave, if you read this: Thank you, I couldn't be happier!



ps. I think I skip the paint and just clear coat the hull. The carbon looks to good not to be displayed.
ps2. I'm gobsmacked that a 51" boat is this large,,,, gotta go have another look at it

martno1fan

Glad you like your new boat ,mate she looks great.As regards paint i allways use celulose paint in a can the type they use on cars its called carplan its very cheap too at £4 a can,then i clear coat out of a rattle can,i did this boat using this method then added green vinyl the clear went over the lot and it is 100% fuel proof the clear is from carplan too but is acrylic but it says on it can be used on cellulose paint or acrylic so i went with it and couldnt be happier.I just buffed it up by hand after and have since added a little car wax on the deck and sides but not the bottom as it affects how the boat runs apparently.Just remember if you leave the boat black as it is now it will be very hard to see at distance so you might need to add some colour just so you can see it when its doing close to 50 mph which i think it might even with a stock zen.Maybe just some colour deatailing to your own tastes just to break up the black a bit.
Mart

glennb2006

Did that pipe come from Dave Marles too?

You might need to sppeak to Ian about the hatch cover mods needed next before you go too far.
Have fun, and good luck. That should be fast.

Glenn

brodjack

I was wondering about that pipe too.
I asumed the Sigma deals came with the CS23 pipe,but reading Daves deals on his web page,deal2 states 'stainless steel tuned pipe' .maybe not.
Deal 3 seems the better deal..

Brod..

glennb2006

Deal 5 looks good too Brod!!

Glenn

brodjack

You read my mind Glenn

Brod..

w3bby

Why ruin a good petrol boat

With a thoughtful build you may be able to get the 90° header down the side of the radiobox (Dave would know). Otherwise I think I would ask if you can change to a 100° header. The 100° takes it over the box and out the centre.

I rebuilt my Lynx cowl to deal with the 100° and in the end cut the whole side out.

Who needs paint when you have vinyl

DaveMarles

Ian, Its a 100 degree header.

Linus, Glad you like the boat. I have yet to have a customer who didnt like their Sigma. Stock Zenoah well setup will give 84 to 88 kph and super stability.

Brod, I've got a Sigma with modded RS91 in it and its a flier on an X462/2 blade.

w3bby

I'll blame my remark on misinterpreting the perspective of the picture..... Linus you are good to go[sm=thumbup.gif]

Will that nitro Sigma and the petrol version be running at the Naviga World Championships Dave?

brodjack

Yes i bet it does,i want one but i'd rather keep my goolies for the time being..[X(]
Brod..

brodjack

W3BBy,your boats are the best looking ones i've ever seen.

Brod..