Spetz

I need a long flex or prop shaft (about 60cm) and I can't find anything bigger than about 30cm or so
Any ideas where I can find this? Diameter seems to be 4.8mm

Help is appreciated

Dan S

That would be close to 24inches and the size would be .187" or 3/16.

I don't know where in the States but you can check with Mike Hallam of Hallam Racing in Ontario Canada (he has a web site) and he has them (24inch and 32 or 36 inches).

Dan.

Spetz

.187" and 3/16 is the same size is it? 4.8mm?
The imperial system confuses me

Do you happen to have a website for Hallam Racing??

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Check here also: http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/products.php?cat=70

Spetz

I think this is what I need!
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=hug-b6666

Dan S

Yes to your first question.

http://www.hallammarinehobby.com/

Dan

Spetz

Thanks heaps guys it seems that I will be able to find exactly what I need

As a last question, with the flex shaft, are these strong/reliable? Should I buy one or stock up and buy a second?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

It never hurts to have a spare one around.

mfr02

If you have a spare, the chances are that you will never need it. If you dont, it will break at the most embarrasing / least convenient time.
This is a law of nature, and applies to anything man-made.

Spetz

Murphy's law kinda huh

umm, also, I just measured and turns out my prop shaft is 3.8mm or so
And I am wondering, whether it is ok to cut from either end of these prop shafts? (ie, shorten the flex shaft and shorten the actual prop shaft?)
As I am thinking about running 3.8mm flex shaft and 4.8mm prop shaft

Dan S

Spetz,

You have us bouncing around from one thread to another

if your 2 threads are for the same thing (which it does looks like it) here's some info.

3.81mm (3.8) = .150" and
4.75mm (4.8) = .187".

now, if you are looking for a flex cable with a prop shaft to fit on your Blue Streak 800 (in both thread/both questions) and you want to use an engine that is smaller than a .21 (like a .18) I recommend that you use a 3.8mm (.150" ) flex shaft with a 4.8mm (.187" ) prop shaft also called stub shaft.

any flex shaft bigger than 3.8mm (.150" ) is to big for a .18, and the reason you should use a 4.8mm (.187" ) prop/stub shaft is it will give you a much wider range of prop to choose from.

Can you cut the flex shaft? YES.
Can you cut the prop/stub Shaft? Only the threaded portion, the prop/stub shaft is not hollow (only a portion to allow the welding of the flexy) so you cannot cut the other end (where the flexy gets welded in).

Just incase you were wondering if you can drill the center of the prop/stub shaft.....Nope, The prop/stub shaft is tampered steel.

Dan.

Quicksilver

but there is another option, using permatex high temp sleeve retainer or Loctite 603? you could make a union of a solid shaft to the flex cable using a piece of hollow pipe. I dont know if it would work in this case but it worked in my jetboat, that runs a 700sc motor with 16 cells. Hasn't broke yet and I dont think it will. I'd take a pic, but it's currently installed and would take me quite a while to get out.

Spetz

I think the problem with that is that I wont have the space to put that pipe that connects them, as from the 3.8mm opening there wont be any space for the pipe which would have to be bigger than 4.8mm I assume

ScottOram

Just as a reference on how I am using Flex Shafts...

Quicksilver

^^that is scary!

Spetz

Wow what is that for?
More pics?

ScottOram

This.......

Spetz

Wow that's awesome!
Is it just a scale model? Does it do anything??

ScottOram

Fully functional deck and sponson lighting, RADAR antennea rotate. And its fully R/C. And before you even ask the question that I have been asked a million times. I know it woudl be cool, if it launched and recovered r/c airplanes. But it doesn't. Having done that for real in the Navy, you have no idea how extremely difficult that would be.

Spetz

That's very cool
You can probably just use one of those micro helicopters there? THey come in really small sizes, different shapes and are cheap and most have twin props so they are really easy to fly
You should give that a go, you'd definately impress people!

ScottOram

Have you ever tried to fly one of them outdoors? impossible. Tried it.

So back to the topic. I could have done this project with straight hard shafts, but it woudl have been a lot tougher. I will use flz hafts in everything I do. I was worried that they could possible unwind (on the shafts that turn opposite) but they have not, and I have run the crap out of this thing for the last year and a half.

Spetz

Does it move fast?

Yeah I know those helicopters are impossible to fly outdoors but it'll still be cool + some are only like $10 so you can afford to crash them into the water