Steering help please
 

Hello my fellow boaters,

I need help with the steering of a boat. How do you hook up the servo with a pushrod to turn the rudder, where the rudder turns nice and even on both sides. Pics would help too. THanks.

RE: Steering help please
 

i'm by no means an experianced rc guy.

but heres how i did my rudder on my custom little boat.

after i had the servo inplace, i turned it on and ensured the trim on the radio was set to zero.
i measured the distance between the sevo and rudder and fashioned a pushrod out of a small brass dowel.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_5176.jpg
if you notice, my rudder has a seperate armiture fasened to it. i left the bolt loose until i had the pushrod in place.
with the system on i set my rudder to center and tightened down the bolt.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_5177.jpg

if its not perfect, the steering trim on your radio can also be use to ajusted the rudder to center.

my radio also has the ability to limit how far the servo will travel in each direction. i imagen thats not the case will all radio's.

RE: Steering help please
 

Here is an old diagram...

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RE: Steering help please
 

Thanks a lot im trying to fit one of my old servos in the boat but its kindoff big. Ill see what i can do. Im taking a tuna clipper model where you glue the parts together and im turning it into an rc boat. The power plant is pretty good very scale like but the steering is hard.

RE: Steering help please
 

Bends are a no-no, but sometime necessary.

RE: Steering help please
 

You can also mount the servo on it's side.

RE: Steering help please
 

Cool thanks yeah i just made some kindoff steering mechanism seems to work. I rigged it up with night lights from an old micro flyer night flyer rc plane of mine. Its bright:D Ill send pics in a little.
Thanks again nice boats too. How fast can they go? What are they powered by nitro, electric ?

RE: Steering help please
 

mine just a small electric powered scratch build. i'm still waiting on an esc, so i have no idea how fast it will travel.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_5069.jpg

RE: Steering help please
 

Man you have skills at building*whistle* nice;)

RE: Steering help please
 

its my first rc build. i do however have alot of other hobbies.

i build custom damascus swords and knives, (full size and miniture) and carve custom guitars to name a couple. always loved scale modeling,
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/minis2-1.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_0065.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s7/icyuodd/minis.jpg

just never built a boat before this one. :)

RE: Steering help please
 

Nice. How do you make the metal? Do you just order parts or something else? Nice knives though. :D

RE: Steering help please
 

i make them from scratch.

the metal is dama steel (stainless damascus) dama steel is made with powdered metals (industry made), damascus is made with 2 or more types of metal folded and press together for different patterns. they make it out of chain, cable, and alsorts of other metal objects.
i've hand forged damascus before, but the dama steel i purchase in bar stock. after i shape the pieces i want, i etch them with acid to expose the pattern (one metal disolves faster than the other) the patterns are like wood grain and pass all the way through the metal.

dana steel ranges from $6-$50 an inch depending on pattern,thickness and width of the bar/round stock.

RE: Steering help please
 

icyuod2,
This is a little 'off topic' but...

I had a friend named McSpaden, who's son was into the custom knife thingy. Even did his own forging (with the furnace and hammers, not signing someone else's signature - lol). Did some very nice work. So do you, by the way.
- 'Doc

RE: Steering help please
 

Well those knives are pretty cool. Do you sell em or no is that even legal? Do you make katanas:D

RE: Steering help please
 

i've done more than a few katana's and swords. most of the knives i do are custom orders. the little knives above are just simple trinkits i make from scrapes.

not alot of knifemakers in the world, i wonder if i've met him before. what was the signature on the knives?

RE: Steering help please
 

Nice, now do you make custom handles with them as well? Like a serpent handle were the handle has flames and other cool designs on it.

RE: Steering help please
 

handles,scaboards/sheaves, the works.
heres a couple current projects and a pic of my first knife.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_4344.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/IMG_4349.jpg