birdo

My first few tries drilling Brass did not go well, so I invested in a Drill Press and new drill bits. I got 118 degree drill bits and filed off the curl. Set the Drill press to it's lowest speed, and I got nice clean holes!



I used a countersink bit to make a clean screw location. These will get evened up in length next and installed.

Jmaly

Great to see someone else building this kit… I started it late 2020 and am still plugging away. Do you have Instagram? My whole build is on there. So far, I basically have the whole boat built, just adding details and sealing still. I have installed custom LEDs throughout and built my own kort nozzles and bracing. If you do have Instagram, my user is @rc_boat_addiction give it a look if you want and I’d love to hear any feedback if ya got it.
Can’t wait to see the rest of your build.
Cheers!

Justin

birdo

Great to see someone else building this at the same time. I like how you did your prop shaft mounts. I'm still on the fence with how I want to do mine.

Nice Insta, I've only posted a few of this build on there. I'm @birdizzo, added ya. I'm big into Vintage Losi stuff right now.

jakony racer

thanx for the posts! i’ve been using them as reference on my Shelley build! just joined insta, will post the progress on there as it happens. added you and rc boat addiction. i’m jakony racer my son an i race losi off road buggies.

Billahr

So first bottom sheeting laps all the way over chine 1? Not to the center?

sultanxuae

very nice

birdo

I have finally gotten out to my garage and started working on this. Took a different route for the Prop Shaft mounts.

updates coming soon!

birdo

I finally figured out how to create some better prop shaft supports. Thank you RC Addiction and JakonyRacer for your build threads!


Using a Oetiker style crimp pliers, I was able to get a very nice bend around the drill bit.

Nice and tight fit!

I created two at the same time, and bent them at the same time, so they would be identical.

birdo

I made some PROGRESS!


Got them both screwed down, and they're within 1/32" tolerance mirrors.

I plan to solder the two pieces together after I get tubes epoxied to the Hull!

jakony racer

no problem! glad to see your back at the build! i put mine away for the summer while we race every weekend. will pull it out in november to get back on track. although the time off gave me a spark of inspiration for the motor mounts. going to carve the mounts out of balsa, make plaster of paris molds and then cast them out of lead with steel threaded anchors. gonna be fun to move forward. the motor mounts was where i stalled.

birdo

My next step is getting my motor mounts installed then Kort Nozzles. Going to wait until everything is turning to solder the Brass Supports to the Tubes.

birdo

Created a flat surface to mount both motors.


Glued in place with Epoxy and 404 mixture to help fill any voids.

birdo

I poured some epoxy in the bottom first, then added BBs, then more epoxy and evened the BBs out.

I still had space left to fill, so I used these Lead 22 Pellets I had laying around. These pellets were flyers out of my pellet gun every time....

Sealed for Eternity, time for motor mounts!

birdo

Motors mounts are epoxied in place and the motors are spinning! Time to mount the Kort Nozzles Next.

birdo

Using Cardboard circles, I was able to get the nozzles centered. I CA glued them in place, waited for the CA to fully set and pulled the cardboard. Both nozzles came out very EVEN! I followed up with Epoxy. Next I have to fill in around the steering shafts holes. I ordered shaft seals to help keep water out. I can now solder the Brass supports with the Kort Nozzles set in place.

birdo

Soldered the prop shaft supports, one solid piece now! Next is Epoxy and 404 Peanut butter on the prop shaft mounts, where they connect to the hull. This will allow me to trim the screws sticking out inside. Then it's Steering Servos!


Covered the boat with Aluminum Foil to protect the wood from flame and solder dripping.


"Propane Propane"(My. Lahey voice) and some pipe Solder ftw.


Cleaned up with the Dremel nicely!

1967brutus

Bit surprised that the soldering of the tube supports and epoxying of the tubes is done before watterproofing the hull?

Other than that a very nice build!

The kort-nozzles separately steerable?

birdo

Supports Epoxied in place.

birdo

The hull is getting two layers of fiberglass over it. Then it's getting White Gel Coat. I'm NOT going back to drill through fiberglass and Gel coat(which cracks easily).

The Kort Nozzles each have a servo, so yes they can turn separately. I plan to have at least two Drive modes, Harbor and open water. Harbor will be twin screw control(dual stick), open water will be parallel steering and throttles(single stick).

Thanks for the input!

1967brutus

Ah, OK wasn't aware you were going to glass and gellcoat it. In that case I can see the point of doing it like this.
I expected the hull to be given a few coats of filler and paint (how I used to do it way back when), so I was a bit puzzled by that construction.

JS440

My Feedback: (10)

Gelcoat does crack fairly easily, however if you use ever need to do it, you can use a brad point bit which will greatly help reduce the risk. Unibits and step bits also work very well for drilling through glass/gel without risk of cracking (after making a small pilot of course). Just avoid regular twist bits.

birdo

Both Turn In

Both Turn Left

Each spinning a different direction

The steering has too much play with the flimsy Piano wire. Going to use a much more Rigid connection. Also add hard endpoints for the Kort Nozzle limits.

Removed internals so I can focus on the outside of the hull. Two more holes to drill before I fill, fiberglass, and gel coat.

JS440

My Feedback: (10)

It looks like you could take a lot of slop out of those linkages simply by using larger piano wire. Those wires are much too small for the holes in the arms.

birdo

I agree, very sloppy. It was for proof of concept. Going to look into maybe even using GT2/2GT pulleys and belts as my linkage.

JS440 = you're a JET SKI GUY. I have slop free ENDs on all my Jet Skis

JS440

My Feedback: (10)

I was a jet ski guy when I made my account many years ago, haven't had one in years. Once we move into a bigger place, I'll have another pair though!