cat samich

<input type="hidden" id="gwProxy"></input><input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" />so when i was quite i few years younger, 11 to be exact. i buit a hotshot 3.5. i know what your thinking, that no 11 year old kid is pulling that off. but i did. now for the part i need help with. my dad thought that i would destroy this thing first time out due to it being made of wood. well needless to say after 6 coats of fiberglass resen and a paint job the boat comes in at a really chubby 6 lbs as just a bare hull.
well me being a little kid and not knowing any better, my dad not having a clue about radio control.......i outfit it with a thunder tiger .21 outboard and a futaba magnum jr radio. well the big day finally arives and i get to launch it for the first time.

well lets say i was all but impressed. this thing was so slow ducks swimming by were not only laughing at me but also outrunning it.

i got discoraged and decided to hang it up.

well now im 28, i have built a few gas boats along with 1 nitro and a few electric. but i never went back to the hotshot. it has been sitting on a shelf for 17 years. i have decided its time to give new life to an old friend.

here is where i need help. how do i go about this? do i sand all the resen back off? do i say screw it and buy a much bigger outboard (if they even still make a bigger one, and if so who does)? are twin outboards out of the question? what are my options? also, being as i was impatient in my younger years i never finished the cowl and thus lost the parts to make it and dont have a clue how to go about making one from scratch now. so any info on how to pull that off would really help me out.

i will post some pics tonight after i take them.

i really appologize for the rant but im excited to see the old girl come to life once more, so for all the tunnel hull masters out there please help this happen.

VOODOOHYDRO

cat samich try this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUYD4&P=7for the price you cant beat it. I have one with a OS 21 and the thing flies! Right now it seams to be the hot ticket for outboards. To me i seams like it would be a lot easier and maybe cheaper to start new. Well good luck Keith

cat samich

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i appreciate the responce but this is more of a sentamental project than anything else. for me its about the memories of building it and the regret of never having finished it the right way to start off with.

again thanks for the responce

Jerry Dunlap

Well, if you're really interested in restoring your project I'd recommend removing all the paint and glass resin you possible can without sanding through the wood. 

Although the Thunder Tigre isn't the most powerful OB on the market, if properly set up it should push the boat in the mid 30s.  Prop depth is very critical in a tunnel boat. 

You might want to look at the manual for the VS1 because it contains valuable information on prop height and prop thrust that is applicable to any tunnel boat.

Jerry

cat samich

thanks jerry, i figured sanding it down would be a good start. i have also been toying with the idea of using a graupner gtx800 electric outboard. i no longer have the thundertiger. what whould you recomend as far as motor choice?

ob nut

My Feedback: (1)

The O.S. motor is the choice of racers for the 3.5 class today. One can always pickup a MAC, CMB, Rossi or Nova Rossi and place them on a K&B style lower...  If just playing around, good ole K&B is still a good choice if a decent one can be found.

srw1960

I totaly apreciate where you are coming from...dumas still makes that kit contact them and see about getting parts for the cowling....you said you covered it with resin? did you use any glass with it at all or just resin??? either way try this for an effective way to strip it with out tearing up the wood...take a good heat gun not a hair dryer but a real honest to god paint stripping heat gun you can get em at lowes or home depot for about 30 bucks..heat up a small area carefull not to get it to hot dont want to catch the woddie on fire here....heat it till you see the resin start to bubble remove the heat gun lay it down and away from you on something that wont burn ( can ya tell ive had problems with this before the doc said the hair will eventually grow back)..anyway take a scraper or small putty knife maybee 2 to 3 inches wide and see if it wont come off pretty cleanly..youll have to work iun small areas but i do beleive that will get the resin and paint off for ya....now then this is not a hull to realy race withjust to heavy a design I have owned a couple so I know a bitabout them .but it is a real good hull to play with and to hone youre skills with as far as driving a tunnell if you want to race later..find a good K&B .21 outboard for it and you will be very happy I do beleive....let me know how the heat trick works on the resin you can get chemical strippers that will eat the resin but man they are harsh and dangerouse to work with..if you have any more questions ask away ill do my best to answer i have alot of experience with resins and paint so ill do my best to keep you on the right path

cat samich

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yeah its just the resin, no cloth. the boat was painted with a 3 part ppg autmotive paint system though. i think the heat gun idea might not work with that style of paint. im gonna try the sanding method and just try to be really carefull. im gonna go slow and do it all by hand. wood it be ok to just clear coat the wood with polyurathane to make it water tight instead of paint? and does this boat need turn fins? i dont plan to break any world speed records just have a fun time at the pond

srw1960

I know for fact the heat will take the paint along with it..and yes a good urethane job should make it suffiecently water tight provided there are no big gaps in the wood of course...again go find a good used K&B .21 I just picked one up on e bay for 80 bucks new they are about 180 I think at least they are still available....as for turn fins I seldom see one on a tunnell but I do ocasionally see them but for what youre going to do I doubt you will need one...HAVEFUN

cat samich

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last night i traded an hpi rs4 roller to my budy for a used k&b 7.5. i havnt tryed to start it yet but it needs a disasymble and heavy cleaning. for arguments sake lets just say that the motor is shot, what can i get to replace this power head? also what are my tuned pipe options? i really like the looks of the pipes that are kinda in a horseshoe shape that wrap around the motor. again total newb to the tunnels and outboards so i have no clue who makes this stuff lol. thanks for the help.<input type="hidden" id="gwProxy"></input><input type="hidden" id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" />

srw1960

Good motor if you need a piston and sleeve you can still get them so just repair that head if need be..but youre going to hang a 7.5 on a hull set up for a 3.5 it can be done but its gonna be a handfull I learned that lesson about overpowering last year so be prepared for it to be unstable...Iwish I could help with where to get tuned pipes and such for the outboards but Im certain someone else will be able to help you out there