nichismo
08-05-2015, 01:21 AM
Hey guys, although its not finished, I really wanted to share as I feel like I need the most tips and precautionary information I can get my hands on before I go out for my maiden voyage. This boat was difficult to say the least, very steep learning curve and I quickly realized how in over my head I had gotten just a week into recieving the hull.
However, with some patience, and some extremely helpful individuals here on offshore electrics (one individual in particular who has been just outstanding and far more generous then ive ever been), I have been able to progress to the point I am at now. Now I must say that not only is this my first build and I have no experience driving either, im also not exactly a craftsman either. I did my best to basically mimic the ML boatworks scale builds that I have seen, as I really trust in ML boatworks design philosophy and I have never seen a boat from Mike that didnt run well. That being said, I still made mistakes and also I have been very picky. Alot of trail and error, and error usually meaning tearing out "permanently" installed materials/components, lol.
I didnt really understand at first why there was so few true scale hydroplane builds out there that were electric, and among those, it seemed like almost all were wooden builds. Now that I went ahead and purchased a glass hull that was intended for nitro, I can see why! I was so deadset at first on getting a glass hull, and I also didnt understand the difference between an epoxy hull and a gelcoated hull. Needless to say, this also resulted in a ton of unforeseen required work! The main thing being was room for lipos.... I know most people would simply put the lipos inside the hull underneath the decks, and thus outside the engine tub. But every ML boatworks kit and subsequent piece of advice id get regarding this, told me to place the lipos as far foward as possible, preferably up in the cockpit. I made the stupid mistake of purchasing the lipos far too late and nearly after every other component was already installed, but then again, it was sort of a good thing because then it helped me realize what truly needed to be done to fit them up front. No compromises! so I completely tore out a large section of the tub floor of the boat. I sanded down the edges smooth and then shaped a new and deeper belly pan from plywood that would not only span the length of the batteries, but also enable a better motor mount position. I used some pretty heavy cloth when I fiberglassed over the entire thing, along with alot of fairing filler and some glazing putty. I have pictures of this whole process.
Another big aspect of the progression of this was some major hull modifications I underwent to meet the previously stated goals, along with my pickyness in making the hull appear more scale accurate. After I looked at more and more pictures of modern day hydroplanes and especially a typical T6 hull, I realized how many small features that my hull was lacking that really were detracting from the scale appearance overall. Ill show pictures of the hull when I first got it, and youll be able to see the difference easily. At first, mainly after tearing out the floor, I thought "WTF are you insane?! you just butchered and sabotaged your entire project.... dummy" but thankfully it turned out great and gave me confidence with the next modifications I made. I really feel these made a DRAMATIC difference in the entire aesthetic of the boat.
I could really go and on about the near 5 months I spent on this build, but ill leave that for any potential questions that anyone might have, and the pictures that Ill probably inevitably post. Also, anyone who wants can go over to the scale hydroplane section on the forum and check out the thread I made there, however I still didnt quite document everything that I went through.
Well thats enough talking for now! heres some pictures of the boat currently, and some during its construction.
However, with some patience, and some extremely helpful individuals here on offshore electrics (one individual in particular who has been just outstanding and far more generous then ive ever been), I have been able to progress to the point I am at now. Now I must say that not only is this my first build and I have no experience driving either, im also not exactly a craftsman either. I did my best to basically mimic the ML boatworks scale builds that I have seen, as I really trust in ML boatworks design philosophy and I have never seen a boat from Mike that didnt run well. That being said, I still made mistakes and also I have been very picky. Alot of trail and error, and error usually meaning tearing out "permanently" installed materials/components, lol.
I didnt really understand at first why there was so few true scale hydroplane builds out there that were electric, and among those, it seemed like almost all were wooden builds. Now that I went ahead and purchased a glass hull that was intended for nitro, I can see why! I was so deadset at first on getting a glass hull, and I also didnt understand the difference between an epoxy hull and a gelcoated hull. Needless to say, this also resulted in a ton of unforeseen required work! The main thing being was room for lipos.... I know most people would simply put the lipos inside the hull underneath the decks, and thus outside the engine tub. But every ML boatworks kit and subsequent piece of advice id get regarding this, told me to place the lipos as far foward as possible, preferably up in the cockpit. I made the stupid mistake of purchasing the lipos far too late and nearly after every other component was already installed, but then again, it was sort of a good thing because then it helped me realize what truly needed to be done to fit them up front. No compromises! so I completely tore out a large section of the tub floor of the boat. I sanded down the edges smooth and then shaped a new and deeper belly pan from plywood that would not only span the length of the batteries, but also enable a better motor mount position. I used some pretty heavy cloth when I fiberglassed over the entire thing, along with alot of fairing filler and some glazing putty. I have pictures of this whole process.
Another big aspect of the progression of this was some major hull modifications I underwent to meet the previously stated goals, along with my pickyness in making the hull appear more scale accurate. After I looked at more and more pictures of modern day hydroplanes and especially a typical T6 hull, I realized how many small features that my hull was lacking that really were detracting from the scale appearance overall. Ill show pictures of the hull when I first got it, and youll be able to see the difference easily. At first, mainly after tearing out the floor, I thought "WTF are you insane?! you just butchered and sabotaged your entire project.... dummy" but thankfully it turned out great and gave me confidence with the next modifications I made. I really feel these made a DRAMATIC difference in the entire aesthetic of the boat.
I could really go and on about the near 5 months I spent on this build, but ill leave that for any potential questions that anyone might have, and the pictures that Ill probably inevitably post. Also, anyone who wants can go over to the scale hydroplane section on the forum and check out the thread I made there, however I still didnt quite document everything that I went through.
Well thats enough talking for now! heres some pictures of the boat currently, and some during its construction.