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Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 01:08 PM
OK Gang... I've finally gotten around to taking one of my UL1s out of the box.

First thing I did was remove the stickers and fins, and then I tore the entire boat down. That's just how I roll... ;)

What follows details the things I'm doing to prep mine for racing this season.

WARNING: What follows is in NO WAY authorized, endorsed, promoted, or otherwise condoned by AquaCraft or any entities associated with AquaCraft. Doing many of these actions could very well VOID any factory warrantee on this boat, so please be aware of that before proceeding. This thread is simply ME sharing what I'm doing to my UL1 to get it ready for a season of racing. The content provided is solely from me for the purpose of showing one approach to making this boat race-ready. Proceed at your own risk!

I did pressure test the water jacket (blew into the water lines) and it leaks badly right out of the box. I'm not concerned at all, however, because I know that Mike Z is on top of this.

So, with the boat torn down, I put all the parts into Ziplock bags and set them aside. First setp is to reinforce the turn-fin area. I KNOW that this won't be necessary on later boats, as AQ is working on the issue now, but at least this one is rather soft in the turn-fin area and I think it should be reinforced.

These pictures show how I'm approaching this.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 01:12 PM
Next I cut out the hole and fabbed a backing plate for the turn-fin sponson... Backing plate is fabbed from two pieces of 3/32 heavy ply (thin laminations and lots of them) laminated together with epoxy.

I'm using nutplates on the backside and have added a third mounting point. The existing pattern picks up to of the holes in a standard Fuller's style bracket, so having the extra mounting point will give me turn-fin mounting options later. I'd like to see the factory bracket pick up this pattern, as I believe it would be a touch stouter and would distribute the loads better...

To locate the holes, I test fit the backing plate, then transfered the factory holes to the wood and drilled them out. I used a Fuller's bracket to locate the third hole. This step is, of course, optional. Just me planning ahead again...

I have also knocked out the original aluminum backing plate so I'll have a better fit to the fiberglass. I was able to knock it loose by partially threading a screw into it then striking the screw sharpy. Epoxy popped right off.. I have a picture of that at home that I'll post later... It may have helped that I used a wide flat Xacto blade on the inside and sharply "rapped" on it with a hammer in an attempt to pop the glue loose... this may have loosened things up. Just be careful and take your time.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 01:15 PM
I pressed in some nutplates, then greased and inserted three 4-40 screws to protect the holes while the laminating epoxy dries on the forward side of the backing plate. Once this dries, I'll fit it into the hull by locating it and holding it in place with the same screws, running laminating epoxy down into the area, then tightening the screws to hold it in place while it dries... making sure to grease the screws well.

I'll document those steps as I do them and update this thread at that time.

Ub Hauled
01-19-2009, 01:20 PM
Darin, dude...
this is a great "tut"... although I don't own an UL-1 I can appreciate and use the
techniques here elsewhere...

BTW, gotta love Dremel... handy little bugger.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 01:22 PM
I will make the pattern available for the backing plate as well... I need to find out what the final shape will be first... I think this one fits perfectly, but I want to get to the finish line before I decide that for sure...

Also, the "leg" on this extends up onto the top of the airtrap, up flush with the inner wall of the hole... Should help transfer the loads better...

Plenty more pics to follow... once I make some more progress...

Steven Vaccaro
01-19-2009, 01:45 PM
Thanks for sharing!! Its a big help to people!!

LuckyDuc
01-19-2009, 03:51 PM
Thanks! Looking forward to the template. If you get a chance, can you take a pic of the inside of the turn fin sponson area?

Flying Scotsman
01-19-2009, 03:59 PM
No disrespect to Darin, but the photos I have seen seem to point out that the edge of the sponson is the problem...too much lateral force to that area. Should the sponson outside area be fortified also?
PS Grim's response would be appreciated, and I am NOT stating this is a bad model, to the contrary I just purchased one from OSE

Douggie

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 04:15 PM
No disrespect to Darin, but the photos I have seen seem to point out that the edge of the sponson is the problem...too much lateral force to that area. Should the sponson outside area be fortified also?
PS Grim's response would be appreciated

Douggie

Douggie... I don't know what has previously been shown, but I know what I'm doing... There shouldn't be any force on the "outside of the sponson" once I'm finished with this update. All the load will be transfered to this backing plate and distributed across the airtrap and up to the tunnel area... I can see what you might be saying, however... The pressure from the outside of the mounting bracket, it basically pivoting on the two mounting screws, could cause it to stress the glass along that edge... That won't be an issue when I'm done...

Also... on final installation... There will be plenty of additional "reinforcing when the area is flooded with epoxy to seal this piece in... The main concern, however, is from the mounting screws of the turn fin toward center... That will be the side loading the fin... AND, this backing plate extends the full width of the sponson, so it'll contact that area anyhow...

I've got it covered... at least for my boat... More pics to come shortly...

Flying Scotsman
01-19-2009, 05:28 PM
Darin has offered some of the best updates to Aquacraft models and his knowledge, enthusiasm and efforts to support FE boating are second to none. I may disagree from time to time...surprise!! but on the whole Darin and many other DUDES you know only try to grow the hobby with their knowledge. Learn and do not think about suing a manufacturer for a minor problem, as they will be out of business and the rest of us will suffer for your minor $ gain.

Douggie

Doug Smock
01-19-2009, 05:55 PM
Darin, good thread sir!!!:thumbup1:

Doug

LuckyDuc
01-19-2009, 05:59 PM
Darin,

If one was to cut a larger hole in the tub, is there enough room to lay additional glass on the back, sides, top, and bottom of the sponson along with a larger back plate?

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 07:29 PM
I have the new backing plate in a drying now... Here's what I did...

First, here I've added a picture showing how I located the holes. Basically, test fit the piece, and once you are happy with how it fits, transfer the holes, take the piece out, and drill it up.

With the backing plate out, I used a flat Xacto blade to chissle out the old epoxy as best I could so the new plate would fit as tightly as possible to the surface of the sponson material... It won't be perfect, but it'll get filled with epoxy anyhow, so I just wanted it as close as possible...

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 07:35 PM
At this point, I'm ready to glue the backing plate in permenantly. I ran a 4-40 tap through all the nutplates to make sure they were clean.

Then, I coated some temporary 4-40 screws with grease, and CAREFULLY filled the holes in the nutplates with grease, to protect the threads from the epoxy. I cleaned up the any excess with laquer thinner...

With all this setup, I mixed about 7.5cc of epoxy for the first pour. I coated the aft side of the plate and all edges liberally with epoxy, then slid the piece in place and threaded in the fasters loosely.

Once the plate is positioned correctly, I snugged down the fasteners as far as I dare without cracking the glass... I was able to get them seated down pretty well, except for the third one I added, but even it's not too bad...

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 07:43 PM
With everything snugged down, I poured in the remaining epoxy, concentrating on the aft side of the plate. My intent is to fill all the voids and basically flood the area with epoxy, sealing the wood plate in there nicely and filling any gaps between the plate and the sponson transon inner surface. This way the outter glass won't crack when torque is applied do to the glass compressing into any gaps...

I propped the boat up at an angle the would allow the epoxy to stay in the area of concern and turned on the heater and I'll let that cure for 24-hours.

Tomorrow, I'll pour in some more epoxy and repeat that as needed until I'm satisfied that the area is secure and solid.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 07:44 PM
Darin,

If one was to cut a larger hole in the tub, is there enough room to lay additional glass on the back, sides, top, and bottom of the sponson along with a larger back plate?


Perhaps.... but I think you'd have a tough time getting around the floatation that's in there... Might be possible... but I think harder...

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 07:54 PM
Here is the template I used for my hull. I've included the dimensions so you can scale the printout.

I'd suggest you print then, then trim it out, leaving some extra material. Then test fit it and trim as necessary until you have an acceptable fit. This should be close.

The attached file is a .jpg of the sketch.

Here is a link to a .pdf version. Not sure which would be easier to use... take you pick:

UL1 Sponson Backing Plate Template in .PDF (http://www.banzaihydrosports.com/hosted_files/UL1_Prep/UL1_Sponson_Backing_Plate_Template.pdf)


Also... before you guys start hacking an cutting... you might want to wait until I'm almost finished in case I've made any mistakes along the way or discover a better way to do things... At this point, I'm committed... you aren't yet and there may be a better way to go about this.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 10:41 PM
While I'm waiting for the epoxy in the sponson to fully cure, I thought I'd do another bit of "upgrade" that I like to do...

I'm not a big fan of long lengths of unsupported stuffing tube, so here is what I usually do in my boats...

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 10:44 PM
Once the part is fitted, I use some sandpaper on a stick to get under the stuffing tube and rough-up the area. I also use a piece of fine paper to clean up the brass tubing.

When finished, wipe down the area with some mineral spirits or laquer thinner.

Darin Jordan
01-19-2009, 10:47 PM
All that's left now is to epoxy it all into place.

I am using some MAS FLAG medium epoxy here. It takes overnight to dry, but it seems to adhere to the metal better. I also often wrap a thin layer of fiberglass cloth up and over the assembly, but I've done it both ways and haven't had one fail yet, so this should work for this boat. It's really just a brace to help keep a careless moment from bending the stuffing tube or cracking the hull in this area.

Doby
01-19-2009, 10:51 PM
Nicely done and a great idea for just about any boat.

Darin Jordan
01-20-2009, 11:38 AM
I went out this morning and poured in another 7.5cc of epoxy. I may do one more pour tonight, just to make darn sure it's solid in that area.

More to follow...

Rex R
01-20-2009, 06:56 PM
A request Darin,
for your next template, could you ink the lines after you 'finalize' the shape and before you scan it? thanks.
d/l'd the pdf and printed it...just need to start cutting.
rex

detox
01-20-2009, 07:27 PM
These glue syringes work perfect for tight areas and what ever.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGGG7&P=7

JimClark
01-20-2009, 07:50 PM
You can find the same thing on ebay from medical supplies in bags of 25 to 50 of them
cheaper


These glue syringes work perfect for tight areas and what ever.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGGG7&P=7

Darin Jordan
01-20-2009, 11:42 PM
Made the final epoxy pour this morning and a little more tonight... it's all filled up to my liking at this point. I'll close everything up tomorrow and move onto other areas...

Bill-SOCAL
01-21-2009, 12:07 AM
A couple of questions:

1) My boat will not be red, will these mods work on other colros too??

2) Can I pour the epoxy with my left hand? I notice you use your right hand, is that because it is the right hand sponson? Does this matter?

And one serious one - rather than simply pouring epoxy, which really has no intrinsic strength to it, I suggest mixing in some chopped glass or CF to give it lots of extra strength.

Guess I'm going to have to get one of these for my own self now!!

Ub Hauled
01-21-2009, 02:44 AM
And one serious one - rather than simply pouring epoxy, which really has no intrinsic strength to it, I suggest mixing in some chopped glass or CF to give it lots of extra strength.


Bill, I think that the point of the resin is not the actual strength factor of the doubler but just the gluing and even then the screws will pull it together anyway... the doubler is not giving any structural stiffness to the hull just to the fin area...

Darin Jordan
01-21-2009, 07:14 AM
A couple of questions:

1) My boat will not be red, will these mods work on other colros too??


Sorry dude... but this will only work on the white, yellow, or red boats... You "orange" guys are out of luck! Dang... ;)




2) Can I pour the epoxy with my left hand? I notice you use your right hand, is that because it is the right hand sponson? Does this matter?


It depends on whether or not you are trying to hold a camera and take pictures as you pour...



And one serious one - rather than simply pouring epoxy, which really has no intrinsic strength to it, I suggest mixing in some chopped glass or CF to give it lots of extra strength.


I like it... The only thing is, at least for the initial pour, is I wouldn't want anything keeping the epoxy from freely flowing into the area... Most of the other epoxy I poured in was just to tie everything together, and it probably would work better with some chopped glass in there... I'll try that on the second hull... which is a white one... :bounce:

Darin Jordan
01-21-2009, 06:35 PM
I just thought of a revision to this process that would improve it...

At the point where you are about to glue the plate in, it would help the process to make a rigid plate, or just use the mounting bracket, underneath the screws on the outside of the sponson... When everything it tightened down, this would ensure that the outter surface stays nice and flat, and isn't compressed by the screws...

Darin Jordan
01-22-2009, 04:06 PM
OK Gang... I decided last night to make another modification to the hull...

I started out by block sanding the ride-pads, but decided that I could get it flatter, and make the surface more durable, with less sanding and filling, by installing some new ride-pads from a harder material.

Here's what I did:

First, I block sanded both sponsons and wiped them down with Mineral Spirits on a clean shop towel.

Next, I cut out two pieces of .031" G10 material, approximately 7.5" x 1.9".

I trued the edges with my belt sander, then fitted them to the existing ride-pad surfaces. I left about .100" overhang at the aft end, and beveled the underside of the new pad slightly so it would fit right up against the anti-submarine pads in the front.

The inside edges are perfectly flush with the inside of the sponson. The outsides overhang just slightly, which will be fine.

Darin Jordan
01-22-2009, 04:07 PM
Once they were fitted, I roughed them up a tad with some 320-grit sandpaper, wiped it all down, then put a thin coat of epoxy on both the existing pad surface and the bottom of the new pad.

Taped it in place, clamped things down, wiped off the excess (come back a couple of times to do this as it will continue to squeeze out) and set the assembly up to dry...

Please be VERY careful if you use clamps as I've shown in the picture... the deck will crack if you put much pressure on them. I only used them to help hold some force downward...

Remove the tape and cleanup and you are done... Nice sharp edges, very hard, dense surface, and FLAT... Should optimize the performance of this already fast hull, as well as make the ride-pads much more durable. That's important when you are racing, because inevitably, you WILL flip, and every now and then, someone will run you over... and the sponsons are usually the first thing to get hit!

Darin Jordan
01-22-2009, 04:08 PM
Here's what it should look like when the pads are finished... I'll take a few more angles of it tonight when I get home from work...

We'll have to see how this works. My main concern at this point would be the fact that I've basically reduced the step between the anti-submarine pads in the front and the ride-pad surface by .030"... Hopefully that won't cause any issues...

LuckyDuc
01-22-2009, 04:15 PM
Pretty slick looking. Where did you get the G10 sheet?

Darin Jordan
01-22-2009, 04:33 PM
Pretty slick looking. Where did you get the G10 sheet?

McMaster Carr... Can't recall what the part number was... There are lots to choose from there...

Kfoss1
01-24-2009, 08:07 AM
Darin we need pics of the closing to complete the turn fin repair, Great tutorial by the way:thumbup:

Darin Jordan
01-24-2009, 08:13 AM
Here are a few more pictures of what I've done to this point.

Once the epoxy on the ride-pads was dry, I block sand the surfaces with 320-grit paper, then with 400-grit. Move lengthwise down the pad. Lightly sand the edges. Clean up, and this portion should be completed.

Darin Jordan
01-24-2009, 08:17 AM
Here is a little modification I've done to make use of the extra mounting point in the turn fin mount.

I carefully sanded off the black coating from the mounting surface on the turn fin bracket, then epoxied it to a piece of Carbon fiber, drilled up with the correct bolt pattern (standard Fuller's style strut bracket hole pattern works perfectly)...

Once the epoxy sets, I shaped it to fit and I now have a 3-point bracket. When mounted, it spreads the load better. Additionally, should I need to align the fin better, I can use this material as a shim, carefully sanding it at the angle needed to get better turn-fin alignment if needed.

Capt. Crash
01-24-2009, 08:32 AM
This is a very helpful thread....and I sorta wish my pond was hard so I could have done all these upgrades to my boat before I ran it...but the water is soft and I want to play so I will try some quick fixes first.

I am thinking about drilling another drain plug hole on each side of the tub to allow me to squirt some epoxy into the (fractured and unfractured) channel (see oh...oh...post.) I'll have to think on it some more. I added a kick plate to my modified turn fin area. Am I allowed to link to another site on here...if so here it is rather than reposting everything. If not the mod can remove it.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=965826&page=12#post11415903

Oh...I know the dedicated hard core racer doesn't use shear pins or break away rudders/fins, but I am not doing serious racing and have a minefield of Alligator Snapping Turtles in my pond. I think I already hit one cause my turn fin had a flattened knife edge and may be the cause of the cracked sponson under the turn fin.

Any way...I don't want to hijack the thread so rock on dude! :rockon2:

Oh...I've been meaning to add...the vertical fins don't fit real well or stay on, the way they come, without the outside (hatch) tape but after I sanded a little off the bottoms for a better fit and added some balsa inside for additional flotation, I find a doubled thickness of two sided tape works well enough that you don't need the outside pieces of tape, on top the hatch, to hold them in place.

Darin Jordan
01-24-2009, 11:41 AM
Darin we need pics of the closing to complete the turn fin repair, Great tutorial by the way:thumbup:

I haven't gotten that far yet... I'm thinking of actually making it into a removable access panel that screws down, but we'll see...

I'm about done with the upgrades to this point, and getting ready to do some painting. There is likely more that can be done, like maybe what Mike Martin suggested in filling it with expanding foam, but I think I'll pause for now and see how it works at this point.

I'll post more as I get it complete. Hopefully this thread helped someone out there...

Flying Scotsman
01-24-2009, 11:42 AM
Darin, I like the 3 point bracket.
Thanks

Douggie

LuckyDuc
01-24-2009, 12:00 PM
I was contemplating how to deal with the hole I intend to cut in the tub. I think I might use a piece of clear lexan and silicone adhesive to cover it up. If I do need access in the future I can just pry it off.

Darin Jordan
01-24-2009, 12:09 PM
I was contemplating how to deal with the hole I intend to cut in the tub. I think I might use a piece of clear lexan and silicone adhesive to cover it up. If I do need access in the future I can just pry it off.


Yah... that would work... I'm half tempted to just leave it there and open... ALL of my other hydros are completely open in there... if it stays dry (all of mine do), then it's not an issue...

.... until you accidently drop a screw or something in there and can't get it back out, and have to listen to it rattle around... :olleyes:

... I think I'll make a closeout panel for it! ;)

Darin Jordan
01-27-2009, 07:16 AM
Did a little more work. Almost ready to wrap it up for now.

Darin Jordan
01-27-2009, 07:20 AM
After sanding the areas for painting with 320-grit, then 400 grit, I wiped it all down with cleaner, primed, and I've just about wrapped up the painting. Waiting for some decals to arrive, then I'll clearcoat and be done.

WARNING: I don't know what it is, but it took about 4-coats of primer, and several coats of the white paint, before the red stopped bleeding through... Kind of like on the ProBoat hull I did awhile back. Not sure what happens, but it just keeps coming through...

Painted the center white because I usually use electrical tape to tape the hatch, and this will allow me to use white tape without having it show much... Not an exact white match here, but I was just using up some paint I already had.

Capt. Crash
01-27-2009, 08:04 AM
Looks good to me! :rockon2:

I stuffed a piece of balsa in my fins....works good...as I found out last week! :cursing:

AndyKunz
01-27-2009, 08:45 AM
Was the red bleeding through chemically? Or was it just not covering red? Red is known for being hard to paint over (or remove from skin, or from clothing) - something about the color.

Andy

Darin Jordan
01-27-2009, 11:10 AM
Was the red bleeding through chemically? Or was it just not covering red? Red is known for being hard to paint over (or remove from skin, or from clothing) - something about the color.

Andy


Andy... The best way to describe it was that is would just cause the white to look pinkish-red... evenly across the whole surface... almost like the red was mixing with the white...

I used a gray primer under the silver paint, and while it still did it, it was not nearly as bad or noticable...

The ProBoat I converted previously did the same thing, but only where the decals had been...

Flying Scotsman
01-27-2009, 12:17 PM
Darin, I would presume a paint that is not compatible wirh the original paint. Did you apply a primer after wet sanding the original surface. Did that primer flash and bond well with no apparent bleed. Ditto for top coats? Have you tried to apply a tape and pull with no damage to the newly painted surface.

Douggie

Darin Jordan
01-27-2009, 12:25 PM
Darin, I would presume a paint that is not compatible wirh the original paint. Did you apply a primer after wet sanding the original surface. Did that primer flash and bond well with no apparent bleed. Ditto for top coats? Have you tried to apply a tape and pull with no damage to the newly painted surface.

Douggie

YES... YES and NO... YES and NO... Yes and it's fine...

Maybe nextime I'll try an enamel instead of a lacquer-based paint...

Flying Scotsman
01-27-2009, 12:32 PM
HMMM. You had some bleed on the primer coat?

Darin Jordan
01-27-2009, 12:38 PM
HMMM. You had some bleed on the primer coat?

Doug... it could be best characterized as color "mixing"... The white primer actually turned pink... Coat after coat after coat... It NEVER stayed just white... Then the white paint coats did the same thing...

Like I just edited in my previous post... maybe next time, I'll try some enamel based paint instead of lacquer...

Flying Scotsman
01-27-2009, 12:46 PM
Darin, I prefer grey as a primer but some top coats really show their true colours with white as a primer. As an aside I love Tamiya TS paints as they are compatible with many other paints and surfaces.

Douggie

AndyKunz
01-27-2009, 01:47 PM
Another trick is to use Bulls Eye shellac before the primer. It very effectively seals the under paint.

Andy

detox
01-27-2009, 06:07 PM
I prefer standerd Krylon paint. What brand of primer and paint did you use? I am guessing Duplicolor.

egneg
01-27-2009, 06:48 PM
This is why I ordered a white boat ... so I could paint it.

detox
01-27-2009, 09:10 PM
Krylon's White primer is semi tranparent so I bet it would not hide the Red verywell either. I bet light gray primer would work best at covering up the Red and preventing the pink color.

Darin Jordan
01-28-2009, 11:39 AM
Krylon's White primer is semi tranparent so I bet it would not hide the Red verywell either. I bet light gray primer would work best at covering up the Red and preventing the pink color.

I used Krylon's light gray primer where I painted the silver portions and it only too two coats to get full coverage... so you may be right...

Darin Jordan
01-28-2009, 04:08 PM
I'm just about there... Need to apply some clear, and I have one more change I'd like to make, which is to put some brass tubing in for the water inlet and outlet. I prefer that over just running the lines through the hull. Should be a simple update.

By the way... does anyone know what is backing up the motor-mount to hull screws in the hull?? Is it aluminum or a piece of wood... or nothing? I'm thinking I'd like to replace those screws (which appear to be small sheet-metal or wood screws) with some threaded 4-40 inserts or something like that...

detox
01-28-2009, 04:35 PM
Grimracer did comment about this...I think it is wood. Search post by Grimracer

killjoy781
01-28-2009, 04:55 PM
I'm just about there... Need to apply some clear, and I have one more change I'd like to make, which is to put some brass tubing in for the water inlet and outlet. I prefer that over just running the lines through the hull. Should be a simple update.

By the way... does anyone know what is backing up the motor-mount to hull screws in the hull?? Is it aluminum or a piece of wood... or nothing? I'm thinking I'd like to replace those screws (which appear to be small sheet-metal or wood screws) with some threaded 4-40 inserts or something like that...

wow! i could sit here and just watch it all day!!:popcorn2:

egneg
01-28-2009, 05:15 PM
The motor mount is backed with aluminum sandwiched between FG. Hard to tell how thick the aluminum is but my guess would be about 4mm.

Darin Jordan
01-28-2009, 05:38 PM
The motor mount is backed with aluminum sandwiched between FG. Hard to tell how thick the aluminum is but my guess would be about 4mm.

Just got word... it's 4mm thick wood... Inserts to come shortly... ;) For those of us who just like to take stuff apart again and again and again!

egneg
01-28-2009, 06:25 PM
Just got word... it's 4mm thick wood... Inserts to come shortly... ;) For those of us who just like to take stuff apart again and again and again!

I stand corrected. I was sure I saw metal bits but upon closer inspection it is indeed wood.

Darin Jordan
01-28-2009, 07:23 PM
I think I'm going to throw up... :frusty:

I just shot a coat of clear on and the white paint crinkled all to hell... SAME freaking process I always use, but there it is...

I'm going to set this aside for a few days to get hard, then start stipping off the white and start over with that...

It was that, or just freaking throw it on the floor and CRUSH and STOMP the heck out of it! :swear:

detox
01-28-2009, 07:31 PM
Krylon clear can be sprayed over Krylon colors. What paint brands did you use?

killjoy781
01-28-2009, 08:11 PM
I think I'm going to throw up... :frusty:

I just shot a coat of clear on and the white paint crinkled all to hell... SAME freaking process I always use, but there it is...

I'm going to set this aside for a few days to get hard, then start stipping off the white and start over with that...

It was that, or just freaking throw it on the floor and CRUSH and STOMP the heck out of it! :swear:

:unsure: wow! sorry to hear that....but dnt lose ur patience!

Darin Jordan
01-28-2009, 08:39 PM
Krylon clear can be sprayed over Krylon colors. What paint brands did you use?

Same brand and combos I've always used... Krylon base paint, with Duplicolor Clear Top Coat over it...

I'm over it (bounce back quickly, eh??? ;) )... I'll strip down the white part and try again...

Capt. Crash
01-28-2009, 09:04 PM
I feel ya man....mine did the same in a couple of spots...I thought maybe I did something wrong. Then I thought ....this boat is going to be getting lots of battle scars anyway...the heck with it! :buttrock:

Capt. Crash
01-28-2009, 09:19 PM
The worst is under the cockpit...rock on dude!

Flying Scotsman
01-28-2009, 09:47 PM
Darin, been there, I understand your frustration. Only one remedy...remove all paint!!!!

The prevoius problems would have only been exagreated by the clear coat...dries very fast and no allowance for escaping gases from the previous paint problems

Douggie

killjoy781
01-31-2009, 12:13 AM
does ose sell lipos?

whats a recommended power source for the ul-1?

thanx

sailr
02-08-2009, 04:06 PM
I'm pretty sure Duplicolor makes a clear acrylic enamel AND a clear lacquer. If you used the lacquer, it would probably eat the Krylon enamel. Might want to check that. My paints are at my warehouse and I don't have a chance to check that today. Also, Duplicolor colors come in lacquer (the car coded touchups) and the larger cans of acrylic enamel. I use the enamel all the way through on my paint jobs. I'm no expert though. I KNOW how frustrating it can be to have the bottom coat wrinkle! Been there. It's AWFUL!



Same brand and combos I've always used... Krylon base paint, with Duplicolor Clear Top Coat over it...

I'm over it (bounce back quickly, eh??? ;) )... I'll strip down the white part and try again...

sailr
02-08-2009, 04:08 PM
Back in the 'olden days' when us old timey model airplane builders actually built and covered airplanes with silk and dope, it was almost impossible to get light colors to cover well. Yellow was the worst but white was no picnic either. The SECRET (shhhh) is to put on a coat of silver or aluminum first! Then the light colors will cover really well! Tadaaa!

sailr
02-08-2009, 04:09 PM
You won't hear it rattle around for long. The magnets in the motor will find it soon enough! Cruuunch!

I'd cover it!



Yah... that would work... I'm half tempted to just leave it there and open... ALL of my other hydros are completely open in there... if it stays dry (all of mine do), then it's not an issue...

.... until you accidently drop a screw or something in there and can't get it back out, and have to listen to it rattle around... :olleyes:

... I think I'll make a closeout panel for it! ;)

sailr
02-08-2009, 04:14 PM
I run two 2S Flightpower 25C 5000's. Great setup. I don't think Steven (OSE) sells lipos. Right now, Towerhobbies is selling the Flightpowers at dealer cost! (I know, I'm a dealer and getting hosed over by Tower!) There is a new series of Flightpower lipos coming out so I guess they're selling off the original series. These are absolutely incredibly good lipos! You can't go wrong at the current prices at Tower. I believe the 2S 25C 5000's are going for $89.99. Normally $119.99! Get 'em while they got 'em. You won't get any cheaper for a quality lipo. Sure, you can get the Zippy's from Hobby City but they ARE NOT as good a battery and with shipping won't be that cheap... AND if you have a problem, you gotta send 'em back to China.... etc. etc. etc.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXWPB4&P=7




does ose sell lipos?

whats a recommended power source for the ul-1?

thanx

highndry
02-08-2009, 07:23 PM
For what its worth, I got very frustrated spraying the new gen Krylon over prepared gelcoat and started using Testors Enamel and Model Masters High Gloss Clearcoat with very good results, Still have to let it marinate ( for lack of a better word) based on the instructions. Clearly, for abs or whatever the manufactures call plastic these days, Fusion is still a great product.

highndry
02-08-2009, 07:32 PM
Sailr,

That brings back fond memories....clear dope and silkspan...control-line... Sterling Ringmasters, Top Flight products..

sailr
02-08-2009, 08:26 PM
Yeah, it wasn't the building and flying of the airplanes, it was the fumes! haha. I didn't think you were old enough to remember that Mike!


Sailr,

That brings back fond memories....clear dope and silkspan...control-line... Sterling Ringmasters, Top Flight products..

sailr
02-08-2009, 08:29 PM
Oh, I thought it was the Tamiya paint you liked. I bought one of those tiny little million dollar spray cans and didn't like it worth a hoot! ;-) Since the hatch is abs plastic, I thought maybe the Krylon would work good. The UL-1 is painted, not gelcoat. Might wanta think of that.




For what its worth, I got very frustrated spraying the new gen Krylon over prepared gelcoat and started using Testors Enamel and Model Masters High Gloss Clearcoat with very good results, Still have to let it marinate ( for lack of a better word) based on the instructions. Clearly, for abs or whatever the manufactures call plastic these days, Fusion is still a great product.

sailr
02-08-2009, 08:30 PM
Mike, go easy when you clearcoat the decals I made for you. Too heavy and it will run the colors in the decal. Shoulda told ya that earlier!

sailr
02-08-2009, 08:43 PM
Will the Model Masters clear work over the Krylon?


Oh, I thought it was the Tamiya paint you liked. I bought one of those tiny little million dollar spray cans and didn't like it worth a hoot! ;-) Since the hatch is abs plastic, I thought maybe the Krylon would work good. The UL-1 is painted, not gelcoat. Might wanta think of that.

highndry
02-09-2009, 11:04 AM
No, not Tamiya. I think that is for lexan. Yes, MM works over Krylon. The Fusion clear is more of a satin finish. If you want bright , use MM.

sailr
02-09-2009, 11:27 AM
Thanks for the tip!


No, not Tamiya. I think that is for lexan. Yes, MM works over Krylon. The Fusion clear is more of a satin finish. If you want bright , use MM.

Flying Scotsman
02-09-2009, 12:14 PM
No, not Tamiya. I think that is for lexan. Yes, MM works over Krylon. The Fusion clear is more of a satin finish. If you want bright , use MM.

Tamiya make different paints for different surfaces. The TS series is what would be used for most of our applications, a synthetic lacquer. Yes, they are expensive but are of a very high quality. They have a specific paint for Lexan materials.
The TS series is great because you can apply other paint types over the painted surface. Plus, no need for a clear coat which makes it easy to fix if you damage the paint suface.

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/category.php?main-id=60|80

Douggie

Jeff Wohlt
02-09-2009, 03:07 PM
Yep, gelcoat should not be harmed but any spray paint. I thoought these were gelcoat but sounds more like painted. Is this true?

Darin, fantasic paint scheem! It is very sharp man. Glad your boats don't run as good as they look! :)

Darin Jordan
02-09-2009, 03:15 PM
Yep, gelcoat should not be harmed but any spray paint. I thoought these were gelcoat but sounds more like painted. Is this true?

Darin, fantasic paint scheem! It is very sharp man. Glad your boats don't run as good as they look! :)

Thanks Jeff... I think it's paint... After the initial debocal with the white, I stripped it off completely, using Citri-strip, and it even took the red paint off... was a mess.

But, now, it's back in white, has the clearcoat on, and is mostly reassembled. I'm just waiting to get a water jacket for the motor.

Will be interested to see how it performs... Hopefully at least as good as it looks...

Flying Scotsman
02-09-2009, 03:37 PM
Darin, I had to do the same procedure on a painted hull and it was a mess. Every other fix I tried without removing the paint just compounding the problems.

I trust that all goes well with the next painting procedure.

The original UL-1 suface is painted fireglass

Douggie

Darin Jordan
02-09-2009, 03:38 PM
Here is my advice to anyone wishing to customize the paint on one of these... buy a color you like, and add lots of decals/graphics... ;) Much simpler!

sailr
02-10-2009, 07:26 PM
It remains to be seen if my paint is gonna hold up to tape! All I painted was the hatch and cowl. I'm in the same boat as you...waiting for a water jacket. I gave up on the POS one that comes on the boat. Also had to do your major surgery on the right sponson where the fin bolts on. Mine came with the sponson pretty badly split open already. Just finished that job. I'm going to use the foam you suggested (it just arrived today) and pour it in several places in the boat. I just don't like how flimsy the hull is. Now I'm trying to find the little 1 oz medicine cups to measure that stuff. No luck at Walgreens! :bounce:


Here is my advice to anyone wishing to customize the paint on one of these... buy a color you like, and add lots of decals/graphics... ;) Much simpler!

egneg
02-11-2009, 02:19 AM
It remains to be seen if my paint is gonna hold up to tape! All I painted was the hatch and cowl. I'm in the same boat as you...waiting for a water jacket. I gave up on the POS one that comes on the boat. Also had to do your major surgery on the right sponson where the fin bolts on. Mine came with the sponson pretty badly split open already. Just finished that job. I'm going to use the foam you suggested (it just arrived today) and pour it in several places in the boat. I just don't like how flimsy the hull is. Now I'm trying to find the little 1 oz medicine cups to measure that stuff. No luck at Walgreens! :bounce:

I use the the condiment cups from Micky D's and put my own markings. As long as the mixing ratios are 1:1 or by weight they will work.

longballlumber
02-11-2009, 07:28 AM
A good place for small disposable mixing cups is GFS (Gordon Food Services). They have several different sizes and shapes.

I will be interested to hear more about you experience with the expanding foam. I picked up a new UL-1 last week and upon first inspection my turn fin area seems to be fine. I plan on "injecting" West Systems epoxy into the turn fin mounting holes to increase strength in that area.

sailr
02-11-2009, 09:35 AM
Great idea! I have a small digital scale I can use. Thanks!! Never thought about the condiment cups!


I use the the condiment cups from Micky D's and put my own markings. As long as the mixing ratios are 1:1 or by weight they will work.

detox
02-11-2009, 12:12 PM
I use the small disposable Dixie bathroom paper cups for all mixing.

Flying Scotsman
02-11-2009, 12:42 PM
Actually, one of the best souces is your local pharmacist. They provide neat measuring cups for methodone users with markings.
You have to ask them with a very straight face

Douggie

sailr
02-11-2009, 12:59 PM
I asked the pharmacist at my local CVS and they said they didn't have any little cups. Apparently we don't have enough druggies around here! :buttrock:


Actually, one of the best souces is your local pharmacist. They provide neat measuring cups for methodone users with markings.
You have to ask them with a very straight face

Douggie

sailr
02-11-2009, 01:00 PM
Some chemicals don't like the wax coating on those cups.


I use the small disposable Dixie bathroom paper cups for all mixing.

detox
02-11-2009, 01:17 PM
No wax coating on small paper Dixie cups.

sailr
02-11-2009, 01:36 PM
OK. Good to know! Thanks.


No wax coating on small paper Dixie cups.

Grimracer
02-23-2009, 04:06 PM
Niros Gyros
Culvers
Whatever

They always have stacks of small mixing cups for me… to……..use…..

I have not bought a mixing cup in years... they come with the sandwich..

Grim

sailr
02-23-2009, 04:08 PM
Ha! Good one Grim. All my places down here seem to have the condiments in packets, not cups. No worries!

AndyKunz
02-23-2009, 05:54 PM
Niros is great, Mike. Want to meet for lunch Thu 11:30 there?

Andy

sailr
02-23-2009, 06:05 PM
Dang! You're making me hungry! Now I guess I'll have to go get a gyro down the street tomorrow!

Capt. Crash
02-24-2009, 08:11 AM
I drink a lot of crystal light...the little plastic cups it comes in is perfect for the job. Ya get 6 to a package. :smile:

WaterWalker
02-28-2009, 01:33 PM
Good Morning Darin...

Following your instructions... ";)

Maybe a dumb question... But... Why not put 2 Turn Fins on... ??? ??? one on each side as I see some doing on the SV27, w/the factory selling a Port side fin... ???

Also, to save a few $$$, think I can get away with using 1 or both of my crawler lipo's
http://www.maxamps.com/Lipo-4000-74-Saddle.htm

Holler and Thanks,
Luke

sailr
02-28-2009, 01:50 PM
Good news! The Krylon Fusion with the Model Masters clear over it held up just fine to the tape! Hoooray! I use vinyl tape (electrical tape) instead of the high dollar hatch tape. It lays down better, conforms better, has less adhesion and doesn't leave any residue. Walmart sells a CLEAR electrical tape in their automotive department for $1.79 a roll. BARGAIN! It works great!!

Also, I filled the hull with the foam Darin recommended. Great stuff. The hull is now solid as a rock! Ran the boat the first time last weekend and it's a Keeper for sure!



It remains to be seen if my paint is gonna hold up to tape! All I painted was the hatch and cowl. I'm in the same boat as you...waiting for a water jacket. I gave up on the POS one that comes on the boat. Also had to do your major surgery on the right sponson where the fin bolts on. Mine came with the sponson pretty badly split open already. Just finished that job. I'm going to use the foam you suggested (it just arrived today) and pour it in several places in the boat. I just don't like how flimsy the hull is. Now I'm trying to find the little 1 oz medicine cups to measure that stuff. No luck at Walgreens! :bounce:

Darin Jordan
02-28-2009, 02:05 PM
Also, I filled the hull with the foam Darin recommended.

Just for the record... that wasn't me... I think it was Mike Martin...

sailr
02-28-2009, 02:35 PM
MY BAD Darin! Sorry about that.


Just for the record... that wasn't me... I think it was Mike Martin...

falconfinder
03-10-2009, 09:30 PM
OK Gang... I've finally gotten around to taking one of my UL1s out of the box.

First thing I did was remove the stickers and fins, and then I tore the entire boat down. That's just how I roll... ;)

What follows details the things I'm doing to prep mine for racing this season.

WARNING: What follows is in NO WAY authorized, endorsed, promoted, or otherwise condoned by AquaCraft or any entities associated with AquaCraft. Doing many of these actions could very well VOID any factory warrantee on this boat, so please be aware of that before proceeding. This thread is simply ME sharing what I'm doing to my UL1 to get it ready for a season of racing. The content provided is solely from me for the purpose of showing one approach to making this boat race-ready. Proceed at your own risk!

I did pressure test the water jacket (blew into the water lines) and it leaks badly right out of the box. I'm not concerned at all, however, because I know that Mike Z is on top of this.

So, with the boat torn down, I put all the parts into Ziplock bags and set them aside. First setp is to reinforce the turn-fin area. I KNOW that this won't be necessary on later boats, as AQ is working on the issue now, but at least this one is rather soft in the turn-fin area and I think it should be reinforced.

These pictures show how I'm approaching this.

Great job with this thread. I have not ordered one yet. Do you know with AQ has made improvements on the stock boat on the turn fin if i order one now?

thanks man:buttrock:

longballlumber
03-12-2009, 10:55 AM
So Darin,

Is this thread dead now that your running an Proboat hull?

Darin Jordan
03-12-2009, 11:29 AM
Well... no... but the UL1 is ready to go. Haven't done anything with it since then... I may do the foam-pour thing to it once my order of that arrives...

engineerjoe
04-03-2009, 09:42 AM
I just wanted to say thanks to Offshore Electrics and Darin for this writup. I did it last night and thanks to the work of everyone here it went off without a hitch. a couple more epoxy pours and it will be "rock solid"


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/engineerjoe/clist/boats003.jpg

LiPo Power
05-24-2009, 11:00 PM
Darin, do you think Aquacraft will make changes to the fin on their later models ? Or, why there is no fin on the left side taking away some of the force?
BDW, very cool showing of your 2 mods. ( so fare )

MarkJnK
07-14-2009, 05:56 PM
Great info here Darin, I'm just doing the same process, and will finish it off with expanding urethane inside to act as a space frame to support the thin skin. I also used a Kintec fin bracket which adds a third hole. It is rock solid.

My backing plate shape was quite different from yours, as the third hole lines up with the lower standard hole, and your backing plate design didn't allow that hole to be located on it.

My shape was more like this...

Stealth Assassin
08-11-2009, 10:05 AM
What Is G-10?


Once they were fitted, I roughed them up a tad with some 320-grit sandpaper, wiped it all down, then put a thin coat of epoxy on both the existing pad surface and the bottom of the new pad.

Taped it in place, clamped things down, wiped off the excess (come back a couple of times to do this as it will continue to squeeze out) and set the assembly up to dry...

Please be VERY careful if you use clamps as I've shown in the picture... the deck will crack if you put much pressure on them. I only used them to help hold some force downward...

Remove the tape and cleanup and you are done... Nice sharp edges, very hard, dense surface, and FLAT... Should optimize the performance of this already fast hull, as well as make the ride-pads much more durable. That's important when you are racing, because inevitably, you WILL flip, and every now and then, someone will run you over... and the sponsons are usually the first thing to get hit!

bedrock
08-25-2009, 11:51 PM
Hi from Australia

Thanks for the template did the same thing using your turning fin Template using Alluminum instead of timber - works well also glassed the area 4 layers

This boat is very thin compared to other nitro boats!!!!
-
What Prop do you guys think is the best currently running standard prop brought Aq 40-57/3 have not sharpened this yet thinkin I may get this done or is this easy to do??

Thanks
________
Marijuana card (http://medicalmarijuanacard.info)

Crazzymugen
03-01-2010, 05:54 PM
Gday bedrock were in Aus do you live

Brushless55
03-02-2010, 09:00 AM
Here is my advice to anyone wishing to customize the paint on one of these... buy a color you like, and add lots of decals/graphics... ;) Much simpler!

I agree!
my UL-1 in my avitar took weeks to complete, because the paint kept pulling up and wrinkling... :doh:
I gave up two times on it

mavdriver
06-04-2011, 10:45 PM
seems like this thread has slow down , well good news Im bringging it back I`m thinking about doing the air dam does it work ? im still a bit offish wouldn`t aquacraft figure that out before they release this boat with all the hype you would think this was allready figure out , don`t get me wrong I love the UL 1 but does it really handle when you put the coals on , major wobble , thats what i get do have to add air dam to settle the sponsons why ? even so still wobbles , sorry just dissapointed I realised this is whole different animal , but give me Catamaran and it just handles , sorry just venting my UL 1 works but don`t hit full throttle she gets squirlly , slow down so she wont flip , come on I`m jet pilot i like to go fast , i don`t want to slow down , only when i need too LOL :confused2: :sinking-guy:

Sway
09-27-2011, 02:56 AM
What Is G-10?
Fiberglass plate.

stelerzman
09-22-2013, 12:55 PM
seems like this thread has slow down , well good news Im bringging it back I`m thinking about doing the air dam does it work ? im still a bit offish wouldn`t aquacraft figure that out before they release this boat with all the hype you would think this was allready figure out , don`t get me wrong I love the UL 1 but does it really handle when you put the coals on , major wobble , thats what i get do have to add air dam to settle the sponsons why ? even so still wobbles , sorry just dissapointed I realised this is whole different animal , but give me Catamaran and it just handles , sorry just venting my UL 1 works but don`t hit full throttle she gets squirlly , slow down so she wont flip , come on I`m jet pilot i like to go fast , i don`t want to slow down , only when i need too LOL :confused2: :sinking-guy:
What kind of speeds are you looking to get?

mavdriver
09-22-2013, 04:28 PM
I sold the boat i was gettin around 48 50 on a calm day stock motor 40c 4s 5000mah , i have now move on a motley crew doing consistant 55s and very stable hull . :thumbup1:

johnnyb5.0
12-07-2016, 12:26 AM
hey MAVDRIVER if you are doing an air dam try taking a 7/16-1/2 square piece of balsa or something some what soft and epoxy the wood so it sealed or clear coat it then double sided tape in under the hull around two inches back from the front of the tunnel and then hockey tape it to . This method works awesome. with slightly larger prop and the air dam then you set up the strut and sharpen the turn fin and rudder I have been getting a consistant 52mph even in a little rougher water, it sticks on smooth or tailing another boat and running in their wake

John