traxxas villan build

[j.m.]

The 4mm shaft Steve sells will serve this purpose. The shaft is very stiff (being stainless and all), and will work great as a surface drive hanging about 3" out the back. If the angle is kept very low and the center of the prop is level with the bottom of the hull, it will do just perfect.

This design is very similar to how European hulls are layed out.

The flex coupler will allow the shaft to be VERY low in the bottom of the hull. The villain likes a bit of a downward prop angle anyways. It's one less thing to adjust as well.

The shaft will certainly need to be supported inside the hull, in at least two places. The 1/16 ply 20psinow has could easily be fashioned into 1/8" thick shaft supports. With the transom doubler this will be very sturdy.

Jon

[Dragonturbo3]

What kind of epoxy do you use? I would like to fiberglass the bottom of an old MRC Tritoncat but I thought the epoxy gets hot when drying and could melt the ABS.

Your villain build is great by the way, makes me jealous I sold mine.

[Mono~Junkie]

I've never had epoxy get hot enough to melt abs,.

unless your are putting so much hardner in it that its smoking in the mixing cup, or having a 6 inch puddle of resin.

The longer the cure time, the least chance of any chemical heat.

[20psinow]

well guys the tonight's gole is to sand down the cuts i made and make them look perfict! and hear are some of the new parts that i have 1/16 bearch plywood 6"x12" and i know everyone is going to tell me that the air plane radio is not ment for what i going to do with it but the reciver is tiny and light!! so this weekend just going to be prep work for every thing and order the motor and mount drive line, then get some glass and reson.. you know what would be sweet if i could some how fab a way to use the 6ch and make adjustable trim tabs?!?!?!?

[j.m.]

I hope you didn't go and buy that radio... It is illegal per the FCC to use a 72Mhz system for a surface vehicle. If the radio is 27Mhz, it's legal, but watch out; a TON of lower quality RC vehicles use that frequency so always do a range check before you run.

For this purpose, general hobbypoxy (Your LHS should have it with their name on it, the epoxy comes from Bob Smith Industries) works great. The 30 minute type will give a long enough cure time to mix thoroughly and work with fiberglass. The bottle for the 30 minute stuff is yellow in color and very viscous. (You cannot work anything other than the 30 minute epoxy into fiberglass, it's too thick.)

For the rectangular section on the upper portion of the transom, it looks to be set back... Is it? If so, definitely put an extra layer of ply there so the layer of plywood most forward will be a continuous piece. Glass this in, and your transom will never have any problems.

Jon

[20psinow]

no no the 6ch radio is what i have laying around.. i had that from a plane from about 1year ago... i have a 2ch it the traxxas tq3.. i could just go buy another cristle to mach up to the traxxas?

[j.m.]

If the radio is a 72Mhz radio, no Xtal will change it to 75 Mhz. I'd just use the Traxxas Tx. Those have worked very well IME.

Yeah, looks like one layer of the 1/16" ply will make the upper rectangle even with the bottom. Then do two more layers over the whole thing.

[20psinow]

ok would you also use the factory reciver? i have that to same xtal... so it works but im going to start on getting the edge pritey then cut the wood up some time this weekend.. depends on how hung over i am tomarrow hehe long day at work but i will post pics as i go..

[j.m.]

If it's one of the 4 ch. mini Rx's, then definitely. Those things are AMAZING.

I do still have a few of the older style shoebox size Rx's from WAY back in the day that still work though...

Whatever you decide on, range check first. And try to see if you can't get a failsafe, that's a lot better than having your time and money slam into something at close to 40mph.

About the hangover, DEFINITELY make a template first. Epoxy pretty much won't come undone.

Jon

[20psinow]

well guys got some stuff today.... 3 packs of nitrile gloves, fiberglass resin, fiberglass, sand paper 80girt/150girt, sanding block, and 2 loctite marine epoxy (50min set) but i still need some more things that im going to get next weekend (cleaning stuff)..

[j.m.]

AWESOME!!

Good job on the nitrile gloves, I think I forgot to mention those...

Did you get any of wifey's credit cards?? You know... the ones for Kohls n such...

They aren't necessary, they just help to work with the thickened epoxy.

[20psinow]

no cards, no wife, just just me! i need to find some ster sticks and i have lots of cups to use... but thinking of getting some razor blades form work and use them to smooth out the epoxy, when type of cleaner should i get? alc 99% the stuff you find in the store or the stuff the the hardware store in a big tin can?

[j.m.]

just the cheap stuff in the tin can from the hardware store.

Works fine for removing oil residue.

Ideally you would use a very thin and flexible something or other with rounded corners. You can just keep resusing it by wiping the epoxy off.

[6S HYDRO]

Unless you have alot of freq. Police around dont worry about using the plane radio, they work great and have awesome range.

[j.m.]

Yeah, okay. I will have to admit I have used a plane radio for a boat as well, just make sure your not messing anybody else up.