ML Boatworks, KL350 35" Kneel down outboard Hydroplane build/ instructions

[cybercrxt]

Well, after discussing the redesigns Dick Loab did to the original kneeler I offered a long, long time ago, he feels the problems of spinning out are resolved, and we have the baseline data we need to move forward with the redesign. I will be offering this as a frame up kit for the sponsons, and a hybrid foam/ frame up for the center section. This is also based of the J Sport Hydro class, and when finished, should resemble the Spirit of Qatar hull you see pictured below. I am also going to work on a round bow kneeler as well. I am hoping this boat will help the class move forward as from what I understand there are still quite a few racers that want to run these. Mike

[cybercrxt]

A few of the 3d cad pics:

[cybercrxt]

Just so everyone knows, This kit will be available as Nitro, and as FE. I am building mine for nitro, with an OS 3.5 outboard. The cool part, is the change over from Nitro to FE will be nothing more than a removable radio box. The hulls are the same. I started this thread over on IW, so I am copying the instruction manual starting now. Any questions, please ask! Mike, www.ml-boatworks.com

Well, I pulled out the kit this weekend, and decided to spend a few hours starting the build. Well, I only spent about 3.5 hours on the build, and got a LONG ways. I found a few things that need changing in the CAD file..its all simple stuff, one grammatical error, the radio box inset tray is at the wrong width (copied it from the tunnel boat radio box and forgot to widen it), and one of the two layers in the engine well area needs to have the lightening holes removed so the outer areas are water tight. Again, minor stuff. Anyways, lets begin showing the process!


First, lets do an overview of the parts:

Radio Box:


Center Section:


Sponson parts:


This kit will also include the 1/8" basswood sticks for the center section, and the 3/16" sticks for the sponsons.

[cybercrxt]

Now, once you have familiarized yourself with all the parts, you can start the build. First thing to do, is laminate the two layers of ply in the left and right engine well, and the three layers for the transom.



This pic shows the laminated engine well plates, and the 3 layers at the transom. Remember, with the transom, 2A is at the rear, 2B is in the middle and 2C is at the front.

[cybercrxt]

Now, before you set your engine well/ transom assembly on the center section floor pan, go to the laser etched line at #7 on the floor pan, and you will notice, it is suppose to be a break point in the floor pan. gently bend that area until you hear the wood crackle a little, this will help it have a clean bend as you glue your center section cross members:

You can see in this pic, the engine well "lifts" off the table at #7:


You can see in this pic, there is a doubler around the transom, while they are shown mounted in the following pics, they are just in place and not glued. You can glue them later. The transom itself is also not glued right now, only dry fitted to keep it movable when you install the crossmembers:


Now, start dry fitting crossmembers, no glue yet as you will slide the 1/8" sticks in place, then glue.



You can see here, stop your 1/8" x 1/8" stick here before gluing so your #1 transom frame can go in place later.



You will want to use something that is 1/4" tall to support the nose of the center section, and something 1/8" tall to support under the #8 frames:

[cybercrxt]

Now that everything is supported at the front, and the middle and rear parts of the center section are flat on your building board, start tacking in your frames with CA:



Next step is to glue the (2) #9 plates together, and glue them up front (nevermind the beveled edge right now, this pic was taken later in the build. Just glue it in place for now:



Now, get your left or right, depending on the side you are working on, outer center section forward to aft frame, and dry if it in place. Once it is dry fitted, slide your next 1/8" x 1/8" stick in from the transom to the front of the boat, similar to how you did the inner stick earlier:



Once the stick is in, and everything is square, glue it up with CA:


You can now glue in frame #1, the center section transom plate:


Now you can bevel your #9 plate:

[cybercrxt]

The next few pics are just to show you the process of how I made the front curved area. In the final kit, I hope to have this area be a lexan windshield that is offered with the kit. For my purposes of building, and testing the boat and how it runs, I needed something now, so I made my template, then made a 1/32" ply windshield. For those that would rather have this for the windshield, the kit will be available this way as well!



And here is the ply test fitted:

[cybercrxt]

And here it is glued in place. You will have noticed by now, your engine well had an inset at the front...this was so the windshield will sit flush against the outside of the engine well when glued in place:



Here is a picture showing that inset at the front of the engine well. You can see the inside 1/16" ply goes further forward, supporting the glue area of the windshield. This pic also shows the windshield support "horseshoe" shaped frame I am going to add to the kit:

[cybercrxt]

Because it was now late sunday evening, I brought in my portable granite build board, and framed up the sponsons in my house. Here are some pics of that for now. We will continue the center section soon:

First glue your sponson transom plates, 7 is for the plate, L is left, R is right, B is back and F is front!



The non trip transom also has a double plate. The 1/8" ply goes at the back, 1/16" goes in the front:



The sponson are very simple, and should look like this when done!






3/16" x 3/16" basswood sticks will need to be added next. Unfortunately, I was done for the evening, so the actual build thread pauses here for today. Pics below show the hull dry fitted and its gonna look pretty cool!

[cybercrxt]

This kit will be available with an FE radio box, and like this kit, a nitro setup. I am doing nitro as I suspect it will be the most popular...even tho I hate nitro motors, guess I have to bend a little on this!





The hull is 35" in length:

[cybercrxt]

Not my best non trip sheeting job, but it will do. Got one of the sponsons finished on the bottom side. It only took about 30 minutes to add the 3/16" basswood sticks and bottom sheeting. This boat is really simple to build! here are some pics of the progress. 4 hours logged total so far. Mike

Just so everyone knows, the sequence for sponson sheeting is:

1) Sponson Non trip
2) main non trip behind sponson
3) ride pad (rear)
4) ride pad (front)
5) epoxy the inside, add foam, and add top deck

[cybercrxt]

Here is more progress. The center section is now bonded, and both sponsons are bonded and only need the top deck installed. I got aluminum inside the turn fin area, both for sponson transom mount, and inside sponson edge mount. I will be doing inside sponson edge mount of the fin first as the testing done on the old style hull is what lead Dick Loeb and I to this conclusion. I will be epoxying the inside of the sponsons and added some cloth or carbon in the ride pad area next. Then, the top decks go on, then paint! Enjoy, Mike

Get your foam cut and fit where you want it in the center section:

Once your foam is cut and tested for fitment, remove it, epoxy the interior surfaces, add foam back, epoxy underside of top center section deck, put it in place, tape it down...a little CA around the engine well area on the top side to keep it down while drying helps on both sides, and
add weights...let dry:

[cybercrxt]

This is what it will look like after glued.





You will want to sand this edge flush as there may, or may not be a touch of overhang once the top deck is on. It all depends on how well you glued the engine well area. I ended up with a 1/16" overhand towards the rear:

[cybercrxt]

I forgot to take a pic, but once you have the sponson bottoms sheeted, and non trip installed, then its time to glue the sponsons to the center section. I suggest using epoxy to join the sponsons. There are tabs at the front and rear of the center section, they will lock the sponsons in place, and help keep them where then need to be while drying. I actually CA'ed mine to the center section, but I do not suggest doing that. I am needing quick turn around with this to get it tested, so I cut this corner. I will also be bead seam sealing all the way around the sponson/ center section connection point to add strength back. Once they are in place, and the glue has dryed, its time to test fit the top decks of the sponsons. Do not glue them yet, just test fit towards the front area. You will want to make a mark, and sand down some of the inside top deck overhang before the glue stange:

Tape down:


Flip boat over, and make a line where the over hang is on the inside edge of the sponson top deck, and sand down. This will make life easier when you glue the sponson down later!

[cybercrxt]

Now that your top deck is fitted, and close enough to glue, set it aside...you now want to add your turn fin backing.. I did one for the transom, and one for the inside edge. I will let everyone know my thoughts after testing with location:



Now that your metal is glued in place, you can proceed to epoxy the rest of the inside, add cloth of carbone where desired, and top decks can go on. This pic here is as far as I got this weekend. About 4-5 hours into the build! Thanks for looking, more later! Mike