Impulse V1 Rebuild

[wiljm]

My buddies Impulse V1 fell apart on him. All the wood came unglued from the hull. I'm not saying it's a quality issue with Proboat, it was pushed pretty hard and may have jumped a wake or two from the fishing boat. Do not steer clear of an impulse because of this experience. Abuse only leads to broken stuff.

I pulled all the woodwork out with the intent of just epoxying it all back in. However, I couldn't get it all out to prep the surface properly without breaking some of it. Once I got it all out, I decided to toss it. I had lots of left over mounts and battery trays I didn't use on other stuff. I also have lots of CF cloth and resin, so I did an inlay for the heck of it. For now it's going to keep the stock motor and I ordered a SK 120 for it. So the total investment, not counting my spare parts bin, is under $100 bucks (mostly ESC).

I should have it done soon and will get more pics and video when I get that far.

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[wiljm]

Pics of the inlay. It's going to get painted too.


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[wiljm]

Mounts are in, I used JB weld cause it's cheap and easy to find. Started by painting the hatch to see if he likes the color. I also made an aluminum plate for the transom to clean it up. I wanted to use CF board but this was cheaper and more readily available.

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[wiljm]

I finally got the hull painted. It came out better than I was hoping for. I used an HVLP gun and the Duplicolor paint shop primer, color (burnt orange metallic), and clear. I've read mixed reviews about the paint but wanted to try it. Its cheaper than real paint and better than any rattle can. I had to put the clear on very wet, but it came out good I though. It may take a while to fully cure though.

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[wiljm]

Last post...

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[Fella1340]

Very sharp

[kfxguy]

Nice. Like the color

[Fella1340]

I have been thinking of using the duplicolour paint on a boat I am doing. Seeing yours turn out so well is making the decision easier. I am eager to hear about its durability and how well it flexes on a boat. If you could post your thoughts on the paint after its had a couple runs I would appreciate it. Your the first I know of to shoot a boat with it. Thanks.

[wiljm]

Sure, I'll look it over real well for stress cracks after he makes a few runs. The canopy on that is a noodle, so I'm guessing the first flip will tell the story. At this point, I'll for sure use the paint again. I may look for some better clear, if I can find something compatable. The color and primer are great, especially for $25 a quart. I also used the paint shop system on my childhood MRP Pantera last summer with the sublime green color. That doesnt come anywhere near testing the durability of it though.

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[skeeler]

Nice work. How did you line up the symmetric motor mount with the asymmetric prop location?

[wiljm]

I'm sure this is a total hack job, but it works. I took the original tube to a band saw to get off as much glue and plywood as possible, then I took it to the belt sander to get the rest off and clean it up. I scuffed up the inlay and put a puddle of JBWeld down, put the tube in it, and put the flex shaft in and connected it to the motor coupler with the motor in the mount. Then I came back after it cured and glued the motor mount down. I'm sure it's off, but I don't notice anything strange when it's running. It actually runs very well.

[wiljm]

Also, the paint has held up very well so far. This is after several runs, flips, wake jumps, etc... No cracks. I think the clear I used is junk because it froze over the winter. I tried it again on something else and it laid much smoother. I haven't tried wet sanding or anything on this one. I'm going to re-clear it once the season is over.

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