Realistic steering for scale outboard set up

Hey guys, I realize this is not a displacement type hull question, but my thinking is on the scale side of things this ought to be a good place to ask.

So I’m building a model of a 16’ Southfork V bottomed Jon boat. This is a project I’ve worked on and off on for 5 years or so. It’s balsa and lite ply construction, my own design. Basically it’s a 1/10 scale model of a fishing boat my dad and I bought a few years back.

I’m using a kyosho Jackson 54 outboard to power it, and am having a tough time coming up with ideas to make the steering look realistic. I didnt want to use typical pushrods as it will take away from realism, but was thinking more of a teliflex single cable set up if you guys know what I’m talking about. I am just not sure what type of flexible pushrod I should use. It would need to make a fairly tight (by rc standards) bend so I’m thinking of a small cable and liner? Or I was even thinking of the older style pull-pull cable steering for it, but am really having a tough time finding any info on this.

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I am a bit out of the loop here, I was a big fast electric guy 15-20 years ago, and scale boats are entirely new to me. Thanks a bunch!

Trey

Use a .098 cable, liner and 1/8 prop shaft to mimic a teleflex single setup.

Cool idea Ray! I had thought about this a little but was not sure how well it would work. Last time I used .098 for anything was mid 90s in a carbon fiber war zone from Randy at BBY. On a realism scale, maybe with some red heat shrink on the liner, that’s got to be near the top! Have you seen this done before? I’d love to see some examples of how others pulled it off. Thinking maybe a short piece of K&S right under the motor to mimic the tilt tube and support the 1/8 shaft then grind the end of the shaft flat and drill it to accept a steering arm. I’ll have to mod the arms on the motor to be a single arm pointing forward too. Thanks for the suggestion Sir! Let me know if you have any examples to show how others did it.

Trey

This is fairly realistic as an attachment point. Dump the brass tube, enlarge hole and the threaded ended can be used with a jam nut on each side.

I see 2 ways of doing it scale looking.

A servo in the driver's chest with a long servo arm in his sleeve, and a sliding joint onto the tillar arm.
Or
A servo in the drivers seat and butt, with a pivoting waist using his core to shoulder distance as a servo arm, and a regular pushrod up his sleeve connecting to the tillar arm.

Thanks for the thoughts guys! I’ll have to look into the transom/splashwell type set up after I get a hold of the cable . I’ll have to order one asap. Problem I see with that, by pushing the location of the actual stub shaft closer to the side of the hull, it may create too tight of a bend, but I’d have to lay it out first to see. By Mimicking the tilt tube on or actually right in front of the motor I’ll gain another couple inches from the side and the bend radius will be bigger. I’ll have to see though when I get the cable.

Hey Paul, if I was doing a tiller handle set up those would work great, but I guess I didn’t clarify, and the pictures of the boat are just present shots, still not complete. It’s going to be a center console with controls and steering wheel located there, that’s how our boat was. Speaking of drivers though, where would I find a semi realistic looking driver figure, in 1/10-1/8 scale? I have no clue whatsoever on that.

Thanks again guys!

Trey

Oh and this is the said boat I’m copying...
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Unfortunately that’s the only pics I have of it, and we sold the boat a while ago. So these and some basic measurements are what I’m building off of.

Trey

I think GI Joes and the like are about 1:8 scale, there are a bunch of movie and tv action figures at about 1:10 scale, but they normally have molded rather than cloth clothes so don't look nearly as realistic especially outside.

Cool, I’ll have to check around. The clothes will make the look for sure! Crazy, when I was a kid I played with all those action figures but have none of course now. And now with kids 5 to 15, none play with or collect anything like that, unless I want it piloted by a lego man! ��

Trey

Sorry I know this thread is a bit old, but I just randomly found it out of boredom. first off how did you make out with the steering? If your looking for some scale accessories to dress her up more, shop for doll house, yes little girl doll house accessories. Guess what scale they are? yep 1:10 / 1:12. Figures are about 6" tall, I have a 1:10 scale crawler 4x4 set up for a fishing expedition, fishing rods, landing nets, lanterns, all kinds of goodies all from doll house accessories web sites.

Hey, thanks for responding. I actually ended up going conventional rc on it because I wanted to run it after spending a few years going through the process of building it. I did pick up an .098 cable, shaft and some tubing and liner to make up a realistic looking mini Teleflex style cable. I know that going that route is not going to actually steer as well for actual rc use, so it still has a push/pull rod steering. Everything in the boat is completely hand made, even my Louisiana registration decal was hand drawn. The boat is probably closer to 1/8-1/9 scale looking at it complete. So a proper driver would need to be about 8 or 9 inches tall I?d think. Here?s a few updated pictures.

And a few more...thanks again for posting, I love to talk about my projects lol

Trey

That's awesome, great job. I'm ready for a fishing trip now. The hull shape looks a lot like my fishin buddy's bass tracker.

Lol I hear that, and thanks for the compliment! I was pretty happy about how it came out too. I wouldn’t doubt it resembles bass trackers semi v aluminum hulls, it’s actually not 1:1 for the Southfork that I modeled it after. Hull shape and scale size it is, but the Southfork has two ribs running lengthwise down the sides. I was going to add them but in mocking them up I thought it made the sides too cluttered looking.

Great looking boat! I’m just getting started on a glastron cv16 like the one my aunt and uncle had when I was a kid. I’m going to try and modify plans from a ski vee 40 and end up with 1/5 scale

Sounds like a cool project!