Gutted my Impulse....Here's what I'm doing!

[ejimbo4]

I am new to FE Boats and have run 7 sets of packs through my Impulse and got the itch! Time to scratch! I have a second hull and my plan is to strip the hardware and gut the inside,lay Carbon Fiber, new motor/esc/prop, upgrade flex shaft,trim tabs and turn fins. So far I have removed the hardware and managed to get most of the wood out but have a couple questions. Here are some pics of where I am at so far...
My plan for the CF is to lay it from transom to the wood stringer in bow.......is that far enough forward? The bow seems stiff enough ...it is from the stringer back that has all the flex. I am leaving the stuffing tube box,esc mount and motor mount in but I am considering taking motor mount out and putting something different in there......any advice on that? The carbon fiber came in yesterday and the Seaking 180A Esc showed up today so now I am hunting a motor. I am wanting to run 5s2p or 6s2p in parallel for weight and run time and I just need to know if I am heading the right direction of thinking? My end goal is I want in the 50-60 ish range but want to keep cool temps.. I really do appreciate anyone that chimes in with some advice!

[dana]

i would just replace everything including motor mount. leaving the stock stuffing tube would be ok and take out teflon and run 3/16, thats if it has 1/4 brass. i dont own this hull so i dunno. as far as motor? somthing in the 1700kv range i would think, which brand depends on your budget. make sure you sand the hell outta the inside awith 80 grit, then use finishing resin to put in the carbon =)

[ejimbo4]

Cool, I will remove the motor mount and servo mount and get it all sanded down real good. I ordered a CF kit and it came with the resin and hardener. I have never worked with CF but I have done so much reading on here about how to do it that I feel like I have!

[ejimbo4]

So I got rid of the motor mount (got one ordered from OSE) but left the servo mount,sanded it down real good and layed my CF.This is my first time working with CF or FG and it was intimidating. I think one place I screwed up was that I tried to lay it all in one piece and maybe it should have been in a little bit smaller sections.Also when I taped where I was going to cut I pushed the tape down pretty good and then couldn't get it off the weave and messed the weave up.I also should have taken my time a little bit more but I didn't really know how long I had to work with it and could have spent more time on corners and one bubble I got but it is small and on a edge so I should be all right! All in all I am hooked on the CF and can't wait to do some more! Can't tell the wife that or my credit card will come up missing So I have a couple questions....
Should I lay down a second layer or is one good? I read in someones thread that they said to lay down a few layers where the motor mount is going.....needed or overkill?
I was really amazed at how strong this stuff is.....I thought I had messed it up last night when I did it because it didn't seem to be hardening or anything by the time I went to bed but I went down to check this morning and WOW!


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[Make-a-Wake]

Looks nice so far!

I'd run something like this 4 poler on 6s.....the 3y version. I must be the only one that has tried one of these from OSE..................its a great motor for the $$.........and i always like a bargain which is why i throw these out here...................its easy to just start recommending Neu's and lehners...............

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=keda-4074

Other options:

3674 four pole for 5s - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s..._Inrunner.html

3674 four pole for 6s - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s..._Inrunner.html

[ejimbo4]

I just ordered the Leopard 4074 2150kv 2y to put in this and run it in 4s2p. Hopefully that should do it......

[tlandauer]

Hi Ejimbo4,
Wow,Looks good! I admire your courage! I have a few questions: do you have to dremel out the wood braces? Once you cut the CF I see you tape the edges. At which point do you remove the tape? Lastly? you kept mentioning ordering a CF kit, where do you order it?I have been searching...
Thanks,Tim

[ejimbo4]

Thanx Tim! As far as dremeling I started with one and a dremel flex cable adapter but found that if you just makes cut where pieces tie in and down the long sections make a couple cuts and I used a pair of pliers and twisted and broke most of it out and then when back with a sanding wheel and smoothed everything over. Just be careful not to go through the bottom of the hull. I did just barely....but I still did!
CF... I tape where I am going to cut then cut. Just don't push the tape down hard or you might screw up the weave and I pull the tape off after its cured. Don't think thats right because I have to pick at it and its a whole project just trying to get the tape up.

This is the CF kit I got off e-bay and it is plenty! I have layed the hull with a double layer and I could lay another two if I wanted but I will reinforce my hatches for both my impulses and still have a bunch left over!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190450272975...#ht_500wt_1054

Don't know if you have layed CF before but I got all my info of this forum!

[tlandauer]

Thanks ejimbo4! Thank you for your link and all the info. I should have done my home work a while back when I was reinforcing an old Delta Force 45 Sniper. In my case since the boat was built by someone else and the 5' wooden rails are so well epoxied on to the hull, I wasn't able to and should not rip them out. Therefore I wasn't able to lay the whole area with CF. I did piece by piece of FG cloth with 30 min. zpoxy. Just wanted to learn and really like what you have done! My next project I will follow your method !

[ejimbo4]

Thanx man but I really am just getting all my info right here on OSE!!! A lot of reading and rereading and trial and error......

[ejimbo4]

So I got my dams made up and the motor mount mounted.....

[Make-a-Wake]

Nice work!

[ejimbo4]

Thanx, I'm learning!!! I saw properchopper had built some dams like that and figured i would give it a try...

[veejo]

The hull on my mystic, which I think is made the same way as my impulse (yet to get into water), is that they glue the top and bottoms together, when it hits something, it splits along this glue line. It's good to reinforce the join between the deck and the hull with glass and resin. Carbon fibre ..... to get the real benefit it is usually moulded and set under heat .... you don't get the "carbon" benefits with just resin at room temperature, for just strength (tear resistance) kevlar would have been a better option. Also inject some expanding foam in the bow when finished, add almost no weight, makes it VERY rigid, and will stop it sinking. They put a bit in now from the factory, but not enough to fill the gaps (seems more for bouyancy than to add structural regigidity and strength.

I also have the bug, mystic (needs cracks fixed after touching the jetty), Impulse 31 (out of the box .... has broken dog pin for the prop), and stilleto is on it's way courtesy of USPS, god bless USPS for those of us who don't live the USA.

Looking at bailer options for my boats now.

[ejimbo4]

So I am trying to order the hardware for the rudder assembly and unfortunately no one has any pics to go with the parts listing for this boat so maybe someone could help me out? I have a couple pics of what I have all ready and if I new what those two were then I could order the rest. Also here is the link to the parts listing....and thanx in advance for any info!

http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...bl-rtr-PRB4250

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[roadrashracing]

http://www.horizonhobby.com/pdf/PRB4...200-Manual.pdfHere check out page 36 and 37:

[ejimbo4]

I feel like a idiot I can"t even tell you how many times I have looked at the manual! LOL! Just figured out why I didn't see it though......I stopped reading when I run out of English!

[ejimbo4]

Back again!It has been all most 4 months and all I can say is WOW! First off I have to say that when I tore this boat apart it had just come out and I feel that being new to this hobby(Boats I have been into trucks for some years)and the only reason for me doing what I did was to learn as I all ready had a perfectly good stock Impulse 31 that all I have done is a prop upgrade and it runs great! I just wanted to learn the basics of what alot of what yall do,which is everything from laying CF, alignment,painting,epoxy,motor choices,battery and pretty much everything with out starting out with a bare hull and I feel like I have a clue now! I tried to ask as few questions as I needed and when I did they were usually not the the best ones like which side of the velcro do I put down! I did all my searching right here on OSE and you guys really helped me out with out having to answer to many questions(THE SEARCH FEATURE DOES WORK) So I just want to say thank you to everyone and know that I am hooked! So here are some pics of where I am at and it has been tub tested and actually floated the first time!

This has a Leopard 2150 with dual water pickups to feed esc and motor individuallywith a T 180 and 4s2p powering it and a m445 prop . All advice is greatly welcome! Well here are some pics!!!
Next day or so and we will see what the real deal is!!!

[ejimbo4]

Here are some more!

[Bullwink]

Beautiful job!

[ejimbo4]

Thank you! Now she just has to go forward with no smoke! LOL!

[veejo]

I like the dual water pickup ..... thinking about doing that to a few of my boats ....... should make the bends on water tubes less tight. hope you put some buoyancy back in the front.

[Darin Jordan]

WOW... that's a LOT Of work, but it turned out pretty nice! Love the paint!

Curious... WHY did you feel the need to rip and remove the interior, just to have to put all that back in (albeit different)??

When I designed this boat (keep in mind that it was as a Production boat that needed to be user friendly), it was designed to allow for these monster motor swaps, and you can fit about as much battery in it as you want, all nice and secure in a pretty sweet, and low/center-line mounted position??

Was there something that didn't work for you?

Consider your answer "market research"... Always looking for ways to improve the product.

[ejimbo4]

Darin! Glad you chimed in! First off...I meant no disrespect by tearing up a perfectly good hull that you designed.The Impulse 31 is a awesome boat and not a flaw in it! It is my first boat that I got last fall and I have enjoyed every run with it! When I received my first boat it had a leak and come to find out it was a hole way up inside the stuffing tube box and I called Horizon,e mailed them some pics and a vid of the hole and it leaking and they sent me out a replacement hull(with hardware) no questions asked and told me to keep the hull I had!I can't say enough about Horizon...they go above and beyond! Well after some thinking, I squirted some silicone into a plastic drinking straw and blew the silicone up in the tube by the hole and managed to fix it so I still had my stock boat ready to go! The hull Horizon sent me had been used a little no biggie! I can't even tell you how much respect I have for you and the other guys on this forum for the knowledge,skill and craftsmanship that you guys display everyday with your builds and designs not to mention you all seem like really decent people! I am a RC truck junkie and am new to boats so I figured here I had a chance to try and get a idea of alot of the different aspects of building a boat and if I screwed something up there would be no real big loss. Sure a few dollars but knowledge gained! And man oh man have I learned some things!

Patience
How to sand (with a light hand and not with a dremal or you may end up with unwanted holes in the bottom of your hull)
How to repair holes in your hull
How to lay CF and FG
How to mount a motor and make cool looking dams to go around the mount(thanks to propperchopper and a thread of his)
I learned about center of gravity and how you should lay everything out and double check before mounting
How to paint because this is definitely not like doing a lid on one of my trucks
electronics and soldering
Math (figuring it out slowly with all the calculations and what not)
Learning about props
The list is endless so I will stop now....

This was a great learning experience and I realize that it will not run as great as my stock Impulse 31 but I just want to see it go! Even if it don't I can move everything into the first boat and upgrade it or just get another Impulse hull and drop the electronics and hardware in it!End of the day....I had fun! So thank you very much to you and the rest of the guys on here!

P.S. NO improvement needed!!!

[Make-a-Wake]

Very nice......................now we need vid!!

[Rumdog]

Excellent job! Especially for your first one!

[dana]

Excellent job! Especially for your first one!

Seriously. Thing came out pissah!

[lenny]

Looks great,
Now lets see it get wet.

[SFC K]

It does look great and I like what you did to it. Love the paint scheme.

[POWERS]

Thanx Tim! As far as dremeling I started with one and a dremel flex cable adapter but found that if you just makes cut where pieces tie in and down the long sections make a couple cuts and I used a pair of pliers and twisted and broke most of it out and then when back with a sanding wheel and smoothed everything over. Just be careful not to go through the bottom of the hull. I did just barely....but I still did!
CF... I tape where I am going to cut then cut. Just don't push the tape down hard or you might screw up the weave and I pull the tape off after its cured. Don't think thats right because I have to pick at it and its a whole project just trying to get the tape up.

This is the CF kit I got off e-bay and it is plenty! I have layed the hull with a double layer and I could lay another two if I wanted but I will reinforce my hatches for both my impulses and still have a bunch left over!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190450272975...#ht_500wt_1054

Don't know if you have layed CF before but I got all my info of this forum!

You actually don't need to pull the tape off before you lay it. As long as you plan ahead and make sure you only tape one side of the cloth, you just lay that side down. You will have perfect edges and no frays. I too learned a lot from the forums here on laying CF, and it is probably one of my favorite things to do, even starting to apply it to my car bodies.