Scratch Built Scale Pontoon Rescue Boat

[sammyha]

I turned these plastic pins on my lathe, drilled them for small body clips and tied them with fishing line so I can't drop and lose them. It's faster to setup the top than using screws and nylok nuts too...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

A word on E6000. I was using so much for this build, I started to worry about the weight. I did a test and found out it loses 70% of it's weight after it dries.

I put exactly one gram on my mini scale and checked it 24 hours later...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

I built the captain's chair after the console. Wrapped the material around the foam seat pads and glued it down with E6000.

Everywhere you see seams, that's separate pieces of foam wrapped with material. Then glued it all together. Yup, with E6000...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Made the seat base adjustable too. A bit tricky to figure out. Made up the seat adjustment handle and it loosens and tightens the near side to the inner rail.

For the seat adjustment handle, I dremmeled a groove in the screw head, super glued in a piece of wire, glued a plastic cap over the wire and the head of the screw, and glued a hand carved plastic knob on the end of the wire. Tedious work..

The square styrene nuts can't spin being they are next to the rails, the screws are self tapping.

The other side is just tightened snug enough so it will slide but not rattle around.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Next I built the seat with the backrest that can be switched so you can sit looking back too.

Had to cover the servos that actuate the front deck, and also figure out how long to build the back couches. The other servo is under the console...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's some pics of that seat build, in random order. I inlaid a styrene frame in the seat back to screw the side brackets into.

In one picture I'm taping and clamping the foam while the E6000 cures, in the other picture I tape and clamped the covering material while it cures.

The bump stops for the backrest are pieces of black fuel tubing over the screws. The spacers on the sides of the seat back are servo grommets. I'll use anything I can find that works for scratch builds, lol.


Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

More pics of that seat...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Then I built couches for days!

That's cutting out the frame from styrene, gluing them together, sanding the corner radii, primer, paint, build the upholstery, glue it down, rivet the couch to the deck... rinse and repeat...

Here's some pics. The back L-shaped couches double as radio compartments...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

The back half of the boat interior finished...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Some details on building the latches for making the seats removable to access the radio compartments.

Push the black buttons circled in red to remove the seat...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

For awhile there it felt like I been building boat furniture my entire adult life. There's a LOT of furniture in a pontoon boat.

Some shots of building the front couches and armrests, with built in cup holders...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Eventually if you stay with it you'll get it done...

I think these are some really cool shots.

Inspired by the screenshot I was using for making pontoon boat interiors.

It's also cool because I remembered to take these pics before I riveted them in the boat.

You can see where I made cutouts in the frames of the furniture to save weight on the front deck...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's an interesting bit of info I stumbled onto...

The servo on a pull- pull setup using push rods (but not cables), does not have to be fixed in place. The length of the push rods is a constant. The servo just cannot rock side to side.

When I mounted the steering servo for the smaller outboard motor, I made guide rails from black delrin so the servo can slide forward when the motor tilts up. Two layers, the bottom one is slightly thicker than the aluminum plate.

The fit to the guide rails must be close, no play side to side, and be able to slide freely forward and backward.

The servo is just mounted to the aluminum plate. Also the sides of the aluminum plate must be parallel.

The 1/5 scale outboard does not tilt, BUT, the extended mount allows for adjustment of the motor height. So it was no problem to adjust the motor height for tuning it at the reservoir. Without ever having to change the length of the pull- pull rods.

Pretty cool...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

The motor mount on a pontoon boat has a leading angle plate on the bottom. To add some lift to the back of the boat I assume.

I made it so the height is adjustable. There's five holes on both sides under the screw the red arrow points to.

Set the transom too high and there's not enough down adjustment in the set back motor mount.

Set the transom too low and it blows a big hole in the water and the prop cavitates.

I did a fair amount of adjustments at the water to get it right. Got the transom height right first so there was clean water coming off it and the prop had a clean bite.

Then I played with the motor height and angle on the setback mount until the front of the boat wasn't running too wet or too loose.

It runs a bit like a catamaran, holds air underneath and lifts the boat. It actually runs strong enough that it got a little scary loose at one point...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Did you notice the wrinkle finish on the lower end paint?

Rustoleum's own clear coat was not compatible with their paint. But it cured nice and hard, and I kind of like how it looks now.

I was upset at first when it wrinkled, and used a different brand clear polyurethane on the cowling that did not wrinkle...



Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's a couple shots of the bottom side...


Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Onto some fun to build scale details.

The swim ladder is made from two sizes of K&S aluminum tubing.

And some junk.

I save weird stuff, like this battery box lid, for the material. I cut pieces out with the angle in them for the steps.

It folds and retracts...





Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's a nifty idea I think for the retractable section of the ladder.

I filed a groove on the inner piece of tubing. At just the right length to where there's about 3/8" engagement left inside when it extends. And to where it slides in to retract.

Then slid the tubing in and center punched the outer tubing in line with the groove.

Such a simple solution!

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

These clips are shaped from styrene. It snaps in place when it folds up...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

The spacing on the steps are scale too.

No, I don't play with Barbie dolls. Not very often anyway, lol...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Some random and fun pics I think.

I found it interesting that a few of my friends thought she should not be driving.

Really?

There's also a shot with her facing rearward in the passenger seat. It's a good look at the side brackets and bump stops for the backrest...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

The faux aluminum framework on the side walls was the last major scale detail in this build.

They're made from strips of 3/16"wide styrene. With a radius hand sanded on all four corners. Then primed and painted. Aluminum colored Rustoleum paint. Glued on with E6000.

I made 23 pieces total from a 1/8" x 12" x 24" piece of styrene sheet. The side walls measure 118" all the way around. For the top and bottom, and including the edges of the black stripe, I needed enough to wrap around the walls basically four times. Plus the vertical pieces.

I considered skipping the black stripe.

Less work.

But when I found the picture of the full size boat with the stripe, I knew I was in for a lot more work.

The black stripe pops, adds a little shape too...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

The framework adds so much depth to the look of the side walls...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Working doors!

Gotta do it, right?

I used nylon airplane hinges with steel pins. E6000 is amazing for bonding nylon to aluminum.

And hand carved the handles from 1/8" styrene with a pin to go thru the door.

Then glued together some styrene pieces on the inside for the latch to work. E6000 glues styrene amazingly well to aluminum too.

But for all the gluing of styrene to itself I used Same Stuff by Micro Mark. It melts the plastic together, very strong joints...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

I've also got a video on YouTube on this build.

There's another longer run at the 7:48 mark where it loosens up and goes pretty good, fwiw...

https://youtu.be/csHt6GQGkCc

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

An internet search tells me the CG should be at 60-65% back on a 1/1 pontoon boat.

I'm right on 64% now, exactly where it was when I ran it without the interior.

Might explain it feeling a bit loose, that plus the trim of the outboard and the power this beast cranks out.

I kinda like where it's at, and with a pontoon boat I'm not going out for a SAW run every time...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

She did 32mph on GPS that day. Not too bad for a pontoon boat...

I float tested it with the interior, it sits about a 1/2" lower with the interior done. I gave it a quick snort, she jumped right up on plane just fine.

It was too windy to risk it here today, I'll get some more running vids soon...

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

Here's a shot of the foam bumper, it drops all the way down on the water with the deck raised.

I watched it coming in on plane, the bumper is not touching the water at all, it's way above it actually...


Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[sammyha]

I uploaded the second running video if you just want to watch that...

https://youtu.be/-ESI6viOTNM

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[Mike W]

So awesome thanks for sharing!!