Here’s what my “thunderboat” looks like now

[Ray Sametz]

These work well on brass tubing.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

After…….

 

[Ray Sametz]

What ya watching on TV.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Ray
I think that is something from my “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” DVD series…….although I have been watching a bunch of “Mission Impossible” on demand reruns. They just run in the background as white noise. Every once in a while, I take a break, and watch Napoleon Solo judo chop some Thrush guys in the neck and they fall down. Or maybe he puts the moves on some female. Noise. After I finish mission impossible, I’ll probably switch to Battlestar Galactica. Or maybe finish off “The 100”.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

More on the shaft alignment……my telescoping brass tube arrived. I took the 12 inch long 1/4 “ tube and used it to line up the 5/16 drive shaft, and then put the stuffing tube over that. That long drive shaft lets me get a good look at the alignment of the drive line. I think this is probably the most important step in getting a boat to run quickly. Time spent on this step will be rewarded many times over IMO.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

2 thoughts….
1). My driver looks like Arnold……maybe bigger…..I always assumed he was a Gi Joe, but looking closely, I can see that his joints are different, and he is way bigger all around, than Gi Joe…..so, I fired my driver tonight! On the lookout for another driver!
2). I wasn’t happy with my driveline setup and I needed more assurances that it was straight. After messing around with string and weights and a bunch of crap that didn’t work, I got out a laser setup that my wife bought me for my last birthday. Simple thing… but shoots a nice red light. Ah yes, there we go! Lines up from the engine plug all the way to the strut and down to the drive line. Now that’s better!

 

[K F Wheeler]

I like one of the old hard driveshafts from when a universal joint was used. Put it in a collet, check out the runout, and go from there.
Looks like you need to pay a little more attention to your help! He/She isn't skin and bones... Just BONES!!!!!

Ken

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Ken
Oh yeah, that is Skully, my assistant. He just let’s me know when I screw up (so he is busy). I have another helper,who, by the way, is named Bones. She is on the other side of the table. Her primary job is changing the channels on the TV.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Big day today. Time to set the stuffing box and glue it in.
But first, let me introduce the newest member of the Keep Poundin’ Racing Team…..the Malibu Mamba, the Prince of Propellors, the Duke of Earl, and the Mighty Quinn himself, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the one and only………..Max Deeds! Yes sir, that’s right, Max has joined this team after successful seasons with The Bachelor, Survivor, Naked and Afraid, and the movie “She twisted my prop so I yanked on her flotation devices!”.
You’ll learn more about max in the future…….
Now to the stuffing box…..

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

I took all of my telescoping brass tubes apart, and sanded the outside of the stuff tube. Then I assembled it all back together, and turned on the laser to line it all up. After about 15 minutes of tweaking,I mixed up some G flex epoxy, with some colloidal silica and got it nice and thick. Then I put tape all over the underside of the hull where the shaft cam thru the hull. Then I laid the epoxy on thick until it was well covered. I checked the laser, then I backed away,shut off the TV, and went upstairs for the night. I have a rule…..once I do a major glue job, I leave the area, so there is no chance of me bumping it, rethinking it, whatever. Just let it sit. See ya tomorrow….

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Today was a day to check the epoxy job on the stuffing box. It looked ok from the inside, but pretty shy on epoxy from the bottom. So I mixed up another small batch and filled in the bottom. Looks better now.
I also took Max Deeds and shaved a little of him off, and then epoxied him on a 1/8 inch piece of plywood as a base. Tomorrow I’ll dremel the base to blend in with him, and use 2 screws to mount him into the cowling cockpit.
By accident, I discovered that I can put round magnets on either side of the fiberglass and create and “ instrument panel “ of sorts. Maybe a touch of superglue on the backside magnets and it may work. Epoxy setting, gotta walk away tonight…..

 

[Rich Jones]

Today was a day to check the epoxy job on the stuffing box. It looked ok from the inside, but pretty shy on epoxy from the bottom. So I mixed up another small batch and filled in the bottom. Looks better now.
I also took Max Deeds and shaved a little of him off, and then epoxied him on a 1/8 inch piece of plywood as a base. Tomorrow I’ll dremel the base to blend in with him, and use 2 screws to mount him into the cowling cockpit.
By accident, I discovered that I can put round magnets on either side of the fiberglass and create and “ instrument panel “ of sorts. Maybe a touch of superglue on the backside magnets and it may work. Epoxy setting, gotta walk away tonight…..

That panel doesn’t look bad at all. Cool idea. The stuffing box looks fine. When it dries run some 60-80 grit over it and it’ll shape up nicely.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Rich.
I can ask momma to use the Cri cut machine to make some vinyl stickers to put on the magnets to make them look even better…… might even make some green, yellow , red dials for interest. Think I’ll put some epoxy on the backside magnets tomorrow.
Found an old-style orange life jacket and it will be here in a couple of days. No helmet yet.

 

[Rich Jones]

Rich.
I can ask momma to use the Cri cut machine to make some vinyl stickers to put on the magnets to make them look even better…… might even make some green, yellow , red dials for interest. Think I’ll put some epoxy on the backside magnets tomorrow.
Found an old-style orange life jacket and it will be here in a couple of days. No helmet yet.

I actually have one of those and have done some stuff for my boats. I’ll need to look into doing more stuff like printed vinyl ( like she’ll be doing for you) and doing two colors on lettering. I’d actually like a 3D printer too but I have no CAD skills so I’d need to learn something like Fusion 360 or something. Good luck on sourcing out your driver helmet.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Rich
I understand the 3d printer desire. I’d like to have one too, but i dread the learning curve to get it going.
I put a touch of medium CA on all of the magnets on the backside of the instrument panel.
Sanded the base of Max Deeds and got him ready for his life jacket.
Today I stripped the hull of all of the hardware, and vacuumed it out. Turned it over, and got it ready for the first coat of epoxy.

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Got up early this morning and decided to put the first coat of resin on the bottom of the hull. Used zpoxy finishing resin thinned with alcohol. Now I let it sit for 24 hrs, then I scrape with a new razor blade, and re-coat. How’s it look Skully?

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

I’m a little concerned about doin anything else to the boat today. I could waterproof the driver base, and mount him to the cowling, and I could waterproof the servo bases. I feel like I can do anything that is not associated with the hull. I don’t even want to go on that side of the ping pong table for fear I’ll screw it up somehow.
Anyways, I destroyed the nose on my precision aerobatics Electroshock (airplane) on Friday of this week, so it’s available for rebuilding.
Looks like it’s side projects today while the big boat dries. I may get the drivers life jacket today!

 

[Mike Hughes]

I never noticed before how steep the drive lines comes out on that kit. I would cut that stuffing box back as far as you can go to the hull. You will want the drive line to bend gradually to the strut. With it sticking that far out, your going to end up with a pretty harsh bend to make it to the strut. I would cut it so it flushes with the filler you added.
Mike

 

[Jeffrey Hammond]

Mike
Good eye, Mike. The instructions direct to do just that, I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet! I have truly jumped around on the instructions because I thought construction would be easier when things like the decks were not installed. So far, it’s been a good call IMO. In fact, the decks may be the last gluing function for this build.
I got repairs underway for the Electroshock, but nothing on the boat today. I should be able to get to the driver base and the servo bases tomorrow.

 

[Craig Hollingshead]

Page 37 talks about the hole required in the dash area..."We will be cutting air holes in the front of the cowling, and an air exit where the“dashboard” would be"
.

Here is what I did.