The motor cover.
I want to keep the motor cover as compact and in proportion as much as possible so I drew up a design to visualise it and get some practical working dimensions, it also needs to enclose the prop shaft and coupling, and the MT60 connection for the motor so there will not be very much free air space inside.
Because of this the motor cover will need some
ventilation
as the brushless outrunner motor canโt be water cooled and I donโt want to fit a fan, so the side panels of the box will need some gauze covered slots so that any heat generated can escape, assisted (perhaps) by the rotation of the motors outer โrotorโ creating some air movement. I donโt intend to run this boat very fast so Iโm hoping that the motor will not get too hot anyway๐ค.
I transferred the dimensions of the side panels from my drawings to some 1.5mm obeche panels and cut the side pieces to size and cut out the
ventilation
slots, some framing pieces and cross braces were fitted internally and the whole assembly glued and clamped together.
Additional framing was added to support the part that covers the shaft and coupling and obeche panels applied to these. Some finishing details were applied around the base and the top to improve the appearance.
The internal framing will later incorporate some small cylindrical neodymium magnets that will hold the motor enclosure down on the deck, Iโll fit these later when the deck floor has been fitted.
The mesh is some of the stainless steel mesh that I had used in the water pickup tube on my RAF Crash Rescue Tender hoses, and this was cut to size and epoxied in place.
The completed enclosure was finished with the same Teak stain as the rest of the boat.
Next up will be an enclosure at the rear to conceal the control electronics.