Nick,
We may need to have more details to answer your question. Is it for motor reversing? What ESC are you using? Maybe a schematic of what you intend.😊

Actually it was a reading test!

Very nice job constructing the model. Is this kit available in the U.S. and where can it be purchased?

I have an older DX5e that I have had since 2010. Works great, but this unit is as I said old and I’m sure newer models have much more advanced features.

I bought something similar from Amazon several years ago. Very nice little storage unit for workbench top.

👍

Nice looking model!👍

Are you using a momentary switch, or a self centering pot on the transmitter? This will give you a momentary action on the relay. Try using a toggle switch channel which is not a momentary type.

The relay should stay on or off depending the position of the transmitter switch.

Good luck

ToraDog,
To handle the different currents, still connect the Ground bus to the battery common, and designate one side of the hull as the high current side return, and the other side the low current side return.

Good Luck

I have been employed in the electronics industry for the better of 40 years, and we have built many applications with multiple batteries, split batteries, or multiple power supplies within the same application. There is no problem with making a single ground application for the circuit.

If you are worried about short circuits, protect each voltage leg with a fuse or circuit breaker sized for the actual current the leg will carry.

You indicated that there will be 2 battery sources a 24V source, (2x12V), as well as a single 12V battery. Connecting the (-) side of the 24V source ( bottom Battery -) and the 12V (-)
together is perfectly fine.

Another option could be using the two 12V batteries in series, making a 24V supply, and then tapping off between the two batteries as the 12V source. The bottom (-) terminal would then be the common ground for both supplies.

Hope this helps

Also to answer you other question, yes it would be ok to have one single common running around the hull, and then adding each device to it. Just make sure the wire is big enough to carry the sum of the currents for each device.

I was able to send an email to Dumas directly from the website www.dumasproducts.com and get plans for my Trojan Crouser earlier this year for $4.00 + shipping. I would think that they would have the plans and instructions available even if the kit is not sold anymore.

For my scratch built models I use brass tubing which if you size it right can get a very close fitting prop shaft to tube. I generally thread the prop rod end so the prop can be fitted with a lock nut, as well as solder a brass washer so the prop has some back support when tightened. I then add a nylon thrust washer to the shaft before inserting into the prop tube. For lubrication I use a product which can be purchased at a swimming pool supply store designed to be used on O-rings and gaskets. This is basically the same consistency as vasoline and is water resistant.

Before inserting the shaft into the prop tube, i lube it with liberally with the pool grease, and then sprinkle powered graphite on for additional lubrication.
Slowly insert the shaft into the prop tube and add more lube if needed working it in and out to spread the grease within the tube.
At the motor end, add an additional thrust washer, and attach the motor coupler.

I have not had any issues with water seepage up the shaft when sitting in the water for an extended period of time, or when running the model.

Thanks, we will see.
Anyway, it's another boat in my harbor, had fun building it, and will take her out again even if she is a poker😊.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. You are probably correct that the higher revs will not do anything, but at $16.00 U.S. gotta try it.

The larger jet was about twice the size, and yes possibly could be shoehorned into the hull, but that may be a later build. I just wanted to see if I could pull it off with the limited knowledge I have.

One other thought I had was to extend the outlet of the jet further. Currently it sits just below the water surface. I might try to add a little weight to drop the stern down further.

Water Jet Propulsion

Initially I was undecided about paint scheme. Looking at different items on the internet, I came across vinyl wrap items for pinewood derby cars. This gave me the inspiration for a vinyl wrap flag scheme. The long flat surface of the top hull made this the ideal candidate for this procedure.
I ordered the vinyl from an internet vendor off of Etsy. Fairly inexpensive, only $8 for a 24"x12" sheet of peal and stick.

The whole model was painted with several coats of a dark navy blue, and when dry was then sprayed with several coats of gloss clear coat. I made a paper pattern of the top hull, adding extra for the curve down on the sides. i also made a cutout for the engine cover at the rear of the hull so this could be cut out in the correct position on the vinyl. With the paper pattern complete and fitted the way I wanted, the pattern was then drawn on the rear paper backing of the vinyl with the top down so that the top of the vinyl would be correctly positioned. After cutting out the hull shape and the engine cover, I peeled the paper backing from the rear to first expose the part for the engine cover and cut the backing so that I could position only the stern portion over the motor housing correctly. Once this was positioned correctly, I then slowly peal the backing and work my way to the bow working out any air bubbles along the way. The last was to slowly work the curve around the hull and trim off the excess.

I trimmed the cockpit with navy blue felt on the floor and around the sides to simulate waterproof carpeting. The seats were painted navy blue, and the seat portion covered with matching areas of vinyl, and glued down along with the dashboard, windshield combination.

The final step was to spray the top of the vinyl with several coats of clear for protection.

Thanks all for the likes and comments so far.
JB, I scanned your blog several times to see which motor you ended up with, but maybe I missed it.

I think 11K RPM is all this one will be able to handle. The unit has only one brass bearing at the prop end. In fact I had to replace the stock shaft coupler because it was drilled off center and had a bad vibration. Good thing I tried it out before securely mounting the motor, as it would probably have warped the plastic housing.

I will be happy if the boat get on a plane with some decent speed, not looking for it to be a racing boat by any means.

I will probably write a blog next week, as the hobby room is being transformed to a party room for the U.S. Memorial Holiday. Need to clean up the desk and put away the tools so the grandkids won't get into them😊.

Hi HAKits,
Would like to see a video of it on the water, as well as more of the internals.

Thanks

The first picture shows the water jet as purchased. I measured the gap between the exit nozzle and the input grill and the main body of the jet which came out to be about 0.040". This determined the 0.032" plywood to be used as the mounting sheet for the unit. This will also allow for a sealing gasket to be used between these parts.

With the exhaust nozzle, prop shaft, and input grill removed, I placed the main body of the unit on the rear inside floor centerline, and drew around the body for the cutout. I also added a portion more to allow for the motor mounting. I cut this portion away and prepped the plywood for the input cutout by first drawing the same footprint of the body on paper, and cutting the input hole to use as a template. Once the plywood was cut, I glued it in place to the bottom of the floor.

I tack glued the cockpit sides to the floor, and when dry, held the transom rear brace in place on the rear. I then place the body of the water thruster in place and traced around the rear for the cutout on the transom brace. Once glued in place, the waterjet housing fit firmly in place flush with the rear of the transom brace. The actual transom is made from 0.032" plywood, and then fits up against the brace. To determine where the hole cutout should be, I put a dab of graphite on the end of the prop shaft, which made a nice center mark for the hole. Using a hole template, I centered the dot and drew the hole cutout. The mounting holes were then drilled by marking the centerline of the exhaust nozzle on the centerline of the hole. To glue the transom in place, I mounted the waterjet body in place with the input screws, and placed the transom on the model and held it in place with the exhaust nozzle and a few screws. Once dried, the thicker transom piece was cut and fitted in a similar fashion. Glued and screwed for proper alignment.

I fitted the out-runner brushless motor to the waterjet unit using the standard
motor mounts. The two holes on the waterjet aligned with two of the holes on the mount. I fastened them with 3mm screws and locking nuts. The picture shows the modification to the metal mount for the bottom of the jet unit. I then mounted the motor to the mount in a similar fashion with 3 mm flat head screws. Again cutting the lower portion of the mount.

Coupling the motor with the jet unit was accomplished with 3 - 45mm long 3mm screws. The motor can then be slid in place and fastened to the coupler. The nuts at the water jet mount can then be tightened. The locking nuts at the motor end have a slight gap to allow the motor to move laterally back and forth a bit.

Started a new scratch build after getting interested in waterjet propulsion from articles by JBKiwi and Rowen. Didn't initially have a specific boat in mind at the start, just wanted to see if I can make the thing work. After looking at different hull designs, I elected to go with the Cresta which is on the KKEezebilt boat web site.
I know, I know, egg crate construction! not exactly the best, however, after getting into it, this has created quite a bit of room inside for the water thruster, and it also has a very flat "V" shape to center mount it . It also turned into a very easy build up to this point. The boat frame is made of 3/32" basswood, with 1/32" sides and bottom. There is also 1/32" ply for the thruster intake, and the exhaust nozzle in the transom. The chine is reinforced with basswood strips.

After downloading the Cresta Plans, I scaled up the prints to the length of 23", this seemed to be the best fit for the 16mm thruster purchased from Amazon. I initially purchased a 26mm unit complete with reversing bucket, however this one was way to big. Unfortunately, the 16mm unit does not have a reversing bucket, so it is forward only. (My ESC is a bidirectional unit which will reverse the brushless motor, so maybe it will have some sort of reverse🤞!)

Modifications to the Cresta plans include adding extra angle bracing between the floor and the bottom, modifying the transom, and cutting down the beam for the thruster unit. I also made the top removable to access the internals. The cabin area cutout will have a fake bottom to allow for wiring and connections on the subfloor. Once I get the whole boat covered in fiberglass, a float test will determine the placement of the batteries and electronics, as well as look for leaks😐.

Robo,

I agree with the previous post that sheeting would be better.
Make some cardstock patterns of the pieces.

You can glue two pieces together to get thickness, but for length, there needs to be a brace across the joint. otherwise it will be too weak.

Take a look at this site. It has simple plans which may give you some ideas of how to do this

http://eezebilt.tk/plans.html

Interesting method, looks simple enough to try this out.
Thanks

Congratulations, and welcome to a great hobby.

Balsa is probably the best wood to use for a first time modeler. It is a lot easier to cut and pin to the bulkheads during gluing. Depending upon the thickness of your balsa strips, the use of large pins will tend to split the wood. Use a good quality waterproof wood glue. I have a small plastic bottle with a long thin spout which I use to dispense the glue.
I found it is best to use a small amount of glue during the initial pinning to avoid getting the balsa too wet and risking the piece to warp. Once the initial joint is dry, a glue fillet can be put on the inside of the bulkhead and the strip to further secure the joint. Take your time!! Don't rush the hull build.

Glue the planks evenly on both sides of the hull starting on the bottom at the stern working toward the bow. A curving hull can be tricky. If the hull is to be painted, then I would lay the planks straight, and fill in with shorter pieces cutting to fit the gaps. If the planking will be seen, then a wood steaming method may need to be used to shape the wood around the curves. More experienced Modelers than I would be able to instruct you through this method.
Waterproofing the hull after planking needs to be done as well. I use an auto body filler compound to build up dips and fill small holes. Be sure to also paint the inside of the hull to protect the balsa wood in case water get in while operating. After painting the hull the final color, i seal the paint with a clear acrylic inside and out for further water protection.

Remember, this should be fun. Don't give up if it doesn't turn out the way you envisioned. Everyone makes mistakes. Use them as learning tools for your next build. Don't be afraid to try other methods on future builds.

....Maybe N scale would be better!

Its interesting how modelers from different interests also have a fascination with the boating world. In my earlier days, I too had interest in model railroading, and wanted to build a layout with a working car float. But alas, time, money and space were the limiting factors, that gave way to raising a family.

I remember seeing a picture of a rail car ferry in a book about the Southern Pacific Railroad. This ferry ushered cars across the Mississippi river in New Orleans before there were any bridges across the river.

This may be something I might consider in the near future, say in HO scale, as a project to undertake.

What you need is a RC controlled on / off switch.
These are used to control items such as lights on RC Cars.
I searched on line and found some suitable for up to 30 Amps.
Make sure that the unit has separate input and output terminals to connect a Battery and Load for your device.

My device pictured is rated for 4 amps.

I have not tried to connect this device with two batteries, one for receiver/ motor and another battery for aux device, but should be fine. if it does not operate, try connecting the the two battery (-) terminals together with a wire, this will provide a return path to each battery.
Hope this helps.

First float of the Princesse Loane

Sorry for not posting earlier, but as it is "life got in the way".

All paint is Testors Model Master, with the bottom of the hull painted with #4674 Leather up to the chine, then #4852 Green Zink Chromate up and over the gunwale. There is a strip of Brass color at the waterline, as well as at the top side. The deck is painted in a #4722 Random Tan with the darker #4673 Wood color as accent. The hull is then sprayed with a clear Matte finish to seal.

Top cabin and Pilot house are in similar colors along with #4677 Aluminum for the metal parts.
The windows are flat black, with streaks of the aluminum paint done in a dry brush fashion.

Railings are brass rod soldered on a flat jig, then bent to form the curve in front. The ladder is just bits of brass rod bent and set in holes drilled through the wood.

The fishing net is cheese cloth with small beads glued to it and painted orange to simulate the floats. Small leather cord is used to simulate the rope.

There are a few commercial pieces mainly the life rings, pulleys, and deck winches purchased from Harbor Models.

I have grown to like the ease and simplicity of brushless motors. This one is a small 1000KV unit which is mounted on a homemade mount within the hold. Hobbywing makes very good motor speed controllers, this one is a 16BL30 model. The Transmitter / receiver is a Hobbyking 2.4 Ghz HK-GT2B combo. This gives me the third channel to operate the navigation Light via a R/C switch from Elechawk. The unit is powered by a Turnigy 1800mAh 7.4V Lipo battery.


Once again, thanks for your kind words.

Gees this is impressive.... gonna have to up my velcro game!👍