Expresscraft Race V hull build.

Thought I would show everyone how we build our 40" Race V. we are not very well known for our smaller boats but we do make a lot of boats that are not on our web site.I have waxed the molds with release wax and have sprayed gell coat. It's best to try and get the gel coat to 17mills. to thick and you get cracks in the gel as it really has no strength and is not very flexible. To thin and when the resin dries it will soften the gel up and as it shrinks it will pull that thin gel into itself and cause gatoring in the finish.

Our standard lay up on all of our boats except cruiser type boats are 1 layer of 1.5oz mat, then that is rolled out to remove air trapped between the mat and the gel coat.we also use aerosils (micro-balloons) mixed with resin to create a putty that we use in sharp corners that the mat will not lay down in.When laying up a glass part wetter is better,You can always remove excess resin when finishing the part.Then we back our parts up with 1 layer of 5.8oz carbon fiber twill. this makes a very strong boat.On boats like the race v, hydro and our 70" Apache/Phantom we use a ring mold that the deck will be secured to later.

So the resin has dried overnight and its time to pull the ring mold off.This step needs a careful touch as the ring we have made is only bonded to the gel coat that we sprayed on the hull mold earlier.It's important to careful remove any glass that may have made its way around the waxed surface of the ring mold and bonded hard to it. Once satisfied with that inspection I carefully pop the ring mold off by prying on it little by little around the mold.Then I draw my guide line just by eye its not real important, just a guide. Then my cut off wheel makes short work of removing the flashing.

so now we have put the one layer of 1.5 oz mat in the hull and it has been rolled out good bringing the excess resin to the top and resdy to be soaked up with the 5.8 oz layer of carbon fiber twill, a little gentle brush work and the carbon looks great and makes this great hull rock solid. Now its ready for the transom and rails.

Are these polyester or epoxy boats?

Brad

We use a 50 minute polyester resin, Epoxy is better then polyester but its also 3 times more expensive,If they where aircraft parts it would be worth the difference but in boats not so much. Keep in mind this boat is only a 120.00 and most boats made in the USA are twice that price and are only fiberglass. We have been making boats since 1989 and until a few years ago we only used glass as well. Then RCMK released there monster of a motor in the 520 in line twin, We built a 50" thunderbolt powered with one. It ran 86 MPH but was getting destroyed in open water crashes after only 6 weeks.So we built one with this lay up. 86 MPH 26 lbs boat it better be strong.we had to had 40oz of weight to the boat to get it to run right with that power.Just a example of too light does not always work.after multiple open water crashes and one trip down a dirt road at full speed off the lake and its still in good shape.We decided the engines are not going to get less powerful so it was time to make a stronger boat.We got ride of our dealer program and only sell direct.Added the discount we use to give dealers into the added price of carbon fiber and we still have the same pricing we have had for 25 years.

Here is a picture of the Thunderbolt.

The thunderbolt, reminds me there is a gentleman near here who has one you made for him. Its been sitting unused for three years. Im sure you could be made to remember the customer..he was particularly fussy about a parts list not being included with the order..I think I will try and buy it off him and get the boat on water. This 56 inch Thunderbolt is fully fitted with hadware less only radio and electronics. There is a full mod rcmk 29.5 with exaust system. The boat was then custom painted in florida. What would that have cost the fella if you don't mind my prying..without counting shipping?

I do not remember building a thunderbolt with a 29.5, We stopped building ready to runs a few years ago. But we do sell a lot of hulls to builders that use them, Dan at Bonzi buys a lot of our thunderbolts and also has them painted. I really do not remember doing one without radio gear,So I do not think he got it built from me. I could be wrong so post a picture and maybe I can give you some idea where it came from. dan would have used some of his (Bonzi) parts on his build. Guys like Ross madina (full throttle racing) would have used speed master hardware. I have had customers spend 200.00 on paint work and others as much as 1,800.00 so it is very hard to give a price.I would say 2,000.00 would be a low estimate with a boat powered with a 500.00 full mod motor, painted and built.

thanks, here are some photos. paint was around 800 worth.

I guess I did build that boat, I do not think i saw it after it was painted, It was painted by Doug at oversprayed.com I recognize his shop and that is HOR racing hardware.I would imagine he probably has 2000.00 in it as it is pictured.

thanks Tom...wish he'd used it a little, but he's stopped runing boats. would the fact that the boat has been stored in the way it has with the motor in, affect the hull's shape. also curious if the flexshaft does in deed dry if not greased?

It should be greased, I am probably old school on this as a lot of boaters today use oilers for there shafts. My thought on this, and other may not agree. But when you pull start the motor.If the mounts ever get even a little loose now your drive line alignment is off and this causes broken cables and lost props. That is a 80.00 das boata prop on there. I think pulling the cable out on a regular basis to re grease it also give you the chance to make sure all is well. So i am not a fan of auto oilers. the hull is pretty rock solid so i do not think it would warp. but if it was leaned up against a wall or something in a hot environment its possible.that said you could put steal weights in the sponsons over the ride pads and put it out in the sun and it could be fixed, dont be shy on the weight used.

Ok back to the race v. I have prepared the transom, and rails as well as trimmed the deck up. then the deck ledge is sanded and the deck as well to remove any little burrs that would prevent a good snug fit as well as remove that film that nothing will sick to that polyester resin gets.while the hull is out of the mold I wax the mold trim edge and the out side of the hull, just for some protection and ease of getting the hull back out of the mold.the transom is slotted to except the rails and is put it place, then I tack the rails in place using my 5" jig and a little CA and kicker.Everything is coated in resin and the rails are glassed in.Then i put the putty on the pre prepped deck ring and put the deck in place.then I place a external deck ring over the deck to keep the clamps from leaving indents in the deck.Now I walk away and tomorrow I will trim the overhanging deck down for a clean fit on the hull. This 40" boat will run with any boat in it's class.compare our build Technics to any one's and there's are just fiber glass not carbon fiber. We build this boat for a 120.00 We are dedicated to growing the hobby. consider expresscarft for your next build.

great pics and explanation. wondered about the tools and the science going into your boats. like your business plan, as you've explained it, and the dedication to it. also, it may only be two of you working but I think you've got a very sound business strategy as a "value leader"; this thread, educating the market and personally answering questions builds the value vs quality up in my mind. i get a excellent boat, but that's not all. you're a first mover in the hobby and have made unique stategic choices that have layered perfectly together. the result is Expresscraft's value provided is difficult for any to emulate; other company's buy your boats for example. the other strategies pursuable being: "innovation leader", and "cost leader", where for the former price is of little concern, and price is the greatest concern to the latter. your boats are comparable to those that change(innovate) their hulls almost yearly in performance, so to compete with the quality of an Expresscraft hull and service will be difficult at your prices; and you customise to an extent. Expresscraft's work in construction, the expertise of the staff, the service, the way you've incresed value over time, it's established original brand name, the price vs quality offers; all are great or even excellent.

I'm sure you already knew that but it's obvious to more consumers with your thread. I am a Bonzi customer, mostly through WHH's. It's great how these company's are not your competition. so much more about the great spot you've kept Expresscraft in could be said.

WOW, I post a lot of build threads, First one here and sometimes I wonder if any one care's. thank you very much for your nice post and that is what makes it all worth it. We have made improvements to some of our boats as well as times changed, we use the same hull with the free board cut a little different on our Arapaho,Scarab and c-54, as motors got faster our old four strake design was no longer cutting edge, so we did some testing and changing and now we have a 2 strake bottom and they now do not go all the way back to the transom. we used our great running 70" Apache hull to make our Tomahawk and C-68 (same boat different hatches) we cut the free board down, crowned the deck line and added steps to the hull.

Tom,

I may not have said so, prolly should have for sure. I find your build thread very informative and greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and abilities.

I see in alot of your build photo's that its a lady doing most of the work,,,, are you sure it's you with all the knowledge. (just kidding) it does take a good team I'm sure.

One of these day's I'm going to get one of your scale hydro (the one designed around Roger Gordons hull) hulls to see if it wall make a good running scale hull.

Like the look of that Scarab hull also

Thanks, yes my wife does the lay up, I spray the gel coat. put the rails in and do the grinding and easy part of joining. she also reaches in and does the glass joining of the deck and hull from the inside with glass (worse step). I have a lot of health issues, stage 4 kidney failure from diabetes and hyper tension, I just got heart stints put in, in December. I can do the short steps but I get blurred vision and craps in my hands all the time.Once the resin is mixed it does not care, it.s going to kick off.if the part is not done it's ruined.I also am glad that she can do it if my number comes up. I hope to have a lamina-tor here tonight that use to build boats with me years ago,to start building with us again.

the hydro does run very nice.

Reason for the delay is I got the deck off center by about a 1/8" but when you cut it down it looks like a 1/4" so i built him another boat. I will be keeping this blem for my self. Mistakes blow but they are just part of building boats. And what you do when you make them.Is what counts. This is a 120.00 boat. I hope everyone see's the value in Expresscraft boats.

Dialalasys sucks bin there done that for 8 years but you are alive!! We got trained to do it at home at night!! Helped but still the best is a transplant which I received 6 years ago. Thanks to those who sign there donor card!!! Good build information and nice looking boats!!

Brad