1/8 scale Smokin Joe

[Chris Migliaccio]

The sponsons a sheeted with 1/16th plywood. Should the ride surface be built up with more than 1 layer of plywood, and how much?

 

[Greg Wannamaker]

No need to double up sheeting, that just adds weight, when your adding riding surface steps you normally build those steps into your framing and then sheet with 1/16 th ply.

 

[Chris Migliaccio]

Thank you

 

[Hydro Junkie]

No need to double up sheeting, that just adds weight, when your adding riding surface steps you normally build those steps into your framing and then sheet with 1/16 th ply.

To me, the same thing kind of applies to adding FG or CF to the inside of a boat. Some swear you need the strength to make a boat "raceable" while I see it as nothing more than extra weight that does nothing for you.

 

[GraysonTaylor]

Google "RC Unlimiteds". Check out the videos from M5 Performance. One of them shows sponson framing and recovery pads. Greg's is very scale. Not required for racing, but very nice. The whole bottom taper of his boat is very cool. Not an ML.

 

[Steven Kinney]

On my ML gas scale Smokin a Joes kit I sheeted the bottom of the sponson with 1/16 ply but I used 1/8 on the rear ride pads. It worked well on my boat.

 

[GraysonTaylor]

Search on Don Ferrette here and goto his media -> albums and he has the best scale build pictures I've seen. 1/8 Smoken Joe's. Carbon hull, but great help for seeing how it's done. Be sure to read the text that goes with each picture. Thanks again Don for the great resource!

 

[GraysonTaylor]

My 20 Pay n Pack from a Dumas kit has an extra layer of 1/16 on its sponson about 3/4 the width of the ride pad. Different sponson design but an extra 1/16 layer has been done by many before.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Grayson, that ride pad on the Dumas Pak was there only because the full sized boat had them. The difference is that the full sized boat has it the full length of the sponson, 3" out from the sponson inside where Dumas only had them on approximately the bottom rear third and flush with the inside of the sponson, IIRC. There is a transition panel that is at a 45* angle from the sponson inside to the inside of the pad with the bottom of the pad being roughly 1/2 to 1" below the transition panel. You can see the transition panel and inside edge of the pad under the inside of the left sponson in this picture. You can ignore the right sponson as it was replaced after the original was damaged, spinning out the boat intentionally in 1981 IIRC, with an "experimental" molded fiberglass sponson by Ron Jones, builder of the boat.

 

[scottmeyers]

Chris,
You've gotten some great advice here. It's always good to see racers helping racers.
My basic rule when mounting engine and hardware is jamb everything as far forward as possible. Almost nobody has ever had to add weight to the rear of their boat to make it run right, but many many many (many!) boats have lead shoved in the front to keep the nose down.
Somebody mentioned my videos so I'll provide a link here. Also do a search for Michael Luszcz Smugmug where you'll find a massive collection of build photos (my Eliminator build is there if you scroll far enough). Anyway, enjoy the build... You can do it!
https://www.youtube.com/user/matinco2

 

[Chris Migliaccio]

I am subscribed and love your videos, they are full of great information. I appreciate everyones input. I have built some zippkits boats, which have very detailed instructions. This is my first mlboat works kit, and I am loving the challenge, I love to build!