Is ABS OK as a hull material?

[flyboy320]

Just bought a used BBY Oval Master 26;

http://www.bbyracing.com/elecmonohulls.asp

As was wondering how durable the ABS hulls are? I won't be using it for racing, just playing around out back at the pond

 

[Jason]

Just bought a used BBY Oval Master 26;
As was wondering how durable the ABS hulls are? I won't be using it for racing, just playing around out back at the pond

They are great hulls for a 700 brushed motor and rigid enough for that.

With a bit of work like laying up some carbon fibre thru the bottom they are a very strong hull if you are wanting to run Brushless.

Mine had fatique cracks on the bottom after running my SV27 motor in it.(hence the reason for the carbon fibre)

Still a fast boat but on the last run i did with a 7XL and 4S1P Lipo the GPS read 51.68 MPH

Jason

 

[jayt]

General statements implying that all "ABS" hulls are okay as a hull material can be misleading. Not all "ABS" plastic is the same, neither in composition nor in thickness, and many folks call any vacuum formed hull "ABS". Some can be very brittle, especially if the hull is more than several years old and has been poorly stored.

Too, how the deck and hull bottom are cut and glued together makes a big difference. Assembled by someone unfamiliar with vacuum formed hulls, the finished product can be weak. The wrong glue used to attach the halves can cause some plastics to turn brittle and crack easily. And some hull designs are simply weaker than others based on their shape and the skill of the guy pulling the parts on the mold.

That said, bought from a reputable manufacturer like Randy and assembled correctly they can work very well. Then the only real problems are the sloppy corners on the chines and transom - but those can be fixed easily.

.

 

[K.R.Joye]

Actually most plastic R/C boat hulls are made of vacuum formed Styrene, including BBYs offerings. I do have some actual ABS hulls from `H2O racing' they are alot more durable than Styrene. Styrene is easier to form and more paint friendly than ABS. Theres nothing wrong with Styrene hulls in fact if you paint them they will last longer, less UV exposure. Good luck with your project!

General statements implying that all "ABS" hulls are okay as a hull material can be misleading. Not all "ABS" plastic is the same, neither in composition nor in thickness, and many folks call any vacuum formed hull "ABS". Some can be very brittle, especially if the hull is more than several years old and has been poorly stored.
Too, how the deck and hull bottom are cut and glued together makes a big difference. Assembled by someone unfamiliar with vacuum formed hulls, the finished product can be weak. The wrong glue used to attach the halves can cause some plastics to turn brittle and crack easily. And some hull designs are simply weaker than others based on their shape and the skill of the guy pulling the parts on the mold.

That said, bought from a reputable manufacturer like Randy and assembled correctly they can work very well. Then the only real problems are the sloppy corners on the chines and transom - but those can be fixed easily.

.

 

[DJ Campbell]

Actually most plastic R/C boat hulls are made of vacuum formed Styrene, including BBYs offerings. I do have some actual ABS hulls from `H2O racing' they are alot more durable than Styrene. Styrene is easier to form and more paint friendly than ABS. Theres nothing wrong with Styrene hulls in fact if you paint them they will last longer, less UV exposure. Good luck with your project!

General statements implying that all "ABS" hulls are okay as a hull material can be misleading. Not all "ABS" plastic is the same, neither in composition nor in thickness, and many folks call any vacuum formed hull "ABS". Some can be very brittle, especially if the hull is more than several years old and has been poorly stored.
Too, how the deck and hull bottom are cut and glued together makes a big difference. Assembled by someone unfamiliar with vacuum formed hulls, the finished product can be weak. The wrong glue used to attach the halves can cause some plastics to turn brittle and crack easily. And some hull designs are simply weaker than others based on their shape and the skill of the guy pulling the parts on the mold.

That said, bought from a reputable manufacturer like Randy and assembled correctly they can work very well. Then the only real problems are the sloppy corners on the chines and transom - but those can be fixed easily.

.

The Oval Master is a great running boat. I would however line the inside if possible with some cloth (carbon, kevlar, or regular fiberglas) to help with impact resistance and stress cracks. There is a huge difference in durability and impact resistance with real ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and HIPS (High Impact Styrene). You can usually tell the difference ABS is typically shiny HIPS is flat.