ML GSX 480 Hydro build

[Chris Kurtz]

Hi all. My wife (Santa) got me a ML GSX 480 kit for Christmas and I've been working on it.
ML Boatworks GSX 480 kit
Very nicely done with excellent laser cut parts and fiberglass cowl.
I picked up a 30cc Gizmo pro modified engine for it as well as the pipe, manifold, and header as well as the running hardware from Zippkits.
So far the plan is to paint it with a rattle can metal flake silver and do some Createx candy colors with a 2K clear coat.
I'll try to show a few pictures and progress as I go along.




View attachment 286684

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I used a few different epoxies and even some Titebond glue to get some pieces stuck together. The epoxies I used are regular 30 min,
Total Boat FlexEpox Flexible Epoxy and some
DR CRAFTY Clear Epoxy Resin Crystal Clear Resin.
I built a jig to hold the boat on while building it. I used about 8 servo screws to hold the bottom sheeting down on the jig and glued the ribs and former's to the sheeting.



I used Titebond for the side frame lamination's. Not too sure if anyone else uses this type of glue for boats but I figured with all the other epoxy, paint coating, and water proofing if water ever does get close to dissolving this stuff I'll have much larger issues.
The kit makes use of 1/4" dowels to locate all the laminated pieces, that was nice.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Not sure if I used enough weight to glue things up.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I mocked up the formers and placed the engine to get an idea of where to drill the engine mounting holes. I decided to drill holes a bit lower on the engine mounts to get better placement on the engine rails in the hull. They are a bit short.
After figuring out where I wanted things I went ahead and drilled the engine rails before epoxying them in to make things easier.








I added a bit of thin CA to strengthen the wood up around the holes. I will also add cloth and resin after everything is in the boat.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I epoxied the former's and rails in place with the flex epoxy and let everything sit over night.
Having the layout lines laser etched on the sheeting is a nice touch and makes things easy to figure out or see if your missing something.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

A few more shots before everything was glued up.

 

[BrianBrownlee]

Looking great man!!! keep the build pics coming!!

 

[Chris Kurtz]

On the front laminated nose piece I machined out some material with a round nose milling cutter on the mill to save a little weight.
Yes I know you should never use milling cutters in a drill chuck but for the quick 5 min. job in wood it worked fine and I didn't have to change out the tooling to the collets.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Looking great man!!! keep the build pics coming!!

Thanks Brian, yours is looking great too!

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Epoxied some more parts together. Found out that hockey tape works really well for holding things together.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

With the rear decking, center rails, and outer sides all epoxied to the sheeting while screwed to the jig it made a very true, strong, flat and square boat.





I added some fiberglass cloth and resin to the engine area and rear transom areas.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I then laid out some of the deck and sponson sheeting and coated it with some thinned epoxy to seal it. I coated it, let it soak for a few minutes then wiped the excess off with paper towels.
Added the top nose piece and epoxied the sponson ribs to the side pieces in preparation for gluing to the hull.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I added an aluminum backer plate for mounting the turn fin to the right inside sponson.
Of course, the first time I glued it on the hull was upside down and I inadvertently epoxied it to the wrong side of the boat. . At least I noticed it before the epoxy set up and was able to remove it from the left side of the boat and re install it on the right side.

I then removed the hull from the jig and epoxied the front bottom sheeting on as well as filling in the bottom of the nose piece with epoxy and micro balloons.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I then went over everything with some sandpaper and started framing up the sponsons.
In keeping with my tendency to do things twice I had to remove one of the sponson ribs after I inadvertently epoxied it on upside down. Once again, I got lucky and noticed it before the epoxy set up so no big deal.
Only the highest skilled boat builders around here folks.

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Decided to make my own turn fin. I used .070 thick alum but I may have to use some thicker stuff later on if it don't hold up. I may also use stainless.
Not sure what angle to mount it at or if I should put a curve or bend in the fin itself. I'll probably machine slots for rotational mounting options in the angle mount and maybe make a few extra fins in different sizes and shapes to try out when testing.
Does anyone know a good starting point as far as the size, shape, and angles for these size hydro's?

 

[Chris Kurtz]

I like to run my engines on the test stand, when new, to run them in and get the needles set pretty well before messing with them in a model.
On the heli and boat engines I have a prop adapter that I install on them to run an airplane prop.
For this modified 30cc engine I used an APC 16/8 and was getting around 10300 rpm with the Zippkits stainless steel tuned pipe at a 12.5" pipe length.
I like to run them for at least a gallon of fuel using regular dinosaur non-synthetic oil to help seat everything in quicker. After that lately I've been running Redline synthetic two stroke oil.
I like to heat cycle them and not over rev or lug the engine for around a gallon of fuel. I mixed the oil 8oz to a gallon for the premix.
You can really start to feel and hear the engine coming alive and settling in after a few tanks of fuel through it.
I drilled and tapped the intake manifold and installed a pressure fitting for pulse line on the outboard engine fuel pump that I use for water cooling on the stand.
I just used a cable for the throttle. On the boat I'm unsure if I''m going with the cable, bell crank, or rotary style throttle yet.
Here are a few pics showing my set up both with the canister muffler and the tuned pipe set up.

And, NO, I am not running DEF through the engine for cooling. Just regular water.

 

[Mike Luszcz]

Very quality work you are doing. I look forward to seeing the rest of the build! Mike, ML Boatworks

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Very quality work you are doing. I look forward to seeing the rest of the build! Mike, ML Boatworks

Thank you Mike, this kit sure is a pleasure to work with.
The quality of the wood, the laser cutting, the design, everything about it is top-notch. You did a hell of a job on this one.

 

[user 6667]

Oh

I used a few different epoxies and even some Titebond glue to get some pieces stuck together. The epoxies I used are regular 30 min,
Total Boat FlexEpox Flexible Epoxy and some
DR CRAFTY Clear Epoxy Resin Crystal Clear Resin.
I built a jig to hold the boat on while building it. I used about 8 servo screws to hold the bottom sheeting down on the jig and glued the ribs and former's to the sheeting.
View attachment 286685
View attachment 286686
View attachment 286687View attachment 286688
I used Titebond for the side frame lamination's. Not too sure if anyone else uses this type of glue for boats but I figured with all the other epoxy, paint coating, and water proofing if water ever does get close to dissolving this stuff I'll have much larger issues.
The kit makes use of 1/4" dowels to locate all the laminated pieces, that was nice.

ok

I like to run my engines on the test stand, when new, to run them in and get the needles set pretty well before messing with them in a model.
On the heli and boat engines I have a prop adapter that I install on them to run an airplane prop.
For this modified 30cc engine I used an APC 16/8 and was getting around 10300 rpm with the Zippkits stainless steel tuned pipe at a 12.5" pipe length.
I like to run them for at least a gallon of fuel using regular dinosaur non-synthetic oil to help seat everything in quicker. After that lately I've been running Redline synthetic two stroke oil.
I like to heat cycle them and not over rev or lug the engine for around a gallon of fuel. I mixed the oil 8oz to a gallon for the premix.
You can really start to feel and hear the engine coming alive and settling in after a few tanks of fuel through it.
I drilled and tapped the intake manifold and installed a pressure fitting for pulse line on the outboard engine fuel pump that I use for water cooling on the stand.
I just used a cable for the throttle. On the boat I'm unsure if I''m going with the cable, bell crank, or rotary style throttle yet.
Here are a few pics showing my set up both with the canister muffler and the tuned pipe set up.

And, NO, I am not running DEF through the engine for cooling. Just regular water.
View attachment 286734
View attachment 286735
View attachment 286736
View attachment 286737
View attachment 286738
View attachment 286739

great job on the Build. May I ask where do you get the prop adapter?

thanks

Jack

 

[Chris Kurtz]

Oh

ok

great job on the Build. May I ask where do you get the prop adapter?

thanks

Jack

Hey Jack, the prop adapter is a stock Zenoah part off of their airplane engines. I bought an airplane engine years ago and used it in a helicopter so I kept the prop adapter and firewall mount for this type of use.