repair of WOF and procedure.....

[Mike Larson]

Hey guys.... sooner or later.... anyway... Have a set of sponsons from a rigger I augered in at speed..... I need ideas/procedure on repair procedure, as, it'll be extensive, and while they can be saved, materials, and work is all...

Basically they are Kledgecell, so, what, do you use to refill, and hence reshape the big areas, before resheeting?..

Opinions of gorilla glue, expandable house foam, wood filler ( plastic wood) ?...

The tips are bad.... of which a balsa square will be applied and sanded to shape before the resheet?....

The booms on one have essentially ripped forward on the sponson side.... would you, do you, essentially remove the ripped section of sheeting and replace a small section to keep structural integrity at this critical junction.... ie: if the boom can be glued back in solid, the hole filled and sanded filler.... ( G force bothers me here, turn fin side)......

The spoons are off a hummingbird I had for years, and my luck ran out..... I was due, i guess.... while a new set of UL from Ralph could be affected, i think I can fix them, possibly.... input appreciated, i need something to do.... thanks mike

 

[jeff baham]

Hey guys.... sooner or later.... anyway... Have a set of sponsons from a rigger I augered in at speed..... I need ideas/procedure on repair procedure, as, it'll be extensive, and while they can be saved, materials, and work is all...

Basically they are Kledgecell, so, what, do you use to refill, and hence reshape the big areas, before resheeting?..

Opinions of gorilla glue, expandable house foam, wood filler ( plastic wood) ?...

The tips are bad.... of which a balsa square will be applied and sanded to shape before the resheet?....

The booms on one have essentially ripped forward on the sponson side.... would you, do you, essentially remove the ripped section of sheeting and replace a small section to keep structural integrity at this critical junction.... ie: if the boom can be glued back in solid, the hole filled and sanded filler.... ( G force bothers me here, turn fin side)......

The spoons are off a hummingbird I had for years, and my luck ran out..... I was due, i guess.... while a new set of UL from Ralph could be affected, i think I can fix them, possibly.... input appreciated, i need something to do.... thanks mike

first thing is we need picture, next you can use balsa or klegecell, and all you would need is ca glue, (i use the thick gel)i use thin ca when i have a small crack) ,that way it will penatrate the area,),do you have a table sander it will cut the sanding process alot, is the booms bent ,if not, just place them back into tub boom, but not all the way in and then squeeze ca glue around the sponson tube boom,then place the boat on a set-up board to get the angle of attack right ,should be 3 degrees. use martys set-up advise. then once the tube are set remove the sponson from tub and then you can put more ca around the sponson tube and then let dry.

 

[LarryConrad]

Mike,

Just make patterns off one of the undamaged sets you have and just build new ones.

 

[Mike Hughes]

Check this link out Mike. It shows my repair on my 90 SGX that hit the gravel pit wall at 80 mph. I would use something different than balsa on the tips. I use bass wood of some spruce. It will help them survive better than the balsa. Using the Jeff advise above, after you get the booms back to were they need to be, I would use epoxy mixed with micro ballons to fill in the holes around the tubes. I would not bother with replacing the sheeting. It is much easier to just fill with westsystem epoxy and sand smooth. It will be stronger than the plywood also.

Mike

 

[Mike Larson]

Mike! thats awesome documentation!... I still dont have camera abilities, as, I couldnt post 'em if I did... sorry....

thanks for the info, guys it's great and may give me the attitude that it can be done....

The tub, (carbon fiber), has serious damage, and I lack a building shop like you guys have for sure.....( I have a dremel, sand by hand, and a drill, for the most part, i get things done, though)... I may rethink it today after i look again.... basically it'll end being almost a half tub splice, and will take thought to make it structurally sound again...

i'd written it off.... till the article.... maybe.... saw you did your tank, too, which, mine looked a crushed aluminum beer can, and it's replaceable in the future..... small patata's.....

Youre right on the balsa Mike, as, I just use it for ease of sanding to shape, i can get a harder wood block for sure..

I wouldnt be adverse to ply tub sides again, but them being carbon over foam core laminate, does anyone sell, pre foam core ply material, ie: 32nd to foam and 32nd?.... I could surely trace a tub side out off another boat and splice... the bottom sheet rolled but is still there.... basically it ended up looking like a shotgun that blew up backwards..... wishin now, i'd have searched for more of the parts......

I more than likely wouldnt push this resurrection, here, but Hummingbird is obsolete, and, if i can repair the thing i'd like to, lotsa time on my hands... thanks and good luck.... Mike

 

[TERMINATOR]

Mike! thats awesome documentation!... I still dont have camera abilities, as, I couldnt post 'em if I did... sorry....

thanks for the info, guys it's great and may give me the attitude that it can be done....

The tub, (carbon fiber), has serious damage, and I lack a building shop like you guys have for sure.....( I have a dremel, sand by hand, and a drill, for the most part, i get things done, though)... I may rethink it today after i look again.... basically it'll end being almost a half tub splice, and will take thought to make it structurally sound again...

i'd written it off.... till the article.... maybe.... saw you did your tank, too, which, mine looked a crushed aluminum beer can, and it's replaceable in the future..... small patata's.....

Youre right on the balsa Mike, as, I just use it for ease of sanding to shape, i can get a harder wood block for sure..

I wouldnt be adverse to ply tub sides again, but them being carbon over foam core laminate, does anyone sell, pre foam core ply material, ie: 32nd to foam and 32nd?.... I could surely trace a tub side out off another boat and splice... the bottom sheet rolled but is still there.... basically it ended up looking like a shotgun that blew up backwards..... wishin now, i'd have searched for more of the parts......

I more than likely wouldnt push this resurrection, here, but Hummingbird is obsolete, and, if i can repair the thing i'd like to, lotsa time on my hands... thanks and good luck.... Mike

mike why not just bring it down here and we will fix it, i have the tooling needed to do so, routing table, bandsaw,clamps, drum sander, belt sander, lathe , mill, ect..we will make it better, and most importantly ..heat and cable tv in the shop..lol btw why not just build the other hydro you got ? also i have mahogany and walnut here and all thickness of ply we could make a afternoon out of it, friends are here and i love to build ..so lets get this going.

tk

 

[Mike Hughes]

If you do Terry, take some pics and do a rebuild thread. This is what is wrong with our sport. Too many RTR racers out there. They do not know how to fix anything. When I started racing, you built your own boats. This gave you the skill set to repair anything that comes along. The thread at least gives the people some idea how to do it. It may push them into fixing it them selves. I have not met a boat that could not be fixed. It is just a matter of time and effort.

Mike

 

[TERMINATOR]

If you do Terry, take some pics and do a rebuild thread. This is what is wrong with our sport. Too many RTR racers out there. They do not know how to fix anything. When I started racing, you built your own boats. This gave you the skill set to repair anything that comes along. The thread at least gives the people some idea how to do it. It may push them into fixing it them selves. I have not met a boat that could not be fixed. It is just a matter of time and effort.

Mike

i will do mike .. will do, and you are right there are way too many just buy it and not build it people i nthis world and alot of them it is probably not their fault, to me it is how you are brought up and if their dads dint have the skills the probably didnt learn them, like me i cannot type well but i get the job done..lol ,anyhow i will do what i can if mike brings it down we will have pics and such for all.

tk

 

[Hydro Junkie]

You guys would love what's happening over in RTRZone then. For some dumb reason, the fad is to take a Vegas and widen it. They are cutting off the canoes, addings spacers and reattaching the canoes. Must be half a dozen boats being reworked that way. Would they even be legal to run in a RTR class with an extra inch or so in width?

 

[Mike Larson]

Terry.. the offer is gracious for sure, and I'm thinking on it... i've picked the tub up numerous times, and i've a nothing isnt repairable attitude for the most part, also... I can build, not well, ( I know a guy, that will teach if you listen, which i often dont).

Getting sick of saying I had, I had, to a point, and while i continue to aquire objects, I'm at priority status, and a d camera, and things like a saw, and sander, clamps, etc, I had.... see the picture?...

while Marty's shop will become available hopefully, i just dont know if i'd undertake and succesfully, structurally be able to make this tub solid... Hummingbird is nonobtanium, and while i did trim Richards boat out to test in the spring, it seems, and is that i actually have/had 3 different tub styles, for the most part, and if a future bad luck incident takes more, a part tub and a sponson set sure helps..... hence the rebuild.... I need, a tub side template first off, neither of mine are there, nor complete. I could trace of my other late model bird, eventually..... looking for material and thoughts on that, was first, for surely a guy could laminate carbon plate to a balsa core which I wonder was already out there for a person to template and cut?.. make your own?.. cloth and resin?... boat's heavy enough, and will take thought on procedure......

Your article rocks, Mike, for sure, my skills arent close to par with that easily.... i've built some hulls, did okay, but i've smashed more that frustrated me than I'd wanted to......

We'll see.... I have to think on steps to take, which, the solving problem aspect of the whole boat deal, in general, building to trim to test, is sort of what keeps me doing it....... I'll be busy this week, helping a friend and his family get their life back after a house fire, on hold for a moment.... thanks guys.... Mike

 

[Mike Hughes]

Mike

If you have any question, you can always call me. 206 779 9133. A picture would help me a ton with suggestions to help you. Did you lose all the pieces of the hull? If you still have them you can roughly get an idea what the hull looked like. When it comes to the carbon, is it carbon sheet or carbon laid up on the side of the balsa with epoxy? The later is easy to do as long as you have the materials. If the carbon sheet is thicker than you will have to build or buy some to match. Just some suggestions.

Mike