Solid drive line

[chinslip]

Hi guys...I,m getting ready to build a gas scale classic hydro from rc boat co. And was wondering if any advantages in running a solid drive shaft in lieu of a flex shaft? Any info would be great. Thanks! Norm

 

[harvknox]

Don't do it.You will have no strut adjust.My White Heat 10 that I built in 1968 had a rigid shaft with an Octura u joint.The pins on the knuckle wear out no matter what lub you use.

Harvey

 

[chinslip]

Thanks for the reply. Flex it is

Norm

 

[anthony_marquart]

Tons of power lose in a u joint Unless its for nostalgic reasons I would not do it

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Some would disagree with NOT using solid shafts. Given the fact that you run a solid shaft in ball bearings and there is almost 0 resistance is one plus.

If your worried about adjustment,,, someone on here can explain how to install an adjustable solid shaft.

But,, for me. Flex shaft it is.

Just sayin,,, there are pro's and con's to both

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I've seen boats where the stuffing box was installed with an adjustable mounting so that the strut could be adjusted as well. While it's considerably more work to set up, it offers all the benefits of a flex cable in adjustability. There are the downsides given above by Harvey and Anthony as well but, as Rick said, "Just sayin,,, there are pro's and con's to both"

 

[Dasboatman]

Hey Norm,

I have a Classic Thunderboat and a 1/8th Scale Nitro hull set up with solid shafts running in ball bearings. The longest hard shaft I've been able to find was from Gary Jensen at 25" - you would probably need a longer one for RC Boat Company hull. The adjustable solid shaft sure makes it easy to tweak. I got really tired of cutting out old webbed in stuffing tubes to move it 1/16th of an inch.

I had a Friend tell me Royal pins www.royalpins.com Warren, RI 401-245-6900 has long shaft material.. CHEERS !!! Bob

 

[NOVALTD]

NORM: FROM A OLD SCHOOL BOYS POINT OF VIEW, SOLID SHAFT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO,IF ITS SETUP RIGHT. I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOBBY SINCE 1980 AND SAW MANY SOLID SHAFTS WORK PERFECT WITH LITTLE MAINTENANCE. REMEMBER THE FLEX CABLE CAME INTO EXISTENCE IN THE 1970S AND WAS ADOPTED INTO BOATING FOR CONVENIENCE PURPOSES

ON SETUP AND NOT FOR PERFORMANCE GAINS. THE SOLID SHAFT WAS HARDER TO SETUP AND ADJUST DURING TESTING. SINCE THEN MODELERS ADAPTED TO THE FLEX AND SOME NEWER MODELERS HAVE NEVER SEEN SOLID SHAFTS. SOME BOATERS TODAY THAT LIVE BY THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONVENIENCE WOULD RATHER BALLPARK THE SETUP WITH A FLEXSHAFT ,PUT A HIGH DOLLAR ENGINE WITH HIGH NITRO ON A PREPARED PROP FROM SOMEONE AND SQUEEZE THE THROTTLE AND CALL THAT A SUCCESS THEN LIVE BY THE PHILOSOPHY OF PRINCIPLE OF DOING THE NECESSARY WORK FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE . I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY MODELERS THERES NO DIFFERENCE IN

PERFORMANCE BETWEEN FLEX AND SOLID SHAFTS?. I BEG TO DIFFER HEARS WHY. NOBODY HAS EVER ACCURATELY

MEASURED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO THAT I KNOW OF AND POSTED THE RESULTS. DOES IT SOUND LOGICAL THAT A METAL FLEX CABLE IN A S-BEND CONFIGURATION ENCLOSED IN A BRASS METAL TUBE PACKED WITH HEAVY GREASE HAS THE SAME FRICTION LOSSES AS A STIFF PERCISION GROUND SHAFT ON BALL BEARINGS ON FINE

MINERAL OIL AS LUBRICANT. I THINK THE CHOICE IS OBVIOUS. REMEMBER MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WIRE SHAFTS IN ELECTRIC ON BEARINGS. REGARDING THE UNIVERSALS,YOU CAN KEPT YOUR FLEX COLLET ON THE ENGINE AND MAKE A SS BUSHING WITH A 1/4 PC OF FLEX SOLDERED IN THE BUSHING AND TIGHTENED TO THE SOLID SHAFT BY ALLEN SCREWS. NO UNIVERSALS NEEDED. REGARDING ADJUSTMENT OF THE SHAFT USE A ADJUSTABLE

PILLOW BLOCK BY THE ENGINE . A FLEX CABLE WILL GET YOU BY,BUT FOR THOSE BOATERS LOOKING FOR OPTIMUM

PERFORMANCE AND ARE WILLING TO DO THE WORK AT THE LAKE SOLID SHAFT IS THE WAY TO GO.

CHANCE FAVORS THE PREPARED MIND. --------HOPE THIS HELPS NORM. DAN MCCORMICK

 

[dschigoda]

Dan,

When you are writing on-line - all caps is considered SHOUTING.

Dave

 

[chinslip]

Thanks Dan. Is there any online sources for solid shafts, pillow blocks and hardware for this type of setup. I like to be informed before making a decision. Thanks

Norm

 

[NOVALTD]

NORM: FIRST KNOW WHAT SHAFT LENGTH YOU NEED OVERALL BEFORE LOOKING . READ BOBS THREAD ABOVE FOR

SUPPLIER. TEMPER THE ENDS AND CUT THE HEAD OFF. CUT THREAD WITH DIE. TRY MSC, MAMASTER CARR AND BEARING HOUSES FOR PILLOW BLOCKS. IF YOU CAN'T FIND A SMALL ONE MAKE ONE TAKE ALUMINUM SQUARE STOCK WITH ANGLED ALUMINUM WITH SLOTS IN THE ANGLES FOR ADJUSTMENT. OCTURA MODELS IN SKOKIE ILLINOIS HAS HARDENED

UNIVERSALS ALONG WITH MOST HARDWARE YOU NEED. 1-847-674-7351. 3/16 PERCISION SHAFTS IS GOOD. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW OR UNPOPULAR. WORK AT IT TO YOU SUCCEED. YOU WILL DEVELOPED SKILLS THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCE. ORDER A CATALOG FROM OCTURA,IT WILL HAVE ILLUSTRATIONS FOR YOU. IF YOU ARE NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINE AND OR GET FRUSTRATED EASILY THE FLEX SHAFT WILL BE EASIER TO DO. ---DAN

 

[John Beardslee]

Are you using 3/16" or 1/4" shafts? I have a few 1/4" shafts that are 26" long. They are precision ground from Boston Shafting and heat treated to 60-62Rc. At the time we where using lead teflon bearings and they worked great. These shafts have no threads and are to hard to thread with a die. We used a cutoff wheel in a dremel to put grooves in the shaft where the threads would usually be and I used heat shrink tubing to hold the props on. Ran these on my single and twins and never lost a prop.

Thanks, John

 

[Dasboatman]

Hey John,

3/16" shafts, John.

I have been using the Dumas Drag not Fly 60, 3/16" X. 24" shafts for years - I understand they no longer do the case hardened ones. The last two I bought came from Gary Jensen for a Classic Thunderboat I built a couple years ago. The adjustable hard shafts system I'm using was developed by Don Pinkerton. He calls it Power Drive. The second hull I run a solid shafts in is a 1/8th Scale U-66 Miss Liberty. I have not run it as yet - too hot here for me, maybe in the Fall I'll muster some interest.

I have been using 5/16 OD ball bearings lately, usued to use 5/16 OD in past years running webbed in stuffing tunes.

I run B-36 roller bearings in the struts of the square drive flex shafts I also run on scale and sport 40 boats. This drive line uses a case hardened stub shaft that connects to the square drive cable with an Octura two setscrew brass collet. Silver soldered to the cable. I have used this set up since 1988 or so. Prior to that I only ran solid shafts riding in ball bearings on all boats. Olde School.

CHEERS!!! Bob

 

[Ken Webb]

What is the proper angle for a hard drive as measure at the strut? Is it determined by the strut depth?

 

[chinslip]

I guess now what I'd like to ask is...are there any ready made units available where one needs only to cut to the proper length and install???

 

[Dasboatman]

Hey Norm,

No, nothing ready made.

Ken,

It would be a function of strut depth. The less the strut depth, the less the shafts angle will be. Lower the strut, the shafts angle will increase with the adjustable hard shaft "Power Drive" system. I have been primarily running lifting props, I.e. - 14XX, 16XX so far on the Classic Thunderboat. I'll run a 1465 on the 1/8th scale to start with - I have run this prop on scale boats with solid shafts in past years. CHEERS, Bob

 

[Ken Webb]

Used all hard shafts back inthe day.Knew nothing about flex shafts until I got a Hughey round nose hydro,w/Hughey handmade props. Before that all Dumas boats and hardware.