speedmaster hardware

[RobertWurster]

Thosr are nice parts,In the future you may want to show your work.not just coment on parts that have been helping boaters along time.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Enough of the caustic posts, any more and this thread is toast. Be civil and resolve the situation............

Don, can I send you a set of running gear for a gas mono and have you evaluate on Intlwaters?

Or can you recommend someone who could give an honest impartial opinion inspite of what I said?

I would like someone to install it on a boat, run it and tell everyone here what they think.

I gave one gentleman willing to do so already. His parts will go out in the next two weeks. I would like a couple more.

I stopped running gas boats a couple years ago and only run hydros anyways. What other parts do you make?

 

[Steve Seebold]

Enough of the caustic posts, any more and this thread is toast. Be civil and resolve the situation............

Don, can I send you a set of running gear for a gas mono and have you evaluate on Intlwaters?

Or can you recommend someone who could give an honest impartial opinion inspite of what I said?

I would like someone to install it on a boat, run it and tell everyone here what they think.

I gave one gentleman willing to do so already. His parts will go out in the next two weeks. I would like a couple more.

I stopped running gas boats a couple years ago and only run hydros anyways. What other parts do you make?

Don,

Monos are my first love but I am slowly increasing my line. Last winter I made a bunch of running gear for a local boater who runs and sells nitro and gas riggers. Now I am waiting for a new cat from RC Boatworks so I can design and make hardware specifically for that boat.

I am also working in some 21 size rigger hardware for a boater here on Intlwaters.

I started making running gear for gas monos because that's what I run, and I couldn't find hardware that was up to my standards so I made my own and when one of the locals saw it, he offered to buy it off the back of my boat.

Now I have a Whiplash GV that's about 4 years old and it has NO holes in it yet. I plan on starting on it shortly after the new year.

I am "ONE PICKY S.O.B." when it comes to the quality of the parts I put on my boat. So picky in fact that if I won't put it on my boat, I won't try to sell it to you.

If I won't put it on my boat, it gets cut in half and goes in the trash.

Last winter I made a run of 40 struts for a local gas guy, and when I finished them, I noticed that the nose taper was .005 to .010 off center. They went in the trash right then.

I built some hardware for crackerboxes a few years ago that really crowded the rules. The NAMBA rule says nothing more than 4 inches back from the transom, so I made my rudder assembly 3.995 inches from the transom to the trailing edge of the rudder and I always had a depth micrometer with me at the races.

I have made several changes since then, but the 3.995 inch dimension will never change.

I'm getting into gas trucks now as well.

Steve

 

[Steve Seebold]

I was just reading in another forum that someone is looking for a 40 sized CMDI rudder that apparently is no longer available. This topic sort of goes to what I am talking about with the comment I made at the beginning of this post.

The really good parts are becoming harder and harder to find because there are guys out there who will mass produce a product and sell it so cheap that no one else can compete.

The guys who mass produce parts can obviously keep a bunch of stuff on the shelf so they are able to keep their prices down and when someone needs something in a hurry, they look lilke a hero because the mass producer can pull it off the shelf and ship it.

Most of the time when I make something, I don't like to make more than 25 pieces, with the exception of rudders. When I make rudders, that's a different story.

I'll make about 170 rudders at a time because that's how many I get out of a 3 foot sheet of material with the grain going the right direction. I will make some compatible with the Speedmaster steering horn, and I'll also make some proprietary parts for some local builders I build running gear for.

Unlike other hardware builders, I will build hardware that is exactly what you want for your boat, and if it's not, you can send it back and I'll refund your money.

Granted, you probably won't be able to go to the guy at the table next to you and borrow a replacement part, but on race day, you shouldn't have to replace anything.

I have seen a few rudders fail during a high speed heat race. That's because they are most likely made from the wrong material. Most rudders are made from 6061 aluminum. Sure it's an aircraft grade aluminum, but it's the cheapest aircraft grade material you can buy. I make all my rudders from 7075, and I tell people who want rudders made from 6061 they'll have to have them made somewhere else.

Here's an example. Speedmaster and Insane borh sell their 6 inch rudder assembly for $60.00. Mine is $65.00, but the cooling line on mine goes through the standoff so you don't have that unsightly hose flopping around on the back of your boat.

Right now, I make running gear for gas boats, but that's only because no one has asked me to make any hardware for the 67 and larger nitro boats. I have a couple of requests for some small nitro stuff, but I just don't seem to be able to get my head around it.

Am I trying to apologize for or retract the comment I made at the beginning of this post? Absolutely not. You can't unthrow a rock, or unsay a word.

The only thing I will do is to produce the best product I know how to make. If that's not good enough for the people on this forum, then for that, I am sorry.

 

[Tom Foley]

Never had a Speedmaster 6061 rudder fail except bent one in a violent crash . My twin 91 Roadrunner runs over 90 mph and is driven aggressively as one must in heat racing , rudders work great . Could it be faster with a different rudder ? Probably but you have to be able to actually get it ..and afford it .

The only way for you to get in the hardware business is to study existing sizes , build your new widgets test them under racing conditions , get them on the market at a reasonable price and have them in stock . This is how Speedmaster , Accutech , Rum Racing ,Insane CMDI did it , the guys actually ran boats and developed the hardware .

tGood Luck in your venture .

 

[Steve Seebold]

Never had a Speedmaster 6061 rudder fail except bent one in a violent crash . My twin 91 Roadrunner runs over 90 mph and is driven aggressively as one must in heat racing , rudders work great . Could it be faster with a different rudder ? Probably but you have to be able to actually get it ..and afford it .

The only way for you to get in the hardware business is to study existing sizes , build your new widgets test them under racing conditions , get them on the market at a reasonable price and have them in stock . This is how Speedmaster , Accutech , Rum Racing ,Insane CMDI did it , the guys actually ran boats and developed the hardware .

tGood Luck in your venture .

One reason I don't make a lot of hardware is when you turn your hobby into a business, now this great hobby has become a job, and it's just not fun any more.

 

[Chris Wood]

Never had a Speedmaster 6061 rudder fail except bent one in a violent crash . My twin 91 Roadrunner runs over 90 mph and is driven aggressively as one must in heat racing , rudders work great . Could it be faster with a different rudder ? Probably but you have to be able to actually get it ..and afford it .

The only way for you to get in the hardware business is to study existing sizes , build your new widgets test them under racing conditions , get them on the market at a reasonable price and have them in stock . This is how Speedmaster , Accutech , Rum Racing ,Insane CMDI did it , the guys actually ran boats and developed the hardware .

tGood Luck in your venture .

One reason I don't make a lot of hardware is when you turn your hobby into a business, now this great hobby has become a job, and it's just not fun any more.

That comment there i will fully agree with.

 

[Roxyflash]

The only problem i had was a 20 mini rudder on a eagle sg when they ran out and sent one with the kit.It would bend on the first run .Other than that used a ton of speedmaster tru the years.

 

[Bill Gibson]

Aerospace quality? Speedmaster parts would be rejected? Good Lord man! We ARE talking MODEL BOATS here....its one thing to try to build a better mousetrap, then PROVE its better by its RESULTS, but to call a product that has been used by so many model boaters including myself for AT LEAST a decade, with EXCELLENT results.....JUNK??.....SHAME ON YOU! I can honestly say that i wouldnt buy a single piece or part from you even if you only charged a buck to make it, just for making such an arrogant, thoughtless, statement...you ABSOLUTLY should APLOGIZE for what you said....its a good thing you just want to do this for a "hobby", as i doubt VERY MUCH that you will have to worry about having too big a work load after making such a statement......funny thing is, as many of us as you have royally pissed off, Bill Mcgraw, who was a VERY nice man, is probably chuckling, if not out and out laughing at the whole thing...

 

[Steve Seebold]

I am making some parts for a local boater who lost the FE nationals because the rudder on his rigger bent about 30 degrees in a high speed turn.

I'm not saying my rudder wouldn't do the same thing. I'm just using better material so I hope that wouldn't be the case.

A big difference in 6061 and 7075 is price. 6061 from my local supplier varies from $1.75 to $2.25 per pound, but it's hard to find 7075 for less than $6.50 per pound, and I have seen it for as high as $8.00.

Sure 6061 machines better than 7075 if you're using high speed steel tooling, but I got away from that stuff about 30 years ago. I use nothing but carbide end mills. Sure, you can buy a 3/8 high speed steel end mill for $10.00 or $12.00 and the carbide will cost $35.00 to $50.00. But I can run the carbide end mill for a year at 10,000 RPM and if you try that with a high speed steel end mill, chances are I won't make it thru the first part.

 

[Steve Seebold]

Aerospace quality? Speedmaster parts would be rejected? Good Lord man! We ARE talking MODEL BOATS here....its one thing to try to build a better mousetrap, then PROVE its better by its RESULTS, but to call a product that has been used by so many model boaters including myself for AT LEAST a decade, with EXCELLENT results.....JUNK??.....SHAME ON YOU! I can honestly say that i wouldnt buy a single piece or part from you even if you only charged a buck to make it, just for making such an arrogant, thoughtless, statement...you ABSOLUTLY should APLOGIZE for what you said....its a good thing you just want to do this for a "hobby", as i doubt VERY MUCH that you will have to worry about having too big a work load after making such a statement......funny thing is, as many of us as you have royally pissed off, Bill Mcgraw, who was a VERY nice man, is probably chuckling, if not out and out laughing at the whole thing...

Mr Gibson, you are entitled to your opinion here. Someone once told me that "OPINIONS ARE LIKE ARM PITS. EVERYONE HAS ONE AND THEY ALL SMELL". It looks to me like there a lot of smelly arm pits here.

I have spoken with Bill McGraw in the past and he seemed like a really nice man. I think he sold Speedmaster because he thought he was just getting too old to keep it going. I was actually sorry to see him go.

I used to call Bill when I came out with a new product because I didn't want to undercut his prices. Then I would come in at the same price or maybe a couple of bucks more than his stuff.

As I said, I don't do this to make a living or a lot of money. I do it for something to do in my retirement. Something to keep my mind sharp.

Maybe my statement was a little harsh, but someone once told me "you can't unthrow a rock, or unspeak a word".

 

[Bill Gibson]

You would also be quite amazed at how quickly "opinions" might change for the better by simply making amends.....your statement insulted a well respected and decent man who is no longer with us....a little respect goes a long way.

 

[Steve Seebold]

I had no idea Bill is no longer with us. I am so sorry to hear that. My statement was in no way directed at him.

The times I spoke with him, he came across as a fine gentleman.

 

[Steve Seebold]

Never had a Speedmaster 6061 rudder fail except bent one in a violent crash . My twin 91 Roadrunner runs over 90 mph and is driven aggressively as one must in heat racing , rudders work great . Could it be faster with a different rudder ? Probably but you have to be able to actually get it ..and afford it .

The only way for you to get in the hardware business is to study existing sizes , build your new widgets test them under racing conditions , get them on the market at a reasonable price and have them in stock . This is how Speedmaster , Accutech , Rum Racing ,Insane CMDI did it , the guys actually ran boats and developed the hardware .

tGood Luck in your venture .

I used to make hardware for Insane Boats. I did it for about 3 years until he came into my shop and told me he had found someone to make the part I was making "RIGHT THEN" for $4.00 less. You just don't do that. If you find someone who will make your part for $4.00 less, you don't tell your machinist that while he is running your parts. When he did that, I reached up and hit the big red buttin and shut the machine down right where it was and told him that's the place to take them. That was the last job I did for Jeff.

 

[Buckshot]

I'd like to "Hit the Big Red Button" on the negativity in this thread! LOL

 

[anthony_marquart]

I would love to see some new designs for hardware and nice parts at reasonable prices. I would like to offer a challenge Mr. Seebold.. Please design a Rudder / Strut mounting system that mounts with a single part, one bracket to the hull, that allows 2 axis flexibility for the rudder, (depth and angle) and easily recordable depth and angle settings on the strut. Please make it sized for .21-45 hulls, I run only hydros,..

If you can make that at the cost of a standard strut and rudder combo,.. or maybe slighly higher, I will buy one and I bet many others will also.. what do you think? let's make something positive out if this

 

[Don Ferrette]

I personally would like to see the spacing between the main bolt and the shear bolt on the rudder pivots get moved farther apart. While I've used Speedmaster hardware for many years this is one thing I've never liked on the 40 and up rudders and all the copycats keep repeating it. Andy got it right on his CMDi hardware and when he still had his Mazak made me some super nice pivot blocks that would allow me to fit his thinner rudders to SpeedMaster transom brackets. He also supplied the pivot block with both holes small so you could use one block for left or right transom mounting, you just drilled whichever hole wound up on top to the larger main bolt size. I would also like to see the rudder thickness get reduced (like Andy also did) as a .250" trailing edge thickness is too much. Attached is a pic of the CMDi scale rudder assembly (minus blade) on the back of the FE 1/8 scale I'm currently building, I sure wish as do others that they were still available as that's what scale hardware should look like in my opinion.

 

[Tom Foley]

I personally would like to see the spacing between the main bolt and the shear bolt on the rudder pivots get moved farther apart. While I've used Speedmaster hardware for many years this is one thing I've never liked on the 40 and up rudders and all the copycats keep repeating it. Andy got it right on his CMDi hardware and when he still had his Mazak made me some super nice pivot blocks that would allow me to fit his thinner rudders to SpeedMaster transom brackets. He also supplied the pivot block with both holes small so you could use one block for left or right transom mounting, you just drilled whichever hole wound up on top to the larger main bolt size. I would also like to see the rudder thickness get reduced (like Andy also did) as a .250" trailing edge thickness is too much. Attached is a pic of the CMDi scale rudder assembly (minus blade) on the back of the FE 1/8 scale I'm currently building, I sure wish as do others that they were still available as that's what scale hardware should look like in my opinion.

Less rudder thickness could possibly allow an 8 - 32 water fitting as it seems to be evident now that on many nitro engines more than enough water is being supplied now through the 10- 32 fittings .

 

[Steve Seebold]

I personally would like to see the spacing between the main bolt and the shear bolt on the rudder pivots get moved farther apart. While I've used Speedmaster hardware for many years this is one thing I've never liked on the 40 and up rudders and all the copycats keep repeating it. Andy got it right on his CMDi hardware and when he still had his Mazak made me some super nice pivot blocks that would allow me to fit his thinner rudders to SpeedMaster transom brackets. He also supplied the pivot block with both holes small so you could use one block for left or right transom mounting, you just drilled whichever hole wound up on top to the larger main bolt size. I would also like to see the rudder thickness get reduced (like Andy also did) as a .250" trailing edge thickness is too much. Attached is a pic of the CMDi scale rudder assembly (minus blade) on the back of the FE 1/8 scale I'm currently building, I sure wish as do others that they were still available as that's what scale hardware should look like in my opinion.

Don, that rudder bracket is no problem. I just need to know how far it is from the transom to the center of the pin hole and the width of the base.

AND, what is the bracket next to the boat?

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

I personally would like to see the spacing between the main bolt and the shear bolt on the rudder pivots get moved farther apart. While I've used Speedmaster hardware for many years this is one thing I've never liked on the 40 and up rudders and all the copycats keep repeating it. Andy got it right on his CMDi hardware and when he still had his Mazak made me some super nice pivot blocks that would allow me to fit his thinner rudders to SpeedMaster transom brackets. He also supplied the pivot block with both holes small so you could use one block for left or right transom mounting, you just drilled whichever hole wound up on top to the larger main bolt size. I would also like to see the rudder thickness get reduced (like Andy also did) as a .250" trailing edge thickness is too much. Attached is a pic of the CMDi scale rudder assembly (minus blade) on the back of the FE 1/8 scale I'm currently building, I sure wish as do others that they were still available as that's what scale hardware should look like in my opinion.

Don, that rudder bracket is no problem. I just need to know how far it is from the transom to the center of the pin hole and the width of the base.

AND, what is the bracket next to the boat?

It's a rear wing stabilizer bracket from Rcboatcompany.

Did you get my email?