SV27 Hull Repair?

[Buick455]

Ok, I'll start off by telling you that I have never had an RC boat before, I received the SV27 for x-mas. Right out of the box it was more then too fast for my learning curve, lol. I went over to the neighbor’s pond to run it and after a few slow turns and high speed straits I started to get the hang of it. Felt the steering was a little iffy to the left so I bought another turn fin, did the lube on the cable, what a PITA it was the first time, every time after that has been easy. All in all its allot of fun, maybe too much fun.

well I was at the pond yesterday and all was going well, turns to the left felt allot better IMO, the speed grease seemed to quite it down a bit which was also nice. Then all of a sudden the boat just starts getting erratic. I let off the throttle so it would stop, and it just goes strait into the shore line bouncing over sharp, tennis ball sized rocks... Me and the wife say ouch and a few obsenities then drive the golf cart around to the other side of the pond to retrieve the boat, and to my dismay the paint and glass are chipped to hell, the rudder is bent and the prop is chewed up (the wife doesn’t understand why the boat hasn't become an airplane due to my short fuse). I bring it home and start to assess the damage. A few scratches and chips, but no cracks so I believe it’s repairable. Didn’t like the orange anyway, and still haven’t gotten the stickers on thank god. to be honest the site of it flying up the rocky bank was more horrifying.. I thought it was screwed.

Anyway, to my questions...

1. Can small private aircraft radios screw with the boat and cause it to go crazy?
I ask this first, b/c my neighborhood has a personal runway, and when the acciDENT happened there were a few ppl near by talking to a guy in a glider over head. If it is possible their radios did it, I won’t play in that pond again. Lesson learned

2. Are there any how to repair a hull sites or kits for this type of thing?
I have done a little searching and haven’t found much. The amount of glass/gelcote I need is so miniscule for the chips, ill try to get pics up if need be.

3. Replacement hulls?
I tried looking at tower, hobbieco, offshore and aquacraft sites and found nothing but hatches.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

[Rex R]

1) in theory a properly tuned & maintaned aircraft radio should have no effect on your boat... in practice I would wager that it was the folks on the ground(plus the radio in the boat is not the highest quality unit :)) best bet would be to buy an fm radio(tx & rx) (I'm planning to change mine over to fm)
2) found this http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=577354 as for quantities I seem to recall finding smallish fg repair kits at the local hardware store (automotive dept)
hth
rex

[Buick455]

Thanks rex, the boat in those pics make me feel allot better... mine came out of the fight in allot better shape then that one did. My little chips can be grinded a little then epoxied sanded and painted... Should I try painting myself with an arosol type paint. I got a buddy that has a graphics shop (airbrush, vinyl) haven’t seen him in a few years, but I have sent him a few customers. He won't mind as long as I buy the paint, I don’t think he will anyway, lol.

PAINT:::
What type of paint should be used?
Any special type?
Certain brand?

Obviously it’s going to need to be cleared.
Anything I should know before hand?

And I am now looking for a different radio. We have a private airpark like I said, and a firehouse, ambulance station, and a sheriff sub station all within a 2000 ft radius of the pond. the radio I was looking at is the Spektrum DX 2.0 (http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SPM20200) I called around to see if it was in stock and the guy at the LHS said if it was the guys at the landing strip that caused my problem, this radio will never let it happen again.

Will this radio kit basically bolt right in?
In the specs it shows 2 servos, my SV only has one and the ESC

[Rex R]

Krylon (and primer) seem to work alright. wash the hull with some nice hot soapy water(dish detergent for hand washing) rinse. after repairing the chipped areas wash, rinse(to remove any oils you may have added handling it) mask off those areas that you don't intend to paint (blue tape delicate surfaces), sand the hull with 400 grit sand paper(everything you intend to paint). primer the surface, wait 24 hrs, smooth the primer(superfine(#0000) steelwool works nicely)remove any residue (either from sanding or steelwool). now start painting. wait 24 hrs after the last coat before unmasking, then another 48(longer is better) before setting the boat on the new paint. if you glance at my thread '25 inch mono build' you can see how my fg hatch turned out. off shore has a nice bit on painting with rattle cans(tips/info)
bet the lhs can get you a radio with no servos :) for less $$$. unless the system will only work with a 'special' servo... all you should need is Tx & Rx. offhand I don't know the particulars about how the rx is mounted... you may need some velcro/servo tape. the esc and servo should just need to be unplugged/plugged from old to new. you might need to fiddle with the throttle trim in order to get the esc to arm.(note; since aquacraft used the same channels as their 'hammer' it could have been some one else playing with their new toy). hope you get things fixed up nicely.
rex

[Chris LaPanse]

What does the bottom of the boat look like right now? I can think of a couple of possible ways to repair it depending on how bad it is. If it is just chipped a little, there are certain epoxy fillers and such that could easily repair it, however, if it is badly chipped or cracked at all, certain other things could be done (that would in all likelihood leave it stronger than it started anyways).

[Buick455]

hey chris.. the majority of the chips are up where the deck meets the hull and the tip of the bow. I guess the boat ran a ground between or along side the rocks (still kinda fuzzy im my mind, lol). The damage to the bottom of the hull is more paint scratches (still can see the white gelcote). I'm gonna go take it out of the box (packed it up till the holiday is over and I can get the new running gear) and snap some pics so you all can see what I see.

[Buick455]

Here are som pics of the damage. They aren't great pics but you will get the hint. Not as bad as I thought it was before seeing other ppl's boats beat up. I might be able to just fill the spots with sandable primer.

http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217803003.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802986.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802561.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802560.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802557.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802554.jpg
http://pic17.picturetrail.com/VOL826/4336175/14514950/217802549.jpg

[Kirker]

It doesn't look to bad at all. I would think that could be repaired fairly easy. Next time, hit up Tuslow, he has a son that can sink the boat for ya!!! LOL :eek:

[Chris LaPanse]

That isn't too bad - you could probably fix it right up with some gelcoat mix, some fine sandpaper, and some elbow grease.

[SouthJersey-FE]

Thats not bad @ all. You mat even be able to use epoxy to fill them dings. Sand, prime and hit it with some krylon. The Airtronics MX3 is a nice radio for the money. You can score one on ebay for about 60 to 75 dollars. Good luck.

[GregS]

The radio problem was more likely the radio than any interference nearby. A lot of people have had exactly the same problem with the stock radio and crashed their boats. It is a must to replace the stock radio with one of reasonable quality.

[Buick455]

Well I am in the process of ordering parts, still debating about the right prop. I want better control, rather then crazy out of control speed. I have trolled the forums and found that the CF-42mm - 48mm seem to be a good test set before I buy a S&B prop. Only problem is offshore doesn’t have any CF-48mm in stock, so I figure I'll grab the 42 & 45mm.

I have spoken to 3 of my LHS's and none of them agree on a radio system. So the debate is passed on to you guys... You’re not trying to sell me something; I'll take your word before the guy with a cash register :roll2:

These were their suggestions:

JR XR2I (or) 3I
Spektrum DX2.0
Airtronics MX3 (also mentioned by SouthJersey)

So tear them apart guys, lol

[SouthJersey-FE]

The spektrum system is over kill if you are not going to race. If the Xr2I is the FM model thats a fine radio also. The MX3 will cost less than both.

[Chris LaPanse]

The Airtronics MX3 would be a good choice, as would the Hitec Aggressor SRX. The Spektrum is overkill.

[Rex R]

just changed the Rx in my supervee, nearest thing to a 'drop in' replacement I've seen! take the cap off the end of the straw and straighten the wire. unlatch the radio box lid and gently lift it off, slide the antenna out of the straw and set the lid to one side. unplug 2 connectors and set the old Rx to one side. plug the servo esc into the new Rx, feed the antenna wire through the straw(think I'll put some velcro on the underside of the lid) before putting the lid back on power up the Tx & boat(if the rudder moves when you pull the trigger, stop. powerdown the boat and swap the servo and esc connecters). for me I had to adjust the thottle trim before the esc would arm. once everything works put the lid back on the radio box and powerdown the boat. and you are done. thing that took longest was digging out the manual for the Tx to find out how to change the model name :)

[Buick455]

well I ordered my props and stuff from OSE.. I have started sanding the hull. gonna do a complete re-paint of the boat, I would have never been able to match the colors with rattle cans. I decided to relocate my antenna, just b/c it drives me nuts having to take the rubber off every time I need to open the hatch. I looked at Tower for a tenna mount kit and the only type i see are these http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHWN9&P=7 I want to mount it on the rear deck behind the hatch, but i dont know if it will work with the sharp bend in the deck to the transom... any ideas?? i could possably grind out a section of the deck then re-glass a pocket for the antenna mount (alot of rework) but there has got to be an easyer way, i hope, lol.. if u got pics of better methods, please post umm

btw.. already filled the stock hole with epoxy and sanded, no turning back now :D

thanx again to all of ya for the help

[Buick455]

nevermind, lol.. my little LHS had a black plastic one.. it will do. it's alot smaller then the blue alumn one above so the most ill have to do is file the plastic to conform to the transom/deck curve.. ill get some pics asap.. right now the boat is covered in primer (icky kruddy brown) prolly get to the wet sanding in the morning then decide if it needs another primmer coat..

[Rex R]

if you are going to run the antenna out the side of the box(as opposed to out the lid) I would velcro the Rx to the side of the box. black metal flake looks nice for a 'canopy'. let me guess you're planning a darkish shade of paint :) (else you've used white primer)

[Buick455]

well you hit the nail on the head witht he canopy being dark, but the selection at teh store for primer wasnt a big help, i had a choice between black primer and the kruddy brown.. kruddy brown was the lesser of the two evils i guess.. im still un sure of the final paint scheme.. i need to implement orange, both b/c that was the stock color, second I liked it :D I figure theres gonna be a few more trips to the store for supplys, lol

well while im typing, ill give an update..
first coat of primer went well.. jsut finished wetsand and found a few places that need some more work (pits) so I added some paint, gonna give it till tomorrow for the second attack. :)

[jallen355]

well you hit the nail on the head witht he canopy being dark, but the selection at teh store for primer wasnt a big help, i had a choice between black primer and the kruddy brown.. kruddy brown was the lesser of the two evils i guess.. im still un sure of the final paint scheme.. i need to implement orange, both b/c that was the stock color, second I liked it :D I figure theres gonna be a few more trips to the store for supplys, lol

well while im typing, ill give an update..
first coat of primer went well.. jsut finished wetsand and found a few places that need some more work (pits) so I added some paint, gonna give it till tomorrow for the second attack. :)

Hey Buick, There have been very many instances of the stock radio glitching. I've lost an SV myself after it smacked the concrete shoreline of my lake at 35 mph. Bought a second (orange) one while waiting on a warranty replacement (they were on inter-gallactic backorder at the time) and immediately switched it over to a Futaba FM. This problem of radio glitching has also been mentioned by Aquacraft Profisherman owers which uses the same radio setup. I would definately recommend you swap yours, too.

Good luck on the repairs.

[Rex R]

(you might already know this..., but for painting neophytes)if you are planning to use one of the 'Fluorescent' paints(aka neon colours) you'll be wanting a base coat of a uniform color, fluorescent paints(rattle can) tend to be somewhat transparent. I'd give it a coat of white before switching to orange(rust-oleum 1955 fluorescent red orange is prolly a closer match to the original colour). good luck with the painting.
rex

[Buick455]

krylon doesnt have a very big choice of colors (well not at my store anyway, red green, blue, orange, yellow, and some weird purples). will the rust-olem and krylon mesh? I ask this b/c the boats been primed with Krylon, i hate it when i mix to diff brands and then get the swirls and peeling.. i thought about useing dupla-color from the auto part store, but this was after i already bought the krylon :p

[SouthJersey-FE]

In the painting tip section of OSE it states quite clearley not to intermix diffrent brands of paint.

[Rex R]

one should of course test for incompatability(on scrap/cardboard etc) before you apply the paint to boat. krylon is a modified laquer... the specific paint I mentioned is also laquer. worked nicely for me. I did go over the top coat with #0000 steelwool before putting clear over the top, but that was to reduce the 'flat' finish to a semi-gloss/gloss/smooth surface, not because the paint had wrinkled. to date biggest problems I've had are long curing times(but that may be in part from not giving enough time between coats). its nice to use paint from one brand..., but when one lives in a small town, you either have to live with a poor selection or read lables and hope for the best. btw enamel over laquer ok, laquer over enamel is a no-no.

[Buick455]

Well i started the orange and i was extremely pissed. the orange i grabed was pumpkin orange, sux :mad: went down and grabed some more good ol krylon.. and i grabed the floresent/neon orange and shot a cote onto the hatch.. looked at it.. steped back... looked some more.. called the wife to see it.. then got upset b/c it looked too orange (it has a road cone on the lable :roll2: ) then i put it on the boat and saw that the color that I just painted was extremely close to the stock orange, so im happy now :p i think this is going well, knock on wood.. the waiting sux tho.. paint.. wait.. paint.. wait

[jallen355]

Patience, Grasshopper!!! "Paint", as a whole, can be so time consuming. The prize is always in the result. Never get in a hurry......

[Rex R]

'road cone' lol :) funny that you mention that, I happened to see Grim doing a promo (mid june 06, in wisconsin) was having some issues with the radio(didn't think bout that overmuch as am radios tend to do that on that pond) wound up with the boat bow up looking just like a traffic cone in front of the drivers stand... what impressed us was; 30 min after retrieving the boat he had it back out on the water, well ok the speed was impressive too.

[Esch88]

does any one know if i put the 2 new titan 12t motors by traxxas, and the evx esc .will it make my villain iv go way faster than it did before with the two stinger motors and the esc that it comes with..plus i just got some new props..those bronze ones? any one know?

[Chris LaPanse]

Well, the new 12T titans aren't meant for 14.4 volts IIRC, so you'd probably just burn them up. With 6 or 7 cells and an RC-hydros ESC, they would definitely speed it up though, with the right gearing and props.