Midwest Boothbay Lobsterboat build

[Donnie]

I hope that I am in the right section to share my build on the Midwest Boothbay Lobsterboat. I am relatively new here. I am sure that everyone has seen this vessle many a times.

I will need some advice on the motor - I am sure to have to study up on the polyester resin. I was wondering if I should use the polyester resin for the inside of vessle as well?

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/Batcar/Lobsterboat/deck02.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/Batcar/Lobsterboat/frame01.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/Batcar/Lobsterboat/deck05.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/Batcar/Lobsterboat/deck06.jpg

Thanks

Donnie

[Aerominded]

Hey Donnie, welcome to the group!
This is a fine place for a build thread! Looks like you are off to a good start!

re: resin, I prefer epoxy instead of polyester but either could be used- Sealing the interior with either is a good idea- most boats will eventually get some water in them...

for the moter, I assume Midwest reccomended their "MEPS" system? there are a lot of good, inexpensive options out there... this won't need a big motor to run nicely.

No bigger than a '400' sized motor on a 2 or 3:1 gearbox would do it I imagine...

I'm sure folks here will have good suggestions! :)

[green-boat]

Welcome to the forum Donnie.

Idealy I think this should have been in the scale section but it will work here. I prefer using epoxy resin over polyester resin because it is a bit more controlable. It is more expensive but for me it is worth it. Yes, I would seal every exposed wooden surface inside and out. Exposed wood will swell and warp over time if left exposed and there is nothing better than sealing it in plastic. :D Allelectronics sells some nice and inexpensive motors that will work just fine. http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/DCM-267/400200/DC_MOTOR,_3-24_VDC_.html

[der kapitan]

Hey Donnie, welcome to the group!
This is a fine place for a build thread! Looks like you are off to a good start!
No bigger than a '400' sized motor on a 2 or 3:1 gearbox would do it I imagine...
I'm sure folks here will have good suggestions! :)
Donnie, I'm guessing that you're building the 30" version? I had to ask, as there are are about three sizes sold between Midwest and Bluejacket, and each require a different motor. :)

The 30" boat will run really well on a 540 motor in direct drive, giving enough power to get it moving at a good clip. ;)

The real boats are no slouches when it comes to get-up-and-go---. :D

[Donnie]

It is the 30" boat. I see now that I should have created this thread in the scale boats section. Oh well. It would be good somehow to move this over to that section, but I think that is up to the admins of this site.

I am taking some suggestions and going to use the Epoxy finishing resin. I think that ZAP makes a finishing resin.

When it comes to motors and speed control (at the time), I didn't know anything about the motor part, and I just opted for what Midweat suggested and that is the MEPS III system that has that type of mechanical wiper mechanism - which I do not care for. I would rather have a continuous variable ESC. Since I do not have any experience in this area, I would like to see some actual model numbers - manufactures names, etc of motors and actual part numbers of ESC. I know that everyone has been gracious in specifying a 500 motor or 300 motor, but I hate to sound ignorant, but the designation of 500 or 300 (alone) means very little to me. Thanks for everyones help.

Donnie

[CaptLee]

Donnie I have the RTR version and it went thru 6 motor changes till I found the right one. Used an Integy 55 turn(used in their commutator lathe) with a Futaba 230CR ESC and two 6 cell batteries in parallel, runs a bit over scale speed with low amp draw.You can hand the transmitter to a novice and they can run it with no problems.

[420TEE]

When someone asks a question such as "How do I...," or " what should I use for...", especially when they say they are new to this or that and you want to help them, it would be very helpful to give more info than just an acronym or abbreviation for something you are familiar with. I've built boat models for over 50 years, including recently the Midwest Cranberry Lobster Yacht, which is basically the same as the Boothbay that someone asked about yet I have no idea what a MEPS III system is. In my kit Midwest showed it powered by a motor etc. from MACK products, which I would recommed.(mackproductsrc.com) Also when someone answers something like" Ajax marine makes nice props", why not include in the answer a web address or phone number for Ajax marine? Remember, not everyone has your vast experience.
OK, round up the usual suspects to jump on me. :D

[Aerominded]

Sorry! :o

[der kapitan]

When someone asks a question such as "How do I...," or " what should I use for...", especially when they say they are new to this or that and you want to help them, it would be very helpful to give more info than just an acronym or abbreviation for something you are familiar with. I've built boat models for over 50 years, including recently the Midwest Cranberry Lobster Yacht, which is basically the same as the Boothbay that someone asked about yet I have no idea what a MEPS III system is. In my kit Midwest showed it powered by a motor etc. from MACK products, which I would recommed.(mackproductsrc.com) Also when someone answers something like" Ajax marine makes nice props", why not include in the answer a web address or phone number for Ajax marine? Remember, not everyone has your vast experience.
OK, round up the usual suspects to jump on me. :D
I guess we are all guilty of assuming the other guy can pick up on what we're trying to share with him at some time or another, 420. :o

Comeuppance acknowledged---. ;)

[420TEE]

Aerominded-- I wasn't picking on you. I have often gotten answers to questions that were meant to be helpful but didn't convey sufficient info to be useful. To digress a bit: When the company I used to work for was designing a new medical research instrument and had a prototype made with a user manual, one of our guys in tech support would get a couple of secretaries, give them the manual and tell them to try to run the instrument. Of course the manual was written by the engineers who designed the instrument and used terms the secretaries , and ultimately the customers would not understand. Unorthodox, but probably saved us a lot of in lab problems later and POed customers. :)

[Kmot]

OK, round up the usual suspects to jump on me. :D
Okay, lets get him!!

http://www.fototime.com/10BD44F2B730D1C/orig.gifhttp://www.fototime.com/6BECF59BE65435F/orig.gifhttp://www.fototime.com/952345DCD6238E0/orig.gifhttp://www.fototime.com/FAE5589E1E0985B/orig.gifhttp://www.fototime.com/FD3D1C79F11329A/orig.gif

:D

[4Speed]

I built on of those about 16 years ago and still have it. I painted everything inside & out with fiberglass resin. Where we race scale R/C lobster boats in Maine I recently repowered mine. I changed the wire drive over to a flex & drive dog assembly with a 3/16 stub shaft complete with a thrust bearing so I could try different props and keep the load off the motor. I run a brushless Hacker with a Navy 77 ESC. It flies and only needed a little testing with the spray rail length for the perfect ride. Its powered by over XX volts...Sorry to be vague but my competition reads this forum. Send a PM if you want more...

[Donnie]

You know, I really appreciate everyones help (even though I might not have too much understanding right now). I am sure that I will catch up. I have a tendency to over communicate. It does take time to look in your vessle to see what the part number is and all the facts, but I can say that I truely understand. I am not into this for competition. There aren't too many in Mississippi eager to go down to the lake or whatever and drag out their lobsterboats to have a neigborhood race. As a matter of fact, I bet I am the only one in Mississippi that is building a lobsterboat. I do live near a resort reservoir that has coves in it that the water is calm enough to do this. I do think that their are some other boat enthusist in my area, but everyone is out for power boat speeds. It seems that everyone is interested in seeing who they can blast by you in the boat instead of thinking about the scale realism of it all.
I guess I am not a competive type of person. I make my own way.

I welcome as much input as I can get, but yes, please remember that if you have a motor or ECS, please if (you don't mind) include the brand, part number and even the webiste address. I know that it is alot of work trying to give someone a bunch of model numbers and such, but you know, I know that I did not come into this world knowing everything.

I am sure that the time will come that someone will be in the same dilema and I will just say, I have this type and such equipment. I also want to respect the fact of not wanting to copy anyone either. I am not into one - up - manship - having to have the best of anything.

Here is the truth - I just don't want to make a mistake becuase I don't have alot of budget (funds) to be experimenting - you know, I kinda have one shot at a decent motor and ESC.

Thanks folks :)

[420TEE]

Kmot--I didn't mean those guys. :eek: That's not fair.
By the way, how the heck do you make the quote button work?
I'd like to post pictures of some of my boats but I can't figure that out either. Too soon old, too late smart. :confused:

[Kmot]

By the way, how the heck do you make the quote button work?


Three ways.

1) If you want to quote a comment and include the users name, click the button on the lower right side of the particular post you are interested in, where it says "Quote". That will then open a new reply with the users name and his quoted text. If you only want a portion of that text, place your cursor on the part you do not want then push backspace until you have removed it. Or click and highlight if you know how to do that.

2) Look for the quote symbol in the icons above the reply box and click it. It will create the quote tags for you.

3) Write the quote tags manually.

To add photos to your post, click on the Manage Attachments button.