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Thread: Flathead's Combee TomCat

  1. #181
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Well I have all winter to decide which setup I'm gonna use. In the meantime here is what the boat looks like so far. I still have a lot of stuff to hook up etc., but anyway I took some pictures today.

    I think you will agree it is quite a bit different from the hull I started with. Also, there is good reason I changed the original Tomcat seat. Just ask anyone that's in their 70's how they like sitting on the floor.

    Dave

    Flathead,

    Sorry, I got carried away and posted my boat pictures on your thread, instead of mine. I don't know how to remove the pictures, so I guess they will have to stay. I'll also try to post then of my "Another Stray Cat" build thread.







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    Last edited by buster; 11-22-2011 at 03:10 AM.
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  2. #182
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Buster,

    That's looking nice ! It was especially thoughtful of you to put down all of that white stuff on the ground. Makes the pictures stand out pretty well.

    Thanks,

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  3. #183
    What do you do in Minnesota in the winter when there is no snow? Work on the airboat! I finally got all the sleds out of the shop and the Fatcat in. I installed the new exhaust and Presto, the flat spot went away! It all appears to be working perfectly I'm sure glad that new exhaust solved the proble. I'm not sure what I would have done if it had not....... I'll post a pic soon. Gee, it's been a while since we heard anything about Buster's build..... or any other for that matter.

    Flathead

  4. #184
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Flathead,

    Since you brought it up, I'll bring you up to date. Not a whole lot is happening with my Tomcat. It looks almost the same as the picture I posted on this thread by mistake, instead of my own.

    I'm just doing a little bit now and then whenever I feel like it. I did make some progress on the rudder stick/throttle.
    I ended up fabbing a throttle like yours, but from scratch. Also mine has a new and improved feature. It steers side to side like the original, but also piviots over 90 degrees forward when needed (like perhaps when you hit a tree or something and get ejected from the boat). It shouldn't be too hard to figure the benefit of that feature if the driver is sitting in the middle with the stick between his legs! Probably will never occur, but that's what happens when I have time to over-think a project

    About the only things left to do are to hook up Battery, gas tank, fuel pump, and the wiring. Everything should be finished by spring.

    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  5. #185
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Buster,

    You may have just invented the "Let's don't Bust a Nut" rudder and throttle.

    When you get a chance, I would like to see/hear more about how you've done your throttle.

    Even if it's wrong handed, I like the idea of having my throttle on the rudder stick,

    instead of having a pedal out in the middle of an open deck. That just seems like an accident waiting...

    One of the reasons for my side by side seating design, was so that I'd have "some" open deck.

    Putting my throttle pedal in the middle of that open deck seems SO wrong.

    I've ridden motorcycles for a large part of my life. So a right handed twist grip throttle would feel natural.

    But my rudder lever is on the left. I figure that I could get used to a left handed twist grip throttle easily enough.

    It works fine on helicopters !

    Thanks,

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  6. #186
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Duane,

    OK, here is a pic' of the home brew throttle lever. It ain't fancy but I think it will do the job. I set it up so I can hold the top of the rudder stick with a couple fingers, and operate the throttle with the rest of them.

    The throttle cable is a NOS Ford Taurus hood release cable I had hanging on the wall for about 10 years. It just happened to be the right length I need.

    The Stick is made out of 1" EMT, and the handgrip is tennis racket wrap if you are wondering. It's a lot cheaper than the "correct" thing, and it fitz-all!

    The other picture is so you can see how the "Nut saver" works. It is an over-center spring loaded deal. If you notice the bolt just above the pivot, that is for forward and backward adjustment of the stick position (Ain't that fancy?).

    Dave
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    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  7. #187
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Buster,

    Never, ever, let anyone tell you that you don't know how to think "outside of the box".

    That's pretty ingenious.

    I was thinking to use a twist grip, motorcycle type throttle, but know you've got me thinking...

    Thanks,

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  8. #188
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Duane,

    A twist grip throttle would be pretty slick, but I can think of at least one reason not to use it. My buddy built an indoard boat many years ago. It was really nice with wood grained deck, and a ford V8 60 engine.

    He let me drive it once (He figured I knew what I was doing since my family owned a Correct Craft inboard at the time.

    It all went well until I was almost back to the dock. Turns out I knew everything I needed to know about an inboard, however very little about a motorcycle. At the last second I went to close the throttle, and I turned the twist grip the wrong direction.

    So then I turned the ign. switch off (did not have any reverse like our boat did) and got it slowed some, but the nose slid under the dock and a nail put a scratch in the woodgrain all the way to the windshield.

    Point I want to make is, If you are driving it, no problem, but anyone else can become confused about which way is off!

    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  9. #189
    If it were not for motorcycles, twist grip throttles would be OLD SCHOOL....jmo. Of course, it's all about what you are used too.......

    Flathead

  10. #190
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flathead View Post
    If it were not for motorcycles, twist grip throttles would be OLD SCHOOL....jmo. Of course, it's all about what you are used too.......

    Flathead
    Flathead,

    The only thing that I've got to compare it too was an ATV that I rode just a few times. It had a "Thumb" throttle, which I didn't especially like.

    But in all fairness, I didn't ride it enough to really get used to it. If I'd rode it more, I admit that I may have learned to like it... (I loved the ATV, just not the throttle).

    Like you said, it's all about what you are used too......

    I'm going to look at some options, because I don't like having a throttle pedal in the middle of my deck.

    I envision moving around on the deck, handling a cast net, etc. fairly often, while the engine is idling.

    A throttle pedal in the middle of the deck sounds like an accident, just waiting.

    Thanks,

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  11. #191
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buster View Post
    Duane,

    A twist grip throttle would be pretty slick, but I can think of at least one reason not to use it. My buddy built an indoard boat many years ago. It was really nice with wood grained deck, and a ford V8 60 engine.

    He let me drive it once (He figured I knew what I was doing since my family owned a Correct Craft inboard at the time.

    It all went well until I was almost back to the dock. Turns out I knew everything I needed to know about an inboard, however very little about a motorcycle. At the last second I went to close the throttle, and I turned the twist grip the wrong direction.

    So then I turned the ign. switch off (did not have any reverse like our boat did) and got it slowed some, but the nose slid under the dock and a nail put a scratch in the woodgrain all the way to the windshield.

    Point I want to make is, If you are driving it, no problem, but anyone else can become confused about which way is off!

    Dave
    Buster,

    That reminds me of a friend that lived on Lake Blackshear, near Cordele, GA several years ago. He had a REALLY BAD and fast boat with a 350 Chevy engine, coupled to a Berkley Jet Drive. The jet drive had a deflector plate that could be lowered into place, blocking the forward jet nozzle, and redirecting it backwards. It was intended to be used for reverse. But, it could also be used as brakes, if you knew how to do it.

    He'd gotten pretty good at running up close to his dock / boathouse, at a pretty fast speed, then letting off the throttle, going into reverse, doing some fancy steering, and throttle moves, and he'd come to a near standstill, right up next to the dock. He was very good at this slick move.

    Then, he bought another boat, but this one had a V-drive gear box. He put another 350 Chevy engine in it. The engine was at the rear of the boat, facing backwards. There was a drive shaft that ran forward to the V-drive gear box, then from the gear box it coupled to another shaft, running backwards, through the hull, to a prop under the engine.

    Now THIS was a seriously FAST boat. (Keep in mind that he still had the jet drive boat.)

    Then one day, he had a brain fart. He approached the dock, in the V-drive boat, at some speed, and attempted to do his fancy jet drive docking maneuver.

    Oops ! This was the WRONG boat to try that with. it didn't HAVE reverse.

    He survived the accident by bailing out at the last second, but he destroyed the boat, and much of his dock.

    Duane
    Last edited by Duane Scarborough; 02-02-2012 at 08:16 PM.
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  12. #192
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Duane,

    Don't ya hate when that happens?

    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  13. #193
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buster View Post
    Duane,

    Don't ya hate when that happens?

    Dave
    Buster,

    Don't we all.

    Another story, about the same guy.

    His wife was a very talented water skier, and enjoyed skiing behind the jet drive boat. This boat had a padded deck cover at the transom, behind the engine.

    After an afternoon of skiing, they decided to head home, and she stretched out on the padded deck for the ride home. MISTAKE !

    So he's headed back to the home dock, going helter-skelter. He'd had to run at a reduced speed while she was skiing, but was running wide open on the run back.

    When he got back to the dock, guess what? NO WIFE !

    He remembered crossing a couple good sized wakes, about halfway across the lake... so figured he must have pitched her off, and headed back to that area.

    Sure enough, he found her treading water, in the middle of the lake.

    Luckily she wasn't injured. Just a little upset, but very glad that he finally came back looking for her.

    I don't think she ever used that padded deck for lounging after that. At least not while under way.

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  14. #194
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Duane,

    How long did it take him to find a new place to stay?

    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  15. #195
    KWAZY old Southerner... Duane Scarborough's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buster View Post
    Duane,

    How long did it take him to find a new place to stay?

    Dave
    Buster,

    She took it gracefully, and didn't kick him out of the house. It was as much a mistake on her part as his.

    That happened sometime in the mid 1980's. (When they were young enough for those adventures.)

    I met up with them both a couple of years ago. They still live on Lake Blackshear, and he still has a go-fast boat.

    But I don't think she's doing much skiing anymore...

    Few of us are up to what we could do back then.

    Duane
    A KWAZY old Southerner... and darn PROUD of it.

    Airboat Pros MiniPro 116 / Frog Spit
    SS rigging - with side by side seating
    Teledyne 4A084-4 engine
    Solex H30/31 Carb
    Arrow Prop 1.73:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind 2 blade Mini Prop

    under construction

  16. #196
    February,february? that was my last post? wow how time flies..... bought that damn buggy, kind of distracted me for a while I guess. The Fatcat is running great. Now it's time to finish her up. A little rewiring, paint and spit and polish and she's good to go. I'll put the GPS on it soon and let you know the performance #'s soon enough. It will put 3 people on plane ( and we are not petite)so it's good enough for me.....pics to come soon. I wish I had a little Dobro music to make really real......

    Flathead

  17. #197
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Tell you what, bring a recorder and a your banjo over, and maybe we can jam up a little music to fix airboats by???

    Seems like you are gonna need to donate some spare time to getting that old Fatcat ready for the water this summer. Remember, it's really hot right now, but in Minnesota, summers don't last too long!

    Great hearing from you Bruce,
    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  18. #198

    Re: Flathead's Combee TomCat

    This project started in Aug of 2009. It's now April 2013. Almost 3 years. Wow how time flies! Finally finished the Fatcat! (of course it will never be really finished. I'll always be tinkering with it.) Put the newly painted rudders on it yesterday and took it for a ride in the snow. Here's a very short clip of my daughter in the front yard running it. It was surprisingly controllable. All I need to do is put the registration numbers on it and I'm good to go. I even ran into our local DNR officer last night and he said the boat won't be a problem... A big THANK YOU to all the members who helped me out with good advice and encouragement! OK, I tried to upload the video, and Iv'e forgotten how. I'll get a pic up though as soon as I have one......

    Flathead

  19. #199
    Senior Geezer buster's Avatar
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    Re: Flathead's Combee TomCat

    Hey Bruce,
    That must be some kind of a record for the longest time to build just one airboat. Oh, wait a minute, I think Duane must be in the same catagory. At least if his is finished I didn't hear about it. The important thing is that you guys enjoyed the time it took to put it all together. I kinda wish I could build another one, but I'm just not up to the task anymore.
    I'll keep watching the forum from time to time 'cause I'd like to see the Fatcat in action.

    Dave
    IF YOU WON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, THEN JUST STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!

  20. #200
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: Flathead's Combee TomCat

    Just post the link to the video, copy and paste it. I'll fix it for you. I just got my boat out to get ready for the season. Now I have to add that darn buggy in the mix. I can't drive it because of my blood clots but we are racing 14 races this year. Now since I'll be doing better my retirement will be much more fun, airboating/fishing during the week and racing on the weekend. Hey Buster I'll be coming out to western PA 8 times this year maybe you could slide down and watch. West Sunbury PA. It's only a few hundred miles.
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