Another project to play with

[Bart]

so trying to get back into this getting this going again. i had been looking at the different types of throttle that i could use, i was thinking of keeping the seat low, I didn't like the idea of putting the pedal throttle on the floor of the boat. just asking for trouble. but i really don't like using the twist grip or the brake lever style. that are mounted to the rudder stick. (my wrists are not limber like they were when i was a young kid).
the only way that i could see either of these methods working for me, would be to use a steering post like a 4-wheeler or snowmachine. but this just looked awkward to me.

but after seeing the video of the waterbug airboat, with the operator chair up on a platform. well i liked it.
i had been looking at buying a peddle throttle for the past year. just couldn't see forking out the money for it. (if it proved not to work, with it being located on the deck.) (and one more thing to add to the scrap pile)
but after taking a good look at some of the styles that are out there,
i put this together, the only thing needing to finish, is the linkage from the pedal to the cam.
just taking a little time to decide, at what angle i will want the peddle at.
it really didn't take much to put together.
and all this cost me was my time.

[Corky]

Nice, not much to them for the price they get...The biggest trouble spot will be figuring out the correct sweep to match the movement of the carb..

[Bart]

finally we have some sunny days, and the snow is starting to melt.
looking at the stand the I had put together last summer, it just didn't look like it would work with lifting up the seat and all. so i started putting together another engine stand and seat.
it has been kind of fun, to start working on this again. and now I have a better picture in my mind, on how I am wanting this to turn out. If there was a simple way to mount the chair stand to the bottom of the boat. i would be almost done. but it was a good days work. at least it has given me an idea, for the height and layout for the throttle pedal.
you will have to excuse all the extra items stored in the boat. the shed is kind of small, but at least i am not digging the hull out of the snow bank.
and the only flat spot that i had to work on was the 4 place trailer. but it put everything at a good working height. it really saves on not having to bend over, all the time.

[Bart]

a little more done, cut out and tacked in place the bracket for the seat, it is fun trying to keep everything looking even, with what i did tonight, the frame really is solid, just a few more things to fit up. gas tank, battery mount, rudder stick & linkage, control panel, (should only take just five minutes, right)
then i can take it apart, finish welding all the joints, clean it up. and
when i don't have a lot of room to move around and look at it from different angles. but at the moment it is looking good. In fitting the conduit, i have resorted to making the final fit with an flap disk on a 4" grinder, after making the angle cut on a chop saw.

this last winter i was going, in a lot of directions working on modifications on my other motor, the 4A084. different styles of intakes, retrofitting a 250 watt stator off of a 4 wheeler, and some other things, and it is close to firing up. just need to finish up the exhaust, and wire up all the switches. then see if any of these things will actually work.
but i am needing to get this boat out of the shed, to free up some room to move around. it is a juggle, just to see which project i end up working on the few nights a week. but everything is slowly coming together. and i am getting real excited to see if any of these things are actually going to work, like I think they will.

[Bart]

a few more updates, I have been thinking of a few different methods to attach the frame to the hull. where this hull came with 1 x 2 channel with an 3/8" backing plate on the underside. rapping the edges and running a bolt from side to side. just didn't see drilling a hole and keeping it straight.
could have welded a plate on the bottom of the tube, but not really knowing the exact location that I am needing the frame to balance out the boat, didn't want to have a bunch of holes drilled and taped in the channel.
so I decided to use some Duron blocks, drill a 3/4" hole, for the tube, and mill out a 2" recess on each block. that will keep everything centered and plumb. and if I need to slide the frame, to adjust for the weight, I am thinking, it will be fairly simple.
( I was thinking I would only need 2 blocks on each side, but after actually seeing how it looks, I will be placing 3 blocks on each side. plus a tab that will fit into the end of the tubes, that will be bolted down also.)
at the moment I have just taped the aluminum for 3/8 bolts, but I have helicoils ordered, so I shouldn't have to worry about corrosion galling the threads.
as luck would have it. these blocks fit snug in 1-1/2 unistrut. using this as a cover plate. i should not need to worry about these blocks being a weak link.

for my bushings, for the rod that the rudder stick pivots on. where the hull is not that wide, I needed something that I could bolt and unbolt, I used some sway blocks off of an old snowmachine chassis,
It was fun figuring out the lengths and distances that was needed, on the pivot points. so the stick range of motion, would be comfortable.

things are starting to finally take shape.

[Bart]

it is always a couple steps forward and then a step back. after securing the frame to the hull. and looking at everything, i could see that the motor was not sitting quite square.
but it was a simple fix, where i hadn't put the bracing on the front of the stand. I cut the top braces and was able to push the top part of the stand square with the hull. and after welding the an X brace on the front. I was able to square the motor mount with the hull.
there might be a couple more small braces i need to add, where the stand is welded to the bottom runners. but it feels very solid,
i like how i can get a little bit of show done, then i spend a week or two, to bring finish up the small details.

[Bart]

so in bolting the stand to the hull i thought i would go over a installing the helicoils. when i dismantled the original frame, i ended up cutting and grinding the bolts off. they were seized real good.and i didnt want to go through that again.
there are a few different styles of kits. it depends on how much you want to spend. i purchased a 25 dollar kit. that has everything except the drill bit.
also i purchased a drill bit stopper. so i would not drill though the bottom of the boat.
after drilling the hole, then tapped it out with the tap that came with the kit.
the kit also has a 3/8 threaded stud with a cut on the bottom to catch the tang that is on the bottom of the helicoil. if needed you can take a bolt and cut a groove in it to do the same thing.
then screwed the coil just a little past the top. after this take a punch and knock of the tang, they bust off pretty easy.
as you can see from the last picture. the remnants of the rusted bolt, and hopefully i wont have the same problem in a year or so if i ever need to remove the engine stand.
after installing a helicoil for all the bolts, that are holding the stand to the boat hull. it took longer to stop and take pictures, and write it up.
but now i can keep going forward. finished up most of the bracing on the stand, and rudder stick.
now the check list is getting shorter
mount brackets for fuel tank, and battery
mount thottle pedal and hook up the linkage
connect the wiring.
finish up the cage.
i can almost see an end in sight for this build,

[Corky]

You're making some good progress Bart...Looks like you're coming down the home stretch...

[Bart]

i am having fun, getting the fit and finish, when looking at how to attache the foot throttle. the support tube just wasn't working out to well. so i replaced it with a piece of uni-strut. even though i can look at what others have done, and try to copy some of the ideas and methods, i find out that usually i may not think it out so well. and will always have to make some adjustments.
like on the very front of the frame where the peddle base hangs over, i need to build a support for that, and it needs to tie into where the frame curves down.
so it is always the little things that i am having fun with.
but i do like the angle that the peddle is set at, as to where i am sitting, ( it is comfortable, and i am almost starting to make noises like i am driving it around.)
an other thing that i will need to adjust, is the rudder linkage is not long enough now. so i will need to extend a mounting bracket, so the stick will be more comfortable.
the best one is, on the peddle. i was/am making a threaded adjustable linkage, so i could adjust the peddle height, but at the moment a flat 1" x 6" x 1/4" piece of aluminum with multiple holes, is working just fine.
ended up welding some gussets onto the back side of the rear legs.
there is not a lot of show work going on, but getting all of the little things done, and taking time to maybe only redo some of them twice. i am sure once i get it all together, there will still be some changes that will have to be made. i just hope that it will not be to many.
still looking at adding a little height to the sides of the boat. to give it a true 20" sides. but that will need to wait until i get it out on the lawn (need a little more elbow room) and maybe when i set it in the water for the first time, i may feel comfortable with the way it is at the moment. time will tell.

[Bart]

i have been thinking about how to get the throttle cable connected up. takes a little more thought, for the fit and finish. I ended up using parts and pieces of what i had on hand. with connecting a snowmachine and a 4-wheeler throttle cables together with a power mad cable connector, it gave me enough length to get to the peddle.
it would have been simpler to get a cable clamp from the store, but they are all closed by the time i get off work. so i improvised. used a part of a throttle block from a snowmachine, which ended up moving it an 1", out of line. so i cut down a 1/4"coupling nut to get the offset. i will need to get a small barrel clamp to clamp the 2 cables together, but wire clamp is getting me an idea of where things need to be.
I ended up using the 084 choke cable, with its barrel end to fit inside the 1/4" coupling nut. it was nice to have a clear throttle body connector, so i could see the cable travel distance. to set the thottle stop at. so i don't end up stretching the cable, if i press to hard on the throttle.
just need to pick up a panic kill switch & a bilge pump.
mount the fuel pump & battery brackets. finish up a couple of the wires. and i will be pulling it outside to put the cage on.
just don't have enough time in the evening to get all i want to do. but the snow is almost gone and it is staying light almost tell 11:30 at night.

[bgmcl60]

Bart i can see a lot of thought went in to your build and sure looks heavy duty. it will probably last a lifetime. great work and keep it up. just wish i had the patience to do such nice work.

[Bart]

well i am starting to get the bug, and get this out on the water and see what it will do. it is funny, looking back at this build, a year ago, i thought i would have it done, and here i am still playing around on it. but it has been a fun journey, i guess that is what i get for working on 2 different motors, and always tinkering on other things that come my way. there are still just a couple of small things that i need to address, but all in due time. but i am hoping that by tomorrow evening i have it in the water,
it never fails, it doesn't matter how many bolts and nuts you have on hand, you never have the right one, once the store closes. or you set a specific small part down, get side tracked, and then spend 2 hours trying to remember where i sat it down, and not get side tracked. i had turned some 1/2 SS bolts down. to where there was only 1/2" of thread left, and the stub that was left, will be the pivot for the rudders. needless to say, a trip to the store for more bolts, a little lathe time. and as i was cleaning up and putting things away for the night. guess what i found. other than that and a couple of other misplaced items, it has been a good day.
i have been spending time with my oldest son, glad that he is still here. a few days ago, he went out with a few friends camping and playing on the 4 wheelers. luckily for him he tagged a bald tree. as he was racing down the trail. they were 15 miles back on some trail. and another 4 hours away, once they got to the vehicles. i am just glad that he was wearing a helmet.
at the moment the xrays so the collar bone broken. we have a appointment in Anchorage, next week for an MRI and a visit with an specialist the nest day to see what more damage has been done. all i know is that someone was looking over my son, any way as the summer takes off and all of you are getting ready to go playing, be safe, and enjoy the time you have with your family and loved ones.
by the way, this motor does push a little air. as luck would have it, the back of the motor is pointed along side of the house, and it blew most every thing off the porch. i will be hearing about that for a few days.
i am enjoying these sunny evenings, i am getting spoiled. it is midnight and still light enough to work outside. there just is an noise ordinance that starts at 10 pm.

[Corky]

Hey Bart, glad you're getting close to the test run...Have someone make the video if you can so we can help with the hull/engine adjustments.... Man, that looks like more than just a break that collar bone is shattered with other parts moved around...I'm sure that was quite an impact...My buddy did that on an old 3 wheeler ATV back when they were popular there's no graceful way to fall of those...Best wishes on his recovery buddy...PS. I did get the video you sent but deleted it before I replied sorry...

[bgmcl60]

sorry to hear about your son but when you have active ones they are always getting banged up. things we go through as parents and not much you can do about accidents they just happen as much as you try to keep them safe it still happens. hope he gets along fine and recovers .

[Bart]

well it floats.
https://youtu.be/iOcn2OtljGs
https://youtu.be/xAQrZZ21AbI
i never have uploaded to utube before so lets see what happens.
i was able to view it okay.
the first clip is a lot of stop and go. just getting used to the rudder took a little time
and the second is a little s turn, not much. but next time maybe the camera crew can get some of the more entertaining moves.
my daughter took almost a 100 pictures, of me pushing off the trailer. (in hopes that i would fall in) i can feel the love.
but they didn't have the camera rolling when i slide into a 360. my wife thought i was going to roll it on that one. the gravel pit pond was big enough to have some fun. but not big enough to really open it up. once it would pop up on step. i was needing to turn. and this being the first time, in 30 years to actually be driving one. it put a smile on my face. i can see putting a little more height to the gunnel. 4 more inches on the aft. would really make a difference. also a automatic bilge pump is on order. when i came back to the trailer, i figure i had about 40 gallons of water. ( it makes it all the more entertaining with that water stacks up on one side when turning. if i hadn't kept the momentum going, i probably would have got a little wet. but it was fun.
with the boat only 4' wide. it is going to take a little bit to get used to not letting off the gas when it starts to slide sideways.
it seems like it takes about 20 to 40 yards to pop up onto step. and by that time i had to get into the turning again. so i wasn't able to just cruse on step for than a couple of seconds..
about the only thing i can move in the boat, to balance it out. is the gas can. i may look into moving the seat and gas peddle forward at leas another 6 inches. just to keep the aft from sinking so low.
i don't know if i need to change the angle of my motor. i do have another gear box that i picked up with the 2.65 ratio. that would give me another 300 RPM'S on the prop speed.
i never had time to really look and see what the motor RPM'S were doing. as my better half was saying, there was a few times it looked like i was holding onto anything i could for dear life. so maybe when i get out onto some open water, i can see what the RPM'S are really doing.

[bgmcl60]

great job bart. looks like all you need is some room to open it up.
by the way beautiful mountains.

[Corky]

Agreed, plenty of thrust it seems...Just need a little more room to open it up....Great job !!

[Bart]

now that i have taken it out, and seeing a few items that i need to modify, and waiting for a bilge pump to show up. i figured i needed to clean things up and put a little paint on it. things turned out okay. after painting the inside of the hull white, had my daughter help with a custom splash of blue specks, so it wouldn't so bright.
on the bottom last fall i put a coat of regular oil based paint on it. (i thought it might help is slide. boy was i wrong.) now with some gator glide on it. night and day difference.
i lucked out the last 2 days it was calling for rain, it even looked like rain. but it has all blown over for the moment. now just letting everything get good and dry, and put it back together.
after visiting with my brother in Cordova. i will be putting on some higher side rails. at least on the back 3rd of the boat. there was one time when i was out making a turn and i heard the prop striking water. nothing was damaged. but it took all the reflective tape off. i have the original ones that came with the hull, but i am looking at fabricating something up that will look a little cleaner. and wont have any bolts on the outside to catch on anything.
on the note about protecting the leading edge of the prop. i was visiting with another friend that has a small plane, and he was mentioning that the chip guard tape same as the 3M prop tape. this is something that i need to, between the bugs and the rain drops. it can take a toll on the leading edge of the prop. looking at the different mill thickness, from what i see, an 8 mill tape seems to be the most popular.
i thought i would show a couple of pictures of the bolts that i turned down to hold the rudders in place. when i first put the rudders on last summer. i just grabbed some 3/8 rod. boy did it rust up and just looked not so good. really didn't want to buy the SS rod, so i went this route. with a lock washer in place, i hope that these don't come loose.

one item that i almost made the worst oversight on was the rudder top pivot.by not putting a stop on it. i put a thick red line where i need to install a stop. otherwise if i push the stick too far forward, it could overextend the linkage joint, and come in contact with the prop. something that i did not see, until i was taking things apart to clean up and paint. when i put it back together i will show a better picture of what could have happened. it is always the simple things that a person can over look.

[Corky]

I ran into the same situation during the linkage mock-up depending on how it was oriented Bart...I had enough adjustments to take the problem out and balance the travel...I've added a stop just as a safety feature in case the linkage wears over time..

The paint looks good it sure brightened up the boat...

[Bart]

i think the problem i came across with the linkage, and why i didn't notice it before, was when i moved the motor frame forward a couple of inches, it allowed the linkage to like hyper extend itself. but for what ever reason i am glad i found it. I remember reading about when you (Corky) put yours together and even went as far as to put a locking tab in with the linkage to hold the rubbers in place during traveling or a high wind storm. just to keep them from banging around. i think i will follow your lead on this, and come up with my own version.
slide the motor stand onto the hull tonight. (that is one slick bottom.) i had to ratchet it down a couple of places and it still wanted to slide.
i will have to come up with a different tie down method now. a ratchet strap over the rails just isn't going to do the job anymore.
it finally started raining tonight, and it wouldn't hurt to leave the cage under a roof for a few more days. so the paint can cure a little more before it is out in the weather.
i am thinking that sometime i will anodize the throttle peddle, and at least put some grip tape or something on the foot plate. so the feet don't slide around to much.

i am liking how clean the hull is looking, i am trying to figure out how i can keep it looking this nice, while running a 2-stroke motor. but at least now i have a clean hull, and hopefully it doesn't take to much to keep it this way.

a couple of options i am looking at to stop any more water coming over the back part of the boat. , putting a 90 degree bend on the original side piece and bolt it to the top of the C channel. that way it keeps the outside clean and smooth. and give me 24" on the back part of the boat
or use the 6" aluminum cable tray channel which will give me a 22" side. and with this i have 10' sticks, so i could run it further up to the bow of the boat.
either of these should do the job, if i do use the original piece, i will be covering that edge with a split round pipe or something.
(years ago i was working on a fishing boat, that had a 2" tall piece of flat bar around the hatch, had my feet knocked out from under me and my side landed on that edge. that hurt for more than a few months. needless to say i am not a fan of blunt edges.)

it is hard to know when to call it a night. took these pictures at 11:30 tonight. and i need to be to work at 5:30 in the morning. I love the summer time.