Anyone Into Unlimited Hydros?

[Aros]

I found a custom auto body painter who has agreed to paint my Pak. Super thrilled! I’ll be bringing it to his shop next week. He’s giving me a sweet deal since he’s never done a small project like this and admits he doesn’t know what to charge. Lucky me!

I started masking some pieces just to save him some time and decided to do a crude dry fit of the decals to make sure they fit. Looks good. He’s going to prep, prime, paint the base coats and hand it off to me to apply all the graphics and then I will hand it back over to him for the clear coat.

[Aros]

Good questions Clugh, I am not sure what the sans battery weight is. Feels like 8-10 pounds as a pure guess? Also not sure on what cells to run as I am not familiar with the motor and ESC setup...I assume 6? Maybe 8?

[Clugh]

Any idea what it weighs less batteries? What cells you plan to run?


TIA,
Hubert

[Aros]

Thanks f4u ausie! Good advice!

[f4u ausie]

Hi aros just saw this thread.. luv hydros,, especially nitro drag.. crazy boats.. any way. Im an auto painter myself, the heavy orangpeel u talk about comes from a low air pressure. Aka rattle cans.... first point any qaulity auto paint 2 part will b good for gas if thats your requirment.... point2 a small local body man should b able to paint it for couple hundred bucks.. but point3 if u have painted so many planes( rattle can ) u could by a cheap gravity or suction feed gun and cheap small commpressor... do it urself.. and then have equiptment( no rattlecans req) for futur planes... its easier than u think,,( if u have done rattlcan b4) just a thought

[Aros]

I could definitely rattle can it, I have painted dozens of RC airplanes through the years. However, I want it to have a perfect, smooth finish, not orange-peely. That's why I was thinking an auto painter. I'm talking to one right now and he's going to let me know if he will take it on. But the price has to be reasonable. I'm not paying $1K for such a small job. If that's the case I will just do it myself.

[Clugh]

He can spend 1000s in paint if he choses thats cool but For me its a matter of practicality. You don't need fuel proof paint for a FE t sport hydro or a boat you really plan to run. A dumas 20 I sprayed with a SATA minijet in dupli color base white and Ross vinyl's b4 clear. Ive painted them with rattle cans 😀 If its less daunting you can get more people out on the water with a boat to run. The pak is a perfect boat to DIY the paint for someone starting out.

[Battleship]

No thanks

[Clugh]

Thanks! Yeah he already sealed it and it is excellent quality and smooth as glass. I'm definitely going to have a pro painter (maybe an auto painter) paint it for me. I don't want to mess it up!

You can paint the boat yourself because it is just a base white. The orange and black lettering and sponsorship logos are vinyl. Use a basic paint like Dupli color from advanced auto and a touch up paint gun. Preferably a top feed HVLP. Exotic paint will require exotic repair if it ever comes to that. All u need is primer, base white, and the clear.

[Aros]

Thanks! Yeah he already sealed it and it is excellent quality and smooth as glass. I'm definitely going to have a pro painter (maybe an auto painter) paint it for me. I don't want to mess it up!

[Clugh]

Great point Clugh, thank you for the info and contact info as well. You have been extremely helpful and I really appreciate it!

Now for sealing and paint.......For FE I use dulpi-color from advanced auto but you can get as fancy as you like. I wanted cheap and not the most harmful paint. to me. White, Orange and Black.....🙈🙉🙊


I seal with zpoxy lamination epoxy. West systems is probably what your builder used if he sealed the decks wood already. Its is excellent marine grade epoxy.

[Aros]

Great point Clugh, thank you for the info and contact info as well. You have been extremely helpful and I really appreciate it!

[Clugh]

Well I took the three hour trip to pick her up from the builder. She's a beauty in person! He did a fabulous job. All I need is a receiver, batteries or battery, transmitter and paint her up. Suggestions appreciated! The driver looks pretty good! He's a touch too large for perfect scale but not enough to bother me. I am using a Smart Water bottle as the turbine tube. I will add the ring in the center like the real one had, and paint them some aluminum color that looks close to scale.

Very Nice !!
Thats going to finish out beautifully 👀

Get a thin real sheet of aluminum and roll it for the exhaust stack or contact Steve at RC Hydros for an epoxy glass version. He is the same person that made the cowl. Trust me on this. Not trying to be critical but the plastic bottle isn't the best idea. It is too nice of a boat to cut corners now. Roll a real stack for the ultimate in realism and its light. U can cut strips and roll them also as the fastening bands on a stack.

[Clugh]

Do you happen to have contact info for Brian Buass?

Contact James Schaefer

Jim@abcprops.com

ABC PROPS

Tell James your goal and the boat and that you'd like to have Brian prepare the prop.

[Aros]

Well I took the three hour trip to pick her up from the builder. She's a beauty in person! He did a fabulous job. All I need is a receiver, batteries or battery, transmitter and paint her up. Suggestions appreciated! The driver looks pretty good! He's a touch too large for perfect scale but not enough to bother me. I am using a Smart Water bottle as the turbine tube. I will add the ring in the center like the real one had, and paint them some aluminum color that looks close to scale.

[Aros]

Do you happen to have contact info for Brian Buass?

[Aros]

Great thank you! I would rather go with a FE-centric person than a gas person...I'll look into it!

[Clugh]

Wont argue that point . Ive never run props from Propworks west. Brians FE props are the top currently His are typically a few mph faster than the competitor. Thats direct from James Scheafer at ABC, Propworks west does alot of gas props. .That was their claim to fame afaik. I dont know Brent Daily

Brian Buass has held and set numerous records in FE over the years.

b4 that Andy Brown did mine .

Here is also do other great options for prepared props in stainless and titanium

DOCTORPROPS (torgg.com)

[Aros]

Found the prop info my builder recommended...Heard of him?

Brent Daily of PropWorksWest. Says it's $125 and worth every penny.

[Clugh]

Get Brian Buass to do your prop,