Home› Building and Techniques
Shopping at LEGO or Amazon?
Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Motorized boat suggestions.

SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
in Building and Techniques
I'm trying to make a motorized boat for a competition, and I was wondering if anyone else here has ever made one. I'm looking for any tips/suggestions regarding waterproofing, propellers/paddles, steering, and how how well IR RC works on water.

Comments

  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    Haven't done it myself but based on two years of watching the boat race at BrickFair Alabama I would say paddle wheels and SBrick. Good luck!
  • datsunrobbiedatsunrobbie Member Posts: 1,828
    I'd start here: 
    http://brickset.com/sets/tag-Floats-On-Water

    I have not tried any of them yet with a motor, but at least they are designed to float :)
  • TigerMothTigerMoth Member Posts: 2,343
    datsunrobbie said:
    I'd start here: 
    http://brickset.com/sets/tag-Floats-On-Water
    And then add in the current hulls in the likes of 60095, 60109, and 60129, which are not tagged in that way.
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    I know about hulls.
    Can anyone tell me about how fast the boat motor goes? And how fast it can move a boat.
  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    Boat motor?

    I think people generally use a power functions motor, or two, or...actually I'm not sure how many more you could hook up. Apparently there is an old RC motor that's more powerful if you can get a hold of it.

    BrickFair Alabama 2016 Boat Race -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS014w2QVVo

    @petersc7540 won.

    The spinner from the Ninjago flyers looked like such a great idea but it wasn't as fast as the paddle wheel even before it started overheating.

    In 2015 the winner @macdavidhad paddle wheels on the outside of a regular hull but then you need to cover it with plastic wrap

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bop7bnYcPp4


  • ColoradoBricksColoradoBricks Member Posts: 1,659
    No experience with boats but with LEGO RC cars, I would use 2 elongated floating hulls to make a sort of a very stable catamaran and as @Jenni mentioned, paddle wheel on each side, both motorized by part 5292 (Buggy motor). I have tried all kind of motors, and it is the most powerful. SBrick so you can still control it when it is more than 10' away...
    This page is good to give you detailed analysis of every existing LEGO motor: http://www.philohome.com/motors/motorcomp.htm
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    Yeah, LEGO made two different kinds of boat motors a few years back.

    I think the airjitzu is also a great idea- I think that guy's problem is that he only has one, for such a large boat.
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    ColoradoBricks said:
    No experience with boats but with LEGO RC cars, I would use 2 elongated floating hulls to make a sort of a very stable catamaran and as @Jenni mentioned, paddle wheel on each side, both motorized by part 5292 (Buggy motor). I have tried all kind of motors, and it is the most powerful. SBrick so you can still control it when it is more than 10' away...
    This page is good to give you detailed analysis of every existing LEGO motor: http://www.philohome.com/motors/motorcomp.htm
    I know, but I can't bring myself to pay $40+ a motor...
  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    The Airjitzu things are big, fitting two on would be a whole other issue but it also overheated the motor so it kept stopping in the final. If you had to run the boat more than twice I assume that would only get worse.

    I believe the boat in the third heat in 2016 had the buggy motor, the one with the Technic panel paddles. It was hastily built the night before and got swamped by it's own splashes but I think it would be worth looking at too.

    You two have almost got me interested enough to enter next year, if only to finally take my husband's SBrick out of it's package :).
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    ^ You should totally enter. I have had more fun planning and building my boat than I usually have when making other MOCs. A lot of the fun is in deciding the size of the boat and what you will use for a hull and propulsion. I was really tempted to use a pair of Toa canisters and make a raft out of that.
  • theLEGOmantheLEGOman Member Posts: 1,524
    Exo force had a fan type part on the back of a minifig mech set. Could perform like a mini underwater propulsion system perhaps.
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    ^ I know about that part- thing is, it's the absolute worst propeller out there. The two blades (the large inner one and the smaller outer one) point in opposite directions, so you're trying to move both forwards and backwards at the same time.
  • theLEGOmantheLEGOman Member Posts: 1,524
    Fair enough, I haven't checked it, just remembered I had one in a draw.
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    Yeah. I tried to use the six-bladed propeller from Atlantis, before realizing that it only had a pin connection, not axle.
  • ColoradoBricksColoradoBricks Member Posts: 1,659
    Got me interested too :) would 4751b work ? It has a pin connection, but with 2x2 round plates or bricks an axle can be fitted.
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    It might- I do have one, but it seems somewhat inefficient. If I'm going with a propeller, I would probably want to use the biggest one I could find.

    Actually, I think I'll try that one and compare it to an airjitzu.
  • JenniJenni Member Posts: 1,390
    It's a time issue, I'm a procrastinator and am usually scrambling to fulfill my collaborative layout commitments. I have been having fun adding movement to our town layout so I probably would love the problem solving involved. If I just use our October layout for BrickFair maybe I will :)
Sign In or Register to comment.

Shopping at LEGO.com or Amazon?

Please use our links: LEGO.com • Amazon

Recent discussions • Categories • Privacy Policy • Brickset.com

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Sign In Register

Categories

Brickset.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.