Finishing my Tesla Powered Jetboat

Finishing a Tesla-powered mini jetboat build with final tests, hood fabrication, trim tabs, painting, and custom seats installation.

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Key Takeaways

Tesla battery-powered jetboat performs well with efficient battery usage and higher RPM than gas motors.
Proper fabrication techniques like using rivets and oxy torch help manage metal warping during hood construction.
Trim tabs are essential to fix porpoising caused by rear weight and improve boat handling.
Painting with epoxy requires careful thinning and temperature control for a smooth, durable finish.
Custom seats and final assembly details significantly enhance comfort and usability of the jetboat.

What the video covers

The video covers finishing the Tesla-powered mini jetboat after a successful test drive using 15% battery with multiple full throttle pulls.
Fabrication of the rear hood using sheet metal, addressing warping issues with welding and oxy torch techniques.
Building and mounting trim tabs to solve porpoising caused by weight distribution and improve boat stability.
Painting process involving self-etching primer and epoxy paint, including challenges with thinning and spraying techniques.
Use of custom seats and installation of navigation lights, rear tow hook, and plexiglass components.
Hard mounting trim tabs temporarily with plans to add motors for fine-tuning in the future.
Final touches include foam deck installation and ensuring comfort and functionality of seating arrangements.
The video shows troubleshooting and iterative improvements throughout the build, emphasizing testing and adjustments.
The project highlights the integration of electric propulsion in a jetboat and innovative DIY fabrication methods.
Ends with readiness for water testing and showcasing the completed boat with matching colors and features.

Chapters

How does the Tesla battery perform during the jetboat test?

The battery used only 15% capacity during multiple full throttle pulls, indicating good performance and efficiency, with RPMs higher than typical gas motors.

What solutions were implemented to fix the boat's porpoising issue?

Trim tabs were built and mounted to push water down at the rear, which helps lower the front of the boat and stabilize the porpoising caused by rear weight.

What challenges were faced during the painting process?

The epoxy paint was initially too thick due to insufficient thinning, causing poor spray quality. The paint was warmed and thinned up to 10% with xylene to improve application.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Today, we are finishing my Tesla-powered mini jetboat build. In the last episode, we had our first successful test drive, and I couldn't be happier with how this thing is working. Let's get to it. That was a super successful test. The battery's in good shape. Actually, it's not that bad. We used 15% of the battery, and we did like five full throttle pulls for a while.

Speaker A

super successful test. Battery's in good shape. Actually, it's not that bad. We used 15% of the battery and we did like five full throttle pulls for a while.

Speaker A

The settings we had were at 9,000 RPM roughly, and that is already a little bit higher than the gas motors do. So, we're probably already faster than the gas jetboat, and we can crank it up even higher. The bearings should be able to handle like 12, 14,000. I don't know. At some point, it'll explode. I was splashing water all over the inside of the electronics. That is not good. My laptop got soaked. So, I'm going to build the rear hood today. And I'm also going to build trim tabs, which will solve our porpoising issue. We have so much weight in the rear of the boat right now that the jet pump is kind of like this. And it's pulling the front up. So, you're getting this porpoising motion like that. The trim tabs are going to look something like this.

Speaker A

handle like 12 14,000. I don't know. At some point, it'll explode. I was splashing water all over the inside of the [laughter] electronics. That is not good. My laptop got soaked. So, I'm going to build the rear hood today. And

Speaker A

I'm going to mount it like right here. And what that does is it pushes water down, which will push the front of the boat down where we want it. This is why we test. Sort of sheet metal hood thing is really hard to build. They like to warp a lot. After welding, we can use the oxy torch to pull it back straight. I'm using the soot from the torch to keep an eye on the temperatures because it burns off right about 700°. That did the trick. Yes. That's so sick. And we're going to have cup holders finally right here. I forgot that I designed this.

Speaker A

up. So, you're getting this porposing motion like that. The trim tabs are going to look something like this.

Speaker A

Two cup holders and then a third seat right here. Wait, this is the best seat in the house. Hold up. This is really comfortable. And you can have two big gulps right next to you.

Speaker A

hard to build. They like to warp a lot. [music] After welding, we can use the Oxy torch to pull it back straight. I'm using the soot from the torch to keep an eye on the temperatures because it burns off

Speaker A

This is the seat where you're going to get ejected out the side when I do a 360. It's so hard to build a hood like this and not have it warp all over like crazy when you're welding. So, I actually put the crossmembers in and riveted them in instead of welding. If I would have welded all these in, it would have been a nightmare. Would have looked really bad.

Speaker A

Two cup holders and then a third seat right here. Wait, this is the best seat in the house. Hold up.

Speaker A

Oh, perfect. Yeah. I mean, you don't want to go crazy and make it a million pounds. It's just going to be strong enough to walk on. You can bow a little bit.

Speaker A

This is the seat where you're going to get like ejected out the side when I [laughter] when I do a 360. It's so hard to build a hood like this and not have it warp all over like crazy when you're

Speaker A

Let's build our trim tabs. We just successfully shaved 6 oz off of this part. That's going to make all the difference on our 9,000 lb battery-powered bike.

Speaker A

Oh, perfect. Yeah. I mean, you don't want to go crazy and make it a million pounds. It's just going to be strong enough to walk on. You can bow a little bit.

Speaker A

These are just stainless steel door hinges that I cut in half and beefed up a little bit. They're going to work great. Next, we can get the hull prepped for paint.

Speaker A

a little bit. [music] They're going to work great. [music] Next, we can get the hall prepped for paint.

Speaker A

This green paint is just self-etching primer, which will help the epoxy bind into the aluminum. We just need to dust it on. We don't need a complete coat.

Speaker A

[music] [music] [music] [music] I had some major issues with the painting so far. It is uh not going well. So, I sprayed a gallon and a half of paint. And this is how far [laughter] we've gotten.

Speaker A

I had some major issues with the painting so far. It is not going well. So, I sprayed a gallon and a half of paint. And this is how far we've gotten.

Speaker A

Just show a good spot, camera guy. Um show the best spot. Maybe like right here.

Speaker A

I like the windshield. It's looking really good. Like the texture of this paint is amazing.

Speaker A

to spray version two of our paint job. We have been warming our cans of epoxy in the sink because we got one shot at this. So, we're going to do two different things. I warmed the paint up and then we're going to add more

Speaker A

Just show a good spot, camera guy. Show the best spot. Maybe like right here.

Speaker A

I think it's going to spray much better. Once you mix it, that's it for epoxy.

Speaker A

Yeah. Look at this spot right here. The texture is amazing. It looks like powder coat, but I underestimated how hard it was going to be to spray. I don't think I thinned it enough. So, we need to sand a lot of this off and prep to spray version two of our paint job. We have been warming our cans of epoxy in the sink because we got one shot at this. So, we're going to do two different things. I warmed the paint up, and then we're going to add more thinner. I thinned it like 3% last time. Clearly, not enough. I'm going to go all the way to 10. That's the maximum allowable thinness. No pun intended.

Speaker A

White, I don't have enough xylene. Hey. Yo, Mr. White, I need more xyline. Oh.

Speaker A

I think it's going to spray much better. Once you mix it, that's it for epoxy.

Speaker A

10%. [music] [music] Oh, wow. It's so thick. [music] Now that it's thinned properly, it's spraying much better.

Speaker A

You have 1 hour to spray it. No pressure. Where's my mixing sticks? Where's my fiddle sticks? Mr. White, I don't have enough xylene. Hey. Yo, Mr. White, I need more xylene. Oh.

Speaker A

Heck yeah. Dang. It looks pretty good. While the paint is drying, we have work to do.

Speaker A

All right, the clock has officially started. We have 1 hour to paint the boat, or this paint hardens, dude.

Speaker A

Yeah, you're right. It's going to be hard to control. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. [laughter] Dude, bro, why does this always happen to me?

Speaker A

10%. Oh, wow. It's so thick. Now that it's thinned properly, it's spraying much better.

Speaker A

That's what did it last time, too, wasn't it? Yep. Oh, [screaming] no. [laughter] Oh no.

Speaker A

We're done. Heck yeah. It took exactly two gallons. Oh my gosh, it is glossy.

Speaker A

sand in the inside. [music] I've got our navigation lights put in, our rear tow hook for wakeboarding, and all of our plexiglass. [music] I'm hard mounting the trim tabs just for now, but eventually I'll put motors on here so I can fine-tune them on the fly.

Speaker A

Heck yeah. Dang. It looks pretty good. While the paint is drying, we have work to do.

Speaker A

[music] The final touches. These are custom seats. I had made. As you can see, they're custom.

Speaker A

It's kind of sick. I think it'll take off right out of my hand. I don't know. This is your last good airplane.

Speaker A

You'll have that on these multi-year projects, but it's fine. That is nice. This is very comfortable. If you want to let your short king drive the boat, something like that. Eh, this is a little bit too comfortable for the

Speaker A

Yeah, you're right. It's going to be hard to control. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. Dude, bro, why does this always happen to me?

Speaker A

I'm going to take this back out. Yep. No errors. We're ready to go, dude.

Speaker A

No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. Look, that's rough, dude. You seem to have a thing with these power lines.

Speaker A

That tells the whole You don't even have to watch the video. You just There it is.

Speaker A

That's what did it last time, too, wasn't it? Yep. Oh, no. Oh, no.

Speaker A

Coincidence. Yeah. It's just crazy when you come up with something all on your own.

Speaker A

Yeah. Get back in the fab shop, buddy. All right.

Speaker A

That is sick. All right. Well, let's hit the water. It's done. [music] [music] Be smooth.

Speaker A

Now that the paint is dry, we can do the finishing touches. This foam seed deck goes on pretty easy, and it cleans up nicely if we ever get sand on the inside.

Speaker A

Wait, hold on. I can't do both of these. I forgot. Yeah, bro. Can I get like a really solid reaction about this?

Speaker A

I've got our navigation lights put in, our rear tow hook for wakeboarding, and all of our plexiglass.

Speaker A

Yeah. Yeah, good idea. I'll like walk up just like make sure you get this.

Speaker A

I'm hard mounting the trim tabs just for now, but eventually, I'll put motors on here so I can fine-tune them on the fly.

Speaker A

Recall I was wearing rubber boots. Remember that? Cuz you were worried about uh [laughter] electrocution through the main socket.

Speaker A

Installing these sort of details is my favorite part of projects because it's the most visually impactful and the most rewarding.

Speaker A

Not just when the motors are on. Just let me cook. Okay. Make sure the light [music] We're about to pull into the [music] boat ramp.

Speaker A

The final touches. These are custom seats I had made. As you can see, they're custom.

Speaker A

So, one extremely awesome thing we can do here. Are we good doing this? Am I going to get electronic cued?

Speaker A

The color is a little bit off, only because I chose to paint the boat a much brighter white after ordering the seats.

Speaker A

Get out of here. Plug in. Plug in. Why is there waves all of a sudden?

Speaker A

You'll have that on these multi-year projects, but it's fine. That is nice. This is very comfortable. If you want to let your short king drive the boat, something like that. Eh, this is a little bit too comfortable for the passenger, the camera guy.

Speaker A

No, dude. [laughter] That was me. Look how sturdy it is. Everything about it, it's just sturdy. It's super awesome and innocent when the cover's down and then you open it up. It's [laughter] terrifying.

Speaker A

Oh, really? Who are you to judge that? Get the bucket.

Speaker A

Something quite weird just happened and uh kind of quit working for a second. Oh no.

Speaker A

I'm going to take this back out. Yep. No errors. We're ready to go, dude.

Speaker A

Discharge is on. So, it's something with the inverter. You know, it would have been better to be stranded on a lake and not a river.

Speaker A

That's cool looking. 100% electric powered by Tesla. It's kind of like our whole story here, right? Not much else to it.

Speaker A

Wee. I can't paddle upream right [laughter] now. This is You're not doing anything, bro.

Speaker A

That tells the whole. You don't even have to watch the video. You just—there it is.

Speaker A

Okay. Sure. All right. This is what we're going to do. We're going to get the cyber truck and I'm going to run a rope down to the shore from here and we're going to just drag it. Right.

Speaker A

Just read the sticker. We came up with this. Look how it just matches the plane. That's crazy.

Speaker A

Huh? Check it out. What could it possibly be, though? Everything looks fine. Let me log into the inverter.

Speaker A

Coincidence. Yeah. It's just crazy when you come up with something all on your own.

Speaker A

It's all part of the process. I'm learning a lot about this Tesla still. like we're we're figuring out we are hacking into the core of the Tesla.

Speaker A

Yeah. Out of your mind, and then it matches a marina with a float coin.

Speaker A

The inverters aren't that expensive. It's not the end of the world. We will get it working again. The only problem is the boat ramp is a half a mile away.

Speaker A

That is sick. All right. Well, let's hit the water. It's done.

Speaker A

Yeah, this is working. Went a lot faster than I thought it would. It's not bad. Full rip. It's right there.

Speaker A

Be smooth.

Speaker A

Okay. We'll be back here in like 3 days. No big deal. We will be back with a new inverter.

Speaker A

It's lowering it. Wait, that's sick. No way. It's the same colors. That's so awesome.

Speaker A

[music] Huge thanks to Tuby for sponsoring this project. Come back next week for episode 4 or if you want to watch the entire build series. Right now it is live on Tuby.

Topics:Tesla jetboatelectric jetboatDIY boat buildjetboat fabricationbattery-powered boatboat trim tabsboat paintingcustom boat seatselectric propulsionboat testing

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