Raboesch Bow Thruster

[boman]

After a bit of information please. With a Raboesch Bow Thruster 19/22mm x154mm, can the tubes be extended?

 I need one for my Barge, at 170mm long, but they are all too short.

Many Thanks..

[Jarvo]

HI Boman

The Raboesch trusters have detachable tubes, don't think you can fit longer tubes as they form a seal at the motor end, but you could easily fit over sleeves to the original tubes to be any length you wanted.

They are imported by Deans Marine try giving them a ring

Regards

Mark

[nhp651]

but you can fit an extension tube onto the tube supplied using plumbing piping and use plumbers liquid cement to glue it all together.

[des]

I bought my Raboesch 108-30 bow thruster with extension tubes.  One pair of extension tubes was enough for me, but you can add more if you need to do so.

The extension tubes are "blind" at one end, but this doesn't matter 'cos you've got to cut it to length anyway.  If you add a second extension tube you may need to router (or simply grind) a recess to one or other tube to get them to fit - a Dremel will do this job easily enough.

To me, the biggest advantage of using the proprietary extension tubes is in maintaining the same inner diameter through the full length of the thruster tube.  Also, the extension tubes are the same material as the thruster itself, so gluing is not an issue.  But you may want to add a layer of epoxy over the outer surface of the joint to ensure a waterproof joint - one of my joints leaked and it was a *female dog* to fix inside the hull.

Des.

[boman]

Many thanks for all the help. Now all I need is to find one.

[des]

Try Float-a-Boat (www.floataboat.com.au), in Melbourne - they can do mail order to NZ.

Des.

[Jarvo]

Hi Boman

Try Raboesch direct, European postage could be cheaper than Ausy.

Mark

[boman]

Thanks all. I bought a Bow thruster off e-bay. Free freight.

Now, what is the best way to glue the tubes to the body? Thanks.

[des]

I just used a styrene solvent on mine - Plastruct Plastiweld, Testors, Humbrol, or similar.  But I must have missed a bit 'cos I got a small leak at one of the joints.  So I'd suggest using the styrene solvent on the joint, but coating the exterior of the joint with an epoxy of some sort - say 5-minute Araldite.  It may also help to roughen up the surfaces of the joints a bit, as the ABS plastic is very smooth and hard.

Des.

[boman]

I just used a styrene solvent on mine - Plastruct Plastiweld, Testors, Humbrol, or similar.  But I must have missed a bit 'cos I got a small leak at one of the joints.  So I'd suggest using the styrene solvent on the joint, but coating the exterior of the joint with an epoxy of some sort - say 5-minute Araldite.  It may also help to roughen up the surfaces of the joints a bit, as the ABS plastic is very smooth and hard.

Des.

Many thanks, sir.