Need help on stuffing boxes/bearings

[John Blazy]

I am in the process of building an electric mahogony glass-bottomed boat and have finally gotten to the stage of getting ready to turn the hull over for glassing, and need to purchase and/or design the right prop shaft log/stuffing box and build the skeg / rudder assembly.
I was on the Glen-L marine site numerous times looking at their assemblies and they are all for 1" DIA shafts, and I am not building an ocean barge, so I was hoping for 1/2" SS shafts and waterproof bearings. I cannot even find simple waterproof bearings after scouring McMaster Carr. Can anyone help? Here's a little diagram from a photo of the rear of the boat:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p340af26caf35ea065cf5814f26d19ac0/fc9a8546.jpg
I was originally planning on making my own plywood octagonal shaft log, and pressing bearings onto a 1/2" shaft and gluing the shaft/bearing assbly into the plywood box/tube and possibly using a rubber boot to seal around the shaft, but I would rather buy a complete assembly. Power would be a Briggs E-Tek electric motor run on three batts. Torque not enough to require thrust bearings.

So to summarize - I'm looking for sources for a waterproof bearing or novel idea for the rudder bearing, same with the prop shaft, and anyones experience with this kind of construction.

I also want a large DIA prop, designed with pitch tuned according to RPMS, torque and size of my displacement hull, with replaceable Lexan blades for under ten bucks along with perfect weather and winning the lottery (exhale).

Thanks a ton in advance - JB

[Bob Cleek]

Stuffing box and stern bearing castings are a stock marine hardware item. You may not find them in a blister pack on the rack at WasteMarine, but they're easy to order. Get a copy of Hamilton Marine or Jamestown Distributors' catalogs. I'm sure you'll find them in there. Or check with your local chandlery. A 1/2" is a bit small, but they may be available. Forget your homemade idea, it won't hold water. You need a cutless bearing and a flax packed stuffing box, or fuggedaboudit. Same hardware is used for the sort of rudder stock bearing you are contemplating.

[gary porter]

Bob, I've often heard of using Lignum for bearings
but haven't really seen any. Is this really a valid soulution or do they just work for slow turners, or at all? Seems buying them off the shelf as you say would be better but making them from lignum might be interesting.
Gary

[JimConlin]

Also try Spartan Marine and Buck-Algonquin.
IIRC, 7/8" is about minimum for shaft size.

I suppose that you could use tubing or pipe.