3D WTC Cradles

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  • Das Boot
    Rear Admiral

    • Dec 2019
    • 1328

    3D WTC Cradles

    Anyone make 3D cradles their WTC? Since Dave retired, the molds for his masters have gone who knows where. I heard who bought them, but so far, years have gone by with nothing produced. I figure 3D has progressed enough to offer them. The best I found was overseas, but paying 180 bucks shipped is not going to happen.
    Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”
  • rwtdiver
    Vice Admiral

    • Feb 2019
    • 1891

    #2
    Originally posted by Das Boot
    Anyone make 3D cradles their WTC? Since Dave retired, the molds for his masters have gone who knows where. I heard who bought them, but so far, years have gone by with nothing produced. I figure 3D has progressed enough to offer them. The best I found was overseas, but paying 180 bucks shipped is not going to happen.
    Casey,

    When are you going to break down and invest in a quality 3d Printer (PLA, ABS,.etc) along with a CAD program (Tikercad or) and manufacture your own cradles and othe submarine products??

    Rob
    "Firemen can stand the heat."

    Comment

    • Das Boot
      Rear Admiral

      • Dec 2019
      • 1328

      #3
      Originally posted by rwtdiver

      Casey,

      When are you going to break down and invest in a quality 3d Printer (PLA, ABS,.etc) along with a CAD program (Tikercad or) and manufacture your own cradles and othe submarine products??

      Rob
      "Firemen can stand the heat."
      I don’t feel the need to buy something I’ll use once in a blue moon. I don’t make subs, and buying one to make two cradles is ludicrous.
      Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

      Comment

      • Das Boot
        Rear Admiral

        • Dec 2019
        • 1328

        #4
        Dave turned me onto Renshape. I’m not familiar with that other than what I’ve seen him create. I’ve ordered some, but I’m not sure how to make cradles from blocks. Trial and error will suffice.
        Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

        Comment

        • Davjacva
          Commander

          • Nov 2022
          • 350

          #5
          Casey, you can just make them out of that sheet foam PVC you get at Lowe's. Once you know pretty much where and at what level in your hull where you want it to go. You just measure the diameter of your WTC, then plot half of that out on the PVC. Cut them out with a band saw of jig saw, sand them down and you're done. The outer is only a rough approximation as you are going to glue is down with a JB-Weld slurry with micro-balloons (or whatever you use). Easy-peasy, and total cost for the PVC and glue is probably under $10.
          Attached Files

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          • Davjacva
            Commander

            • Nov 2022
            • 350

            #6
            On the Type IXC we used West System Resin Epoxy. On the Nautilus it was JB-Weld with micro-balloons. Both are fast and get you to Rome.

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            • Das Boot
              Rear Admiral

              • Dec 2019
              • 1328

              #7
              And tell you what Jake, you’re learning quick. Course if I had your tutor, I would too. To tell you the truth, I have never heard of sheet PVC before. That is a new one on me. I have to go to Lowe’s tomorrow to get a something cut for my ham radio coax to come in through the window anyway, so I’ll get some of that while I’m there. Thanks for the advice.
              Last edited by Das Boot; 12-07-2024, 06:40 PM.
              Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

              Comment

              • Davjacva
                Commander

                • Nov 2022
                • 350

                #8
                Originally posted by Das Boot
                And tell you what Jake, you’re learning quick. Course if I had your tutor, I would too. To tell you the truth, I have never heard of sheet PVC before. That is a new one on me. I have to go to Lowe’s tomorrow to get a something cut for my ham radio coax to come in through the window anyway, so I’ll get some of that while I’m there. Thanks for the advice.
                If you say so. This isn't hard stuff. Submarines do have their particulars, but most of it is not hard. Here's something with PVC I did over 20 years ago. If you know what a Jagdtiger is, and that it uses the hull of a stretched King Tiger with all different geometry on the upper hull. I made this entirely by myself. Dave had show me earlier how to use a lathe, and in fact gave me his old one. I made the barrel, the operating mechanism, the mantlet, the entire superstructure from scratch, just to name a few things. The battlefield photo was in three different modeling magazines. Did much harder scratch-builds later.
                Attached Files

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                • Das Boot
                  Rear Admiral

                  • Dec 2019
                  • 1328

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Davjacva

                  If you say so. This isn't hard stuff. Submarines do have their particulars, but most of it is not hard. Here's something with PVC I did over 20 years ago. If you know what a Jagdtiger is, and that it uses the hull of a stretched King Tiger with all different geometry on the upper hull. I made this entirely by myself. Dave had show me earlier how to use a lathe, and in fact gave me his old one. I made the barrel, the operating mechanism, the mantlet, the entire superstructure from scratch, just to name a few things. The battlefield photo was in three different modeling magazines. Did much harder scratch-builds later.
                  I didn’t get to talk to you that much during the last subfest, and I didn’t know you were already versed in RC. I thought you were a newbie, my bad. I’ve been building rc submarines since 1987, but I quit doing them for about 25 years and have a little bit of catching up to do. I got too busy with my career and wife raising three boys and didn’t have time for it, between football baseball basketball and everything else, I just didn’t have time. Between that and rheumatoid arthritis and other issues, I got lazy, but I’ve picked the bug back up and hopefully will get going again. Now that all my life is out of the way, how thick is that PVC that you use for the cradles? I forgot to ask that question. I also got a chance to check this Chinese boat. I’m looking at it, and I don’t seem to have any gaps other than some flash that is on one side that I need to cut away. I’m gonna take pictures of the build and put them on here. Lastly, those are some nice looking tanks, and you should be proud of your work.
                  Last edited by Das Boot; 12-07-2024, 10:16 PM.
                  Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

                  Comment

                  • Subculture
                    Admiral

                    • Feb 2009
                    • 2251

                    #10
                    Most plastics can come in expanded or 'foamed' form- PVC, polystyrene, polyurethane, polypropylene etc.

                    The more air put into the process, the less dense the foam. Foam used for packaging are usually among the least dense and don't have much utility for submarine modellers.

                    Renshape is a polyurethane board, below 1000kg/m3 density it'll be foamed, and you can just work it up like wood into the size you want.

                    Comment

                    • Davjacva
                      Commander

                      • Nov 2022
                      • 350

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Das Boot

                      I didn’t get to talk to you that much during the last subfest, and I didn’t know you were already versed in RC. I thought you were a newbie, my bad. I’ve been building rc submarines since 1987, but I quit doing them for about 25 years and have a little bit of catching up to do. I got too busy with my career and wife raising three boys and didn’t have time for it, between football baseball basketball and everything else, I just didn’t have time. Between that and rheumatoid arthritis and other issues, I got lazy, but I’ve picked the bug back up and hopefully will get going again. Now that all my life is out of the way, how thick is that PVC that you use for the cradles? I forgot to ask that question. I also got a chance to check this Chinese boat. I’m looking at it, and I don’t seem to have any gaps other than some flash that is on one side that I need to cut away. I’m gonna take pictures of the build and put them on here. Lastly, those are some nice looking tanks, and you should be proud of your work.
                      This stuff is 1/4" thick, I took some photos of it while at Lowes today. There are different categories of PVC from plumbing piping to vinyl records, to sintra, and there is this type used in construction work. It's used a lot in the housing industry now. It's not as 'foamy' as sintra, but more than PVC/ CPVC used in plumbing. You can cut it with a saw just like wood. Great stuff, easy to work with and more than adequate for your needs. By a sheet of this and it'll outlast you.

                      I quit modeling for over 20 years and got back into it in the late '90's. After watching Dave go into a lake three times the first year I met him, I didn't figure rc submarines was for me. I'm a mech. engineer and it kind of just took my interest up. I'm eclectic, so modeling is only one of my hobbies. I have classic cars, guns, old stereos, do leather work, 5 grandkids, etc.

                      Comment

                      • Davjacva
                        Commander

                        • Nov 2022
                        • 350

                        #12
                        For some reason the photos didn't attach.
                        Attached Files

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                        • SubSteve
                          Lieutenant

                          • Apr 2022
                          • 84

                          #13
                          You have some great answers from some master craftsmen so far. Making cylinder cradles for two boats is probably best handled with the methods mentioned.
                          I thought I would answer your original question as it is a thing I've actually done! My junior high shop teacher famously told me on inspection of a finished project, "O'Connell, you do good work, not much of it, but what you do is real good." I am new to 3D printing and 3D CAD as of a couple of years ago. To equip yourself with a printer and climb the steep curves involved with printing and design is probably not worth it for two sets of cradles. On the other hand, if you have someone to help get you headed down the right path, it's workable and rewarding. Worst case, someone may be able to coach you through getting the needed dimensions and making the cradles for you. I used them as a fairly simple way to get started with CAD and printing.

                          The attached pictures are some recent work I did for a couple of boats currently in my shipyard, affectionately known as Electric Boat West.

                          Attached Files

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                          • Das Boot
                            Rear Admiral

                            • Dec 2019
                            • 1328

                            #14
                            I may end up getting a printer, just for this kind of thing. What kind of printer do you use? Can you reduce those cradles to any size you want?
                            Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.”

                            Comment

                            • SubSteve
                              Lieutenant

                              • Apr 2022
                              • 84

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Das Boot
                              I may end up getting a printer, just for this kind of thing. What kind of printer do you use? Can you reduce those cradles to any size you want?
                              I just upgraded from a Prusa i3Mk3 to a Bambu X1c and I love it. The Prusa is a great printer too but it's like a 3rd gen fighter against a 5th gen fighter. More like an appliance, i.e., it just works. I can modify the cradle file to match the inside radius of the hull and the outside diameter of the cylinder. It looks a little odd because I bury the cylinder low enough to stay submerged when the boat is fully surfaced. I can reuse the stand cradle files as well.
                              Last edited by SubSteve; 12-10-2024, 09:36 AM.

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