Newbie no more - Building the Revell 1/72 Gato

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  • trout
    Admiral
    • Jul 2011
    • 3545

    #31
    O.K. - I can do that!
    If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

    Comment

    • trout
      Admiral
      • Jul 2011
      • 3545

      #32
      Just a quick note. I have been doing some cleanup and weighed the pieces I took out of the top of the hull, bow and stern. It came out to be 163 g = 5.74965 oz (at minimum) and I still have cross members to cut out.
      If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

      Comment

      • He Who Shall Not Be Named
        Moderator
        • Aug 2008
        • 12256

        #33
        Congratulations, that's about 2.5 cubic inches of ballast tank you won't need (I worked this out for the GATO SD years ago). This demonstrates why it's important to keep the above waterline structures as light in weight as possible.

        I like your methodical approach to this project -- a well written and illustrated build log.

        David,
        Who is John Galt?

        Comment

        • trout
          Admiral
          • Jul 2011
          • 3545

          #34
          Thank you! You are the Master, I am the Padawan!
          If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

          Comment

          • trout
            Admiral
            • Jul 2011
            • 3545

            #35
            Back to the aft planes/rudder/et al.
            After playing with the rudder,testing fit, and preparing to paint, the brass rod came loose from the rudder and would pivot. So I needed to do few things. I marked where the brass entered and exited the rudder and skag piece. Roughed up the brass where it will be buried in the rudder and kept the areas that touch the bearings smooth. I tested out the fit and drilled a very small hole just outside where the brass rod was traveling. Then I took a 1/16” drill and drilled the hole again. What was accomplished is I cut a notch out of the rudder shaft. Once the shaft is glued in, I will put a pin in to keep it locked in place. I put the shaft in, but leaving just the distance from the bottom of the rudder to the first bearing in the skag. Placed a drop of CA at the hole of the rudder (holding the aft upside down it will be the top) and at the point where the rod enters the rudder after leaving the bearing. Quickly pushed the rod to the correct spot and wiggled the skag to make sure it did not get glued. Then I put a length of 1/16” brass rod in as my pin. Cut the rod close to the rudder, CA’d it, and put baking powder over it to harden.
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            Filed and sanded the pin flush.
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            Once it all dried I tested again to see if the is any slip or issues and there were none.
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            I will make a correction to a prior post, I would need to either make the sprue/screw/skag filler longer and NOT cut the front at an angle or cut it to this height and cut the front at an angle. As it is, there is just enough play with the skag and rudder to get over the sprue filler. Had I made it taller, there would be another shame picture to show as I try to cut the sprue filler off.
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            I also cut a flat surface on the rudder shaft for the control horn’s set screw. You might be able to see it through the aft torpedo opening.
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            The replacement part came in and I got the shaft support, shaft tube, shaft installed. I used the D&E propellor for distance when I was adjusting it.
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            I CA'd the shaft tube and propellor support inside the hull. Now I will keep filling around the outside.
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            Got a moment? Lets talk about props. Here is a selection of props for the Gato. The plastic kit one measuring 32 mm, a brass prop that I got when I purchased a gentleman’s wtc and assorted pieces measuring 31.5 mm (looks like they just cast the model’s prop), a D&E white metal prop measuring just a hair short of 35mm looks like it is 34.9 mm, and finally a Raboesch prop (purchased from Caswell Inc.) measuring about 35 mm maybe the same as D&E. So which one is more scale like or does scale really matter here? Does the larger blade on the prop help performance? What are your thoughts?
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            Of these only the Raboesch propellors are threaded. Should I drill these out (if these are the ones you recommend) and mount them on the shaft?
            Last edited by trout; 07-28-2012, 01:20 AM.
            If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

            Comment

            • trout
              Admiral
              • Jul 2011
              • 3545

              #36
              No help on the propellor?


              welded the bow and stern onto the hull. Exciting to see her come together! I am a proud owner of a WTC from D&E. So, I was able to remove the cross braces moving my total weight off the top to 179.6 g or 6.3352 oz! and get it to drop in. Where do I know to place it in the sub? Is there a distance or measurement for placement?
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              Moving back to deck construction, now that I knew what cross members I would not have, I place the deck on the hull and checked fit. It did not bow down and held its shape. I still will add a reinforcement of some type - working on ideas for that.
              So time to add the front vent plates. Before I could glue them, I needed to remove the forward portion of the pin receptacles. I want to be able to slide the deck forward and have several areas engage to hold the deck down. So I drilled, cut, shaped, trimmed, and tested the cutouts to the corresponding pins until with a small amount of resistance it slid in.
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              A closer look
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              Now is the time to use cohesive on the part to commit my idea.
              I had to be creative here to get the fit I wanted. So using toothpicks as little leverages, I adjusted the fit of the side to the deck. Some toothpicks were placed to move the top of the vent outward.
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              and others were to lift the piece just enough.
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              Now came the test to see if it would work. My first couple of tugs the deck did not slide. GRRRRR! I took a deep breath and rather than rip it apart, I gently tried again....it came apart just the way it was supposed to! After a brief dance around the room (definitely no photos of that), I went ahead and added some side reinforcement.
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              Reattached the top to make sure it works the way it should and it did again. There is a click when it engages. Not sure if I need to open the sides a little more or leave it and give it time to either grow on me or push me to fix.
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              I am pleased with the results. There is a gap at the bow, but I can fill that and narrow the space.
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              Now to mounting the wtc and dive controls and propellor.
              Last edited by trout; 07-28-2012, 01:22 AM.
              If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

              Comment

              • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                Moderator
                • Aug 2008
                • 12256

                #37
                The longitudinal position of the SD within the hull is driven by the length of the dog-bone and brass couplers at either end of the dog-bones.

                From a thrust bearing forward face (there are two thrust washers, a port and starboard unit): there is a thin stainless-steel thrust washer, then a Dumas brass coupler, then the dog-bone, and the coupler made up to the SD motor output shaft. Simple.

                David,
                Who is John Galt?

                Comment

                • trout
                  Admiral
                  • Jul 2011
                  • 3545

                  #38
                  David,

                  Since I am the one that will cut the length of the dog-bone coupler, there is some room to go longer or shorter. The one thing I did not think about was the pin for the wtc. That goes on the forward face of the bulkhead. That would set my distance, correct? and any help on the raboesch props? how would you install them? thank you.
                  Peace,
                  Tom
                  If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                  Comment

                  • trout
                    Admiral
                    • Jul 2011
                    • 3545

                    #39
                    Got the prop answer on another thread - 1/8 shafts = 1/8 UNC Screw thread. ( taper nr 5 -40). Remember my prior post on never tabled a thread before? How do I get threads put on the end of the SS shaft? Do I buy a die?
                    If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                    Comment

                    • He Who Shall Not Be Named
                      Moderator
                      • Aug 2008
                      • 12256

                      #40
                      Make your dog-bones about three-inches in length. That will result in a moderate off-set angle between SD and GATO shafts. I don't care where you put the indexing pin in the hull, just so it matches up with a corresponding hole in the ballast tank section of the SD. You may have to trim some resin off the sides of the forward bulkhead to keep it from hitting the sides of the hull.

                      Yeah, spring for a die.

                      David,
                      Who is John Galt?

                      Comment

                      • trout
                        Admiral
                        • Jul 2011
                        • 3545

                        #41
                        Thank you, will do!
                        If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                        Comment

                        • trout
                          Admiral
                          • Jul 2011
                          • 3545

                          #42
                          just had a thought..... Is there a left and a right twist on the raboesch props to correspond to the right and left hand prop? or are they both the same?
                          If so do I have to buy 2 die or is that ability built into the one die?
                          If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                          Comment

                          • trout
                            Admiral
                            • Jul 2011
                            • 3545

                            #43
                            The props have me a little confused. I must be really slow minded or I am over thinking it. Especially the left and right thread in the Raboesch props. As I see it, I put threads at the end of the shaft (what 3/8" or so of thread?) then the one prop it will be fine, the other will be cross threaded??? - but I will move forward and cross this once I get my die.

                            The deck at the bow had an ever so slight lift to it. I went ahead and added the clip from the D&E fittings package. To do this I marked where it needs to go measuring from my cross members forward edge. Then transferred that distance to my deck underside. Used the clip to see what areas I needed to sand for a base. I roughed up the under side of the deck and the bottom of the clip and used thicker CA. Aligned it and in moments it was set. I was going to use both clips, but the back one would hit my plane control system.
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                            Then came testing time. It really helped secure the bow and take away the little lift that was going on.
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                            Looking at the wtc, I notice that with the way I have it set up, it does cause a bit of a problem using the pin because I cannot lift it straight up and out for the most part. I have to lift it up and slide the tube either forward or aft depending on where I place this unit. Well that will be a discussion later, right now I am going to shape the forward end of the wtc cap. I marked where the cap touched the hull.
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                            Then beveled the edge. The little bit of shaping I did, to account for the curve of the hull, made a big difference in distance or range of travel forward. There are two vertical lines the one to the left is without doing any shaping. The line on the right is from placing a bevel around the edge. The lip is about 1/8" and I trimmed it down to 1/16" or half way and tapered towards the center of the cap about 3/32" to 1/8" depending on where the hull contacted the end cap the most.
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                            I might be able to squeeze even more forward range if I get extra aggressive on the taper. I will wait on doing that after my drive shafts are in and see how much room I need. There is something really incredible just seeing the wtc in the hull.
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                            Last edited by trout; 07-28-2012, 01:18 AM. Reason: Forgot to add picture.
                            If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                            Comment

                            • trout
                              Admiral
                              • Jul 2011
                              • 3545

                              #44
                              There are a lot of things I can be doing right now, but I am just pondering the next steps. One is assessing the things I need to get to test my sub. I found my old 6Ch. Futaba that I converted to a ground frequency late 80's or very early 90's.
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                              My other Futaba is a 4Ch non surface frequency and that would be $50 to convert plus batteries and who knows what else, For what I put into it I might as well buy the wfly or save my money and work to that. However my 6Ch does not need converting, I just need to get power to test it. Does the MicroVIPER Marine10 ESC have a BEC to power the receiver? if so I will not buy a new pack for the RX and all I am left with is finding a replacement for TX unit and test it out. So my next purchase will be an ESC (especially if it has a BEC), LiPo for the WTC, NiCad for the TX, SNORT, and 4 servos (bow planes, Stern planes, retract system, and rudder). That is the minimum with an ADR to be purchased by the time I get to sea trials, but for ballast and trim I just need it to surface, dive, and the all too important surface again. What are your thoughts on this 6Ch Futaba for Submarines?
                              Last edited by trout; 11-03-2011, 12:08 PM. Reason: clarification
                              If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                              Comment

                              • trout
                                Admiral
                                • Jul 2011
                                • 3545

                                #45
                                I need help, of all things, batteries.....
                                I am replacing the batteries on my Futaba, The RX pack has 4 1.2V 500mAh NiCads, The important part is keeping the voltage at 4.8V correct? and the higher milliamps means longer runs correct?
                                If you can cut, drill, saw, hit things and swear a lot, you're well on the way to building a working model sub.

                                Comment

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