Scratch Build Project 685 Plavnik K-278 Komsomolets NATO: Mike

[JHapprich]

Just : WOW!

[Davidh]

A Norwegian Scientific expedition have taken a submersible down to the Komsomolets to monitor radiation levels. They have posted this amazing film that shows some of the damage to the Submarine when it sank in April 1989. They have reported on the levels of radiation around the boat. I just wish they would show film of the entire boat from Bow to stern.

https://youtu.be/txGrg6UhuvA

David Hughes

[Peter W]

Jealous David, very jealous.

Peter

[Davidh]

Hello All,

Photos from the 2017 Gosford sub regatta. She had an encounter with HMS repulse.

Enjoy.


David H

[Davidh]

Thankyou Lads,

This model exhibition is about 80% model trains ,with some plastic Cars and model boats thrown in.My display is next to a shallow pool. I had to negotiate with the club that run their boats in the
pool because last year I caused ' damage.' Even though they were running over me. Anyway smoothed it over this year and run the boats again. Lots of kids saying 'Daddy/mummy look, a submarine'.

Always good fun

David H

[trout]

David,
Good for you, getting out there and promoting r/c submarines!
i agree with Peter, beautiful models indeed.

[Peter W]

They're beautiful models David. Shame it is so dark in there.

Peter

[Davidh]

Newcastle 'Our town model show' last weekend.

Mike and Borei

[Davidh]

Finally moved in to new house and has swimming pool. It's mid April and mid autumn but you wouldn't think so, still shorts weather
Have taken the opportunity to trim and balance the Komsomolets and unleash her in the pool Here are some pics....

[Davidh]

Hello all,


I have spent the last couple of months getting the Bow of resolution just right and then re tooling it. I then started producing a couple of kits as there was a model show coming up that I thought I would attend as an exhibitor.


The 'Our town hobby show" happens in Newcastle every year around August. I have been going for several years now and found it mildly interesting but frustrated that it is mostly trains, trains, trains and maybe the odd boat , did i mention trains? they've never had someone do subs before. There is usually a disply by Task force 72 and then there is the Newcastle Maritime modellers who have a shallow pool that they run some boats in. So I planned to have my stall next to them to show of my collection and advertise the two kits that I have on offer, Resolution and Mike. My stand was pretty much next to the pool so I could even stand at my display and run my boat from there.


The show runs over a weekend so set up was on friday afternoon. Saturday morning got busy. I ran the resolution and Mike a couple of times , up and down the side of the shallow pool about 200mm deep. So rubbing on the bottom at periscope depth. The commentary on the side of the pool was constant." look daddy a submarine", check out the submarine! does that thing dive? Can you make it sink? I did'nt know model subs existed." Plenty of conversation and many business cards taken but no sales of the kits.

Sunday was similar, Running the Mike and getting run over by King George V. Running the Resolution and getting run over by King George V. It was alot of fun. I tried to get in front of KGV because it was so big and it's thrust was significant, I often found I got blown sideways by the turbulence from this big WW2 battleship. There were some really tiny tugs pushing the bigger boats around. I should have surfaced under one of them and given it a taxi ride somewhere.


It's been two weeks now and although several people said they were very interested in my kits no one has bought anything. Plenty of train stuff bought but in the last two weeks not so much as an email from anyone. The response has been somewhat Underwhelming.


This has been the first real run of Mike and I think she looks really nice in the water.
Anyway..... Enjoy the pics.

David H

[Slats]

Nice one David... I agree mate, I despair at the world we have - a product of instantaneous gratification made all too easily through e-media technology. Parents should be the gatekeepers to kids activities, but how can they be when they themselves are so obsessed too with the same issues??. I refuse point blank in my house to have cabal TV, or any computer games. My kids pestering can be resisted and the substitutes I have given them technical lego, model construction, and fresh air activities is winning, but its a hell of a battle. Its harder for girls but I am impressed with my 11 year old daughters interest in model rail construction and interest in how things work. It just takes consistency and effort, and I am by no means perfect, but I acknowledge that my view is RARE!

Industrial arts "shop" teachers are treasures of the school system, and sadly the school system here in Australia simply doesn't get the value of it. If kids are given the ability to problem solve in areas of interest - the boundaries of what they can learn are endless. The applied application of problem solving in the workshop is directly transferable to many different vocations that have nothing to do with the labours of craftsmanship. The "shop" teaches applied math, expression, communication, and above all develops creative strategic thinking.

Jame's who's 8 helped layout the internals of my 3" subdriver last weekend. He spent three hours in the shop with me learning and experimenting with how it works. He wants his own model submarine and when David gets off his arse and finishes Albacore it will be so. At every stage in the shop he was getting lessons in math and spelling and deductive reasoning. The fact that this learning in his mind was "play time" is a bonus.

Back to your boat - better than anything I've done with subs, which is conversion and construction at best. You are a true builder - keep going you are improving all the time.

Best

John

[Davidh]

Hello all,

I took the Mike to school today. I have been making the odd attempt at trying to snare the next generation of model makers and give them some inspiration.

I told year eight after doing aeronautics in our mandatory technology class for the last 10 weeks that I would show them what else I build in my spare time. Took my mike class and put it into the room before class and had some year 10's follow me in asking questions. It was a good show and tell for about 10 minutes before the start of their classes. Most were amazed that you could make a sub RC and the inevitable question about camera's also came up. I don't know if anyone else has found this but I have never been asked 'what class of sub is it?'

So I showed year 8 and got some really good response. Tried to explain too them that there is more to Industrial Arts, Woodwork and metal work that just making pencil boxes and candlelabra.. I tried to impress upon them that you gotta love problem solving if you want to get into this caper and building them takes more than 5 minutes........

I was also told by a colleague that I should take the contract for the new subs and save the government some money. What I could do with 50 billion....


Dave H

[Davidh]

Hello All,

With the bottom mould created and the propeller in place the vents arranged, the upper mould could be created by pouring silicon into the PVC pipe that makes the outer part of the mould. when the mould was cured it was simply a case of pulling the mould from the top and then cleaning out the clay that created the pouring spout. Removing the two brass sprues and then extra brass rods out the sides for the air vents.

Once this was done and the overall mould cleaned and trimmed of excess silicon then a spray of Polyurethane release agent would them make the moulds ready for use. As mentioned I am in the process of getting hold of some vacuum equipment to rid the urethane mix of air bubbles. In the meantime I have to be careful how I go about a pour to minimise the amount of bubbles that form. We have had very humid and hot weather lately. Sydney gets very hot in January - February as summer finishes off however we have had very hot weather (over 30 degrees) up until about a week ago and it's march. We should be well and truly into autumn. Sydney also gets very humid and this plays havoc with polyurethane moulding. It starts bubbling up almost immediately. Don't cast polyurethane in humid conditions.

So I timed my casting weather to minimise my incidence of bubbling. After pouring and letting cure it became evident that I would need to increase the numbers of vent holes. the air bubbles were congregating along the top of the blades at the highest point on the moulds. So Drilling some extra holes along the top edge of the blades and certainly minimised the number of bubbles it has however created some little sprues that you need to cut out.

Once both the propeller parts are removed from the mould I can lightly sand them down and screw them onto a shaft. The slight flex in the urethane allows the blades to give a little as they but up against each other as you wind them together until a 45 degrees relationship is met.

David H

[Davidh]

Thankyou David,

Once again at it but at the tail end of this task. The two sets of four mould pieces have been created and the first moulded parts have come out.
As mentioned this propeller is a two piece proposition which means that four mould halves will be needed. These moulds are a first for me as I have never moulded a round mould shape and never created a mould with the pour vents in the middle of a mould and not split down a part line. This will be a little different. Also the propeller is probably the most complex shape that you could mould so 'I have intently looked at how HWSNBN does things and effectively copied it.

So I have taken a plywood board and drilled a hole in it to place the M4 metric thread that will be the prop shaft. Insert bolt up from underneath and into underside of the propeller hub. Screwed the propeller down onto bolt until tight against surface. It is key that at this stage the bolt sticks up a little so that the mould will take the bolt profile for later on as the bolt would eventually act as an insert. Once done I would take some modelling clay and place around underside of the blades. The clay is packed up underneath each blade as it angles upwards. The clay is then angled away and down at about a 45 degree angle so that It makes a triangular profile. I extended this triangular profile out form the blades to where it would connect with the PVC pipe that would create the boundary of the pour. I then placed little brass inserts along the ridge of the clay just touching the tip of the blades and heading out towards the perimeter. These tiny little brass rods would mould the channels for air vents out side ways and would split easily with the mould line.

Once the clay was moulded around the prop then I drilled register holes all around the rest of the flat base. I also placed a further piece of clay down to create a unique point of reference so that I can easily align up the two halves because they kind of look similar. After this all that remained was the pour and wait.

Once the first mould side is done then I wold need to look at developing the pouring vents. Having never made a prop mould before would take a little time working out the vent / pour arrangement. This intricate shape really would be a nightmare for air bubbles. The lower photos show the first half mould complete and the arrangement for the pouring vent and an air vent. I had to glue small brass tubes to either side of the back of the prop hub. At the top of these tubes I places some tapered clay. As the second mould is poured the silicon would rise up along the brass vents and around the tapered clay, when set these clay bulges would act as funnels allowing the fine dribble of polyurethane to easily flow into the mould.

David H

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Not a bad looking propeller there, Dave. You're learning. If you stick with this Craft you'll eventually accumulate the tools needed to match your ever growing talents. Keep at it. You are tenacious!

M