atic: 1:35 Bronco XXIII with interior

[DrSchmidt]

I've started building the bow section of my XXIII. Below the torpedo room was the big battery compartment and a small storage space right at the front below the torpedo tubes. I printed everything in three sections with the batteries for section one. Now waiting for new resin...

[DrSchmidt]

MY pleasure....and btw.: the new model isn't perfect either ;-)

[rwtdiver]

First of all: thanks for all the compliments.

How did I get my skills...well, I've always been fascinated with technology, in particular with space ships and submarines, since I was a kid. I started doing technical drawings when I was 8 or 9 (pencil on paper) just because I loved doing my own designs and it was a way of getting a better understanding of how things work together. I used books as reference and read and watched everything I could get my hands on about space ships and subs. I also started making models at a very young age. My dad introduced me to plastic kits and RC models, both ships and planes, and he showed me how to solder. With the exception of a 7-8 year brake (when I was writing my Phd theses and during my two years stay in the US) I kept building models. My CAD skills developed during my University jobs. I was building vacuum equipment and did my own designs. So I thought myself 2D CAD and later 3D CAD. As I did my own designs and hat to build them, I also learned allot about machining parts and finding the right accessories. My skills with respect to making molds for grp stem from my time in a RC plane team. They were building cutting edge RC planes from glass and carbon fiber, used 3D mills and also early stages of 3D printing. The master behind all these technologies became something like my teacher. I was 16 or 17 and I was allowed to watch and help making masters and molds and my own planes. I think one thing that always helped me is the attitude that if someone else can do it, I can do it too. I've just to learn how. Not accepting limits.....that helps allot.

The other thing is to seek perfection, not being pleased with what you've achieved but thinking, that you could have done better if you would have gone the longer way. With the designs and models it has been a step by step thing. Every model is better than the previous one. You include a new technique (PE parts, 3D printed parts, LED, weathering, CAM milled masters.....) to make it better. You learn and you improve. You get inspired by people who are better than you (e.g. Mr. Merriman) and then you thinks: Hell, I can do that, too. You try, you learn, you get better. Staying fascinated with the topic, seeking perfection, never being satisfied with the own set of skills, loving to learn new stuff.

And with the respect to patience.....well, my job takes allot of time. So I usually limited to less than an hour per day for actually working on models. But I can always squeeze some research or designing in between. So it's a kind of enforced patience, nit a chosen one ;-)

So in short: Being passionate about what you do, being eager to learn new stuff, always trying to get better from where you are, never being too satisfied.

Thank you, Andreas,

You are such an inspiration! Wonderful words to live by! I do appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question!

Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"

[DrSchmidt]

First of all: thanks for all the compliments.

How did I get my skills...well, I've always been fascinated with technology, in particular with space ships and submarines, since I was a kid. I started doing technical drawings when I was 8 or 9 (pencil on paper) just because I loved doing my own designs and it was a way of getting a better understanding of how things work together. I used books as reference and read and watched everything I could get my hands on about space ships and subs. I also started making models at a very young age. My dad introduced me to plastic kits and RC models, both ships and planes, and he showed me how to solder. With the exception of a 7-8 year brake (when I was writing my Phd theses and during my two years stay in the US) I kept building models. My CAD skills developed during my University jobs. I was building vacuum equipment and did my own designs. So I thought myself 2D CAD and later 3D CAD. As I did my own designs and hat to build them, I also learned allot about machining parts and finding the right accessories. My skills with respect to making molds for grp stem from my time in a RC plane team. They were building cutting edge RC planes from glass and carbon fiber, used 3D mills and also early stages of 3D printing. The master behind all these technologies became something like my teacher. I was 16 or 17 and I was allowed to watch and help making masters and molds and my own planes. I think one thing that always helped me is the attitude that if someone else can do it, I can do it too. I've just to learn how. Not accepting limits.....that helps allot.

The other thing is to seek perfection, not being pleased with what you've achieved but thinking, that you could have done better if you would have gone the longer way. With the designs and models it has been a step by step thing. Every model is better than the previous one. You include a new technique (PE parts, 3D printed parts, LED, weathering, CAM milled masters.....) to make it better. You learn and you improve. You get inspired by people who are better than you (e.g. Mr. Merriman) and then you thinks: Hell, I can do that, too. You try, you learn, you get better. Staying fascinated with the topic, seeking perfection, never being satisfied with the own set of skills, loving to learn new stuff.

And with the respect to patience.....well, my job takes allot of time. So I usually limited to less than an hour per day for actually working on models. But I can always squeeze some research or designing in between. So it's a kind of enforced patience, nit a chosen one ;-)

So in short: Being passionate about what you do, being eager to learn new stuff, always trying to get better from where you are, never being too satisfied.

[rwtdiver]

Andreas,

What is your secret to your skills? How does one acquire such patience to do this quality of workmanship? I wish I could pick YOUR brain and I might add, others on this forum as to how you have acquired these skills. It has to be some sort of born in talent along with untold and unheard of patience. I have the skills to do this type of creativity, but my work and accomplishments with Rc submarine building does not even come close to your work or some others on this forum!

Sorry for the rant here! Might be my age (pushing 80) has something to do with it, and I may never be able to acquire the building capabilities that you have, and that of others on this forum have!

It's frustration for me to see such quality and expertise in workmanship like this! I do envy all of you!

Rob
"Firemen can stand the heat"

[Monahan Steam Models]

Wow, the build is looking so good!

[DrSchmidt]

Well, the control room is done. The ladder has benn installed as well as the periscope winch and the steering column for the aft dive planes. Some touch ups and then I can start to think about the bow torpedo room...

[DrSchmidt]

Continuing with the control room. The steering wheel for the rudder is attached. Obe can see that it partially blocks the hatch to the torpedo room. That was a narrow boat...



I also installed the steering column for the bow planes and the bilge pump.

[redboat219]

Love the pics. Thanks

[DrSchmidt]

I've installed the wells for snorkel and periscope. After that the snorkel drive followed. The snorkel was driven by a pneumatic motor. Extension and lowering of the snorkel was controlled by a reversible gear. Via a 90° angel gear the the rotation was led outside the pressure hull to the gear drive of the snorkel. For manual operation there was a chain drive that I modeled after some very rudimentary sketches.

[redboat219]

Too bad.
Anyway, can you get a shot of the control room through the hatch?

[DrSchmidt]

No, the hatch to the engine room is off centered to starboard because of the snorkel and the periscope wells that are still missing in my build. The boroscope walk through would be hard anyway, because as soon as the steering wheel of the rudder is attached, the hatch to the torpedo room will be partially blocked. People hat to snake through the boat....

[redboat219]

Are all the hatches from bow to stern lined up straight?

[Monahan Steam Models]

How interesting it would be if you could get one of those "borescope" cameras you can attach to your smartphone and do a "walking tour" inside your finished model starting from the engine room to the torpedo room.

https://youtu.be/rq__Lz1uf7w

I was thinking the same thing the other day

[redboat219]