Maintenance on my TypeVII

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  • MFR1964
    Detail Nut of the First Order
    • Sep 2010
    • 1290

    Maintenance on my TypeVII

    Decide to make a separate topic about my type VII instead on the video topic, batteries are done, testing revealed optimum state, next step is about the torpedo tubes, pictures

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    Checking the battery status by pushing on the testbuttons, this can be done without putting the boat under power.

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    Placed back the balance cart with ESC, and fastened the charging panel, that board between the ESC and the panel is a channelswitch for controlling the lights on the boat.

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    This is the front torpedo-nest and the winch for the anker, had to free up the triggers of the tubes.

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    Those are the triggers, kept down by a little spring, had to free them up due to corrosion, pretty easy job, move them several times by firing the tubes several times untill they latch by using my loading rod.

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    Doing this at the uppertubes is a easy job because you van reach the trigger, found out that my mentor drilled some holes in the uppertubes to give access to the triggers at the lower tubes, this revealed to me that my mentor had the same problem in the past, did the same procedure with the lower tubes as with the upper tubes.

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    Reartube has the same triggermechanism and a trapdoor to keep the torpedo inside, loosened up the trigger the same way as the fronttubes.

    Next part will be tricky, i have to remove the hatch near the bow and the one before that, to access the relais controlling the valves, one valve is not reacting, this one is used to blow the ballasttank, pretty important if you want to raise the boat.
    First i have to remove the mechanical layer obstructing the hatches, pictures and notebook ready, to be continued.

    Manfred.

    Last edited by MFR1964; 01-09-2022, 06:00 AM. Reason: Missing Pictures
    I went underground
  • Monahan Steam Models
    Captain
    • Apr 2020
    • 755

    #2
    Manfred,

    Some of your photos might not have posted. I’m seeing two currently. Looks like there may have been spaces for 3-4 more photos?

    This is an impressive boat. Looking forward to the maintenance progress to come.

    Nick

    Comment

    • MFR1964
      Detail Nut of the First Order
      • Sep 2010
      • 1290

      #3
      Nick,

      Yeah, she is one of a kind, the lifetime work of a very talented builder, so glad i bought her in the past with the intension to keep her alive as a tribute to my mentor, somebody had offered money to buy her from his daughter, i personally think that would be the end of the story with this boat, people don't have a clue how complex this boat is.
      Builded the same boat myself in the past, pretty much the same layout, this present boat was my example, still you have to be carefull when taking things apart, pictures and a note book are key.

      Manfred.

      I went underground

      Comment

      • Monahan Steam Models
        Captain
        • Apr 2020
        • 755

        #4
        Manfred,

        This boat clearly found the right home to be appreciated, understood and kept operational. I think you’re absolutely correct, that if anyone else would have ended up with your mentors boat, it probably would have been the end of this boat’s legacy. It is an impressive build with incredible technology and features built into it.

        Yes absolutely pictures and notes are key when working on systems as complex as the one you’re working on currently. I myself have to do the same with the smaller scale type VII I’m building currently. Even though I built parts of the ongoing project less than a year ago, I have forgotten how the heck I did what I had done. Lol

        Keep up the amazing work. Your builds are always an impressive and educational treat to follow.

        Nick

        Comment

        • MFR1964
          Detail Nut of the First Order
          • Sep 2010
          • 1290

          #5
          The mechanical layer is removed and the hatches are open for surgery, pictures

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          First un-do the O ring drives of both the antenna and the schnorkeldevice, the part with the antenna-lift can be raised as one part.

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          This sliding tooth track is used to raise and lower the bollards driven by a small gear to the antenna-lift, so, antenna up, bollards up and visa versa.

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          This contraption is used for moving the listening device on the dek and rotating the winch to load the torpedo through the deck, it is used when the boat is dressed up with the crew on deck.
          The rod in the middle is used for raising both the bollards and the anchor pole in front.

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          Removed the hatch and peeled out the cables, the receiver is visible, in the dark above the servo is the print which controls two valves, unfortunally not the one which i was after.

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          To the left multiswitch for the boat's gizmo's, the lower multiswitch is used for controlling the torpedotubes and the anchorwinch, the most right thing is a relay print with failsave prints for controlling the open/close action of the torpedohatches, in the past he used a multiprop system, i replaced it by this, this way i got time after time the right amount of action steering the hatches, no more issue's with lower voltage.

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          Removed the compressed air tank, which revealed the 4 missing batteries of the compressorpack, they will be replaced, those two geared motors are used for the antenna-lift/schnorkelmast, those valves in top of the picture are used for lowering and raising the boat, the middle one had a problem, sometimes it worked, sometimes not, i need this one for blowing the ballasttank.

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          Had to remove a third hatch, those roller-switches are connected to both the geared motors and the big/small valves for lowering the boat, the one at the tip of the pencil is replaced by a new one, the valve works now as intended.
          First i will document all the stuff inside before closing up in reverse.

          Manfred.
          I went underground

          Comment

          • Monahan Steam Models
            Captain
            • Apr 2020
            • 755

            #6
            This boat is absolutely amazing. The thought and engineering that has gone into is impressive. The fabrication work to create all the custom made components is a marvel by itself. Very nice!!!

            So it turned out to be the one roller switch that was malfunctioning intermittently causing the problem with the ballast system?

            Nick

            Comment

            • MFR1964
              Detail Nut of the First Order
              • Sep 2010
              • 1290

              #7
              Yeah, the switch did work and some times not, desoldered it and measured with the multimeter, this revealed a high resistance on the contacts about 10 ohms, the new one has 1 ohm resistance, much better, now the valve is getting the right amount of current to open up.
              Another mistery resolved, and some graphics,

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              Just a view to show how i have to work on the boat, don't have any intension of taking off the connections on the hatches, that will be looking for problems, i have work enough.

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              Snooping around revealed this small battery pack, tucked away beside the ballasttank, for me it resolved a mistery.

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              This switch controls the receiver it's a three position switch, never knew why putting the switch to the right gave me a reading on the led-meter on the loadingpanel, i suspected he tapped off from the main battery pack, now i know what is happening.
              Switch to the left means 6V 2,9 Ah pack is in use, middle position is everything off, right postion is 6V 750 mAh pack, he either used this for displaymodus or as back-up pack, it's recharched, you never know when it will be handy, batteries are better as lead.

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              Compared the airtubes/valves inside this boat with the diagram of my own builded one, they are identical, duh!!!, i builded mine with this one as example, this diagram is without the air-driven peroscopes connections, i'm pretty sure it is also the same, but checking is allways good.
              Now making diagrams of the components inside, new batteries are ordered for the compressorpack under the airtank.

              Some bonuspictures,

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              This one i builded myself, same scale, 'steel' deck instead of a wooden deck, different AA gun setting and different schnorkelhead type, inside pretty much the same technical layout.



              Manfred.
              Last edited by MFR1964; 01-13-2022, 03:13 PM.
              I went underground

              Comment

              • Monahan Steam Models
                Captain
                • Apr 2020
                • 755

                #8
                Manfred,

                Good call on not removing all the connections to the hatches. No need to create more work for yourself and potential issues. When you charge the boat, do you only need to remove the one cover over the charging panel? Looking good! Did your old type VII go to someone you know who can appreciate it and maintain it?

                Nick

                Comment

                • redboat219
                  Admiral
                  • Dec 2008
                  • 2735

                  #9
                  Manfred,
                  why the big and small vent valve arrangement?
                  Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

                  Comment

                  • MFR1964
                    Detail Nut of the First Order
                    • Sep 2010
                    • 1290

                    #10
                    Nick,

                    Charging is done with only that hatch open, the rest stays shut, when drivingseason is over i release all hatches, otherwise they will crack near the stuts and nuts.
                    As for my old type VII, i've sold her as a empty shell, all electronic/air stuff was removed, it will be placed inside the type XVII, i personally think she won't see water anymore, building such boats take years to get them running, it took me two years before the maidenvoyage took place, still had to build all the details on the outside.

                    Manfred.

                    I went underground

                    Comment

                    • MFR1964
                      Detail Nut of the First Order
                      • Sep 2010
                      • 1290

                      #11
                      Romel,

                      This is done to trim the boat, a big valve for bringing her down, a small valve just for trimming, used in conjunction with the torpedosystem, same story with two valves to bring her up, the small valve of bringing her up is connected to failsave/ wateralarm, it brings the boat slow up instead rising like a mad man.
                      If you want to rise quick, just use the big valve.

                      Manfred.
                      I went underground

                      Comment

                      • redboat219
                        Admiral
                        • Dec 2008
                        • 2735

                        #12
                        Originally posted by MFR1964
                        Romel,

                        This is done to trim the boat, a big valve for bringing her down, a small valve just for trimming, used in conjunction with the torpedosystem, same story with two valves to bring her up, the small valve of bringing her up is connected to failsave/ wateralarm, it brings the boat slow up instead rising like a mad man.
                        If you want to rise quick, just use the big valve.

                        Manfred.
                        That is cool.
                        Make it simple, make strong, make it work!

                        Comment

                        • MFR1964
                          Detail Nut of the First Order
                          • Sep 2010
                          • 1290

                          #13
                          Did some work on the type VII, batteries are delivered, got me a issue, and did some work on the anchor.

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                          Had some problems in the past with lowering the anchor, it was a pretty straight forward job to fix it, the guide wheel from nylon was stuck, loosened it up, hurrah!!! victory, guess not.

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                          It still would not lower each time, solution was, soldering a blob of solder on the tube which is inserted into the anchorbay, this blob is filed down for a straight edge, each time you use the anchor it will force the tube down when winching up, by making this obstruction from solder i created a step, prefenting that the tube will lower each time you use the anchor.

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                          This time it worked time after time, so that problem is also solved, now up to the issue.

                          Took the pack under the airtank out, measured some things, and bummer!!!, it's not the pack which i'm after, it's the pack for controlling the torpedo doors, i did see another pack with the front hatch removed, offcourse it's placed back and secured with nuts.
                          Have to remove it yet again, digg out the stuff and get to the pack at the bottom of the hull, worse case scenario, i have to take apart the steering of the scopes, the servo controlling those is on top of the pack.

                          Manfred.
                          I went underground

                          Comment

                          • Monahan Steam Models
                            Captain
                            • Apr 2020
                            • 755

                            #14
                            Manfred,

                            Okay so the scopes raise and lower, that’s just cool by itself. They even extend down into the main ballast tank, that’s even cooler. Now you’re saying they can be rotated also?!?! Geez, all the technology packed into this boat is impressive! I was already blown away with moveable bollards, guns, windlass, anchor and so on.

                            Two years just to get your original type VII into a running boat without doing all the other detail work is not a lot of time considering how complex that build was. The smaller scale type VII build that I have been working on is now going on over a year and I’m still not finished with all the mechanical systems part of that build and it is no where near as complex as either of your type VII’s. I enjoy the mechanical build side of things and I am in no hurry to rush the process.

                            Curious, was your type VII or your mentors type VII built to represent a specific boat? Very few boats had the combined features that each of these boats individually had. They appear to be mid to late war?

                            Enjoying your maintenance updates on this boat and really like seeing all the details about it. Looking forward to seeing your XVII build pick up where you last worked on it.

                            Nick

                            Comment

                            • MFR1964
                              Detail Nut of the First Order
                              • Sep 2010
                              • 1290

                              #15
                              Nick,

                              By steering the scopes, i ment up and down, rotating them at that scale is not worth the effort.
                              Two years building is only the technical chapter, detailing took some more years, i started with my type VII at 1988, maiden voyage in 1990, finished detailing in 2010, building off and on, each time getting her better with new info from the internet, taking the effort of breaking things down to rebuild it better.
                              My mentors boat is build after the U 995 a type VIIC/41 commisioned at 1943, those boats were welded instead of using rivits, which is laid on shore near the U boat memorial near to Kiel Germany, he won gold with this boat at a scale competition.
                              My boat was build as a boat of the 6th flottila U 758, schnorkel was added later on, had outside plumbing for the schnorkelmast, commisioned at 1942, that is why i made her with the steel deck, U995 was build later with a wooden deck, using less steel due to the war effort.

                              Manfred.
                              I went underground

                              Comment

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