1:72 Los Angeles

[spankey]

Thanks David, those things are all correct.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

We rejoin our normal programming ... now in progress.

David

[spankey]

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...


I'm working on the tailshaft again. This time, I'm adjusting the size of the Dumas brass shaft coupler by drilling the center of it out, and necking the shaft down so that the two will fit together reasonably tightly.

Not easily visible is a flat section of the shaft that I filed down so that the setscrew in the Dumas coupler will have a flat surface to seat against.

Also, you can see that I added a stainless steel washer between the tailshaft and the Dumas coupler. The reason for this is so that when I throw the boat into a crash astern, the tailshaft actually has something to 'pull' against, so that it doesnt go spinning out of the back of the boat. It will be pushing against the brass/bronze oilite bearing that is visible in the clear plexiglass. These items have not yet been secured into the stern of the boat, but that should happen later tonight.

[spankey]

Next batch. You should be able to see the initial supergluing of the 'thrust bulkhead' to the lower hull.
Also, you can see the masking of the lower hull before I filled it with resin and glasscloth.

Next batch shows some of the scribing I did tonight, and a portion of clay that is being used to model the towed array storage tube/area. I made a dam around the curved portion of the clay that you can see, then filled the area with evercoat 'bondo' and on top of the bondo is fiberglass resin.

...I should add, that this block will become a sanding block so that when I use bondo to make the towed array storage tube, I can accurately sand it and shape it. Unfortunately this was not modeled into the fiberglass hull I purchased.

I borrowed the idea of the sanding block built around the clay (with the clay as the curvature of the towed array tube as a variation) from Mr. Joel Stadnick. Thanks!

[spankey]

Here is another set. I am working on the towed array storage fairing still. Used cheerio cardboard box cuttings superglued to the hull to model the shape of the fairing. Kind of a bother to sand it all, cause the bondo filled the trough flat, even though I was in there with a putty knife trying to contour it, so I used a dremel to speed up the process. Still filling little things here and there on it, but it is actually starting to resemble a towed array fairing now.

Too bad this wasn't molded into the hull...


Daniel-

[spankey]

I should have a few more pics up tonight of a semi-finished towed array fairing. What a pain in the neck to build up... Thats been keeping me for the better part of two weeks now.

I do have a few questions though...

For LA class boats, what color represents the most accurate color of anti-fouling red paint for the lower half of the hull? The upper hull I assume could be a fairly generic flat black..?
Confession: As you've seen, I'm not a real master with first-time scribing (but I'm learning). I'm also not a Pro when it comes to detailing stuff....Just not my specialty. My goal is to have a boat that looks like a boat would have looked like BEFORE it went to sea, and got too soiled by saltwater and gull poop.

I saw the advice on the Oscar thread about a flat clearcoat. Maybe that answers my final paint-coat questions.

...So bear with me as you will probably see this thing get abused, then stripped, and repainted a couple times while I try to get this right.

The next question is fairly specific....Mr Merriman, do you think that a substitution could be made on an order of one of your 3.5" Subdrivers to employ the "twin motor-to-single shaft" end cap?

Thanks all, More pictures should follow tonight!!!

[jlday1256]

I am in the same quandary. Images I see, with anechoic tiles, it is slightly more shiny than flat but less than gloss. I am trying a satin black, using flat black for the nose and anti skid area. I still may eventually go with sea goop and poop.

[spankey]

So I'm late, but better late than never...

Photos of the towed sonar array fairing. Having to build up the fairing was a pain, just to ensure that there were no irregularities in the shape of the fairing down the hull. I was also filling the cracks in the edges of the fairing. Still working on the shape of that.

Also included are a couple shots of the local rat.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I should have a few more pics up tonight of a semi-finished towed array fairing. What a pain in the neck to build up... Thats been keeping me for the better part of two weeks now.

I do have a few questions though...

For LA class boats, what color represents the most accurate color of anti-fouling red paint for the lower half of the hull? The upper hull I assume could be a fairly generic flat black..?
Confession: As you've seen, I'm not a real master with first-time scribing (but I'm learning). I'm also not a Pro when it comes to detailing stuff....Just not my specialty. My goal is to have a boat that looks like a boat would have looked like BEFORE it went to sea, and got too soiled by saltwater and gull poop.

I saw the advice on the Oscar thread about a flat clearcoat. Maybe that answers my final paint-coat questions.

...So bear with me as you will probably see this thing get abused, then stripped, and repainted a couple times while I try to get this right.

The next question is fairly specific....Mr Merriman, do you think that a substitution could be made on an order of one of your 3.5" Subdrivers to employ the "twin motor-to-single shaft" end cap?

Thanks all, More pictures should follow tonight!!!

Mr. Caswell is re-working the catalog and he's waiting for me to submit photos and ad-copy about the current versions of the 3.5" SubDriver's. So, stand-by for the official announcement.

There are three types, each offered as a semi-kit. One with a single-motor, single-shaft motor bulkhead; the second with a two-motor, two-shaft motor bulkhead; and a third with two-motor, single-shaft motor bulkhead.

Semi-kit, yes, but the following items are provided assembled and tested: motor bulkhead, and installed after ballast bulkhead. The configuration of all three versions of the 3.5 SD is for a three compartment system (after dry space, ballast tank, and a forward dry space). However, the forward ballast bulkhead is not installed -- it's left to the customer to determin the size of his ballast tank, drill the holes for the forward ballast bulkhead and to install it to suit his requirements. Of course, if the customer wants to employ an off-cylinder battery, he can construct the cylinder without the forward dry space. I've configured the 3.5 SD semi-kits to give the customer options.

The below shots are of an assembled single-motor, single-shaft motor bulkhead 3.5 SD and an un-equipped motor bulkhead below it.

David

[spankey]

Ahh the most exciting news of the build so far!!! Thank you!

I'll look forward to seeing those up in the catalog, and I'll (hopefully) be first in line to be throwing my money at you for one!

Perchance, does anyone know the outer diameter of the 3.5" subdrivers? I'll be working on building mounting bulkheads for this gem, so its ready when I get it.

Excellent news!!!

Daniel-

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

3.5"

DUH!

David

[spankey]

Who asked that? What kind of a question was that?....thats why they call it a THREE-POINT-FIVE!!


-thanks, I was thinking that was the ID.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Who asked that? What kind of a question was that?....thats why they call it a THREE-POINT-FIVE!!


-thanks, I was thinking that was the ID.

LOL.

Yeah, the number denotes outside diameter.

David,

[spankey]

I needed to get some shots of this boat as it is supposed to look, as I was giving them to my granddad...who got me interested in submarines to begin with. Here are a couple with the boat in flat black on the top of the hull, and a (shinier than wanted) red for the anti-fouling on the bottom of the hull. This paint job is going to be finished at a later time, I just needed to get some photos for show and tell.

Next thing will be the screw mount for the rear of the Z-cut. This is always tricky, since I dont want the mount to break off the bottom half of the hull, and also need to get the nut for the mouting solidly attached so it doesnt spin. Easier said than done...I've had trouble with this in the past.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Finish it!