Ray Mason Nautilus Build

[Davjacva]

This is some of the stern, drivetrain, and pitch control work. It all works together very well, and Dave's design and construction lends itself also to it all being easily maintained. He had some after-action reservations about the drive linkage, but I explained how the it all met two passing criteria (not within a harmonic frequency band and good distribution of rotational force) as well as keeping the stern-end a solid structure. Kind of perplexes me why sub guys don't use sealed bearings, flanged of otherwise. Oilites may surfice are you operate in a wet environment, so there's probably little wear, but there is noise produced. Some of the gearboxes are funny too. Dave draws a lot of things out to get it into his head exactly what the mechanic layout is going to be. A lot of issues work themselves out here. Not all but it cuts away a lot of the chaff of designed a mouse trap that's been kind of built before, but maybe going into a larger hull (or smaller) where physical issues due to size and other variables may and will arise. Nowadays engineers use CAD programs when communicating new design, old school was paper and pencil. On Virginia Class, I designed many hydraulic jumper manifolds/ assemblies costing a few hundred smackers a piece with doing this, so they could be researched for parts, manufactured and used during construction. These RC subs intrigue us, because they are engineering mental puzzles on a few different levels.

[Davjacva]

Playing catchup with a lot of photos just downloaded. First are the casting and tooling of the planes in Alumalite.

[Davjacva]

This last week was spent creating the saddles for the WTC, fixing and emplacing the screw shaft/gimble in the stern tube (photos to follow) and stiffening up the rear mounting tabs for the upper hull. This was new to me using JB Weld with micro-balloons as a thickening agent. It turned the solution into a very thick tar-like medium which was then placed against both sides of each saddle. This was to prevent the low-viscous nature of the JB Weld from oozing out of place. Worked great. Also used JB Weld with fiberglass to reinforce the mounting tabs at the rear of the hull. I've used a lot of mediums with fiberglass, but this was a first with JB Weld. Merriman assured me both methods would work...and who am I to second-guess that!! Anyway enjoy.

[Davjacva]

It's long-gone to recycling. That crap was as restorative as getting a carrion-rotted corpse to tap-dance. I put lacquer thinner in it and it just stayed like tar for three days. Okay, so next time (in 20 years) I'll bring the next one over and you can do your Diver-Dave Voodoo on it :) Hell, it'll probably be easier than that ant-infested hull from the Abyss movie you had out back that Brian's trying to bring back I guess. There was half a forest growing in it and I asked Ellie what the hell was that, and she said 'Its the thing from the movie.'

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Out with the old and in with the new. My 20-year old kit of automotive primer (Dupont 131s) finally gave me the family friendly middle finger and went to ghost...so I got to spend money on a new kit. Great stuff. I used it the next day.

If you have not yet tossed that 131s, bring over here, I will breath life into it... I AM ALL POWERFULL!!!!!

David

[Davjacva]

Today had worked on tightening up the upper hull cut aft by the rudder. I was about 1/16", and got it down to where it would pass the wax paper I was using as a feeler gauge. I filled the gap with baking soda and CA and filed it to fit. Took a few hours, but got it pretty tight. Now just need to re-detail the area. The photo where you see the sub stand you can really see the previous gap.

[Davjacva]

Merriman proposed to me an idea of making the planes in the rakers operable and the idea was sound, as it will affect depth changes but not angle. Kind of like only using your sail planes at slow speed. Its a viable theory...let's see. Anyway, I cut the existing ones out and made new ones with detail added. Popped them over to Dave's today and they'll be cast sometime this week. Coated the foam with Nitrostan, did the rivets with JB Weld, then after that dries, more Nitrostan for texturing and that's that.

[Davjacva]

Somehow these didn't load for the last post.

[Davjacva]

I'm playing catch-up as I didn't have access for the last while or so, anyway, this is the continuation of recreating hull detail and then primering over it all with the express purpose of revealing flaws for...more body work!!! Luckily there wasn't much, just some minor casting bubbles. I also corrected a lot of mismatched seams like on the bottom of the hull and along the salon window area noticeably, crap-ton of other seams you'll never notice. Enjoy.

[Davjacva]

Out with the old and in with the new. My 20-year old kit of automotive primer (Dupont 131s) finally gave me the family friendly middle finger and went to ghost...so I got to spend money on a new kit. Great stuff. I used it the next day.

[Davjacva]

This is what the bow looked like before.

[Davjacva]

Yes!!! More bodywork!! Here is seam filling, correcting seams, filling holes, and finally finished the bow hull cut detail. Filled, created new rivets with JB Weld, textured with Nitrostan, primered, then had to go back and clean the area up. Now ready for primer. Luckily, it's getting down to final detailing, so I should just be having a rivet making/ texturing party next week. Getting ready for some pieces/ parts installation.

[Davjacva]

Making a mess.

[Davjacva]

Latest work: planes, rivet replication, recreating detail lost through sanding.

[Davjacva]

Forgot, the last photo above, there were some raker teeth missing and I asked Dave if he could make me some. I waved a wand, and there they are, made out of Alumalite.