GATO! (It has begun)

[Albion]

Was in Wenzhou last week, our China licensee quality has slipped :( , they had japanese guy overseeing them until recently, guess what, as soon as his back was out of the country!!!!!

Running with scissors!, Why dont schools include that race for sports day, would sure educate a few kids

[herrmill]

ROFLMAO in a masochistic way!!! You mention holiday issues.. its been a full 6 weeks since the factories have officially reopened from Spring Festival holiday & we're still dealing with quality f&%$ups from the new &/or disgruntled staff who had to come back to their dull lifeless positions on the assembly line or workstation.

That said we do have some decent tool factories in the neighborhood since the area around Hangzhou is known for tools. One of Bosche's larger factories is just a few km to the west of me & I know of a few of their German & US-based engineers who fly in occasionally for a few weeks to oversee QC &/or product development. Snap-On's China facility is 9km the south. Too many others to mention within half an hour of here.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Can't speak for everyone, but I'm partial to a stout storage-transportation box banged together from exterior grade 1/8" thick plywood with 1/2" square bracing. Foam sheet is employed as a custom fit soft cradle within the box that holds the model centered within the box.

I've had a 1/96 AKULA, in its box, roll off the end of a moving van and not suffer any damage to the model. To date I have nearly thirty boxed models sitting around the house.

Matt: you asked the right question. It's important to have such a box to protect your investment of time, talent, and money.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26855[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26856[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26857[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26858[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26859[/ATTACH]

Shown above is a little 1/144 Trumpeter KILO (you watching, Romel???) and its custom sized storage-transportation box. Next is Ellie showing how we first give from to the supporting foam then glue it to the upper box lid. And next to that I'm showing off a 1/72 SKIPJACK and its box. Note how the foam is glued to the bottom of the box lid -- when the lid is in place the model is safely cradled between the conformal foam pieces at the bottom, sides, and top of the box.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26848[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26849[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26850[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26851[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26852[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26853[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]26854[/ATTACH]

Box construction is straightforward: crosscutting, ripping, nailing, gluing, band-aids, and some bad words. If I have to explain how to bang a wooden box together for you, then you, pal, are in the wrong game!

M

Thought I would add to the box-building portion of this thread with a little insight into the tools I use to make boxes and other large wooden items:

Specifically, what you have to do to keep those tools working. Most of the tools today come from China. Like it or not, your lathe, milling machine, band-saw, power hand-tools, and the like have been assembled by some young Chinese gal fresh off the rice paddies; working in a plant doing one crummy thing, all day, on an assembly line, Supervised by some ya-who who may, or may not, give a **** about his job.

OK, there's the prolog on the tools you're using. Will it break in use. HELL YES! Only variable is ... WHEN!???



My new fangled cordless Chicago Electric circular-saw (haw! This thing is made in China, who the hell do you think you're fooling, Harbor Freight!) lasted about three-minutes before its power-switch fried. Had to replace it. I was able to yank the bad switch and replace it with a toggle-switch which took the position on the handle formally taken up by the useless laser-beam switch. The 18-volt circular saw does not pass much current, so a 10-Ampere capable switch is enough.

I now have a cheap, rechargable, little circular-saw that works and would fail every safety examination you can think of: The switch is not of the dead-man style; I've removed the spring-loaded blade guard; and I run with scissors. So, I turned a Harbor Freight POS cordless circular-saw into a useful tool without all the gadgets that otherwise would make it a hand-full to operate.



My band-saw lasted about three-years before its power switch crapped out. And it is the switches on these things that typically go sour, so be prepared to replace them with a proper switch rated for at least 15 Ampere's @ 120-volts. You can get these from Radio Shack or Lowe's. Look at the switch on the band-saw -- it came with a slide-switch, you can see that that has been swapped out with a toggle-switch.

Hey, don't get me wrong -- all my big machine-tools are Chinese. I've just grown acustomed to the fact that their power switches will fail sooner or later. Other than that (and my big milling machine is in mind when I say this), the Chinese machines are well designed and robust -- the problem is with the site of assembly: Did that gal on the assembly line just get back from holiday? was she ****ed off at her boy-friend? or was it a Monday when she slapped your machine tool together? QA is a problem over there. Oh, well. No one in America seems to be making this stuff any more. What's a guy to do?

M

[alad61]

keep as much weight and down low as near to the cog as possable. you could also weigh the conning tower and then add that weight to the ballast. It helps with the list that can happen as the boat rises when you blow your ballast. As normal keep the foam on the waterline. I found that with mine I needed to add some foam under the deck aft of the ballast tank to get a level submerged trim. Another thing you could try is balancing your sub driver. The Gato is a real pita to trim but once you have it's a beautiful site running on the surface and as she slips down for a submerged run and the same when tio bogiesw ballast and she broached to surface trim.

[matthewnimmo]

Get this:

http://www.sub-driver.com/accessories/ballast-weights-foam-kits/gato-ballast-weights.html

M

I do have that lol, but from looking at others postings i see that its not that simple:). Maybe mine will be the lucky one that requires little trim lol? Im hoping this weekend ill get it wet for the first time and start this trimming process. Ive got some coll pics to share!:)

[trout]

I would add that with patience.....it will get there. I had to walk away a couple of times while building just because it got very frustrating.

[Albion]

I share your pain, I'm going through the same with M1. I had previously got it trimmed surface and submerged without any power in the sub driver. I'm now letting it vent tanks itself and blow tanks. I'm getting all sorts of crap between the two, more foam and lead needed to stabilise

[trout]

Sadly, it is not that easy to trim, at least what I have experienced, with the Gato. The issue will be when it comes up from submerged there is a noticeable list that will happen. To overcome, more weight will be needed, then to compensate more foam. And the cycle continues. That being said, get the submerged trim correct by adding the foam just above the waterline (not under the deck - like I did - knowing what I know now) or just below the waterline depending if it is needed for submerged or surface trim. I began to add foam just above the waterline to offer resistance immediately if it begins the list. Does this make sense?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Get this:

http://www.sub-driver.com/accessories/ballast-weights-foam-kits/gato-ballast-weights.html

M

[matthewnimmo]

I have many pictures and steps to share, but everytime im ready to sit down in front of the computer it is nearly midnight and sleep is calling!

with that said, progress must continue. What are some pointers that i should be aware of for finding that balance in buoency? Im guessing i dont wan the sub to have so much negative that it sinks to the very bottom; but i need enough for it to be perfectly submerged and hover yes? Any other things that i need to know in this process?

[crazygary]

Hi, Matt!!

Check out Ebay!

Do a search for "wireless spy cameras", and be ready to have your mind blown!!
Some really cool stuff out there!

CG

[matthewnimmo]

That is freaking sweet! So i was browsing the subdriver site but didnt find this camera system. Is this version discontinued?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

http://support.caswellplating.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/151/49/up-periscope-instructions

[matthewnimmo]

Perhaps this is a silly question, but di any of you guys use an onboard live video cam with the subs or just the cams that record for later? What do you guys recommend?

[matthewnimmo]

Lol, yeah if you have to give me instructions on how to make a box then im in trouble! Thanks again, this reply is perfect!