One last detail item I put to the upper hull master was little indentations around the two escape trunk hatches -- these cheat-marks denote were little holes will be drilled into the eventual GRP hull to accept padeyes. These representing hard-points used by the McCain Rescue Bell hold down turnbuckles during a crew rescue operation.
Incidentally, the STURGEON class boats were the last American combatants configured with marker buoys and hold-down padeyes. From LOS ANGELES on all American submarines would rely on the DSRV system to rescue a crew on a stranded boat. Guess, what, sports-fans?... We don't have DSRV's anymore. WTF?!

Before mounting the two hull half masters to their mold-boards I first laid shown a sheet of parchment paper between the base of each master and the face of the mold-board -- this to keep the very sticky glove making rubber from sticking too tightly to the mold board.



I used a pen loaded compass to mark off a stand-off between base of a hull master and where I wanted the eventual build up of RTV glove rubber to stop.

I waxed the masters to insure a clean, easy parting of the eventual RTV glove mold when the time came. I've made gloves without the wax without any stick problems, but I'm getting ever more conservative and careful with old age.


After rubbing the wax into the work I used a sharpened dowel to chase out wax from all the engravings.

And finally starting to lay down the, what will be many, layers of 'brushable' RTV mold making rubber.

The catalyzed rubber has to be mixed thoroughly, which folds in a lot of big air-bubbles. These have to be eliminated before application by subjecting the mix to a hard vacuum.




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