Resurrecting a D&E WTC 3 skipjack after 13 years

[llangston1]

Ok thx. I can use some pliers to pull out the outer pins since mine stick out 1/8" from the outer support. I wasn't sure if I had glued them or not.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Send me your address with a list of parts you need for the WTC-3. I'll fix you up.

dmeriman@aol.com

Fix that hole in the hull with thick CA and baking soda, then finish the hardened mass with file, sanding blocks, air-dry filler, more sanding, priming and painting.

Work a #11 blade between the outer edge of the stern plane and horizontal stabilizer bearing support and work the bearing pin out, then loosen the stern plane operating shaft yoke set-screw and remove the stern plane.

David

[llangston1]

I had a chance to really look at the WTC loaded with propel and under water and its pretty obvious that there is a substantial leak at the upper vent valve and a small leak at the propel release valve. The ballast tank leaks air so that will completely flood in about 30 seconds and the blow valve leaks about 3-4 ball bearing size bubbles of gas every second. In the air after filling the propel tank you can see liquid dripping out of the vent valve. The vent and blow servo still works fine. You can really blow the tank dry with a propel release and the sub safe riggers the blow valve as well. Suggestion on how to recondition the valve seals. Is there any sort of adjustment I can try to make. I notice that the small float in the tank is a little sticky in its movement but i am not sure just how free or loose it needs to be. Again any suggestions on how to proceed are welcome.

Also for painting what do you recommend for any body filling needs. There is an area on the hull bottom where i had to grind out some weights they we glued in to get the floating trim correctly. Of course I got a little aggressive with my dremel and cut a small slit into the hull bottom. up by the nose of the sub. i thought i had filled it with some epoxy but that must have come out in my sandings between primer coats. I might need to try and refill that slit this time around.

Another stupid question is how are the rear horizontal dive planes attached to the model? Obviously there is the hinge rod that extend into the hull for the control yokes and there is a small rod that extends from he plane into the fixed fin on the hull. My question is how do you remove the dive planes from the body for painting? I can't remember if the model came assembled or if I put in those outer pins to secure the planes. The is no way to remove the planes without removing those outer pins but I don't want to just go pulling on something that might break. Suggestions?

[llangston1]

Ok I found the white gothic decals at several web sites and all sorts of sizes but what size corresponds closest to the 1:96 scale factor? I see where the skipjack sail was 23 ft tall (I assume). I'm not sure how large the numbers were on the sail. All the large pictures seem to be taken at an angle so not sure I can get an accurate ratio.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Depends on ambient heat and humidity. At least eight-hours between coats.

M

[llangston1]

For those of you who use Krylon to paint your models do you wait 24 hrs between coats to let each coat dry. The label says to put a top coat within 1 hr or after 24 hrs. Each coat seems to be bone dry after few hours. Rec

[trout]

It appears that the gas release valve is just a schrader valve that gets depressed by the servo arm when actuated. Is that correct? Can that valve core be replaced with a standard schrader core if its leaking? Thanks again for all your help.

a regular Schrader valve can have the center piece removed. There are tools you can buy for that

or take a brass rod and cut out a channel. Like this:


Now, if you do not see any leaking from it, leave it alone. If David says do not touch it then I would not.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Thx. I have started on paint prep now. Do you still have small parts available for this size sub. Things like the periscopes and various antennae for the sail and the number decals that originally came with the kit. Obviously those have disappeared over the years and I am interested in adding some of those other parts to the sail. If there is a part number I can just order from Caswell I will do that. It's my fault those things got misplaced or tossed in one of our many "throw this stuff out" events over the years. With regard to the ballast tank hose can it be removed without disassembly of the ballast tank bulkheads? I see a little "metal" ring around the hose where it is attached to the little nipple on the bottom of the tank. I don't want to just start yanking on things I don't know how are put together. It appears that the gas release valve is just a schrader valve that gets depressed by the servo arm when actuated. Is that correct? Can that valve core be replaced with a standard schrader core if its leaking? Thanks again for all your help.

I no longer have any of the dry-transfer markings for that kit, but white Gothic ones are available from most model train retailors.

I'll fix you up with the white metal pieces for the kit.

Yeah, you can pull the hose out throgh one of the one-inch diameter holes in the bottom of the cylinder -- slip the hose retainer off with a hemostat and yank the tube outa there and replace.

The blow-valve schrader valve is specially tensioned -- it should be good, just make sure its tight within the balve body, that's all.

M

[llangston1]

Thx. I have started on paint prep now. Do you still have small parts available for this size sub. Things like the periscopes and various antennae for the sail and the number decals that originally came with the kit. Obviously those have disappeared over the years and I am interested in adding some of those other parts to the sail. If there is a part number I can just order from Caswell I will do that. It's my fault those things got misplaced or tossed in one of our many "throw this stuff out" events over the years. With regard to the ballast tank hose can it be removed without disassembly of the ballast tank bulkheads? I see a little "metal" ring around the hose where it is attached to the little nipple on the bottom of the tank. I don't want to just start yanking on things I don't know how are put together. It appears that the gas release valve is just a schrader valve that gets depressed by the servo arm when actuated. Is that correct? Can that valve core be replaced with a standard schrader core if its leaking? Thanks again for all your help.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Smooth out with #400, prime, correct flaws with filler and putty, spot-prim, wet sand with #400, final prim and paint, wet sand with #600, and paint again. It never ends!

M

[llangston1]

What grade sand paper do you use? 300, 400, 600, or higher before painting?

[alad61]

The best way not to fill recesses and detail is to avoid a primer with a high solids content e.g spray fillers. If there are some areas that need filling then us a nitrosan or a type of blade filler. My tip for painting the hull is remove all the planes, turrets, turrets, sails etc then prime it all. If your worried about detail loss then just a couple of light passes of primer is generally enough to give a base to the topcoat. Then when its time to start the topcoat always try to start with the lightest colour first which In this case the red, why you ask? If you spray it all black then applying lighter or softer colours will come out dirty & dull. Unless of coarse that's the look you want.

[llangston1]

Is there a trick to not filling in all the relief detail in the hull as you paint it?

[trout]

That paint will stop Superman, Krylon is great for the sub. I paint my sub in primer (you can find areas that need filling or repairing) then mask the lower portion. Tip, make sure you sand the hull and wash it well to remove oils. Those are my suggestions, but I will let others with more experience add to this.
Peace,
Tom

[llangston1]

Thanks a lot. I look forward to the package. I want to paint the model. I have the krypton red primer and flat black. Should I paint the entire model the primer and then mask off the bottom and paint the top parts black or just try to meet the red and black paints along an edge? Should I remove the sail and all the planes before painting? Any other tips or tricks?