Torpedoes

[pjdog]

That looks very labor intensive. High labor effort in the USA means High production cost which means high cost to the customer. Do you have any ideas on how you will reduce labor for production. Or is Ellie got another job in the future?
How many for these can you produce per hour. Me thinks you need a torpedo machine.
jack

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

That looks very labor intensive. High labor effort in the USA means High production cost which means high cost to the customer. Do you have any ideas on how you will reduce labor for production. Or is Ellie got another job in the future?
How many for these can you produce per hour. Me thinks you need a torpedo machine.
jack

I have a torpedo machine. It's called, Rose. I found, with her anyway, that product production rate is proportional to the voltage applied. As long as I keep her feet wet and rheostat set on #11, things move along smoothly.

(with apologies to the producers of Spinal Tap).

Life is good.

David,

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Today's torpedo work:

[Subculture]

You'd have been one of those buggers sending kiddies up chimneys in Dickens time!!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

You'd have been one of those buggers sending kiddies up chimneys in Dickens time!!

Child labor laws?! ... What child labor laws?

David,

[Rick Teskey]

They get paid room and board , clothing , allowance, education, Christmas and summers off, full heath and dental care and any thing else they whine enough about , sounds good too me , you hiring?
In my day we lived in a crack in the road and got up befor dawn too sweep the road with our tounges ...
Nice use of the aristocraft planetary gear stack and bearing , you are smarter than the average bear!!!
Rick

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

They get paid room and board , clothing , allowance, education, Christmas and summers off, full heath and dental care and any thing else they whine enough about , sounds good too me , you hiring?
In my day we lived in a crack in the road and got up befor dawn too sweep the road with our tounges ...
Nice use of the aristocraft planetary gear stack and bearing , you are smarter than the average bear!!!
Rick

That's right, Tor! Kids are a natural resource to be exploited and eventually consumed. Bout time I got a little back-up around here.

The Industrial Age is alive and well in my sweat-shop ... er, I meant ... household.

You like my little torpedo marking and painting gizmo? Only thing Rose actually likes doing in the shop is marking and painting torpedoes.

David,

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Some shots of how I finish off production of a torpedo; the several steps required to center and punch out the nozzles.

[Kazzer]

After many months of work, blood, sweat and tears, (Rose's blood, Merriman's sweat and my tears) we are about ready to start firing our torpedo system at you.

The system consists of several components which make it very versatile to both pocket and boat, as one can purchase a bare minimal system, firing just one torpedo, and then as funds etc. become available, extend the system to suit the boat.

The weapons are gas fired and PROPEL-ed! If you carry Propel or gas on board, then you can simply tap into the gas tank to energize your torpedo system. If not, you need to install a miniature gas tank.

The LAUNCHERS are special tubes that contain and release the torpedo. You can purchase these units separately.
The GAS VALVES are attached to the LAUNCHERS and are operated by the CONTROLLER which opens the valve momentarily, allowing sufficient gas to enter the tube, ejecting the torpedo.
The CONTROLLER will operate up to TEN torpedo tubes electronically. It is directly connected to the RECEIVER and to each electronically operated GAS VALVE.
The MANIFOLD units distribute the gas from the main reservoir to each individual LAUNCHER.
A PARTICULATE FILTER is required in the gas line to protect the VALVES.

You can get started by buying the basic system which comprises

1 x CONTROLLER
1 x LAUNCHER
3 x TORPEDOES
1 x 2 Shot MANIFOLD
1 x PARTICULATE FILTER
1 x VALVE
$ 345.00

Additional LAUNCHERS etc

2 shot MANIFOLD = $40
4 shot MANIFOLD = $50
8 shot MANIFOLD = $70
1 x GAS TANK = $49
5 x TORPEDOES = $75
1 x PARTICULATE FILTER = $8
1 x LAUNCHER = $170
2 x LAUNCHER = $295
1 X VALVE = $64

We hope to be able to ship our first system within the next 3-4 weeks, so please let me know ASAP if you'd like to reserve a basic kit.

[Outrider]

Just an indirect suggestion about a base set-up... Wouldn't it make sense for the base set-up to include two launchers?

I realize you have to guess what the market wants (that's not too hard--we want everything quickly, to be of the highest quality, and to be sweatshop labor cheap), but you also have the burden of having to be realistic about what it will support. We customers have no such obligation to respect reality, especially when it comes to what we wish would happen. It's only when the cold, cruel world of dead Presidents come into play that we actually start to sober up.

Price seems key to what the market will bear, but desirable functionality has a role, too. I just have an opinion--not worth much--that two tubes makes more sense than one. Even though I'm likely to be off base, it still may be sensible to ask what configuration people would want, given that they now have access to a parts list that can help them make a more informed decision. I'm hopeful that would be a win-win for both customer and Team Magic, AKA the Wizard and the Witch.

I read the two tube option as costing $515 ($345 plus $170) according to the initially posted price sheet. (Base system plus one extra launcher).

For something completely different... The tail fins on the torpedoes do not live up to the Wizard's high standards of accuracy--they are twisted sisters [Couldn't resist]. One assumes this is for stability during the torpedo's run, since the Wizard would need a practical reason to deviate from his cherished devotion to scale accuracy. Operating under the assumption that both straight and twisted fins were tested, what benefits did twisting deliver and were there any performance penalties?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Hey, Jim.

I can see a two-launcher 'basic package' as having more appeal than a single tube; the issue addressed there is symmetry -- unless one is only interested in stern shots from a 1/72 type-7B,C, or whatever. As you observed, the problem is money: five-hundred and change is indeed a big pill to guzzle down. Mike is the final arbiter on this packaging though. I'm just the idiot designer/producer around these parts.

OK, smart-ass, you drew me out on the fins crack. Nice work, you should get into the roach-control business.

Of course I deviated from 'scale'. Without the weapon spinning in the water, the trajectory is all over the place. So, sue me!

David,

[Kazzer]

Just an indirect suggestion about a base set-up... Wouldn't it make sense for the base set-up to include two launchers?
.....................................-
I read the two tube option as costing $515 ($345 plus $170) according to the initially posted price sheet. (Base system plus one extra launcher).

Have you heard the one or two knuckle-draggers on another forum I occasionally post to? "Oooooh! Dear! It's $350 - too rich for my blood! I'll make my own! It's easy!- Blah! Blah! Blah!!!!"
Firstly, let me say this. They have absolutely no regard or value for their own time, and have no concept of the VERY STEEP LEARNING CURVE they have to endure to get these things operating successfully. This is especially true for those that are posting such drivel fifty times a day. I guess if they stopped bashing a keyboard, they'd have more time? Maybe we should suggest that?

The reason we sell the system the way it is (one shot =$350) is to allow as many people as possible to enter the field and get operational. "Does it fire torpedoes?" can be simply answered with "Hell Yes!" and a one-shot deal should satisfy most of the Great Unwashed!

If we look at the history of submarine development, we'll see that from The Turtle, to the Holland etc. there were enormous increases in price as more and more features were added. When Mr Whitehead of Wyke Regis (Portland UK) developed torpedoes, the British Royal Navy spent wheelbarrows full of money fitting out boats to handle the new development. The same pattern is true for model submarines. We had Darnell (UK -1950's)develop a watertight box with a football bladder and a model steam engine piston to inflate it (the first RCABS) and then Merriman developed the WTC which became the industry standard. Skip Asay I believe developed the first pitch controller, and it was a major investment for a boat. These additions added several hundred dollars to the basic boat. Now Merriman has developed the first commercially available torpedo system and it adds to the cost of the boat. Can't afford it? Sorry, can't help you there.
So I guess the folks who will be buying this system will be those who value their time, and appreciate the skill and effort that has gone into this project.

Do two Launchers make more sense than one? No! Eight make more sense to me! Ha! Ha! Can you float that under the bosses radar? Doubtful, so buy one Launcher- or two, spread the cost out, come back a month later and add more! We've tried to make this so that everyone can get in the game, but I see no harm in having two start-up kits? One with one Launcher, and another with two, the latter having a bit of a price break?

[Kazzer]

The Wizard and I have come up with another angle for the torpedo system. If you are only going to use one or two torpedo tubes, then you could operate the system without the controller, the manifold and the gas solenoid valve. Only the torpedo charge of gas pushes the torpedo out, so all that is required is the breach-block to be activated to allow the torpedo to escape. This is a mechanical operation that can easily be operated with a mini servo. By using a three position toggle switch on the transmitter, the servo can discharge two tubes. i.e. Left = #1 fire, center = off, Right = #2 fire.

1 x LAUNCHER 120.00 (less Solenoid Valve)
3 x TORPEDOES included with Launcher
1 x MECHANICAL VALVE 50.00

$170.00

We hope to have some photos shortly - stay tuned!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Food for thought:

[redboat219]

I like it. K.I.S.S.
Too bad you can make them in 1/144 scale.