Rescue Barge Modifications (already)

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  • Ralph --- SSBN 598
    Junior Member
    • Oct 2012
    • 1417

    #16
    May 11th =================================================

    Today was a busy day.
    Week and a half ago, my septic tank top collapsed.
    New tank put in today.
    10 am to 3 pm.

    During the day I made it in to the shop and put the second red glaze on the stern modification.
    Tomorrow, I hope to sand it again.
    I think I will be able to paint the modification after the second sanding.

    At least 10 minutes every day on a boat.
    Progress happens.

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    • Ralph --- SSBN 598
      Junior Member
      • Oct 2012
      • 1417

      #17
      May 12th =================================================

      I did a little raking in the back yard to level out the dirt from yesterday's septic tank install.
      This will probably take a week of 1 hour sessions which I plan to do early in the morning before it gets too hot.

      In the shop.
      Sanding of the second coat of glaze is done.
      I have 3 little spots to glaze and sand.
      Glazing done.
      I will let cure abut an hour and then sand again.

      Maybe a first tack coat of black hull paint today.
      ==================
      As always, after sanding and wiping clean, there are more small spots to glaze.
      ==================
      Sanded some more and see the small spots are gone.
      Cleaned off the hull.
      Washed the hull with wet rag.
      I got the tack coat of black paint on the hull.

      The brown on the right side of hull is a reflection of the bench top.
      I went out to the shop and looked.




      Tomorrow, I should be able to get 2 more finish coats of black on the hull.
      Last edited by Ralph --- SSBN 598; 05-12-2021, 08:08 PM.

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      • Ralph --- SSBN 598
        Junior Member
        • Oct 2012
        • 1417

        #18
        May 13th =================================================

        Light sanding and a coat of black.
        Light sanding an hour later and another coat of black.

        Will look at it later today and see if I need to do more sanding.

        If not, then I can reinstall the rudder/pod.
        Put the deck on and I will be finished.

        Yea, we will see.

        Comment

        • Ralph --- SSBN 598
          Junior Member
          • Oct 2012
          • 1417

          #19
          May 15th =================================================

          Pulled the tape off the text on the side of the barge.
          Did a little rubbing to get the tape edge down.
          May need more work but at 3' I can't see the edge.

          Fitted the rudder post.
          The shim was too long and needed to be cut shorter.
          I cut 2 times.
          The first was 1/8".
          That was not enough.
          I need the rudder to go up higher in the rudder tube.
          I cut another 1/8" off.
          This was close and only needed a little filing to get the pin to go through the pulley and rudder shaft.
          Cleaned up the cut and brass shim tube ends.

          Reassembled the rudder, pulley and servo control lines.
          Pinned it.

          Soldered the 3 motor wires.

          Tested the system.
          Rudder works and motor works.

          I did not plug in the pusher bar servo.
          I have not yet gotten the Ferrite rings.
          Back to the barge.
          The stern modification is finished.

          This is the before photo.


          And this is the after photo.


          A full inch plus removed from the rudder above the pod.
          The stern addition sides are 1" high.

          .
          ===========================
          This modification is COMPLETE. . . . .
          Last edited by Ralph --- SSBN 598; 05-16-2021, 12:51 AM.

          Comment

          • Ralph --- SSBN 598
            Junior Member
            • Oct 2012
            • 1417

            #20
            Here it is Tuesday, the 18th.
            I have gone out to the shop every day since finishing the barge modification.
            I find I am not ready to get back to work.
            I look at the Gato on the work bench.
            I even touch some of the parts.
            But I have no desire at this time to work on it.

            In all fairness, there are other things going on.
            None life threatening but distracting all the same.

            Surgery on my neck last Friday has slowed me down a little.
            I'll get back to the Gato soon.

            Comment

            • Ralph --- SSBN 598
              Junior Member
              • Oct 2012
              • 1417

              #21
              February 21th ==================================

              An update.

              Had problems with the brushless motor.
              Too fast and no low speed control.
              Very glitchy.

              Replaced motor with brushed motor and speed controller.

              The new pod works well.
              Getting use to the reverse switch was not hard at all.
              The barge has been in the lake twice since motor modification.
              Three rescues.

              These rescues have show there is an issue to fix.
              The motor at 100% power is sort of slow.
              This cause slow reaction to turning when pushing the distressed boat.
              Sub or surface craft.

              I need to find a higher rpm motor of the same size.

              But while I look for different motor, this one will do fine as long as I am patient with it's slow speed.

              I have also modified the deck.
              To charge the battery, I had to remove the deck to get to the battery.
              I was worried that I would eventually strip the threads in the wood frame that hold the deck to the hull.

              So I looked it over and decided to cut a hole in the deck to get to the charging wires and charge balancing wires.
              Once I had the hole cut, I needed to cover it.

              I made deck clutter stuff.
              I made 12 - 55 gallon oil drums on pallets.
              I made 2 wooden crates of different sizes and I made a scale 1000 propane tank.

              Decided where I wanted these on the deck so that the foam blocks that hold the barge down in the transportation box would not be interfered with.
              Got it done.





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