Trumpter Seawolf

[Rogue Sub]

Mail Call!

A package from D&E

Mail Call!

A package from D&E Good arrived today with a bunch of toys.
This is beyond any quality that I could produce at this time (you just wait david).
This kit comes with a tested ballast system and all the seals you would need. It even has a seal for a rod to actuate the on/off. Not to mention it has a really nice single servo actuating vent and gas system. More to come when I clean it all up.

Packaging was top notch and filled with enough styrofoam popcorn to choke a horse.


A shot of the aft end of the Sub Driver. It has 4 pushrod seals. 3 for the controll surfaces and one for ECS on and of switch operation. The red wire is for the RX. You attatch the existing Rx wire to this one through a screw connection on the inside. The two screw connections on the back are for an extrernal battery connection or you could even use them for an external charging connection. The shrader valve is to equalize pressure after installing the end cap.


A shot of the ballast tank for this model. It looks small but it doea have a little extra bouyancy in it. The whole system is operated off a single servo arm w/ an included servo. This is awsome because there is no need to buy an extra pump for rcabs or a switch for solenoid operated systems. Its just a cost effective balllast system period.


A shot of the service tray. You may notice that you cant see the servos or motor. That is because they are all (some how) stuffed inside the aft end cap. Thats right 3 servos and a motot in about a 2.5in long space. You can also see some of the parts for the upgrade in the back ground.

[Rogue Sub]

Got back to work on

Got back to work on the SEAWOLF today and made good progress.
Today I sanded, cleaned and attatched the towed array pods and part of the propulsor. The side arrays were sanded and smothed. I also cut the hull for the bow planes and installed them.


To smooth out the side arrays I used some amery cloth and went at it by hand. Once again some that are more skilled then me use a dremel to do this but im not that carefull. It was an easy enough task to do with sand paper just timely. As for the the aft array deployment pods. I washed and sanded them down to get rid of the film thats on them from casting. I then sanded the bottom of them to ensure a clean flush fit against the hull. Next i marked a line on the hull to line them up at a proper angle using the hole that the kit proded for the original one. Last was a simple task of super gluing them on.


First I used a machinest scale and drew a line .5" from the midline using the hole provided by the kit as a guide. Then I spot super glued the bow plane on so that i could trace the shape to allow me to cut the hole.


After tracing around the the plan with a permanent marker I simply snapped the plane back off. Its important to use as little glue as required to hold it on. Other wise you just screwed yourself!


Next I drilled a hole and filled out the rest as best i could. These planes are designed to be installed into the hull for a proper angle and strength. The planes also need to be cut in half on the provided line to allow for a moveable section. Once this is cut you simply test fit the smaller piece in the holes you just cut. Position them about halfway through the hull and use a 1/16" rod to help center the two and ensure that your at a 90 degree angle. I used one of my NiCu rods and lined everything up. Next I super glued both sides in from the inside and let them dry. Next I removed the rod Tada!!


The final product with a rod cut to length and planes install. Very Nice!

Next will be the aft control surfaces!!

[Rogue Sub]

Well I thought that I

Well I thought that I had made this post already but now i cant seem to find the damn thing so here i go again!

As promissed I installed the aft controll surfaces and yokes. I hate installing yokes in small places!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



This is a shot of everything installed on the boat. It was a big non event really. First i used a machinest scale and drew lines for the rudders to ensure that i got the hole drilled center line. Next I drilled a hole on both sides of the boat for the dive plane controll rods. I measured 1 & 8/10ths of an inch from the back of the boat and drilled my holes using a 5/64" bit. I used a larger bit because I didnt want the 1/16" rod im using to stick from fiction. Next I wrapped the dive planes in a couple layers of tape to ensure they would have the right amount of seperation from the front of the plane when mounting.

(photo courtesy D&E)
After that I glued the forward part of the rudder on using CA and I ensured they were straight using the seam from the boat and a rod placed through the planed and control rod holes.
Next I simply lined up the rudders with the ends of the dive planes and marked this point with a line. Then i measured the distance of the hole ont the rudder from the edge of the rudder. I then measured that same distance from the line i had made and marked it. That is where i drilled the hole on both sides.
After all that I CA the planes to their rods and assemled the whole nightmare, yokes and all.

[wayne frey]

Now where did this come

Now where did this come from? Hmmm

[Rogue Sub]

Yikes, You have a bunch

Yikes, You have a bunch of sanding ahead of you wayne. Think you put enough crap on there? Ive completely left you in the dust! I have to finish paining mine then ballast it. Ill update this threads as soon as i get over this stomach virus and can seperate myself from the bathroom!

[wayne frey]

I will do some updating

I will do some updating later. Submarines are not my only hobby.
I just finished it a match grade 10/22 rifle with titanium parts, aluminum barrel with steel insert and fluting,match grade trigger job, laminated monte carlo stock, and some other things.
Hey, I am not the modeller of the caliber of what I saw at the regatta. My deal is I am good at digging up information.A reaserch guy. But I am making a swing, just like anyone else, and not afraid to make mistakes! They can be fixed.

I hit on a small problem on the seawolf, but corrected it last weekend.
Hope you dont mind. I will post my happenings here.


I started here:


Getting all the parts seperated and grouped][/url]

Clean all the parts to remove the mold release. Soap,water, and steel wool



Here I have opened the holes up. Also took a file to the side arrays to properly soften them up and get the hard edges off.




A little work on the sail. Removed the bump in the front and filled in the light/horn? Whatever it was, it got smoothed out for submurged ops.


Index lip being added front and rear. Later I added some tabs on the sides to help pull the hull together tighter.


The D&E upgrade kit. Awsome!! Avalible through Casewell. A correct pumpjet, new appendages, etc. All top shelf stuff. The Seawolf model, this upgrade, and a subdriver wtc is all that is needed.
An excellent choice for a first build.

Etch time for the white metal parts. Ok, maybe you dont need to do this, but after some light dressing on the impellor, Off into the PCB (avalible at Radio Shack)with the stern plane yoke etc.. PCB is some nasty stuff. Note I am scared enough of it I wore gloves. Note the dang yogart cups. (I am dieting). One has the PCB, the other has the water for second dip to stop the acid.
It etches the metal for good adhesion for paint.
Even though no one would see it, I etched the yokes and linkage arm, then painted them black. Extra stuff, but I have time.




The hull flexes a lot, like a piece of vinal siding for a house. Because of this, I think it is a good idea to mount the bow planes before glueing the nose and tail on. Once the bow planes go on, and are faired into the hull, there is almost no flexing to the rest of the build.
Here is where I made two mistakes, and corrected them.
Mistake one, I removed the front bulkhead entirely. This left lots of flex in the hull after I attached the upper and lower halves together. I would have done fine by only opening up the bottom and top of the forward bulkhead for flooding. I did open the rear bulkhead per Mr. Merrimen's directions.
By the way, a full set of how-to-do-it is on the D&E website.
What happened in my case was as I sanded and worked around the bowplanes, (mounted one half inche above centerline) the nose flexed enough it cracked loose.
I solved this by coming back after I was done with the bow planes, cleaned the upper and lower halves, and added a index lip around the inside, greatly adding to adheasion surface area. Worked great!
By the way, I am using plain ol Testor's cement.

Mistake two. While I was sanding around the base of the bow planes, I somehow inadvertantly caught some of the "base" of the planes, ruining a perfect, tight fit, to the planes.
I got mad at myself, and walked away for several weeks...
What to do? Ask the man in the cave for another set? No. I would rather chew off my arm! Remebering a solution to a fit problem I had on another hull, I built up the bases with ca and baking soda. Then carefully filed and sanded, until I got a tight fit again. Some evercoat to finish, and all was well..


Major big tip here!!! Most of us are 40 or better. Even if not, this is a huge help!! I got this idea from Gail Phillips. The Optivisor. Essential for up close detail. Get one!

The tail section where it joins is a little flat. Kevin mentioned earlier if I put enough on Yep. It only took a minute, maybe two to wet sand this by hand to bring it back to correct. The nose had some overbite. Evercoat solved this and eleminated seams.




Added index lips here. Same plastic stip I bought at the hobby shop for the front and rear. It pulled the slight waves in the upper and lower toether, just as I thought.

Note the impellor is now primed properly. It is really nice to have this avalible for this build.

The target 22 upper I have been working on. Gonna be rough on the squirrles......

First layer of primer to show imperfections. I used a laquer primer. Maybe not the way to go nowdays. I got the idea from Matt Thor. It shows everything. I like it. There are a few minor imperfections, but I am now good to go to adding the tailfeathers. What is left can be done near final paint. I work this coming weekend, so it might be two weeks, if I cannot get to it after work.
I am in no rush. The wtc has not arrived for me yet (Dave must be busy)

[Rogue Sub]

PCBs! You be careful wayne

PCBs! You be careful wayne you know that stuff causes cancer right? Of course what doesnt cause cancer anymore.

[wayne frey]

Glad you brought that up.

Glad you brought that up. The voice in the cave shook, and reminded me to clarify something.
That "PCB" is not the cancer causing stuff found in the transformers. It is a acid solution of acid used to etch print boards. It etches the white metal parts so primer sticks to it better.
Acid though.... I will wear gloves anyway
Foot note before I come back. The stern appendage bases needed to be sanded smooth to make way for the better replacements in Dave's/Caswell's kit. No problem plenty of meat left. Just sand down smooth to the surface.
My WTC is on the way, so I'd best get cracking soon.

[Rogue Sub]

Ok, now that Wayne has

Ok, now that Wayne has cleared some things up and posted his project it is time for me to do a partial update on mine.
I've jumped around a bit on what I've been working on but that is only due to my short attention span and when something pissed me off I stop and move to something else while I cool down.

For my next order of buisness I installed the FWD shaft bearing and bearing mount. Now when you originally get this model it has a bulkhead in the back (this is clearly visible in Wayne's pictures). I removed mine completely and I think that it was a mistake. If you were to leave the aft bulkhead in and only cut out the top half circle it will leave you with a perfectly centered wall in which to mount your bearing. All you will need to do is make a small half circle cut in the middle and epoxy your bearing in. It also helps to have the shaft going through the fwd and aft bearings while epoxying in the FWD bearing to make sure its center. Also, give the shaft a few turns to ensure its not binding and it is aligned for low resistance. Lower resistance = longer run times. Well, since I didnt have this back wall, I had to make a suppurt out of 1/4" styrene. Then I used epoxy to hold it in place. Dont forget to turn the shaft to make sure it is aligned properly!



My next order of buisness was the stern planes. I wanted to make it so everything could be pulled apart again for maint. in the future so I borrowed another trick from the D&E bag. I put the planes into my drill vice and made a 1/16" hole on the two inside halves. Then I CA'd a 1/16" rod in one side so that when the two halves were slid together they would lock together and move as one. A neat trick indeed.





Next I made made control rods for the aft surfaces and left them longer then needed. I also inserted the Sub Driver with the dogbone installed to ensure I got the proper spacing. I then held the a set of magnetic couplers up to two opposing control rods and marked where I needed to cut with a permanant marker. After that I trimmed them and installed the magnetic couplers. I did this for both sides. A word of advice... ensure that your servos and controll surfaces are centered! Another good thing to due is to create a guide for the aft connecters. This will ensure that if during operation you bump something and the magnets are dissconnected, you would only need to rotate the servo and the magnets would automaticlly reconnect. Another cool thing about the magnetic couplers... they can save your servos.



Next order of buisness is securing the the Sub Driver snugly into the hull. The thing to keep in mind is that the D&E Sub Driver comes with an indexing hole in the ballast tank. This is so that you can drill a 1/16" hole into the forward Sub Driver support bracet and insert a 1/16" rod to prevent axial movement of the Sub Driver. Good Stuff. This basiclly determines where the first support goes. As for the aft one I placed it just forward of the orings on the aft seal. Afer getting them both where I needed them I epoxied them in place. Next i driled holes on the tops of both of the supports to accept my hooks for securing the Sub Driver and then I screwed them into place with a little CA. A couple of rubber bands and were in buisness.



For my next trick I connected the bow planes to its aft control rod. I started off by taking a 1/16" Collet and drilling a 1/16" hole in the side at a 90 degree angle from the retaining screw. I drilled the hole there so that when i was done I will stil be able to access the retaining screw. I then soldered in a 1/16" brass rod and bent it into a 90 degree turn. I then attatched one of the magnetic couplers to this and attatched it so that is sits right inside the towed array housing when the top is installed.



Fianlly I connected the bow planes to my magnetic coupler. I first put the top half over the bottom and made a mark where the magnetic coupler was on the upper hull. This way i would know how long to make the upper control rod. Next I got an 18" long piece of NiCu rod made a Z bend and inserted it into the control yoke for the bow planes and aligned it to the towed array housing. I also put a slight Z bend in the rod so that it would fit more flush along the array housing. I then cut the wire to length an installed the magnatic coupler. Now this would all work like it is if you could get the two magnets to meet by chance. But why leave it to chance. So I found a spare piece of brass tube laying around that was slightly larger than the diameter of the magnetic coupler. I then slid the tube down a couple inches past the coupler and epoxied it in place. This guide rod will now make it easy to establish a connection between the two magnets. Infact, after placing the top on with the planes in full dive, all that is needed is to swing the planes back and you can hear the two magnets click together! Works like awsome. Infact its now my favorite way to do bow planes.



That it for now I'm sick of writing. Next time I'll post mating the two halves and securing them and painting the model. ill also go over why I'm stupid for not doing a Z cut on my hull!

[wayne frey]

I went to a Renissance

I went to a Renissance Festival today, so no work on the hull. Will pick back up next weekend. But have two pictures to contribute:
First, this is more or less the way D&E reccomends you do the aft bulkhead, and what Kevin refered to. Simple. Hole in the bottom allows flooding, and the screw shaft will mate to the top.



The forward bulkhead should be done the same., and kept simple, instead of overthinking it. However, I did get to where I wanted anyway, but not on the first try!! The plastic strips are required if you do away with the bulkhead. Too much flex! Also, IF you ever do this, do the bow planes first. After getting the bow planes worked into the hull and faired in, then there is little left that required being less than easy on the upper half.
In all, I am happy with the result. But too much overthinking!!! A lot of work added here that simply is not needed. Keep it simple!

[wayne frey]

Oh yea, forgot to mention

Oh yea, forgot to mention this:
The paper floormats automobile dealerships use for floormats make fantastic throw away work area covers.

[tmsmalley]

PCBs! You be careful wayne

PCBs! You be careful wayne you know that stuff causes cancer right? Of course what doesnt cause cancer anymore.

Just to clarify - in this case PCB stands for "Printed Circuit Board" etchant - not Poly Chlorinated Byphenyls (That is the REALLY nasty stuff - that used to be used in transformers and big capacitors as a coolant.)

The PCB etchant stuff is Ferric Chloride and the Material Safety Data Sheet says it is corrosive to eyes (don't splash in the peepers), skin (keep it off your skin), mucous membranes (don't squirt it up your nose or breathe the fumes) and the GI tract (don't drink it). Use in a well ventilated area, use tongs, rubber gloves etc. No link to cancer found.




PS - thanks for posting your progress you guys - Keep it coming!

[Rogue Sub]

Ok its time to wrap

Ok its time to wrap this whole thing up and put it to bed or to sea.

Last weeks episode we left off with all of the internal workings assembled and ready for service. All that was left was ballasting, painting and securing hull halves.

Well ive got news for those of you reading this. I'm not going to go over ballasting! Why not you say? Well, every boat ballasts different and in my opinion thats another article altogeter. Shall we continue?
GOOD

Last time I mentioned that I regretted not cutting my hull with a Z cut. Whats a Z cut and why do it that way. A "Z" cut, as it is refered, is a simple cut down the bow along the hull and then down near the cone of the boat. In the end it looks like a "Z" or an "N" but, Z sounds cooler dont it? I like this type of cut because it makes it much easier to attatch the two hull halves in the end. All that is required is an indexing lip on the bow and a small machine screw on the stern to secure it and presto youve got it all secured and ready for sea service.

So why can't you just use a couple of those super strong earth magnets to hold the hull together? Well, yes magnets work great. Especially for making the seams on the side line up but.... Have you ever had a compressed gas line rupture in your boat? Well, if magnets were all that were holding your boat together, you boat just blew in half and if your really unlucky the loss of bouyancy is causing one or both parts to head for the bottom.

Since mine wasnt "Z" cut how did I connect my hull halves?
I glued (3) 1/16" rods to the back of the upper half using epoxy. I also ensured that they extended out about 1/2" from the end. Additionally I spaced them out so one was on top and one on each side so that when I slide the top on it will force the top to match the bottom and in theory get rid of the gap. To attatch the front I simply ran a machine screw through the bottom of the boat to mate with a piece of abs plastis and a nut i put on the top hull.

Now to paint this beast. It was a fairly simple task except for the propulser shroud. All of those little fines and confined areas made it a real pain to tape off and paint. I started off by wrapping the drive shaft with tape to prevent paint from getting on it and clogging the oilite bearings. A little brass paint and I set it infront of my space heater to dry (its cold out there).

After I painted the prop I hit the entire bottom side of the hull with flat red primer making sure to get in the crevices of the propulser. Also dont forget to put a small piece of painters tape over the bearing on the back so you dont get paint on or in it. After the pain all dried I used some painters tape and lined the rest of the hull off to apply the "black" topside color. Now if you use this stuff straight off the roll it will have an imperfect edge on it from the manufacturer. The best way to fix this is to take an exacto knife or razor blade and cut a strip of it down the length. This will produce a great edge and clean painting results. For the top side color I used black paint with white in it to create a very dark grey. You don't have to add the white and alot of people don't but when you scale down you have to compensate the color aswell. Try it out. You'll see what I mean. Besides have you ever tried to drive a flat black boat in less then perfect water? Good luck budy.

After all the paint dries the only thing left to do is remove all the tape, reinstall the shaft, and attatch the aft section of the shroud. Oh yeah the shroud right. How do you attatch it but still be able to remove it for maintanance. Simple use a littel bit of silicone on the edge and let it cure. When it comes time to remove it a little twist will help bring it right off.


Phew! Did i forget anything? Yeah i think thats it. NOW YOU HAVE SAW HOW EASY THAT WAS!! GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND GO BUILD ONE!


The propeller drying after painting


The shroud drying infront of my heater


A perfect line from perfect taping


Taping off the aft end for painting.


All done and ready for deployment

[steveuk]

Thanks for the build info

Thanks for the build info and all those pics.

How many full blows of the ballst tank do you anticipate this size gas system will give you

[Rogue Sub]

20
That is if your

20
That is if your not gas happy and over do it everytime cause you like to watch the bubbles.

Time to get one steve. I want a contest to see who can get a picture of the most running at one time.
At the carmel meet i got to see 5 gatos running together. We need to beat that!