Simon Lake - The protector

[hampboats]

This is the beginning of my first building thread, the Simon Lake sub the Protector.
SIMON LAKE is credited with the development of the basic submarine technologies which are essential for safe and successful operation of the submarine; such as, even-keel hydroplanes, ballast tanks, divers' compartment, periscope, twin-hull design, and much more. No modern submarine could operate today without using the advancements made by Simon Lake, and which were adopted worldwide by the early 1900's. He achieved over 200 patents in his lifetime.

SIMON LAKE was originally referred to as a "Pioneer Submarine Inventor". Today, Simon Lake is regarded as ...The Father Of The Modern Submarine.
Except from the Simon Lake Website

I am building the boat in 1/24 scale. The original boats was 67 feet long and 15 feet wide. It had three torpedo tubes, 2 forward and one aft and carried one small rapid fire gun in the turret on the conning tower. The boat was launched in 1902. The version I built was a combination of the artist conception, patent drawings and also the final production boat. It is unique in that it has not only aft dive planes but two set of two planes midship.













This is the hull and conning tower prior to starting the build. Only two of these hulls have been made. The hull walls are very thick which made the boat even without fittings and hardware very heavy.

This guy got must have made someone mad to get this duty


Progressing through the build][/url]



Starting to gather the parts][/url]

Making the end caps for the 4" wtc. Had a problem and got a bubble under the mold. It was easy to cut off and file smooth after I made each end cap. I started out having a 4" WTC for the motors and servo and a 3.5' wtc for the ballast tank but I had to change to one 4" because I needed the extra volume to maintain a decent waterline.



First (2) wtc attempt until I changed to one large one][/url]

Wrong motors. The 6v pittmans stalled out. I changed to 24V pittmans at 12V- perfect.

Starting to build the hardware][/url]

The keg has got to go and be replaced by a more realistic one][/url]




Adding the aft dive planes][/url]




95% of all of the soldering was done with a resistance soldering unit. Well worth the money.

Setting up the universal shafts.
Pic a little fuzzy.



Ballast tank




Adding the side dive planes][/url]










Adding the wheels and dive plane protection rails][/url]



The periscope has also been added

[scott t]

Great project. That is a

Great project. That is a good looking start with the hull moldings.
Can you show pictures of the hull master build and molding process;
time permitting.

-Scott T

[hampboats]

Hull Mouldings

I didn't make the hull. It was made by someone else and I bought it from him. The hull is based on the artist concept of the boat which is the one most peope recognize.

[Guest]

Nice to see someone modelling

Nice to see someone modelling one of Lake's boats.

Sadly he's almost been forgotten about. I especially like his Argonaut I, with the wheels on the bottom- you could go trundling about on the pool bottom like an underwater buggy.

[tsenecal]

dave,

two questions:

1) what is the

dave,

two questions:

1) what is the volume of the ballast tank, it looks even stubbier than the 500ml engel i have in my alvin

2) what kind of high tech gadget are you using for the ballast tank controller?

tim

[hampboats]

Protector

It is the 500ml tank. Only electronics I currently have on it is a channel to actuate the tank fill and empty switch with a missing pulse detector to blow the tank. I am still in the trimming phase. I only need to fill 1/4 of the tank for the boat to submerge. Tim, are you using the Engel switch or are you just doing the same as I am?

[hampboats]

Progress

Torpedo door build:






Deck Hatch][/url]


Conning tower



WTC and a good view of the side dive planes. The gray wire is the cable coming from the waterproof servo to the WTC.

[warpatroller]

Dave,

What material did you use

Dave,

What material did you use to make your end cap masters from?

Where did you purchase the many brass strips (in your one photo) from?

Steve

[tsenecal]

dave,

I am using the

Ballast

dave,

I am using the

Ballast Tank Switch BTS2 6V

http://www.engel-modellbau.de/catalog/p ... 6c77219ea3


in all three of my subs]http://www.subcommittee.com/forum/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[hampboats]

ballast control

Aside from the fail safe feature, does this unit allow you to preset how much you want the tank to fill and empty. i.e. only half full or completely empty. Is that what they mean by autotrim?

[hampboats]

End caps and brass

80% of the brass came from the local ACE Hardware store, I did get some of it at Hobby Town. Hobby Town had more pieces in longer lengths.

The end cap master was made from Delrin. I use RTV to make the mold and cast the end cap out of RP132 Resin Fast Setting filled Polyurethane

[hampboats]

Final pictures before painting

these show the boat before I start the final clean up and sanding prior to painting. I will post more photos of trim test

[hampboats]

Trim Testing

Trim Testing in the expensive model sub test tank. It was time for spring cleaning the Spa any how. It does help if you turn off the jets.

[tsenecal]

dave, the autotrim function is

dave, the autotrim function is actually part of the ballast tank itself. autotrim tanks have 3 limiter switches. one for empty, one for "neutral" ballast and one for full ballast.

autostop tanks have a set of two limiter switches, empty and full.

the BTS2 is designed to work with either the autostop or the autotrim.

[hakkikt]

Very cool subject, should look

Very cool subject, should look great in the water with its deck so close to the waterline. Can't wait to see the first pictures in the water!