OTW Vanguard Build

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Thanks BD!! Wayne you are too kind!

Steve

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Lots more done. Got the brass deck mounts made and counter sunk brass screws through the top of the deck. Really holds it snug and the screw tops will look like part of the deck when painted black.

The the mounts installed for the WTC. I had very little room to work with side to side on this model to hold down the WTC. It has blocks to keep it from moving forward or backward and a bar to keep it from turning, but up and down was a problem. So I made up some brass straps and attached to the hull with dental acrylic. You can use either rubber bands or the zip ties to hold it down. Works well.

Next I had to drill out all the drains and vents. Once that was all done I removed all the hardware and painted the inside all flat black.

Tonight I'll but back in the WTC and make all the linkages. That takes care of all of the busy work and tomorrow I can start painting the boat.

Steve

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

The customer will be installing the radio and battery so this is as far as I can go. All linkages are made and installed. Module is installed. PJ and prop shaft complete with dog bone all done.

Tomorrow I'll primer it and start the paint job complete with scum line and weathering. I'm not going heavy with it just a light scum line and weathering will do.

Steve

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Spent the whole day preening the hull. Fill scratches. Sanding nitro sand. Closing gaps with Evercoat. Wet sanding with 400 grit. Seemed to take forever. Here she is straight from the paint shop with a nice heavy coat of dark gray primer.

Tomorrow I can do the paint job.

Steve

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Well life got in the way today so I didn't finish the paint job darn it! I didn't start until 6 pm and cut it off at 9:30. Tomorrow I have to get up early for more life in the way but will finish tomorrow afternoon.

So far it's looking pretty good. Model masters acrylics, airbrush, Tamiya weathering powders, and colored pencils. Mixed semi gloss black and engine gray 50/50. All flat black deck for the no skid look.

More tomorrow.

Steve

[bill harris]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Wonderful build! This old dog picked up a couple of new tricks, and I learnt about a new tool. The laser-level thingie-- usually I use skillful eyeballing, drafting triangles and careful measurements for lineup, cuts, etc.

"Customer-installed batteries". What type-- NiMh/Lipo in a WTC or an SLA out in the wet?

--Bill

[u552]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Hi Steve. Great great build of an incredibly well manufactured model. I've a question about the WTC. It looks like if the O rings are installed right just on cylinder edge and the covers presses them against to make it watertight , instead of beeing mounted on a slot on the cover, part of which slides inside the cylinder to make the correspondent water sealing effect.
As I don't have a lathe, if my impression is rigth, It will give me the chance of doing a WTC for my SCALE SHIPYARD AKULA II with an effective water sealing covers.

Regards from Madrid, Spain.

J.C. Jorquera.

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Thanks Bill. It's his pick but it will most likely be lead acid in the wet. Thanks I'm glad you picked up on the laser level. Makes it lazy but works good.

J.C. Thank you. You are right about the WTC. That is how it's done and these cylinders are bullet proof, leak free and gas system free. As long as you have battery power you can dive and surface as much as you want .

Steve

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

She's finished. All I have to do now is make a little instruction video for the customer on opening the hull and installing the module.









Here she is getting the clear coat in my garage.







The scopes, masts and ants are just kind of sitting in their slots. They will be mailed uninstalled so they are not broken in transit. This accounts for them not sitting in their straight. The owner will have to glue them in to their holder in the sail once the model arrives at it's new home.

I'm beat. Back to the Enterprise. Oh and trimming my 1/32 VIIC.

Great build. Nice boat.

Steve

[u552]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Thanks for the answer. Regarding this thread, I've learned a lot of matters that will be very useful in building my AUKLA II . On the other and, I'll be crying the whole weekend comparing the quality and the results of your job and mine. Anyway, thank you very much again for sharing your knoledge and experience and, as said yesterday, a magnificent job with very impressive results.

Regards.
J.C. (Juan Carlos)

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

Juan thank you so much. You are most kind and I'm sure your boat will be a beauty.

Steve

[Guest]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

It looks like if the O rings are installed right just on cylinder edge and the covers presses them against to make it watertight?

Yes that's correct. The module diameter is larger than the vast majority of cylinders used in the U.S. The module is constructed from acrylic tubing, which is usually extruded. Although dimensionally very accurate on the outside, extruded acrylic tubing tends to be a bit wavy on the inside- you can usually confirm this by rubbing your finger around the inner circumference.

As a result getting a reliable seal with a small cross section seal like a 3-4mm thick o-ring can be a bit of a gamble. However it's easy to seal against the edge, and as the design of the ballast system in the OTW module pressurizes the forward and aft cylinders, andrequires tie rods to hold the endcaps together, you might as well make additional use of them by axial sealing.

The OTW module is likely to have it's edges trued on a lathe, but you can also cut the tubing square and smooth the edge with wet and dry paper used wet with a little soap on a flat sheet, and work the tube in a figure-of-eight pattern.

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

And unlike the WTCs in the US you can leave these closed up all you want with the module in the boat so it's always ready to go and hooked up.

I learned early on Andy that a typical WTC with the end caps and inside seals, left for any length of time over 4 weeks or more would lead to the end caps sticking. They would be very difficult to open and the o-rings can be resized in a manner with this type of set up that would lead to leakage unlike the OTW module.

So I have to break down my WTCs after every run by removing them from the boat and opening up the caps. Before running, put it all back together again, test and go. A pain really I could do without.

Steve

[Guest]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

I wouldn't advise that unless you have a little take off to cycle the air through the module. All WTC's get condensation in them, and as this design vents from the main ballast tank into the dry areas, you will get your fair share.

[steveneill]

Re: OTW Vanguard Build

I've never run a OTW Andy so maybe so. But with my other boats there's not a drop in there. No haze. Completely dry. But I am a fanatic about leaks. I will drive myself crazy until I fine the source of even a bit of haze.

Understood.

Steve