Gato build has resumed.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 5th ======================

I got about 2 hours in the shop this afternoon.

I trimmed the air pump manifold and rounded off the two top corners to fit the cylinder curve.

I cut a new aluminum tray for the rudder, rear planes and ballast servos.
I made it longer so I could mount the Rx, speed controller and ballast tank air pump switch.
I cut the three servo holes in tot he plate and files them until they fit.
Drilled the screw holds and slowly taped them for the screws. (broke 4 or 5 screws doing this)

The new plate will be 1/4" closer tot he motor case giving me 1/4" more room.
The servos are mounted for the time being.
I am done for now. (my hands hurt from tapping those screws in to the plate)

Next I need to figure out where the ballast tank switch will go and how to mount it before I can do the Rx and speed controller.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 9th ======================

Too much other stuff going on.
But I have been in the shop a couple of times this week for a few minutes at a time.

I have found where to put the ballast tank air pump switch.
Had to make a plastic mounting bracket for it.
Got the air pump manifold built (plastic) and mounted it to the aluminum tray.

Started to wire the 2 air pumps to the switch then realized that needs to wait until air pumps are installed and not just sitting in place.

I now have to figure out how to get the Rx and the speed control mounted in the little room I have left on the tray.
I think if I cut some of the aluminum under the air pumps (a sort of big notch) I can raise the Rx up about 3/8".
This will let me put the speed controller under the Rx.

But I have the time to work in the shop today but cold weather has come in and my hands are starting to hurt.
So, I hope for warmer weather tomorrow.

Slowly things are going together.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 12th ======================

I have not found time to get in to the shop.

A couple of days ago, I put the Rx and speed controller with the tray full of servos and air manifold in the short test cylinder.
This showed me I had the length but not the vertical room for both.
At that time the Rx was under the aluminum tray and the only place for the speed controller would be under the Rx.
It just would not fit.

But today while coming home, I had a thought on how to get more room in the rear compartment.
There was a gap between the back of the air pumps and the aluminum tray.

When I got home I went out to the shop and did some real measuring.
If I raised the Rx to within 1/16" of the air pumps, I could get about 1/4" more under the Rx.
It looks like the speed controller might slip in under the Rx then.

Okay, I marked the aluminum tray where the air pump manifold was.
I needed to remove aluminum from the tray up to the manifold base.
Marked for the 2 cuts I could do on the band saw.
Brought it back to the shop and with the Dremel grinding wheel, I did the cut in the middle of the tray.
Mounted the air manifold back on the tray and filed the tray to the manifold edge.

Holding the Rx in place, I measured for the thin aluminum sheet to hold the Rx up near the air pumps.
I was going to cut the piece out of the sheet I have but then I think maybe I can recut the original piece I had made.

Slipped in to the tray slot and it fit.
It was too tall which is a good thing because I can cut material off to make it fit.

Modified the aluminum piece and check fit it.
Had to make a small change.
That did it.

Cleaned the aluminum pieces.
The tray and the mounting bracket.
With that done, I applied the black silicone glue. (high temp but still flexible)

Found 2 small wooden blocks and then set it in the small vise and clamped it to cure.

The time I had in the shop went by quickly.
I hope this fixes my room issues.

Next time in the shop, I have to take time to sweep the floor and sift through all the floor sweeping to find several small bolts, nuts and screws that I dropped off the bench and could not find.
Most of these parts are stainless, non magnetic so I have to hand check it all to find these parts.
--------------------------
Think about the trimming of the boat, one issue is the stern is heavy and I have to put weight in the bow to lower it to make the boat level.
I am thinking I may have to removes some of the under deck plastic frame in the stern.
This should raise the stern a little and it should lessen the roll as the two CGs come together during diving and surfacing.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 13th ======================

I ventured out to the shop.
49 degrees.
I removed the tray from small vise
It looks like the silicone glue did it's job.
A little pushing and pulling on the glue part and it is secure.
I slipped the Rx in to the bracket and it fits snugly and it is level to the tray.
Looks good.
I measure correctly for length.

Okay, it's too cold for me out here.
Weather for the next few days is showing nothing higher than 50 degrees with mid twenties for the low.
Also it says good chance of rain and freezing rain.

Tomorrow, if I get out to the shop, I plan to close the roof vent and clean up the heater of the dust and dirt.
Fire it up and let it burn off any internal dust.
Get it ready to use so I can work in the shop.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 19th ======================

In to the shop.
Still to cold to work but I need to get something done. (currently 51F in the shop)

I was thinking I needed to lengthen the speed controller wires about 1" to get the speed controller farther forward.
Or lengthen the wires 4" so I could turn the speed controller 180 degrees.
Problem is the speed controller has an adjustment screw on one end causing a 3/16" rise or bump in the covering.
This bump raises the speed controller up where it touches the cylinder wall and because of this, there is not enough room.
By turning the speed controller around, I can get this bump in to an area that has free space.

To measure everything, I slide the tray in to a short cylinder piece I use to test fit.
I don't want to risk dropping the full cylinder while test fitting.

The way the brackets mount to the tray is 4 little bolts.
The rudder servo and rear planes servo mount under the tray sticking through the tray.
The ballast tank vent servo mounts on top of the tray.
This gives me 1/4" separation up and down for the control rods to pass over one another.

While trying to fit the speed controller I was having issues fitting it where I thought it should go.
But all this testing was with the servos not on the tray.

I decided to put all three servos on the tray and found I needed to change the tray from the top side of the mounting brackets to the bottom.

I slide the tray and speed controller in to the test cylinder.
I was pushing the speed controller around with a long screw drive to get it where I thought it would go.
I didn't but while moving the speed controller I saw that if I moved it back between the Rx and servos, it FIT.
I was trying to get the speed controller under the Rx so I would would have a flat mounting surface. (double face tape or silicone glue)
Now where it fits, one end is under the ballast tank servo and the other end is located so the 3 wires are at the Rx tray bottom.

I can glue the wires to the bottom of the Rx bracket and the other end to the servo bottom.
Had I not put all the equipment in the test cylinder, I might not have ever seen this location for the speed controller.
It is odd to have the speed controller sort of suspended at each end instead of solidly touch to mount it.

I dropped one of the small bolts on to the floor and it is too cold to craw around to look for it.
Tomorrow I will go to the hardware store and buy a half dozen or so small bolts.
I will find all the dropped parts when the weather turns warm and I clean the floor.

Okay, my hands are not feeling the parts so in to the house I go.
I go something done today.
It was major step.
Next I will silicone glue the speed controller in place after I check it a couple more times.
That leaves only the pitch controller to mount and I have a place for it.

Before I install all of this, I will take photos.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

December 30th ======================

The weather is not cooperating at all.
The highs are in the low 50's but most of the time in the high 40's.
Yesterday, a storm has come in with rain and a high today of 36F.

I did pick up the missing bolt and nut.
Turned out the issue I thought was the bolt, standard or metric was not the bolt at all.
It was the nut was damaged from both sides so the bolt would not start in to the threads.

Later today I will be out in the shop, while there I will get the short test cylinder and the rear tray, speed controller and pitch controller and bring them in the house whereit is war and do the assembly.
Shouldn't take long, maybe 20 to 30 minutes once I get the parts war.

Then I can bring the boat cylinder inside and put the tray in.
----------------------------
I have been thinking about the George Washington.
I have all the parts, the new cylinder and the new ballast system.
All the parts for the most part are the original parts that once made the boat run.
The ballast system is new and the parts have been cut to length.
I just need to make the front end cap for the ballast tank.
I have an idea to put a servo on it with a rubber diaphragm.
The ballast system will be an air pump that will breath through the top of the sail.
So the boat will be trimmed with 1/4" of the sail above the surface.

Now the diaphragm will make the boat neutral when centered.
Positive when moved in to the ballast tank.
And hopefully just a little negative when the moved out.

I hope the ballast system will run completely empty on the surface.
sail above the surface when fully flooded.
And the diaphragm will make the boat positive to get air mast out of the water and negative to run submerged.

Safety being the diaphragm being able to make the boat negative to positive.

Yep, I have plans for the GW as soon as I can get the Gato off the bench.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

January 1st =====2022=================

New year.
Weather cleared up and is sort of warm. (42F)
I finished sealing up the shop for winter a day or two ago.

Got out to the shop and turned on the heater.
In a few minutes the temp in the shop was up to 55F.
I can work in this.

I made a plastic bracket to mount the speed controller to.
As I was test fitting, I held the tray up to the cylinder. (not the short test piece)
What I saw was unexpected.
All this resizing parts of the tray that I was trying to get 1/2" between the tray and the ballast tank end turned out to be 1.25"+.

This allowed me to move the Rx 3/8" forward in it's bracket.
The speed controller, now drops in place without having to be at a slight angle.
I can also move the speed controller off center to one side about 3/8".
This move makes room for the pitch controller to sit beside the speed controller and not be next to the servo.

Made a plastic piece to hold the Rx forward and it bolts to the tray using the water pump bracket bolts.
Using this plastic bracket, I can now make plastic bracket to hold the pitch controller at the correct angle and get to the adjustment screw.

The plastic bracket was made and installed.
The Rx was set in place and a couple of dabs of silicone glue to hold it in place where applied.
A small clamp was used to hold in place during curing.

This all went so well, it took maybe 45 minutes.

Tomorrow if the weather holds, though with the shop sealed up and the heater filled yesterday, I can work out there in any weather, I will make the pitch controller bracket and get it mounted.
That will finish the tray modifications I have been fighting with for the last few months or longer.

Now I need to go out to the shop and make sure I turned off the heater.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

January 2nd ======================

Today is cold. (for me) 43F outside.

Out to the shop.
Turned on the heater.
Going to make a bracket for the speed controller.
Started cutting up plastic pieces when I spotted an old aluminum bracket from who knows what.
It was the right shape but a little long.
Cut it shorter with scissors.
Straighten one bend out and then rebent it.
Cut a little off the lower mounting leg.
This is thin aluminum. 1/64" or less. Works nicely for small brackets.

It fits between the vent servo and the Rx.
It is to hold the speed controller up high enough to have the wires coming out each end up over the servo bottom and the Rx bottom. (Actually below them.)

After a few minutes I got it looking good so I spread some silicone glue on the bracket tabs and then the speed controller.
Pressed both parts on to the air pump plastic bracket.
Made sure both parts where straight and doing what they were suppose to.
Put a 3 pound weight on the on the bench and will let it cure.

With the speed controller in place, I was able to measure for the pitch controller bracket.
Made the bracket for the pitch controller.

I missed lunch to do this, so inside I go.

Checking what I need to do tomorrow, I may have a couple of hours I can get out to the shop.

Progress is slow but progress is being made. . . again.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

January 5th ======================

I had a plan but we all know how that goes.
House furnace broke.
I had to figure out what was wrong and get parts.
Turned out to be a blower heat limit switch.
Drove 90+ miles round trip to a company that on the phone said they had it in stock.
Turns out they did not have it in stock and needed to be ordered.
Got home and found the part for half price including shipping and it was here in 2 days.

To replace this switch took all off 4 minutes.

8 screws of which 2 held the switch to the blower housing.
------------
Yesterday, I was in the shop.
Turned out to not be a good day.
I found that the ballast tank control rod through the end cap was bent enough to stop the control rod from going through the end cap.

Looked it over and decided to try and bent it back in to place.
With a stainless solid rod that fit in to the 1/8" brass tube, I bent the tube slowly and a little at a time check as I went.
I stopped when I got the control rod to go through.
It was a little tight and I decided to stop there.
---------------
Okay, out to the shop this afternoon.
Turned on the shop heater and started in on the tray.
I checked the ballast tank control rod through the end cap.
It goes through but was tight in spots.
I did not like this so I did a little more bending.
This worked out well.
I got the brass tube straight enough that the control rod drops through on it's own weight.

Now back to the issue of the control rod touching the top of the main motor case.
The motor itself still spins but there is pressure on the case from the control rod.
The control rod through the end cap is 1/8" band there is 1/16" brass rod to the servo.
The 1/16" rod is for flex ability.
The 1/16" rod goes over the motor.

I see a solution.
Bend the 1/16" rod right at the 1/8" tubing.
The bend will be just enough to off set the rod but not extend above the 1/8" tube.
This allows the tube to move back in to the end cap tube long with the 1/16" rod.

The hope is to have the control rod 1/8" tube and about 3/8" of the 1/16" rod go in to the tube through the end cap.
Only the 1/16" rod will be over the motor and still have full movement of the control rod.

Took a couple of times but I got the1/16" rod in to the end cap tube with no binding or friction.
Next, I bent the other end of the 1/16" with a nylon clevis down to met the servo horn.
Got it.

This has to be straight because the nylon clevis will be touching the ballast tank air pump switch to turn on the air pumps.

Moved on to wiring the 2 air pumps, through the switch, to the Rx plug to power the pumps when the servo clevis depresses the switch.

Finished the switch plastic bracket.
With the control rod in place, I can install the bracket on the air pump plastic tray and center the switch lever on the clevis.
Glued in place and clamped.

This should finish all the equipment on the electronics tray.

My plan to try to finish this by this weekend is not going to happen.
It might but I would be rushing and every time I rush, this go terribly wrong.
So I will continue but not put a deadline on completion for now.

Besides my test tank water is still freezing over night and thawing out about 1pm to 2pm.

[cgbillb]

I see this is a old post, but hoping you will read it.
I just got a old 1/48 scale Gato class Radio Control sub, I will have to install a WTC in her and that is what I like to talk to you about.
I do have your build log. Which is great by the way.
Buty have several questions that I like to ask you.
Here is my email drop me a line. bbb30683@gmail.com
Thanks
Bill
Athens Ga.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Bill, sorry I do not remember if I sent a message or not.
Be glad to help if I can.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

=================
May 13, 2022
=================
So many things have gotten messy.
None involve boats.

Not sure where I stopped.

I have rebuilt the rear electronic tray.
Remove a bunch of the aluminum from the tray.
The original motor mount is gone because I was able to find and fix the propeller shaft wobble.
Was dry fitting servos and pumps.
I think I have it figured out and I have installed the equipment on the tray.
It all slide fits in to the cylinder.

OH! the cylinder.
The cylinder is now in 3 pieces.
Having replaced the cylinder 3 times do to cracks forming over the ballast tank o-ring frames.
Some have said the o-rings where too tight and caused the o-ring pressure on the cylinder to make it crack.
I do not think that is the issue but, I measured the new trays and cut the cylinder to fit each tray.
I made new end caps and joint caps to the ballast tank to the ends.
I have left the o-ring caps in a short cylinder test piece for 2 months and no cracks.
This will eliminate the safety cables that ran outside the cylinder.

I made joint caps and end caps for both the Gato and George Washington.
The GW was waiting for new small servos.
Several standard micro servos and 2 very micro slider servos.
I can now get back the GW.

I think as it stands, the Gato just needs assembly.
I think the fabrication was done.
Making up new wires has to be done.

Photos. . . I dropped my camera and it no longer works.
Repair costs are more than new camera.
I guess I will have to learn how to use the phone camera, now.