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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] wooden hull Psub revisited
Mike:
Thank you for the bibliography information. That is really helpful! I will
begin my search for libraries that have this periodical in their collection
and will report on what I find. If you have any pictures I would especially
like to see them.
Thanks for the help!
John in Keswick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Holt" <mholt@richmond.edu>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 11:07 AM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] wooden hull Psub revisited
> > John Gaertner wrote:
> >
> > I recently rejoin the Psub mail list after a two year break. I have
> > been looking into the use of wooden "doughnuts" as a means of building
> > a 1 atm. 100 ft max diving depth psub for personal use. I reviewed the
> > archives but unfortunately those who commented on it, their email
> > addresses bounced back. So I would like to open the floor up for
> > discussion...
>
> Welcome back, John.
>
> The wooden donut idea goes all the way back to the 60s, with
> Helle Engineering the Submanaut. It's in Busby on page 221
> and on page 250. Busby lists a collapse depth of 2000 feet
> and an operating depth of 200 feet.
>
> Jerry /Stachiew even wrote about it, in Underssea Technology
> magazine (Sept., 1968). I've never read that article.
> Busby's review of the article notes that Stachiw felt plywood
> has a place in submarine hulls where budget (and presumably
> depth) is limited.
>
> I talked with Mr Helle (his first name eludes me right now),
> in about 1989. The boat was out of the water but in good
> condition. His wife wanted to give me the boat, but he
> hesitated (of course it works like that). He said there
> never were any problems with it.
>
> According to Busby, the technique is to cut 4-inch wide
> ring panels from the wood. The rings are glued together
> and the whole is glassed over.
>
> I suspect a problem would arise if the boat were going
> to spend all its life in the water, or if it were cycled
> too often. ne might have to very careful about how
> the boat were launched, because the plywood might crack
> internally if the stress were not evenly distributed as
> it began to float.
>
>
>
> Mike
>