----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 5:36
PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] progress
Hey. The hemispheres were hard to
find. They came as rough sections from "Commercial Metal Forming"
Orange Co. CA. cguido@cmforming.com Tell her I
said Hi. :)
They are 3/8 thick and 36 in. in
Diameter. They were just under $1000 . But the Co. has sent
me a warning that steel prices are going up.
The over all design is my interpretation of the
many boats I have seen and read about timbered with my mechanical skills and
shop resources. The hull thickness and rib installations are
determined by P-Subs calc. sheet, my 600 foot depth target, and a
whopping good deal on a piece of 1/2 gas pipeline remnant, $170.
A local weld shop has adopted me and Rod is an
employee there. I am paying for their services. ( cut rate so
far).
I have about $4200 invested so far including a
$1000 failed attempt to make my own motor housings, and $400 in machining
costs for view ports and hatch cover 'O' ring seals. I plan on buying
a lathe and turning my own valves and thru hull elec. fittings. I can
only work 2-3 hours per evening, after my regular day job, on the sub and
have not kept track of the hours. They cutting and grinding of the
hemispheres took many hours. I've used (6) 71/4 grinding wheels so
far.