Wow, we're talking a long time ago, but here goes.
First, I'm assuming that the setting and morphology
of the pond
aren't significant.
Suffice it to say, , the only problems I encountered
were in the
construction,
the materials available to me, and my own
inexperience and not so
much the dynamics of the pond.
My tools were pipe benders, hacksaw, pipe threaders,
and the ol'
Sears craftman's tool set [ the old "good" tool set
of a time passed ].
The materials were ; conduit and plumbing fittings,
construction
grade clear visaquene plastic, pitch for sealant,
rope, string, small
canvas bags used with sand and gravel for weight and
trim, and
homemade pinch clamps to hold plastic to frame at
various points
to keep it in place [ without damaging or poking
holes in the plastic.]
Basically, the stock came from a loose assortment of
parts from
my granddad's barn. The base frame was sized and
cut from
stock galvinized 1inch diam. conduit, the top frame
was sized and
cut from half inch galvinized stock. I rammed and
packed the pipe for
the base with sand using rebar and pieces of burlap
wadding.
The top frame was left hollow. I made four tents
the last being
successful at 4feet by 6feet base at 3feet in
height. 3 half round
frame members with a longitudinal supporting member
and vertical
supports at each end. Despite its weight it was
slightly positive
bouyant. So, I added sand filled canvas bags lashed
to the bottom
frame. When I needed to replenish the air or take it
to surface I simply
unlashed the bags and it would rise slowly with a
little help.
It was crude and it did leak, but there was always a
good size pocket
of air to enable me to explore a short distance and
return for air.
I would say it gave me about 20 minutes under before
I had to surface.
I could sit in it, but the plastic would fog up a
lot, but a splash of
water
cleared it up. Visaquene is hygroscopic so it would
opaque and degrade
out of water while being stored. It was fun while it
lasted. It was
destroyed
when my cousins and a few neighbor kids thought it
would be fun
playing 'depth charge' with large rocks [ and with
me in it ! ]
Well, did that help?... or at least crack a smile?
Shallow, tidal, and near shore dynamics is a
different story compared
to a pond. You've got your work cut out for you
that's for sure.
cheers, --Steve
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 21:34:22 -0700 (PDT) Warren
Greenway
<opensourcesub@yahoo.com> writes:
That is similar to the proposal by Michael Savage
in his book Millenial Project. So, what I want to
know
is this: How large was your electrical conduit
underwater tent? I'm still very interested in
collecting data on swell-induced pressure
variations
in such a habitat.
Warren.
--- Steven Mills <cirtemoeg@juno.com> wrote:
...and, if you feel real ambitious or want to
add a
split-level
to that underwater tent, may I suggest this :
http://fun.supereva.it/artificialisle/index.html
Or, perhaps we should all chip in and build a
pSubs
headquarters
and convention center ?
:- ) --Steve
On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 09:37:53 -0700 (PDT) Warren
Greenway
<opensourcesub@yahoo.com> writes:
Cool! Thanks! One thing about that link that
is
interesting is that they are measuring PAR. I
told
the
company I was working for that underwater PAR
measurments would become important in the near
future.
They laughed. Hmmm. I designed a PAR
instrument
once
before!
Warren.
--- Steven Mills <cirtemoeg@juno.com> wrote:
This isn't exactly a tent for habitation or
saturation diving. But it is
similar to something I built as a 14 year
old
kid
quite by accident.
I'll forgo the story behind it, but I ended
up
building a small quonset
style tent using electrical conduit pipe for
a
frame
[ that's all I had
available to me ] the bottom part of the
pipe
frame
packed with sand.
It wasn't elaborate or incorporate any
venting,
but
was great on a
hot summers day and watching blue gill and
bass
[ or
were they
watching me : ) ] It was in a pond about
15
feet
under.
--Steve