----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 2:34 PM
Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unknown Connection Bars on my K-250
Thank you Dan,
I'm not home at the moment so I can't tinker with those plates, but I suspect your right in thinking they are aluminum. I would suspect Dr. LeShack installed them after he purchased the sub. The second and third owners didn't really do any thing with the sub, but look at it and scratch there heads thinking of what to do with it.
My sub is designated #105 on the bill of sale from Dr. LeShack to Terry Anderson, who was the second owner. I don't have the original bill of sale, or letter of intent from the Captain. I would like to get those, or a copy of them from the Captain and/or from Dr. LeShack, who I plan to look up some time when I can catch a breath.
What does your paper work say for #105?
Regards,
Brent
From: Jumachine@comcast.net
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unknown Connection Bars on my K-250
Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:18:48 -0400
Brent,
By weight, a magnet, a grinder and your eyes you can pretty much determine what most metals are.
If it's heavy and fully magnetic, it's steel.
If it's light weight, it's aluminum.
If it's heavy and slightly magnetic or non magnetic, produces dull red sparks with a grinder and looks like steel where you ground, it's most likely stainless steel.
If it's heavy, non magnetic and the grinder doesn't make sparks or makes very few sparks, you can examine the ground area and determine if it's zinc, copper or bronze by the color.
If it's real heavy, soft and doesn't make sparks it's most likely lead, or something combined with lead if it's not real soft.
The above will always get you in the ball park. Grinder sparks tell a lot about a metal. Of course it's a crude method because there are all combinations of metals. But it's a start.
If it doesn't show rust and is pitted from corrosion but was used as a functional part, my bet is on aluminum. Throw it away! It shouldn't have been bolted to steel anyway.
Yes, the holes in my pod mountings are so I could get a line or chain in them and pull from there. To tell you the truth, I don't think I ever used them but the holes were cheep to make before the sub was painted, so I made them.
Unfortunately what I received from the Captain was very brief. I was hoping he had a good easy to copy list of the subs he built and maybe some information to go with each but not really. I have a list of sub numbers and who some of them were made for. He may have more information but I didn't get it.
Do you know what number you sub is? The list is numbered between 105 and 131. It has the names of the original purchaser for most and the dates for a few. I'm sending what I received along with the list I compiled to Jon. He's the keeper of the site and should have this also.
Dan H.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 1:59 AM
Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unknown Connection Bars on my K-250
Greetings Dan,
Is there any interesting data in the materials you received from the Captain?
Those bars we are talking about are far more corroded then any of the surrounding metal. So I don't think it's steel. Perhaps if it's not zinc, it us aluminum. There is no rust coming from the chipped off paint on them. Ya I don't like overlapping metals like that on the exterior.
Speaking of overlapping metal. I saw a overlapping saddle collar like I have around my conning tower on a new large storage tank that has a large access tube in the top like are Kittredge subs.
Dan are the large holes drilled in the pod plates near the front of Persistence for pulling it down low if need be? I like your idea of using solid round bar stock rings. I think I can install a modified version of that, of which will be hidden in behind the inside of the leading edges of the keel skids. For this I would use round bar stock of the same diameter as the existing support between the front of the keels. Then weld in a quarter of a circle piece of those bars, with one end welded to the back of the existing bar support out about 2 inches and then weld the other end to the inside vertical surface of the 1/4" vertical plate of the skids. This would keep the rope or chain attached to the front keel support bar, from moving or bending said support bar.
I do a lot of sandblasting for my furniture business and fine detail blasting for restoring old guns and machinery.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=4001713&pid=10167592
I've learned that if you put two or more smaller compressors together, you can get enough CFM to do more commercial work if you don't have a larger compressor. I plan to do all the blasting my self using copper slag blasting media. It cuts twice as fast as silica, and is healthier for you to be around. Once I've removed every thing off the sub, I need to blast every part of the pressure hull inside and out. This way I can do a much better inspection for any pitting and/or visible cracks if there are any. Then I will spray on a cheap temporary high zinc primer to keep the rust down while I replace a few thru hulls and add a few weldments. Then I'll reblast every thing and apply a proper epoxy primer.
"That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest." ~ Henry David Thoreau
Regards,
Brent Hartwig
From: Jumachine@comcast.net
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unknown Connection Bars on my K-250
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:32:02 -0400
Brent,
If your reconditioning the sub anyway just remove them and toss them. Flat pieces bolted together like that are a place to get rust forming that you can't get at. Best if you toss those tabs and replace them with something made out of round stock welded in place. Maybe two U shaped rings.
Are you considering sand blasting the entire sub. If your going to strip it down and rebuild it, you may want to consider sand blasting. It's the easiest way to work with something like that. No paint to grind off, the rust is all gone and you can see what your working with. You need someone that has an industrial size blaster and a large compressor. Probably an half day job. It's not cheep but worth it in the long run.
Enjoy and good luck with it.
Dan H.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 7:13 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Unknown Connection Bars on my K-250
Hello SMMO's, I have been pondering what these flat connection bars are, that are bolted to the top front area of my double keel skids. I suppose you could winch the sub forward with them, but they feel, look, and sound like brittle zinc anodes. They were attached somewhat haphazardly. If anyone knows or would care to venture a guess, I'd like to figure it out? I have not come across them in the K-250 plans. I was just going to remove them and attach a zinc anode just below them on the inside of the vertical plate of the skids. Also notice that the port keel is skip welded at the base and the starboard side is solid welded.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=2384531&pid=10166020
Regards,
Brent