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Brent,
Thanks for the update on the viewport question. My concern with the
viewport in the hatch was the locking mechanism interfering with the viewport
and also the possibility of hitting something. It's funny that you are
using that acrylic tubular viewport, I was all hot about doing something like
that earlier in my designing phase, the difference with mine was I was using 4"
flat plate acrylic and cutting it into a big doughnut and then polishing the
sides. I finally decided there were too many unknows to
proceed.
Take
Care,
Brian
Greetings
Brian,
Your the second person
to suspect that the large thru hull behind the conning tower is a viewport. It
is actually a plate with four old plastic SeaCon electrical thru hulls in it.
In my subs configuration, it
is very hard to lay down enough to get your head under the conning tower
reinforcement ring and look up through that large thru hull tube. I would put
a viewport in your metal hatch, if at all possible. I'm planning on building a
light, all SS metal hatch similar to what Paul Moorhouse used on the
Alicia sub, but rotate the three locking means so I can install a small
viewport in the forward area of the hatch like on Doug Privitt's sub Delta.
That way I can look up through easily. Don't get turned around like I did for
some time when looking at the Deltas viewport side guards. They are not part
of a hinge. The hatch hinge is on the other side, and quite small, making it
hard to see in the low quality pictures I have.
http://k-250-submarine-refit.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!5085D10EB6AFE47C!123/
This will
allow me to have a light hatch locking means that can be opened from inside
and out. Here are some pictures of the Alicia's hatch, and the Delta's Hatch.
I wish I had better pictures of both subs
hatches.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=4001713&pid=10255616
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=4001713&pid=7567969
http://www.deltaoceanographics.com/xmascoral.html
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1479/dougbiodeltacw5.jpg
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6779/cominginve4.gif
http://www.bubbleology.com/seeps/images/Delta_Image.jpg
My
metal hatch will be installed above a 1.5" thick cylinder of acrylic that
is 25" OD and 12" high. I'm purchasing the cylinder from the Captain. He
had planned to put it on one of his subs, and never got around to it. It will
significantly raise my freeboard hatch land height, and give me a great 360
degree view.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=viewphoto&id=4001713&pid=10255638
When
I spoke with George the other day, he didn't recall installing the large thru
hull behind the conning tower. So it very well might of been done by Dr.
LeSchack. So when referring to the temporary wooden plugs that were used by
Dr. LeSchack for the first unmanned depth test, they were likely used on the
thruster thru hulls.
I'm
working on another configuration with will allow me to have a larger viewport
in the middle of a metal hatch. That can also be open from the inside and out
with only one handle on the outside and one on the inside. I'll show you guys
the 3D CAD work when it is
done.
I regards to the plastic
thru hulls that were on my K-250, when I spoke to George he said he
wanted to use stainless steel EnviroCon electrical thru hulls on my sub, since
he worried that if there was a short in the plastic ones, that might melt the
plastic. I'm not sure exactly what kind of plastic was used for the thruster
electrical thru hulls. It looks much like UHMW type plastic to me. They didn't
use solid wire. Here are pictures of one of
them.
http://k-250-submarine-refit.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!5085D10EB6AFE47C!123/
The
electrical thru hulls installed into the large plate behind the conning tower,
are a old plastic SeaCon type. I was not impressed with these at all. You will
see why in the pictures.
The
large thru hull plate has a O-ring installed into it, and it's land and tube
support are different components welded together, Likely before it was welded
to the hull. This way they could turn it flat if need be, like Carsten did on
his larger main hull flanges on Euronaut.
The little front light
electrical thru hull, was constructed of a plain steel 1/2" cap, with two
tight fitting holes drilled into it to receive the two stranded type
electrical wires. Then they filled the cap, and the nipple, that is welded
into the hull, full of silicone, and called it a day. It looks like it worked,
but it was a rusty mess as you can see.
Regards,
Brent
Hartwig
From: ojaivalleybeefarm@dslextreme.com
To:
personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] The Ugly
Duckling Submarine
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:52:46 -0700
Brent,
Is that a viewport behind the conning tower? If it is, that is what I am
planning on doing instead of putting a viewport in the hatch. It looks
like they added a extra thick piece of steel around the collar area, I
wonder how the formed that piece?
Brian
Hello SMMOM's,
(Submadman Organization
Members)
Well my sub has come
off it's high horse, It doesn't look so high and might now that it's off
it's pedestal and trailer. It looks and feels a lot
different now.
Just so you
all know I haven't been completely goofing off of late, here are some new
photos of my K-250 taken apart in preparation for copper slag blasting. I
started a new blog page that I can add photos to. So let me know if it works
ok.
http://k-250-submarine-refit.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!5085D10EB6AFE47C!124/
No
worries, I took plenty of pictures and notes as I took it apart. I'll share
that data at a pace.
So now
as George would say, it's Full Bore Boggy submarine
building.
Regards,
Brent
Hartwig
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