I’d definitely be interested in one
Phil. BTW, where can I find a picture of the Sea Urchin? I’ve
searched your website and all over the internet – nada!
Al Secor
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of vbra676539@aol.com
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010
2:05 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] New
and needing early advice
Okay, put me down for one. I hope the
"pretty low cost" is pretty low cost.
-----Original
Message-----
From: Phil Nuytten <phil@philnuytten.com>
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Sent: Mon, Jan 4, 2010 12:27 pm
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] New and needing early advice
Always nice to see a
fellow Canuck interested in subs - psubs is the ideal place to get good info on
what to do - and, more importantly, what not to do!
Re: learning to
pressure weld - if you really cast an analytical eye over a well made personal
sub - you will usually find that the bare hull was the least expensive part of
the assembly. There are lots of pipe and head suppliers in Calgary and Edmonton - if you price out the tube to head weld and a flange weld at a pipe shop, I
think you'll find your time better spent doing whatever it is you do, rather
than trying to do it yourself!
At Nuytco, we've thought quite a bit
about putting out a kit for a sub in the style of our old 'Sea Urchin'
style sub - kind of an upgraded Kitteridge 350 - would be pretty low cost if we
can develop some decent quantities . . . maybe time for a poll to see if there
actually is any interest.
If you need contact
info for pipe/head suppliers in Canada - give me a call at Nuytco.
----- Original
Message -----
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 9:12 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] New and needing early advice
I am a new member to
this discussion group and, being new to the whole subject of personal
submersibles, have a few questions for the rest of you to help me decide if the
whole idea of building my own submersible is a sensible choice for me. I do NOT
want to go further down the road of resource, financial and emotional
investment if its an unrealistic venture.
Il tell you a bit
about me, my intended submersible and also the area where I intend to use it.
My name is Paul
Lassen and am 46. I live in Rosebud, Alberta, Canada (about as land locked as
you can get) near Calgary. I have a masters degree in Industrial Design and
currently work as an acoustician who assesses and designs solutions for
industrial noise. I have spent my life building virtually anything that strikes
my fancy. Including everything from violin family instruments, rally cars,
engines, boats, product models, homes, tools, stereo equipment electronics, on
and on. I have also been an instrumentation mechanic / technician in the oil
and gas sector.
I have good
confidence in my ability to build a submersible with one exception. Welding. I
have virtually no experience welding and I can only imagine the importance of a
high quality weld to the building of a safe PSUB. Can the necessary welding
skills be gained through adult education courses, some additional reading and
practice? I get the sense that at least some of you have done just that. Am I
right? If you know of good resources for welding education then please pass
their titles / URLs / whatever along. What kind of welding is appropriate /
necessary for our kind of welding (stick, MIG, TIG)? Is there an exceptionally
well suited model of welder that people know of? Are there welder models to
avoid?
My hope is to build a
K-350 with my own little modes. I intend to use it in Clayoquot Sound on the
west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada where I now boat
regularly. On the surface its a stunningly beautiful area of intersecting
fjords and inlets but below the water I just don't know much. Neither does
anyone I've spoken with. I have oceanfront recreational property there which
can act as a good base and the invertebrate speciation there is really second
to none. Depths are between 30 to 60 metres for perhaps 50% of the various
inlets of Clayoquot Sound while the remainder is 60 metres down to 170 metres.
Visibility was poor the one time Ie bothered to dive there (I far prefer more
tropical destinations for SCUBA) and surface observation of visibility seems to
indicate that this is the norm. Water is typically 11 C (52 F) without much
seasonal variation.
The idea of building
and operating a PSUB has really captured my imagination. I just need to know
what it will take to get to a skill level where I can make welds that will
result in a safe and reliable submersible. I also want to know if cool mirky
waters (at shallow diving depths) will allow any kind of observational
enjoyment or if Il be consistently disappointed in what I am unable to
see down there. Does visibility ever improve at depth? Finally, explain to me
the reasons that the K-350 has become such an apparently popular PSUB?
I'll be grateful for
any responses.
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