[PSUBS-MAILIST] Lurker finally surfacing!

[james hughes via Personal_Submersibles]

Good evening All,

My name is Jim and I’ve been a lurker on this list for manyyears now.  Long before now I’ve intendedon making my presents known to the whole group (I’ve contacted several membersoff list over the years) but have always seemed too busy to do so… Well, nowI’ve pretty much got all the time in the world and am using much of it tofinish building my sub…

Here’s a little about me: I’m 56.  Retired navy Chief (I was a corpsman).  Just finished earning a BS in marine biologythanks to the GI bill.  Now I’m finallyfinishing the behemoth that’s been sitting in my brother’s backyard for nearly15 years now…

My boat started as a modified K250 (for which I haveblueprints) but morphed into something of a money pit since the day I saw andbought a “real bargain” (a giant pressure vessel) at a wrecking yard.  The pressure vessel that I’m using for myhull is 12.5’ long, 5’ in diameter and 5/8” thick.  It would have cost about $15K new, but I gotit for $300!  My boat will be named“Pipedream” when it’s done because my original idea called for the hull sectionbeing made from a piece of pipe.  I don’tplan on going deeper than 100 feet and will likely stay above 60 feet most ofthe time.
One of the reasons I’ve finally surfaced on this list is toask for help.  Does anyone have a workingplan / blueprint of a through hull connection for a drive shaft?  Or can someone direct me to one?  I’ve got a 10 horsepower motor for propulsionthat I plan on using to turn a 1 inch diameter, 5 foot long shaft with a 12”propeller.  I’ve read all I can findabout mechanical seals and watched all the youtube videos on them that I couldfind…. Can anyone recommend specific mechanical seals and bearings(manufacturer / source or catalog number)? My nephew in Texas works at a machine shop and assured me that with theequipment he has, that he can make anything I ask for if I can only get him a basicblueprint or plans for a part with the seals and bearings that I need inside.  I need to wrap up the issue with the throughhull ASAP as the guy who has done most of my welding is moving next month and Idon’t want to get someone new to put that part in (the welder I have is VERYgood at what he does).  I would be verygrateful if someone could help me with this particular issue.  Thanks in advance for any advice or help!God bless, Jim

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