Scale Models - View Single Post - 1:100 'Typhoon' Submarine Building Thread

Mankster · 30-07-2006

Here’s my new larger opening. It turned out a lot neater than I feared just using a hand tool. I used a diamond cutting disc on the fibreglass part. Knife through butter and very neat cut as you can see. I changed over to the standard cut-off wheel attachment to cut through the metal bars as the diamond disc was getting very hot. I went through 3 cut off wheels to cut through the 4 metal bars. It took about an hour in total, most of it on the metal bit. There is no apparent loss of rigidity in the structure. But it does now weight 1.5kg (3 1/2lb)_less having removed most of the metal! I’ll just be glassing my new bolts in place as normal rather than tapping a thread for them so I won’t be installing new metal bars. This will lower the centre of gravity of the completed sub as all as all that weight was at the top of the pressure hull. This will mean a more stable, easier to trim boat.!
I did all the work from the out side surface, so if you built your boat the original way and want later change to a bigger opening, it should prove no problem. Just take out all the components first as fibreglass dust is fine and goes everywhere.

Here you can see the polycarbonate lids I have made up, 3 are 6mm thick and 1is 8mm thick. I think the 6mm one will suffice (seem stronger than the original Engel lid see picture). I made a few extra incase I messed up with the drilling. Its worthwhile using polycarbonate rather than acrylic (which is far more commonly used in other subs I have seen in the UK). Firstly polycarbonate is much stronger (they make safety visors and bullet proof shield from this), does not crack and craze during drilling if your not careful and most importantly won’t crack under pressure should the worst happen. Down sides of polycarbonate is that it can yellow under prolonged exposure to sunlight and it cost rather a lot more that acrylic. In the UK suppliers seem hell bent on selling it only in rather large sheets at but if you get off cuts like I did then its much more reasonable

30-07-2006	#17 (permalink)
Mankster Scale Model Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London My Models: RC Postwar Subs and Naval ships Visit Mankster's Gallery Posts: 269	Here’s my new larger opening. It turned out a lot neater than I feared just using a hand tool. I used a diamond cutting disc on the fibreglass part. Knife through butter and very neat cut as you can see. I changed over to the standard cut-off wheel attachment to cut through the metal bars as the diamond disc was getting very hot. I went through 3 cut off wheels to cut through the 4 metal bars. It took about an hour in total, most of it on the metal bit. There is no apparent loss of rigidity in the structure. But it does now weight 1.5kg (3 1/2lb)_less having removed most of the metal! I’ll just be glassing my new bolts in place as normal rather than tapping a thread for them so I won’t be installing new metal bars. This will lower the centre of gravity of the completed sub as all as all that weight was at the top of the pressure hull. This will mean a more stable, easier to trim boat.! I did all the work from the out side surface, so if you built your boat the original way and want later change to a bigger opening, it should prove no problem. Just take out all the components first as fibreglass dust is fine and goes everywhere. Here you can see the polycarbonate lids I have made up, 3 are 6mm thick and 1is 8mm thick. I think the 6mm one will suffice (seem stronger than the original Engel lid see picture). I made a few extra incase I messed up with the drilling. Its worthwhile using polycarbonate rather than acrylic (which is far more commonly used in other subs I have seen in the UK). Firstly polycarbonate is much stronger (they make safety visors and bullet proof shield from this), does not crack and craze during drilling if your not careful and most importantly won’t crack under pressure should the worst happen. Down sides of polycarbonate is that it can yellow under prolonged exposure to sunlight and it cost rather a lot more that acrylic. In the UK suppliers seem hell bent on selling it only in rather large sheets at but if you get off cuts like I did then its much more reasonable Last edited by Mankster; 30-07-2006 at 11:56.