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**johnpipe108** · 24-07-2011

Ever since I was a youngster, I've been fascinated ..., no, addicted, to submarines; I used to watch the Silent Service television program religiously every Sunday in the 1950's. I've wanted to build a sub project ever since. I've been re-watching Destination Tokyo too many times lately, and decided I just had to start building a conning tower.

I'm not sure where this is going to go in the long run; perhaps this will stand alone, or perhaps it will have a cut-away fairwater to view the inside of the tower, I don't know yet, the project will just grow!

I started with a suitable 4" coffee container:

I have worked out a basic deck and periscope positions; there will only be one eyepiece in the tower, as in the Sargo/Seadragon/Tambor classes. Here is an overview, with one periscope shear standing up from the forward scope housing:

A closer view, with after periscope well installed:

A close up on the after periscope well (a piece of 5/8in K&S telescoping tube, with a rim-band of 21/32in tube adhered with CA (I prefer soldering, but we're not supposed to play with torches or open flame in my "senior citizen" apartments!)):

Here is a view of the deck, one shear before painting, and one experimental, prototype periscope; I learned a lot from making the proto (detailing is going to be tricky at this scale; I'm disappointed that I won't be able to make the handles fold up!); the finished article will be more like 18in or so in length, and, if I can afford it, I may make the main body of K&S tube, provided the local vendor has the longer pieces:

We shall see where this takes me ...

Regards, Johnpipe

**geegad** · 24-07-2011

Lookin forward to seein this coming along a do like a scratch build food luckGeegad

**johnpipe108** · 26-07-2011

Well, I have reached the stage of beginning the visualization and mock-up of the bridge-deck. 1942 measure, with the covered navigation-bridge intact, and the fairwater cut down astern for the 20mm Oerlikon gun. First pix is the initial mock-up:

Studying this, I realized I needed a riser for the after periscope (Shiny bits! Woo Hoo!), giving the distinctive two-step look of the Sargo through Tambor classes:

And, of course, the forward periscope needs a housing from the shear to the control-room, complete with control-room head (K&S tubing as usual):

I'm considering building the control-room below, as a horizontal half-hull. And, they should get the men in the white coats to take me away before it's too late, as I have this delusion that I can make the periscope with folding handles, and motorize it to go up and down!

regards, Johnpipe

**Bunkerbarge** · 26-07-2011

This is certainly looking like a very interesting project and a great excercise in scratchbuilding. Do you have an idea of scale or are you simply making what looks right?

I love the way you are not supposed to use open flames, I 'm surprised they allow you to use knives!!

**geegad** · 26-07-2011

Keep it coming!!! At least you've got the weather to build outside In sunny California

John

**johnpipe108** · 31-07-2011

As mentioned in the title, the scale is 1:24. Some detail info is available from the C. & R.'s Spearfish modification plans from hnsa.org Making a little progress, some of the first framing and glue-up:

I made some formers; only the fore-end is glued to the frames, the after end is tacked temporarily with tape, as is the experimental decking.

Added the bridge-hatchway; temporary trunk, and hatch-lid to be done up:

Here is a look into the tower with the new number-two periscope (which is still under construction):

Will get the periscope pix up next.

**johnpipe108** · 31-07-2011

Got started on the brass periscope; several layers of telescoping tube to join the square-end to the 5/16in main tube, compared with the prototype:

A little detail, the eyepiece filter panel:

Set up the top taper stack; not glued-up yet, but will be turned and filed once glued:

Here's a long view, the top stack will plug into the main tube:

I'm working on making folding handles, but am missing my smallest drill bits needed to make the hinge-points; I may not succeed on these, but I'm having a go!

Regards, Johnpipe

**johnpipe108** · 31-07-2011

A Word on Submarine Construction ...

U.S. Fleet subs were built, not to plan, but to specification. As a result, details and appearance would vary, depending on which yard built the boat. Government yards at Portsmouth and Mare Island built many of the fleet boats, and Electric Boat Co. (now a subsidiary of General Dynamics) built most of the rest (a few were built by a company that took over the name of the defunct Cramp shipbuilding Co.). Usually the build designs are referred to as Portsmouth or Electric Boat; Cramp was a follow-yard to Electric Boat plans.

Unusually, the Spearfish, SS-190 built by EB, has the Salmon-class internal layout, with the galley and crew's mess in the same compartment as the control-room, whereas Portsmouth Sargo-class builds moved the after-bulkhead forward, putting the galley and mess in the after battery compartment, which became the standard layout, with the central compartment between bulkheads being only the control room, where the radio-room was located (radio-room was in the forward battery in the EB builds).

Whereas the Sargo, Seadragon and Tambor classes had the split-level periscopes as built, this was changed during wartime modifications to the standard arrangement with both eyepieces in the conning tower.

This model will be based on the pre-war arrangements and equipment of this class. Exact fabrication is going to be a mix of what I can duplicate from available actual details, and what "feels right" for what I can't get reasonable details for, or for what doesn't work well in model-building. Some parts simply don't have drawings or photos available, and will have to be improvised.

regards, Johnpipe

**johnpipe108** · 01-08-2011

Got a little more done today; cut out for the control-room hatchway, and had to make a jig to guide the Forstner bit:

Here's a view looking down the bridge-hatchway into the control-room hatchway:

Here's a side-view:

I cut off the temporary bracket on the stern, and put up some proper angle-brackets, complete with token lightening holes:

And gussied up the stern-former, and glued and clamped in place (ran out of CA several days ago, and falling back on good old Titebond II wood glue):

The clamp is actually repairing a recalcitrant CA joint that failed!

I am in process of re-sawing some old furniture poplar to make decking strips; no money left at end of month for store-bought goodies, so re-cycle comes to the rescue. I still need to get to the art store to find some card-stock for the plating.

regards, Johnpipe

**johnpipe108** · 04-08-2011

Got all the decking put down, and sanded:

This required some corrective surgery, and addition of risers. I made mistakes by starting the project based on photo interpretation and Portsmouth builds, but the hull below is going to be Electric Boat. And, it's going to become a 3/4 hull. I even have a potential offer of .020 steel shim stock for the external plating!

Got the bridge hatch trunk roughed out; it will be profiled more closely before it's fixed in place:

Uncanny, but by both intuition and accident, the hatch-trunk ended up exactly centered relative to the tower axis, according the to C&R plans!

At this point, I need to make the concave tower end, and the steering-gear for tower and bridge. Then comes the 20mm Oerlikon at some point.

Regards, Johnpipe

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Evolution of a U.S. Fleet Boat Conning Tower, 1:24

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