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

[johnpipe108]

In the most recent previous post, there appears some brass and stainless tubes; here is a starboard-side view:



They are possibles for the 5-gallon stainless coffee urn, and the local water heater for the scullery sink.

Next, I have attempted my first, 1:24-scale submarine ladder, using 1/16" square brass tube for the uprights, and 1/32" rod for the rungs; very difficult for me at this size, as I don't have any illuminated magnifier for seeing where to punch drill marks,and have to work largely by feel. Hopefully, I can do better on the rest of the ladders; this class requires 7 for the central section: bridge, conning-tower, pump-room, refer, cool-room, magazine and store-room!



I added hand-rails, but they are too short, should go one more rung's worth below:



I tried a test-view of the ladder in the forward tower view-port:



I cut in the after view-port for the periscope position:



I have been working on the plating for the tower fairwater, but forgot to take it out and photograph it. I'll have to get to that later. Getting late,

Regards, John

 

[mossiepilot]

Coming along John.

Tony.

 

[geegad]

Looking good you been away for a while been looking forward to seein this one come along

 

[johnpipe108]

"The plans, boss, the plans!"

I felt it was high time to put up the basic plans I have used to create the basic structure. These were produced under my Linux distribution by extracting the complete plans from the HNSA pdf files ("pdfimages filename.pdf filename.*") which gives me a bitmap file, from which I cropped and saved the desired sections (the original drawings are full-length at a scale of 1/8" to 1 foot, for a 312-foot vessel!) as jpg images, so I could download to my printer and actually print them out on letter-size plain paper, at slightly greater than twice that scale, making it possible to scale more accurately from the print.

Here is the main Elevation View of the Sargo Class, SS-190, the Spearfish,, originally launched 29 Oct 1938, commissioned 19 July, 1939. Note that the drawings show the state of the boat following wartime refit, but I am building in the early-war, pre-refit style, with the split-level periscopes and covered bridge. Information to back-track comes from The Fleet Submarine in the U.S. Navy : A Design and Construction History by John D. Alden, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired), Naval Institute Press, copyright 1979, second printing 1985, ISBN 0-87021-187-0.



Next, the upper-deck plan-view:



And, last but not least, below-decks:



These are not build drawings, of course, and one sheet is missing from this set. Visits to actual fleet boats, searching all available photos, history of these specific boats, all contribute toward trying to create internal details. There were only six actual Sargo class boats (the Squalus was one of these), and three each were built by Electric Boat and Portsmouth (the American Naval Yard).

Hope you like it,

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

"The Horror, The Horror ..." - Heart of Darkness

Dimensional and dyslexic disaster strikes again! I looked closely at the plans, and at the model, and at the plans, and at the model ... I have the front of the galley 1/8" (half a foot) too far to port, and worse, the starboard side section that I just built is 5/16" (7-1/2") too far to starboard :ohno:

This explains why the coffee counter seemed too shallow for a 5-gal maker! This would also play nasty with the scullery sink. Having visited the PAMPANITO and seeing what a proper counter and shelving combo looks like, I need to tear the old shelves out of the galley too, and rebuild that detail realistically!

I hope I can extend the partitions, I'm out of large pieces of basswood; good thing I used Crafters Pick "super glue," a flexible adhesive that sticks lots of stuff, as I can usually separate simple joins with a razor blade. Even so, it's another PITA!

Cheers, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Eve of Destruction ...

I went back to the plans, and carefully measured and marked the dimensions, from 0/0, and added in the scaled dimensions that the model should follow. Found a lot of cumulative errors; the big troublemaker is the door between the control-room and mess; that's where the 1/8" / 5/16" errors come from. Other items need correction, and the front of the galley needs to move forward to where it belongs, as the above errors took away half the counter space to the outboard of the galley ranges.

I've torn down some of the areas that need to be rebuilt, but I'm having a problem with buckling down to the real problem, removing and re-building the door. Not an easy job, but if I don't do it, I cannot recover the lost counter space, which is critical in the cramped confines of a sub.



I'll have to sleep on the door problem!

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Successful Sub Ladder!

Here is the old ("drunken") ladder, next to the new ("sober") ladder :^)



In the center is the secret; a drill-guide-jig made up from square and round tubing. There are round tubes down to a 1/16" opening for drilling into a 1/8" square or round piece; a 1/16" removable tube forms the 1/32" guide for drilling the pin holes in the ladder uprights. A removable adapter for 1/16" square or round stock is inserted, and has the index.

A piece of straight-pin is used as an index-stop in a hole one rung position away from the drill guide; after drilling the first hole, the upright is moved until the pin can enter the hole, and the next and successive holes drilled accordingly.

I used CA to attach 1/32" rod in the holes, then threaded the square 1/16" rungs over the rod and secured with CA; the rods were then cut off leaving a stub to fit into the other upright after placing all the rungs. The other side is patiently fitted over the stubs, and only the end-rungs on this side are locked down with CA.

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Some small progress over the last few months. I got galley access to the Pampanito, so I got some measurements, and got a small start by making the chinaware rack, and a general illumination super-bright white LED, with a yellow LED for the rear galley lamp.



Here's another view, un-mounted and with both inside (ivory) and outside (gray) painted (the gray shows a bit washed out in the photo)



The main rack is bent from one piece of .005 brass shim stock, with the center shelf glued in with CA. The vertical center is made from a piece of 1/16" square tube. The plate cabinet on the left is of 1/16" basswood. I hope to make some chinaware of Fimo; it will need to be glued in place.

Did a little testing for preliminary position for the number 2 periscope motor and conning tower lighting.



Some experiments with LED's for the lighting system:



That's all for now ...

Regards, John

 

[Bunkerbarge]

It's good to see that this project is still progressing, I was worried that you might have given up on it.

Keep at it, this is a really interesting subject and you are making a very thorough job of it.

 

[johnpipe108]

I've been laid low by flu-like symptoms for the past 5 week-ends, and have suffered though bouts of exhaustion from the sleep sweats over time. I get a bit of work done on the projects whenever I'm fit enough. General health is improving, so I hope to get more movement on all the projects in the coming weeks (if all goes well!).

Thanks, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Some Further Progress

Tower

Start of tower motor cover:



Cover assembled:



Initial test-fit in assembled cover:



Motor cover housing painted and temporarily test-fitted:



Ventilation

Overall view of beginning of main ventilation duct, made from saved ("pack-ratted") Foley bed-bag drain tube, painted with Americana Slate Gray acrylic:



Passage through galley, with aft locker temporarily located.



General starboard-side view:



Temporarily parked on the living room VHS shelves:



Those were done over the past few weeks. Need to draw the plan for the galley stoves, and still need to work on brass fixtures for the "lamps."

Going slowly, but my physical strength is beginning to improve.

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

I'm still in a slump on the Silverfin, particularly as I have to take time off from Docent work aboard the Pampanito, but did work up the first cardboard galley-range pattern mockup, to begin figuring out the best layout (finished pieced will be cut and folded from 0.010" brass):



The boat is put aside for a while; here it is shown with the tower assembly sitting on top. Tower will not be attached until it's interior periscope lift and switch details are completed, and after the hull-plate is installed.



I'll be working on little details whenever I get the energy and inspiration at the same time!

Regards, John

 

[Sky Raider]

Wow, Just stunning John. Keep up the good work.

Andy

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi John

This is fantastic stuff! I'm only sorry that I didn't come across this thread a lot earlier. This is modeling at it's purist in my opinion and your doing a great job. Stick at it John I'm sure this is going to be a really impressive and interesting finished submarine interior and tower.

Cheers

Paul

 

[geegad]

Nice to see a update on this fabulous build its looking truly amazing john the level of the build quality blows my mind looking forward to your next update

 

[johnpipe108]

New "re-fit;" stringers have been added topside, aka model-aircraft construction. These help the visualization as well as support for the tower. Upper hull-plate has been temporarily attached with double-stick tape to the control-room overhead:



Main ventilation-duct runs through the galley overhead:



Forward hull-plate taped down on the forward edge, with paper "hull-plate" over galley and crew's mess for lighting test:



Looking under the hull-plate at the forward ventilation shut-off valve:



Long view from the Port side; DC board with LM317T regulator circuit set to +3VDC for the #2 periscope motor, +5VDC pass-through to the lighting boards. TDC working side seen, with photo of a TDC pasted on (this side will not be visible when the hull is closed-up):



Port side of galley and crew's mess, showing local lighting circuit:



Close-up on the LED resistor DC board:



Lighting test:



Close-up of the LED's, which are mounted on a strip cut off a RadioShack PCB:



Fairwater astride the hull; clearance holes have been cut for the #2 and #1 (seen sitting in the well) periscope and lower-lid trunk, more detail photos need to be taken in this area:



Periscope wells have been worked on a little; still working out final details for them.

That's all for now, working on the lighting re-design; must figure out the arrangement for the galley.

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

A little update:



The covered surface steering station, with new wheel, resin spokes, 1/16in tubing rim IIRC.



Evolution of the venturi at the open end of the bridge; "try" gyro-compass repeater standing in.



Galley stoves, frontal details yet to be tackled (view A).



Galley stoves, frontal details yet to be tackled (view B).



Conning tower stripped for remodeling, periscope shears removed (Good thing I was able to remove them without too much bother!).



Periscope lift (hoist) cables, of 100lb test contemporary fish-line.



Periscope lift (hoist) cables, close up with lifting-head.

Just a few small details, mostly over the last month or so, except one of my Home Healthcare Aides found the fishline for me, available by the foot from a well-stocked, non-"chain" sporting-goods shop. Good stuff for small wire and cable in models and miniatures.

Regards, got to run,

John

 

[johnpipe108]

Periscope / Tower Department

Well, a little bit of stuff done lately:

Hand-turned brass pulleys for the periscope lifting head:



Periscope with second training handle added, plus "eye cusion" of 3/16 OD x 1/16 ID 'O' ring:



Periscope with assorted pulleys; black plastic pulleys are for 1/32" wire-rope and come in these two smallest sizes from McMaster-Carr:



Re-framing and boxing-up happening on the periscope hoisting motor (early fleet boats used cable-hoist; hydraulic hoist came in on the new wartime construction):



And a chart desk, ala Destination Tokyo:



Coming up: Below-Decks.

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Well, I said below decks, but the crew's mess rear-wall lockers finally came to me and I did them, first removing the walls to work on them:



Then the walls, after working and painting. The holes were drilled with brass-tube with the inside beveled, the "latches" are bits of 1/32" brass rod:



Of course one has to feed the crew; galley ranges while working up:



A closer look:



Finished ranges tucked in between the overhead stringers, then carefully maneuvered into place, and secured with double-stick tape on bottom and top-rear:



A peek through the store-locker and galley doorway:



Next, hopefully, below decks!

Regards, John

 

[johnpipe108]

Below decks beginning; putting down the "Linoleum" green:



Walls for dividing the storage compartments; I found 1/32 Revell-Monogram model-plywood at one of the local arts & craft chain-stores:



(L. to R.) Stb. FW tank, shell-magazine Stb. wall, wall between refer, cool-room and access to the magazines:



Walls separating refer from cool-room, and cool-room from store-room test-fitted:



Close in on the "box of apples;" box was made from brown paper-bag, with end labels found on the web for 1:24 (half dolls house scale):



The underside of the overhead getting ready for some paint:



Well, that's a good re-start!

Regards, John