Screw Loose

Just to keep up to date, I have been working on the stabalisers, fins and rudders tonight.

I put the stabalisers on first as per the instructions, then put the stabalisers onto the hull and drilled out the 4mm holes for the screws.

Not sure what has happened but the 4mm screws supplied dont fit, the holes in the fins are 4.5mm, so a 5mm tap was used and 5mm screws used to attatch the fins.

Damned hard to line the holes up, bit of carefull measuring and educated guesswork here

The only this left was the rudders, pretty straighforward, 2 bearings top and bottom and a 4mm shaft through the fins. Got the shafts lined up for the collets and pins inside, and bobs your uncle its on.



I havnt glued any of it in yet and all the screws are finger tight, just dont want to comit to glueing it in before I am sure its all correct and everythings lined up properley. As you can see I havnt even removed the bur from the mouldings yet. Will have to do that before long.

But back to reality, moving house on Friday, so wont be building much for the next couple of weeks.

Paul

Mankster

For the rear dive planes, I only superglued one plane to the shaft. For the other plane I embedded a collar with the hole for the grub screw at the bottom. Makes it easy to ensure the the planes are level and to fascilitate removal.

Screw Loose

On your boat are the rudder planes on the same steering rod ? Mine are stagered, 2 rods, one for each plane and joined by a metal colete?

Mankster

I used one striaght rod to connect both dive planes as they are inline. The rudders are stagered. I used a 'Y' shapped pushrod to connect to both the top and bottom rudders.

don_jarr

Hi m8

I just wondered where you got it from in the UK, or did you import it direct.

Many thanks

Don

Screw Loose

Don, sorry about the delay in answering, been moving house oh joy of joys !

I bought mine from SUBTECH models in Somerset. This is the 3rd boat I have got from him, and every submarine related item for years. Robbe handsets, speed controlers, depth and pitch sensors etc.

I bought it off him due to the fact that he could get the kit quicker and for the same price as buying it direct, and for trade and legal purposes its a lot easyer and safer in my opinion to buy it from a UK supplier.

His site is http://www.rcmodelsubs.com/

I have had no bother from SUBTECH in anyway shape or form and delivery is always prompt and Dave knows his stuff.

Now if anyone goes on there they will see that Dave's business has had to go part time. Due to the lack of interest in our hobby, and the precious resource which is our time, or some peoples inability or patience to get there backsides away from Playstaions and TV's.

Bet everyone knows of at least 1 or 2 model shops which have had to close in the last ten years, I can think of 3. So lets get the message out and see if we can keep this great hobby of ours going and expanding, who knows we might convince a few chubby fingered youngsters to leave there Playstaions and enter the fresh air for a change !!!!!

Sorry for going off topic and on my soapbox here

Screw Loose

Just to keep up to date again, I have done absolutley nothing on the boat in the last 3 weeks. Had the dubious privalege of moving house, and the unfortunate development of having an accident at work !

Good piece of advice, dont pick a fight with a kettle full of boiling water, it really makes your hand sting ! And skin fall off !

So no work and no work on the boat, good for getting out of the decorating though !!! Cant do anything one handed !

Screw Loose

The rear planes seem to have been giving me grief lately. I have not had much time to work on them recently, but for such a simple task there proving to be a pain.

The rudder fins are screwed to the upper and lower hull. They say in the instruction that if you glue them on they can become dislodged easily or broke. Seems a bit odd, that most other boats have them glued but there you go.
After the holes have been drilled carefully, you can insert the screw from the inside out into the fins. And screw them up by drilling another hole in the bottom and top of the opposing side of the hull, where the screwdriver is inserted. But if theres any defoprmation in the inner coating of the GRP hull like mine, the screw wont sit flat, and therefore the fins are wonkey

So after more grinding with the Dremmel and cutting threads in the fins for the screws they are on at last. Both rudders work off different shafts, so a coupling device is made up of a small sheet of brass, 2 pins and 2 couplers with grub screw tightened collets. If you have small hands you are laughing. If not ( like me ) its awkward.

The planes are fitted a sililar way, just modified mine to use a brass tube as a bearing which goes into the fin and the hull, with the solid brass rod going through the centre, and glued into the fin.
Works pretty well.

Mankster

Dont believe everything you read Treat the manual as a guide and not instruction. I pinned and expoxied my rudders, they are not going anywhere.

ajg141

I did the same as Mankster - except that I managed to get the screws to seat satisfactorily. I did however epoxy them too just to be on the safe side. The fabricated link was a pest though and although it works it does have a tendency to twist and makes smooth operation of the rudders a little jerkier than I would like. No doubt more fiddling and adjustment will cure this when I get back to the project.

Andrew