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It has now been 6 months since I began the submarine project. After 550 hours of construction it is finally beginning to take shape.
The conning tower is basically finished. Believe me, it was quite a job, but it turned out great. It is fabricated from half-inch thick steel. The access hatch is three-quarters of an inch thick with five-eights inch bracing. The hatch is sealed by a one inch o-ring and counterbalanced by a custom fabricated torsional spring. A snorkel tube, to supply air to the sub has been mounted forward of the hatch. The exhaust stack is mounted aft of the hatch.
The tower is outfitted with seven, eight inch view ports, each two and one half inches thick. Each port is seated in an eight inch weldable flange that has been machined to receive a rubber quad ring. The view ports themselves will be installed near the end of the project to avoid scratching.
I have strengthened the hull by installing 10 internal 1/2 by 3 inch ribs in addition to the 2 bulkheads. The diesel generator is located in the bow ahead of the forward bulkhead. This is fed from a sixty gallon tank located below the decking of the main section. The electric drive motors are located in the stern abaft the rear bulkhead. The battery trays have been installed and are ready to receive the battery banks.
The hard ballast tanks are mounted fore and aft and water can be pumped between them to trim the vessel. I have also installed two soft ballast tanks, one at each end. Additionally there will be two soft ballast tanks on either side. These tanks have been built but cannot be installed until after the conning tower. At times this project seems like a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces must be fabricated, put in place, taken out, painted then finally reassembled. It's a very dirty job, requires a thorough knowledge of steel and a multitude of mechanical skills.
I feel I've finally gotten to the point where my friends no longer think I've lost my mind...they are now sure of it. Oh well, anyone can build a boat but very few would attempt to build a sub. Anyone can ride on the water but how many will get a chance to operate his own submarine under the sea.
So I will continue with my work until it is operational and I fulfill my dream. 'Till then, Down scope!
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