The Surcouf is on my To Do list. Someday I'll get to it, but not until after two Suffrens (144 and 96 scales) and a 144th Bearn. So, sometime near the end of 2009 or so. heh.
Tug, I can't belive I'm doing this but after cutting the frames for the Shimakaze I realized that there really isn't much room to work with so I'm turning it into a plug I guess I'll leave the wood hulls for the big boats and use fiberglass for the small. which brings me to turning those frames of the I-400 into a plug also ( the ones I postedpics of). so to sum it up I'm going to need your mailing address to ship you 2 plugs within the next couple of weeks. the way I'll make them is foam filled and coated with bondo, is that the preffered way?
Mark, Thanks for making these plugs available for Tugboat! It'll be great to have some 1/96 fiberglass hulls for us to buy! Carl
just finished the wood work for the shimakaze plug and filled it with its first dose of foam, will sand tomorrow and fill in the voids then bondo. do I need to do a layer of fiberglass cloth to finish it off? this is my 1st plug so pointers will be welcome. I'll post a pic in the filemanager later
Sorry to take so long in reply... the site transferring to the new server slowed me down... You don't need to coat it in fiberglass, although a coat of resin, nicely sanded, makes things easier by sealing the plug.
tried calling the phone # on your web site but you weren't accepting calls, my question is the address on your web site, the one to send the plugs to? I'll try to call again this mornig around 10:00
Ah... that cell phone died. The mailing address is correct, though. The single best way to contact me is by email in any case, as I can check it at work, or at home, and do so about 30 times a day. Compulsive? Naaahhh...
first coat of filler drying on shimakaze, started on I-400 plug. decided to convert the hull I have to a plug (there are a few things I scewed up internally but will be fine for a plug) as for the ss on the sub I'd leave that to the builder to do, just because its an area that could be used for so many different things. so both plugs should be done this week if I can sand all the angles the way I want them. Tug, the area up front in the bow on the shimakaze will be thin, real thin. good luck getting fiberglass in there
How thin is thin? And if you have plans for the SS, I could use them... I think a fiberglass SS would give room for construction, it would just be removeable or somesuch...
you'll see if you need to alter the plug to make the mold doable it won't bother me. I will take so pics after typing this and post them within the hour. BTW, how are the turrets comming?
Mark, Gee, a couple of those hulls look familiar...[] Is that the Shimakaze plug in the foreground? Carl
yes indeed, still needs to be sanded, coated sanded, and sealed, also needs the bow and stern pieces added. the I-400 behind it will be worked on tomorrow after I get back from a meeting. the other hulls are ther to give a litle perspective of size
Nice looking pics, Mark. Ay carajo, but it'll be hard to lay up. I'd like to keep it scale, so we'll see when it gets here. Some of the stuff I learned from Alaska may help. Funny thing is, it makes the I-400 look easy!
the plugs will take a little longer to get done now, I have to do a job in Tuxedo NY for the next 5 months @ 6 days a week but will be able to work on stuff in my hotel room, it will get done. maybe even sooner.
can't think of the web page at the moment but it was called the "snort" system for subs, they use a self sealing peristaltic pump and a snorkle for the balast system. this coupled with the LTR-5 from engle (one unit controls depth control using dive planes and a proportional output that can control a pump or piston tank, and also pitch control) will make operating subs as simple as surface ships. I want to get all minds together on TT development, the systems I've drawn up won't be made until I move and setup my lath/mill.
as I was finishing up some ribs for the plug, I looked at the plans from BDE and compared them to the ones that I had found on the internet and the ones Clark had posted. even after I removed the added depth that Bill had put in (some big gun clubs allow 3/8" added depth) his frames are still taller. Tug can you measure the hight of the I-400 sub you have (excluding the skeg) amidships and post it here (I know yours is 1/144 scale I'll convert it over). If things are still at odds, I'll just have to go by displacement tests.
