new dremel delivered this morning! Work can continue! So far 3 guns are mounted. One was tried and proven to hold and work, so I haven't tested that. The Sterns are in and I was able to hook them up to my air compressor, so they have tested at 80psi no leaks. So thats a good sign. New uptube for the aft hatmaker should be here later today. I'll get that in and get all 4 guns tested under co2 power. Going to dry fire a couple times, then load some BBs amd fire. I figure if I can get 15 or so BBs through the guns reliably, I can move on for the time being and get the pump and electronics back in, and get the whole shebang buttoned up and ready to go for it's maiden voyage. Won't make this weekends battle for sure, bit should be ready before September if I can keep up the motivation and time to do so (because the wife wants to do a ton of stuff). I have the next couple days off and then back for 5 days, and then 4 off. So hopefully it'll be good to go. I need to figure out a place to float the boat now too.
All guns are in, all solenoids were in(going to redo them so they aren't just zip tied up, also need to clean them up as well, one is stuck open. It does click, so i know it is the solenoid itself) I do need to work on routing the air lines and wiring, but it will eventually work. Hopefully next weekend I can knock out the waterproofing that needs to happen where I opened it up on the subdeck, and some other spots I seen that weren't waterproofed.
Indeed it is. I have to really tidy the inside up, remount some stuff after working out some kinks (mostly the air lines need tidying up, as well as the mutiboard and one solenlid need to be remounted). I am also going to change up the aft solenoids and hopefully get them evenly spaced. The lines at least are the same even length, bit one is directly fed while the other is off the T. I figured it would be easier/better to have the Splitters (air and solenoid connections) on the deck section. I ended up with them on the opposite side of everything else. I do want to remount my rx too. Gotta figure that out as well. I do need to get all my battling stuff around too, my garage is a disaster right now, but at least all the hard work is done. I think I may lop off one side of the battery/bottle holder, and move the second battery up front. Idk if I'd remake the holder or just literally cut one side off. Would make fitting the multiboard easier, as well as the extra solenoid.
uh, that sounds like a weight distribution nightmare, i wouldn't do that. the more you can keep weighty stuff balanced port and stbd the better. you start moving things around offset and cockeyed you're going to have trouble more floating on an even keel than whatever effort you're saving. If fitting the multiboard is a problem, make longer wiring harnesses and put it somewhere that isnt a problem.
that is true, but how long is too long for the wires running back to the pump and the ESC? I was trying to keep those as short as possible. Really I just need to make a much shorter battery wire, that would solve a lot of the issue I have with the multi board mounting.
Are we concerned about voltage drop and wiring resistance or propensity for cables getting messy? Because all other things being held equal, I would rather have a rat's nest of wiring that floated on an even keel than a neatly wired ship that didn't.
Rats nest. It's a big ol mess right now. Have the same with the airlines as well. I am thinking about using some copper lines I have to make a manifold for all the air. Still have flex lines to the solenoids, but to add some weight on the bottoms, have all the needed splits all be copper line with the quick connect on the end. Really though 2 extra wires ran might actually help clean up the midsection. I do need to either get a much longer rx extension for the rudder servo, or combine a couple together. Cut of ends and soldering them together would probably be the best bet. But I was kind of thinking maybe just e6000ing them together at the connection, idk
Current status of Baden Awaiting arrival of extra long servo extention Need to make up a new battery splitter with longer wires, as well as an ESC power extention and bilge pump extention Need to epoxy down 2 zip tie points for holding air system in place. Once those are all in place, It shall be ready launch for ballasting, gun functioning and tweaking, and then lastly time for BATTLE!
Did the airlines yesterday. That's all nice and tight. Servo lead arrived today, so I got that in, along with making up extentions for the pump and the esc. Also for now just made up an extension for the batteries, but will eventually replace it with a completely new cable. A systems check says everything is functioning. I didnt have a lot of co2 left after trying the guns earlier, so im not sure how much pressure the system was under. But I do know my air compressor still had 40 lbs in it, had.more to it than the co2 tank, amd it held that. Will fill it up in the morning amd do another test and load BBs and see how/if all the guns shoot. Then I will take it somewhere to float it and balance it out, and it should be ready to battle. I do want to do a few things before a battle, such as securing the turret caps to the boat itself. Also will need to make sure I have good barrel pins installed, and those fastened to the boat (and somewhere to pin them up when not in the barrels. Will need to also add stuff around the barrels to protect from dings from BBs. I want to replace the deck hold downs with something other than just magnets. When the boat sinks, if it's out deep the first thing that's going to want to be grabbed to lift it up is the towers, amd since those are just a couple magnets, it's jist going to come off. Right now one of the deck sections just uses little screws. Im thinking I'll go get some more of those for the other 3 sections, but use something else for the main deck. Probably a bolt epoxied in and then a wingnut on top or something Also before I make it to a full IRC event with it, I will need to cut out the caeemates and do all that.
Went to go to the local lake today, but as usual people want to block access to it by parking directly in front of and fishing right at the launches, instead of going anywhere else around the dock, or perhaps the the fishing dock that was put in, for fishing. So instead I took a stab at putting it in the tub to at least ballast it out. It fits once the tub is full. Took trying out a few weights but I found the one, it is just at the waterline, the line might be a little on the low side though, but nothing a fine adjustment to the line can't fix, lol. I still have to weigh it, but I'm fairly certain it's within legal weight. The water is just at the top of the line, not dead center.
Well thanks. It's a guest bathroom, lol. The main bathroom is upstairs and has a walk in shower, hard to float a boat in one of those lol
Well melting down some lead for bilge keels was a bust. Just as it started to melt, a big ol'fireball blew from underneath the burner. No idea why, just used it last year and it worked great. Tried to tinker with it when it cooled down, but as soon as it was going again, it was a fireball underneath again. So the 65+ year old lead melting stove might be done for. My great grandpa built it at least that many years ago, and with both him amd my grandpa being avid fishers to where they would bring it to fishing camp and make sinkers right there in camp, sometimes even take it out to the river amd make them while fishing, it has well made it's value back tenfold.
So testing the guns on Baden with my air compressor. 120psi was my hose pressure.. Sterns fired, but most of the time it was just air blowing through . 75 round cannon the magazine must have something stuck in it (bad bb) or a kink or a bad spot inside or something, got a few bbs in and it doesn't want to load anymore. Hopefully I can get a 75 coil anyways since that'll not only solve the issue (new gun and all) but solve some of the headache with putting in the sterns. Bow gun just has issues getting them into the mag, should just be a tad bit of filing. Once they are in, it fires. Sometimes it hesitates and then pops. LIke not even air comes out for a bit. Figured it was too tight so I loosened the barrel a tad and it SEEMED to fire properly at that point, but I didn't shoot off too many, since the other 3 guns aren't working.
Get ready to take those guns apart when you go see Kas, Craig, et al. those are problems they can easily resolve. Alteernately: are you planning on fighting outside of the North? any plans on venturing to TX or Louisiana, or any place where it will be as hot as Hell's Kitchen? If not, then you could switch over to clear nylon magazines. just need a drill press to bore out a compression fitting, and the rest of the stuff is readily acquired from McMaster-Carr. super easy for troubleshooting, easily disassembled, and application of mild heat lets you bend them into a coil pretty easily with no kinks. plus, the mags are easily swapped so I don't even armor them.
Those are some basic gun issues. The gun should shoot every time, if shooting is intermittent it's typically a feed issue - most often the piston height is not set correctly/lack of magnets/improper angle. Gun troubleshooting is easier with compression fittings rather than soldered joints - it allows removing the T to verify bb's go through the magazine and to verify the piston height is correct. Basic troubleshooting steps (I should make a video for this...) remove hoses from end cap remove end cap, spring, piston, empty BBs verify BBs can roll through the magazine and exit out of the end cap If this doesn't work, look for a ding in the magazine or a kink Kinks can be fixed by reducing the bend, or squeezing the mag to make it round again dings are harder, sometimes can get with file/drill if close to opening, otherwise replace mag Consider adding a small magnet to the T directly opposite of where the magazine port is - can use rare earth magnet or normal In you don't use a magnet, make sure the T is angled so BBs will naturally roll down into the T put the piston and spring in then end of the T - verify freedom of movement, no friction if friction, drill out the bore of the T (long way) to remove friction install the end cap - screw it all the way on End cap will determine the piston height. As the end cap gets screwed on, the piston height rises. If piston height is too high, it will prevent BBs from feeding If too loo, BBs can spurt (shoot multiple in one trigger pull) With end cap all of the way up, add a few BBs to the magazine hold gun close to ear, slowly unscrew (back off) the end cap until you hear the BB's fall forward onto the top of the piston. This is all way easier with no magazine attached. You can also undo the compression fitting that attached the up-tube and just look through the top of the T to see when the BB's roll to ontop of the piston as you unscrew the end cap Hold the end cap in the position (rotationally) where the BB's will roll on top of piston Use some CA to glue the end cap in place. You can just use a small amount at first and then test fire the gun to make sure it works Once end cap position is verified, reattach hoses and verify corrected by test firing - single shots, multiple shots, etc once verified corrected, CA around the entire end cap joint to form a pressure seal Sounds like the MI boys never taught you how to tweak the guns - key is small adjustments - like the smallest you can do. If the BB is hanging up then the breech nut is too tight, back it off and try again. If the guns sound weak, do the opposite - tighten and try again. Tweaking is really something to be done at the event - good to practice in the shop. I de-tweak my guns when the boat is not at an event to remove compression from o-rings, retweak at beginning and throughout each event
Would the Ts for the sterns being near the motor cause issues? would a magnet help relieve that if so, without messing the motor up? It definitely sounds like an end cap issue though reading through your comment, I hadn't evem thought kf that and didn't realize it played a part in distancing the piston, I thought inside the t was set for the piston. I'll slowly back them off and see how it does. The 75 has a magnet, but it's definitely an issue in the mag. The only gun that is soldered more than just the magazine to the T is the bow gun, the uptube is soldered on as well. Ithwas one I had in the Australia that worked, but I swapped it out for a straight magazine to make loading it easier (one less thing that had to come off between sorties) i think that is just tweaked too tight. I'm running on the fumes of sleep from 2 days ago, or I'd go out and start messing with stuff.
Wow Kevin. I'm gonna print that off. that's a great SPORTS list for cannons. (SPORTS is the trouble-shooting guide for the AR15 family of rifles). Anywho. once you get some sleep. the motors will not impact function of the cannons that I know of. the B field on the motor magnets is not that big. do put magnets on them all. use a compression fitting with a white plastic delrin sleeve to attach the uptube on your forward gun too. basically, and I learned this the hard way when @Bob had to help me out at like my third battle, you would ideally like to be able to disassemble and dismount all of your guns within minutes. I can have my Idaho empty of guns with just a half inch wrench in two minutes. all five (now just three, but that's another story) out, and fully disassembled in four. delrins and compression fittings are your friends. do not tighten them too much though as they will squeeze the tube. I only solder one joint: the uptube to the elbow. One slick feature you can try, and it's how I run my guns, is that I use a PTC reducer cap on my magazine end cap. this will work on copper tubing, brake line tubing (see @Beaver 's guns), and nylon tubing. goes from a 1/4" OD (the tube diameter) and reduces to 1/8" OD (the size of your pneumatic line). Anywho, get some sleep and we'll catch ya on the flipside, dude! I'm gonna be heading through MI to pick up some batteries from Craig, so if you live near him, gimme a holler
Definitely want to get some tubing on the barrels to prevent dings, also the magazines. 120 psi isn't really enough to work the guns for testing. They might fire but the "range" of adjustment of the o ring between too tight and too loose is going to be too small. The guns are really happy around 140, sometimes 130, but 140 makes the sweet spot for the O ring easier to find. Gun feed is a tough beast to figure out but once you get into them usually pretty straightforward. Also make sure you're using good BBs, don't re-use them, etc. Sounds really silly but the manufacturers quality control is pretty shit most of the time. I use a loader every time rather than hand feed because if it doesn't go in the loader it definitely won't run through the magazine or barrel. Setting piston height is easy once you get into it. I use the Bob method, which is similar with the Kevin method except you unscrew the magazine cap and blow/suck the bb back and forth while loosening the cap on the bottom of the T until the bb goes through every time but just barely. Then some superglue on the threads and should be set.
