Vacu-Gearing

Discussion in 'Warship Builds' started by vicious p, Jun 5, 2020.

  1. vicious p

    vicious p Well-Known Member

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    C2A1AB73-359D-472F-9F96-EF25A5DD4420.jpeg Cut out all the plastic parts and mocked up the superstructure in about an hour. Really enjoy cutting these little kits out. Pictured here beside the commissioned USS Black is my new vacu gearing. I have a predator cannon as well as planning on running the bc reg and bc solenoid. I bought a pcb firing board to run off my receiver to save soldering diodes and extra wires but got an older version I believe an xr-4 smd v2 that says I need to solder it to a battery with fly back diodes... Don’t really know how or want to do that so going to get that exchanged.

    Going to start with the 50 rd predator cannon but really want to do a 25rd bow and stern gun and add another bc solenoid to battle my Black. Also want to be able to change to dual sterns easily if I make another Nats sometime. Any feedback on how those compact avenger style guns did? May try and build some myself sometime.. D90226C4-CE85-4530-82C1-A9269513A80B.jpeg
     
  2. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    Last I heard, the Avengers weren't ready for primetime. Ask Phil
     
  3. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    Need to use a MACHO gun and get the weight of that tee down in the hull.
    JPEG_20200217_202612.jpg
     
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  4. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    Just when I think I'm up on cannon designs, *you guys go mushroom hunting* and come up with a new one.

    mushroom hunting.jpg
     
  5. vicious p

    vicious p Well-Known Member

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    Got a parts list for me?? Haha
     
  6. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    Oh dude those guns with the plastic tubing mags are slick.

    To save @Beaver some time, here are some helpful parts links for those mags:
    O-Ring that goes inside the fitting:
    https://www.mcmaster.com/9751K111

    End Caps. I use these. he makes these cool little end cap fittings custom, but these will do the job if you don't want to drill things out, etc. they are about twice as expensive as his custom work:
    https://www.mcmaster.com/5779K352
    https://www.mcmaster.com/5779K661

    Here's the end cap he uses:
    https://www.mcmaster.com/5779K473

    Here's the tubing:
    https://www.mcmaster.com/5173K36

    Then you need some John Guest Tee fittings for the collet pieces that are used to attach the tubing to the gun's action. the compression nut has to be bored out to 5/16 using a drill press.

    I suggest PM'ing him for assembly and details, but this will get you at least on the same page. I built all of my guns with this style of magazine on my newest boat, and will hopefully be able to take her into action this fall.
     
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  7. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    That's the basics. There are better deals on the mag caps that I'll link to later. If there's interest I'll post the construction details of this gun. Currently busy with birthday festivities so maybe tonight or tomorrow.
     
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  8. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    That'd make for an awesome tutorial thread like was discussed a few weeks back
     
  9. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    Details posted here: Details on MACHO LCG gun
     
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  10. vicious p

    vicious p Well-Known Member

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  11. Kotori87

    Kotori87 Well-Known Member

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    The Avenger style (just a T-fitting) cannons have some significant issues with the base design. I went through quite a few variations, trying to tweak out the issues and get reliable feeding above 150fps, but it just wouldn't go. I tried 3d printed bodies, milled bodies, 3d printed pistons, lathe-turned pistons, etc. They all ran into similar issues, in that the geometry of the cannon is very susceptible to double-feeding or jamming. The Predator style is quite strong though. I do not have the energy to do another round of tests with this new Macho LCG gun. It certainly gets the mass low, and its orientation does avoid the issues of the Avenger cannon.
     
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  12. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    I never had any luck with the Avenger style guns either. It's really not an ideal gun design for destroyers anyway because you have the entire weight of the gun above the deck. Tippy. I think you'll like the MACHO guns when you get back to experimenting.
     
  13. SteveT44

    SteveT44 Well-Known Member

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    The cannon pictured is not an Avenger. It's mostly a standard cannon with the mag feeding the tee from below. The uptube was eliminated by milling the barrel seat into the tee. This saves weight and space but IMO will reduce hitting power by reducing the pressurized area directly behind the breach.
     
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  14. Kotori87

    Kotori87 Well-Known Member

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    The cannon pictured is a Predator, and they work pretty well. In my regulator tests, they were routinely exceeding 230fps at 140psi. They do need a decent regulator though, since low-flow regs like the ebay beer kegger can't keep up with gas demand for more than a single shot.
     
  15. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    Yep. but the OP asked about them, hence my answer. So how are things, Steve? Haven't seen you around for a while
     
  16. vicious p

    vicious p Well-Known Member

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    that cannon you built me is still shooting strong in the fletcher!
     
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  17. SteveT44

    SteveT44 Well-Known Member

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    Same chit, different day.
     
  18. Anvil_x

    Anvil_x Well-Known Member

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    Right on.
     
  19. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    Or as I like to say it, same soup just reheated.
     
  20. vicious p

    vicious p Well-Known Member

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    upload_2020-6-17_18-34-47.jpeg Stuffing tubes/ shafts are in, motors wired and mounted in the included motor mount. I coated the servo board with corrosionx hd before I mounted it and the rudders. Had to cut out a brace a bit to mount the gun how I wanted in the SS. Maybe not the best idea but lower CG I suppose. Haha

    Waiting on a firing board to come in from BC for the solenoid then I’m pretty much plug and play and secure components after I float test it and move things around first...

    Cannon off opposite side of the combat ready USS Black so they can practice shooting holes.. upload_2020-6-17_18-34-47.jpeg 67A26377-5FE2-4B92-8AC2-EA685B69F0A7.jpeg
     
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