6 Foot Long Daedalus Scratch Build Up

[MechTech]

You know it BigF. Man, that storm Saturday ripped the gate to our rear garden off the hinges! It also ripped the rear fence in half! At least it was cool though, great trade off! - MT

[MechTech]

UPDATE 7 AUG 06

I finished building and installing the stabilizers:

Here's the stabilizer folded in flush.

Here's the stabilizer deployed (note area behind fin is flush).

Port Bow Stabilizer Deployed.

Port Stabilizers deployed for size comparrison.

Here's the P38 (Bohndo) on the bow, I still have to sand it down. (waitn' for the stink to go down - note it's hangin' outside)!

The biggest sub-assembly yet has to be modifying the motors. They are 5mm shafts with 5mm thread out of the box. My problem is that most props on the market are 4mm. So I built a rig and filed the shafts down and rethread them. While I had them open, I punched out the rear bushing and bored it out and put a ball bearing in there. The front already came with a bearing on them. These are 700+ sized motors so they had plenty of power to turn them down a couple of sizes.

Here's the rig I made to file/machine down the shaft diameters.

Cutting 4mm threads into the shaft.

(Blurred photo)Completed threads. The motors were old surplus so the armature had a light coat of rust. I sanded them down and recoated with enamel. These 5 pole motors have so much torque, they make the whole rig jump up when I was started them up to machine down.

Here's the end bells with ball bearings fit into place.

I'm now working on the shaft seals to go over the motor shafts. The motors will be in pods, not conventionally mounted. This way they can swivel and give better manueverability. Plus I'll have more room inside for stuff.

I had to make four sets of each of these. I soldered them and have to do some fine machining later. It's late here and I'm off to bed! - MT

Edited August 7, 2006 by MechTech

[big F]

Great update looks like you have been busy.

[MechTech]

Hey Big F, very busy when I can on this thing. It's dragging on longer than I hoped, but it should be worth it!

Now I'm working on the motor seals and cases soon. - MT

[isamu_dyson]

as always ... great work

I hope i can see it with my own eyes one day

[HWR MKII]

How much longer until her initial sea trials?

[Zinjo]

WOW!

RC Shipbuilding 101...

[MechTech]

Thanks guys! I'm humbled . I'm really trying to get this thing done by December. I'm going to try and buy all the propellers next week. Let's just say the cost is about the same as 1/48 Yammie! Four 6 bladed brass props.

I'm really trying to finish the bottom hull (the parts you see now) this month. The upper part will have the fun engineering parts on it like elevators, the main entrance door, loading ramp and other goodies like squirt guns (got those waiting to go).

I'm going to work on the shaft seals tonight. - MT

[MechTech]

Update 12 AUGUST 06:

Working on the motorized pods. I'm doing it this way for a couple of reasons:

1. The rear "thruster box" is small and doesn't sit low enough in the water.

2. Conventional propshafts would be sticking out between the box and the hull.

3. Putting the motors in pods saves space and puts most of the noise in the water.

4. I will be able to swivel them for improved manueverability.

Here's some buildup photos:

Here's the plastic stretched, and taped over a spare motor can to be dunked in boiling water. (Note there's two layers).

Boiling the plastic heats it uniformally wihout "hot spots" and it even cools down faster. The stretched and bent plastic will now stay in the shape that's it's been heated up to.

Here's a glued-up and untrimmed tube with motor inside and the stuffing box slipped over the motor shaft. The tip of the stuffing box is made from an old brass gear machined down to snuggly fit into a plastic tube later on. Then it was cut in half. The open end was slowly bored out by handrill. That large opening will have a little silicone poured into it to make a water tight seal (oiling the shaft first!).

That's it for now. I get to order my props this week ! - MT

Edited August 12, 2006 by MechTech

[olivers]

I have just seen your MCD switch. I looked at those for something I was making and they seemed pretty expensive for what they were.

In the end I used a relay board from ebay:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Electronics-Gallery

Have a look at the 12CH RF remote boards, they need 12V and work upto 500m. I have 2 and have never had any probs.

And the best thing is £11.60 and about £16 with postage.

[MechTech]

Thanks olivers! I might have been tempted before, only thing is that I always run 6volts - it's just easier to put everything on it. The unit I have is smaller too (important for building in tiny 1/200 scale). I did like some of the other stuff I saw on there though! Thanks again! - MT

[big F]

  The unit I have is smaller too (important for building in tiny 1/200 scale).

426682[/snapback]

Ermm isnt it like 6 foot....

Oh yes that is small for the Daedalus.

[MechTech]

There's always one in every crowd ! I gotta keep room for destroids too!

I'll use this on my smaller ships, like the destroyer in my earlier shots.

Still working on the pods. Hoping topost pictures this weekend... - MT

[do not disturb]

THIS...

IS...

IN...

SANE...

!!!

i've been following your WIP and i'm just in awe.

i hope you make some kind of vid of it in action.

will she float? will she sink? will the crew of the macross survive an epic sea battle with the zentradi? find out in next weeks episode!

[MechTech]

Thanks haterist! I sure hope it floats! If it doesn't, it's gonna make one heck of a static display! I hope to get more done on the motor pods this week - stay tuned - MT

[big F]

Thanks haterist!  I sure hope it floats!

427736[/snapback]

I recommend a test in the bath just in case its clean and not to deep in case you need to wade in there quick.

[MechTech]

It's too big for the tub! I'm gonna try in a shallow area in a nearby reservoir. The two halves are different displacements so independantly they will be different. I'll have to put them together and then add everything inside to check balance. Gettin' closer to launch day... - MT

[do not disturb]

It's too big for the tub!  I'm gonna try in a shallow area in a nearby reservoir.  The two halves are different displacements so independantly they will be different.  I'll have to put them together and then add everything inside to check balance.  Gettin' closer to launch day... - MT

428040[/snapback]

you crazy mang! it'll be a crying shame if it sank in the reservoir and you couldn't get to it in time, especially after all the work you put into. i'd definitely try to find a swimming pool or something.

[MechTech]

Don't worry, there's a shallow ramp area I can safely keep her at arms length.

Will post pictures soon! I didn't expect the boards to be back up yet. - MT

[isamu_dyson]

Great can't wait

[MechTech]

UPDATE 13 SEPTEMBER 06

Still working on the motor pods, they're an engineering feet all in themselves. The small box that the Daedalus thrusters are in on the model doesn't give me much room. They also sit way too high on the design than on a real ship. The main props ALWAYS go as low as possible on the ship for higher water pressure around the prop; that means more power out of your propeller.

Here's the tubes with motor mounts.

How to make lathed parts without a lathe!

Here's a pod with the motor mount glued on, stuffing tube attached, and a small tube epoxied on to that, with a larger tube filled with epoxy around that. The front shaft area has to be water proofed since the cowling that goes around it is not able to make a complete seal. The MDF male form for the vacuum forming the fron cowling is in this picture. The paper cut out is my guide for making prop shaft braces to fit around the plastic prop shaft supports.

This is what I had to make before I could do any vacu forming (with cowling sample)

Vacuum forming cowlings; hot of the stove top!

An assembled pod (goes together like a plastic Easter egg - looks like a pill with a prop on it ) This was as hydrodynamic as I could get with the short length available inside the thruster box.

One of the 50mm props, I love those curves!

What to do when not building (this is all Japanese and I made it so it's still fits the thread ) Giant Shrimp, Somen, and Edamame! Glad I already had dinner tonight! - MT

[Maxtype]

This is just truly awesome work !

[isamu_dyson]

looking great ... as always

For sea trials i'm tempted to cross the channel

[HWR MKII]

I wish i had the SV-51 with me now. I could do a flyover on launch day.

[MechTech]

Thanks guys, I'm humbled! I now have four pills, errr, pods.

I now have to make the internal braces to support the front shaft and hold the cowlings (note the big gap in them). When I'm done, the back ends will be sealed on with silicone RTV, it'll also fill the gaps. The front cowlings (where the props are) have to come off for oiling access. Speaking of that, I still have to fill the front of the tube sockets with silicone to make a water tight seal. These will be completely underwater, so I'm sorta building four submarines! - MT

[Myersjessee]

This is frackin cool!

[MechTech]

UPDATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 06

Been busy with "real life," and engineering some of the parts and fittings. Here's the latest:

[attachmentid=37006] As before, here's the coompleted parts. Remember that the ends have gaps because they must be removeable for maintenenance.

[attachmentid=37007] No, it's not a rejected Naboo ship design from Star Wars, but it kinda looks like it. These are the pods attached together. There will be a hollow brass shaft fitted to the very center of the assembly. The shaft will steer the pods as one unit and lower/raise them into running and storage position (remember the original design has the "boxes" too far out of the water.

[attachmentid=37008] From the backside showing the struts where the outer "boxes" will be attached to.

[attachmentid=37009] "Smashing toast Grommit." Toasting plastic to heat up a line to fold for the boxes round corners. The boxes will be made of 3mm thick styrene to help support and brace the assembly.

[attachmentid=37010] Forming the rounded bits of the boxes. These will be trimmed down to 1/4 round to be put on the corners, making the box edges rounded off like the original design.

That's it for now. I better get some sleep. - MT

[isamu_dyson]

great

more ! more ! more ! more

[big F]

You get the award for most inventive use for a toaster

[MechTech]

Thanks guys! Is that toaster award like a piece of toast with a ribbon on it? - MT

[do not disturb]

its not just regular toast, its french toast.

looks like its coming along beautifully, hopefully she'll be seaworthy before it gets too cold out. keep them progress pics coming!

[MechTech]

UPDATE 9 OCT 06

Here's the latest. This is the lower part of "the box" for the thrusters. More to come later...

[attachmentid=37162] The thrusters are probably two seperate boxes (the line art isn't clear) so I broke up up my one into two from the rear view. This box will be on a single shaft to steer the thrusters and raise and lower them into position. It's hard to see in the photo, but all edges are hydrodynamic. - MT

[big F]

Your work ammount makes my project look a little slow.

[MechTech]

I'm trying to beat the Christmas rush! I'll post pictures of the assembled "box" tommorrow. It's all glued and needs some filing and sanding. - MT

[isamu_dyson]

can't wait to see the upper hull