The new welding machine has arrived.  See LOG section for details of current status.   Added several more links to sub links section.  Found out there is a Russian 3man psub in use at Vobster Quay diving centre.   Been in contact with another UK guy contemplating the same project.  Might have another UK psub builder soon!   

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I have found it difficult to get started with this project.  There is a big difference between thinking “hmm, I think I’ll build a submarine” and actually getting on with it.  I have had the plans for over a year and still been thinking and pondering the idea.  I originally thought I would make an ambient sub first to get me started.  It would be my own design.  But, after a lot of drawings and model making, I’ve decided to go for the 1ATM design instead.  I believed ambient would be easier due to the fact that you don't actually need a proper pressure hull.  But in the end, other problems come up such as difficulties in buoyancy control, pressure compensation etc and so I’ve decided to just press on with the 1ATM.   Next I’ve had a lot of trouble getting the right suppliers and things ordered.   I’ve been let down by many places.  I think the trouble is telling them what the project is about.  People think you are mad.   Once I started telling people it was for “an oil tank”, they started to take me seriously.  That’s my standard answer now if anybody asks what I’m doing or what I need certain parts for.  “I’m making an oil storage tank” I reply.

15 February 2007

Contact me:  james*guernseysubmarine.com

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Other K-350  Projects.

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Latest Information and website info.

5 May 2007

At last I can continue as the new power socket has been installed and wired up. 

4 July 2007

I’ve had to change the automatic email entry forms to have a * instead of an @ symbol.  This is a nuisance but I’ve got so much automatic spam mail, I’ve got to take the proper email off the site. 

So, genuine messages you will need to manually change the symbol.  Sorry.

 

 

9 July 2007

More updates posted to the Log.  I’ve added another section to the Forum to include a place for questions I have for the group.

8 August 2007

Split the Log section onto different pages as the thumbnails were taking to long to load.

29 August 2007

Bit of a delay in the build now as I’ve had to order the next load of steel.  Viewport material, hatch and conning tower rings.  One of these is stainless and costing a fortune.  I’m not buying everything in one go in order to spread out the cost over time.  Plus everything I buy has to be shipped from the UK, which takes time.   Anyway, its all ordered and is on the way.

16 October 2007

13 November 2007

The parts have arrived today and I can continue.  I have 3 tasks on my list now.  Machining the viewports, building the conning tower and hatch.  Plus I am working on two fairly major design changes.   More details on this to follow.

18 December 2007

Added another page to the log sections.  The workshop is closed now for Christmas so I cannot continue with the viewports until the new year.  Six are done though so I have plenty to get on with. 

07 January 2008

I have just come back from holidays over Christmas and with the new year brings lots of new challenges to the project.  So, I’m continuing today with the conning tower which is now taking shape and hopefully the sub will start actually looking like a sub pretty soon.  Its taken nearly a year of work and it still looks like a pipe at the moment.

21 January 2008

I have added a new set of pages where I will put ideas and designs for things I will maybe change from the normal design.  These are just ideas and are not tested yet.  They might not even work.

12 February 2008

Added some more info on the “Other K-350 Projects” page.   Plus a few more interesting sites to the “Sub Links” page.  Conning tower is now in for machining and I am away for a week on holiday.

20 February 2008

I am back from holiday and the machine work on the tower and hatch are complete.

26 February 2008

I have just realised that I have recently passed the 1 year mark since the start of the project which was 15th Feb 2007.  I don’t feel as if I’ve made much progress as I could have in the last year.  There has been a lot of time wasted.   3 months waiting for the electricity to be changed.  Quite a while waiting for things to be delivered.  Plus machining up the viewports took a long time as well.  Still, I am getting quicker and with mostly my own equipment now, I can get on with things at my own pace.  I think that the sub should start taking shape this coming year.  I am trying to get most of the pressure hull complete by the end of summer.  That means:  Tower and hatch on.  All viewports in.  All throughulls in.  Front endcap and viewport on.  Battery pods on.  We’ll see.

10 March 2008

The guys from the PSUBS club gave me this award for the website.   It is appreciated as its sometimes a bit of a nuisance to stop working and take pictures, as well as maintain the site.

I do realise there are a lot of skilled people out there quietly getting on with their sub projects without making a huge song and dance about it like me.  But the site is a bit like writing a book for me.  Recording the progress, keeping up motivation, and hopefully being informative for other people.  So long as the sub works in the end of course!  I’ve updated a whole load of things on the site today.

07 April 2008

I haven’t updated the site for about a month.  That’s because the weather has been really bad recently so I haven't been able to get on with any work.  I’ve also been fixing up the lathe.  Anyway, the weather was better last weekend so I managed to get on with some things.

28 April 2008

Managed to get on with quite a bit over the weekend.   Added another complete page to the log section.   I am taking three days off work to get on with the project.

29 May 2008

The tower is on.  This has been a lot of work to get to this stage.  Also added some more boats to the “Other K-350’s” page from people who have contacted me.

07 July 2008

Added another full page to the log section.   Have started to arrange delivery of the pipes for the battery pods and VBT.

01 August 2008

Haven’t managed to do much for about a month as I have been really busy with some other things.  But, have managed to get the lathe fixed up and working and have also got the battery pods and VBT material on the way. 

03 September 2008

With some other things out of the way (holidays and the like), I am able to continue again.  The hatch is on and the design of the front port is nearly complete. 

16 October 2008

I have spent ages finding out about and organising various different things such as paint and all the valves, pipes, pipe nipples, pipe caps etc that I now need.  Everything is a special grade/thickness/type and so I’ve had to work it all out.  Finally today its all here.  Also I have been working on the final design of the front dome hatch assembly and this is finally complete and the parts ordered.

Submersible Build Log

Guernsey SubmarIne

LATEST WORK.

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Rotating Through Hulls.

K-350 Submersible Build

This site is an attempt to log all the stages of my project to build a personal submersible with the intent of recording my progress, keeping me motivated and maybe helping any other people contemplating a similar project.  Please read the DISCLAIMER page first.

Please see the LOG section for details of the current build status.

The design is based on the proven K-350 submersible designed by George Kittredge.  Many of these subs have been built over the years, particularly in the United States.  Almost all information related to this and other psubs is available at the very good web home of personal submarines, www.psubs.org and I will try not to duplicate information already available there.    I am producing a list of all suppliers and contacts that I am using, plus detailed log of all build techniques used.

28 October 2008

I have updated the “Design Changes” section to include some colour scheme ideas and also the final design for the front dome which has taken me a long time to get right.

26 November 2008

I have added a second page to the Sub Links page.  This was because I’ve run out of room on the first page.  I always add any interesting submarine and diving links if I find them.

05 December 2009

I have been away for Christmas so I haven't done much over the holidays.  Yet another new year Is here.  I have added another page to the log section for the work on the battery pods and things coming up. 

02 July 2009

We are all being made redundant at my work and as such there is a lot of work to move the business to Holland.  So, I have not had as much time as I would like to get on with the sub.  However, once I am “unemployed”, I intend to take some time off to make some better progress.