Drum progress

[Tom Bowser]

The scopes were already in the raised position so it was just a matter of lowering into the top of the well. The hoist cylinders still had oil in them and we disassembled the bearing, cleaned and greased and reassemblyed. Greased barrel from inside and above the shears as we raised and lowered and cleaned old grease off also. We are next going to try to get grease thru the zircs and work the scope more. It has freed up a bunch and rotates easily while going up or down. We are hoping to get it to rotate easier at reset so the visitors can move it and that will make it freer. We have clamps on the barrel above the shears for safety and are going to try to put a bearing under the clamps so we don't have to keep the ram up and on the scope. sometime in the future we will try to rig a hydraclic system back to the origanal hoist cylinders.
Tom Bowser

[Mark Sarsfield]

Your original hydraulic system should be intact.  It just needs some TLC and a 250V DC inverter to power the two 15hp electric motors that drive the IMO pumps - only one really needs to operate.  The hydraulic lines in the pump room and conning tower are metal pipes.  I think the only flexible lines run from top to bottom of the boat, but they might be solid metal, too - I need to examine those lines more closely.

My biggest issue, so far, is finding a company willing to make a 2-phase DC inverter with 220 VAC going in and 250 going out. Usually they are custom made to your specifc application and each motor is 51.5 amps with a 1.2 hr variable duty cycle.  Pretty oddball stuff.

Worst thing about the whole deal is the hydraulic fluid is really nasty stuff.  Even the modern skydrol used in aircraft is toxic and caustic.

[Tom Bowser]

I don't feel it is worth the expense and headache to get the on board system working. all we really needed to lower the scopes for is the movie and to be able to maintain the exposed barrel and that only requires to lower the 5' we achieved. If we get a really good source of funding it would be great to get everything working but we are having a hard enough time raising the money to restore the outside.

[Mark Sarsfield]

I agree it's a low priority project.  Someone with some hydraulics background and free time would be a good asset for the boat.  Pampanito got a local hydraulics company to donate time and resources to get theirs working, again. 

[Tom Bowser]

I am hoping that someday soon a few more of the local subvets will get fired up a little to help me make phone call, track down materials and such. I am geting good support from the base commander but everyone else is too busy with their own lives and I can understand that to a point. Lesley and I have a winter projects list that goes out for about six years, of course our winter is only about three months long and once we get the outside done than we will have more time to do other things.
Tom Bowser

[Lance Dean]

Tom,

Is anything happening with the movie project right now?

[Tom Bowser]

They are to start filming on the night of the 26th and run through the 4th Of May and then come back again for another week later.
This week we are busy getting ready for the Navy inspection this Saturday so it has been kind of hectic, will have a report on the navy inspection and  what we have been doing next week.
Tom Bowser

[Mark Sarsfield]

Okay. Have you started welding, yet?

[Lance Dean]

Tom, I see from the newest Signal Ejector newsletter that the Drum has a green board now (I think)!  How did you do it?  What was used for lenses?

[Tom Bowser]

Used strips of color acrilic and then the movie  set guy made the triangle shape lens to set in the holes, looks pretty good. we are on the 5-6 day of shooting now and I am beat, one 20 hour day and five 16 hour days, actually nights as we are shooting at night. It is going good and the actors are great. more later, right now I don't know what day it is or who I am any more.
Tom Bowser

[Tom Bowser]

We have finally finished with all our minor interruptions for a while and have gotton back to restoration work. I was able to get a professional sandblaster/painter to donate two days of work with his equipment and crew and the abrasive company donated 9,000 pounds of sand to start with. The photos show what they were able to get done in two days. They sprayed the primer on as soon as they were done blasting and painted the first days primed area with black today. Lesley and I are going to paint the rest of the primed area ourselves and I am going to try to get more time donated from other companies, if not we need something to do any how. We are going to blast and paint first to stabilize the steel and then do repairs.
Tom Bowser

[Mark Sarsfield]

Looking good, Tom.  It's nice seeing the old lady getting her full dignity back. 

[Lance Dean]

Am I missing something or did you guys have to take down the fence?

Very, very nice Tom and Lesley.  She's going to be beautiful up on a pedestal when you finish.  I hope to get some good pics!

[Tom Bowser]

There isn't a fence around the forward end, just a rope barrier and a lot of airplanes.
Tom

[Lance Dean]

Have you guys accomplished more sandblasting and painting?  Have some new pics?  I'm thrilled!