Periscopes Repairs

[Tom Bowser]

Hi Paul
Tom Bowser with the Drum-

Do you have a suggestion on how to preserve the periscope barrels on permanently raised scopes? Ours are starting to rust.
Thanks
Tom

[Mark Sarsfield]

Thanks, Darrin.  I was trying to find the hydraulics thread yesterday and there were a few small threads randomly scattered on the board, but I forgot that we had discussed it in the School of the Boat section.

Drew, welcome aboard the sub forum.  We're finally glad to hear someone from the Battleship Cove museum.  Paul is right in that we might be able to get TRF to do a group repair for multiple boats.  I doubt that they would do all of these scopes gratis.  So, we should find out the cost is to the Navy to do each one and come up with an offer, such as each museum paying 50% of the bill.  TRF was forced to manufacture some parts for the Cavalla scopes and each of our scopes will have a unique set of problems, but they could still send us a ballpark figure.

[Darrin]

Mark,

you may also want to go back through the Fleet Submarine Manual on your Hydraulics systems, I belive that Lance had linked it into the thread in the beginning of the thread.. and then go back through your archives and pull out the qual drawings and photo copy them and reverify that nothing has changed in your system and start slowly and methodically working on your system. Corey would be a good candidate if he is still working with you due to his time working on UH-60's

Darrin

[Jim]

Mark, I just had a long conversation with Penny (Director at Cavalla) you might want to give her a call.  She can probably put you in direct contact with the guys who "done the deed" on the scopes (remove/replace - repeat).  409-770-3196  She has individuals that are over different "stuff" on both their boats.

[Mark Sarsfield]

I've been chatting with Grady Harrison over the past few days.  Penny and other Cavalla folks have been copied in.  Right now Grady is trying to see if they still have a point of contact for the Navy Ship Donation Program.  We might be able to get some 637 (Sturgeon attack boat) scopes donated to the Batfish while the originals are being repaired. 

Paul Lapinksi (who posted earlier in this thread) was one of the key players in getting the scopes removed/replaced/repaired for Cavalla and said that he has helped to install 30 donated scopes over the past 20+ years.  He also has a scope clamp that we could probably borrow.  Still, having some of these guys present before and during our scope swapping would be a huge load off of our shoulders.  No sense in reinventing the wheel.  Also, Paul said that the two 1960's scopes that Cavalla borrowed should be available for us to borrow through NAVSEA.  So, it's nice having multiple avenues. 

We should probably get the loaner scopes sent to us, first, so that we can use their containers/crates to ship our scopes to King's Bay... assuming that they will fit.

[Jim]

Do they have more scopes to loan?  I was talking to Bob on the Croaker today and they have no scopes.  Thay have a facsimile of a scope.  he was unaware but I am trying to get him registered on here as well so he can participate/watch this subject. He was a wealth of info.

[Mark Sarsfield]

I will find out, if Grady and Paul can get me their respective Navy contacts.  You probably won't find anymore WWII scopes, but it sounds like the Navy keeps all of the scopes from decommissioned (and scrapped) nuke boats.

[Darrin]

and those scopes did time on previous nukes and even diesels.. we had one in 91 that was 40+ years old and working like new

[Mark Sarsfield]

They have a 50's or 60's era scope at the OKC Science center.  You mostly get a view of the building roof, but at least you can swivel it 360 deg.  I think it's an attack scope, since it doesn't have any features for viewing up and down.

[Mark Sarsfield]

Here is the reply from NAVSEA... 

Mark

        As material donations are done at no cost to the government, we
do not have the resources to research the availability or suitability of
particular items for display purposes. However, if you were able to
locate a suitable periscope for your purposes and it fell under our
purview, we would not be able to support your request as our program
does not allow for the loaning of material or the providing of loaner
material while repairs are made to previously donated material.  Feel
free to also contact me at (202) 781-0682 if you wish to discuss further
or have additional questions.


r/gk

[Darrin]

You have to love the Gov't double talk about not being able to loan anything while the previously loaned materials are out being restored... Hmmmmm something about a what 10" hole in your superstructure with nothing there while the origionally "loaned" material is being restored... I seem to remember that when you remove a periscope that the opening needs to be covered and then sealed so that you don't get corrosion and debris in the same area...

Mark, IF you can call this person and explain that you are trying to replace the scopes with ones that work and that the Batfish maybe able to help in the cost of moving them from where they are being stored to where the Batfish is now, you may get somewhere...

Someone call Paul Farace on the COD and see how he got his "pink Periscope" fixed.... good long story and if I remember correctly only the top of it survives due to a car accident

[Mark Sarsfield]

I'll let Rick fight this battle.  He's the manager-guru.

[Jim]

Is Rick up to speed on this?  Sealing the hole while waiting for the scopes to come back is no big deal. If we can get this done without loaners but we DO get working scopes I say "go".......

[Darrin]

Ahh folks I managed to call and upset the COD director this am    I didn't realize that he is on assignment overseas in Thailand/Bangkok right now...  SO to finish the "pink" periscope issue (it was posted on the COD link a few years ago BTW) a mature woman lost control of her car one night in front of the USS COD's display Periscope which as Paul loves to point out some of the Skipper's believed if the 'scope head was painted pink it made it harder for the enemy to see it SO anyways there was a loud bang as the car crashed into his beautiful periscope and if I recall bent it in half with the bottom part being nearly destroyed which was a true shame... SO what did our beloved Martha Stewart of the submarine community do??? he had the pink portion of the top which has the lenses in it chopped off and it is now on display onboard  the boat where no one can drive a car into it again

[Jim]

Don't give up Mark.  I say  "no scopes" for awhile if we can get them repaired.  No one tours the con now anyway, so they won't be missed in the short term to get gain in the long term. Once they are repaired we could begin more "hard hat tours".  They generate more revenue and we can fix more stuff.  You've run the ball this far.  Press it in.