Author Topic: Drum progress  (Read 279973 times)

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #105 on: November 06, 2009, 07:41:50 PM »
Here are the latest photos. We have finished the starboard bow except for the shutter door which we are rebuilding. Notice the draft numbers 0, 1, and 2. Lesley cut those out of 1/8" steel plate with the torch, she is getting to be a fantastic shipyard working and her welding is straighter than mine, she doesn't wear bifocals. We will start on the port side in the spring. Thanks for all of your suport.
Tom

Offline Darrin

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #106 on: November 06, 2009, 08:54:25 PM »
Tom,
If you and leslie keep this up the Navy will ask you if they can put it back to sea again :smitten:    You two have done a FANTASTIC job, keep up the good work

Darrin

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #107 on: November 06, 2009, 09:12:15 PM »
Thats what we are hoping for, with us in the crew.   ;D
Tom

Offline Bill Wasil

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #108 on: November 30, 2009, 03:46:28 PM »
Tom,

I cannot believe the fantastic job you guys are doing.  You have brought the Drum to a point that would make any submariner proud.  Thanks for the latest pictures.
Bill
From the Sonar Shack

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #109 on: December 01, 2009, 07:34:39 PM »
Thanks all for the kind remarks, it helps to lift our spirits and lighten our load. We have completed rebuilding the #5 door but have to sand blast and paint it, maybe next week and we have started on #6 door. I can't begin to descripe the feeling when we installed the door for test. We were both chocked up and couldn't stop looking at all we have accomplished this year.
Tom

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #110 on: May 03, 2010, 07:42:30 PM »
Time for an update. We did repairs to the deck for a month and a half and last week finally returned to the bow. We finished sand blasting #5 door and primed it and reinstalled and have started replacing the port bow.
The Drum shipyard crew made the local news. Go to mobilebaybase.com and click the link. also check out our newsletter, the signal ejector. we are back having fun again.
Tom

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #111 on: May 10, 2010, 11:49:27 AM »
Great interview, Tom. Have you had any new volunteers show up?

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #112 on: May 10, 2010, 05:43:11 PM »
We have a subvet couple that comes once a week now. Joe gives tours and Eileen loves to polish and we just happen to have somethings that need polishing.

Go to drum228.org and hit the restoration button for updated photos on the port bow.
Tom

Offline Fred Tannenbaum

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #113 on: May 13, 2010, 08:51:28 PM »
Superb progress and nice TV story, Tom. Actually though, the Salmons were definitely the first all-welded US submarines and the Pikes may have been.

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #114 on: May 14, 2010, 06:07:46 AM »
Fred
Thanks for the info, I will have to do more research. I don't remember where I read about the weld construction but it stated that some of the Gato's at Portsmouth and EB were still partially rivited at the start of the war.
Tom

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #115 on: May 22, 2010, 09:01:56 AM »
Well we are done with the bow. It took 15 days, we learned a lot from the starboard side. We will now move to the port stern.
Tom

Offline Karen D.

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #116 on: May 24, 2010, 02:19:43 PM »
Wow, great job Tom! She looks amazing! :)

Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #117 on: June 13, 2010, 08:11:26 AM »
We are working on the stern port side now. Heat index has been around 105, makes the metal bend easier. We tried to fire a mark 27 out #7 tube but didn't have enough air pressure without out water in the tube.
Tom

Offline Paul Farace

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #118 on: June 13, 2010, 09:44:01 PM »
Tom:

You make the difficult look easy!  Atta boy!   :smitten:
Johnny Cash's third cousin, twice removed

Offline Fred Tannenbaum

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Re: Drum progress
« Reply #119 on: June 15, 2010, 09:03:44 AM »
That's abso-freakin-lutely incredible and impressive. Congrats to you and especially Leslie (spelling?) the welder!! :D