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Author Topic: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update  (Read 133991 times)

Offline Travis McLain

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #30 on: April 07, 2008, 07:09:26 PM »
Last summer Nick guagliardo was telling me that he was an avid opponent to putting that 20mm on because it had that base, and told me that the actual open bases they had were just fabricated out of extra steel at the shipyards before commissioning.
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Offline Fred Tannenbaum

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #31 on: April 07, 2008, 08:21:54 PM »
Actually, the open tripod bases came with the 20mm gun from Oerlikon. They were not manufactured by the shipyards.
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Offline Rick

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #32 on: April 07, 2008, 08:27:06 PM »
I would like to eventually get back to the original tripod configuration.  I brought this up as a topic of discussion at this point.  Vaugh in working on the masive sink hole that has developed under the sidwalk.  He is going a great job.  This may be somthing for him to look at after he has finished up with that....

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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #33 on: April 15, 2008, 08:34:43 AM »
I was reading through the fleet boat manual about the armaments and it was standard doctrine to put the 40mm on the bow smoking deck, if one was installed on board the boat.  I don't expect us to reweld the whole superstructure, though. 

Speaking of welding, at some point we need to add ammo hatches to the foward smoking deck and I think a lot of boats had the detachable can storage on the aft smoking deck.  Check out Pampanito, if you're not sure what I'm referring to.  This is low on the priority list, but a necessary item, none the less.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2008, 08:36:52 AM by Mark Sarsfield »
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Offline MWALLEN

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #34 on: April 15, 2008, 08:48:16 AM »
Quote
I was reading through the fleet boat manual about the armaments and it was standard doctrine to put the 40mm on the bow smoking deck, if one was installed on board the boat.  I don't expect us to reweld the whole superstructure, though.

I've seen that configuration, I've seen 20's in both places, 40's in both places, and the configuration we have.

I think what was done was more from the perspective of available room.  I'm not 100% sure the 40 would have fit forward or not.
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #35 on: April 15, 2008, 11:17:41 AM »
A lot of the museum photos of the boat show the 40mm on the front.  I think Rick said that our forward smoking deck is a reconstruction and it looks smaller than the one from the period photos.  I'm not losing any sleep over it, though.  She still looks good.
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Offline Rick

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #36 on: April 16, 2008, 03:16:06 PM »
That sail has been heavily modified from construction.  The first and most obvous change is the missing lockers that were located on it
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Offline MWALLEN

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #37 on: April 16, 2008, 03:17:53 PM »
Quote
That sail has been heavily modified from construction.  The first and most obvous change is the missing lockers that were located on it

That and both gun platforms have been cut way down.  At least they didn't do the guppy conversion on it...keeping the WW2 bridge.
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Offline MWALLEN

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #38 on: April 19, 2008, 07:59:06 PM »
OK, back to the 40mm update.

Got the starboard gear boxes greased up and worked the gun vertically and it is now raising and lowering much easier.  Goes from almost horizontal (restricted by the railing) to vertical.  Got about 1/2 of the top of the gun part painted and the whole barrel painted.  Also primered and painted the railing.  Put the seats back on but will still need to do some work on those.  Didn't get to the port side gear boxes but will work them on May 3rd.  Reinstalled the gun sights.  Still alot to do.  Vaughn is making the handles and is making the connecting rod between the port side gear boxes.  With any luck, on the 3rd, we should be able to move the gun by hand.

Attached are some photo's of what the new paint job is looking like.  Still alot to do, but you should see some improvement.

Killed 4 wasps...wounded a few more.

Mark A.
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Offline Tom Bowser

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #39 on: April 19, 2008, 08:46:45 PM »
Looking good guys, keep up the good work.
Tom Bowser
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Offline Rick

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #40 on: April 19, 2008, 09:25:49 PM »
Sorry about the enemy bogies.  It is that time of year and being right next to a river bank we do get a lot of critters.   
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Offline Travis McLain

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #41 on: April 20, 2008, 02:06:12 AM »
That is looking awesome Mark, great job. And keep up the good work!!
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #42 on: April 20, 2008, 11:02:02 AM »
Yeah.  It looks 10X better already. BZ!
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Offline MWALLEN

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #43 on: April 21, 2008, 04:34:52 PM »
Thanks guys!!  I appreciate the feedback.
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Offline MWALLEN

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Re: BATFISH 40mm Restoration Update
« Reply #44 on: May 04, 2008, 01:14:53 PM »
40mm update...got the port side gear boxes cleaned out and put new grease.  Worked the gun both horizontally and vertically.  Tried in vain to get the seats to lock in place, so had to have Vaughn tack weld them in place.  Finished painting the top of the gun (sorry, no photos this time).

The plan is to meet Vaughn out there on the 17th and put the handles on.  He didn't have them completed but said he would on the 17th.

That's about all we got done as we had to paint the underside of the cigarette deck and had to finish up on the SHARK Memorial.

Hopefully on the 17th, if we get the handles on, I'll take my video camera and try to get some video of it.

Cheers!

Mark A.
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