A simple do-it-yourself submarine model. DIY craft - a submarine. Let's make a submarine with our own hands from crackers and improvised materials

Interested in how to make a DIY submarine model? In our article you will find instructions describing each construction stage in the smallest detail. Also, here is a list necessary materials and tools you may need to get the job done. This information will be useful to anyone who decides to do modeling or just wants to know more information about the design of submarines.

Buy a model in a store or make it yourself?

Decided to make a radio-controlled model with your own hands? Such an occupation will take quite a lot of time, and will also require a huge supply of patience from the master. Perhaps it is easier to buy a ready-made toy in a special store? They also provide a guarantee for the product. For a person who does not like to do something on their own and is not used to counting money, such a decision will seem quite justified. However, not everyone has the opportunity to spend several thousand on a model, the cost of which is a couple of hundred, because one of the most budgetary materials, wood, is usually used to model submarines.

In addition, do not forget that during the manufacturing process you will experience a sea of ​​unforgettable impressions, especially if you are doing this process for the first time. To create a work of art from rough material is the destiny of true masters who can cope with absolutely any task. Well, if you decide to make a model of a submarine with your own hands as a gift to another person, then you can be sure that the birthday boy will remember this day for a long time and will keep your present with special care. Perhaps it will even become a family heirloom and will be passed down from generation to generation.

If your childhood was in the nineties of the last century, then you probably remember that there were quite a few toys in the post-Soviet space. For any child, a radio-controlled car seemed like a real treasure, since such a product could only be found on sale in large cities. But almost everywhere, DIY nabobs were sold, with the help of which it was possible to make models of aircraft, cars, motorcycles, ships, and so on. Just according to the instructions from one such set, we offer our readers to make a model of a submarine.

List of required materials

Making a model of a submarine with your own hands is a rather long and painstaking process that will require a huge amount of patience and skills in handling classical instruments from the master. In addition, you will also need to stock up on some building materials, of which the future model will consist:

• a sheet of plywood 3 mm thick and 210x55 mm in size;
• rubber tourniquet with a length of at least 400 millimeters (can be bought at a pharmacy);
• lead in the amount of 5 grams or a regular weight for a fishing rod;
• tin from tin can or other metal object;
• waterproof paint (acrylic, oil or nitro enamel).

If you want to add some element to your model that is not taken into account by our instructions, then you should include a few additional items in the list of materials in advance so as not to be distracted during the work. By the way, all the necessary components that cannot be found at home are best purchased at a construction base (paint, plywood, tin), since the prices for products there are much lower than in a regular hardware store.

What tools will be needed for the job?

To make a model of a submarine or a ship with your own hands, you will have to use some tools, without which it will not be possible to process the material correctly. By the way, it is strongly not recommended to use alternative options for those tools that cannot be found on the farm, since the quality of the future model may suffer from this. It is best to borrow the missing items from friends or buy them in the store. Here is a small list of the main tools that you may need in the process:

• manual or electric jigsaw - for working with wood and plywood;
• any waterproof glue - necessary for gluing wood;
• pliers - for unbending a can;
• brushes are indispensable for painting.

Of course, this list can be significantly expanded depending on the materials that you decide to use to make a submarine. For example, if you decide to attach a small RC motor to the model, you will need to use a lot of connecting wires and insulation. Well, in the event that the master decides to make a 3D model of a submarine, then this will require even more different tools that will allow you to plan out the base from a full-fledged piece of wood.

Creation of drawings for a submarine

Despite the fact that the Shark submarine model, the instructions for creating which you will find in the following sections, does not differ in complex details, it is worth leaving the drawings on a piece of paper in advance so that you always have an image of the future model in front of your eyes. Remember that even the slightest mistake in the calculations can lead to the fact that the parts, in the end, do not fit together, and time will be wasted. The same goes for those cases if you decide to make a 3D model of a German submarine or any other submarine. A competent drawing is already half of successful work.

By the way, it is recommended for a novice master to start with 2D models, since you do not need to have serious skills to make them. It will be enough to transfer the drawing to a sheet of plywood, and then carefully cut the workpiece with a jigsaw. If you have a printer, you can use the picture above. Just print out the drawing on a sheet of paper, then carefully cut out the base of the submarine with scissors and attach the resulting drawing to the plywood in order to circle it with a pencil. In this case, the main part of the work will be practically completed.

Workpiece processing and work with small parts

We begin to make a model of a submarine with our own hands from wood. As soon as the workpiece is sawn using the technology described in the previous section, it is necessary to carefully process the saw cuts, since they can easily be injured in case of careless handling. This can be done with medium grit sandpaper. All edges should be smoothed especially well, and burrs should also be removed.

If you pay attention to the drawing, you can see several slots in the submarine model. They are made so that the master can then insert steering blades into them, which are also cut out of a plywood sheet and well processed with sandpaper. The steering wheel should be rubbed with special care so that a part with a rounded front is formed. Thus, the submarine will look even more realistic.

It is necessary to glue the steering wheel using ordinary water-repellent glue. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging during this process! Remember that for the connection of two parts, squeezing strength is important, not duration. It will be enough to properly fix the parts in one place and press them well against each other. After that, the glue will do the rest of the work.

What is the propeller shaft made of?

Any submarine must have propellers that ensure its movement through the sea. Even if you make another model of a submarine - "Stars", for example - then this element must be present on the submarine without fail. You can make it from an ordinary pharmacy tourniquet, and attach it with a pin that has a ring-shaped needle at the end. A thread for the future rubber motor is passed through this very ring, and a propeller is attached to the opposite end. The easiest way to do this is with glue.

As for the hole for the shaft, you can make it with the help of hot iron on fire. For example, you can heat the same pin so that the hole is perfectly sized for the motor. However, do not rush, because any sailor knows that from correct location propellers depend on the running ability of the boat. As alternative for fastening, you can use a conventional screwdriver or a drill with a thin drill.

It may happen that after burning or drilling, the stern of the submarine becomes less durable than its bow. To prevent breakage, it is recommended to additionally wrap the structure with strong threads dipped in water-repellent glue. You don't have to worry that this will give the submarine an unnatural look, as the model will be covered in several coats of paint.

Painting work

Have you decided to make your own "Pike" - a model of a radio-controlled submarine? This design will look pretty solid, but you are unlikely to be able to convey its aesthetic appearance if not paint the tree the right paint. It is best to use acrylic paints for this purpose, since they dry fairly quickly and repel water well. Although, if we are talking about a 2D model, and you have several tubes of oil paints, then you can use them. The advantage of quality compounds is that they are quite durable, so you do not have to repaint the submarine every year.

As for the color of the paint, its choice is strictly individual. If you decide to make a model that will simply show off on a shelf with books, then it will be enough to paint the boat in classic black so that it is as close to its natural appearance as possible. However, if you want to make a model that will float on water, then it is best to paint it in some bright color so that the submarine is in front of you at all times. It will also be very useful to soak the structure before painting with hot drying oil to give it durability.

When using acrylic paints, it is necessary to treat the entire surface with them, leaving no areas without paint. After polymerization, such a composition becomes resistant to water, so you can feel free to lower your model into the water. You can not be afraid that the plywood will get wet and swell, especially if you worked well on the corner parts with sandpaper before painting.

Producing Engine Screws

To make a radio-controlled model of a submarine with your own hands, you will need to use quality material for propellers, since the running characteristics of your submarine will depend on this. As a material, ordinary tin is suitable, attached to the main part with three small washers, in front of which you can additionally put a small glass bead, which will act as a bearing. In this way, you can not only reduce friction, but also greatly facilitate the rotation of the shaft.

If you are making a submarine model for some important competition or simply do not want to bother with making a propeller, then you can purchase a finished engine in a specialized store. However, it is best to do this in advance so that later there are no problems with attaching the purchased element to the finished structure. Such engines differ among themselves not only in power, but also in appearance. But you should not pay attention to the number of screws, since the running characteristics depend mostly on their rotation speed.

Also, the driving performance of the submarine is affected by the angle at which the engine propellers are bent. A model with a well-bent sheet will submerge in water in a matter of seconds, and will also develop quite quickly. top speed. Therefore, pay special attention to the manufacture of screws. But you should not bend the blades too much (40° will be more than enough). In order to find the optimal propeller location, it is recommended to conduct several test runs and see in which case the boat sinks to depth faster. You can use a stopwatch for this.

Ballast installation

The last step in the manufacture of a radio-controlled model of a submarine with your own hands is the installation of a ballast. If you plan to place the submarine as a decoration item for your home, then this step can be skipped, since the weight is only needed to make the model sink faster under water. It is necessary to install the ballast on a special keel beam, which can be found on the drawing left by us earlier. As for lead, it is best to use it in the form of a plate measuring 12x22 mm, but the thickness should not exceed 1 mm, otherwise the mass of the submarine will be too large for it to stay afloat.

The strip must be bent in the form of a bracket so that an even letter "P" is formed, after which it remains only to fix the ballast on the keel rail, which is located approximately under the submarine's cannon. By moving the weight, you can easily adjust the center of gravity of the submarine, forcing the stern or bow of the submarine to rise to the top. In order not to be mistaken with the location, it is recommended to conduct several test dives, securing the ballast with ordinary tape. Only after a well-chosen position can glue be used to attach the lead to the boat tightly.

Embedding a radio control sensor

If you want a wooden submarine model to be controlled by you from a long distance, then you will need to build in a special radio transmitter that can be removed from any old toy or purchased at a specialized store. The last option is best for those. who is not particularly versed in the electronics device or does not want to delve into the wires. It will be enough just to attach the sensor to the left and right motors, and then test the course of the submarine on the water.

The trajectory of the submarine can be controlled using the intensity of rotation of the right and left engines. As a rule, there are two levers on the radio control panel, each of which is responsible for its own engine. If you slow down the right engine and speed up the left, the submarine will turn right. Therefore, for convenience, you should swap the contacts on the control panel so as not to get confused in the process. If a joystick from an old typewriter was used, then first you have to figure it out a bit in order to adjust the intensity of pressing a certain button under the force of rotation of a certain engine.

Installation of decorative elements

Let's move on to decorative stage making a model of a submarine with your own hands from wood. If you want your submarine to look as realistic as possible, then you will have to attach various small elements to it, which you can make yourself or purchase from a toy store. In the first case, it is best to use as a material ordinary tree, because it has a relatively small weight and can be processed well. However, be extremely careful while working, because the smaller the part, the more difficult it is to make. As for toys, they are usually made of plastic and are more durable than wood. However, buy only those items that really fit your model in appearance and size.

So what can be attached to a submarine to give it a nice look? If you decide to make a model of a nuclear submarine, then you can purchase several stickers that will talk about the radioactive element on board the submarine. Also, several torpedoes can be attached to the submarine on the sides, which indicate the readiness of the submarine for battle. Well, if your model also has a deck for fighters, then you can buy some beautiful toy airplanes and put them on the very top. Of course, all of the above can be made and with my own hands. For example, a radiation icon can be easily painted with acrylic paint, and torpedoes can be carved from wood.

It should be noted that the decorative elements attached to the model have a negative impact on its running characteristics, so their use is justified only if the submarine is planned to be placed on a stand in the future and used only as a decorative element for the apartment. However, if you really want to decorate your submarine, which will have to participate in various competitions, then do it wisely. First, do not hang up the ballast until all decorative elements are installed, otherwise it will lead to overload. Secondly, try to make all torpedoes, fighters and other decorative elements removable, as you risk losing them during the dive, even if they are firmly fixed.

Video and conclusion

As you can see, making a model of a submarine with your own hands is not such a difficult task as it seems at first glance. Be patient and study everything carefully. possible options fulfillment of one or another element, after which it will not be difficult to realize your dream. If you still have any questions about the progress of work or the information from our article seemed to you not enough, then we strongly recommend that you watch a short video in which the author shows in detail how to do the simplest model submarine on radio control from a conventional plastic bottle. For some masters, such an action will seem ridiculous, but this guy has a lot to learn. For example, you can use the same engine system, but on a wooden submarine.

What do you think about what else you can make a model of a radio-controlled submarine with your own hands? Perhaps you have some thoughts about this that you would like to express? Share them with readers. You may even be able to help one of the aspiring inventors build their own submarine based on your idea. Isn't it nice to realize that you helped some stranger who is several thousand kilometers away from you?

We hope our article will help you make a model of a submarine with your own hands. For bonding, it is best to use a good water-repellent adhesive, as conventional compounds can lose their strength over time. However, if you do not plan to submerge the submarine under water, then everything is much simpler. Let your imagination run wild and don't be afraid to experiment. Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to make an ideal sample for the first time, but you should not give up. Over time, you will become a true master of your craft and will make submarines that have no equal.

In Copenhagen, a port city that breathes history, lives a brave Dane who wants to write his own page in the history of Denmark. Peter Medson, a former mechanical engineering student, dropped out and, with the help of friends and a small amount of sponsorship money, built three makeshift submarines. But the last of them does not compare with the previous two. This is the largest homemade submarine ever created by amateur designers.

The self-made submarine was called "UC3 Nautilus" and has a length of 17.7 m, a width of 6 m, and a displacement of 32 tons. When submerged, the boat displaces about 40 tons of water.

Peter worked on the Nautilus for three years, with no clear design and technical documentation, but only sketches on paper, a piece of steel pipe and a plan that was born in the engineer's head. But the enthusiasm, which grew into a dream, soon embodied in the original submarine. Of course, the designer was assisted by 20 volunteers, who were also “sick” with his desire to create a homemade submarine. The engineer believes that anyone familiar with metal welding can build a boat.

Homemade submarine "UC3 Nautilus" is designed for 8 people for a one-day sea ​​travel, or - for 3 people for a transatlantic voyage. The power plant of the submarine is diesel-electric.

The first homemade submarine by a Danish engineer named Freya, was built in 2002. It is 7 m long and has a displacement of 3.5 tons. After 500 successful dives, the submarine's ballast tanks corroded, rendering it unusable. Now she stands in a quiet corner of the waters of the port of Copenhagen.

Peter Medson's second homemade submarine has a name Kraka, made on the model of the German submarine series VII, during the Second World War. This project of a homemade submarine turned out to be very successful, so it still plows sea ​​waters while diving near Copenhagen.

Third makeshift submarine Nautilus is 5 times larger than its predecessors. The principle of operation of the submarine, as in typical diesel-electric submarines. On the surface, the homemade boat runs on a diesel engine. Bow and stern ballast tanks are filled with air. To perform a dive, the pilot of the boat opens the valves and water fills the ballast tanks through a hole in the bottom of the boat.

The boat is submerged. Under water, a makeshift submarine switches to battery power. Trim tanks stabilize the submarine, while horizontal and vertical rudders control movement up, down and sideways. Sonar and video periscope provide navigation above water and at depth. To rise to the surface, the designer blows ballast tanks with compressed air, displacing water, reducing the specific gravity homemade boat and bringing it to the surface.

After a successful launch in 2008, the UC3 Nautilus has not yet become a real submarine. After 6 months of technical improvements, the amateur boat triumphantly made its first dive in a quiet corner of the harbor of Copenhagen, under the supervision of hundreds of admirers of a talented engineer, becoming the largest home-made submarine in the world.

The important point in these designs is not the submarines themselves, but the goals that were achieved thanks to only enthusiasm.

There is a site dedicated to the work of William Wardrop (William Wardrop), which is called - Stream Noir.
William assembles cardboard models on his own, using his own technology.

After decades of extensive research into history, military concepts and classical literature, he applied his knowledge of modeling to create unique 3D examples of many types of innovative and eccentric vehicles of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.
This exhibition is a prime example of how Victorian-era vehicles powered by steam technology were catching up with science fiction to create technical marvels that reshaped civilization and pushed us into the modern age.

Nautilus Jules Verne (The Jules Verne Nautilus)

This model was developed from Jules Verne's descriptions and original illustrations for his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Although this model looks less elegant than the Nautilus that Hollywood came up with, it is built in accordance with the first real submarines.

In this image, Professor Aronnex can be seen arguing with Captain Nemo about the fate of mankind.

Gustave Zede

Gustav Zed was a big step forward in the development of French submarines, but not very successful. She carried two torpedoes on drop rings, which made them vulnerable while the submarine was in the docks. She also didn't hold depth well, and it eventually took three sets of floatplanes to help this design error. Gustav Zed was 48.5 m (159 ft) long, 3 m (10 ft) in diameter and had a 208 horsepower engine.

Pioneer (The Pioneer)

Built in Mobile Bay by C.L. Hunley before CSS Hunley was built, this vessel was a prototype and was never used. His armament was a mine, which was released behind the submarine and pulled on a cable until it found its target, from the collision with which it exploded. The main problem of this system was the possibility of winding the cable on the screw.
The pioneer was captured by the Union Army in 1863 and exhibited in the Washington Navy Yard until it was sold for scrap in 1867.

American Diver (The American Diver)

Built by C.L. Hunley after Pioneer. An American diver, or Pioneer 2 as it is sometimes known, sank in Mobile Bay while being towed to launch an attack on the Union fleet. The three-man crew was extremely small, and the submarine was not able to fight the tide. Descriptions of this submarine appeared in the newspapers of France, Jules Verne may have seen this description and included many of the American Diver's unique attributes in the Nautilus, such as double cabins.

Nautilus Harper Golf (The Harper Golf Nautilus)

Designed for Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the original model was created by Harper Golf for a more Victorian feel, as well as individual elements make it more like sea monsters. And although hydrodynamic tests proved that the submarine would be reliable, a full-size working model was never created.
The giant squid attacking this model of Nightloos is over a meter (three feet) long and was made entirely from pipe cleaners by Laura Butler.

The Alligator (Naval Institute Press Version)

This is a prime example of why you should always find as many links as you can find before jumping in and building a model. The alligator shown here is what I saw in the book "American Submarines Before 1945" from the Naval Press Institute. I said, "Cool!" and went to work. It took 26 hours to build and paint the model. I was pleased with the result and chalked up another historic submarine to my collection. However, two days after I put the model on the rack, I read on a news site that the original plans for Brutus de Villeroy had been found in Paris, France. One glance was enough to understand that my model looked completely different from original projects. It turns out that N.I.P.'s schemes are guesswork and have never been tested!

The Garrett Nordenfeldt 1886

Following the "success" of George William's Littler Garrett with the first Resurgam steam-powered submarine, in 1879 he was commissioned by the Turkish government to build two submarines in 1886. They were built and sent disassembled to Constantinople, where they were assembled. The first sank almost immediately after launch, and, oddly enough, no more crew could be found for the submarines. They stood in dry dock until 1914, when they were blown up by the German army to avoid a threat to the safety of the population.

Seal (The Seal)

Originally launched in a Virginia shipyard in 1911 as the Seal. This submarine was renamed G-1 when she was assigned to the U.S.N. in 1912. After a long journey as a test and training ship, she was decommissioned in 1920 and later used for depth charge tests in 1921.

The Welman was a two-man World War II submarine powered by a gasoline engine that lacked proper ventilation and caused many deaths due to poisoning. carbon monoxide. Torpedoes were too small to be a real threat to the warships of that era and had a limited range. The submarine featured a double hatch and a general design that had a significant impact on the development of submarines of that period.

Dupuy de Lome

Named after the famous architect of armored warships, the French submarine was launched in 1915 and scrapped in 1935.

Ictineo II (Greek for fishing boat)

In 1864, in Barcelona harbor, Narcis Monturiol launched the Ictineo II: the world's first real submarine. She was over 17 meters long, displaced 72 tons and had a working depth of up to 30 meters. What made this submarine so unusual was its chemical-based steam engine. The engine needed fuel rods, much like the uranium rods in a reactor, but using a chemical reaction to heat the water in the boiler, at the same time the reaction produced pure oxygen for the crew! The hull was made from olive wood to reduce the cost of the prototype, but an all-metal boat, the Ictineo III, was also planned. The time spent under water, without lack of oxygen, was 8 hours! The only limitation was the number of fuel rods. The Ictineo III could have pushed submarine technology to the next level, but Monteriol's funding ran out and his submarine was broken up and sold for scrap.