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 Author  Topic: Propeller Shaft Color
  stephen stehling

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of stephen stehling  Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 12:02pm
I am currently building a 1/72 scale model of PT-156 (I know the Revell kit has its problems, mainly deck planking and horrible dual .50's. Ugh!) Does anyone know the color of the three propeller shafts? I am assuming the bottom of the boat is hull red.

Steve Stehling

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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 12:40pm
Steve, I seem to remember the PT prop shafts were "monel" metal -- a grayish silver?


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stephen stehling

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of stephen stehling  Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 9:32am
Thanks, Drew! I knew they probably weren't red, and I didn't like the look of black. I'll post a picture of the boat when I am done.

Steve Stehling

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BobPic

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 10:55am
Yes, the shafts were monel metal and were shiny silver color. Monel was a forrunner of stainless steel and never rusted or collected growth. The struts were cast metal of some sort and were seldom painted. they were rusty looking.


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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 11:58am
Hi Stephen,
I took these photos when we launched the 78 foot Higgins PT Boat PT658 last June. THese boats used the same screws and monel propeller shafts as the 80 foot Elco boats, so you can at least trust the colors would be the same. I hope this is helpful. Jerry







Jerry Gilmartin

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  stephen stehling

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of stephen stehling  Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 12:09pm
Great Stuff guys! Thank you very much!

Steve

Steve Stehling

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 6:18pm
Hey Jerry,
Thanks for the photos. Somewhere along the way I read that the prop shafts were painted the same color as the hull bottom. Your boat clearly isn't that way. Is there any mechanical reason that the shafts wouldn't be painted?
Thank you
Dave
(imagining repainting prop shafts)

David Waples

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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Feb 25, 2009 - 9:40am
Hi David,
Yes the shafts must be removed and installed by sliding them out through the cutlass bearings in the strut and the hull penetration seals so it is easier to grease them up while pulling the shaft out through those tightly fitting clearances. If you paint the shafts, then it will make everything get all gummed up. I am pretty sure numerous PT boats had to periodically replace the shafts when they ran aground or had to replace the screws at the same time. Having bent the shaft during the grounding. Also, I know that on the Higgins boats, we use the shafts for the ships electrical bonding system (to prevent static electrical spark formation) and if they were painted it would negate the bonding current flow to the sea. So I am pretty sure none of the boats would have been painting their propeller shafts. Also it is unneccessary since monel is non rusting material, kind of like stainless steel. Why paint it if you dont need to? Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin

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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Feb 25, 2009 - 12:14pm
Dave, just to add to what Jerry said...

I've never heard of ANY boat or ship's propeller shafts being painted (unless they were "painted" with oil or grease), and that includes naval, commercial, or private vessels.

That would be like painting the pistons in an engine...


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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 25, 2009 - 6:36pm
Thanks Jerry and Drew. That was excellent information. It looks like I need to correct this on my 109 model! I really appreciate it.
Dave

David Waples

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