SeaPerch Remotely Operated Vehicle, Construction Manual, Page: 60 / 110

OPTIONAL PROCEDURE 2.6A
– FILM CANISTERS & ALTERNATE MOTOR 1
SeaPerch ROV Construction Manual
– Version 2010-04NW
2.6-3
Figure 2.6-4:
Petroleum Jelly
Placed at the Base of
a Motor’s Shaft
Figure 2.6-3: Wax Melted in Cup
in an Electric Skillet with Water to
Help Regulate the Temperature
2. Your teacher will probably have already
melted wax for your use, using a set-up
similar to that shown in Figure 2.6-3. If not,
see the wax melting tips on page 2.6-1.
3. Check to see that everyone who is near the
wax potting area has put on EYE
PROTECTION before anyone begins to work
with the hot wax.
4. Dip the ends (1/2 inch) of the brown wire
pair in the melted wax to waterproof them.
5. Place the three thruster housings into the
potting holder prepared in Procedure 2.1,
or other appropriate stand that will allow the thruster housings to sit level for
wax cooling while they have the motor shafts protruding from their bottoms.
6. Just before starting the motor-potting process, hold the motors tightly in your
closed hand for a minute or so, to warm them up a bit. This will help to
prevent rapid cooling of the wax and give you a little more time to settle each
motor into position at the bottom of its thruster housing.
7. Place a small dab of petroleum jelly at the base of the
motor
’s shaft as shown in Figure 2.6-4. This is
recommended to help keep water from getting into the
motor while in use.
8. Pick up one of the thruster housings and carefully
insert a motor so that
just the tip of the motor
’s shaft
protrudes from the hole in the bottom. Support the
shaft
’s tip with a finger to keep the motor from settling
all the way into the bottom of the housing, as shown in
Figures 2.6-5 and 2.6-6.
9. Carefully lift the cup of molten wax from the heated
water (if it has no handle, use pliers), and, while
continuing to support the shaft tip,
pour about ¼”
(7 mm) of wax (not more!) into the thruster housing,
along the side of the motor, as shown in Figure 2.6-7.
Then remove the finger from the tip of the shaft and
gently settle the motor down into the bottom of the thruster housing. The wax
will push part of the way up around the sides of the motor, but it should not
move all of the way to the top of the motor, or above it. See Figures 2.6-8
and 2.6-9. Carefully place the thruster housing into the potting holder to allow
the wax to solidify before performing the additional wax pours.
Procedure 2.6 – Continued