Introduction: ROV Submarine

This is an ROV submersible designed by team 31 for the Plano Academy High School sub competition.

Step 1: Tools List

  • PVC Cutters
  • Wire Strippers for 14 and 22 gauge
  • Soldering Iron
  • Sandpaper (250 Grit)
  • Drill
  • 1/8'' Drill Bit
  • Sponge

Step 2: Parts List for Motors

  • (4) Clear plastic film canisters
  • Lead Free Solder Wire
  • (1) Ring of Toilet Bowl Wax
  • Latex Free Gloves
  • (4) Jameco 232047 Small 12 Volt DC Motors
  • (4) Wires that have negative and positive on both ends of the wire
  • (4) Dumas Plastic Prop 1/8" .19-.35 Tower Hobbies DUMB1860
  • (1) Sheet of tissue paper

Step 3: Parts List for Submarine

  • (2) ½” Diameter 10’ PVC Pipes
  • (8) 3-way elbow connectors
  • (4) Motors (the ones that you build)
  • (2)PVC Tee
  • (2) PVC 90 Degree Elbows
  • (3) Uxcell 3 Position ON/OFF/ON Toggle Switches
  • (25) Zip ties
  • (2) 1/2 in. x 6 ft. Polyethylene Pipe Insulation
  • (1) 80' CAT5 ethernet cable with ends cut off
  • (3) 2' CAT5 ethernet cable
  • AC/DC Adapter w/ wall socket connection and power supply end cut
  • Electrical tape

Step 4: Motor Building Procedure

Step 1: Wear the gloves on your hands

Step 5: Motor Building Procedure

Step 2: Drill a hole the size of the motor shaft the bottom of the film canister using the drill with a 1/8'' drill bit attached

Step 6: Motor Building Procedure

Step 3: Take a piece of toilet bowl wax and roll between your palms into a ball roughly the size of a nickel.

Step 7: Motor Building Procedure

Step 4: Make an other wax ball that is slightly smaller than the wax ball that is the size of an nickel

Step 8: Motor Building Procedure

Step 5: Place the ball of wax that is the size of the nickel into the film canister.

Step 9: Motor Building Procedure

Step 6: Grab the motor and use the stickers to cover the whole side of the motor

Step 10: Motor Building Procedure

Step 7: Cover the bottom and top of the motor making sure to have a hole in the middle of the sticker for the shaft and the 2 terminals on the other end of the motor. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE THE RED DOT ON THE TERMINAL SIDE UNCOVER. That red dot represents the positive terminal

Step 11: Motor Procedure

Step 8: Strip the wires with the wire stripper and solder the wire to the motor. Positive wire to the positive terminal (the terminal with the red dot next to it, and negative wire to the negative terminal

Step 12: Motor Building Procedure

Step 9: Insert the motor into the film canister with the motor shaft going in first. The motor shaft should go through the hole that you drilled on the bottom of the film canister earlier

Step 13: Motor Building Procedure

Step 10: Grab the other remaining wax ball that you just made and cover the top of the motor (where the wires are) , making sure that wire is straight.

Step 14: Motor Building Procedure

Step 11: Insert the wire through the cap of the film canister and seal the film canister with the cap

Step 15: Motor Building Procedure

Step 12: Insert the propeller on the motor shaft

Step 16: Motor Building Procedure

Step 13: Finally, wipe off any excess wax on the outside of the film canister with a paper towel

Step 17: Building Motor Procedure

Step 14: Your motors should look like this...

Step 18: Submarine Cut List

Cut list: (From the 10 foot pvc)

  • Cut (4) 13.5” tubes of pvc
  • Cut (4) 11.5” tubes of pv
  • Cut (5) 9.5” tubes of pvc finished two, need three others to be done
  • Cut (2) 2.25” tubes of pvc may need to clean cuts
  • Cut (1) 4” tube of pvc
  • Cut (2) 1.25” tubes of pvc

Step 19: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 1: Attach two tees so that they form a straight line onto either end of the 4” tube so that the extra nub points outwards

(Note: The final assembly of parts 1-6 will be pictured on step 6, refer to it when needed)

Step 20: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 2: Attach the 2 2.25” tube onto both ends of the tees to continue the straight line.

Step 21: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 3: Attach two three way joints to either end of the 2.25” tubes so that they form two bottom right corners of a rectangular prism

Step 22: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 4: Attach a 13.5” tubes to both 3-way joints so that they lay flat

Step 23: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 5: Attach two 3-way joints to a 9.5” tube so that they form the bottom left corners of a rectangular prism

Step 24: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 6: Attach the previous assembly to the ends of the 13.5” tubes so that it lays flat

Step 25: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 7: Attach four 11.5” tubes to all four corners of the prism

Step 26: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 8:Attach two 3-way joints on a 9.5” tube so that it forms the top right corners of a rectangular prism

(Note: Steps 8 through 11 are creating the other end of the prism. Refer back to what was made after the first 7 steps and make sure that what you make here fits the other part.)

Step 27: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 9: lay previous assembly flat and attach two 13.5” tubes so that they lay flat

Step 28: Submarine Building Procedures

Step 10: Attach two 3-way joints to a 9.5” tube so that they form the top left corners of a rectangular prism

Step 29: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 11: Attach previous assembly to the 13.5” tubes so that the entire assembly lays flat

Step 30: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 12: Flip over previous assembly and attach it to the 11.5” tubes to form a rectangular prism

Step 31: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 13: Attach two 9.5” tubes to the open ends of the tees

Step 32: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 14: Attach two 90° elbows to the ends of the 9.5” tubes

Step 33: Submarine Building Procedure

Step 15: Add 4 pieces of heat insulation on the PVC that is going vertical of the submarine

Step 34: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 1: Link two zip ties together and then use it to mount your motors so that two motors are in the bottom front left & right and face upwards, then attach the other two motors in the bottom back left & right so that they face outwards.

Step 35: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 2: Now take the wire coming from the motor and strip each one so that 1 1/4” of the red and black wire are showing.

Step 36: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 3: Now take the red and black wire coming off the motor and strip each one so that 3/4” of each are showing.

Step 37: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 4: Take the wires from your front two motors and twist together the reds from each motor and do the same to the black wire.

Step 38: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 5: Now take the Cat5 Ethernet cable and strip one end of the outer casing so that 1 1/2" of the six wires underneath are showing.

Step 39: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 6: Take the pair of wires from the motors and a pair of wires from the ethernet cable and connect them so that the black from the motor is paired with the white from the ethernet and the red from the motor is with the colored one from the ethernet cable.

Step 40: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 7: Set aside the sub, take a 2' length of ethernet cable and strip the outer casing from one end so that 1 1/2" of the cables underneath is showing. Strip the other end so that 3" of the wire underneath is showing. do the same for the other two pieces.

Step 41: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 8: Take the 1 1/2" end of the cable and strip the wires so the 1/4" of the copper is showing, repeat for the other two wires.

Step 42: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 9: Take your one of your switches and your ethernet cable and insert into the bottom left terminal one of the colored cables from the ethernet cable on one end and wrap it around the terminal do the same to its respective white cable in the bottom right terminal next take another pair of wires and wrap your colored wire around the middle left terminal and its respective with wire around the middle right terminal. Do the same for the top terminal. Wire the other two switches in the same way.

Step 43: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 10: Plug in your soldering iron and wet your sponge. Once your soldering iron has heated up take your solder and melt it onto a terminal on one of the switches, make sure all the wire on the terminal is covered in solder, but don't keep your iron on the terminal for too long or it will melt off. Do the same for the rest of the terminals, but make sure your solder doesn't connect terminals to each other.

Step 44: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 11: Take the other end of the 2' wire and strip each wire so that 3/4" of the cable is showing.

Step 45: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 12: Take your power adapter and strip the outer casing so that 1" of the wire underneath is showing.Then take the covered white cable inside and strip it so that 1/2" of wire is showing.

Step 46: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 13: Now take check your switches and take the pair of wires on the middle terminals and match those on the other end of wire. Take that pair of wires from each switch and take the colored wire and from each switch and twist that with the covered white cable from the ac adapter. Next take your white wire and twist that with the uncovered wire from the ac adapter.

Step 47: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 14: Take the bottom left corner and the top right corner wires from the switch and match that to the other end, and then twist those with the colored wire from a pair of wire connected to a motor. Now take the bottom right and top left wires and twist that with the white wire from the same pair. Do the same for all switches.

Step 48: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 15: Prep your soldering iron again. Then take each connection and melt solder onto it so that all wires are covered. Do the same for the motor connections.

Step 49: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 16: Take your electrical tape and tape the individual connection so that each one is isolated.

Step 50: Electrical Wiring Instructions

Step 17: Plug the Ac adapter in and flip your switches, your motors should move accordingly.