The hole seems to seal, but we have found wine drippings in our refrigerator when bottles are stored on their side with the cork in the bottle. The wine bottle opener we use is electric and it makes a hole through the entire cork's length. But, it is not difficult if you work carefully. This step is the trickiest and the most important of the whole project. If the hole is big enough for water to get inside the hull, use a new button or seal the hole with a toothpick or some fingernail polish. Use a pair of pliers to pull it back out. If you happen to push one of the buttons into the hull too far, drill a small hole into the button and thread a wood screw into the button. It should remain near to level at all times. You want to find the point when the submarine is able to sink on its own. Push each no more than 1/16 inch at a time. Gently nudge the buttons to push each just a little farther into the hull. It will probably float on the surface of the water. You also want the submarine to be as near to level in the water as possible. You want to be sure the conning tower remains upright. Place the submarine into a bowl of water. Begin with them so they are just flush with the ends of the hull. It makes a nice snug fit and a good seal. Notice that in the photo the axle cap is inserted into the rubber hose. If air is escaping, determine where and seal it with hot glue or fingernail polish. There should be no indication air is escaping anywhere. Then hold your hand over the opposite end of the hull and blow. Blow through the hull when finished to know if the hole went through. If the ends of the submarine were a clock face, I chose to drill a hole at either 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock. Remember there is a steel screw that holds the conning tower to the hull. I used a drill bit that is long enough to do the job, but not large enough in diameter to interfere with anything I have installed inside the submarine. Although it may not be strictly necessary, I decided I wanted air to flow freely between the two for purposes of balancing the submarine along its length. The hot glue used to cement the rubber hose into the hull effectively sealed the front of the submarine from its rear section. Do not overfill, lest there be no room later for baking powder between the hot glue and the axle cap. Add enough hot glue that the finish nail is encased in it. Take your time so it can flow into all of the nooks and crannies. Squirt hot glue into the hull through the open end of the rubber hose. A dam is needed to keep hot glue from flowing too far inside the hull. Stuff one into each end of the submarine hull as far as each will go. With the rubber hose pushed into the hole at the bottom of the hull and the end with the finish nail in first, cut two wine cork buttons. The nail inside the walls of the hose will be encrusted with hot glue. Then I cut the excess nail away on each side and ground the pointed ends flush with the outside of the hose. I drilled a hole on each side of the rubber hose near one end and threaded a finish nail through the hose. Just as with the conning tower, I want to add something the glue can really grasp for a good hold when children play with this.
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