Another small update.
I realise these are only small updates, but each time hopefully we make a little progress.
Because there's no actual conversion for the U-889 subject, a fair amount of time is taken up planning and working out ways to solve little areas that need modification.
Anyway, I've moved away from the non-slip studs for a moment (as they will have to wait until I get the Archer surface detail sets) and I thought I'd have a look at some other areas of the sub again.
One thing I noticed was that I'd made a mistake with this project already.
Perhaps you were being polite before but did anyone notice what I'd done wrong in this previous update photo?
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img922/5744/xH7nAs.jpg)
Yes you all got it!
This is where a little observation and thought helps, rather than presuming things are just symmetrical on these things.
Yes, the blanks in the hull side vents just slightly astern of the steps cutouts don't go on the port side.
They only go on the starboard side on this particular boat and match the beginning of the schnorkel bay.
So they had to be removed for a start.
I then started thinking about what other mods which require destructive surgery need to be done to the hull before getting onto the nice detailing bits that can be done after.
One thing I'd noticed was how the rails (one of which forms the top of the hull side for a section on the starboard side), bulges up along the edges of the schnorkel bay.
Not being able to just add such a thin sliver (at least at the ends), I deceided it'd be best to remove a section of the top of the hull side (nearly as traumatic as sawing the hull in half lengthways for the waterline thing) and to then drop in a profiled replacement.
Here's that job done roughly before it gets refined and re-rivetted (and the blanks fitted in the right spot on the starboard side).
In the background are some of the baffles that I've used on the port side - i know that some of them are U-shaped on the real thing but we won't see that when she's back in the water.
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img923/5737/VwclMg.jpg)
I'd also been thinking about this diesel exhaust that I'd put the question on the forum about. It's a hole that might be big enough to look into so I wanted to put something in there.
I had an idea of what might be in there but this still from a british pathe film is the best view I'd had into one.
I decided not to construct the entire below decks exhaust system but just to 'box the exhaust area in' and add some representational parts of what I can see (or what I think i can see).
This is the bottom of it.
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img922/7516/XcO2Sq.jpg)
and this is the lid of it
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img923/4276/pmPCGM.jpg)
Which looks like this with a bit of paint in there too.
I'll refine the aperture later but we're getting there (this might have water sloshing in or out when put in the sea base depending on the waterline here).
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img922/4563/GPIDoA.jpg)
![](http://imageshack.com/a/img924/7849/nyL4PI.jpg)
Off to source some under deck angle rod supports now. More soon hopefully.
Cheers Bob.