VIIC "On the Ways"

[Rokket]

I think you might have good luck with LEDs. They are about the right shape and scale size. They will be MUCH too bright, but you have opetions: 1 - use a cricuit board with resistors to pull down the juice, or use the LEDs as just "fixtures and light them with fiber optics... just some ideas, but you may be ahead. I'm just thinking that incandescent grain of wheats are like totally so yesterday. The LEDs (even if you use fiber optics for lighting you could take the fibers back to bright LEDs) will last almost forever.

Love the work, coming along splendidly, but getting exponentially more complex!

[TopherVIIC]

Rokket,
I like the idea of using the led's for fixtures - some sort of brass for the frames around them and it might work well.
As for the brightness, I have an electronics store a block away that might have resistors. The only reason I was going to use the grain-of-wheat bulbs is because I have a pile of them hanging around.


While not an officially stated goal of this project - nor is it a gospel mandate,  I am curious to see how well I can build this thing - as inexpensively and creatively as possible.
While it is fine to throw wads of yen, dollars, ducquates, pesos and money in general at a model project, I think people forget that it is not always about that.


So far, my highest cost has been the Evergreen "L" girders (about $30.00), and a few bottles of liquid weld ($4.00 ea)  and a few bottles of paint.
The sheet styrene I bought in bulk at a printing house for about 10.00 - that was a 4 foot x 8 foot sheet of .015" Not a bad buy!
My torpedo tubes were going to cost me $20.00 if I made them of brass, but only cost me $3.00 in wood. They will look fine, but I may go with aluminum tubing for the next one so I can show open tubes.


I have learned a lot so far, scrapped a fair share, rolled up my sleeves and gone back in, fighting... I have figured out things I never would have thought I could figure out with this beast - and she is just getting started! I also have a growing list of things I will change for the better on the next one - things like making at least one out of every few frames out of aluminum or brass, just to reduce the plastic flex. I have fixtures and jigs worked out, and my drawings are coming along. I am even giving thought to learning to do castings. I need several pieces of plumbing that are not available in 1:35 - and what better way than to cast them.

The image that got me started on this build is at http://www.u-35.com/photo/Bau1.jpg. Something in my mind looked at the photos of the bare ribs and I said - "Hey - I can do that!".

I am having fun with the build, and I am having loads of fun learning from all of you fine folk.
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement.


The model I am gearing up to build is U-35 after Admiral Graf Spee cut her to shreds... I want to build her in dry dock, with her working deck and conning tower carved up.
What a boat!


Cheers Mates!
Christopher

[tore]

Christopher
You sure have choosen an original object, U 35 ( the bird of ill omen ) in drydock after the incident with Admiral Graf von Spee before WW2. The story of Admiral Graf von Spee as well as U 35 is certainly fascinating, a touch of old time chivalry warfare which disappeared later in the war.   But I guess she was a VIIA and hence you probably have to doublecheck all the VIIC infos.
What a task!Keep going!
Tore

[TopherVIIC]

Tore-
Sorry- perhaps I was a little vague... This particular model will remain a VIIc/41. When I finish her, and perfect my techniques, then I will take on U-35 as a second build. This is my "training round!"

[Rokket]

Well you're doing great and all those things you said are what makes this a special project. We should all tackle the scary and expand our horizons. I think the alum rib once-in-awhile is an excellent idea. And you could always show just one tube open...

Keep it up!

[TopherVIIC]

And you could always show just one tube open...

I am likely to do just that, but will have to go in and do some serious (and careful) hollowing with the dremel tool.
I am thinking that I can open up the inboard tube#II or #IV, to show the back of a G7a in one, with the piston resting on the deck -
I had thought about having the crew running an eel into the #II tube, but I think I want to show the bunks down.
I also could open the outboard cap on tube#I or #III... That will require me to model a nose for a G7a in the open tube visible from the bow.


I wish I had thought of that in the beginning - I would have gone for the aluminum tubing. Live and learn.

I am going to magically remove both outer tube doors on the cut-away Stbd side, so you can see across to the mechanics of the outer doors to tubes #II and #IV from the inside (closed - because the interlocks will not allow my crew to open inboard and outboard torp doors of the same tube at the same time!)


I  will have to see where I can get some 1:35th scale G7a's - I know the Biber model has them.

[TopherVIIC]

Well Chaps, here is an update on the build.
I have been having the wood-workers at the Schiff-bau work on some of the internal cabinetry, and do some decking.
It took me three tries to get the locker-wall the way I wanted as far as the wood work. Here you can see the portable wooden deck on its scaffolding, HP air groups 4 and 5, the torpedo loading buffer, and the "wooden" locker wall.





Close up of the wood parts. I scribed in the pannels and made scratchy wood grain with very rough sand paper, making sure that the grain went in the direction of the wood pieces and doors. I used Artist Oils to get the modulated honey stained wood look. For the textured angle plate that covers the HP air groups, I used an old model railroading trick, and printed the pattern on paper, then applied and weathered it. For as much as it will be visible, it will do the trick on the finished piece.
I added edging along the tops of the wood where it hugs the internal T-bulbs. I need to touch up the oval slots in the lockers - these are just black marker marks for effect.





I will darken the working deck, but wanted it to have at least the base color of the cabinetry to start with.






I will add the bunks and such, and may open a locker - and I have much plumbing and wiring and such, but it is making some progress.
ok - back to the shop - :-)
Cheers

[Rokket]

great cabinetry! really great details.

[wildspear]

That is some really awesome work. Can't wait for more.

[tore]

Exellent Christopher. The colour of the woodwork is just how I remember it. On many pictures I have seen the colours have been too dark. The next step I presume, shall be "my bunk" stb lower bunk in the wardroom.
Tore

[TopherVIIC]

Progress:
So I just designed some 1943 KM bed sheets in Adobe Illustrator, blue stripes on white, and some medium gray KM wool blankets with blue edge stripes, and a white KM Eagle, in 1:35 scale. I printed them on 100% cotton rag paper, and took sanding paper to the back of it to thin it out. I broke the fibers about two hundred times over the sharp edge of my calipers in every direction possible, front, and back. I now have very soft, foldable sheets and blankets to place on my bunks.
I crunched them up a few dozen times, unfolded them, broke the fibers again over the calipers... and started gluing them to my bunks.
I will post pics tomorrow - but I am happy so far with the results. I have coated them with Testors dullcoat to even out the color. That is drying now. I am going to do a similar technique on the bottom of the bunks to simulate the springs - (no softening or major folding - just printing) just in case someone peaks that far under in the finished model.


Going to bed with a happy modeling feeling... :-)
Christopher

[tore]

Progress:
So I just designed some 1943 KM bed sheets in Adobe Illustrator, blue stripes on white, and some medium gray KM wool blankets with blue edge stripes, and a white KM Eagle, in 1:35 scale. I printed them on 100% cotton rag paper, and took sanding paper to the back of it to thin it out. I broke the fibers about two hundred times over the sharp edge of my calipers in every direction possible, front, and back. I now have very soft, foldable sheets and blankets to place on my bunks.
I crunched them up a few dozen times, unfolded them, broke the fibers again over the calipers... and started gluing them to my bunks.
I will post pics tomorrow - but I am happy so far with the results. I have coated them with Testors dullcoat to even out the color. That is drying now. I am going to do a similar technique on the bottom of the bunks to simulate the springs - (no softening or major folding - just printing) just in case someone peaks that far under in the finished model.


Going to bed with a happy modeling feeling... :-)
Christopher

Christopher
You for sure are going into the details. We had a lot of the bed clothes left from the ex. germanstorages which we used except sheets with swastikas of course. You have the rigth blue/ white colours however they were woven in checked pattern in such a way that one quadrangle was blue, one mixed blue/white and one white.
Tore

[tore]

Christopher
I `m posting a black and white picture showing the correct pattern of the bunkclothes, your blue and white colours are OK.
Tore

[SG]

Christopher am following your project with utmost interest: excellent work so far, cabinetry looks amazing! Well done, keep it upp!
SG
PS: go for that bed sheeths checkered pattern as wisely suggested by tore!
 

 

[TopherVIIC]

Thanks Gents! I will remake the beds! I used a reference pic from Bavaria Studios that showed blue and white stripes. It will be no problem to come up with a new pattern. The image in Tore's pic have a larger pattern than the other pics. That will make for a more visually compelling image I think. I will make the blankets a little darker, as these dried a little close in color to the sheets, and I want a tad more contrast. I used a historical replicas website ref for the blankets, but do not know if it is "period". Any objections?
Christopher

Ps: the larger torpedoroom pics are just about how crowded I want to have my boat looking. :-) I"ll need to junk it up after I get the regular details in!