My U-69

[LE BOSCO]

HI T !

Otherwise you can cheat!!You can make like that

It is what I made on my 826

For what we see has the end ,But each makes as he wants in his "parish"
Good courage for the continuation, for which I am going to wait with impatient
best regards
Nicolas

[TRM]

Thanks for the tip Nicolas.  It seems to being going fine with the "Glenn" method.  

HAPPY DAYS!!!!!!  I got back to my desk this afternoon at work, and voila...a package from Modelworks.  I have to say that shipping it between two pieces of 3/16" Luan Plywood is ingenious.

Basic review so far:

Good points:

1 - It has pieces I need to authenticate the Revell model.
2 - Shipped in a nice package
3 - Price, was not that bad
4 - Product itself, appears to be of decent quality ( Not the thickness of the AMP PE, but still nice)
5 - Workability.....I will get back to this in the near future.

Cons:

1 - The package it was sent in was a hair too short.  So they bent the piece along an etch line.


2 - There appears to still be some of the pitting from the etch process still on the sheet.  I have experimented with my own etch tank and FeCl3 (Ferric Chloride) and when done with the etching, neutralization needs to be done and the final wash.  They may have rushed this.


3 - The shipping time and lack of knowledge of where the package was.  The site mentions about a two week lead time.  BILL, you mentioned 4 weeks....you were pretty much right on.

With this out of my system now, I can focus on getting back to work.  As I mentioned the product itself appears to be in acceptable condition and I can move forward.  A little sanding and cleaning with Acetone...should be good as new.

Cheer

[billp51d]

    ... TRM.. My brass was recieved the same with the bend in it. It may have something to do with shipping size ? Yes the brass seems to be a heavier gauge. Your probably already aware, but it helps to anneal the lower stern vents before fitting. Even then it is still a bit of work forming radii that are required.(Actually a pain in the ass) but worth it.
                BTW.. If you want to spend some extra $, consider incorporating a "Nautilus Deck" with deck parts from model brass, Hatches, etc. I found results rewarding. Check out "Siaras" U-552 deck tutorial. Aside from that if you go with just a brass deck there can be poor joints later on from temperature changes, seperations and warpage.
                                             Bill in Delaware..

[Pat]

Bill, one reason why I go with multi-piece wood decks, other than the realism factor, is exactly what you said, that lerge pieces of metal tend to work themselves loose over time.

The wood doesn't expand and contract as much, and I end up pinning it in so many places for hinges, and having so many joints that allow expansion, that this doesn't become a problem.

The biggest problem is having the patience to shape so many little pieces.  You develop that easily enough tying ratlines on a tall ship model.  Ugh, decks are SO much easier than ratlines.

[TRM]

Thanks Bill for the info.  I have indeed seen Siera's build .  It has crossed my mind to incorporate the wood deck from Nautilus.  I actually found a e-store carrying it for under $30 USD. Also I couldn't wait to start Marking the openings,  I actually must have gotten real lucky.  In consideration of the sloping of the hull, I lined up my exacto following the contour and lightly rolled  the piece, checking and rolling some more.  It seemed to fit almost perfectly.

Pat,

The patience I have, time I have. Just a little miffed about the waste of most of the deck from the PE Kit. I also agree with the Dreaded Rat lines....The Nautilus may be the way to go. This means cutting out all the hatches and such I will decide in the next week or so.  I need to place an order soon for the Archer Kit and maybe the YKM7202 PE which has the missing gratings.  Such the "snowball effect"....once you start, you can't stop.

How do you think Siera will respond to groveling for a couple more photos of his wood application and hatch "extraction"??

Cheers!

[Pat]

Yes, the waste of parts sometimes does get irksome.

I like to replace all the fragile parts that I can with brass, (guns, railings, flagstaffs, etc.) but unless it was supposed to be one of the earlier steel decks, I like the realism of wood.  Of course, part of that it that wood is so much easier to work and cut out hatches and install hinges than the brass too.

I started my wooden deck because I wanted to have the drainage slots and was using a Dremel to cut away the plastic from the back.  It was working, and I liked the look of it, but it actually seemed much harder than just making a deck from scratch.  Too tense trying to make sure I didn't cut too deep.  And then there was trench for the schnorkel, which I didn't want.  I decided that to hide the schnorkel meant a new deck, and if I was making a new deck, then why not put on a deck gun, and then I had to research for a while to find a VII C/41 with a deck gun in RL.

And then if I'm making a whole deck, and drilling out the free flow holes in the casing, I'd better make the PH, and then if I did the PH, it might be hard to see even with light coming in from the slats, so why not make the hatches open with the same method I used on the 37mm shield and the main hatch.  And then why not make the ammo hatches work, etc. etc. etc.

Such is exactly how the "snowball effect" you mentioned work.  I quickly ended up with something that's going to be around 2,000 pcs.

After tying hundreds of ratlines over the decades, I at least came up with one good result.  I'd learned all the proper sailor's knots and one day decided that I might have learned how to sail from building models.  So I rented a sailboat and got hooked.  Now on my 3rd real boat and I've found that there are many things on models that are easier to figure out because of it.

I'm sure Siara would be happy to provide some more photos.  He does excellent work and his posts are always interesting and informative.

I'd put in photos of mine but don't have a digital camera, other than a cellphone, and the focus and closeups with it aren't all that good to see the small detail.

[LE BOSCO]

Hi mister T

What happen in your Shipyard????a strike??I believed that we were (the French) the world champions of the strike 
I hope to see photos of your progress very soon !!

regards
Nicolas

[TRM]

Bonjour Nicolas! J'ai

[LE BOSCO]

OK T!
I am going to wait!But I notice we are not the world champions of days holiday!
a plus l'ami
Nicolas

[Seewolf]

Hello TRM, why I can not see any Pics from your sub  I can see the pics at the first site but nothing more 

[TRM]

Seewolf,

I am not exactly sure   I checked after reading and they are there for me (of course, why wouldn't they be?)  I will check with the Picasa Album they are in an see if there is a setting that Google messed with.

If anybody else are having issues as well or any ideas why Seewolf is having viewing problems, please let me know.

Thanks,

T

[Pat]

I think it depends on the exact configuration of the computer the site is being viewed from and perhaps what programs are installed.  Sometimes when I can't see the pictures I go to a different computer, say at the library or work and I can see things that I couldn't before.  Sometimes even the colours are different.

Maybe sometimes the servers that are in between the site and the viewer make a difference too as sometimes I can see the pictures and sometimes I can't on my own computer.

And with a few pictures, I can't see them on any computer.

But I DO see the pictures of TRM's build.  They are there.

[TRM]

Thanks Pat!

Seewolf,  you may indeed want to check under your browser's options as well.  I seem to get all the pictures here and on all other sites I go, but still needed to change the setting when I try to access Itunes???

Good Luck!

T

[Pat]

TRM's method of putting in bulkheads to strengthen his hull is a very versatile one.

With a slight variation, I've used it to build small lifeboats/whalers to go with some of my other models.  It could easily serve to make a hard-hulled lifeboat (as opposed to an inflatable) that some of the early U-boats appeared to have carried beneath the deck just in front of the deck gun.  (I've seen them in some cutaway pictures).

To make a small lifeboat, make the bulkheads just as TRM showed, except make them just slightly smaller than the measurements for beam in your drawing.  This difference will be the thickness of the hull planks PLUS the thickness of the ribs.

Drill a series of holes around the rim on the bulkheads.

String the bulkheads together by setting the top edge into slots cut in a stick, similar to the metal rod that TRM used (but you want to be able to remove them partway through the construction).  The bulkheads will look to be upside down, with the keep part sticking up.

Then, bend the ribs along the outside rim of the bulkheads by wetting them, and then tying them to the outside of the bulhead by wrapping a thread around and around them, spiralling through the holes that you drilled.  DO NOT glue the ribs to the bulkheads.

After all the ribs are dried, glue or pin planks along the ribs starting at the keel and slightly overlapping each one (for a lapstrake hull) or butt-join them for a smooth hull.  Make sure you alternate sides since as they dry, they will pull evenly on the bulkheads so as not to twist the keel.

Snip the thread underneath each plank just before you glue it, so that the thread will not be glued in.

When you get to the last plank at the gunwale, and snip the last bit of thread, the whole assembly will lift off the bulkheads and you will have a lifeboat hull that looks far better than any you could buy.

Now all you have to add is thwarts (seats), stringers and oarlocks or motor mounts.

[TRM]

Thanks Pat.  I have made the Bread & Butter dingys before and I have seen a version of what you speak of on another site.  An exceptional Ukrainian "Artisan" is what I will call him, If I remember the scale correctly, it was 1/100 wooden vessel. Same concept, built the frame build the inner hull and straked the exterior and then separated the two adding the ribbing after wards, still having the template for another ship!  Still looking forward to making a whaler soon or later.  With your knowledge and your detailed explanation, there is a clearer understanding to the 2000+ part on your boat!  

Somewhat update to what has been going on at the docks....


Been working on the pressure hull for starters.  I decided to used some toilet paper rolls as a base.  Three girls in the house and a lack of sheet stock....made sense.



I have been slowly working on the Modelbrass vents.  Not as easy as it seems getting them to fit just right.  Still some filling and such, but coming along...


Ended up removing parts of the doublers here and there, which will easily be replaced...




I have just recently added some filler to the pressure hull.  Been sanding and filling.  Once I get it placed I will add a few details only, the scuttle for the conning tower, some piping, not too much.  It is fairly dark in there and would like to begin pressing on.  I figure a few more weeks and I might get a chance to fit the deck!

Cheers!