Author Topic: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion  (Read 8231 times)

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Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #15 on: 12 Jul , 2016, 13:20 »
Thanks Rokket. A lot more work to do yet on both sea and sub but separately for a while.
The sub's having a new deck and hull mods.
Been conversing online with Chris Flodberg and am now sourcing some Rayon balls for the wake from the sub.
been looking at lots of photos of wake and thinking about water effects.


I'm going to use some parts from the Revell U190 kit and will be utilising the U534 deck with mods to 'move' the schnorkel bay.
That deck in the photos is just sat loosely in position to give a feel for the end result.


While waiting on the Rayon balls I did manage to finish a Spitfire Oil sketch (off topic so feel free to delete as appropriate), but just showing it's not all been wasted time. Got some time off next week so hoping to get stuck into both sea and sub.
Here's the (off topic) Spit.







Offline SG

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #16 on: 20 Jul , 2016, 02:49 »
On standby for further in-progress shots. Eager to see the effect given by the rayon balls. Also, the spitfire painting really rocks. Congrats for the masterful use of oils and top notch drawing skills. Am speechless.

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #17 on: 22 Jul , 2016, 07:50 »
Thanks for the kind words SG.
Still waiting for the Rayon to arrive. I found this harder to find than I thought it might be, in the UK (I suspect that in the EU, if something's called 'Cotton' Wool then it has to be cotton, but I'm
just guessing).
I've ordered some in from the States and it says it's been despatched, so fingers crossed.


In the mean time I've started on 'underpainting' the sea a bit.
By this I mean that I've put down a uniform sea colour and am now starting to add some 'sub surface'-type churn colours.
There's quite a bit of this to do so i'll chip away at it in between work shifts.
On top of this, there'll then be several layers of liquitex high gloss varnish added to give it that watery reflective look and of course then the rayon (which will form the surface churn and wake
effects proper and add some more 3D to the whole thing).
Couple of quick shots to show the start of things:-






Of course there's the sub to be getting on with too (!) ;)


Cheers Bob.

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #18 on: 28 Jul , 2016, 13:36 »
Very Minor update (just to show I am making slow progress in between work shifts):-
The Rayon arrived yesterday so am now having a go at starting to add some white water and wake.


Before



...and this afternoons efforts so far





looking forward to getting back onto the sub when the sea's done.
Cheers Bob.




Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #19 on: 03 Sep , 2016, 13:01 »
Hi Gents,
I've been getting on with the sea (wake mainly) for a while but also fancied doing some work on the actual sub in between so here's a very small update.


Some of you will know that I've been looking at the forward hull vents for the type IXC/40 and the fairing shapes for a little while.
After looking at a video of the U-889 for a while, a lot of freeze framing around 2.16min into it has made me decide that these are both what I'd call the 'B2' type of fairing so I'm putting my money on that, so to speak.
Video link:-
http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot/678512935-corvette-ship-royal-canadian-navy-surrendering-naval-warfare


With that in mind I started on putting something similar onto my model.
I'm getting some small needle sanding sticks to clean these up a bit, but figured this would be easier to do once they were on the boat.
I used the parts from the rear vents on the Revell U-190 kit and have cut them into individual sections before filing them a little and reassembling them.
Also, I may be 'going against the grain of popular opinion or something similar here, but looking at photos, I couldn't see those rivets all over the top part of the hull so I toned them down a lot with some sanding.
I also couldn't see the 'strip' that Revell have on their boat that runs just beneath the vents on shots of the real thing so I filed that off.
It's not all destructive though, as I did add a strip (which will need sanding a little) above the vents (which does appear in the photos I'm looking at).
Two quick progress shots with wrong deck sat in place just to add shadows to vents:-






You can also see I've filled in some regular vent holes (as per the IXC/40), added some 'blanks' to the vents further down the hull.


Cheers Bob.














Offline Capt Kremin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #20 on: 03 Sep , 2016, 21:25 »
Hi Bob,


Nice job with the vents, with your drive for accuracy I would suggest you check the deck railings as there were several different styles and Vom Original zum Modell Uboottyp IX isn't totally correct. During research on the U 505 Dougie and myself found some inaccuracies in the book.


Regards
Jon
"Here's Peter Jason Quill, He's also called Starlord",
"Who calls him that?",
"Himself Mostly".

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #21 on: 04 Sep , 2016, 03:12 »
Hi Jon, thanks very much and thanks for the heads up help on the railings, if you spot anything else I need to know, please tell me.
There are so many variations it seems between boats that I'll need all the help I can get spotting them (that shipyard thing again no doubt). 


I'm using the Tehnoart railings which will need some bits trimming out at either end and rounding off but otherwise look a fairly good match to me.


Going back to minor differences, looking at these bits I've just added, I did notice that the forward most bow vent fairings are set slightly higher up on the hull of the 889 compared to the 534.
Also, those vent 'blanks' (?- for want of the accurate name) further down the hull side. I noticed that the 534 has the smaller blank in the first vent and the larger in the second, but it's the other way around on the 889.


Looking a lot further ahead, I did notice the large round hole on the top of the port side of the tower at it's forward end and wondered what sits down that?


When captured, in photos, the 889 looks to be missing a small section of deck planking at the front starboard base of the tower and so I'd like to put some detail down there. I think I can see in photos something that looks like three pipes at front and rear?


I can see I won't be able to cover everything, but I might as well have a go at doing what I can? :) 


Edit:-
Just finished doing the louvered vents on the other side of the boat and couldn't resist trying it in the sea again to see how we're going so far.
I'm going to be tweaking that bow wave some more to add some more irregularities and break up the 'solid' look.
Plan A is to finish the sea separate from the boat and get the hull finished and painted out of the sea, then combine the two.
The gap around the boat will eventually be filled with more rayon and acrylic medium wake and then I'll add some water draining from some of the vents.
Early days still but some quick shots:-


















Cheers Bob.








 

« Last Edit: 04 Sep , 2016, 12:59 by Bob Tomlin »

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U534 conversion with mods making U-889
« Reply #22 on: 30 Sep , 2016, 07:08 »
Hi again,
Just a small update on progress.
I started to look at the bow deck area with a view to at least putting the steel bow area in on the model.
That's when I started to send my eyes funny looking at non-slip stud patterns in photos of U-boats.
The Revell U-505 kit has some spaced out studs in this area (which coincidentally look to match small holes that are evident in photos and on surviving boats).
The rcsubs U-534 deck (seen here) also has opted to space studs out a little in the forward most bow area but keeping the same pattern as the studs in the plate behind.







Because of what I could see in wartime photos, I decided to try to replicate the tighter pattern of studs on the forward most bow plate, but this is easier said than done of course.
I started by sanding off all the existing studs which was a bit of a pain.
It also meant having to mark out and drill all the small holes in their peculiar pattern.


I opted to use some Tamiya 1mm grid pattern masking paper to mark out and drill the holes.



I used the paper again to have indicators for where to 'push my sharp pointer' in order to create a stud impression on the other side of the forward plate (see here after two rows).



I decided to add a thin layer of paint to this to see what it might look like.
I also had to cut a new slot for the front stay anchor point (it's further back on the '889 because of the 'Zwiebel').
For me the jury's still out on this for the time being, as the rear plate has that 'crispness' and uniformity but perhaps with some patches of rust and paint chipping added, I might get away with it.
Otherwise I'll scratch the front plate or source one with the sort of studs I want.





Edit:- The jury wasn't out long for me on this one. Decided that the front most plate was too irregular and lumpy as a result of pressing from the opposite side so have removed it.
          Have left the Anchor plate for the front stay in place and I'll do this area with the Archer surface transfers instead. Was worth an experiment though.


Cheers Bob.





« Last Edit: 01 Oct , 2016, 07:08 by Bob Tomlin »

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #23 on: 20 Oct , 2016, 08:03 »
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?



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.





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.





and this is the lid of it



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).










Off to source some under deck angle rod supports now. More soon hopefully.


Cheers Bob.







Offline GlennCauley

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #24 on: 20 Oct , 2016, 08:11 »
Good job, mate!    Keep up the great work.  :D
Glenn Cauley
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Offline DerXL

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #25 on: 21 Oct , 2016, 13:42 »
Fantastic build so far.
I really love the water.

Oh, and the work on the hull, the amazing details you're adding, they're brilliant too. Love it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Axel

Offline Bob Tomlin

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #26 on: 28 Oct , 2016, 07:25 »
Thanks for the encouraging comments gents.
Another small report on progress.


The brass deck requires some reinforcements adding to the underside to give rigidity and to place at the right height in the hull.
I added these strips in this random layout, avoiding gaps between planks.



I also decided to give the interior a coat of dark grey in order to see what might show up through the gaps between deck planking.







I also gave a coat to a 'sub deck' and to the underside of the brass.
I'm as yet undecided on whether to remove the half painted brass studded bow plate or not, as it requires some stud modification (if you were wondering about that).







Loose fit check of the brass foredeck on its own.
Not much shows up through the gaps when painted like this, with only the light coming through the far vents being properly visible, but the deck like this still feels fragile.







This is the brass deck with the sub-deck fitted beneath it. I realise that the real thing didn't have one of these and that the framework and pressure hull should be visible between slots but
the deck feels a lot firmer with this in place and I think the overall effect I want (with the emphasis on external appearance in the swell) this might be the better option.
will think about this while doing the schnorkel bay.
Cheers bob.











Offline GlennCauley

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #27 on: 31 Oct , 2016, 10:28 »
I feel your pain, about cutting & gluing the under-deck spars in place.  :D
But in the end, it is worth it.
Glenn Cauley
President, IPMS Ottawa
gc-scalemodels.ca

AndrewTSM

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Re: U-889 from Revell U-505 kit plus U-534 conversion
« Reply #28 on: 19 Oct , 2019, 14:50 »
Did you finish your project?