Author Topic: Grief's late war VIIC build (Read 23465 times)

Greif · « **on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 04:14 »

Hello everyone,

my name is Ernest Roth. I have been following the outstanding builds on this forum for a long time and have decided to "throw my hat in" as they say. A little about me. I am a recently retired Soldier from the U.S. Army and I live in Germany. I have been a modeller for many years now. Mostly I build either 1/35th scale WWII armor or 1/48th scale WWII aircraft. (You can see one of my builds in the December 2008 Fine Scale Modeller gallery)

This is my second attempt at a naval subject. The model is RoG's 1/72nd scale VIIc/41. I plan to build a late war u-boat. Currently I am researching either U-228 or U-307, neither of which were VIIc/41's, however their late war configuration they were both visually very, very close to a VIIc/41.

The build will use Eduard's PE set, some of Eduard's resin set for the conning tower, AMP's own waterline decals and flag, (very nice products by the way!), and either ULAD's decal sheet or decals offered by Peddinghaus of Germany. I will also be doing some minor scratch-building as necessary.

I look forward to conversing with the very skilled and knowledgable members of this forum, and admiring your work.

Sincerely,
Ernest Roth (Greif)

Greif · « **Reply #1 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 04:20 »

Work has begun, or better said, here are a few photos of my build since beginning 10 days ago!

Below a the hull sides. I opened most of the drainage holes and carved out the slit in the center. I then used some evergreen strips to simulate the supports. Overall I am fairly satisfied with the results.

Greif · « **Reply #2 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 04:35 »

Following are a few of the Conning Tower parts. The UZO, Attack Scope Stand, and Observation Scope Stand, are all from the Eduard resin set. The hatch is the kit part detailed with an Eduard PE part, and some scratch-building. I made copper hoops for both the UZO and A.S. Stand.

I don't have Siara's great soldering skills, I actually have never learned to solder, maybe in the future! So my hoops are joined with superglue.

By the way, my photo skills are not the best so please bear with me.

Greif · « **Reply #3 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 04:44 »

Following are a couple of pictures of an outer torpedo hatch I scratch-built. It is not 100% accurate as I had to use the parts I had from my spare parts box. I think it will look ok once it is installed. After I completed the first door I realized that I only had enough parts to make one. "sigh" So the model will only have one torpedo door open.

bracco_n · « **Reply #4 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 07:19 »

Welcome to the forum Ernest! I'm also about to build this boat so will follow your thread with great interest!
Keep up the good work
Nicolas

dougie47 · « **Reply #5 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 07:35 »

Hi Ernest,

Welcome to the forum. Glad you like the flag and decals. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of your U 228 or U 307. Both these boats were built around the time the Kriegsmarine changed from the slotted deck (as on the early Revell kit) to the planked deck (as on the later VIIC/41 Revell kit).

I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of merging your topics so that we can see your whole build in one thread.

Cheers,

Dougie
AMP moderator

Siara · « **Reply #6 on:** 01 Jan , 2009, 11:44 »

Welcome to AMP Ernest! Ill follow your efforts to its full fruitation. Good luck.

Rokket · « **Reply #7 on:** 03 Jan , 2009, 17:34 »

Looking very nice off to an excellent start. The foot rails look very sweet! I soldered (badly and many times!), and had to use the old superglue in a few spots (Siara is KING!). Still excellent result.

Greif · « **Reply #8 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 02:37 »

Latest Update:

Well, my build will not be U-307. I got the latest edition of U-boot im Focus on Saturday and low and behold U-307 was the featured u-boat. Nice color scheme, but the flood vent pattern is much much different then Revell's Type VIIc/41. Also, I have been unable to find other sources, besides the kit instructions, that U-307 was fitted with a Snort. Looks like a conversion build is in the future!

Looks like the build will be U-228. Still not a 100% accurate representation, vis a via the flood vents, but pretty close.

The pictures show the completed lower conning tower. In addition to the Eduard PE parts I added a conning tower hatch retaining clip. I made it out of a couple of small pieces from my spare parts box. After shaping and gluing it, I covered the seams with Mr. Surfacer 1000 to blend everything.

I also installed the Nautilus wooden deck to the "wintergarten". I opted not to use the wooden deck for the conning tower. I am still working on the wooden deck blending the edges.

Greif · « **Reply #9 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 02:48 »

First, I have been re-miss in thanking everyone for there kind and generous comments concerning my build. Thank You!

A few more progress photos,

The first is a ladder I made from some evergreen rod. I blended the parts using Mr. Putty 1000. It will go into the lower conning tower.

The next couple of photos so the Eduard PE FuMo30. I used copper rods instead of the recommended plastic on the rear of the radar. It turned out better then I thought is would considering that I must have dropped parts at least 20 times!

Greif · « **Reply #10 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 03:02 »

Final update for today, then it is back to the bench - or is that the salt mines!?

The first picture is the snort head wrapped in Eduard PE. This was a real bear to get in place. Super glue was not doing the job, so I turned to a tool I rarely use. Some time ago a purchased an "Etch Grip". This tool works by heating the PE part, a special glue is melted to the surface; and the part is placed on the model. While the heat source is attached the part can be positioned. Once the heat source is removed the glue dries very very quickly and the part is FIRMLY attached.

I don't use the tool often because it is, in my opinion, not very user friendly and somewhat dangerous (I have burned my fingers several times while using it).

The second photo is the snort in its trough which I cut from the kit part and will attach to the nautilus wooded deck.

Siara · « **Reply #11 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 04:27 »

Making real progress!

The snort, and the radars look terrific.
Keep on posting please. Im looking forward to this build.

lukass1613 · « **Reply #12 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 05:38 »

Wow! Well done so far. Im Waiting for more!

rabapla · « **Reply #13 on:** 04 Jan , 2009, 09:39 »

Quote from: Greif on 04 Jan , 2009, 02:48

First, I have been re-miss in thanking everyone for there kind and generous comments concerning my build. Thank You!

well, as we say in german:
Ehre wem Ehre geb

Greif · « **Reply #14 on:** 08 Jan , 2009, 13:56 »

Well its been a few days since my last update. Work managed to get in the way and cause a modelling slow down!

The following pictures are of the hull. I drilled two holes in the keel and cemented a bolt on the inside. I will use them to mount the boat as so many others have done.

I still have a bit of sanding to do around the support afixed to the keel at the stern, but it is nearly ready to be primed.

The last picture is some of the PE parts on the hull.

Greif · « **Reply #15 on:** 08 Jan , 2009, 14:00 »

Update Two:

The following photos show some progress on the upper conning tower. Several of the Eduard PE parts have been attached and most of the filling and sanding is done. Other then the PE parts the only detailing I opted to do here was drilling out the Voice Tube.

Greif · « **Reply #16 on:** 08 Jan , 2009, 14:10 »

Final update for today:

I had planned to attach the upper conning tower to the lower conning tower. Normally I try to build as much as possible before painting. However, while dryfitting I noticed that painting the conning tower deck, the wooden slats and some of the inner sides would be very difficult with everything assembled. So, I have opted to paint the deck and interior and then assemble, putty, sand and paint the outer tower.

Three photos in this update. The first is the Eduard PE "Runddipol" which is a huge improvement over the kit part.

The second photo is my scratch-built "Runddipol" on top of the snort. Because of space restrictions in the snort trough I had to use a bit of artistic license and put the "Runddipol" on the top instead of the starboard side.

The final photo is the base I made for the boat.

Greif

Rokket · « **Reply #17 on:** 09 Jan , 2009, 01:05 »

Progressing very nicely

Greif · « **Reply #18 on:** 09 Jan , 2009, 02:10 »

Thank you Rokket! How is the weather "Down Under"? In Germany it is very cold right now.

Question about the flag on your U-557 build. How did you shape it to droop like that?

I am planning on displaying a torpedo loading scene much as you did and want to get my flag to look somewhat like yours.

Thanks in advance!

Ernest

Rokket · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 04:09 »

G'day Ernest! (as they say here).

The weather is Summer! getting arm, about 28C, but the gurus at ghe Bureau of Meteorolgy (do they detect meteors?) say Tuesday will be 41C! (GRRRRR!) Too hot!

Flag - The flags are all stiff with the coating on them, so that makes shaping very easy! Just scrunch up (or wrap around a pen or x-acto knife blade), and they keep their shape. I id rough mine, fading it a bit (be careful not to ruin). The it stays. The real key is to find a picture of a real flag the way you want it, and then copy.

God o the torp loading scene, that's why subs exist and it shows a lot of life.

dougie47 · « **Reply #20 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 07:16 »

Hi Grief,

Very nice job you are making.

Cheers,

Dougie

Greif · « **Reply #21 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 14:41 »

Quote from: rokket on 10 Jan , 2009, 04:09

G'day Ernest! (as they say here).

The weather is Summer! getting arm, about 28C, but the gurus at ghe Bureau of Meteorolgy (do they detect meteors?) say Tuesday will be 41C! (GRRRRR!) Too hot!

Flag - The flags are all stiff with the coating on them, so that makes shaping very easy! Just scrunch up (or wrap around a pen or x-acto knife blade), and they keep their shape. I id rough mine, fading it a bit (be careful not to ruin). The it stays. The real key is to find a picture of a real flag the way you want it, and then copy.

God o the torp loading scene, that's why subs exist and it shows a lot of life.

Thank you for the tips on the flag Rokket.

Your weather sounds really nice. It is -19C here. Good weather for modelling!

Ernest

Greif · « **Reply #22 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 15:09 »

Quote from: dougie47 on 10 Jan , 2009, 07:16

Hi Grief,

Very nice job you are making.

Cheers,

Dougie

Thank you for the kind words Dougie.

I am finished with the hull and built the deck today. I am currently test fitting the deck. The following pictures document the progress.

The first picture shows the joint of the wood deck to a section of the kit part. I choose to use a piece of the kit part because of the bull nose at the bow. As you can see, the wooden deck is a bit narrower then the plastic part. Looks like some shimming is in the future. I don't know if this is also an issue with the earlier Type VIIc, but it sure is with this version.

Picture two shows the section for the life rafts. Here the kit part was too wide and slightly too short. Careful sanding and a small shim got it to fit without much trouble.

Picture three is the snort trench, which I cut from the kit part. It was not hard to glue it to the wooden deck. Care is needed to ensure the deck width remains correct. Also, the outer section of the wooden deck is VERY easy to snap off, which I managed to do. Fortunately, it is also easy to repair.

Picture four is the Torpedo Loading Well Deck and Tube. I am using the WEM PE Set, which is very nice. The tube was not much fun to get rolled "mostly" round and there was some "direct" language used during construction. Due to the nature of the slatted deck care had to be exercised cutting the three access grates away. The center grate had to be reassembled after removal because there is nothing holding it together once it is seperated from the outer grates. Fortunately its an easy job. Finally, the front hull support had to be notched to fit the Well deck.

The final picture is an overall shot of the deck. I am pleased with the fit. There was only a few very minor high places which were easily corrected. For those planning on using the slatted wooden deck, you will have to support it as it has a tendency to bow, especially around the conning tower area. I choose to put thin but strong metal strips crossways on the bottom of the deck. It covers some of the slitted area, but you can't see down into the hull anyway as they are so narrow. Alternately, one could cross-brace the hull.

Tomorrow, I plan to glue the deck, and if all goes well fasten some of the Eduard PE to it.

Rokket · « **Reply #23 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 15:35 »

Looking very nice, the access/openings sure make it real.

Siara · « **Reply #24 on:** 10 Jan , 2009, 15:38 »

Agree with Rokket- taking shape. Love the progress you are making my friend. Real beauty of the deck.

rabapla · « **Reply #25 on:** 12 Jan , 2009, 02:02 »

I love to see people making progress!

very nice, at least somebody tackling a late boat!

wish i had time...................

Greif · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 Jan , 2009, 13:31 »

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments! It means alot coming from you master builders.

I have managed to attach the deck to the hull and have puttyed the seams. For most of the puttying I used Gunze's Mr. White Putty thinned with solvent to make it run into the cracks. The technique works well for very small gaps and avoids alot of mess. I will sand it tomorrow once everything is good and dry.

Following are a few pictures of the deck as it looks now:

Greif · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 Jan , 2009, 13:43 »

Second update for today. While the deck was drying, I started work on the anti-aircraft guns. In addition to the Eduard PE, I used Schatton brass barrels.

The 3.7 cm gun took some time to complete. For those of you planning on using Eduard PE to improve the look of the gun make sure you plan the build with both the kit instructions and the Eduard instructions. It will save you some headache! The Eduard instructions generally do a good job lying out what kit parts are used, and those that are not used. The exception is kit part number 189; it is not used, as there is no way to attached it with the Eduard PE parts in place. Overall, I am pleased with the outcome.

The last few photos document my progress on the 2.0 cm guns. Basically, not alot of progress! Unlike the 3.7 cm gun, which has 35 seperate PE parts, there are not alot of PE parts for the 2.0 cm guns. The next update will show the competed 2.0 cm guns.

Hope everyone enjoys the shots!

rabapla · « **Reply #28 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 00:24 »

very nice! looking forward to a OOB build (withsome OOB aftermarked stuff)!!!

does anyone have experience with the nautilus wood decks and warpage? Had the idea to strengthen it with thin liquid cyanoacryl- superglue, sort of soak the deck with the glue....................?

Greif · « **Reply #29 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 00:36 »

Hi rapapla,

Thank you for the kind comment. As to your question, this is the second nautilus wooden deck I have used. I strengthened both decks. One the first one, which was an early war pattern, I used some evergreen beam crossways in the hull, spaced between 10-15 cm apart.

On this build I used thin metals plates glued to the bottom of the deck. Either techniques works fine. The area that requires attention is in the center of the boat where the Conning Tower is located. No surprise there!

Both decks are "rock solid" with no warping.

Hope this helps!

Ernest

Mr.Mox · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 00:38 »

Nice and slick build - Greif, Guess I have to get a set of replacement barrels for my kit...

I put a Nautilus deck on my Type II and I primed it with a clear laquer from a rattlecan to seal it - afterwards I just painted it with acryllics and washed with oils - no warp on the deck - but I did ad some supports on the hull running under the deck, and since the VII is much wider than the II it might be a good idea.

Siara · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 00:53 »

Guns are looking good. Im at the stage of building the 20mm MG, and i wish it look as good as yours.
The 37 is fantastic!

Greif · « **Reply #32 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 01:30 »

Quote from: Mr.Mox on 14 Jan , 2009, 00:38

Nice and slick build - Greif, Guess I have to get a set of replacement barrels for my kit...

I put a Nautilus deck on my Type II and I primed it with a clear laquer from a rattlecan to seal it - afterwards I just painted it with acryllics and washed with oils - no warp on the deck - but I did ad some supports on the hull running under the deck, and since the VII is much wider than the II it might be a good idea.

Thanks Jan! Yep, supports for the wooden decks are always a safe bet. I never thought to use clear laquer to seal the wooden deck and paint it with acrylics. The first one a painted, I primed it first then painted it with acrylics. I like your idea better as I think it will reduce the amount of sanding to get rid of the "fuzzys". Thanks for the tip!

Ernest

Greif · « **Reply #33 on:** 14 Jan , 2009, 01:35 »

Quote from: Siara on 14 Jan , 2009, 00:53

Guns are looking good. Im at the stage of building the 20mm MG, and i wish it look as good as yours.
The 37 is fantastic!

Hi Siara, and thank you for the kind comments. I don't think you need to worry about the looks of your 2.0 cm; based on your previous work it will be beautiful!

The 3.7 cm turned out fairly nice. To tell the truth I was glad to finish it as the PE was not very "user friendly" and planning the construction with both the kit and PE instruction sheets required me to burn alot of brain cells.

Ernest

Greif · « **Reply #34 on:** 16 Jan , 2009, 14:57 »

Not much to update today. I have competed filling and sanding the deck. The photo-etch parts have been attached. The hull is about 95% complete. Next up will be completing the 2.0 cm guns and working on the conning tower decks adding PE to them.

Enjoy the pictures!

Siara · « **Reply #35 on:** 16 Jan , 2009, 16:34 »

Did you enjoy adding the hinges?

Greif · « **Reply #36 on:** 17 Jan , 2009, 13:33 »

Quote from: Siara on 16 Jan , 2009, 16:34

Did you enjoy adding the hinges?

My eyes did not!

Greif · « **Reply #37 on:** 17 Jan , 2009, 13:51 »

Small update: The 2.0 cm guns are finished. Attached is a picture of one of them. (See Siara, I told there was nothing to worry about with your 2.0 cm!

)

Siara · « **Reply #38 on:** 17 Jan , 2009, 17:09 »

Quote from: Greif on 17 Jan , 2009, 13:51

(See Siara, I told there was nothing to worry about with your 2.0 cm! )

Yeah- but yours is finished, while mine is far from. Nothing wrong with this zwiling anyway- looks super with these Schatton barrels.

rabapla · « **Reply #39 on:** 18 Jan , 2009, 04:56 »

Greif, I really like Your building, pretty much what i want to do when I find time (just finished our 9 month 1/1 scale baby girl build

)

but these container thing on Your zwilling: isn't it placed frontal and not on the side

(see VII gallery U 333 late)

Greif · « **Reply #40 on:** 18 Jan , 2009, 05:42 »

Quote from: Siara on 17 Jan , 2009, 17:09

Quote from: Greif on 17 Jan , 2009, 13:51
(See Siara, I told there was nothing to worry about with your 2.0 cm! )

Yeah- but yours is finished, while mine is far from. Nothing wrong with this zwiling anyway- looks super with these Schatton barrels.

Thanks Siara, but as rabapla correctlz pointed out, I placed the storage box in the wrong place.

Just got through priming to, I'll see if I can reposition it without destroying something. Grrr.

Greif · « **Reply #41 on:** 18 Jan , 2009, 05:45 »

Quote from: rabapla on 18 Jan , 2009, 04:56

Greif, I really like Your building, pretty much what i want to do when I find time (just finished our 9 month 1/1 scale baby girl build )

but these container thing on Your zwilling: isn't it placed frontal and not on the side (see VII gallery U 333 late)

Hi rabapla, good eye and thanks for the catch on the storage box placement. Just finished priming, darn! I'll try and move the storage boxes without wrecking something.

Congratulations on your baby girl! I'll bet the "build" process was even more fun then model building.

Greif · « **Reply #42 on:** 19 Jan , 2009, 11:29 »

Latest Update: the hull has been primed, imperfections fixed and sanded. I plan to paint the upper hull tomorrow if all goes well. I am using the WEM paints, the upper hull will be Dunkelgrau 51, as well the conning tower.

The upper and lower conning tower parts have been primed, the interior painted, and they have been joined. I need to do a little filling and sanding of the joint, but it fit well so I won't have to do alot. After that I'll add a few small PE parts and the rails.

The AA guns have been painted and are awaiting final assembly to the conning tower, (which well take place near the end of construction).

I will post photos as soon as Wink has sorted out the bug which is preventing me from doing so.

Greif · « **Reply #43 on:** 20 Jan , 2009, 13:33 »

Hi everyone, as the bug is still not letting me post picture in this thread, I posted several "In Progress" shots in the gallery's "On the Bench" section.

Hope you like them and feedback is welcome!

Ernest

Siara · « **Reply #44 on:** 20 Jan , 2009, 13:49 »

Looking good Ernest!

I like the way you improved the radio loop.

So next step- the railings? Any thoughts on that?

Greif · « **Reply #45 on:** 20 Jan , 2009, 15:03 »

Quote from: Siara on 20 Jan , 2009, 13:49

Looking good Ernest!
I like the way you improved the radio loop.
So next step- the railings? Any thoughts on that?

Thank you for the complement, Siara.

Ahhh.....if only I had the equipment and knowhow to solder. I do plan to learn, once a convince Frau Roth that I need yet more modelling tools!

Siara · « **Reply #46 on:** 20 Jan , 2009, 15:19 »

It isnt really that expensive- have look:
http://www.dremel-direct.com/acatalog/Dremel_Multitip.html

and instead of the solder you need the Koki paste:
http://www.techgsm.com/Solder_paste_for_SMD_KOKI_40g,3937.html

Thats it.
Soldering with it is pure pleasure. Trust me- youll never look back.
That was the best buy in my inventory. i have never regreted it.
Highly recommended.

Cezar · « **Reply #47 on:** 20 Jan , 2009, 20:16 »

Yep, Siara is right, good torch plus Koki paste makes soldering easier than ever.
Great build by the way, i'll copy some of it, just half the size

Cezar.

Greif · « **Reply #48 on:** 24 Jan , 2009, 06:14 »

Its been a couple of days since my last update. Had to cut back on modeling while a completed some home projects. Also, my faithful compressor of 23 years gave up the ghost.

I ended up buying a Harder and Steenbeck 16A compressor and have enclosed a few photos. I'll let everyone know how it works once I get some airbrushing in.

Some in progress pictures are in the gallery under the "On the Bench" section.

Siara · « **Reply #49 on:** 24 Jan , 2009, 07:28 »

Nice compressor- how much did it set you back?

Greif · « **Reply #50 on:** 24 Jan , 2009, 14:11 »

Hi Siara,

I paid Euro 225, including shipping. Just finished some airbrushing. The compressor work very well. Its noise level is about what a freezer or fridge is. It puts out pulse free air; and the air tank cuts down on the motor running.

I sprayed primer on the copper and PE parts at 20psi with my Badger 100LG. Overall, I am very pleased so far.

Greif · « **Reply #51 on:** 25 Jan , 2009, 13:44 »

Latest Update:

Just finished painting the conning tower, upper hull, and various railings and other parts. I used WEM DKM Dunkelgrau 51. I usually airbrush with acylics, but I wanted to try the WEM paint. Overall I am pleased with it. I sprayed at 20 psi after thinning the paint 60/40 with lacquer thinner. I have posted a few pictures in the "On the Bench" section of the gallery.

Enjoy!

Mr.Mox · « **Reply #52 on:** 26 Jan , 2009, 00:53 »

Looks nice - and a very tidy workspace too, disturbing

Test:

Greif · « **Reply #53 on:** 26 Jan , 2009, 04:59 »

Hi Jan, thanks for the comment! Trust me, the work area is not always this clean!

Siara · « **Reply #54 on:** 26 Jan , 2009, 15:46 »

Spotless.

I like the WEM colour- it really is nice shade. Unfortunatelly i hadd bad experience using these paints, and switched to Tamiyas.
Family was glad too.

Rokket · « **Reply #55 on:** 27 Jan , 2009, 00:49 »

I like the "bite" of enamel, thinner poisoning be damned!

I use a similar pressure ratio to Greif. Things improved with a moisture trap in the airbrush line. (Single Action Paasche). But I ended up only spraying above the waterline, and brushed below (thin-thin paint tho).

Greif · « **Reply #56 on:** 27 Jan , 2009, 14:06 »

Hi Siara and Rokket,

thanks for the kind comments. I prefer airbrushing with acrylics, but thought I would give the WEM paints a try. I agree the color matching is excellent. However, they can be a bit of a challenge to airbrush. At least for me, there is not much room for error with getting the correct combo of viscosity, pressure and distance to lay down really smooth coats. Alas, I did not succeed competely in getting it right with this model. I managed to get a bit of the dreaded "orange peel" effect in a couple of spots; spots that I don't think I can correct as they are in very tight locations with PE. From 25 cm's away and further the paint job looks just fine. Closer in, not so much.

Guess I won't be entering this build into any contests! I can live with the results as this U-boat is going to my brother-in-law where it will reside over his fireplace. He looked at the upper hull painting yesterday and proclaimed it a work of art - if he only knew. I will look at the glass as half-full on this one!

I ordered both KM paint sets from Lifecolor and plan to use them on my Type II build. Nothing against the WEM paints; but I think I will stick with acrylics for airbrushing as I have developed the skill to spray them smoothly.

I put a couple of pictures in the gallery "On the Bench" section that I took after spraying the lower hull. WEM paints, Schiffsbodenfarbe Grau III.

Rokket · « **Reply #57 on:** 29 Jan , 2009, 04:24 »

It's funny, my wife and also my best mate have great effect with acrylics, me, nothing but trouble! (TIP: don't buy the official thinner, it;s waaaay too expensive, you can use methylated spirits! Supposedly the official thinner has an extra additive, but in practical terms, methylated spirits work fine.
I had the orange peel with acrylics, prt of problem was masking before thoroughly cured.

Artists are always their own worst critics, it will be beautiful on your bro-in-law's mantel!

NZSnowman · « **Reply #58 on:** 29 Jan , 2009, 15:06 »

Hi Greif.

If you get time one day, I was wondering if you could measurement, two distances around the schnorchel base from your model for me. As I want to check the spacing around the port side of the schnorchel for piping. The two measurements are: The width of the wooden deck and the other is the width from the edge of the wooden deck to the schnorchel ram. Thanks Simon.

Greif · « **Reply #59 on:** 30 Jan , 2009, 05:18 »

Quote from: rokket on 29 Jan , 2009, 04:24

It's funny, my wife and also my best mate have great effect with acrylics, me, nothing but trouble! (TIP: don't buy the official thinner, it;s waaaay too expensive, you can use methylated spirits! Supposedly the official thinner has an extra additive, but in practical terms, methylated spirits work fine.
I had the orange peel with acrylics, prt of problem was masking before thoroughly cured.

Artists are always their own worst critics, it will be beautiful on your bro-in-law's mantel!

Thanks Rokket! You are right about being our own worst critics. I was moaning to my wife about the conning tower. She looked it over and told me she couldn't understand why I was complaining. When I pointed out the problem area she replied, "Oh that tiny place. Ernest, you need a magnifier to see it!"

Greif · « **Reply #60 on:** 30 Jan , 2009, 05:19 »

Quote from: NZSnowman on 29 Jan , 2009, 15:06

Hi Greif.

If you get time one day, I was wondering if you could measurement, two distances around the schnorchel base from your model for me. As I want to check the spacing around the port side of the schnorchel for piping. The two measurements are: The width of the wooden deck and the other is the width from the edge of the wooden deck to the schnorchel ram. Thanks Simon.

Hi Simon, I will get the measurements when I get home from work and email them to you.

Greif · « **Reply #61 on:** 30 Jan , 2009, 13:06 »

Quote from: Greif on 30 Jan , 2009, 05:19

Quote from: NZSnowman on 29 Jan , 2009, 15:06
Hi Greif.

If you get time one day, I was wondering if you could measurement, two distances around the schnorchel base from your model for me. As I want to check the spacing around the port side of the schnorchel for piping. The two measurements are: The width of the wooden deck and the other is the width from the edge of the wooden deck to the schnorchel ram. Thanks Simon.

Hi Simon, I will get the measurements when I get home from work and email them to you.

Hi Simon, the short measurement is: 2.1mm and the long measurement is: 7.9mm. Hope this helps!

Ernest

Greif · « **Reply #62 on:** 30 Jan , 2009, 13:13 »

Got some work done on the model today. The decks are painted, I used WEM Tire Black which gives a nice tone. I plan to weather the decks using a brown wash. We will see how it goes!

Overall I am satisfied with the base coat, which sprayed very nicely.

The conning tower is nearing completion. I installed the rails and did some minor detail painting to the tower hatch and conning tower base. Once everything is dry I plan to attach the conning tower to the hull.

I still can't post a picture to the thread, so the update pictures are in the "On the Bench" section of the gallery.

Rokket · « **Reply #63 on:** 05 Feb , 2009, 23:39 »

checking them out!

Greif · « **Reply #64 on:** 06 Feb , 2009, 13:59 »

Hi guys, it been a few days since my last update. I was away on a working trip this past week.

Most of the construction and painting is finished; the boat has been glossed with future, and I have started weathering. I still can't seem to post pictures in the thread and have posted 8 recent shots in the gallery's "On the Bench" section.

The first 3 pictures show the conning tower, which is complete and ready for weathering. The decals represent U-228 as she looked just prior to her 6th and last war patrol.

The next photo shows the torpedo loading area. I still need to weather the hatches.

Photo 5 was taken near the stern and shows the weathered deck. I used a brown wash to give the deck a worn look.

The final 3 pictures show the G-7e torpedo on the loading tray, and a couple group shots of the crew (The photos are not very good, unfortunately).

Tomorrow I plan to weather the boat.

By the way, I am selling a little used Badger 100 LG (Fine Needle/Tip), with two extra needles and an extra head assembly. I am asking $50.00 and thought I would see if any of you are interested. I'm not really interested in making a profit or recouping the money I paid for it, rather I would like to see it go to a good home to give a fellow modelers a bit of joy.

Enjoy the pictures!

Rokket · « **Reply #65 on:** 06 Feb , 2009, 16:23 »

Nice, looking very good, and getting close!

Greif · « **Reply #66 on:** 07 Feb , 2009, 00:42 »

Thanks Wink!

Greif · « **Reply #67 on:** 09 Feb , 2009, 11:16 »

Hi guys, I hope you will all excuse me while I vent a bit.

I came home from work today with the expectation of putting the finishing touches on my u-boat. When I walked through my front door my wife met me with that expression on her face that said "bad news". When I asked what was wrong she said her sister had visited earlier this afternoon and that my 9 year old nephew, he of the "unable to either follow instructions and leave hands OFF other people's things type of brat", had gone downstairs into my modeling room.

To make a long story short, he grabbed my nearly complete U-228 to play, even though he knows my modeling room and all models are OFF LIMITS!. Well the damage is fairly extensive with various broken railings the torpedo loading cradle being the worst casualties. I'm still trying to figure out how, or even if, I can repair the damage and make the u-boat look presentable.

I'm normally a pretty even-keeled person, but this nearly sent me into orbit. Good thing my sister-in-law had already departed with the brat or there would have been a very ugly scene as I reverted back to my senior NCO days while dealing with undisciplined fools.

Anyway, thanks for letting me blow off some steam; being craftsmen yourselves I'm sure you understand my feeling about this. I actually feel I little better now. Time to assess and see if a can somehow turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

Thanks guys,
Ernest

Mr.Mox · « **Reply #68 on:** 09 Feb , 2009, 11:36 »

Sorry to hear that, too bad some people aren

Greif · « **Reply #69 on:** 09 Feb , 2009, 14:17 »

Quote from: Mr.Mox on 09 Feb , 2009, 11:36

Sorry to hear that, too bad some people aren

Rokket · « **Reply #70 on:** 16 Feb , 2009, 00:08 »

SO sorry to hear about this, Ernest...it's not even the time and effort 9tho that is obviously a huge part), it comes down to some damage is not repairable (without making worse). Our sympathies.

Anakin · « **Reply #71 on:** 04 Aug , 2009, 11:08 »

Quote from: Mr.Mox on 14 Jan , 2009, 00:38

I put a Nautilus deck on my Type II and I primed it with a clear laquer from a rattlecan to seal it - afterwards I just painted it with acryllics

I also have Nautilus decks under construction and i was wondering how they should be painted... The Nautilus instructions say that they should be painted with enamel paints. I prefer using acrylics so if i understood correctly the wooden deck could be sealed/primed with non water based clear coat? Any suggestions? Maybe http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tam/tam85013.htm this?

Anakin

Rokket · « **Reply #72 on:** 05 Aug , 2009, 03:08 »

I stained the deck with wood stain, two different colours. The stain had a sealer built into it. Then I weathered by dabbing various shades of black/charcoal, in a combo dab and drybrush (I used old brushes and ruined one down to a stump). I happen to love enamel, but acrylic would probably be ok, tho the dabbing method might not be so good, drybrushing better. Because the paint was pretty solid and "bitey" I did NOT seal.

http://www.rokket.biz/models/modelsweb/rokket/u557/prog10.shtml

conus00 · « **Reply #73 on:** 09 Aug , 2009, 04:18 »

Hi Ernest,
I just found this thread and it is quite impressive. Keep up the good work!
The Revell's VIIC/41 is definitely on my "to-do list" so I will follow this build with great interest.

-Libor

bracco_n · « **Reply #74 on:** 09 Aug , 2009, 16:47 »

It is actually finished, look for a thread called U-228 is commisioned to see the final result

Pat · « **Reply #75 on:** 02 Feb , 2010, 22:51 »

I'm still getting caught up on all the old topics, and felt there was something I could contribute to this one.

First, my condolences on the damage from that nephew. When I was a teen and building models, my parents had a cleaning lady who every single week would go into my room and break one of my models. Didn't matter if I said she could leave that room alone or not.

I eventually suspected that it was intentional because she was Dutch and the only models she ever broke were ones of German equipment, never allied.

After I graduated from univ. and lived on my own, I spent about a year building a model of USS Alabama, a Civil War commerce raider (same funtion os KG Graff Spee or Seeadler in WWI) and the week after I finished it, my cat decided that the yardarms looked tasty.

That's probably why I sell most of my models even before I finish them.

Anyway, I feel for you.

So how did the repairs turn out?

Secondly, I noticed near the beginning of this build, how there was a fingerjoint between two pieces of deck and you were talking about using putty and letting it dry overnight before going on.

The method I've used for making seams in wood dissappear is to first, file both sides at 45 degree agles so that the one side overlaps the other. This makes the joint even from the start almost invisible because they match up at a very fine scarfe joint that's only molecules thick.

If the joint still shows too much, I put a small thread of carpenter's glue on it and wipe off any excess glue that goes on top of the wood. Then sand it immediately with the finest sandpaper I can. The reason for the immediate sanding is that I want the sawdust to impregnate the glue. The glue takes on the colour of the sawdust/wood and will even take stains the same as the original wood.

Using this technique, I've made joints in wood that I can't even find myself after a few months and Altzheimer's catches up with me.

Rokket · « **Reply #76 on:** 02 Feb , 2010, 23:31 »

nice decking joint info Pat

Greif · « **Reply #77 on:** 03 Feb , 2010, 01:10 »

Hi Pat, I managed to repair the damage pretty well, had to rebuild most of the Torpedo Loading Tray. Unless you look very close you would never know it occured. Of course, looking very close is the job of judges at contests, so this build is never going to be entered into one. It now sets on my brother-in-law's mantel. There is another thread that shows the completed model on here, I think it is titled "U228 is commissioned".

Great tip on joining wooden decking. I will have to try that out on my next uboat build. Mine came out pretty well. The joint pretty much disappeared after some sanding.

Thanks for the interest,
Ernest

Quote from: Pat on 02 Feb , 2010, 22:51

I'm still getting caught up on all the old topics, and felt there was something I could contribute to this one.

First, my condolences on the damage from that nephew. When I was a teen and building models, my parents had a cleaning lady who every single week would go into my room and break one of my models. Didn't matter if I said she could leave that room alone or not.

I eventually suspected that it was intentional because she was Dutch and the only models she ever broke were ones of German equipment, never allied.

After I graduated from univ. and lived on my own, I spent about a year building a model of USS Alabama, a Civil War commerce raider (same funtion os KG Graff Spee or Seeadler in WWI) and the week after I finished it, my cat decided that the yardarms looked tasty.

That's probably why I sell most of my models even before I finish them.

Anyway, I feel for you.

So how did the repairs turn out?

Secondly, I noticed near the beginning of this build, how there was a fingerjoint between two pieces of deck and you were talking about using putty and letting it dry overnight before going on.

The method I've used for making seams in wood dissappear is to first, file both sides at 45 degree agles so that the one side overlaps the other. This makes the joint even from the start almost invisible because they match up at a very fine scarfe joint that's only molecules thick.

If the joint still shows too much, I put a small thread of carpenter's glue on it and wipe off any excess glue that goes on top of the wood. Then sand it immediately with the finest sandpaper I can. The reason for the immediate sanding is that I want the sawdust to impregnate the glue. The glue takes on the colour of the sawdust/wood and will even take stains the same as the original wood.

Using this technique, I've made joints in wood that I can't even find myself after a few months and Altzheimer's catches up with me.

Siara · « **Reply #78 on:** 03 Feb , 2010, 01:26 »

I agree with Pat on white glue mixed with saw dust- thats how i made my joint on U-552.
However i can not agree with sanding the decks edge 45 degree.
It would work if you make the deck yourself, and can allow for such joint. But if the deck commes in set size, if you sand the joint 45 deg on both sides of the joint, with the deck about 1 mm thick, you are going to end up with the deck, that is about 1mm too short for you hull.

Pat · « **Reply #79 on:** 03 Feb , 2010, 07:07 »

You're correct about is reducing the overall length of the deck slightly Siara. the total reduction depends on how thick the deck is, and how much of the joint is overlapped like that. For a thick deck, the reduction can be made less if you keep most of the joint vertical and just make a tiny overlap at the very top, but it's finicky and difficult to do.

Keep in mind that I'm in the habit of scratchbuilding my decks. I got so used to doing it with all the sailing ship models that I build that all the extra work of cutting each individual plank to me is almost second nature now. Some of the tall ships take up thousands of planks (a 3 decker that I started 20 years ago but have never finished, has every deckplanked and each hatch framed, etc.)

My own build keeps having "leprosy". I have many parts just sitting on it dry-fitted and have lost a few due to my clumsiness. Emailed Revell on Monday and again today. Now to settle in for the wait.

Author Topic: Grief's late war VIIC build (Read 23465 times)

bracco_n

lukass1613

Mr.Mox

Cezar

Mr.Mox

Mr.Mox

bracco_n