Help with resin hull please

I've followed the suggestions of Mike Ashey, FSM writer and author of 'Basics of Ship Modeling' published by Kalmbach.   Cut the lower hull apart.  Its scary,  but after success, I congratulated Ashey on his technique after his seminar at the IPMS Nats in Phoenix.  You don't want to mess with cast details on the upper hull.

If the bow and/or stern fit to shape, cut them off and set aside.  Cut down the middle of the lower hull segment.   A band saw helps, but I used a wood working back handsaw.  Also trim to length if needed.   No need to work about the saw kerf - that will be accounted for with the filler. You may have to loose the keying.

Reassemble the lower hull pieces on the upper hull.   Get the offending hull sides to blend as close as possible with the upper hull.   Once the cement hardens fill the seams and saw kerfs with putty.   Here my choice is Bondo profesional catalyzed epoxy putty (a auto parts store item).  It hardens in a few minutes and can be sanded with hobby tools. 

Replace damaged details such as bilge keels with styrene stock or brass.    Prime, sand, repeat until you are satisfied.

Resin used in models often has a characteristic of shrinkage during setting.   It tends to be related to the volume of the part.   It may be as much as 2%.   Differential shrinking between parts happens quite often.  Experienced mold makers and casters may account for the differing shrinkage in their master parts

If you are fortunate, and the split is right at the boot topping area, you may get by without it being too noticable.  While I ordinarily use a semi-matt finish for the topping, I'd use flat black in this case, the black masking being on either side of the split.  In 700th scale and with flat black, it may not be that noticable.

Don't mess with the upper half. Doing so will have following effects such as the upper deck houses not fitting.

Any of the suggestions made about lower hull fixes will work.

I build a lot of ship kits that are sold waterline, to which I like to add lower hulls.  Or often kits like yours have lower hull halves that are too shallow, or the split isn't  at the waterline.

For those, at this scale; I measure what the true depth of the lower part needs to be. I cut a piece of basswood on my table saw. Mark the outline of the upper hull. Cut slightly oversized. Glue together and sand/ fill to smooth it out.

Bill

Chris, how much wider per side is the lower hull wider then the upper hull as does not look that much? is that an aircraft carrier, British or Japanese as should have bulges on either side of hull which will hide that seam problem?

Are you sure that the wider part is not representative of an armor belt?

Looks like a liner to me.

It should hold it's shape.

Bill

Hey, Chris, I'm sorry you ran into that problem. Looks like a great model, though. I agree with GMorrison. The resin should hold its new shape after you heat it and then cool it. In my opinion that was the best solution available. Happy modeling. Barrett

See;

 Even with all the advice, you found the solution that works for you.That is what makes a modeler!

This might make you feel a little better...

GMorrison

This might make you feel a little better...

 

An ocean liner, nice; but if Titanic had been built with an armor belt, she probanly would have made New York .  .  .  Just a thought.

HooYah Deep Sea

An ocean liner, nice; but if Titanic had been built with an armor belt, she probanly would have made New York .  .  .  Just a thought.