Newbie Needs Help! 1/72nd scale U-boat Q's

Hi Snap,

You CAN get a flag -only $5.95 +shipping.

 By all accounts the /41 is a very lovely boat, and so similar to the VIIC but updated.

CMK internal - very nice. I'm not going by dead accuracy but by all the folks who have built them. Some have gone beyond with their own detail. Generally, they are work but highly recommended.

Wood deck - I'm a big fan. Yes, the metal deck might have slightly smaller and more accurate slots, but the installation, cnstruction, and finish is great on the wood (see: http://www.rokket.biz/models/modelsweb/rokket/u557/finished.shtml and http://www.rokket.biz/models/modelsweb/rokket/u557/prog10.shtml)

it's all a good build, have fun!

Cool, Guys. Thanks!

-Red

Damn! wish I could get a flag!!

I'm considering getting the revell VIIc/41 as I did actually enjoy what I built of my VIIC (apart from the ****** Yankee Modelworks Pressure Hull thing! It could be a great product but it, in my opinion, was let down by bad, incomplete research and very poor instructions...added to the fact that the damn things never fitted right. There are real live examples of these submarines left for people to visit and to use as research. Ok so you have to travel to get to these examples instead of sitting in a nice cosy office but surely it's worth it to get the product right first time? it saves bad reviews, poor sales and a damn good slagging off on forums which most modelers will read.

Rokket.... what do you think of the CMK internal stuff (torpedo, control room etc) for the Revell U-Boats? are they easy to install after cutting holes in the hull (NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED)? I'm also considering the Nautilus Models wood deck as well. I'd appreciate your comments.

NOTE: Nautilus models & CMK now accepts paypal

James

Red, some random thoughts...

Everything these good folks are saying is good advice.

It would help to read up on uboats and maybe even a specific boat. These uboatmen were the enemy of the Allied war effort, but they were proud sailors who worked too hard and about 80% died, all unpleasantly. Worth knowing abou them.

Limber holes - (floods and vents in non US sub talk).  You can drill and cut (with VERY sharp #11 x-acto blade), but if you have or can borrow a Dremel tool, this really is the best method, a "work smarter not harder" thing. It's a matter of letting a grinding bit grind away the plastic (from INSIDE) until each hole becomes see-through because it's so thin. That's when you stop grinding and easily cut it out with the #11. Other methods work, but none are as fast and "easy" (a relative term). Do heed the advice of others and not use too much speed, melting is bad. For extra accuracy, use the #11 blade to make angle cuts on the side and bottom of each hole (just a few swish smooth passes) so that the edges are thinned very, very thin (or in Monty Python terms, "wafer thin"). This gives the illusion of scale-thickness metal and keeps some plastic strength.

Yankee P-hull - I've been polite before, but really, it's a piece of...notgood.  As pointed out, you won't see it thru the deck, and it's expensive and doesn't fit well and not at all accurate. You mightwant to make a cone shape in the bow if you hollow out the bottom floods (can be seen), tho Modelbrass PE is the best way to go there.

Also as pointed out, if you do a mostly Out Of the Box build with some good PE, concentrate on painting and you should have a great looking build.

I'm a bit biasedso I'm going to recommend you spend heaps of money on some cool stuff: namely the Floods and Vents Phot Etch kit available from White Ensign Models (WEM) - that's a product Dougie Martindale and I design and released and sold to WEM. Dougie has a great article on authentic paint, and I have some various hints on creating your own, or buying paint from WEM.

As Accurate Model Parts (AMP) Dougie and I sell high-tech fabric flags and waterline and Snorting Bull decals.  Because this is a school project (sounds like a cool school!) AMP will send you a free fabric flag to top off your build. But you have to earn it:  you must read something on uboats, and also post some pictures of your progress, we'd all love to have a look!

Send me a message or email and we'll get you a flag.

I can't find the pressure hull on the Yankee Modelworks site so it's either got missed on the site revamp or it's out of production. For what you're doing as a school project, (unless you're willing to open up the hull on one side and use the CMK internal sets) the Yankee Modelworks upper pressure hull will never be seen so not worth the effort. I spent countless hours... and I mean that.... shaving, sanding, dry fitting and I never really got it right as there is not enough detail in the instructions (I think there were some instructions, I can't remember now) on fitting into the hull ( depth etc).

For your School project I think that a highly detailed and painted external model will suffice. you can go too far and it will take too long to build. I spent about 8 weeks before scrapping the kit as fitting the yankee model works pressure hull provided more problems in time and effort than the kit is actually worth. If you can manage it there are some real U-Boats on display in Germany which you can visit and photograph. I'm sure that will help with your school project but you'll have to talk nicely to mum and dad.

The one to vsit is U-995 in Laboe, Germany. here's the official site link and map. it's near Kiel on the baltic coast. The site is in German

http://www.deutscher-marinebund.de/anfahrt_u995.htm

By the limber holes I presume you mean the free flood vent holes. you can hollow them out by using a small drill (0.5mm) and a very steady hand. be careful though because the heat from the friction will start to melt the plastic. take frequent breaks and if you have a flexible shaft drill use that with your rotary tool well bolted down in it's holder.

There are lots of aftermarket acessories available for the Revell U-Boats but I would recommend using the KISS system for your project - Keep It Simple, Stupid. Anything taken into school for projects that looks better than someone elses' project will be vandalised. I know, having build one of the huge Dora 1/35 railway guns for a lecture day in my old school. 6 months work was smashed up during the morning break. That's £400 quid wrecked by morons. They were caught in the act, punished and their parents asked to replace the kit for me. their excuse? It looked too good and they'd nothing else to do.

Me? I'd have sent them out to Afghnistan to my old Regiment to use as sniper bait!

So, my advice. build the kit out of the box, add the Eduard parts, paint it up, put in a case and leave it at that.

James

Well,now that a time dead-line really isn't a problem...

I believe Imperator-Rex made a great recommendation.

http://www.rokket.biz/models/modelsweb/rokket/u577/

This site will provide you with the techniques you'll need to create the kind of boat you're looking for.

A word of warning!

A build like this can be tedious,time consuming,and nerve racking! But,the results will be truly spectacular!

The most important thing is to go slowly.Take your time.The surest way to mess things up is to get in a hurry.Believe me,I know.

I'm currently working on two 1/72 vacu-form subs by COMBAT MODELS.

BTW,click on the link in Imperator-Rex' post.For some reason the link to ROKKET BIZ doesn't work in my post.

Good luck!

BTW, does anyone have any idea on hollowing out limber holes?  My school is non-traditional project based, so my timeline is pretty long.

-Red

When you say, "remedial work" what do you mean and to what extent, because I have lots of time to build this model. 

-Red

searat12 wrote:

Here's one tip; if you are building this model for a school project, you had best get busy if you hope to have it ready on time, cuz it WILL be more difficult and time consuming than you think it might be (it always is!).......

Gotta agree with SEARAT.

The 1/72 Type VIIC (or VIIC/41) is a pretty time consuming build.Adding PE details wil eat up even more of your time if you're on a dead-line.

Personally,I think if you're really pressed for time,the kit looks great built straight out of the box.

Good luck on your project!Post photos when you can.

 There aew 2 uboat kits by Revell, the VIIc and VIIc/41

There are Eduard sets for both kits and they do come with instructions.

http://www.eduard.cz/products/card.php?id_product=3502&name=&catalogue_nb=&type=1&pgroup=3&scale=2&product_month=&product_year=&page_start=5

Now then, unless you're using the Nautilus wooden deck sets available for these kits I wouldn't bother with the Yankee Modelworks pressure hull insert as it will never be seen and is not easily fitted and you will have to do remedial work on the hull and the pressure hull parts themselves in order to fit. I have done this on one of my U-Boats and after 2 weeks of trial and error, modifications and adding extra supports in the hull for the pressure hull to fit on I finally managed it. It is not a simple drop in and go. the instructions are not very precise and there are no indications on exactly where to fit the blasted things. for me it was alot of time and effort (and money) wasted for hardly any benefit.

my tips:

forget about the YM pressure hull inserts and build the kit following revell and Eduards instructions. spend time planning your build and work out what you need to alter between the revell and eduard sets BEFORE starting and you'll do fine

James

The vaults of this wonderful forum hide an article about detailing a cutaway Type VIIC German U-boat: http://www.finescale.com/fsm/default.aspx?c=a&id=2575

Otherwise, there are plenty of personal websites showing the construction of this kit and providing various tips; these can usually be found with Google or the other usual suspects. One of my favorites is the site of rokket, another forum member: http://www.rokket.biz/models/modelsweb/rokket/u557/

Hope this helps! Good luck, it's a great kit!

bump..........

-Red