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Scratchbuilding on a U-boat

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  • Member since
    February 2013
Scratchbuilding on a U-boat
Posted by ModelMan on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 3:00 PM

Hi all,

I'm getting back into building after a two year absence and am working on the Revell 1/125 U-99. I drilled out the "holes" and cut out the torpedo doors on the hull. What materials/technique do you suggest I use to provide a backing for these two areas. Authenticity is not important, but I don't want to leave them as-is allowing one to see through the boat. I've never done any "scratchbuilding" and am looking for advice.

John

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, February 28, 2013 8:32 AM

One quick and dirty method might be a bulkhead along the vertical centerline.  You could scribe the profile of the ship on a large sheet of styrene, cut it a little shy till it fits just inside one of the hull halves, and paint a really flat black.  Otherwise you need to do an internal structure carrying the shape of the pressure hull into the interior.  You can get some really large sheets of styrene from several vendors.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: back country of SO-CAL, at the birth place of Naval Aviation
Posted by DUSTER on Thursday, February 28, 2013 12:11 PM

easiest is sealing off the interior by a styrene sheet painted -flat black, held out a bit from the drilled hull.

 there are cheep sheets are at the $ store ( the "for rent; for sale kind)

Steve

Building the perfect model---just not quite yet  Confused

  • Member since
    February 2011
Posted by Hokey on Thursday, February 28, 2013 12:19 PM

DUSTER

easiest is sealing off the interior by a styrene sheet painted -flat black, held out a bit from the drilled hull.

 there are cheep sheets are at the $ store ( the "for rent; for sale kind)

great idea!
  • Member since
    February 2013
Posted by ModelMan on Friday, March 1, 2013 9:58 AM

Hey everyone, thanks for your input. I'll use a styrene sheet, as suggested. I'm sorry about my delay in responding. I hadn't realized I got responses to my post. I'll have to check my account settings ...

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Thursday, March 7, 2013 8:46 AM

HI :

      I did the same with the large LINDBERG sub .The HOLES are " LIMBER HOLES " they let water flow freely into the structures built over the pressure hull .They are also called by some " FREEING PORTS "  

     I did this . For the torpedo doors I used the barrels from those " FAT " pens you can get at the office suppl;y store . I took strips of plastic and using spacers to give it depth , glued them in place AFTER painting the outside surfaces (or what would be ) and then glued them inside the hull ,behind the holes . This does two things , It gives you depth to the holes and closes off the " THRU-SHIP " view ports . I usually use the single sheet method , but I wanted a better effect ..        Tanker-builder

  • Member since
    February 2013
Posted by ModelMan on Friday, March 8, 2013 4:48 PM

Hi TankBuilder, thanks for taking the time to respond. Great idea. Now I need to get to building ...

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