Below are two shots of a 1/24 scale Type XXIII U-Boat I built about 6 years ago. Unfortunately, the photographer and camera both leave a bit to be desired... (I have since gotten a nicer digital camera, but the model itself has gone on to another owner....)
These pictures are of the conning tower on this model. It's a fiberglass hull, and everything you see was scratchbuilt, except for the life raft container door and the conning tower form itself.
Handrails and ladder rungs are brass. Snorkel was built from aluminum, styrene, brass and milliput. Horseshoe life preserver was milliput formed. Periscope is brass and resin. Lights actually worked- I used red and green LEDs. Ship's bell was an HO scale school bell from the railroad guys. Paint was Light Ghost Grey with pastels for weathering, and dullcoat kept the whole thing together. Wooden decking was basswood strips stained and dullcoated. I used acrylics for the gunge on the waterline, pulled down with a fan blender brush.
The kit is from OTW in England... I liked it so much, I actually bought another...it's in the "to be worked on pile"...
Thanks all for letting me share.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur :)