Hi Men and Ladies , Girls and Boys;
It's the old Tanker-Builder with a lil bit of info fer ya ! How many of you want to do a Cut Away in a marine subject ?I would like to make a recommendation . Purchase a LINDBERG " Cape : Class Coast Guard Cutter . I don't remember the scale But I think it's 1/60th . The plans are available from some sources which I don't remember .
The reason I recommend this vessel .You can get away with a mix of H.O and N Model Railroad parts for the inner detail . The N scale Oil Refinery kits by Walther can be used for the small piping evident everywhere in the belowdecks areas .Plus there are the flanges with bolts molded in and elbows and valves as well .
Now , go back to H.O.and get your Diesels . Yup , H.O. and they are very easy to Marinize and do the air induction and exhaust systems . Oh , by the way Thes vessels had " wet " exhaust systems .The cooling water circulated through the block was expelled with the exhaust . The interiors of the cabins can also be a mix of these two railroad scales .The result .A breath-taking rendering of said cutter not often seen .
If you want to be inventive here's a Tip for All Cut Away types .Take All your Super Clear Sprue and make some extra thick sprue glue . Use a NEW botle of Tamiya Glue ( Green Label )and let it mix well stirring occassionally for a good mix . Now Take foil Shiny side out ,and cover the area you are going to Cut - Away ! Tape it securely and make a dam at the edges at least a Quarter inch away the edge removed section of your decided area.
Pour , " Gently " the sprue Glue on the foil . Make sure your vessel , Tank, whatever , is supported very well .It will take about a week or so for the material to Gas out . Viola! you have a clear insert for the Cut-Away area so the line of your item will not be compromised and it will stay Dust Free inside .
Only if you cut blocky edges can you do this with a Vacuformed piece , Unless you are crazy good at cutting lines and cuts in freeform shapes . Then you can use the cutout as a mold .This won't work with a Mattel Vac-U-Form ! The forming deck area isn't big enough . Good luck and Happy Modeling ! T.B.