Tips on hull repair?

If it's not a really wide crack , sprue goo . Might do the trick , an old bottle of Tamiya extra thin , with a bit of glue and add sprue , leave it for a few days , sprue goo . It's plastic that you repairing the crack with .

Glue a piece of styrene on the back side.

Do you mean the Hawaiian Pilot?

Another way to go:

That model is one of a group Revell designed informally known as the "flatbottoms".

The depth of the hull is somewhere around the waterline if she were completely empty.

And the hull has no rounded shape to it.

Many times modelers cut the hull down a little and set her on a sea base as a true waterline model. That might also remove the cracked part.

Bill

Mrchntmarine, i used testors's tube glue on my Hawaiian Pilot then used a piece of masking tape across the seam & another wrapped over the hull top lip to prevent sideways movement til the glue cured.

going to extend the hull downwards to make it a full hull as going to use the model to make a Bogue class escort carrier.

Mrchntmarine

So i was gifted an older revell Hawian Trader with a cracked hull.  Might do her next.  Looking for suggestions on how to repair a crack on the port side that goes to 1/2 way across the bottom....  I can easily enough CA it, but am wondering if i should maybe tape the inside of the crack and maybe layer soome glue??  

Any tips from those who have fixed one before? 

Yeah, I got bought a boxing of Revell's Yorktown/Enterprise/Hornet on eBay, and it had a horizontal crack in the hull.  As others have suggested, I used a styrene cement (Plastruct's Weldene, which is what I was using at the time).  I added a piece of styrene sheet on the inside of the hull, for additional strength.

Using styrene cement gives you a weld.  It melts the plastic and as the glue cures, you get a homogenous bond.  I would not use CA glue. CA glue will surround the pieces to bind them, but personally, I do not think it is as strong a bond as using styrene cement, in this kind of application.

ddp59

going to extend the hull downwards to make it a full hull as going to use the model to make a Bogue class escort carrier.

 

Bill

Thanks all - a lot of good suggestions - when the time comes....

yep bill - my bad - Pilot....  And a SS Doctor Lykes .....  Same class ship as the Hawaiian Pilot, C3.  

tks!

You have a Dr. Lykes kit????

GMorrison

You have a Dr. Lykes kit????

 

yep. It's pretty old. It'll probably fall apart in my hands when I open the box again. 

Bill, i'll probably use these for the Bogue.

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-grumman-f4f-wildcat-x-5-c2x15951902

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-grumman-tbm-avenger-x-5-c2x15951903

For a crack I'd use a solvent glue- Tamiya's thin stuff works well.  But I would also line the inside with some 20 mil styrene strips.  If the crack is straight you may fit one strip. If the crack is a wavy line several strips would be needed.  Leave room at top for deck.

Clamp the styrene reinforcing strips to the hull side.  Let cement dry for 24 hours.

Which way does the crack go?

  Well now. If the crack goes from the side and around to the bottom. Tape it together tightly.Then cut two squares of plastic, Well, kind of a rectangular shape and glue them in place long side to the inside corner by the crack. By using Rectangles you will NOT interfere with the deck fitting in place. Glue the inside then carefully let some go in the crack, Clamp tightly and begin construction in about four days!

   When the deck is on for about the same time gently sand the crack area to smooth it out. Viola' no crack. If you want, do as Bill Morrison suggests. Cut the bottom off, til most of the waterline inset is gone and glue on a new bottom, trim and paint. Thus you will have her loaded and ready for sea!

Bill;

 Hey guy, they were quite common for a while. I have three, One's under conversion to the first container modified ships for the Alaska trade. One has been lengthened and has still to be fitted into the fleet. As What, I don't know? The third has been a study for fitting P.E. in all the places it would be needed.

 While in West Pac. Bill, the only ship that was available was the Dr.Lykes. Couldn't find a Matson Hawaiian Pilot to save my life. Still never could figure that one out.

here ya go - a picture is worth.....  look as though the previous owner had alreadt tried a little fixaroo.

that is what mine looked like til i fixed it.

Yep, use a styrene cement, not CA, and brace or strengthen the area with patches of styrene sheet or card.

Oho!

 That came about from a flaw in the plastic flow out of the injection molder. Normally the flow mark is directly in the center of the hull.This looks like heat damage. It can be fixed as I recommended. Now take the bottom piece and let it fit all the way across the hull in that location. Pull it together as tight as you can. You might have to drill a relief hole right at the end of the crack. You can fill that with sprue gloo.

Tks TB.  In your above post you say to clamp tightly.  Guess you mean to clamp on the cut out glued down pieces??

Hi;

      What you have to do is this. Do you have some bar clamps laying around? 24" would be good. Clamp gently from bow to stern and then using large Office clamps and Tongue depressors clamp both sides of the crack in the side. This will hold everything straight till the glue dries. 

    Because ot the hull style you can Put the bottom repair piece in, slather it with glue and then weight it in place inside the hull. The rest, on the side, use the method I just described.

     Don't forget to drill that relief hole at the end of the crack. Why? If you don't, the crack may travel. Then you'll really have a problem. That is definitely heat related damage!

     If you read further in the replies to you, Bill Morrison's recommendations are great too. As to the relief hole right at the end of the crack stradling both sides of where it is located.In other words centered on the crack. He's also correct on the hull thickness. many I have had, you could shine light right through them. They were like ship shaped lamp Shades!

tks TB.  Interesting on the heat damage.....  Must be a lot that turned out like that...

On the hole drilling part - should i drill to be inside of the end of the crack or just on the edge of the end of the crack as to catch it if it tries to spread?  Guessing right off the end and outside of.....

William, I don't pretend to know which way is best, but keep it simple.

Check to see if the previous repair attempt caused any misalignment or a bump.

If so, fix that. That will be your biggest issue, not whether it cracks more.

I wouldn't bother to glue the edges together. Those hulls are too thin.

add styrene on the inside for the length of the crack. I would use a bunch of 1/4" x 1/4" pieces. Skip parts with bends etc. I also wouldn't bother to clamp, just get the hull aligned to begin with.

as noted above, leave a space where the deck fits in.

When good and dry, sand outside of crack, prime, check for gaps and Gino it up with a little putty and more sanding.

my 2 bits.

Bill

so this is what i have so far.  pretty smooth on the outside, besides right on the edge of the one side.  I used Tamiya putty.    Having never done this before - more questions...  I can definately see the part where i have sanded compared to the more shiney plastic where i havent.  This will not be visible im guessing if i prime a few light coats?  Not sure how picky to be here.  Also, if there a few tiny spots in the putty, i guess they will be visible unless the paint & primer fills it?   Suggestions??

Nice work.

I say you are good enuff on the bottom.

I'd do another go-round on the side. Mix some Tamiya putty with Tamiya extra thin glue on your paletteand give the patch a gentle brush coat.

Sand.

Primer should take care of gloss/ sanded palstic issue if you didn't scrape it up.

Suggestion- photos are easier to understand on a less active background.

Bill

Hey Bill - what a trick with that glue and putty!  Worked great. Tks....  Point taken on the busy background.