Help with attaching cables on Revell's 1/72 VIIC/41 ##UPDATED WITH PICTURES

Color - the scraggly jumping wires from the Conning Tower insulator were bare steel. The insulators seem to have been a bottle green, but this could be an effect of painting white procelain with the dark charcoal of the deck (Dunklegrau 53). I couldn't find it in Dougie Martindale's U boot Colors, but I think the main rigging was all Dunklegrau 53.

Some modellers have reported good results with boat rigging thread, it is fine and has fewer hairs coming off. Others recommend using beeswax to coat the thread and tackle those hairs. Monofilament (fish line) has been used, but hangs slack and is hard to fasten. Wire has been used, but is stiff and kinky.

I have experimented with EZ Line, a stretchy ruubber line for model railroading (it's used on the utility poles so that if hit the line stretches and doesn't snap). I found it pretty cool stuff (I just bought a test length). It comes in a diameter waaay too small for scale, .003" (.076mm) or .006" (.15mm). I originally bouught the tiny stuff and made my own sample cable by twisting 3 lenghts together, but I think that isn't a good solution and I might just get the thicker stuff.

Hope this helps. Post some pix of your build!

EZ Line:

http://misc.kitreview.com/tools/ezlinereviewbg_1.htm

rokket wrote:

Hope this helps. Post some pix of your build! EZ Line: http://misc.kitreview.com/tools/ezlinereviewbg_1.htm

 But how to fixed the thread onto the deck's hole?

Thx for the colors and the alternative threads. I think i would use german grey for the thread. At least i know now it's not black. 

Okay i will try to post pictures but in a few days. I will post pictures when i'm left with the cables only. The upper hull is sort of light grey and for the lower hull i use dark blue. The deck is german grey which is darker. The bridge and all the guns plus the rails are finished(assembled and painted). Just need to add the ladder step on the sail then two pairs of additional rail to the sail's side. I use Tamiya weather master to simulate rust. I hope i do not overweather. I do want other people to see it but when it's almost done. A few days. Be patient  

the scraggly jumping wires from the Conning Tower insulator were bare steel. The insulators seem to have been a bottle green

But how to fixed the thread onto the deck's hole?

  I'm only guessing, as I have not modeled submarines: It sounds like what you refer to, are connections to radio antennas. If, in fact this is the case, then the cables would have run through some form of stuffing tube, to insulate them from the hull, and seal the through hull connection. If this is not the case, the best bet would be to secure the deck end, in the hole, with ACC,or, ACC an eyebolt in the hole, and attach the deck end to that, and then attach the outer end as appropriate. Hope this helps.

sumpter250 wrote:

If this is not the case, the best bet would be to secure the deck end, in the hole, with ACC,or, ACC an eyebolt in the hole, and attach the deck end to that, and then attach the outer end as appropriate. Hope this helps.

 Yes i'm referring to the radio cables on WWII sub

What's ACC? Eyebolt?  

My U-995 is finished but without the rigging yet. Time of finish: 15.00 Friday 13th 2007.

1.  Holes drilling(with improvised tools): 3 weeks, well i didn't drill all of em just those above the water line
2. Assembly and painting: 2 weeks

I had a 2 week intermezzo after the fourth week.

Colors(Resources) used(all Tamiya's if not mentioned):

•  Lower hull: Dark blue(2 spray bottles)
  
• Upper hull: IJN gray(2 spray bottles)
• Propeller: Dark copper
• Sail: IJN gray
• Deck & most railings: German grey(3 spray bottles)
• Railings on sail's side: IJN gray
• Bridge wooden wall(??): brown
• All guns(1 37mm and 2 twin 20mm): German grey
• Life rafts(2): Red(Not Tamiya's)
• Periscope(Attack and observation): Alumunium with german grey top
  
• Weathering: Tamiya Weathering master: Rust
• Stand:Black(NotTamiya's) with heavy rust effect(used as practice)

Rigging: Not done yet. Still looking for the right thread. Perhaps it may never be done

PS: I usually model tanks in 1/35 scale. This is my first 'serious' attempt to model something at this scale(1/72 submarine). The length of the model is about 94cm. And i'm not a pro modeller so it may not be as good as you would expect

 I'll borrow my sister digital camera to post her(his) pictures. Be patient . But got to wait for her to return from office first

What's ACC? Eyebolt?

ACC; AlphaCyanoaCrylate, superglue. If you run the cable into a hole in the deck, a touch of superglue will hold it firmly.

Eyebolt; A bolt, with a ring instead of the usual head, attached to a deck or bulkhead, used for attaching lines, blocks, etc. ( also holds the chains of a swing set )

   Where it is the transmission cable for the antennas, it would pass through a stuffing tube. This is a pipe section, welded into the hull to provide through hull passage. It usually has a compression type fitting on the outer end, and once the cable is run through it, the tube is filled with a sealant, and the fitting is set up, or tightened. In the case of a submarine, it would have to withstand a lot of pressure, but at the same time, provide electrical insulation from the hull. I assume that there is a double hull, so the actual stuffing tube would probably be unseen. This I cannot be certain of, as I said before I haven't modeled any submarines....yet.

I usually model tanks in 1/35 scale(modelled 5 so far). This is my first serious attempt to do a model kit this huge. And I'm not a pro modeller. I use home tools to drill the flooding holes/vents above the waterline. The drilling took 3 weeks while the assembly and painting took 2 weeks. She's 94 cm long. Manufacturer: Revell Germany. Scale 1/72. Btw she's not rigged yet(no cables attached yet) So Here's my newly completed U-995 of type VIIC/41. She had 9 patrols with 3 ships sunk(7900+ BRT). She survived the war and after being surrendered to British was transferred to Norway. She's now a museum ship in Germany. I'm not a good photographer so some of the pictures i took are kinda blurry. And sorry for the background clutter. I hope you enjoy them as much as i do:

Looking very nice, good work!

Sorry I forgot to answer part of your orig question: the EZ Line glues very nicely with superglue (CA), which works pretty on regular thread.

The bow atatches to either the netcutter (if your boat had one, don't think so in the /41 version but check your boat and time), otherwsie it was an eye/ring in the bullnose at the bow. One is NOT provided in the kit, but you culd make one out of very thin plastic, or get the aftermarket photo-etch kit by Eduard. Aft cables go into the deck at the very stern, I think there is some kind of rail/rig provided.

@rokket thx but nothing like what you're building.. I wish i knew your website before i build the model

Michael, your boat looks fantastic, the pix are great! Thanks for sharing!

I think you can attach the thread to the bow bulnose with just a tiny bit of plastic and a hole.

Well done! 

I recently completed two type 7c uboats as a single display and used flexible beading needles that I aquired from a Hobby Lobby store. These needles are small gage twisted wire with a loop at one end. I use two sizes JA-02 (3.5" x 0.23 mm wire) and JA-04 (5" x 0.45 mm wire). On the uboats the JA-04 was used to represent the communicaiton wires on the boats. The beading needles are manufactured by "The Jewelry Shoppe" and are packaged 12 to a pack and cost $0.99. I used 3mm single block pulleys from Hobbytown as insulators and 10mm eyebolts placed into small diameter evergreen round stock for the cable tensionors. The needles are painted and glued into place with CA glue. I have placed some pictures at

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s28/gscottharris

gsharris the link produces an error. You should put the link to individual pictures i think .

I was able to link to the site and I placed gscottharris in the search images box pressed return and was sent to a second page that asked if "are you looking for ... gscottharris album". Click on the adjacent line "Click here to view their album" and you will be sent to a page that shows the nine pictures in the album. Click on any of the small pictures to enlarge it (you can scroll back and forth using the buttons to the right of the enlarged picture), or you can click on "view album as slideshow" to the left of the top pictures and view all pictures in sequence.

If this does not work, tell me how to link to each picture as I do not know how to link a picture to this forum.