1/48 scale Type VIIC U-201 build

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

David,

I like your custom made rotary saw blade tool holder. That is slick, clever and clearly very handy. Thanks for sharing that!

I do like the idea of the vertical hull split but the horizontal split like you said offers by far the best and easiest way to access the interior of the model. Well worth the task of making the hull separate this way.

Before I attempt to use any of the various razor saw tools that I have on hand currently, I do plan to make the scribed line a bit deeper with the x-acto blades than it is currently. Hopefully that will provide a good enough guide to keep the saws from walking off course.

Nick

You might consider shifting from the #11 blade and use a pull-engaver/scraper like this:







Five to ten firm pulls on this tool and you'll see daylight. Kerf is the width of the tool -- a re-ground #11 used as a blank.

Razor saw?... we need no stink'n razor saw!

(on this job I turned squar-section styrene into T-section to represent external safety-track, but cutting through the hull is another application of this pull-scraper).

David

[Monahan Steam Models]

Good to see peoples methods splitting the hull like this. Watching and learning before I attempt this on my Bronco XXIII, which won't be for a while.

Ken,

I’m in the same boat so to speak. I begun to work on the Bronco type XXIII and was planning to first attempt this cut method on that project but decided to give it a go on the Arkmodel kit first. We’ll see how it goes

Nick

[Monahan Steam Models]

David,

I like your custom made rotary saw blade tool holder. That is slick, clever and clearly very handy. Thanks for sharing that!

I do like the idea of the vertical hull split but the horizontal split like you said offers by far the best and easiest way to access the interior of the model. Well worth the task of making the hull separate this way.

Before I attempt to use any of the various razor saw tools that I have on hand currently, I do plan to make the scribed line a bit deeper with the x-acto blades than it is currently. Hopefully that will provide a good enough guide to keep the saws from walking off course.

Nick

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Here's a variation on your theme:













With this 'movie' SEAVIEW kit I did your knife trick, but had the advantage of the deep groove between missile-deck and hull proper. Where ever possible I go for the upper-lower hull split -- no better way to access the interior of the model.

David

[Ken_NJ]

Good to see peoples methods splitting the hull like this. Watching and learning before I attempt this on my Bronco XXIII, which won't be for a while.

[Monahan Steam Models]

Planning and starting out the horizontal waterline cut.



The first step I take is getting the hull firmly set up in a fixture or in this case the cradle the kit comes with will do. The kit’s cradle works fairly well to hold the hull firmly enough from moving around once I inserted small pieces of firm rubber tubing in the gaps between the hull and areas of the cradle. The next step was to get the hull level from starboard to port. Then adjust the hull so that the waterline from bow to stern is parallel to the flat smooth work surface it is placed on.



For the next step of drawing the waterline onto the hull, I use a automatic pencil with a fine lead size mounted in a Mitutoyo universal magnetic base fixture that is normally used for holding precision dial indicators for machining work. Using one of these is not necessary. You just need something to hold a pencil or pen rigidly, set up to the correct height from the work surface to the waterline height and can be moved around the model easily to mark the waterline.



Once the waterline is drawn onto the hull, I carefully scribe the line into the hull pieces by using a thin flexible metal straight edge placed along the pencil line and a x-acto knife to scribe the line. The first scribed pass with the x-acto blade along the straight edge is done very lightly. This helps to reduce chances of the blade wondering away from the straight edge I find. I then make more multiple light passes while using the straight edge to establish a deeper scribed line. Each pass using slightly more pressure than the last but not too much pressure.

The hull can be cut completely through using this method I you take your time and don’t rush it. Given that the Arkmodel’s hull is much thicker than a standard plastic model’s hull would be, it is not very practical to cut the hull this way. For now I’m using this method to establish a fine groove that is not easily wiped away like the pencil marks would be and also to use this groove as an initial guide for completing the cut using a different tool such as a fine kerf Zona or razor saw or such.

I’ve never attempted to make a hull cut this long and with this many contours using a razor saw before now. Normally depending on what hull I was trying to cut, I would use just the x-acto and straight edge method or a rotary saw set up in a dremel type tool. I thought it would be interesting to try the razor saw option myself and see if it is a successful option for making the much dreaded horizontal cut feared by many. If it goes badly, there’s still plenty of room in the garbage can before garbage day this week.

[Monahan Steam Models]

The beginning of a long project.

I started this project about a year ago. After acquiring the Arkmodels type VII basic hull kit I started work immediately on developing 1/48 scale torpedoes. After that I put design efforts into developing the launch mechanisms to fit into this particular model’s hull. Then I spent months on developing and testing a custom WTC to fit into this builds hull.

Im now finally switching attention back to the basic hull and beginning that part of the build.

The Arkmodel kit is for the most part great. During the design phase of the torpedo launchers and WTC I was trying to come up with something that dropped right into the originally designed castings. I stuck to this discipline for the most part.

Today finally after a long needed rest from this ongoing project I drew a line in the sand or better yet this
build. Instead of working with the multiple sections this kits hull and deck are produced in (9 sections including port and starboard hull pieces and deck), I decided to join all the pieces and split the hull at the waterline.

WW2 boats have a ton of junk that is easily broken off when messing with the hull and I wanted to reduce the main components to two sections. The below waterline hull with all its junk and the upper deck with all its other junk. blasphemy I know with a kit that is already so sectional. Don’t judge and I won’t judge you.

The dreaded horizontal cut. Pussy’s walk away now as you’re not cut out for this.

Those who are not afraid I will post more shortly.