S.M. U9 - Das Werk - 1/72 (static)

[DrSchmidt]

Next topic I wanted to address it the missing keel. I guess the original boat didn't have one, but I have strong indications, that later a keel was added, As I'm displaying the late version, I decided to add a keel, at least an the stern side, where it helped to protect the rudder from damage in case of ground contact. I have no exact references for the keel, so I went freestyle. I took my "Konturlehre" (what's the English word for the tool?) and took the contour of the underside of the boat, transferred that to paper, took the dimensions, designed the keel in the CAD and made a 3D-print of it. After making sure that it fits, I glued it into place. As the bow side of the keel was very thin, I decided not o remove the support structures until the glue had set. Looks good....

[DrSchmidt]

Progress with some little and some big things.....the kit has two revolver cannons. As the original only carried one, I'll stick with one and put it o the forward deck. The kit provides already nice detail, but with the PE by RCSubs it really becomes a jewel. Positive note: RCSubs has put 4 ammo belts on the sheet ... I needed 3 of them to get it correctly on the gun.







The boat itself got some final details, i.e. a guard bracket to protect the signaling whistle on the conning twoer and I added some piping for the whistle using 0,2 mm diameter fishing line.

Finally the baot was ready fro primer which has already been put on. As susual I used the Tamiy primer out of a rattle can....

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Mold gage/shape gauge

[DrSchmidt]

Thanks.... shape gauge , that's soemthing I can memorize

[redboat219]

Contour gauge

[DrSchmidt]

The RCSubs Pe Kit contains parts for a searchlight that was located on the front platform of the conning tower. Nice detail that took quite some work. As it was to fragile and basically flat, I replaced the PE tripod with a soldered one made of 0,5 mm brass wire. The rest was bending tiny PE pieces and gluing them together using superglue. The front window was made of a pice of clear plastic that I took from a blister pack. For painting I masked it using Vallejo masking liquid (green when not cured).









Meanwhile I've airbrushed most of the boat in an anthracite gray base color...

[DrSchmidt]

Masking galore...used up a whole role of masking tape on the decks and the outer hull. But it went much easier than expected. Airbrushing the light gray (Vallejo) then pretty much went straight forward. Some touch ups and the two stripes across deck hatch domes and the base paint on the hull was done.

[DrSchmidt]

I added some details and worked on the base colors, basically everything that I want to get done before I apply the first layer of filters. I added the four recovery buoys (red) and the phon buoy in front of the coning tower (also red, not included in the kit). Finally a hand crank was added on the port side of the front conning tower platform (black, no idea what it was for, nit included in the kit). Then I took care of the bridge. The bridge was made of fabric wound around a steel rail. I've seen photos of U9 with very dark and white fabric. I chose white. I masked the inner and outer bridge and airbrushed the fabric in Vallejo flat white. The rail itself had to be hand painted...took some time and allot of corrections. The flor boards got a basic brown with some lighter accents and the steering wheel got its black color. That's it for now....

[Thorbrandr]

Thank you for posting this. I have the PE parts on the way now for my builds.

[DrSchmidt]

The PE lit is a big ad on....you'll like it allot.

[DrSchmidt]

After the base colors are on, I painted the whole boat with a gray filter. For that I take Vallejo gray wash and thin it down 1/10. The filter adds subtle color variations to the even base coat. After that the whole boat goat a gloss clear coat which helps to petter position washes in groves and edges. Then I applied the first step of the weathering for the sub surface part of the hull. My approach aims at a similar effect as the toothpaste trick by Dave, but it's easier and faster. Dave's approach is superior when you aim for more prominent effects, as the technique shown results in a subtle shading.

I take a chopped of round brush and Vallejo white wash. I fill the brush with wash and dab the whole surface of the bottom hull unevenly with the wash. Let it dry....et voila.

[DrSchmidt]

I'm pretty much done with the basic weathering of the boat. After the sub surface bleaching effects I took care of the above surface parts. The decks were airbrushed in hull color. The surfaces on the side tanks were again bleached using white and gray washes and dry brushing. The main deck got additional dirt effects using brown washes. Everything was finished using oil-based rust effects by M.I.G.. The decals were an easy fix and then blended in with the rest of the boat using gray washes. I painted the scum line free-handed using Vallejo German field gay, a gray-green color. Last the props and the retractable exhausts were put into place. Latter will become its detail work next....

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Nice. Very nice!

David

[DrSchmidt]

Thanks Dave!

[DrSchmidt]

The exhaust tubes for the petroleum motors were erected using a cable pull. To make that work from the horizontal position one need as deviating point, that was realized with a v-shaped bar. I used 0,3 mm spring steel wire as cable. Over the cable I put a short piece 0,8 mm brass tube. The brass tube was the glued at the right hight and connected with the v-bars which are made of 0,8 mm brass wire. As the spring steel is quite solid, the whole assembly is rock solid as well.





Then the exhaust were then anchored using rigging thread as were the rescue buoys that were onnected to their below-deck winches.





Then the dive plane protection struts were rigged. What looks like blocks are turnbuckles...a triffle chunky but O.K. on the final boat.







Then the search light found its place in front of the conning tower and the 3,7 cm machie gune on the foredeck.







Finally I put the boat on its stand. The base plate is 19 mm maple wood. I gave it a nice edge using a router, stained it mahogany and sealed it with a clear coat. The supports are 3D-printed and painted old brass. The name plate is 3d-printed as well.