U540 - Refurbishing a KRICK type VII U-Boat

[steveuk]

Welcome gentlemen to U540. My project here is to refurbish a KRICK type VII U-boat. When I say refurbish I should say 'drastically alter' I know these kits have some issues, but I am optimistic I can knock this into shape and get her looking more like a U-boat

The KRICK type VII kit is vacuform, with a vacuform water tight box. I bought this model off a friend, so here are the pics as I received her. She has been built as standard. As you can see the centre section lifts off for access.

[steveuk]

Let the refurbishing commence!

Step 1
My first major change - I glued the centre hull section back in position to make the hull whole again.


Step 2
I scanned a set of type VII plans into the PC and re-scaled them to fit the model. This Krick kit is scaled at 1:60


Step 3
From these drawings I cut some paper templates and laid them on the model, which showed where changes were needed. Basically I then cut/removed roughly about 1 cm (or half an inch) along the centre line of the entire deck, bow to stern, and re glued. This has slimmed the model down a lot and now the plan template fits the model


Step4
The stern shape of the model is vastly out. So I chopped the rounded stern off and rebuilt the stern end. Below the waterline the stern shape is almost sculptural, so I rebuilt this part out of Milliput epoxy putty.


Step 5
Since the models deck has a massive join line down the centre I cut a new deck plate from sheet styrene using the plans and glued this directly on top to give me a nice flat surface to work on.


Step 6
Using my height gauge I drew the waterline all around and then sawed along it, and letting it continue to separate under the saddle tanks. This allows the entire top section to be removed now. The extra access this gives into the whole boat is amazing! see progress pics below.

[JWLaRue]

Steve,

That is looking nice! Your hull mods have definitely improved the scale look.

-Jeff

[salmon]

Wow, you are going to kick it into a work of art!
Thank you for updating, look forward to seeing what is next.

[steveuk]

Thanks for your comments guys. Continuing on...

Step 7
For some reason the skeg/keel section original location was found to be vastly different to the proper plans. So I sawed this chunk off completely and relocated it much further back. This was quite major surgery, but worth it I think as it affects rudders and prop shaft A frame location.


Step 8
Removed the old boat type greased prop shafts and replaced with some proper exposed prop shafts and A frames. I made up the brass A frame assembly using the plan information and a simple wooden jig to hold everything together whilst soldering. Then installed this piece into the boat. I am happy with the new look stern end.


Step 9
Rudders relocated further back. New rudder tubes fixed into hull. Since the space is quite tight in this further back position I have adapted the tiller arm arrangement. The rudders now turn very nicely together and there is plenty of throw. I think she is going to have good turning ability.


Step 10
The model came to me with non operational stern planes. They were simply glued onto the skeg/keel section. Since I plan on using a sub leveler I need them to be operational. So I have made a stern plane axle and installed a stern plane axle bearing into the skeg/keel. I decided I could live with the stern plane tiller arm being outside the hull. It is close up against the skeg/keel and is hardly noticeable. The stern plane pushrod exits the hull through a small slot underneath. Everything is now in and working, just needs hooking up to the wtc output.

Wow, that's a lot done at the running end!

[steveuk]

Step 11

I tried to carefully remove the original deck detail piece. Lets just say it didn't survive. But no great shakes because the detail was not sharp through the vacuum forming process and wasn't all that accurate. This has forced me to make a replacement. To start I have carbon copied the deck details from the plan through to a 20 thou piece of styrene. My dining table has a nice straight edge which is handy for running my set square along. This has helped me to scribe in all the square hatch details. Done. Next I'm going to be making up some slotted sections which I can then piece into this new deck plate.

[steveuk]

Slotted deck - the deck has been going slowly, but is getting there. I have tried a new method for this model. I am making up large slotted deck sections using strip plastic with spacers glued in between them. Then trim down pieces of this and transplant into matching spaces cut into the deck. Although the spacers create square slots the eye seems to see what it expects to see. The slots appear rounded to the naked eye. Happy with that! This sequence of pics shows the process

[steveuk]

Step 12

Saddle tanks

I discovered the saddle tanks on this Krick model match the plans at the stern. But they are extend too far forward, by approx 45mm (1&3/4 inch). Therefore I marked and cut away the front saddle tank sections, removed the required length out of them and then reinstated the tapered ends in their new further back positions. Of course this left large gaps now between the hull and the new saddle tank position. So I built out the hull with sheet styrene sections curved to match. These areas show as white ( unpainted plastic ) in the progress pics. So the original saddle tank position can clearly be seen as white against the hull red.

Why bother with this saddle tank step? - Because now there is the right space to add the proper flood hole pattern running up to the gun position.

[steveuk]

Step 13

Cladding - I am covering the existing hull with super detail panels First a nice flat base is being glued down to cover over existing flood holes and replace rounded edges with angular edges. This is already sharpening up the models appearance. 20 thou plastic sheet is doing nicely for this job. Thinner riveted panels with flood slots will be added later. Pics show (white) where I have cladded from stern over saddle tanks up to gun position. The yellowy green is the Milliput which I used to build the new pointy stern.

[salmon]

Wow, that is really impressive!
This will be the thread that I will refer others to. Keep up the great work documenting what you do!
Peace,
Tom

[gantu]

Se this https://modellbau-wikinger.de/epages...chString=krick

[steveuk]

Cheers, Thanks Tom. I will keep posting. I am enjoying this project and will be sticking with it until it is finished. More building tonight.

Thanks Gantu. I have seen those replacement decks. Those fit the standard Krick model but I have radically altered my model proportions already so they wont fit mine. I will continue to make my own deck. I have completed half way already, from bow to tower is done. Pics to follow when the whole deck is completed.

[salmon]

No don't wait until the deck is finished! I want to see the blood letting and bumps in the road progress. Besides some have claimed I have ADHD and need stuff in small chunks. LOL
Carry on and Build!

[steveuk]

Paint stripping

Progress over the weekend. After much scraping and sanding the lower hull is now back down to clean plastic for the over cladding to continue. Just the saddle tanks to strip now.

When I stripped the paint off the keel I was expecting to see the Krick vac formed part filled with lead. Instead I discovered this models keel was a large bar of lead covered with filler and paint. This came away from the hull as I stripped away the cement/filler. So I need to construct a new keel for her. No matter, I want to model the cut away detail at the keel center section anyway, so this is affording the opportunity to get that done. I will construct a new keel box for the lead to sit in. Here is the stripped hull as she is and minus keel.

[steveuk]

Ok Tom, Here is current progress on the new slotted deck. Torpedo hatch covers slightly bowed atm, its because they are still loose & separate. They will flatten out when glued down onto the main deck. Thats as far as I have got, up to the tower.