U540 - Refurbishing a KRICK type VII U-Boat

[steveuk]

Saddle tank detail

More work done. Saddle tanks are now finished. I have added the under structure frame ridges which are noticeable on some U boat photos. Also added seam weld lines which are Slaters Red superfine rod. Also added the square water inlet vents on the undersides, and the oval manhole covers on the tops. This is how it looks before paint ties the features all together. Once painted the frame ridge detail should only be noticeable when close up, they are only 5 thou thickness plastic card strips. Hopefully they are subtle enough.

[steveuk]

I stuck a bit of black paint on the saddle tanks to smooth out the frame bumps and to tie everything together. This is how she is looking with a good bit of side light.

[steveuk]

Bow tube detail

I decided to give her a bit of bow tube detail so I cut out a big section and built the upper torpedo area. Plasticard sheet and tubes.

[steveuk]

Towing eye and Net cutter

wip update 29-11-20.

The bow now has detailed towing eye and net cutter. Made mostly from brass. Its a bit thick but she is a RC model so I want this to be able to withstand a collision or two. As I post these pics I notice I missed the small triangle deck details at the foot of the support rods. Ah well I will add those later.... Also I went ahead and glued the slotted deck detail section onto the model (couldn't resist any longer). It only goes as far as the tower because I haven't made the detailed stern deck section yet. This is how she is looking atm.

[salmon]

I like the net cutter on the type VII. It looks ominous and gives the sub an attitude. Very nice Steve!

[steveuk]

Thank you Tom.
Yeah there's a little bit of Nautilus in those net cutters. I wonder if they were ever any good at actually cutting through anti submarine nets. I expect that even if they did manage to pierce a hole in a net that the submarine would just end up entangled in it, like a caught fish. Still, they look meaningful.

[steveuk]

Fwd Flood Hole Slot panels

It has taken three attempts, but I am finally happy with the third attempt at making FWD flood hole slot panels. The slot panels are 10 thou Plasticard sheet, holes drilled using fractional drill set, and rivets embossed using rivet tool. Attempt no 1 - Trying to be clever and use the drill press like a miller, the holes were not accurately in line enough. Attempt no 2 the dead level flood slot holes appeared to run uphill near the gun end when placed on the model. Attempt no 3 -I had to re draw the slot centre line first on a paper template taped to model. When flattened out on the table the slot line runs downhill toward the gun. But when applied onto the model the slot line pulls up to dead horizontal. It must be to do with how the angle of the casing changes around the gun position.

Pics show the fwd flood slot panels now glued onto the model.
U boat specialists will have noticed the flood hole pattern as belonging to type VIIB variant.

[steveuk]

wip 21-01-21

A bit more progress. Hull sides now have riveted panels added. Because of the compound curves I had to make paper templates on the model first. Then extend the rivet lines down using the height gauge against a vertical back board. This information was then carbon copied onto 10 thou plastikard sheet. Using the rivet tool (spiked wheel) to emboss the rivets along the copied lines. The finished sections were then glued onto the models hull. Finally I added the raised doubled plate riveted seams. Again 10 thou plastkard. Riveted using the rivet tool along the straight edge of a steel rule, and then cut off in a thin strip. I noticed in the dry dock photos around the bow that some of these raised seams are wider than others. I have tried to duplicate this on my model. Pics show the current build progress.

[salmon]

I like it!

[steveuk]

Cheers Tom. I try to do a bit each evening, keep the model moving on. It would be really cool to sail her this summer! That's the aim.

[salmon]

Steve,
Any progress?
Peace,
Tom

[Jakub]

Great work Steve! I'm very happy to find this thread and will have to analyse it in every detail. I just bought this kit myself and have my doubts, but can see some potential at the same time.

[Ben Brigham]

Gorgeous hullplate work on the bow! Well done!

[steveuk]

Thanks guys. I took a little time out to work on house DIY. Continuing the U boat I am currently experimenting with adding texture especially to the exposed parts of the pressure hull. When I get something good I will post pics.