Bit of advice please....?

[u-33]

I'm midway through building a Steve Neil kit of the USS Blueback, and having spent a long time sanding the hull sections level it seems a lot of extra work to have to cut the hull in a different place again for internal access.

The build instructions call for the hull sections to be glued up and then cut above the join lines, but is there any reason why I can't glue all the sections up apart from the top middle and leave that piece as my access? Something like the attached images...

Top image is the original build instruction pic, bottom pic is how I'd like to do the job.




Hope this makes sense......?

Cheers,

Rich

[Rogue Sub]

i say cut it how

i say cut it how ever you want as long as you can get good access and are confident in making the cut.

Kevin

[u-33]

i say cut it how

i say cut it how ever you want as long as you can get good access and are confident in making the cut.

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, that was the whole idea in making the middle section lift off, to avoid making another cut in the hull. It's a long way around that hull with a razor saw, one slight slip and a lot of remedial work would be needed.

Cheers,

Rich

[Guest]

How about a radial hull

How about a radial hull split. You only want the rear vanes workingon this boat. Have the tube slide out with the stern like in the picture, similar to the robbe boats or an Engel Lafayette. The advantage with this approach is that everything stays inline, and the hull will be strong.

[u-33]

Now that's an idea Andy...so,

Now that's an idea Andy...so, tell me more. OK, I glue up the front and middle sections as per plan, yes? Then how would I attach the stern section mate? A couple of screws disguised as bollards springs to mind...any other ideas?

Good man...I knew I could rely on your good self!

Cheers mate,

Rich

[Guest]

You could make a simple

You could make a simple bayonet locking system.

Looking through the hull at the point where you cut, you can make some bulkheads out of plastic sheet, and clue them into the hull, this will stiffen the hull up considerably at a weak area. Whittle out two key ways as shown in the drawing, on the other side you need two pegs, these could be something straightforward like a couple of brass or stainless steel cheesehead screws, or some old bolts. These go through the larger holes, and then you twist the hull a few degrees, and this latches the two halves together. Does that make sense?

[u-33]

Yes mate, that makes perfect

Yes mate, that makes perfect sense...a similar idea to the bayonet fittings on a light bulb. That'll do for me, I'll buy the works fitter a coffee tomorrow morning and get him started on that.
There was a guy in the AMS years ago who built a Darnell U-47 using a similar idea, his boat came into three totally separate pieces and backed away into a box like a small suitcase.

Thanks ever so much for your help mate, I appreciate that.

Cheers,

Rich