U-Boat Type VIIc by Kooklik/Thai Paperworks - Page 4

**member_3** · #31 02-26-2008, 03:55 PM

Only seaplanes - LOL.

**member_3** · #32 02-26-2008, 10:06 PM

I have been suffering from builder's block the last few days...just now got back in the saddle. The hull is now just under 30" long and is gaining weight rapidly. The "keel" or maybe keelson is pretty straightforward with the exception of the center portion.

First, a couple overall shots...

And the troublesome center section (bottom of Instructions, Page 4 for those who have the model). Part T-3 contains the center part with its complex folding and a simple extension fore and aft. On my next build I think I will cut T-3 into three pieces and deal with them one at a time: the simple forward section, the complex center section and then the simple aft section. I found it frustrating to try and get the entire piece to settle in place all at one time. It may just be my gorilla fists but you may want to play with that section a bit before you commit to glueing. In the photo below parts T-4 (4 pcs) have not yet been glued in the corners of T-3.

Moving on to the saddle tanks, this is the framework for the port tank (dry-fitted, not glued up) waiting for me to make up my mind on how to proceed. I am a little nervous about building this in hand and then hoping the finished tank will fit nicely to the hull side. I am considering building the tanks in place on the hull which should ensure proper alignment. Maybe I'll try one method to port and the other to starboard!

Minor typo on Instructions, Page 2 lower left - the parts identified as H-18R,L (the joiner pieces) are actually H-16R,L - Kooklik has been notified.

**Don Boose** · #33 02-27-2008, 07:32 AM

This is a fascinating thread, Ron. Das boot looks wunderbar.

Don

**cjwalas** · #34 02-27-2008, 08:21 AM

I agree with Don. This is really engaging. Your construction insights are going to take a lot of the worry away for me when I finally get to doing mine. Great stuff, Ron.
Chris

**papiro** · #35 02-28-2008, 10:27 AM

Great job ! If you build all the rest from this standard, the final "product" goes to be a "opera d´arte".
Best regards

**member_3** · #36 02-28-2008, 11:18 AM

It is the keel according to "Anatomy of the Ship - The Type VII U-Boat" which arrived yesterday. A quick scan of the book confirms that if it was visible on the real thing then Kooklik incorporated it into the model!

After some insight from Kooklik I have decided to use a hybrid method for the saddle tanks. I will apply glue to a couple-three frames and then hold the assembly against the hull while the glue dries. Repeating this and gluing two or three frames at a time should result in a tank that will be easier to skin but will still have the right shape when it's time to glue to the hull.

I also passed on some thoughts to Kooklik regarding the deck edges and the fact that the upper edge of the hull plating has "dished in" between the bulkheads. This would cause some difficulty in getting a nice deck to hull seam so I am using strips of 1mm card between each bulkhead at the upper edge of the hull plating. This has the dual benefit of straightening the hull plates and providing a better glue surface for the deck at the hull-deck seam.
In my next build of this model I intend to trim 1mm from the top of each bulkhead and centerline frame, laminating the deck pieces to 1mm and gluing the deck in place before applying the hull plating. In theory this should eliminate the "dishing" problem and provide a firm gluing surface for the hull plating at the deck edge. That's for another build, however - for the time being, the temporary fix will have to do. This has been a lot of verbal description; I'll try to get some photos up soon to better illustrate what I mean.

Thank you all for the kind words and support but let me assure you that my progress so far is 10% me and 90% designer. I just hope I can manage when all the little fiddly bits have to be assembled!

**member_3** · #37 02-28-2008, 03:09 PM

This photo shows the "dishing" problem <yellow arrows> and the strips I used to correct this <green arrows>. I need to do this for all the edges between each bulkhead pair before I put the deck on.

**member_3** · #38 02-29-2008, 08:00 AM

Well, I have made a big mistake due to not thinking things through and not reading the instructions thoroughly. The strips I was installing to straighten the top edges of the hull plating cannot be used in the area of the saddle tanks due to formers L-4R,L through L13R,L that are installed after the saddle tanks are installed. The good news is that the formers should cure any "dishing" in that area. I am still using the straightening strips forward and aft of the tanks. For the same reason, my plan of using a laminated deck described previously is not feasible because of items like the aforementioned formers that need to be installed before the deck goes on. SO - just ignore that whole post of blather I did earlier and build it the way the designer intended!