The Ship Model Forum

Hi @all,

someone might have asked before........long time ago.....

There are a lot of pretty Waterline-Displays of the 1/350 Tamiya-Ships.
I would like to try to build something like that.


Out of the box comes a Full Hull, which leads to my 2 questions:

How do you cut the Hull without damaging it?
Not everyone has got a laser to cut

The next Problem: In case I suceeded in cutting precisely, how do I add stability?
If I cut the bottom off, there´s not very much left, till I add the Deck.


Any suggestions would be halpful.

Thanks in Advance

Udo

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"Sorry for the next four salvoes, they´re on their way!"

Draw a pencil line about 1/16" below where you want the waterline to be, then use a razor saw to cut along that line. Once the bottom is removed, use a block sander with coarse sandpaper to straighten out the cut line and finish the side to the level that you want.

For stability, either glue supports into the upper hull, or tape the deck in place (or both).

Good luck with your project.

Hi Udo,


Mike C described has the correct way of doing it in the previous posting.

Here is an alternative (faster!) bodgers method. It does however pre-suppose that the ship will be mounted on a 'sea'.

Build model up to the stage before you mount the mastsand any PE that may become vulnerable when handling the model, then paint the underwater,boot-top and freeboard.

Take a dremel or similar type of motortool, wear eye proteection!, and using a small circular blade cut away the 'underwater' about 1/8" below the boot-top.
The blade will basically melt the plastic , so pry away the 'waste' lower hull and mount the ship before you do any more building on her.
The advantages are :

Speed! no fiddlly bulkheads etc
... Stability of hull whilst in early build
........No danger of marking topside paintjob because you have the
lower hull to hold onto

the disadvantages are.... you need to portray the ship at speed with a sea in motion to disguise the shonky dremel cut----the plus-side is that you can allow glimpses of lower hull in the wave trough....!

My method is worse than useless !! ----if you wish to show the ship at anchor or in a flat sea or have a non-sea-mounted waterline ship!!
Best of luck
I used the above bodgers method on my 1/350 SMS KOENIG and all my injection moulded Liners... Resin waterlining is a diferent game...

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

JIM BAUMANN

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

You can try leaving the full hull on but cut a hole in the block of wood or w/e you're using and let the lower hull dangle in the space you've created. Kym Knight did this on his 1/350 Bismarck and Prinz Eugen diorama. Try contacting him for some ideas.

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Hi,

Thanks for your fast answers,
I think, mixture of all those Ideas will do...

- Build or tape to add stability (build only as far as there´s nothing vulnerable attached)

- cut off with a saw

- and then the Dremel thing......

I´ve got a tool (wolfcraft) which ist powered via 12 V DC
So I take the old Modelrailroad Transformator which enabels me to regulate the voltage (and the RPM of my tool)


- now I can use the polishing Tool on my "dremel" to sand off, what I dont want so see on the model. (without melting it off)


and in the last step, I display it in a prepared "sea" of Acrylic Stuff.....


Thanks again, I´m optimistic that it ´ll work.

perhaps, if the Model is presentable, i´ll post some pics, when ready.


Regards

Udo

now going away from the workbench to do some skiing (Scale 1:1, REAL WORLD, REAL SNOW, REAL SKI....)

_________________
"Sorry for the next four salvoes, they´re on their way!"