Complete Newbie - Hull construction advice

[jonewer]

Hello all,

Question from a complete noob who doesnt know anything

I'm building a Heller kit of Hood and am going to attempt putting the two hull halfs together.

Any hints on how to do this? If I hold them together with rubber bands, it pulls the halfs too close together meaning the hull bottom is not flat. How do the experts do it? is it advisable to glue the lower part of the seam and then glue in the bracing struts and the bow and stern?

I'm a bit apprehensive about doing this as I reckon it could make or break the build.

Thanks.

/noob.

[johndon]

I tend to use liquid cement and glue the hull parts together a couple of inches at a time making sure the parts are aligned as I go. Once the two halves are glued together, I add any bracing.

John

[RNfanDan]

I agree with this, and to make sure the hull dries to its best shape, I dry-fit (no glue) the major horizontal deck or decks in place, securing them with celo tape to the hull edges. The bow and stern joints get the tape treatment before I fit the deck(s). Celo tape does not stretch well and will not give as easily as other tapes, preventing the seam from opening or moving while curing (24-36 hours).

After curing, I remove the deck but not the hull tapes. I then glue a strip of .020-.030" plasticard or sturdy rod stock along the inside keel seam if it is level and flat. Some hulls are not flat at the keel seam; if this is the case I will lay down a thin bead of putty in the trough and then press the strip or rod firmly into the putty bead before gluing it in place. This fills in the void beneath the rod or strip, providing a back-fill for sanding or planing the outer seam later.

I replace the deck pieces and re-tape them securely to the hull sides, curing it another 24 hours or so (especially if it is puttied). The result is a sturdier hull, with a strong keel seam that will withstand stress during assembly, sanding, and/or tooling, etc. A little extra effort to the hull now, can save a lot of headaches, later.

My har-penny's worth...
Dan