herask

Good morning.

This instead is the front room where I stored all my lifelong models......
 

Kevin, I'll accommodate you now!
here is my workshop that has just been refurbished:









 
 

The start of my build log...always a very exciting moment for a model builder!!
 
I am assuming most of you are somewhat familiar with the Ketch Rigged English Sloop Speedwell - 1752.   David Antscherl and Greg Herbert have produced a wonderful series of books for model builders on how to build a great model of her.   Not only can you build one as a POF model,  but as a POB and lift model as well.
 
Why would I choose this as my subject.  Those of you that know me,  I have always selected a subject that was unique at the time.  Never been done!!!  The Syren, The Winnie, The Cheerful etc.  I chose this subject for several reasons actually, knowing full well that this would become a commercial laser cut kit like my other Syren projects.
 
First- I never really wanted to build a POF model.  I prefer the look of a fully planked hull myself.  But the craftsman side of me won out as I was looking for a challenge beyond just another POB project.  I can build those and sometimes it feels like I am just going through the formulaic motions with each of them.   This would certainly be a design and engineering challenge as much as a builder challenge.
 


Second-  I am always increasingly frustrated and disappointed to regularly see pirated kits come out almost monthly as of late.  Mostly all the rage are those POF kits from China. 
 
A coincidence??  That almost all of them released are also subjects of Ancre, Seawatch, or Anatomy of the Ship Books.  I think not.
 
You may have noticed the latest pirated kit produced from one of David Antscherl's designs, the Hayling Hoy is now making its rounds.  None of the parts fit as is typical and the instructions render this kit almost unbuildable....again very typical.  Just check out the build logs of pirated Hayling kit from China on other forums.  Its a complete disaster and a waste of money.  Literally unbuildable but they are still selling them to unsuspecting builders.
 
So I reached out to David and Greg and asked them if I could develop the Speedwell before a really bad pirated version is released (and one is actually on the way-surprised?)  They agreed and are as excited as I am about it.  I just dont want to see a crappy unbuildable version of Speedwell being sold to builders.   Hopefully they will wait until this one is released.  Maybe I should do one of Hayling as well. LOL.
 
My goal...to design a kit based on the books where the parts actually do fit.   One that would encourage POF building for folks who want to give it a try.   To also write a set of English instructions that are in depth and easy to understand.  In short, to make a legitimate kit of from a Seawatch book under license and permission from the author with the authors help and guidance.  Will this stop folks from building the knock-off version when it comes out.....probably not.  But at least you will now have a choice.  The pirated version of Speedwell is currently almost ready and being done by the same company who pirated Hayling.   Coincidence again??  I think not.
 
Also and I dont mean to digress....but a pirated version of yet another Seawatch book....Ed Tosti's Naiad Frigate is also set for release very soon as well.   Again a coincidence...I think Not.    Why dont you ever see a subject from these guys that wasnt first a Seawatch Book or Ancre book?   Honest inquiring minds want to know.
 
Anyway
 
There will be differences between my Speedwell of course.  I will be modifying it for simplicity so  you dont have to be a master builder with every expensive tool in shop.   The design concept for this POF model will be unique and allow a novice and intermediate builder to tackle it.   It will also be at 3/8" scale which should also make it much easier to build.  BUT I will also make my Carvings available in 1/4" scale so folks building directly from the books will be able to buy them.  Some preliminary views of the unfinished CAD work on the carvings.  There is much work left t do on these but I hope you agree that they look pretty amazing so far.



 
 
Here is the preliminary framing plan which will show just how different it will be.
 

It will be planked from the wales upward so there is no reason to over complicate the project with bent frames....If you compared this to David's plan it is completely different.  BUT make no mistake.   Yes the folks who pirate these POF projects will claim its different and therefore original. 
 
BUT make no mistake.  This is a 100% copy of Davids work.   All of this is directly lifted from his plans and only modified to make production and building a bit easier.   But it is a copy...literally traced.  But the difference here is I give full credit to David and will be paying for the privilege to use his knowledge and expertise and hard work and years of research on this subject.  
 
I do hope you will swing over a chair and watch this new Speedwell project come to life.  A huge thank you to David and to Greg who will no doubt think I am pain in biscuit by the time this is completed.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

@64Pacific - Thank you so much for the kind words. While I won't undersell the amount of time or tediousness of such an undertaking, I absolutely love following the projects of the other 3D artists on this forum and draw continued inspiration from their works.

Specific shout outs to @CDR_Ret and @Martes for their continuous updates (both blender users) that keep me engaged in my own projects, even if I'm not as disciplined at sharing regularily. And many other talented artists I many have missed.

Finally, from an aspirational perspective, I'm still very humbled at what @herask was able to do on his swan-class (HMS Pegasus) 3D model. It is one of the most comprehensive digital ship models I've ever seen, even among the professional 3D artist's portfolios over at ArtStation. In point of fact, it's that level of detail that I hope Confederacy has when finished.

Point is, give it a go! There's a great community here to cheer you on and provide assistance should you need it.
Best,
-Nate

The Kontrollraum is pretty much finished. I just need to populate it with a few sailors. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of it: 



As you can see, the front of the compartment is completely devoid of details, to allow some view into the back wall. It is a little bit unfortunate that Trumpeter did not push the efforts to include the diving stations (two sailors sitting on the bench) and the Christmas tree of valves.
 
A couple of views through the hatches: 


What you see in the center, is the computer used to calculate and program the torpedoes trajectory. In fact the computer is composed of a lot of parts, but the keyboard to enter the data is what is being shown here.
 
More pics of details and what will no longer be visible, once the roof/pressure hull is assembled: 


The bench is covered with fine lamb skin.... just kidding. The two cabinets under the navigation table, are also part of the Torpedo Trajectory calculation computer.

Picture above: The equipment seen on the top right corner is nothing more than the compressor to produce cold for the fridge on the other side of the wall.

Verification that all compartments fit into the hull: 


As you can see, the fitting is not too bad for such a large and complex model: 

Yves
 
 
 
 

The crew is in place, around the diesel engines. It is the last piece of details on this compartment, before sealing it with the pressure hull. A few pictures....


Everybody is very busy....






 
Let's enjoy all these perspectives, because it will not be possible again, when the pressure hull is glued on top.
 
Yves
 
 

We now have reached a point, when serious decisions must be taken. Assemble or not assemble?

I am sure you all agree that it needs to be put together. Therefore, here are a few pictures: 




And the silly pictures...




I hope you have enjoyed being reduced to 1/48th scale and taking a tour of that interesting compartment. Next time, we seal it with the ceiling..... but first some crews....
 
Yves

Hello Yves,
 
Your model building skills are exceptional to say the least... The kit looks to be a daunting task and you have stood up to the challenge; I admire your veracity... Back in 2003 I joined "TheSubcommittee.com" and starting building the OTW 1/32nd scale model Type VII C U-Boat (About 78 inches long); the hull was fiberglass and the deck, tower, and all the accessories were plate brass. When building the tower I had to learn to use a miniature blow torch to build the brass tower which consisted of two (2) flat sides and all other components had to be scratch built form brass sheets or rods. It took me about three (3) years to complete the project as a display model. I never got to installing the Water Tight Chamber (WTC) with the motors and all the control circuits. A completed model would be a static diver which is radio controlled.
 
I noticed you posted some drawings that looked very familiar... Possibly, they came from the AMP Website that contains "Tore's Mailbox"; it is our intent to share our discussions about the design and functionality of the Type VII C U-Boat with everyone. Mr. Tore Berg-Nielsen served in the Royal Norwegian Navy in the early 1950's on U995, and U926 as an Engineering Officer (EO) and I believe he is one of the very few living experts on the Type VII C U-Boat and he is in his early 90's. Over the past 5 years, I have documented our discussions and created "Skizzenbuch: U-Boat Type VII C Project" in a PDF format. At one time I had a publishing contract, but the book format 11 x 17 inch sheet size, 516 pages with over 700 photos and drawings became too expensive to print the book. My original intent was not to profit from Skizzenbuch in the first place, so I made the PDF file available on the internet to be downloaded free of charge. You may find Skizzenbuch helpful in understanding how everything worked in the actual Type VII C U-Boat and what your model represents. Skizzenbuch may be downloaded at www.subcommittee.com and go to "Forums" then "The U-boat Pen" and Skizzenbuch is the second pinned entry from the top where you can download the PDF.
 
Regards,
Don_
 
PS - attached is my OTW version of U-96 (Das Boot)'''
 

Going through the wiring (relatively complex) of the lights and features of the submarine. 
 
The stands are made of usual plumbing parts and provide a stable base for that heavy model. I have finished wiring the torpedo compartments and the officer's quarters. All the connections have small connectors to allow me to take the whole enchilada apart. I suspect that the building of the remaining compartments and the conning tower may require an easier access to the hull and therefore, it is swell to be able to disassociate it from the base.

The result is quite impressive and massive: 


Close up on the radio equipment and batteries compartment: 


The hull as it stands today: 

Close-up on the various compartments: 



All buttoned up: 


Hope you enjoy that night tour of the insides of a German U-boot.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Et voila....

There won't be any updates as I am travelling for the next three weeks. Have fun building models....
 
Yves

Moving along with the "extremely delicate" insertion of the rear torpedoes module. Delicate because we have the commands of the rudder to insert, the rear torpedo tube and the two propeller shafts. Before it, I had to install the rear deck light and wire it. Again, no coming back is possible, without damaging the bulkhead. I verified that both propellers are turning as they are supposed to (contra-rotations in the proper direction):
 
So, we basically have the two ends of the submarine pretty much completed.

I broke the plastic railing surrounding the rear deck light on one side. I am going to replace these plastic parts by brass wires shaped and soldered. This stuff is supposed to withstand the tension of the lines coming from the sail and the plastic part will not resist the rest of the construction. I also need to find a solution to hide the ugly couplers between the shaft and motors. In retrospect, I wish I had not cut so low...but I wanted to show the torpedo resting underneath. We'll see.

Propellers, rudders and diving planes. I wish brass props could be provided either by Trumpeter or by RCsubs. The Revell folks at 1/72 have all these goodies available on the grey market.

It feels almost real...

Lots of wires starting to pile up: Blue and white for the rear deck light and four wires coming out of the rear module for the motors and the lights.


Yves
 
 

Trumpeter's solution to the mechanism of the front diving planes. Actually not too bad and quite close to the prototype.

Again, the kit implementation of the anchor windlass. 95% of it will be invisible.

Can you pinpoint the original Vallejo primer peeling away from the PE parts? That primer is excellent on plastic parts but to be absolutely avoided on brass parts. Fortunately, all this decaying is not visible.
 
Yves

A few pictures of the completed hull, in intense daylight: 


This is an interesting play of shadows....

And some deck views: 


Yves
 

Major progress on the hull: the paint, or at least the first phase.
 
As indicated before, I decided to go with Humbrol acrylic paints for the hull. These paints are getting a very bad rap on the Web and in the forums, because they are a far departure from the Tamiya and Vallejo paints. They are very thick, almost gooey in their appearance and require a significant amount of thinner to airbrush them. The good part is that they have the right color, that is very hard to find anywhere else. In retrospect, I should have used the enamel paints from Humbrol but decided to stay "green" as most as possible.
 
The paints were ordered from Europe as they are not yet easy to find in the USA.
 
The top of the hull requires the Matt 64 from Humbrol, which is one of the closest color to the Hellbrau used by the German.

The bottom of the hull has been determined by a few Expert European modelers to be the following mixture: 
Two cans of Humbrol Matt 96, plus one can of Humbrol Matt 33 and one can of Humbrol Matt Black Green 40.

Now, for the thinner, Humbrol recommend of course their own thinner. The problem is that it cannot be shipped to the USA. Therefore, I tried different mixtures before committing to the paint on the model: 
 
- Water....runs too much and makes the paint translucent almost. It would require a lot of layers which is not the easiest thing to do on such big hull.
- Tamiya thinner..... Worked alright, but somehow, my airbrush clogged a lot. I suspect that the Tamiya thinner was not strong enough  to thin the clumps of that very thick paint.
- 70% alcohol ..... I suspect that this was too much alcohol and the paint was dry before hitting the surface.
 
After searching the various foreign forums, I finally found the ideal thinner: Vodka! Yes, Vodka is 40% alcohol and mostly water. Some people are claiming that it works very well after a glass or two....
Not wanting to run to the local ABC store, I fortunately had a left over of 50% isopropyl alcohol and decided to use it. With about 35 PSI of pressure on my Paasche, the paint sprayed very well and did not cause many runs. Needless, to say, you need a very large bottle under your airbrush to contain 4 cans of paints and the equivalent in volume, of Vodka.
 
The top portion of the hull was done first: 



A lot of masking has to take place: 

And finally: 





Now, I need to learn the skills of weathering and rust.... The Deck will be painted last, as it still needs a lot of work and details.
 
Yves
 
 
 

Module finished: 

The Radio equipment: 

The main lights: 

Radio and Sonar rooms lights: 

Batteries and Ammunition magazine lights: 

Yves
 
 
 

Small progress on the battery compartment with a spin....
 
The batteries on the Type VIIc were connected in series/parallel to obtain up to 110 Volts DC:

Below is a schematic of the Batteries wiring. In this module, we are talking about Battery #2 (Battery #1 is located towards the stern of the boat). The switches are in the large electric frames sitting above the electric motors (see previous module for details).

Depending of the type of accumulators, there could be 5 or 6 parallel connections between the cells, as shown in the following pictures: 

The cells provided by Trumpeter are slightly over sized and as such we can only represent 4 rows instead of 6 that were available on the prototype (the fourth row has been omitted to allow a peek into the  compartment. Note that a detailed PE set could have been made to represent the connections bars between the cells. That would have been quite impressive.... to build and to display.
 These cells required a lot of maintenance (we are in 1939-40) and did not perform as well and as reliably as modern car batteries. A sliding platform was designed to allow a brave sailor to glide over the cells and keep them in good shape, by checking their electrolytes and cleaning any sulfate deposits on the connections: 

Let's keep in mind that the voltages could reach 110V DC with a total current capacity of 10,000 Amps. Touching the electrodes and connections was fatal in most cases as DC current burns irremediably. On my module, I tried to represent this interesting (although painful and tedious) aspect of the life aboard: 




The fellow uses the rope on his right side to move along the banks of cells. As you can see from the Trumpeter assembly plan, this is a little bit more involved and prototypical. It is always fun to try to improve on an existing kit.
 
Yves
 
 
 

Do you believe in Miracles and co-creation?
 
As some of you who are following this saga may know, I have been in search for some spare parts and sprues for this rare model. I want to be able to duplicate certain components of that huge model to make it more attractive and interesting.
 
My attempts at contacting Trumpeter (through Joanna, their sales rep in China and even the local distributor in the USA) were crowned by a complete lack of response and interest for my requests. Obviously, once you buy the kit, you are on your own and Trumpeter will not help you. I have dealt with other plastic models companies in the past (Italeri and Heller) and they have always been responsive. Trumpeter is way too big to take care of a remote and obscure customer in the far land of America. 
 
And then the miracle happened, when I had given up and started building painstakingly some parts myself: 

Being subscribed to the Nautilus Drydocks newsletter, I received one day a presentation of the Trumpeter U-552 model recently completed for a customer. The model was exquisitely finished but did not show any interior details. It was basically built as a regular model, with the hull and conning tower. I decided to contact the owner of the Nautilus Drydocks and inquired if he would be willing to sell me some spare parts for the rear compartment and engine compartment. He counter-offered by telling me that I could get all the parts left over from the build for an unbeatable price.

Today, I just received the complete set of parts allowing me to literally build a second interior with all the compartments. Truly a miracle and the proof that we can co-create what we want if it goes along with the desires of the Universe. This will allow me to build the second electric motor and many other things making this model, hopefully better and more complete than what Trumpeter intended.
 
A very grateful THANKS to Bob from the Nautilus Drydocks for allowing me this unique opportunity.
 
https://www.rc-submarine.com/
 
This link will take you to Bob Martin's web site. Here you can enjoy some of the magnificent models, Bob has been realizing: 
https://www.rc-submarine.com/copy-of-gallery
 
Yves
 
 

Thank you Jonathan. I believe your project deserves a Build Log in itself. Very interesting early concept for a torpedo launcher.
 
Moving to the part "C" of the deck and mot likely the most difficult due to the anti-skidding  plates around the gun: 

Once again, kudos to RCSUBs for their impeccable photo-etched brass kit with excellent explanations and a few spare parts: 

Not perfect and I cannot wait to see how it will look like with a coat of primer on top.

Yes, much better. At least I can see where some small imperfections are located and sand them carefully. That hull is starting to look like a TYPE VIIc.
 

A few more details: 

Yes, the area around the gun looks pretty neat once coated. And the numerous hinges are correctly aligned for the most part.

I hope you are enjoying....as much as I do :-)
 
Yves
 
 

I started puttying the seams and after a while I just could not tell if it needed some more or not. So, I sprayed some Vallejo Acrylic primer to reveal the imperfections. Not too bad, still a couple of places to refine: 

Yes, it is a monster but what a pleasure to work on something that does not strain your vision: 

Yves

I do not know about you guys, but I had the urge to see what all this PE would give. So I put the two halves together and added the tail: 

Yes, almost 5 feet of PE deck. A pure marvel, if you ask me (okay, I am biased).


Impressive beast to say the least.
 
Yves

Another section of the deck has been completed. Now, we are approaching an extremely fine "lace" and this is becoming critically fragile: 

Not cutting the bottom openings first (away from the hull) will definitely collapse the entire deck. A methodical approach is required.

The result is worth all the efforts and risks taken: 

Yves

Another delicate PE insertion: 

That Trumpeter Hull is massive and so thick. We are talking about 3 mm or close to 1/8 inch. It takes time and energy to go through it .
 
After a coat of Vallejo Primer, I can see the areas requiring some putty and sanding: 

Almost like the real stuff: 

Yves

A final picture for this module, inserted into the main hull:

I still have a couple of details to finish: The Pressure hull under the front planes link, some weathering and a couple of details inside the torpedoes room, to make it even more realistic. Most likely my next efforts will be directed towards the hull. It is a big piece, to say the least.
 
I hope you have enjoyed the building of the first part of that enormous kit.
 
Yves

The front torpedoes room module is pretty much completed. I just have to attach the structure for the anchor windlass and build a simulacrum of pressure hull, under the front control link to the bow planes. Most likely this will be visible through the louvers of the main hull.

This a big module and most likely the biggest in the assembly. I finally got rid of 3 sprues out of 29 !!!! Yeah.
The 3D printed front bulkhead helps a lot in making the kit more realistic and prototypical: 


 
The protruding outlets are used for the control of the tube external doors. I will see what I can re-create when the module gets inserted into the  hull.

If you are building this kit, I strongly encourage you to purchase that 3D printed bulkhead. It is unfortunate that the rear bulkhead is not available. I probably will have to fabricate one, when the time comes.
Below is the top of the module, with its air tank (right) and main storage tube for extra torpedoes or other things. All this will be slightly visible through the deck openings.
I realize I forgot to add the watertight door to the storage area. Pictures help reveal mistakes or mishaps.
 Below are a few shots of the inside of the compartment, showing its intricacies and extremely tight arrangement: 
 
The "Trumpeter" only provides one winch to lift the torpedoes, whereas two (at least) are necessary. I had to build another one, using spare parts. I also had to rework the original winch which is totally incorrect and incomplete as provided in the kit. These winches use a closed loop chain for the control by the hands and a beefier open chain to lift the rail carrying the torpedo. Two little brass straps have been added to brace and lift the torpedoes. The longitudinal movement of the torpedo is done by the two sliders mounted on the rail. Each slider is connected to one brace and moved on the rail, using the small hand wheel (the rail has a geared column on the upper side) This system allows a close approach of the tube opening and a slow and careful insertion of the eel in the tube. Note that eels were always installed with their fins in a vertical position and the plates facing upward, for the final settings. As indicated before, a piston was pushing the eel outside of the tube, once the water pressures had been equalized. The grease was used to prevent the torpedo from being stuck inside the tube and to help its penetration of the water (drag reduction).
To give a little bit more action, I decided to represent the loading of a torpedo in the lower tube. One man is busy watching and controlling the insertion of the torpedo into the tube, while his bearded (and sweaty) companion is lathing the marine missile with heavy grease and oil. A third lad, probably a petty officer, is in charge of controlling the rear winch. One sailor tries to sleep, while another one just woke up, disturbed by the maneuver. The original torpedo room had 24 people in it (12 sleeping or trying to and 12 working). A real nightmare of promiscuity and claustrophobia.







Below is an extremely rare picture of the front of the pressure hull, showing the characteristic shape of the bulkhead: 

Finally, some original pictures showing the living conditions of the German sailors: 


Out of 40,000 underwater sailors, less than 10,000 survived. A terrible outcome, illustrating the absurdity and insanity of wars in general.
 
Yves