Ok, every once in a while I like to do something different.  Always liked u-boots and other submarines but 1/700 or 1/350 is just a bit too small for me.  So I was pretty happy to see the 1/72 scale U-Boot from Revell. 

Here's a picture for size.  The u-boot hull with a 1/35 scale tank.

Aug 9, 2004

ModelBrass vents for the stern.  You can also see how I scraped the inside of the hull to open up the vent holes.  I started with an No. 10 Blade  but changed to a motor tools with a carbide drum to hog out the biggest part.  Then I finished off by scraping down to the vents. 
 

More model brass for the front vents.  More scraping for the front vents.  The small vents next to the torpedo tube were done with a cutting disk in the motor tool at very slow speed.  I cut two lines on either side of the vents then passed the cutter back and forth until I could see light.  Then cleaned up with a No. 11 Blade.

Here you can see the long side vent opened up.  I scored the top of the vent recess then the lower side of the recess.  This avoids flexing the upper part when scribing and possibly breaking.  I'll glue some evergreen strips on the inside to duplicate the supports.

Aug 14, 2004

Ok, got some more work done today.  Got the torpedo tubes support structure assembled.  Think I'll do something different and open only the bottom two torpedo doors.
 

I also got the supports put in place behind the long side drainage slots.  I really believe this will add allot to the overall look of the model, see below.  I used a jig from a close pin to space the supports.  I started from the kit bulkhead and worked to the front and to the rear.  I placed a few strips on one side and then alternated to the other side of the hull.  I used fairly wide thick strips from Evergreen placed them on edge to give some depth.

One suggestion, build the stand before you start anything else.

Aug 15, 2004

Made some frames to go in the hull so there isn't a see through effect.  Not really accurate but they will fill the void.  Also puttied the area around the front and rear vents.

Also had to make some adjustments to one of the forward vent.  Seems it was not flush with the hull.

Aug 27, 2004

Just got back from my trip to Boston.  Did some surfing and found Modelflags.com and ordered some flags for this project and a couple of others down the road.

Aug 29, 2004

Found this really good build.

Aug 31, 2004

Contacted HOUSHINYA and received a reply, out of stock.  I've got some aluminum and will try and turn my own.

Sept 3, 2004

Also got an e-mail from HOUSHINYA.  They're looking for a new factory to make the periscopes and barrels.  He'll get back to me later.

Sept 5, 2004

Found this article.

Sept 7, 2004

Finally decided which boot to build.  I'll be doing the U 82.  I also got some work done on the coning tower.  The ModelBrass  PE is a drop in fit for the kit part.  There is a bit of shimming for the vent stacked.  Also there is a bit of fitting needed for the side piece.

I didn't follow the instruction for trimming the side piece.  I just cut it off to fit under the side piece.

Sept 9, 2004

The flags from Modelflags.com arrived today and they look good.

Sept 26, 2004

I've been trying to close up the hull for a couple of weeks now.  I've had to reorganize my hobby area as I'm getting married and she has moved in allot of her stuff into my house.  I'm back in the garage.  Anyway I got the hull together (temporally) on the kit stand and test fit the ModelBrass  PE on the deck.  Like I thought there will need to be some shimming to bring the deck up the top of the hull.  Now all I have to do is fine my airbrush.

Oct 5, 2004

Day off today, in between honey do's I found some props at Ships n' Things.  have to wait and see how well these props will work.

Oct 7, 04

Talk about friendly and fast service, the props arrived today from Ships n' Things.

This size prop also come in an M4 shaft size.

Got to tell ya, putting two houses into one sucks.  I guess it's easier to start with nothing when your getting married.  I'm still looking for my airbrush.

Oct 10, 04

Decided to replace the kit prop shafts.  Thought about using brass but found some 1/8" styrene tubing.  I took the old shafts, chucked them in my mini lathe and cut the prop mount shaft off.  I next drilled out the bezel until it separated from the main shaft.  I then drilled out the mounts so the tubing could be slide in from the back.  I also adjusted the mounts on the hull for the new shafts.  They needed adjusting for the kit props anyway.

Oct 16, 04

Got tired of looking for my airbrush and just picked up a couple of can of spray paint.  I applied the flat black then misted on some gray and then another mist of flat black.  I'm trying not to have the interior monotone.  I also primed the exterior of the Modelbrass vents.  I'm planning to close the hull up soon.

Oct 17, 04

Ok, I glued the hull halves together last night.  Today I reinforced the seam with 5 min epoxy.  Before the epoxy set I dropped in the baffles to reduce the see through effects.

Nov 14, 2004

Well got some things done since the last post.  Trimmed the prop shafts so that the mounting lug won't show through the vents.  Also replaced some detail with strip styrene.  And last I finished the wield seams on the saddle tanks with stretched sprue.  I also super glued some Evergreen HO scale 4x4s on the lip for the deck.  This will bring the photo etched brass deck up to the correct level.

Also installed the rear torpedo channel and used some Milliput to blend it into the rest of the hull.

Feb 6, 2005

Just ordered the scopes and barrels from Steve Nuttall.  The 1/72 barrel is for this kit and the 1/40 is for the Robbe Type XXI I'm also working on.

Steve also does the shafts for the props.

You can see more at

http://www.modelbarrels.com/

Also got a little work done on the conning tower.

The brass PE doesn't have a raised lip for the hatch.  ( 2nd hole from the right.)

So I scribed around the lip on the kit part.  I then glued it into the hatch.

I next rolled so sheet styrene into a tube and installed it into the PE deck.  This will help line up the hatch when it's installed.

I'll also install some plastic tubing below the parts next to the forward scope.

Feb 19 2005

Got some more done on the hull and conning tower.  I've got to be one of the slowest builders around.  I put the blanking pieces to simulate the pressure hull and stop the see through effect with the deck slots and vents.  I just laid the hull upside down on some sheet plastic and traced the outline.  Then cut the shape out a little over sized and then trimmed to fit.

Then I cut hole for the periscopes.

I also rebuilt the forward periscope mount with some brass tubing.  I just used some tubing telescoped over each other.  I installed this in the base of the it part .  Steve Nuttall's periscopes fit perfectly.

Some Links I found useful.

Revell U-Boot

Some of the references I picked up.