Introduction...

Hi... my name is Lee, I am a model boat builder who is considering venturing into the world of submarines... I have been thinking about a sub for a while but never quite committed to it. I want to scratch build the hull from wood and i know I am opening myself up to ridicule by saying this... I suspect there are a few of you here who post on Mayhem, who have heard me say this before... and have been understandably sceptical of this approach... I know its not the best material for a sub and i know I don't have the experience of subs to know what I'm doing... so I joined to learn as much as I can... I hope i won't be greeted with too much hostility!! I am still trying to decide on which sub to build... I have drawings of Surcouf... but I suspect this wouldn't be an experts ideal choice!!

I am looking for plans of a good alternative, possibly U Boat XXIII, or USS Nautilus(1943) but I need the plan to show the hull frames, which they don't always include...

Anyway, I look forward to learning as much as I can... and maybe contributing one day!
(Ok, you can stop laughing now!)

Lee

Hi Lee,

Welcome to the (usually!?) calmer waters of the AMS.

I suppose that GRP is a more usual and tougher material to build model subs. Having said that several prominent modellers use wood. (Dave J in my own Club (Barrow) and our esteemed magazine editor, Brian.)

There is a useful guide to choosing a model here:

http://associationofmodelsubmariners.com/what-sub-to-build.php

Modellers sometimes choose subs because they don't like or can't handle (me!) the level of detail on surface ships. Surcouf is pretty detailed but I don't see why if you keep the weight and displacement of the superstructure down it would not be possible.

I think that there was a very fine model of this one in past. Perhaps Richard will know and be able to find a photo.

David

Hi...
Thanks for the welcome... I am glad that there are others who have chosen to build from wood, thats encouraging. I would be very interested to see any pictures of their models. I liked the idea of the Surcouf because of the shape of the hull... I know the turret will have to be very light. Have other wood builds been plank on frame or bread and butter type construction?
Lee

Hi Richard... Pictures of the Surcouf would be much appreciated. Thank you for such a positive welcome. Without meaning to criticise another forum, my idea wasn't met with a very positive response on Sub Drivers... they seemed extremely sceptical... and suggested buying something rather than building. Building models myself is a major part of the hobby for me, i am very glad that it is not considered ridiculous to scratch build a sub hull.

How do you go about building your wooden hulls Richard? Are they plank on frame?
Lee

Hi Lee welcome to the AMS dont worry about asking questions im new to model submarines and i have found all the guys here are very helpful and freindly
i have found some sub plans here

http://www.myhobbystore.co.uk/browser/117/submarine

and this one is made of balsa bread and butter construction so this might give you ideas

http://www.myhobbystore.co.uk/product/16989/type-ix-u-boat-mm471-submarine-plan

i hope you post up you build when you start as i would love to see it

take care geof

Hi Geof...
Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the plan links... I shall certainly post pictures of my build when I start it... I'm still working on the plans at the moment.
Lee

lee im looking forward to see how you get on
keep us posted geof

Dave J may chip in on here if he sees it.

If I remember right, both Brian and Dave use plywood frames and then put quite thin ply cladding on. Dave put an external grp "skinning" on his latest models.

The aim is to reduce the amount of wood - it floats, so your sub starts to get very heavy if you want it to dive!

For the same reason try to minimise the volume of the WTC if you want to be able to carry the finished sub. (You can have removable weights.)

WW1 and WW2 subs are generally long and thin so start to get very long if built in a large scale. (And don't fit in your car!)

However large scale subs look fantastic on the water.

It is all a terrible compromise really!

David

Hi David...
Thanks for the advice... I had looked at the option of using ply but the surcouf is quite curvy so I thought I would use mahogany planks on ply frames... then coat the whole thing in resin... I figured mahogany was quite dense. I am leaning towards building it a 1/80th scale which would make it 1375mm long and 112mm beam... so 1mm thick planks will make the hull quite thin before it is resin coated. I am not sure whether to build the hull whole then cut the top off, so to speak or make it in two halves....

I need to figure out how to post pics... I will look it up.
Lee

This might work...
Picture of frame 10 and frames 2 - 10
Red is the cut out.