Building the H-39. Here are some pics. Still learning how to build these ships, but its comming along well - I think (hope). http://photobucket.com/h-39?albumview=slideshow Thomas
damn good progress. I couldnt tell you if it looks right because i am inexperienced as well. Where did you ge your plans from they look like they were meant for laser cutting?
Strike Models - there are a few pictures of my friend in there who is building the USS Constellation (Aircraft Carrier) he served in during the Gulf War. Just to RC it, not to shoot it up. That may be the drawings you refer to - I traced those in CAD from 1/200 scale drawings he had. But yea, the H-39 plans you see are from Strike...they are pretty decent so far. Nothing I could not easily reproduce (and much better) than if I just had the profiles. For instance, I dont care much at all for sharp corners in my ships. I like nice curved lines. And I should have thought about the bulge for the armor before I cut. But I can modify the ribs easily enough. Waiting for the bow and stern section to dry for a few days before proceeding.
All the ribs are cut and fitted, the stuffing tube sleeves inserted: need to start thinking about the rudders, the 1/8" Armor Belt, and various other modifications to the ribs. It looks so nice - wish it was all glued together, but I'm taking my time. Hmm - come to think of it, I need to work out the cap rail and the deck as well. I was thinking about using 1/8" HDPE or PVC...for the deck, and have a sign shop make me up some tough and durable vinyl with wood decking printed on it. Working on that in CAD at the moment...looks nice so far. Long Shot from Bow to Stern: Shot of the Port and Starboard Motors (Motors are 550's from Strike Models - dont have a 3rd one yet for the center): Beauty Shot - was a ton of work making sure everything lines up near perfectly: Nothing glued or locked in place yet - just friction fit, so there is a little droop here or there among the ribs. Cheers, Thomas
I must say I am jealous of your building ability. My Tirpitz does not look as clean as your ship does ha and the center prop on mine is becoming a pain in the Arse Looks damn good
Many thanks - I'm a draftsman for profession, and always liked building stuff, from miniatures and battlefields to buying a house 5 years ago and totally demolishing the inside down to the studs and starting over. Its nice to finally go shopping at a hobbystore without it costing thousands of dollards every time you make a trip to your local hardware store for house parts. And I very much enjoy the mental exercise, and man - there is nothing better than getting up in the morning and admiring your work from the night before. Thanks for your appreciation. And yes, the stern was a bear. Just add extra wood between the ribs to hold the keel together on both sides. You can see my work in the various posts. Cheers, Thomas
Making more progress - here is a series of shots taken in the last few build sessions: Gluing the Stern Keel: Some heavy weight to keep things level: The long shot: Gluing the Cap Rail - used an oak trim piece and zip ties. The trim piece provided the pressure/tension: Bow to Stern: Stern to Bow: Nice curves: Thomas
Here is a shot of the lake right behind my work - Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. A large campus - the hospital is in the background, and my office to the left out of view. Great place to play during lunch hour or after work once I get my H-39 done! Shot looking toward the east - there was nice fog on the lake to the left, and a few patches where the breeze hits the water. Thomas
FINALLY !!!!! I found a guy in Germany who sells plans he creates from the ORIGINAL construction documents for the H-39...!!! Woot. He is on vacation for the next month. So happy!!!! See this site for other goodies he offers. http://www.schiffsmodellbau-nord.de/bauplaene.html Thomas
So how did you find out he had H-39 plans? I didn't see them on that site, do you have to email him & ask?
Update on my H-39 Build. Now that everything is glued solid, I started removing some of the hoizontals and braced the openings. Its now ready to flip and work on the bottom of the hull. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MZsXDRs5auXg Thomas
It is interesting how you have it put together. I take it the rectangles will be the access points? are those sitting ontop like the subdeck you have on the edge?
Yup - acceess points. They are screwed and expoxied right into the side of the horizontal braces that are cut.
Finally have a place to store my pictures where they dont take forever to download a link. http://h39friedrichdergrosse.shutterfly.com/pictures/10 Thomas
Soon..planking her right now, one strip at a time (the non-penetrable area). Then I'll flip her over and work on the inside, then fiberglass the inside and outside. Then start looking at hardware...the fun stuff Thomas
