The 2013 Summer Build Season is in full swing. The impenetrable bottom is ready for glassing after many sanding and filling with wood putty sessions. It passed several flashlight/shadow tests. The Bow and Stern are done carved. Working on the water channel and pump sumps (3 of them, 1 in the bow and 2 in the stern). Locations for motors and mounts are set in stone as well. Using self leveling concrete sealer to fill in the built up water channel areas, to give the H-39 good solid weight on the bottom. Stuff works amazing. She is about 8.1 pounds so far, and 77" long, 5" high to the cap rail, and 10" wide at the widest point. Also working on the gun turrets (scratch building them) and the superstructure. Picked up all sorts of fiberglass, and soon some resin. Not sure yet if its best to fiberglass the whole ship with one huge cloth piece, or many smaller pieces. Never done fiberglassing before...except on a boat once, eons ago. Work continues...
For my turrets on the Hindenburg, I used the high detail turrets sold by one of the online vendors, then I cut them into quarters, with a line down the middle between the gun ports, and then another slit at 90 degrees to that slit, I added an internal brace, and filled the void from seperating the four peices. I did one cut, and stretch at a time to make sure everything lined up. Then I added some depth with plywood to the bottom of the turret. If you are going the cast your own, the enlargement of the Bismarck turrets yields a really nice result.
