It's here!!! Just picked up my new Montana hull And man is she a big girl. I will try to post pics as much as possible as this build progesses. I have some pics already but cannot figure out how to upload them on my phone. Suggestion?
So here are some pics. Over all I'm extremely happy with the quality of this hull and deck kit. The sub deck just needs a bit of sanding to fit the hull and clean it up but all in all looks great! Bow shot with deck laid on top Stern shot with deck laid on top The mackensen is tiny in comparison
Congrats on your new ship. I am sure you will enjoy the beast very much. I look forward to seeing your build of this great model.
Began the process of preparing the deck and sub deck for installation. For the decks just a little bit of sanding and they fit nicely into their positions as you can see in the image attached. Next I have to sand I'd say about 1/16th" all around the subdeck so it will fit in the hull All and all I am extremely please with the quality of the deck and hull. Strike has produced and amazing beast.
And after a bit of sanding the sub deck is just about there. Needs a little more here or there but should be ready to install permanently very soon
Thank you! I just need to sand the subdeck a little more. Although it fits in the hull right now it really tight. I plan to sand it down until it's just snug.
Question. Attaching the subdeck to hull. How do most do this? Aka what has been found to be the best way. I was thinking about just using epoxy.
GOOP is your friend, e6000 is the same but thinner. You can prep the hull with Xilene and it will take the GOOP better, just don't inhail.
I'm cross between building a Montana or a north carolina big gun setup. Look forward to seeing your progress
Tape the outside to the uncut hull all around, make sure it fits perfect (if you don't you will "see it" at every glance). Put it on, squish it together and tape it shut, make sure that all the deck parts are in place so that the hull stays in shape. remove each deck opening and apply the GOOP to the inside joint of subdeck and hull that has been cleaned with Xileen, replace each deck opening. LET IT CURE UPSIDE DOWN so that the GOOP flows into the joint of the subdeck and hull, it takes about twelve hours for the stuff to set up tight and it does shrink back a bit so you may want to do two coats.
We've been putting #4 x 1/2" wood screws through the hull and into the subdeck. Probably pre-drill and get some epoxy on the screws as well. This will "pin" the subdeck a bit more securely.
My method for attaching the subdeck to a FG hull is pretty simple. I mix epoxy resin with chopped fiberglass and use that to bond the subdeck to the hull. It also has excellent gap filling properties. Works well for minor repairs to damaged glass when resheeting as well. You just need to be sure to mechanically clean (aka sand/dremel) any existing glass to ensure a good bond. Most hulls are not made with epoxy so as Charley pointed out in another thread, you have to do some surface prep to make sure it adheres well.