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I know, I'm in danger of becoming a serial starter but working on different types of model is helping my current mental health problems. This is actually the second bite of the cherry for me as I was building this kit shortly after it was released by Mikro-Mir. Sadly, it got dropped and several detail parts were lost forever. There things would have stayed and I had all but forgotten about the model until I stumbled across a build of the kit on YouTube. Interest re-ignited, a replacement kit was sourced and this duly arrived yesterday. I do love these very early submarines and, with other builds on the bench having one thing or another setting, I cracked open the box to day and began.

 

Some of the parts exhibit considerable flash and time spent getting rid of this will pay dividends. Having got the hull halves together, I fitted some strips of plastic card below where the deck will fit. This is not only useful  from the point of adding strength to the deck but also allows the deck to be worked on away from the model and then slotted into place when the modeller is ready. Thus far I have got the deck fettled to the point that only the tiniest smear of filler will be required near the stern. Panel lines on the model are a bit woolly and the boat will require a complete re-scribe.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 👽

 

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Sounds interesting! Looks a bit like Captain Nemos Nautilus! Subs arent really my thing, being an ex member of the sub hunter community but looking forward to seeing more on this beastie!

Bob

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2 hours ago, Martian said:

helping my current mental health problems.

A change is as good as a rest Mr Martian and we all need that now and again. Nice to see you back down in Maritime but I'd never have thought that a sub would be a likely candidate for yourself.

 

Stuart

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4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Excellent to see you back afloat.  Or semi-submerged.  Whatever.

Mrs Martian says that I am always semi-submerged!

 

Hen Pecked of Mars 👽

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I started the job of re-scribing the hull to day but before I did, I carried out a small but important task. There are are quite a few small square on the hull where assorted fittings are attached. There is no way these are going to survive the scribing and cleaning up process. So how to know where to fit their replacements?  In these sort of situations, I drill a very small hole right through the part in question before beginning the scribing and cleaning up process. This gives me a location for the replacement parts that cannot be erased. When the time comes to fit the replacement part, I drill a hole through its centre. By threading the drill bit through the part and the hole in the hull, we know we now have the part in the correct place and all we have to do is square it up and apply a small dab of liquid cement.

 

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With the scribing completed, I have begun to open up what I think are called limber holes on the casing. No rocket science here, just some careful drilling and a new No. 11 scalpel blade.

 

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Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 👽

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5 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Nice.  VERY Jules Verne / 50s steam-punk sci-fi movie.  Which is a good thing, obvs.

I think that is exactly what attracts me to these early submarines.

 

Martian 👽

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5 hours ago, Martian said:

I think that is exactly what attracts me to these early submarines.

 

Yes very different to the Norm a bit like you and about as old  :whistle:

 

Stay Safe and Warm

beefy

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Work on the Dellfin today began by adding the large valves and pipes that are very visible towards the bow of the submarine. Mikro-Mir do give the modeller these parts but the valves are very woolly and were lost when the hull was re-scribed and cleaned up and the pipes are too short following the opening up of all the limber holes. The valves were replaced with plastic rod, which in turn was drilled out the pipes that were scratch built from solder. Due to the size of the holes that the pipes pass through, I fashioned part of the submarine's upper hull in this area from some .30'thou plastic card.

 

Next, the brackets that were lost when the hull was cleaned up  were replaces with small slivers of plastic strip.

 

Finally, there is a lip that goes round the top of the casing. Mikro-Mir do give you this in the kit but on my example it was once again, very woolly and disappeared altogether in places. I just removed what there was of the detail and replaced it with some .10 x .10 strip.

 

Next up we will be taking a look at the conning tower, which I know from past experience with this kit is going to be a pain. Wish me luck!

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Martian 👽

 

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I have spent most of today's bench time working on replacing as many of the weak detailing parts from the kit with assorted lengths of Albion Alloys' slide fit brass tubing. The bits that I am most pleased with are the stanchions, where I managed to make some tiny loops from some bronze detailing wire and get them to fit inside of a suitable diameter of tubing. The masts, periscope and exhaust pipe were also replaced or modified using brass tubing. The frames around the viewing ports of the conning tower were constructed from .10 x .10 plastic strips.

 

I replaced the etch brass frames around the rudders from plastic strip an here I deviated from the kit instructions. The Delfin had its hull clad with teak at least at the star of its career and a frame protecting the upper rudder to guard against damage caused by possible grounding. What Mikro-Mir do not give the modeller is a frame to protect the lower rudder. I could not convince myself that such an obvious feature would have been overlooked on the real vessel. If you are worried about the possibility of grounding, why would you not protect the lower rudder? Unable to get clear reference on this point, on went a lower frame and there it stays! I replaced the etch brass frame parts with plastic strip to give a more three dimensional appearance.

 

Thanks or looking.

 

Martian 👽

 

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5 hours ago, beefy66 said:

Excellent details on show coming along at a pace. 👍

 

Stay Safe 

beefy 

 

27 minutes ago, Courageous said:

:ditto:

 

Stuart

Thanks Guys. Although they take more work than one might imagine for such small subjects, these Mikro-Mir early submarines are fun subjects to build and, for me at least, a breath of fresh air. the stanchions were hard to do though and by the time I had finished them, I was beginning to doubt my own sanity. Mrs Martian, who did the close up pictures for me, is short sighted and has fantastic close up vision. She said she could hardly make them out and was going to suggest that I need to have my head examined until she remembered that I am having my head examined! (Silence in the cheap seats.)

 

Martian 👽

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17 minutes ago, Martian said:

and was going to suggest that I need to have my head examined until she remembered that I am having my head examined!

Gidday, I thought martians had two heads? 😀 Seriously, I don't think I'd like to go down in a modern submarine. To dive in one of these I think would take bucket loads of courage that I would never have. This is a good model you're doing. Regards, Jeff.

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9 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Wow - what a difference those micro details make - kit transformed !!

Rob

Thanks Rob, more micro details coming to a modelling forum near you soon.

 

Martian 👽

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