Interest in 1:18 Vaccuform Kits ? Higgins, Zero, etc

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:20 am

I have been thinking about putting together a large vaccuform table for a Higgins project I have been working on. But it really wont be worthwhile if I am just going to be making a small handful of hulls for myself. I have noticed that in larger scales vaccuform kits are pretty common and people dont seem to mind getting the raw pieces instead of a completed piece. Obviously the detail (rivits/plates/etc) would have to be added by the person actually assembling the kit.

My main question is - Would anyone else would be interested in this ?

I would also be willing to run other peoples plugs for them if they had a custom project they were working on.

My next question is - what would interest you ? Some things I had thought about..Higgins Hull - Zero - Larger Planes - Gunner Cannopies - etc

Anyhow, your feedback is appreciated !

Rogue · Post by **Rogue** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:22 pm

Are you talking about a Higgins PT boat? Like the ones built in NewOrleans?
Hmmmm, How much do you expect one of these would cost?
How big in actual inches would it be?

USCGSARdog · Post by **USCGSARdog** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:38 pm

Any 1/18 scale boat hull would be great in my book. An ELCO PT, PBR or even a Swift boat would be awesome! Let me know if I can help with any research or info on any of these subjects. Oh, by the way, I'll take a couple of each.

-Rob

KAMIKAZE · Post by **KAMIKAZE** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 6:58 pm

If you make the hull ,I don't think we would mind building the rest of the boat.
It sounds like a great idea.

Mark

75th Ranger · Post by **75th Ranger** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:23 pm

Show us some pictures of what you are offering so that we can see a better description of your idea.
So far it sounds good.
keep the price down!
and you will sell in bulk...
keep me posted
HOOAH!

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:01 pm

Thanks for the replies so far ! there arent any pictures yet as we havent built anything - I am just trying to gauge the interest to make it worth while to build the machine (it takes a lot of space).

As for cost - material costs are pretty reasonable and the labor isnt much if you guys dont mind buying the pieces uncut. Building the plug to use may take a little work - but I think we would also be able to run other peoples plugs if they had a minimum order.

Are boat hulls the main thing people are interested in ?

kenhil2 · Post by **kenhil2** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:43 pm

i'd been in for a PBR hull in 1:18

Post by **aferguson** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:24 pm

i'd be up for a vacuform u-boat hull (in sections of course) or even a vacuform waterline uboat.

red69charger · Post by **red69charger** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:45 pm

If you ever decide to do anything with AFVs, I'd be interested but I don't really collect the planes. Still I wish you luck if you do go ahead with it. It sounds promising for those who like the kind of subjects you have chosen.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:28 am

I'd be very interested in a Higgins landing craft, if that what you meant in your previous post. I am developing a summer project to make one from Balsa wood, but a plastic kit would be much better!

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:13 pm

tmanthegreat wrote:I'd be very interested in a Higgins landing craft, if that what you meant in your previous post. I am developing a summer project to make one from Balsa wood, but a plastic kit would be much better!

Yep - the Higgins landing craft was the first on my list - the hull is really the main piece to vacuform

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:54 pm

what about my u-boat idea?

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 8:14 am

aferguson wrote:what about my u-boat idea?

I would definately be willing to give it a shot. Can you clairfy a little ? Are you thinking like breakaway sections - taking a u boat and chopping it into saller sections with the sections then being able to open up (like the joe submarine - http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.a ... Id=0a5361f )

Any thoughts on what type of Uboat ? A 250 foot Uboat would be about 14' long in 1:18 scale. That could be chopped down into 4 or 5 sections maybe ?

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:43 am

well i'm glad you asked.

I have given this much thought. The obvious choice is a type VIIC u-boat, as these did the lion's share of the work during the war. It was about 220 feet long. A tiny bit over 12 feet in 1/18.

I invision doing it in four 3 foot long sections that connect together (by various methods i can think of), plus another piece for the conning tower that snaps on top.

having it in sections would allow it to break down to a neat little package not a heck of a lot bigger than a BBI F-16 box for shipping and after play storage. These boats weren't all that wide. Now this is for a waterline model.

If you were thinking of doing it as a full hull a similar strategy could be used but the sections would be a lot deeper for the hull and hence a lot harder to ship (although they may be able to slip inside one another ie bow and stern pieces could fit inside the center hull pieces perhaps to make a smaller shpping package. Still it would be a much larger proposition. There is no way it could be made to float i don't think; you'd need a one piece hull for that which would be 12 feet long.

However, i think a waterline uboat is extremely do-able, shipable, affordable and would make a very cool play/display piece.

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:35 am

Not watertight? C'mon Aferg! Torpedo radial screw joint with some O-rings to join the section. Internal bilge pumps. If you're going for a U-boat, it might as well be able to play in your pool. Other problem is if you do any U-boat, you need a good source for a few dozen submariners.

"It just gets worse and worse!" Homer Simpson

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:26 pm

aferguson wrote:well i'm glad you asked.

I have given this much thought. The obvious choice is a type VIIC u-boat, as these did the lion's share of the work during the war. It was about 220 feet long. A tiny bit over 12 feet in 1/18.

I invision doing it in four 3 foot long sections that connect together (by various methods i can think of), plus another piece for the conning tower that snaps on top.

having it in sections would allow it to break down to a neat little package not a heck of a lot bigger than a BBI F-16 box for shipping and after play storage. These boats weren't all that wide. Now this is for a waterline model.

If you were thinking of doing it as a full hull a similar strategy could be used but the sections would be a lot deeper for the hull and hence a lot harder to ship (although they may be able to slip inside one another ie bow and stern pieces could fit inside the center hull pieces perhaps to make a smaller shpping package. Still it would be a much larger proposition. There is no way it could be made to float i don't think; you'd need a one piece hull for that which would be 12 feet long.

However, i think a waterline uboat is extremely do-able, shipable, affordable and would make a very cool play/display piece.

So this would be the external shell only - no breakaway interior cross sections ? And it would stop at the waterline with a flat bottom ?

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:18 pm

well one would be able to add all the interior detail they want i suppose given that it will be vacuformed and thus hollow and made in sections that easily pull apart. The interior of the conning tower could be completely detailed by someone, if desired.

As a waterline model it would be flat bottomed yes, the hull would end at the waterline. I wouldn't think you need to provide an actual bottom....the sections are sort of semicircular in cross section and the part that sits on the floor could be totally open. It would be easier to vacuform it this way.

This would be a very impressive model to behold, even though it is a waterline model at just over 12 feet long and about 14 inches to the top of the conning tower.

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:00 am

Is this the model ?
http://hsgalleries.com/images/typeviiuboatab_1.jpg

I guess all of those surface grates would have to be cut in but the general structure itself seems doable in pieces.

The tower piece is a little more complicated...
http://www.steelnavy.com/images/scans/T ... iorama.jpg

Post by **aferguson** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 10:51 am

the conning tower piece gives you an idea what a waterline model would look like. It would be essentilally the light grey part of the full boat shown in the first picture with a little bit of the tops of the ballast tanks (like as shown in the conning tower picture).

If you'd want to take on a full hull u-boat that would be really sweet

but a waterline version would be awesome.

momaw nadon · Post by **momaw nadon** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 6:05 pm

To add to this, the full version U-bout would rock. Plus you could make it like aferguson said and add the water line to it by making the lower hull removable from the upper hull.

With a little work you could make it float. If the joints were sealed from the inside by leaving a hole were the tower would go and building from the outer tips and working inward. Plus the hole it would allow you to add the motor and electrics.

Last thing would be the submariners. You could use the German Tanker for the base. Some Tankers during WWII use the black submarine uniform. I think the Joachim from Dragon is in that uniform.

Just some ideas.
momaw nadon

Post by **aferguson** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 6:27 pm

there is a lot of leaway as far as figures go. Uboat crew got away with wearing a wide variety of non standard issue clothing. So combinations of jackets, sweaters etc with bits of uniform would work.

Also, i had planned to modify some cheap firefighter figures i have. Their coats look a lot like the heavy waterproof raincoats worn by crewman while up in the conning tower doing spotting duties etc. Just fashion some proper souwester hats out of sculpy. Heads with beards would be good too as most the crew sported beards by the time they were at sea for a few days. I have an old Dash Randar head (from Star Wars 'Shadows of the Empire') that will look perfect as my Uboat captain (sporting a modified German para major's hat).

The full hull with removable waterline option would be the ultimate but it's a much larger project than the waterline model.

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:12 am

Now the question becomes how to make the plug - would smaller sections be acceptable ? We havent yet made the machine, so im not sure what the usable diagonal would be with a heater built into the machine, but with my original version plans my oven size was my constrain as that is where I was going to heat the plastic. Turns out ovens aint as big as I thought they were. Think - cookie sheet for the usable size of an oven. If the interest is there we will take a shot at the larger machine.

Post by **aferguson** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 8:54 am

You can make the sections as small as you like. I just suggested 3 foot sections. I thought your machine would be big enough to handle them. They could be 2 foot or even 1 1/2 foot sections. The fewer the number of sections the fewer the number of join lines/gaps however. And it would be nice if the conning tower was all done in one piece (or two halves if it is more feasible).

I hope the bigger machine is a reality one day. I have some really good ideas for stuff that could be brought to life by this vacuform method.