The smaller discharge ports were drilled with a 2mm drill. I then fitted one slat per discharge port and finished the outer diameter by gluing on a 2.5mm washer. I think this captures the feel/ look very feel very well.

The pics attached show a close up of these smaller discharge ports.

More posts of the build to follow soon.

Thanks for looking in. Regards, Phil W

Very nice Phil, some great work being shown....

Regards

Alan

My scratch-built version took me about 4hrs to make. Very fiddly work. The miniscule hinges were all individually cut from 0.25mm thick plastic sheet. Tiny triangular shapes were all filed equal and glued to give the impression that they worked. Attached are the images of the completed tank lid.

In hindsight, I have subsequently removed the tank lid as I couldn't see evidence of this fitted to any other U-Boats while studying photos. I have kept it to one side and will no doubt reuse it for something else as the build progresses. I think maybe it was fitted only to U995 while in dock for maintenance purposes. If anyone can verify this or point me in the direction that these type of tank lids were fitted to other U-boats then please let me know and I will retro fit it again.

Thanks for looking in. More posts to follow shortly.

Kind Regards, Phil W

Really nice job with the tank lid You certainly got the desired effect with the hinges, they really do look like they will allow the lid to open

Hi Phil some very nice work on your vents and bits. look forward to seeing your next update. ian

The next part of build concentrates on the removable super structure that fits on top of the saddle tanks.

After looking at the results in the partworks and comparing against photos of U995, I felt that the gap between the removable structure and the saddle tanks was too large compared to U995. Also the use of lime planking to fabricate the supports was, in my opinion, too thick. I was after a more 'fine-scale feel' in keeping with the real thing.

See attached pic of U995. See how the gap between the top structure and saddle tanks is nearly the same as the flood holes. Also note the recessed plate steel supports are lot thinner compared to the part-works.

The next photos show the structure from different angles.

As a side note I built the main section of the removable structure as per the part-works. However, this required a lot of filing and fitting to get it to sit naturally without being forced into place; something i'm very keen on. If it doesn't go there must be an obstruction somewhere that requires attention until everything lines up correctly. A dry fit should be how it will be; glue is just a bonder, it won't make the parts fit together any better.

The next image shows the structure further down the boat. Many hours work but worth it.