Posted by Bill Walden on June 03, 2000 at 21:05:31:
In Reply to: Re: FLOATING 1:570 MODEL TITANIC posted by Richard Jenkins on May 31, 2000 at 11:11:19:
: You have to assemble the hull without putting the upper decks on. Use a couple of pieces of scrap styrene to close up the slots in the bottom where the hull is supposed to sit on the display stand. Test the hull for leaks by filling it with water and holding it up to see where the water is coming out. Seal any leaks with modelling putty. Once it's watertight you'll need to add some ballast to get it to float at its proper waterline. Fishing sinkers work well for this. Add them gradually while the model is floating, until the model has reached the desired waterline, and make sure it's sitting upright in the water. Keep in mind the weight of the upper decks that have yet to be added - at this point you have probably added enough ballast that the weight of the upper decks won't upset the model's stability, but they will cause it to sit a little lower in the water, so take this into account when you're ballasting.
Actually that is the method I have used in the past. Worked once and totally failed another. Take the comment about the weight of the upper decks seriously -- they are enough to cause a severe list. I had everything adjusted perfectly before I built rest of the model. When it was finished it had a terrible list -- the only thing added was the upper decks. I had the same results with my Lusitania model -- hull floated in swimming pool perfectly with water just below waterline. Completed model lists dramatically to one side! So don't assume the upper decks won't affect how the model floats!!
Regards,
Bill Walden