This 2nd article gives an overview how to build a model of an AMS60 minesweeper as used by the Dutch Navy, the model has been created on the request of the team supporting and maintaining the AMS ms Bernisse. It has been designed as a 1/100 scale model (44 cm long model) and the 3D-design work is based on the original drawings.
Here we will first focus on smaller components you need to prepare. The foremast and all the resin prints and parts. There will be a total of 11 Resin prints. Most of the work will be removing the parts from the print-supports. This is usually not the most interesting work and needs to be done carefully. Resin prints can be a bit brittle, so you might (well you will) break things during this process. However resin breaks very clean and is easy to glue the broken parts using super-glue. Use a small sharp cutting nipper and a hobby knife to remove the support. The hobby knife can be used to cut away small support protrusions which might stay behind on the model-parts after cutting the support.
When I have printed the Resin-parts for you the process is as follows: you will need to remove all the parts from the print-support. To make this more easy (less breaking of parts), you can submerge the resin print in hot-water for a few minutes before you remove the supports. When done you are required to harden (cure) all the Resin-parts. Normally you would do this by using an UV-light source (405nm UV light) this needs to done save, as UV-radiation in the 405nm range for Resin curing is dangerous for your eyes. Lucky you can just place all the resin parts in direct sun-light for an hour or so. DO NOT FORGET THIS !!! You will need to cure the resin parts.
The 11 Resin prints
A total of 11 Resin print-files are provided. There might be a slight variation in the files, but the 11 prints will include all the required resin parts for the model. Take your time, remove all the support and store all the items in a save and secure way. Make sure you take your time to remove all the small supports, in many cases you will notice small pieces of support still visible on the parts. You can remove these with a small and sharp hobby-knife or small nippers. And again, watch out when removing, cutting, clip the small protrusions. You do not want to damage or break the resin part. TAKE YOUR TIME !!
TIP: When preparing the woorden boarding, AMS60-Resin-print-06, remove the support and glue the parts to the hull before you cure the woorden boarding parts in direct sun-light. This is also explained below in more detail.
I prepared my own wooden hobby table setup, this helps to keep all the model-parts together.
Preparing the acoustic cable reel
The acoustic cable reel needs to be prepared before it can be placed on the ship. If you be carefull with glue you can make the reel rotate freely. Depending on the way you want to paint the model, it might be good you paint the reel and the inner part of the hull before you place the acoustic reel setup on the ship.
The wood-boarding and the axle are PLA prints, the reel and the reel control are resin parts.
Do NOT GLUE the setup yet. As we first want to base-coat the hull and you might want to paint the reel also.
The masts
The fore-mast is just 2 PLA printed parts. The horizontal part needs to be glued in the mast. A number of small resin printed lights needs to be added to the fore-mast.
The rear-mast 2 PLA printed part and 1 Resin part and can only be prepared in one postition in which the boom will be resting on the support on the chimney.
Preparing the fore-mast. You will need to add a number of lights, the antenna and the radar. There are 3 larger lights, and 4 small lights. The 3 lights are glued to the central part mast as shown. The 4 small lights need to be added to the horizontal beam, you will need to drill out 4 small holes. Test if the parts fit oké, finally with a small drop of superglue, glue the lights as shown in the picture below
Adding the antenna is the next step. Again use a drill to prepare the 2 holes at the top of the mast. If needed us a hobby knife to remove any small PLA parts sticking out. Again try it, before you use any glue.
Finally add the Radar dome. Again use a small drill to make sure the hole at the top of the mast oké and the radar fits. The small light on the radar needs to be on the right (starboard) side of the mast. Set the mast aside in some save place so it does not break.
The rear-mast does NOT require any glue yet. You will need to test all fits together. Sand the mast and make sure it is smooth. The resin top-part needs to be about 2 cm from the top on the mast. Sand the mast until it fits. The boom will need to fit in the small resin part as shown, I used a hobby knife to make it fit cutting away the boom into a sharper point. Also the part which connects the boom to the mast needs some work, there is a small ridge in the part in which you place the mast, that is there for locking it in place. However, you might need to remove some of it, use a small drill if that is the case. Again, it is all resin, so be careful, never use to much force, just let the drill do the work, never push. The distance beween the 2 resin parts is about 4 cm.
You are done. Place the masts in a secure place. We now move on to the adding the wooden boarding to the hull and the first base-coat layer for the model.
Woorden boarding
As the boarding parts are longer, they might not follow the shape of the deck as expected if you have cured them in the sun. So adding the woorden boarding might be best done BEFORE you cure the wooden boarding to the hull. So remove the wooden boarding from the support and submerge the parts in hot water, this will soften the boarding, making it easy to bend in the shape to follow the deck. Glue the boarding to the hull. When done place the whole model in direct sun-light to cure the resin woorden boarding.
Bla bla
When the boarding is cured enough, few hours direct sunlight will do the trick. You can check the boarding. If needed fill small holes or slits with putty sand it lightly.
The next step depends a bit on how you want to work yourself. I now went on to base-coat the model and also paint all the resin parts separately. Before adding any resin parts to the model.
In part 3 I will show how I painted the hull and the parts.
Title-picture – Picture of four Beemster-class Minesweepers, M857- Hr.Ms. Boxtel, M852 – Hr.Ms. Breukelen, M849 – Hr.Ms. Borculo, M858 – Hr.Ms. Brouwershaven (from the Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History. All other pictures are my own.
An Infrastructure Journey 