Hello sailors!
OK that’s it: my first diorama with boat! I have made diorama before, but never with a significant amount of water.
I’m doing a s-100 revell 1:72, the scene will be classic and safe: back from a mission, they reload all weapons and goods while men stretch their legs and fraternize (there will be a love interest! a nurse), techs check the boat and, well, it’s pretty classic (except for the love interest? )
I’m 99% a figure painter, so I play it safe with characters and the vignette mood.
My anxieties: I’m scared! I have to make my s100 into a waterline, I know how to do that: razor saw.... But at the same time I don’t know the dangers, usual mistakes and tricks involved.
My hull is not yet glued, so all options are opened, but I do need some advise!
Also how deep the water, how thick the plank, (I heard that - who just said “how high the moon?‘ :-d)
Should I get/make the glass/perspex box before anything else?

I’m quite giddy a--: it’s a whole universe I’m stepping into, so much to learn!
All tips, warnings, urls etc most most most welcome!

Torpedo los!

Well, as you say - theres a gazillion ways to do it - regarding water, theres some nifty features on how to do water and make it work in different scales - try that to get some inspiration. - heres something i did with acryllic gel : http://modelshipwrights.kitmaker.net/forums/130045&page=1

Regarding the cutting - mask off with tape and cut away, depending on how you will do the water, remember to leave some material so it dont sit to low in the water

Cheers/Jan

Before you break out the old hacksaw...

Although I have made waterline cuts for years, I have found that embedding a full hull into a dio base is better all-round. To make this work, you will of course have to use a base that can have a hole cut into it--such as foam core, or its commercial bigger brother, GatorBoard--and then put a border around the water's edge.

To cut a precise hole to accommodate the lower hull, prop the model on a sturdy stand and determine where you want the waterline to be on the hull. Then, align pieces of card stock along that waterline, inserting bits to follow the contours of the hullform. Tape these odd card stock bits to one another so that as you go around the model, a paper surface surrounds the hull, touching the model entirely along the waterline, leaving no gaps.

When the model hull is completely surrounded, remove it, The resulting hole in the built-up card stock shape is the exact pattern of the hole to cut into the diorama base before the water material is added. By keeping the water material away from the edge of the hole, you will have water where you need it and a snug hole in which to imbed the model exactly the way you want.

I turned to this method to depict ships with asymmetrical hullforms like those with a heavy list or actually sinking with, say, the bow sticking up out of the water. However, I have found that embedding intact hulls on ships with even trim means that the models are more sound structurally, and I can still make final adjustments on setting the hull that cutting will not permit. This method will also allow you to depict portions of the underwater hull in clearer water scenes like moored vessels in harbor, particularly if you will use a translucent water material.

Just a thought.

Bon chance!

--Karl