Have you ever read a novel and thought "Wow, that scene is so amazing it would make a great diorama!"

Well, this is exactly what Marshall did. He read the McCammon novel "Night Boat" and made the diorama. It was a project that was on his list for a long time. He finally made it! Here it is.

You should take this as inspiration to go for it if you ever had an idea like this!

Marshall has made some other very amazing dioramas for my website and you can check them out here: Marshall's Dioramas

But.... The casting resin for the water interacted with the U-boat and well... I have a picture at the bottom of this page.

 

Here is what Marshalll has to say about this diorama:

The Night Boat is a novel written by Robert R. McCammon in 1988. It is a story about a German WWII U boat and it's crew that gets cursed by a Caribbean witch doctor. The boat gets sunk and it's crew is doomed to live forever in it.

Thirty plus years later after being buried under water and sand it is inadvertantly freed from it's watery tomb.The now floating rusted hulk covered in sand and kelp is towed to a dock for inspection by it's discoverers.
Under the cover of moonlight the undead crew come out of the boat and ready her for sea once again.... This was an exercise in lighting and working on an even smaller scale than I usually do, it took a little over two months to make.

Components:

• U boat- Revell Type VII U boat 1/350 scale.
• Crew- eduard German navy WWII figures 1/350 scale.
• lights- Rice light strand. (used for interior of U boat and dock lights.).
• water- CastinCraft polyestercasting resin. (tinted with green enamel paint).
• "moonlight"- Radio Shack small square blue LED.
• Dock, crane, and all else all scratch built mostly with basswood.

Note about adding Casting Resin and Plastic Models!

Need to let you know that apparently I have NOT used enough hardener in the casting resin, it has not hardened and has turned the boat literally into goo. Damn! I was able to save the dock and the crewmen on top of the boat. LOL. After I build another U Boat and use the appropriate amount of hardener hopefully it will harden quickly and not dissolve the U boat. I will let you know, but since I have those great pics it is not a priority. Later my friend, Marshall

Here is what Marshall has to say about this U boat experience:

The wiring harness in the background is what powered the red interior lights of the 1/350 scale U boat. The conning tower is missing because I saved it.

Am guessing since I did not use enough hardener and the casting resin remained fairly fluid it ate up the plastic U boat. Use the right amount of hardener!!! Glad to help you out, and I am not heartbroken since I have the pics. BTW, Robert R. McCammon's site (author of The Night Boat) has got the pics as well. Later my friend. Marshall

I have a page devoted to the night boat disaster right here

RESOURCES

You can get used copies of Night Boat on amazon.com

Night Boat by Robert R. McCammon (paperback)

Amazon.com has a lot of Revell Models:

Germany U-Boat Type VIIC Submarine 1-350 Revell Germany

Environmental Technology 32-Ounce with 1/2-Ounce Catalyst Casting' Craft Polyester Casting Resin, Clear

Castin'craft clear polyester casting resin casting is an exciting and fun craft that allows you to embed or encase almost any object in crystal clear plastic. Coins, shells, rocks, dried flowers, butterflies and insects are just a few of the examples of embedment possibilities. This convenient new package includes catalyst in a clear bubble top cap.

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