Small 2mm x 2mm square of sheet plastic (#3 funnel service hatch)

The #1 hatch requires a fair bit of work because the A/M model's hatch is based on the early Olympic's hatch.

Step 1 (hatch height).

The hatch is too high.

Carefully cut this down so that it is level with the top of the splashguards.

Step 2 (supports).

There were two right angled supports on the port and starboard sides of the hatch. Create these from sheet plastic measuring 4mm in length and 3mm in height with a diagonal cut between. Glue these down each side at roughly 1/3's down the length of the hatch.

Step 3 (hatch splash guard).

The hatch had a splash guard along its forward edge.

Make this from a rectangle of sheet plastic 10mm long x 4mm high and glue to the front of the #1 hatch so it sits on a 45 degree angle from the top of the hatch to the surface of the deck.

This leaves two right angled openings at either end of the splashguard. These need to be closed.

Step 4 (hatch cover portholes).

Cut a rectangle of Evergreen planked sheet plastic (see SUPPLIES section) 15mm wide x 12mm long to make the hatch cover. Ensure that the planks run along the 12mm length as this will help bending the cover without breaking it.

Add the four portholes to the aft end of the hatch while the hatch is still flat. These can be either painted on or drilled out and filled with 'glass', the choice is yours. Use the Step 1 diagram to locate the four portholes.

Step 5 (curved hatch cover).

If you place the hatch cover on now you will see the sides overhang by a couple of mms but don't worry you'll need the extra later.

Now the fun begins. This hatch cover was curved. Before you bend the cover you will need to cut out the front edge in a crescent shape. See Step 1 diagram. This will allow for the half moon face plate to be made later.

Now you can bend the sheet plastic. To avoid breaking the plastic you can warm it up by soaking it in hot water for a few minutes. Then take the softened sheet plastic and fold it over the spine of a pencil to get a soft curve to form. The idea is to get the cover to bend so it sits roughly 2mm high at the apex and that both sides are flush with the #1 hatch's port and starboard sides.

Now allow the cover to cool and set into shape. You may have to gently bend it inward a few times to set the `memory' into the plastic sheet.

Step 6 (porthole glass).

Once the hatch is ready you have two options for the portholes. You can add the acetate underneath the portholes or use Krystal Klear in the portholes. If you decide on acetate, then these will need to be added now. If KK you can do it later.

We recommend KK as it is much easier to work with.

If you decide to use acetate then use four small strips glued lengthwise underneath the hatch cover. This allows for the `glass' to cover the porthole with a small gluing tab to fasten it. Trying to glue across the hatch with a single strip doesn't work very well as the acetate wants to stay straight and will explode out later as it fights the bend. We experimented with both and found lengthwise the better method (but ended up using KK anyway).

Step 7 (adding the hatch cover).

Once the windows in the portholes are in (if using acetate) add two beads of glue down each side of #1 hatch's port and starboard sides. Then line up the edges of the cover with the edges of the hatch and place the cover on holding until the glue is set. Make sure that the glue is set because the the plastic will want to flatten out. It is important to get this right as the final resting place will determine the dimensions of the two end caps you will be making next.

Step 8 (cover edges).

The hatch cover had flat sides (port and starboard) . Cut two evergreen strips 12mm in length by 1.5mm high and glue one down each side of the hatch from the splash guard to the forward corner.

Step 9 (aft edge).

The rear of the hatch cover was vertical.

Measure the width of the hatch and draw a pencil line on sheet plastic. Now measure the apex of the actual opening. If you got the cover dimensions right and got it to bend equally the height should be about 2mm). If not then take the actual height from your model.

Mark the centre point on your pencil line and mark a dot above it at the height you need. Now use the edge of a coin or other round object as a guide. You will need to find one that will touch both ends of the pencil line and apex at the same time. Trace along the edge and cut along the pencil lines. You will end up with a perfect half-moon end cover. Glue this to the aft of #1 hatch's curved cover.

If you can't find anything to trace, try a compass or free handing it. Just make sure your curve results from the corner of the pencil line to the apex dot and then the reverse, back down to the opposing corner.

Step 10 (forward edge).

Repeat the process from Step 9 for the front cover plate. The only difference is that when you go to glue your half moon into place it will angle aft rather than upright. When it fits to your satisfaction, glue it on.

Step 11 (hatches).

There were two small hatches on the either side of the cover approx. half way between the portholes and the top of the angled section. One to port, the other to starboard. We made ours 5mm square and bent them slightly to match the curve of the cover itself. Their inboard sides had hinges which can be fashioned from sheet plastic strips or remnant GMM railings.

Step 12 (painting the hatch).

Rust Red - port side, starboard and bow from deck to bottom of cover
Flat White - cover and stern side from deck to top of cover

*note - only 3 sides were rust red, the entire back matched the adjoining splashguards, being white in its entirety.

Step 1 (painting the hatch).

Paint the base of the hatch rust red to match the lower half of the well decks.

Step 2 (canvas cover).

Mount the canvas covers as instructed. The manual says to paint the covers gray to simulate the canvas but we opted for flat white. (Other modelers prefer a canvas color - Modeler's choice).

The canvas covers had ridges or paneled sections, possibly where different sections of canvas were sewn together. To simulate this glue very fine pulled sprue or fishing line to create in a hatched pattern. This can be don now or when the cover is in position. Modeler's choice.

Step 3 (tie downs).

Add tie down ropes to the three accessible sides of the main hatches. These went around the hatch cleats to secure the hatch covers into place.

Paint the spare GMM grabropes flat white while they are still on the `tree' and then remove them with a sharp hobby knife. Measure the sides of the hatches and cut the grab ropes to length. Squeeze a large bead of CA glue onto your gluing slab and then dip the end of a wooden toothpick into it . Touch the toothpick to the side of the hatch at one corner just under the canvas seam. Tack one corner of the grabrope to it and let set.

Repeat the process for the opposite corner. This will allow the center of the grabrope to be moved up or down to match the canvas seam and tacked once in the center accordingly. The port and starboard sides of #2,3, 5, and 6 hatches have the grabropes parallel to the tops of the hatches but (as you will notice) the bow and stern sides rise in their centers by about 1-1.5mm. Having tacked either end of the grab ropes first will allow you to bend the grabrope up with the tip of a toothpick to keep in-line with that tapering contour. Once the grabrope bends to the proper angle just secure it to the face of the hatch with a tiny bead of CA applied with the toothpick or a piece of thin sprue.

As with the lifeboats, doing it this way avoids marring by glue damage.

After the grabropes are secure paint a dot of rust red on the side of the white canvas. This will create the visual effect of the canvas being pulled own by these little ropes as they were fastened around the cleats. It gives a nice touch to the hatches.

The hatches on the A/M 1/350 are incorrect in that they are practically flush with the deck level. All evidence suggests that these were raised up on the Titanic. Ken Marschall shows this in his cutaway paintings and James Cameron also shows this in his epic movie (Rose & Jack jump down onto them before the ship cracks in two), that's good enough for us.

This fix assumes that you are using the GMM or Tom's Modelworks Railing Kit thereby freeing up the A/M's railings for other projects. We will address both scenarios.

If you are using photo etched railings:

Make the hatch risers out of the 1 bar A/M railing sections.(The one bar would be seen around deckhouse roofs where only the crew had access).

• Note: What we call the 'one bar' railing in the kit actually has two bars. One represents the handrail and the other provides for stability when gluing the rails to the deck. So when we name the railings we only recognize the non-deck rails (1-bar, 2-bar, etc.). Two sections (or panels) of one bar railing would then appear as two picture frames side by side.

Use 2 x three panels of 1 rail railing. Remove the top and bottom railing of the center section. You should now have four rectangles. Glue two of the rectangles on top of each other. Repeat for the other two rectangles. Glue these onto the smooth side of some planked sheet plastic. When dry place the plastic sheet on a cutting surface and trim off the excess plastic flush with the railing structures.

When you turn them over the planked side will face up.

Place these over the #4 hatches on the deck.

Before you glue the new hatches down cut a 14mm length of thinly pulled sprue (or 4lb. fishing line). Glue this along the outboard facing side and stern end of the hatch's seam where the sheet plastic `cap' and `rail bottom' riser meets. Then paint the assembly flat white and the sprue piping dark gray

When dry, glue these units over the top of the model's flush #4 hatches with the gray piping side out and push it into the corner of the bulkheads as much as possible.