U.S. Sub Chaser AV-SC96 – A Commissioned Build for Model Expo

This was a build I completed a few years ago, commissioned by Model Expo.
The subject was the U.S. Sub Chaser AV-SC96, a vessel representing the small but important patrol craft used by the U.S. Navy during World War I to hunt enemy submarines and protect Allied shipping.

Many of you will recognize this as an older model subject that has been available for decades and reproduced by several model companies.
These include the *Dumas SC-1 Class Sub-Chaser, Kit No. 1259, the ITC Model Craft 1:74-scale plastic kit, the Ringo Toy Corporation 1:74-scale version, and the Glencoe Models 1:74-scale plastic kit*, along with other versions.

Although these kits differ in materials, scale, and construction methods, they all represent the same fascinating type of early naval vessel.
The AV-SC96 is a particularly interesting subject because of its long, narrow hull, compact deckhouse, exposed deck equipment, and the many details that bring this little warship to life.

In this building log, I’ll share the construction process and the techniques used to bring the model together, along with photographs documenting the work.
I hope you enjoy following the build as much as I enjoyed working on this historic vessel.

A Look Inside the Kit
Here is a closer look at the contents of the Nauticurso WWI Sub Chaser AV-SC96 kit.

The kit includes several sheets of laser-cut plywood containing the keel and structural components, bulkheads, deck sections, and other parts that form the hull and superstructure.
There are also additional laser-cut sheets with smaller components for the deck fittings and various details.
The kit also comes with a building jig to help align and assemble the keel and frames accurately.

The kit provides strips of wood for planking the hull, along with longer wooden strips for other structural and finishing work. We also have numerous smaller wooden parts, metal fittings, hardware, and assorted components supplied in individual bags. The package includes a nameplate and other identifying details for the finished model.

At first glance, the contents make the project look quite straightforward. But as we all know, there is no such thing as a truly simple model—especially when you start looking closely at the details!

One interesting fact is that if you want to go all the way and add historically accurate details, you can find a wealth of information and reference material on [Subchaser.com](https://www.subchaser.com/)*
It’s an excellent resource for anyone who wants to take this model beyond what is provided in the kit.

Before I get started, I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has built this kit. Are there any areas that require special attention, or any modifications you would recommend?

More to come as the build progresses!

Keel and Frames Assembly

The first step was to join the two keel sections, adding the reinforcement pieces to strengthen the joint. Once that was done, I slid the bulkheads into their respective slots in the keel and positioned the assembly in the building jig for a dry fit.

Everything went super smoothly! The laser-cut parts fitted together nicely, and the building jig made it easy to keep everything properly aligned.

Next will be the planking the hull.

*Chop, chop, chop!* 😄

Securing the Bulkheads

Once I was satisfied that all the bulkheads were sitting square to the keel, I glued them in place, making sure the bottom of each bulkhead aligned with its corresponding mark on the keel.

Bulkhead No. 1 needed a little filing before it would sit properly in the groove in the building board. The rest of the bulkheads slid into position without any problems.

With everything aligned and secured, the basic framework is starting to take shape. The next step will be to move on to the hull planking!

More to come. 😄

Shaping the Keel Fillers

Before moving on to the planking, there is another little job to take care of: fitting the keel fillers.

There are four filler pieces in total—two *1b and two 1c*—and each one needs to be shaped to follow the contour of the keel before being glued in place. I used the marked lines on the parts as a guide and carefully sanded them to achieve the proper profile.

One small detail worth mentioning for anyone building this kit: *the keel contour is marked on only one side of the keel.*
This means you need to trace the outline and transfer the markings to the opposite side before shaping and fitting the fillers. It’s a simple step, but an important one if you want both sides to match.

With the fillers shaped and ready to fit, the framework is coming along nicely. Little by little, we’re getting closer to the planking!

More to come! 😄

Starting the Planking

With the bulkheads, keel fillers, and stringers in place, it was time to start planking the hull.

I decided to follow the planking sequence shown in the color photographs provided in the instructions, unless I came across something that I felt could be improved along the way.

Here are the first full-length planks in place.
One thing I still cannot tell you, even today, is what kind of wood Nauticurso supplied for the planking. All the kit materials came from Brazil.
The wood has a very smooth texture and a distinctive yellowish color, but I never did identify the species.

One detail worth mentioning is that I did not cut a "rabbet", or batter, along the keel.
There is no doubt that a properly cut rabbet provides a positive landing edge for the first planks and helps establish a clean transition between the planking and the keel.

However, time was a major consideration with this build. The model was being built for Model Expo's new catalog, and the schedule was tight. I therefore decided to proceed without cutting the rabbet and concentrate on getting the planking fitted neatly against the keel.

Sometimes, when building a model to a deadline, you have to weigh the advantages of an additional refinement against the time available to complete the job.

Planking Begins
As you can see in the pictures, the planking gradually began to take shape around the bow and along the hull. I continued working my way around the framework, trying to keep the planks aligned and the hull symmetrical.

Unfortunately, just as the planking was progressing, the project had to go on the back burner. Model Expo commissioned another model that needed to be photographed for the catalog, so I had to put the sub chaser aside and turn my attention to the new assignment.

That other project was a charming little model called the Chesapeake Bay Flattie.
I'm sure some of you will remember it, and perhaps a few of you built one many years ago. I'll start a separate building log for that model.

For now, let's return to the AV-SC96. I have a few more photographs showing the planking before the work came to an unexpected stop.

Shaft Reinforcements

Since this kit did not come with written instructions, I had to rely entirely on the photographs provided by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, I could not determine exactly when the shaft reinforcement pieces were supposed to be installed.

In my opinion, these pieces should have been fitted before planking the hull.
However, by the time I realized where they belonged, the hull was already planked, making the job considerably more difficult. I eventually managed to fit them, but it was a bit of a struggle working inside the hull.

The reinforcements are located between bulkheads 6 and 7, as shown in the photographs.
Looking back, this is one of those details worth paying attention to early in the build.
Without written instructions, a builder sometimes has to work things out from the photographs—and occasionally discover the hard way that the order of assembly matters!

Hopefully, these pictures will help anyone building this kit avoid the same difficulty.

Sealing the Hull and Correcting the Stern

Once the hull was fully planked, I used "SuperFil" to fill and seal the imperfections before moving on to the next stage.

After the filler had dried, I trimmed the planking at the stern.
That was when I discovered that the original stern piece supplied with the kit was too small to fit the actual shape of the hull properly.

Rather than trying to make the original piece work, I decided to make a new one. I traced the curve of the stern onto a piece of sheet material and cut a replacement to match the hull.

It took a little extra work, but I was much happier with the result.
Sometimes, even when following a kit, you have to make adjustments to get the fit you want!

Making Room for the Rudder Tube

Before proceeding with the installation, I had to make another small modification to the hull interior. As shown in the pictures, I marked in red the section that needed to be cut away to accommodate the rudder tube.

The rudder tube needs sufficient clearance to pass through the hull at the correct angle and extend far enough into the interior for proper installation.
It also needs to provide an unobstructed path for the rudder shaft, allowing it to rotate freely without rubbing against the surrounding wooden structure.

I therefore removed only the necessary material from the nearby support, making room for the tube while preserving as much of the existing framework as possible. This would allow the rudder assembly to be properly aligned and secured before moving on to the next stage of the build.