This model was designed by talented digital artist, Randy Sanders, for fairly easy and straightforward assembly. Part locations are easily identified.  Holes have been created where orientation pins or bolts can be used to secure the hull together and utilizing those pins is highly recommended in order to get the best hull alignment.  
 
Hull access is achieved via the removable upper deck, drafted in such a manner that the upper hull and nose is one piece, and the lower hull and stern is another, often referred to as a “z-cut”.

 

 
Model Specifications: 
 
Length: 1088 mm
Width: 111 mm
Height: 263 mm
Volume: 1225 cm3
Filament required to print: 1.5kg (1.5 standard 1kg spools)
 
The hull was designed so that a 3” diameter cylinder, such as the Nautilus Drydocks 300 Series SubDriver with the 3” diameter tank option, would fit perfectly. The assembled upper hull is 0.83kg, requiring approximately 60 cubic inches of water, or a 3” ballast tank with a length of 8.5”. 

 
Print settings: 
 
While PLA plastic is quite stable, high heat, such as that generated from a hot sun shining on a black hull, can cause warping in some situations. I have had good luck printing with PETG filaments, which are stronger, and more stable than standard PLA plastic. You can also print in ABS, though the finish on the hull will show more striation than the other filaments and some printers may not be able to handle the high temperatures of the bed and hot end. 
 
The boat has been sectioned in such a manner that most printers should have no problem fitting them onto the build plate. If your printer is too small to fit a section, you may need to cut the part and print in more sections. Maximum build height is 170mm.
 
When I printed the prototype, I used a print setting of 0.2mm layers with a 100% infill.  You will want to orient the parts vertically on the build platform for maximum strength and minimum striation.

Post finishing is a matter of personal preference, as you can easily use the parts as they come off the printer. At the very least, I recommend the use of a high-build primer to help fill in the striations from the printing process. You can also coat the entire exterior with resin, though be careful, as the resin can fill in the scribework that is part of the hull’s outer surface.
 
Adhesives: 
 
I used CA gel for most assembly stages, and a two-part epoxy for reinforcement of major seams and bulkheads. I also recommend using a soldering gun to fuse all of the joints together permanently. PLA plastic is very user-friendly and takes to this process well. Simply heat up the soldering gun with a wide chisel tip and run it over the entire seam, ensuring that you sink the tip about 1/32 of an inch into the plastic to ensure full fusion of the parts. 
 
Assembly Notes: 
 
For the most part, everything goes together very intuitively and the fit is very good. You shouldn’t have any problems with getting the hull together. Installation of linkages may prove to be more of a challenge for some people. I have a video on the rear control surfaces of a similar boat that you can view on my YouTube channel here.