HMS Indomitable Build (pg3)

The middle two pieces are designed to have additional bracing in the form of 4" steel rods that run through the joint.

Chase the two shaft holes with a 1/8" drill bit. Squeeze a little E6000 adhesive into the hole and shove half of each steel rod down into them.

Place the bolts in all for mounting holes

notice the shaft holes in the bottom  of the hull, on either side of the water channel. These are the holes you will have to line up with the steel rods as you bring the two sections together.

Coat the face of the other hull section with E6000 adhesive, align the steel shafts into the  holes on the above section, and wiggle it slightly so that it slides down the steel shafts until the to faces meet.

Then place the nuts and tighten each of the four bolts until the two pieces are joined tightly. Since the additional steel shafts added considerable tension/friction, I recommend tightening the bolts only a little at a time, rotating around the four until all are tight (it reduces the possible fracture-stress from torquing on one side before the other)

And wipe off the excess E6000 that squeezes out

notice the slightly wider gap on either side of one of the two hull sections.  This is what happens if you let a little too much acetone run down to pool on the wax paper during the prep stafe. It temporarily softened the ABD plastic and it warped up sligtly off the wax paper. Fortunately this was only a very tiny gap and it is easily filled by the E6000.

And this is the result!