Built & reviewed by D.J. Gibson Build #158
The Abandoned Submarine book nook is one of those kits that had been on my radar since very early in my book nook journey. With its distressed submarine interior, illuminated underwater scene and unusual mechanical door, it always looked very different from the more traditional libraries, streets and fantasy scenes that dominate the hobby.
I was therefore very happy to finally get the opportunity to build it.
And it certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to atmosphere.
Review Summary
What’s in the Kit?
The Abandoned Submarine is constructed primarily from printed birch plywood, together with printed and clear acrylic components. There are also 12 small scrolls, made from printed cardstock, which are added towards the end of the build.
Instructions come in a full-colour bound manual.
For the most part they are straightforward to follow, although there were a few stages that required closer inspection. The intentionally dark visual style of the submarine sometimes makes the directional lines in the instruction photographs a little difficult to see.
That is a relatively minor issue, however, and the instructions are generally well presented.
Excellent Use of Printed Plywood
One of the first things I noticed was the way Viendor has taken advantage of the natural veneer of the plywood.
Many manufacturers simply print an opaque image over their material. Here, the printing appears almost translucent in places, allowing the natural grain of the wood to contribute to the finished appearance.
It works particularly well with the submarine’s distressed metal surfaces and patina.
Rather than fighting against the fact that the kit is made from plywood, the design actually uses the material as part of the visual effect.
Laser cutting was also impressively accurate, remaining well within the printed areas of the components. Only two pieces required assistance from a craft knife to remove them from their boards.
As you might expect with plywood, there was occasional splintering, but generally nothing that significantly affected construction.
Building the Submarine Interior
Construction begins with the left interior wall.
A significant proportion of this kit requires gluing rather than relying entirely on tab-and-slot assembly. Some placement markings on the walls are quite faint, so I occasionally found myself moving the board around beneath a light to see exactly where a component needed to sit.
There is considerable layering, with some sections reaching three layers deep. This contributes greatly to the mechanical, industrial appearance of the completed submarine.
One piece snapped while being removed from the board during this stage. Fortunately, because it was plywood, it was easily glued back together before installation.
Two acrylic windows are also incorporated into this wall.
The right interior wall follows a similar construction method, combining layered plywood with both clear and printed acrylic pieces. One particularly nice detail is a cabinet panel that can actually be opened and closed.
These little interactive touches help make the interior feel much more convincing.
Creating the Underwater Window
Next comes the rear interior wall and one of the defining features of the Abandoned Submarine: its enormous underwater observation window.
The control console beneath the window combines wooden and acrylic components, while a supporting structure is constructed ready to hold the acrylic scenery panels later in the build.
The main structure then starts coming together.
The floor is attached to the right interior wall, followed by the rear wall and front arch.
Before fitting the left interior wall, you construct a small breaker box. This cleverly conceals the mechanical on/off switch for the lighting system.
The switch is positioned through the left wall, the breaker box hides the mechanism, and the completed wall is then installed.
Finally, the ceiling joins the two sides and completes the basic submarine interior.
Lighting the Abandoned Submarine
Lighting is an important part of this kit and uses three long and two short self-adhesive LED strips.
The two short strips are mounted in an X configuration behind the rear wall. Another strip is fitted to a ceiling panel which also helps create the battery compartment.
The lighting isn’t simply decorative. It plays a major role in producing the underwater effect that ultimately makes this model so impressive.
And that effect becomes particularly apparent later.
The Mechanical Submarine Door
Another feature for which the Abandoned Submarine is well known is its working mechanical door.
Despite its appearance, construction of the mechanism is surprisingly straightforward if you follow the instructions carefully.
The kit even includes spare gear components, suggesting that the designers recognised these parts may experience wear over time.
Once the mechanism has been assembled, hinges are constructed and the complete door is fitted into its frame before the whole assembly is attached to the front of the book nook.
The design deliberately creates a substantial mechanical feel, including loud clanking sounds as the gears operate.
Unfortunately, this was also where I encountered the biggest problem with the build.
There was considerable torque through the mechanism and eventually the small prongs feeding into the ship’s wheel on the front of the door broke.
Fortunately, the door was in its unlocked position when this happened, and the internal handle could still operate the gears. I initially glued the ship’s wheel back into place and left the door unlocked so that the interior remained accessible.
Excellent Customer Support from Viendor
This is where the story takes a much more positive turn.
I contacted Viendor and was able to obtain replacement parts without difficulty.
Rather than simply supplying a single replacement set of prongs — or even sending the original sheet containing them — Viendor cut a small replacement board containing eight sets of prongs.
The repair itself was relatively simple.
More surprisingly, after fitting the replacement components, the torque problem disappeared completely. The door now operates smoothly from either side and the mechanism works exactly as intended.
I’m still not entirely sure what caused the original problem, but Viendor’s response was excellent.
Problems can happen with any wooden model kit. How a manufacturer responds when something goes wrong can tell you far more about the company than a completely trouble-free build, and in this instance Viendor’s customer support deserves considerable credit.
Creating the 3D Underwater Scene
With the structure assembled, four acrylic plates are installed behind the rear interior panel.
Together they create the image of a scuba diver outside the submarine.
Each panel simply slides into the gap between the interior and exterior structures, sitting in holders positioned in front of the LED strips.
Using four separate printed layers gives the underwater scene a surprisingly convincing sense of depth.
Alignment is important.
If the four acrylic panels aren’t positioned correctly, the combined image becomes blurry. Take your time here because when everything is lined up properly, this is one of the highlights of the entire model.
Completing the Exterior
Both exterior side panels are installed next.
Each receives one of the long LED strips before being connected to the front and rear sections.
The left panel is slightly more challenging because the length of the lighting system’s on/off switch pushes against the wall during assembly.
Two acrylic panels are also fitted across the upper structure. These ultimately help secure the top panel.
The top then slides across the model and beneath the acrylic retaining plates. Some adjustment of the lighting wires may be necessary to ensure everything sits correctly.
The Finishing Details
The final stages involve constructing a chair, chest and storage bin.
Twelve small paper scrolls are rolled by hand, with six placed inside the chest and six in the bin.
These components are then positioned inside the submarine to complete the scene.
The Finished Abandoned Submarine
The completed book nook feels somewhat lighter than the average kit, largely because of the materials used.
Externally, most of the detail is concentrated around the front, while the sides and top rely primarily on their printed finish.
But the exterior isn’t really where this kit is intended to impress.
The interior is the star.
The layered walls, control equipment, acrylic details, working mechanical door and lighting all contribute to a convincing abandoned-submarine atmosphere.
Then there is that illuminated underwater window.
The combination of layered acrylic panels and LEDs creates an excellent view of the scuba diver outside the submarine and provides a real sense of depth beyond the window.
It is the feature your eye is immediately drawn towards when the model is illuminated.
How Long Does the Abandoned Submarine Take to Build?
The advertised build time is approximately 5–6 hours.
My actual build took closer to 12 hours.
That isn’t necessarily a criticism. There is quite a lot happening in this kit, including layered construction, acrylic components, extensive gluing, lighting and the mechanical door.
I’d rather take the additional time and get those details right.
Final Verdict
Its combination of printed plywood, layered acrylic scenery, LED lighting and a genuinely mechanical door gives it far more character than a straightforward decorative shelf insert.
The initial problem with the door mechanism was frustrating, but Viendor’s handling of the replacement parts turned that experience into a demonstration of very good customer service.
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