A Naval dio im having in my mind...

Hi Richard,

Just a thought. Set up your aquarium then put plexiglass sheets inside for about an inch or so. Then fill the gap with your solution, whatever it is you choose to use. Place the sub in the central area, put another sheet of plexiglass over the top and put the surface vessel on that and add the material for the surface texture. Note... I've never tried this but  it may work.

Good luck,

Jack

Richard,

Blick sells Gel Medium cheap, about $ 50.00 for a gallon. Not bad considering a gallon of good latex paint costs about $ 40.00.

That's 231 cu. inches, about 12"x12" x1 1/2". 

Since Gel Medium is acrylic paint without pigment, I suspect it has the same drying properties, if not a little slower. You know how an old can of house paint forms a skin but stays soft in the middle?

I think the path to success here is to make yor dio really shallow from front to back. Pour onto the model with the front face down, setting the sub into the stuff after a series of previous pours. After the ocean is done turn it upright, remove whatever was your dam across the top, pour on the surface, set your ship in it and do the waves.

Might work. I've never tried anything like that. 

The problem is that sheets of plastic and suspending models or sticking em to the back wall will not get me the realistic feel im going for. I really want to have some gel or silicone inthere so it isnt "fake" if you will

Thank you all for your input though i really do appreciate it

Richard

Why are you giving up? You're supposed to solve the problem not let it beat you.  

You divide your display horizontally figuring the depth of the water vs how much you need for the surface.

You don't have to use the same scale models unless you want to.  A larger ship scale on the surface means the sub is further down, hiding.  Make the height as much as you need, keep the width to a minimum.

Suspend the sub with a wire anchored behind the sub and in the wall of the case.  There is no bottom of your ocean.  Use a thick piece of clear plastic for the surface of your ocean.  Texture it with Window Cauking.  See if you can reproduce the explosion of the depth charge especially that great water spout at the surface.

Whenever you can hide whatever you use to support your kits.  Anchor wires behind the kits, or from unexpected angles from the case. Don't get bogged down in details, like fish.  They never stuck around for the fireworks.  Thinking you could anchor the sub just below a oil slick decoy, anchor the decoy to the wall, anchor the sub to the slick. Huh?   And don't forget to turn the sub away from the DD.  The guy is running for his life,

twisting and turning to get away. Another opportunity to seamlessly anchor the sub into the wall. You don't even need to use the entire sub.  Get busy build it and get it published so we can all see what you did.

a somewhat forced perspective might work, use your aquarium,find and scale a blue water background,glue it to the back of your tank then drill holes perpendicular to the back with corrosponding holes in your sub and depth charges use small diameter metal rod or tubing and hide it behind your models. as for the destroyer,old(or current) shower doors often had a texture similar to the surface of water,cut a hole for yourship to set into (obviously at waterline) and then you can cover that with acrylic gel to form your bow wake.make smaller holes where the depth charges have landed and create "splashs" with the gel. if you would like to make air bubbles or turbulance from the D/C's try monofiliment fishing line with drops of white glue giong to surface. just my thought. good luck and have fun

glue a 1/4 inch piece of plexyglass all the way around on the inside of the tank about a 3rd of the way down.attached wrinkled blue celophine from the strips down. cut a piece of plexyglass to fit on the strips.  atatch fine fishing string to this to hang the tub, depth charges, fish etc.  put in place, make waves on the plexyglass and attach your ship,  if you do this with thought, you can remove the top if you want to change the under water section in a few years and make it so the sub was hit,   that way in a few years you have something new to look at with a little effort,,

No prob. I found it because I wanted to do a sub underwater scene myself, and bookmarked the thread. There was another one where someone built a tank underwater, modeled after one in modern day Saipan, that was amazing! Can't find the link right now though...

Looks like i will have to let go of this idea for now.... It looks pretty hazardous to the model and expensive to create as well.....

Oh well....

Thank you for taking the time to post the link subchaser. It is much appreciated

Richard

This thread...

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