I'd add a couple of comments about wood decks. They do look good and will hide unwanted seams, which is otherwise really hard to do with cast-on plank detail.

You'll be keeping your natural I assume. I have stained that with a very translucent light gray. Those stains are usually called "Nantucket" or "Driftwood" etc.

Be sure to test fit before sticking it on. Sometimes while the overall fit is fine, tight spaces such as between the bases of gun turrets bind a little, much easier to remedy before installation. The deck should really fit loosely and sit flat of it's own accord.

I think buckling or pop-up occurs when the installation uses clamps, pinching, weight or tape to force it down flat. The glue that these come with just isn't that strong, and the nature of the join exerts force to simply peel the layers back apart.

GMorrison

I'd add a couple of comments about wood decks. They do look good and will hide unwanted seams, which is otherwise really hard to do with cast-on plank detail.

You'll be keeping your natural I assume. I have stained that with a very translucent light gray. Those stains are usually called "Nantucket" or "Driftwood" etc.

Be sure to test fit before sticking it on. Sometimes while the overall fit is fine, tight spaces such as between the bases of gun turrets bind a little, much easier to remedy before installation. The deck should really fit loosely and sit flat of it's own accord.

I think buckling or pop-up occurs when the installation uses clamps, pinching, weight or tape to force it down flat. The glue that these come with just isn't that strong, and the nature of the join exerts force to simply peel the layers back apart.

 

Say GM, with my not having used wood decks before, this will be helpful.

Yes, I was planning on natural, but just as you suggested I wanted to tone down the natural with a light gray wash of some sort. I will look into the stains you recommended!

Good info!

her are my latest pt pics.

light prime with tamiya flat white

did some preshadeing with flat  nato black.

some motteling with flat black

painted with hull red and field gray (Tamiya)

Fast work there crown! Looking very nice!

No construction yet, still doing research. I printed out some side drawings of the Blueback compare with the kit.

It's not bad, but not exact. The nose looks very slightly more pointy on the Blueback vs the Skipjack. In this photo it looks kind of blunt.

The proportions don't look bad, the Blueback might be a tad larger diameter for scale. But not much. The Blueback also has flatter sides above the limber vent.

I guess I need to figure out how far I am willing to take this.

Your're really moving along Nick.

Mach71, depending on how far you want to take it, it may be quite the project.

Yup. How far.

I'm glad its a $29 13 inch kit and not the $100 mobieus kit.

I actually put glue to plastic today.

1st the kit comes with a nuclear reactor and and it has a removable hatch. 

The hatch had a handle that need to be removed.

And its glued.

I picked this up at the OMSI to read.

Your doing a great job, very intresting to watch.

Nick & Mach71: Wow, those look good guys!!! 

@Nick,

That PT boat looks outstanding! The pre-shading really turned out well.

@Mach71,

This is a really interesting project you have, and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. 

My replacement 20's arrived today.  Still warped, but not as bad as the first order.  They didn't request them back, so I'm playing with straightening what I have.  Broke off one barrel, so now have 5 to get 3 good ones.  Think it'll work out.  After I get rid of the shields on them they will be ready to go.

goldhammer

My replacement 20's arrived today.  Still warped, but not as bad as the first order.  They didn't request them back, so I'm playing with straightening what I have.  Broke off one barrel, so now have 5 to get 3 good ones.  Think it'll work out.  After I get rid of the shields on them they will be ready to go.

 

Frankenship is coming along better than I would have expected.

The Saratoga hull really is a pretty close fit, with the Midway just a little bit shorter and a little narrower in the bows.

Shapeways is very good about replacements, glad to hear you have options with the extras.

The hull on the my sub is having some issues. With fit and molding voids. Nothing that can't be worked and kind of par for such an old kit.

The hull is glued together and the sail modifications have started.

GMorrison

Frankenship is coming along better than I would have expected.

Btw...I see your Morrison rule of one square foot applies. I know I butchered it, but you get my drift.

Nice progress Mach and looking good.

Bakster

 

 

goldhammer

My replacement 20's arrived today.  Still warped, but not as bad as the first order.  They didn't request them back, so I'm playing with straightening what I have.  Broke off one barrel, so now have 5 to get 3 good ones.  Think it'll work out.  After I get rid of the shields on them they will be ready to go.

 

 

 

 

That is a bummer, GH. I hope you can straighten them. Kind of sad they sent you replacements that are bad too. It reminds me of some issues I had with deadeyes that were molded poorly. The second set set were no better than the first. Eventually they hand sorted the batch for me and I was good. Let us know how you do on these.

 

 

Not the process, more the packing.  They put them in a folded bubble wrap bag and it bends the thin portions of the barrels.  Then they shove them in a zip lock.  Folds over the shields on either side too, but those aren't needed, so no big deal with those.

GH, well now you have spares to try to streighten.

FrankenMorison, That is looking like it's going to work just fine.

Mach71, I saw what you did with the Hunley, this should be a walk in the park.

GMorrison thats quite a bit of surgury you have going! Looks like its all fitting well.

MC, The Hunley was pretty much out of the box. This is requireing me to actually think and plan! 2 things that are not in my wheelhouse.

I started sanding the hull today. I took off all the details, they were crude and badly molded. 

Ah the joys of a 50 year old kit.

Then I started sanding the bow down. Its an improvement, but not perfect. 

The hull has sink holes everywhere!

But work continues. I started some putty work.

Does anyone know if there are aftermarket 1/200 ship details available?

I need the tie downs. I could make them if I need to.

Bill: Neat, the kit-bashing looks good.

Mach71: Looks rough, looking forward to seeing you whip her into shape. Although now I'm wondering if she's going to be kit-bashed with the Space 1999 Eagle...  

Mach71,

Being an airline pilot, thinking and planning are exactly in your wheelhouse 

It's looking good, you'll have that thing whiped into shape in no time.

This is what I found for general 1/200 PE parts.

http://www.loyalhannadockyard.com/PE%20LIST.htm

Or you can get lost in Shapeways.

https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace?type=product&q=1%2F200+ship+fittings

MC sir thankyou sir.

Gamera thanks bud.

hogfants it all experimental.

mach71 that sub is taking shape.

GM you have a regular ship yard there.

the latest pt pics.

Love that mottling Nick

Man, for a group build that lasts until the ends of time you guys are moving along. Am I missing something? Is the world ending sooner than I thought?? Heck, I don't ever have all my PE in yet and with the mess going on at the Hong Kong airport I don't know if they ever were able to ship it out or not.

Kentucky Colonel

Man, for a group build that lasts until the ends of time you guys are moving along. Am I missing something? Is the world ending sooner than I thought?

LOL, ya never know

Thanks Steve, I should have thought about shapeways.

Nick: That looks really cool, great job on the hull! 

GH: Good luck there, I don't know what to do if it's the packaging. 

Thanks Gamera, 

I think the sub would look great with an eagle CM on it!

Some morning sanding and more filling. The port sink holes just dont want to go away!

I've rough cut the sonar hydrophones for the horizontal stabilizers. I'll have to think about opening up the bridge a bit for 1/200 scale.

While I sanding this morning the bow split at the seam, its getting a bit thin so I think I'm done with the it. The shape I have is what I will live with.

One oddity it niether the MM or Tenex seem to really want to glue. The reaction with the plastic is very slow, and much less than I've seen in the past. It feels like polystyrene.

I wonder if you could get some CA in the bow somehow to help give it some support and backing  That hydrophone is looking the bomb.

You have a whole lot more guts than I do it try something like this. Anybody that does extensive scratch building does.

I can scratch build a wreck just fine though, everything's broken. 

I was wondering about the CA also. I put some more tenex on it and taped it down agian this morning. I'll go see how it is in a bit. I do find it odd that the tenex is not "hot" on this plastic. 

So far the scratch building has been not too bad, I hope it keeps going that way.

EDIT:

Hey I just realized, the sub in the "Submarine group build" badge I took is the USS Blueback!

Thats from "The Hunt for Red October". The Dallas emergency surfacing. Which was the Blueback! She was used in the movie as a stand in for the Dallas.

Well, I think I'm crazy.

Here is how the Blueback looks today:

You can clearly see the flat deck and the flatish upper sides above the limber vents.

Neither is molded on the Skipjack kit. It's an ovalish shape, nothing flat.

I got to thinking (never a good thing). How can I fix this. 

I could sand things flat, but I've already had issues with the bow.

So adding flatness is whats needed.

I have a lot of sheet styrene, so thats the route I took.

I've either ruined the kit or made a lot of work for myself. Probably both.

.010 plastic decking added:

Then paper thin plastic was cut for the sides.

I've glued the top section of the sides to the new decking. Once dry I'll pull it down then glue the sides and bottom. I plan on leaving the bottom a ridge to create the limber vent and fair the rest to the hull.