Amen about impatience. It is a sure recipe for disaster. I will do my best not to go down that path! 

Thanks for your insight on hull color and victorean patina. That is the direction I was heading but you have given me more to consider. I am quickly reaching the point where this must be considered in earnest. So, your timing is good!

It is tragic that we can't see pics of your builds. They sound so awesome. And how I would love to see the Great Lakes Freighter you are working on. If I lived closer I would stop over and help you with your camera impairment. Even if it was a few hundred miles, I'd make the drive.

Thanks again, TB. And hang in there! Your have friends here.

For a change of pace I did a little work on the Star Trek build. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of filler work to do on this kit. This ain't no Bandai kit... that is for sure. 

Speaking of filler: In times past I didn't have much luck with Tamiya putty. The biggest issues I had with it was it was difficult to sand and difficult to feather. It seemed that I had to keep reapplying the putty and I often ended up up where I started. And that is, with ridges and dips. 

Well, on a whim, I decided to try it again. And this time, I reached for an aggressive grit to sand with. And I tell ya... that made all the difference in the world. It cuts the putty into powder and this then helps with feathering. Suddenly, I am appreciating the stuff.  Depending on the join, I may add one more step to this process. Using super thin CA I coat the join. Once cured, it sands to a smooth nonporus finish and it fills scratches that the large grit puts into the plastic. CA will also add strength to the join and helps to resist the join from separating. Maybe this will help someone.

Hi!

          I got to thinking(I know that's dangerous). Something I used back when I was a kid to do a plane( A Y.B. 49)( an old A.M.T. Try at a plane kit) might work on the Sub. There is, or was a product called "Rub-N-Buff" That was used by Picture Frame shops and Antiques Restorers. It was a nice paste,Similiar to toothpaste in consistancy. You put it on, Either on your clean soft rag or in Little Blobs all over the surface of want you wanted aged or Tinted. Then you gently rubbed it all over the surface.

          If you applied it to your rag You got a nice aged Patina on the surface. If you "Blobbed" it you got the patina, with a heavily shaded or colored,(Depends on how much you tried to remove) sunken or depressed spots. It came in Metallics and Pearls as well as regular Woody colors. The harder you buffed the brighter or glossier it got too/Except the Rusty colors and the woody ones whice worked into a more Semi-Gloss Patina. I don't know if it's still available, but I would check it out at the smaller Lumber yards, and Hardware stores. I am not so sure about Home Depot or Lowe's though? It might be available at Micheal's and or Hobby Lobby in the Hobby Paints(Art, not Models) and Framing depts.

Oh!  That one, Good Luck!. Mine went to the "Shelf of Doom"

Tanker-Builder

Oh!  That one, Good Luck!. Mine went to the "Shelf of Doom"

 

Probably where mine belongs too. Will see if I can make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

Rub-N-Buff: Interesting thought but it sounds too dicey for my skills. I'd have to vet it, and thoroughly. I have too much energy invested into this build to try something untested. If it fails... is it fixable? That would be my first and ultimate question to its use. Aside of low patience being a build killer, I would add that my doing something not tried before is high on the list to kill a project. I'd probably stomp on the model if it went sideways. No joke. That'd be it. Best I stick to what I sort of know. Lol. 

Yes!

           It is fixable. Before it sets you can remove it with lighter Fluid, paint Thinner and with some colors, Alcohol! NOOOOOOO! do not do this Sub With it. Your next one will suffice!

The searchlight looks fantastic Bakster!!! 

And the Enterprise is coming along well. I know what you mean about fit issues. The one where the engine pylons joined the secondary hull gave me fits on mine. I'd heard lots of good stuff about Polar Lights but this kit annoyed the krap outta me. Funny, their Klingon battlecruiser fits way way better.

Interesting idea about the Rub-and-Buff. I've heard of people using it for stuff like NM finish aircraft and even metallic dragons for stuff like Dungeons and Dragons figures. Never used it myself though. You could always just use an old model or one you got cheap as a guinea pig to test things out. 

RubNBuff is a very useful product, but it has a wax base. I would definately not use it without lots of practice.

Dodgy

Tanker-Builder

Yes!

           It is fixable. Before it sets you can remove it with lighter Fluid, paint Thinner and with some colors, Alcohol! NOOOOOOO! do not do this Sub With it. Your next one will suffice!

 

Good to know, TB.

Dodgy

RubNBuff is a very useful product, but it has a wax base. I would definately not use it without lots of practice.

Dodgy

 

Gamera

The searchlight looks fantastic Bakster!!! 

And the Enterprise is coming along well. I know what you mean about fit issues. The one where the engine pylons joined the secondary hull gave me fits on mine. I'd heard lots of good stuff about Polar Lights but this kit annoyed the krap outta me. Funny, their Klingon battlecruiser fits way way better.

Interesting idea about the Rub-and-Buff. I've heard of people using it for stuff like NM finish aircraft and even metallic dragons for stuff like Dungeons and Dragons figures. Never used it myself though. You could always just use an old model or one you got cheap as a guinea pig to test things out. 

 

 

Thanks Gam...

Interesting to note about the Klingon ship.  

For the most part the wiring is done. It is quite the rats nest.  I say for the most part because the gator eye LEDS are not color matched very well. They are from a cheap kit of LEDS and you get what your pay for. It is very noticeable. I will probably have to address that next and before I start gluing in the decking.

Well!

   I recommend a test subject anyway. A person needs to learn how the stuff works,because it will surprise you!

Bakster: Ack, looks about as complex as the real thing! The electricians we get here at work never cease to amaze me how they can figure out anything about this mess of spagetti wiring we have in all our electrical boxes.

TB: Yeap! Stuff never stops surprising me. I do something 99 times and it works fine then on number 100 it goes completely twisted...

That beast is looking so cool Bako.

Dodgy

That beast is looking so cool Bako.

 

 

Hey Ferg. It is getting readied to menace the high seas!

Thanks Mate!

Okay!

     I have to ask, How long is that sub?

Tanker-Builder

Okay!

     I have to ask, How long is that sub?

 

Aha!

   I thank you sir!

 I have a papercraft sub, and surprisingly it too is about thirteen and three quarters of an inch long. The only difference in it's shape is a drill looking thing for the forward third! and it doesn't have the side windows.(Those could be added) It is one from a site that you buy them and download them. They have a regular "U"boat too.

Hey TB. Can you post a link to the papercraft sub? I would like to see it 

Bakster

 

 

Tanker-Builder

Okay!

     I have to ask, How long is that sub?

 

 

 

 

Hey TB, a rough estimate, it will be around 14 inches long once all the appendages are added. 

 

 

So a little longer than the submarine sandwich I had the other day????

Which begs the maybe stupid question- do you call them 15cm and 30cm sandwiches outside the US???

Okay!   

         Now that is just too much. Really? a 30cm sammich? Hmmm, So that means the Pizza slices are about 30 to 45cm long from tip to crust. Now thats a slice of heaven!

      But see, now, I like my Ship models like my pizza slices - Fully Loaded!

As for the hull color. I used a rustoleum spray paint that I decanted I believe it was oil rubbed bronze. I really liked the finish

Robb44

   That Sir, is a nice rendition thereof! Thanks for Sharing!

Tanker-Builder

Robb44

   That Sir, is a nice rendition thereof! Thanks for Sharing!

 

Thank you for your kind words!

Yeah, ohhhhhhh that looks awesome Rob!!! 

Wow Rob, that's great!!

rob44

As for the hull color. I used a rustoleum spray paint that I decanted I believe it was oil rubbed bronze. I really liked the finish

 

 

Yes! Very nice, Rob. I like the paint finish too. That looks good. I see you lit the parlor too. Looks good! Nice work all around. Excellent work!

Was there any part of the build that gave your grief?

Thanks for sharing your build!

I lite the parlor and the "motor" room. The only grief I remember is placing the LEDs and making sure the light did not leak out of where I wanted it to. The PE "Stabilizer" cables in the rear were very finicky also. I used magnet wire (extremly fine) to connect from the sub to the power supply.