1/72 Type IXC U-Boat Build Log

The only thing I can think of is a small pinprick around each rivet, but others may have other ideas.

Applied one of the AMP decals today. Using lots of microsol to get it to settle down. It still isn't settling down over the rivets like I want them to. Continuing to load on the microsol. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the info, Plastic. This helps me. 

I'm gonna crew up my type ix with a couple of these guys.

I have no idea how to prime and paint them. Will have to research.

We have been away on vacation for almost two weeks so I have missed a lot here. Your paint looks amazing, specially the wood tone on the deck. It looks super overall

Regarding the paint/weathering sequence question, I use a slightly different method that works every time: 

Paint- Preshade and paint the entire area or sections depending on the model.

Gloss -   Prep for decals and pin washes. The gloss helps the pin washes to create sharp modulation          of color around panel lines, bolts, molded screens, etc.

Over all flat coat- I like to apply artists oils DOT filters and spot rust or fading areas over flat base cause it gives the paint bite unlike over gloss, making blending and fading difficult. It blends better over a flat base and the weathering will go over the decals so they will match the surrounding weathering. 

Final flat coat- To kill any shine or gloss that the artist oils may have left and to seal everything up.

Here's the conning tower after filters, a dark wash, some drybrushing, some tamiya rust (from weathering set "C"), and all the guns and most of the other details added. Next I'm thinking I will spray with future, do some brush chipping, then a rust wash in specific spots, and maybe a dot filter discoloration wash (not sure if this last step is better done on a matte or gloss finish). 

Normally I've held the decal in warm water for a few seconds and then I set them on a paper towel for a few minutes. So maybe it's a misprint. I'm gonna try again in a week or two when I get the new batch. And if I get impatient I'll just use the red shell decals from the kit.

I've got the waterline ones too. I'll try my method with those.

That's not good on the decals. I have there waterline ones for the Type VII and was planning on getting the same for the IX. Do you think it could be a misprint and they meant Sec's instead of mins, though that does not seem long enough, 4/5 mins is way to long.

Thanks, Phillip! I appreciate the feedback. I have no idea how my method compares to others. I hardly know what I'm doing.

I'm re ordering the amp decals and I'll try again. I think I rushed the whole process anyway. Next time I'll take more time.

Senormodeler,

Sorry to hear about the decal mishap.  Did you try watered down white glue?  I have to tell you I think this is a fantastic progress build.  Your painting is especially eye-poping.  I do not use the painting/weathering methods you have employed, but seeing your results seriously makes me want to try your techniques when I build my 1/72 Type IXC.  Keep of the good work and I am looking forward to more progress photos.

Phillip1

Disaster. I got the AMP decals in the mail today. The instructions said put them in warm water for 4 to 5 min. Which seemed a little long to me. I did so and the next thing I know the decal is curled up on itself in the water. I put some future on the spot I was applying it to and then tried to apply the decal. It just wouldn't lie flat at all no later what I tried. Seemed like any adhesive on the decal had come off.

So much for acurate decals on this sub. Gonna have to use the innacurate red colored shell decal.

Thanks Bish. That helps me.

I finished applying the base coat to the hull. I have to touch up a few spots but I'm pretty happy with it. Here are some shots:

Now waiting for decals from AMP.

I normally use a gloss paint, xtrcolour enamels. So after the decals, and dry brushing, I give it a matt coat, future with a few drops of Tamiya flat base. I have to do this anyway to protect the enamel paint from the oil wash.

I take it Life colour paints are acrylic. For the small number of decals on such a large build, I would not gloss the whole lot, just the area under the decal. The filters should then leave a slight sheen, enough for the wash. I use oil paints for dry brushing, but as long as the future/acrylic paint is cured enough, you should be fine. I am not sure why it would eat through future.

But as I say, I use enamels and oil paints.

Thanks Bish. Here's the crux of my confusion though. To add decals, you put a gloss coat on, right? Do you gloss coat the entire model of just the areas you're decaying? If the entire model then how does that work with the filters? I thought they needed to be applied to matte surface. And I thought washes should be applied to a gloss surface.

And then to confuse all of this, I read that dry brushing acrylic over future will eat through the future.

Signed,

Confused

I normally add the decals, then dry brush then the filters and washes with the chipping coming towards the end.

Forgot to add in brush and sponge chipping, which I would think would be best between  2 and 3. Thoughts? Any help would be appreciated!

Still painting the hull. Slowly but surely. But I'm trying to figure out a good weathering sequence.

I've done some research but I can't seem to find consensus and I'm trying to understand why people do certain things. Here's an example sequence and I would love to hear what people think:

1. Base colors

2. Oil filters

3. Future coat gloss

4. Decals

5. Future coat to seal decals

6. Oil washes

7. Dot method discoloration

8. Dry brush details

9. Dull coat

Please chime in with suggestions or revisions to this sequence. And please say why. Thanks!

Yeah, those sets look promising. My build is on the fast track though. Maybe I'll do a second type ix once the sets come out. And that one will have a much better seam between the two halves of the hull!!

Well, I finished touching up the hull and started with the preshading. The plan is to preshade with dark gray/black on the upper part of the hull, a lighter gray in the middle hull, and then white/gray on the lower hull. Basically I'm trying to do some reverse preshading. There's an article in the Jan '13 issue of FSM written by Rob Aarsen that suggests that the ocean would actually have worn away the paint on the raised details on the lower hull, and therefore they would be lighter (not darker). I like the affect he achieved so I'm going to give it a shot. Here's what his sub looks like:

I started with the dark gray. And then moved on to the lighter shade of grey just below the waterline.

Then I painted the upper hull with Schlickgrau 58. It's a little more green then I expected, but I think it'll look great after I apply some filters.

Next, I'll continue with the reverse preshading on the rest of the hull, then mask off the upper hull and paint the bottom Schiffsbodenfarbe III.

I've got the Lifecolor paints and the seem to go on nicely except that I've noticed that it easily clogs my iwata cs-plus. Maybe I need to thin it some more? Supposedly it needs no extra thinner.

Almost ready to weather it. Can't wait.

I have just been checking on Hannants and they have a list of the future releases from CMK. Some interesting stuff.

www.hannants.co.uk/.../index.php

Its includes the 105mm deck gun and Flakvierliung that I think I need to backdate the kit, I will probably have to do some other alterations, unless some realises a new conning tower.

CMK also has two exterior sets as well as a long list of interior ones.

More than likely black or very dark grey anti-fowling paint. It's going to be almost impossible to truly see anything once the deck goes on. You just want to provide the look of something in there. Like with the deck in place, all the nice details on the expensive resin AM pressure hull for the Type VII can't be seen.

Not sure. I primed the styrene last night and I was thinking of pairing the inside German Grey. I don't know what color the real pressure hull was. Do you?

Interesting idea, are you painting the whole inside black.

I did a bit more work on the seam and it's better, but not perfect. And that's just the way it's gonna have to be. The primer really brings it out but hopefully after painting and weathering it'll be a little more subtle. 

In the mean time I've been working on a basic pressure hull, or rather something that can block the view from one side of the hull to the other.

I bought some .01" styrene, rolled a sheet of it up and laid it in the hull. Works pretty good just like that but I want it to sit exactly 12mm below the deck (according to Glen Cauley's site). So I made a mark on the ribs, cut the styrene down a bit, and laid in some sprue on either side to give me something to glue the styrene to, to hold it in place.

There's a small gap between the edge of the styrene and each of the ribs, so I glued a short piece of sprue on the ribs to bridge that gap. It also gives me something else to glue the styrene to so that it stays at the height that I want.

I also wanted to add some detail just inside the stern flood holds so I took a piece that I didn't end up using and cut it up. This is the first piece I glued. There are about 4 spars on each side (didn't get a pic of the finished work).

Now that does look like it will be a challenge, I hadn't thought of that one. I think I would go with the spure.. On the 88 I did a few months back I used some plastic rod. I drilled a hole where each rivet need to go and then inserted a small piece of rod. Once dry I cut it down and sanded them to round them off. It was a much larger scale and there were only 16 to do, but I think I will give that a go when my turn comes.

Don't remember what scale you are working in but this might help

http://www.micromark.com/ho-scale-decals-with-raised-3d-rivets-and-other-surface-details,9968.html

"Although described as for HO scale (typically for model railroad use), they are useful across various scales for the type and size of surface details needed for your model."

When I eventually build mine, I plan on using Past I Weld in a Touch and Flow applicator to get a tight fit and laying each half flat on a table to get good alignment. It will take some fiddling.

Not as time consuming as oil canning but you can carefully sand and smooth the join then slice some stretched sprue to replace the sanded rivets. I believe Archer makes a set of replacement rivets if you rather go that way. Either way, a very delicate task.  

Getting closer on this project, but I'm having trouble with the seams!  I am trying, and failing miserably at blending the main seam in the hull between the front and back halves:

I'm trying to preserve the line of rivets right next to it, but it's not happening. Here's what the other side looks like:

I'm using Apoxie Sculpt. Is it just a matter of using more putty and just forgetting about that row of rivets? 

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

I do believe you nailed that weathered effect on the wood deck. Why spend all that cash on the pre mixed washes when you can mix your own for just a few pennies.

More filters and weathering:

I really like the effects you got on the metal, and after seeing this, I may well save my money and do my own washes as well. Looking forward to seeing more.