The official Submarine Warfare Group Build 2016 - 2017

That's the email addy I used but no t a peep from him. Would love to get a phone number for him just to have a chat.

nautilusmodels@bellsouth.net is what I used.  Since it is a quality complaint, might not get back with you.  His molds must be getting old......

He is in the panhandle in Santa Rosa County, a good 8 hours drive from Central Florida. I will shoot another email. Which email address did you use for him? the one listed on the site? 

No, I don't have a number.  All my communication was via email and snail mail for buying/shipping.  But he has been prompt in replying to my questions.  Don't know how close he is to you, but is in FL (Bagdad).

GH

Do you have a number for him? I would like to bring the quality issue to his attention. I don't know if he received the email I sent him. I'm still bending and super gluing that inner lamination part. Two other parts  (#16) had to be sliced into separate parts cause they will not let the inner lamination piece lay flat. I almost have the puzzle assembled and will post some pictures. Thank God for thin CA. 

Yes I remember about the gap in the rear and thanks for the heads up.

Got enough hair left, but went back to drinkin' and smokin' to keep it.  Hoping the 1/72 version is easier to deal with since it will be twice the size for old fumble fingers to try and work with.  I think your language skills will get a workout when you get to the upper sections. 

I'll get his 20 mm's in 1/72, but not extremely hopeful at this point that they will be worth the trip.  I had asked him about a 4"/50 in resin, and he said he really couldn't improve the kit part so didn't make one in 1/72.

Doing a good job with her so far.  Don't fill the seam between the hull and deck, on most boats I've seen pics of (mostly in Squadrons Gato book), that is a gap left to probably drain water from the deck casing.

goldhammer

PJ -  I feel the pain on the resin stuff, mine is just as bad. Going to use the 4", and junk the rest.  I hope his 20's are better in the 1/72 version, as I'll need 2 sets to get the three I need.

  As to the PE you have in the fairwater, those are supposed to be "I" beams.  From the pic it looks like you missed the inner part of the legs. 

I gave up on the tower PE on mine, and it looks like it gets worse as you go up in the other two sections of it.

As soon as I get done with the Santa build, I have to get back to it.

 

Thanks guys. I will have some updated pictures shortly.

GH

The resin is IMO is badly casted and will be trashing the rest too. I sent him an email complaining about his resin quality and haven't heard squat from him so that will be the last time I will buy anything from Nautilus.

Yes the pe is a tremendous job and I'm still fighting with the inner piece that makes the I beams, that's why the center pe supports are not in place. Luckully I have no hair to pull so the work continues on that framework without the danger of any hair loss.  

PJ -  I feel the pain on the resin stuff, mine is just as bad. Going to use the 4", and junk the rest.  I hope his 20's are better in the 1/72 version, as I'll need 2 sets to get the three I need.

  As to the PE you have in the fairwater, those are supposed to be "I" beams.  From the pic it looks like you missed the inner part of the legs. 

I gave up on the tower PE on mine, and it looks like it gets worse as you go up in the other two sections of it.

As soon as I get done with the Santa build, I have to get back to it.

I have completed  the 1/240 Gato.  I am taking it to Jaxon tomorrow   and will get some pics there.  I will post the best shot.

PJ - 

Your build is looking awesome....and the PE...WOW. I really like watching your builds.

Thanks GM for clarifying the door question. I just found a cut away of  the Greeling and it shows the main induction valve in that area under the afft upper deck.

That opening is for access to the main deck, and gun, from the enclosed portion of the deck that's where the main induction is. That area is accessed from the conning tower inside the fair water through a proper hatch. The cigarette deck above it is an open grating.

Steve

A door on each side. All the pictures I have seen have them and they appear to be open to facilitate flooding during dives, my guess.

Bish

Yea it's kinda weird looking till it comes together, very thin metal. 

Looking good there PJ. Interesting looking piece of PE.

Looking great PJ  Is that a door in the side of the conning tower? The 41 kit has the same thing and all the pictures I saw had it too, but what is that? There's no piece to fill it in.

So far nothing from Nautilus about my complaint. I wish I would have paid attention earlier when I received the order instead of  putting it in the Gato's box.

I have been doing hours of surfing and reading, comparing and all the stuff needed to verify before doing any surgery on a kit.

I started assembling the framework using tweezers and thin CA to put things together.

First the pe fret

The periscope/mast frame pieces

Assembled frame. The long thin pe has to be bent and CAd to the stiffeners

The periscope tubes were cut from K&S brass tubing. The frame assembly still needs some more thin parts attached.

Looks like I have to cut down the bridge and the side plates to show her after modifications at Mare Island so off with the required surgery. The front of the bridge is easily sliced with the UMM razor saw.

Side plates get clipped

Things age beginning to fall in place. The parts match in height so eventually they will be glued together and all seams and joins sanded.

Those resin bits do look a bit of a mess PJ, hope you get a decent response from them.

Steve

I thought about writing Nautilus a letter complaining about it and will do that anyway. 

EDIT: Just did.

Sounds like Nautilus need a sternly worded letter....or email. 

It's good to see you having some time to work on something for yourself. 

GH

How is your tower pe going? This is quite a task aligning the parts to form the T beams. 

I finally got some work done as life and commissions got in the way. I decided to build my sub as the USS Gato, SS-212 as she appeared before her refit and overhaul at Mare Island in September of 1944. Gato was fitted with a 4"-50 caliber (102mm) deck gun on the forward deck, a single 40mm Bofors aft on the cigarette deck and a single 20mm Oerlikon forward of the bridge. She had 10 tubes and 24 torpedoes to deliver some pain to the enemy.

A little history on the Gato.... She was built by The Electric Boat Co. of Groton Conn. and was commissioned on Dec.31, 1941. Gato carried out 13 war patrols, participating in several events at Midway, Kiska, Truk, the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, support for the invasion of Okinawa and was present for the surrender ceremonies at Tokyo Bay. She was decommissioned on March 16,1946 and sold for scrap on July 25, 1960.

I have to say that the Nautilus resin weapons set gave me fits trying to assemble them. The parts are not marked, have a ton of flash and junk attached to them. A couple of barrels were bent and some of the 20 mm guns were broken off. The 40 mm Bofors gun and mount are incomplete and need some scratch parts to complete them. The only reason I did not return them is cause I had them for a while so I opted to deal with the mess.

I spent most of today since about 8am to 4:45 pm, Identifying, cleaninin, sanding and super gluing  the 3 guns. I still have to scratchbuild some tiny parts that either broke off during cleaning or were missing all together.

First a picture of the Trumpeter 1/144 Gato box

This is the mess I got from Nautilus

After several hours of identifying, cleaning up with a #11 blade, and careful sanding  the resin parts are looking like guns. Still, the sights on the Bofors are bent. They are vey thin and will break off if you even attempt to straighten them. I will stretch some sprue and make new ones along with other details.

I will be moving on to the conning tower construction to take a break from the resin this resin headache.

Looking good there Hunter.

You got it Viejo. I have you on the roster.

Welcome aboard.

Sorry to be so late to the party, but I just noticed this thread the other day.

I recently acquired and started working on a Lindberg 1/240 Gato Fleet sub, and would like to join in with that as a submission.

If I may......

modelcrazy

Thanks guys

Hunter, 

I don't have anything to suggest but one thing that may make it easer on you. If you plan on making a water scene, only work on and build items that will be seen above the waterline. For example, there wouldn't be any reason to install props or rudders unless you plan on putting her in heavy seas and showing the stern out of the water. 

 

Thanks guys

Hunter, 

I don't have anything to suggest but one thing that may make it easer on you. If you plan on making a water scene, only work on and build items that will be seen above the waterline. For example, there wouldn't be any reason to install props or rudders unless you plan on putting her in heavy seas and showing the stern out of the water. 

Well I got putty and sanding done on the hull. Now I will prime all the pieces and start painting.

Please don't hesitate to comment or suggest anything I may have missed. I am really enjoying this build....it's my first ship build and surely not my last.

I can say this....I can't wait to get a workbench. I miss my other bench. The dining room table isn't working out to well. The Mrs. won't just let me leave my stuff on it. I can't figure it out for the life of me.....

goldhammer

 

 

Hunter

 

modelcrazy

PJ, I'm looking forward to seeing your start.

Hunter, it's tough to clean up such small parts, your coming along nicely. Were you planning on putting her in a seascape?

 

 

 

 

Hey Buddy.....

 

I have been kicking a few idea's around. More than likely I will try my first attempt at water with this build.....hopefully with your guidence 

 

 

 

 

MC would be a good mentor for it......he has given me some pointers that I hopewill translate into something acceptable in my hands.  His work is great.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. Steve has been there for me ever since my dad passed ....he has been a great friend and mentor. He has already passed on a lot of knowledge and information to me about how to build a water dio.

plasticjunkie

Steve is the "Water Guru"

 

Steve is the "Water Guru"