The official Submarine Warfare Group Build 2016 - 2017

PJ, no not yet... looking forward to it now, with that info. Yeah, having never really built boats before, this is a whole new experiance, and learning process. I don't mind taking overlooked and less detailed kits and trying to improve the detail and final looks, however, I dont either want to completely have to remake one. I have some friends that build only kits like Tamiya that almost fall together, and thats ok, but if you don't encounter difficulties along the way, you never learn to over come them. I think you know, I mainly build aircraft, but its just nice to take a brake from your comfort zone and try other things. I'm learning alot here, but applying aircraft technics aren't going to work on subs. 

MC, yeah, I thought that was a very cool sonar image especially considering that this sub has been on the bottom for over 70 years and still looks pretty darn good. At least shes still recognisable. I mean, who knows, she may have landed on her keel and eventually laid over. By the way she looks, I would imagine it was either completely flooded or nearly flooded before reaching the bottom. Not sure but I think 600 ft was about the max depth she could go and 700 ft was crush depth. Without actual pictures of the site its hard to tell, but as intact as she looks, I dont see any signs of explosive de compression.  

thanks for the comments and info...Doug

It's great to see so many concurrent builds in this GB, so I've got into mine too. 

At this stage it's just the hull, at this stage it's just getting nice clean construction.

Cheers

Tony

Excellent Tony, great start. 

I finished the oil canning on Friday and started the PE torpedo tubes. The Eduard instructions are vague on this part and finding a good reference of the open tube doors is difficult. There are some nice pics of the U-505 in Chicago but it almost looks like the upper doors are missing so I'm trying to find some other reference.

OK I'm in finally with this guy. I hope to build the USS Harder (after watching episode 6 of Hell Below).

Oooo yeah, put her in the shipyard and lay the keel.

Well, a little more from me..

Starting om the paint... I'm using Tamiya Nato black for the lower hull...

Using a light gull grey for the upper hull...

and lastly a German Panzer grey (model master) on the decks.

Alright, the basic paint job is done. I paint almost exclusivly with acrylics, with very few exceptions. OK , why did I bother to paint the boat when I'm going to "sink" her? I intend to show it as I would think that it might look like at the end of the war, about 2 yrs and several months on the bottom,  and I want a faint appearance of the colors beneath the rust and weathering. Now the fun begins, The "rust" will be done with artists oils and the likes, with acrylic washes over the top of it. I like to use artists oils because I can really thicken it up and add texture to the finish without a thick build up of acrylics. I'm sure it will turn out OK, I've done this before and it looked OK. We'll see! Thanks all...

Doug

Looking good Doug,

This is what I did for the Musashi wreck.

A wash of burnt sienna and brown

MC...I remember marveling at your Mushi build and how cool it looked. Didn,t you loan that to a muesum? It was without a doubt a muesum quality piece.  Any way, the work on your sub is looking great... I,m learning alot from you more experianced guys, and appreciate it.Mine is going to have considerable rusted appearance, but will still be very much intact. I,ve seen some wrecks that have been down for years and look very good but have seen others that are devistated. Not sure about the differences, but I know when salt water hits metal, you get rust. Maybe its the ammount of oxygen in the water in diffefent areas... not sure, any way, keep up the great work. Take care...Doug

Awesome job on both builds Steve. Wow that looks like an actual wreck.   

Thanks Doug and PJ, that means alot comming from you guys and yes, the Musashi is at the Lexington Museum. Now if they are displaying it is another question.

OK, Now the messy fun begins...

I'm going to start with some Raw Sienna artist oil (tubed paint) thinned with some odorless mineral spirits. Don't ask the mixture, when it feels right and covers like I want its good lol...

I also have some dark brown and black mixed up for the begining accents...

as you can see, it goes on kind of heavy and not at all completely covered. As I said earlier, I want it heavier so as to be able to add a bit od texture later as it dries, and I want to be able to see somewhat through to the base colors.

And thats about all for now... It took about two hours to apply the oils, and will take somewhere about a week or so until it will be dry enough to start handling again. Then I can begin with the acrylics to accent and wash this finish after applying some texture to this stage. In the mean time I will begin work on the dio base. Thanks

Doug

Doug

Bob Ross would have been proud of your wet on wet work. Looks fantastic!

I finally was able to get to my Trumpy Gato and look things over. I think I will go with the USS Gato as she appeared on November 1944 after a refit at Mare Island.

I have the WEM PE set and looks like there is some surgery to be done to cut down the tower a bit and lots of metal pe to be bent and CA'd together. I also got the resin weapons set from Nautilus to improve the deck weapon detail.

I put the Gato hull together with masking tape and compared it to my Type VII to see  the size difference. These boats were big so I'm quite happy with the 1/44 scale!

I'm also glad those limber holes are molded open so no surgery will needed there.

PJ - Before you cut that 5mm out of the bridge, check to see if she had her bridge modified.  I know she had the Nav bridge ccut down to make an AA platform like alot of other boats.  Most pics I have seen of various boats the bridge height was left as was.

Glad to see you are getting a start on her. 

Yeah, plenty of PE bends in our futures.

goldhammer

PJ - Before you cut that 5mm out of the bridge, check to see if she had her bridge modified.  I know she had the Nav bridge ccut down to make an AA platform like alot of other boats.  Most pics I have seen of various boats the bridge height was left as was.

Glad to see you are getting a start on her. 

 

Yeah, plenty of PE bends in our futures.

 

Thanks GH for the heads up. I just began researching the subject so I have plenty of investigating to do before she goes under the knife.

Gentleman,

Wow! Some fantastic working being done here! Keep up the great jobs!

Rigidrider, I have to say, that VIIC looked fantastic painted!

Doug, that is looking really nice and rusty . Just perfect.

PJ, I just can't get over the size difference between the two boats. All Iv'e ever seen up close were Balo class boats. I would probably be blown away with the small size of the U-505 in Chicago if I were ever to see it.

It's good to see you start on her.

Thanks Ernie, Thanks Bruce... yeah, it looks pretty shiny right now, once I can work with it again, it will kind of tone down some and the acrylics will create a duller but still kind of egg shell look when dry. Its just begun and next I will start the detailing and the hi-lighting phase.that will take a great deal of time , but is well worth it. Hope it comes out as I picture it in my mind.

MC... that is a huge kit! I like your type VII comparison... the weathering and rusting are very cool looking, could I ask you to maybe post a few more pictures of it? (If you can) I'd love to see some more of it.

Thanks all...Doug

GMorrison

 

Goldhammer, you were saying that the upper hull coaming to hull fit of the Gato was gappish. I remembered this photo of SS-238 leaving Mare Island on 14 July 1943. She has lots of sea water running out through a gap there, in addition to the limber holes, it must be a couple of inches tall. Maybe that's the way it's meant to be.

 

I'm glad GM posted this view cause it clearly shows a gap at the rear that I was looking at while dry fitting things with my Gato. Without knowing, ordinarilly one would have sealed that up so thanks GM for your picture.

Doug, I think you mean PJ, and I would like that as well. 

While I'm fiddleling with the U-boat conning tower, I'm going to start the Akula. It should be a quick build with some sweet weathering effects.

PJ - Yeah, rescribing that gap between the deck casing and hull on mine since I filled it in and sanded.  Figuring a couple of inches it scales out to around 0.02/.03. Got the cleats on, and will have to fab up the rear antenna mast that the two antenna cables run from the tower to.  Will see if I can get some primer on most of the hull this w/e.

GH

I thought of what hapenned to you when I was dryfitting the parts. thanks to GMs picture we know now the gap is correct.

And you are correct about the aft deck height. Trunpeter's is correct and no surgery is needed there. Here is a detailed picture of that very same area taken after her refi on Nov 23, 1944. Scroll down a bit to get to the picture.

http://models.rokket.biz/index.php?topic=676.0

Doug and Steve

Where you guys asking for more pictures of my U-96?

Speaking of Mare Island, it's a shame that HUGE place is just rotting away while it can serve the US Navy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75u2xCf9DoY

Yes more pics.

I was stationed at Mare Island for Crypto school in the mid 80's.

Ok, here's a few. Double click for closeups:

Looking at her pic from the link, looks like a little trim to get the angle on the fairwater below the lookout platforms, and drill a few holes under the back of the cigarette deck.  Not much to do in any case.  Biggest looks to be the change in radar masts and antennas.

I hope I can do so well with my rust PJ. The rust in the limber holes looks perfect. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Steve. I know your U Boat will look super duper As the rest of your work.

Steve... OOOOPS! Sorry, I did get it mixed up,

Ernie... Very cool! Thank you! Great looking rusting and finish...

This is yhe only other submarine I've ever done, it is an ICM 350th Type XXIII Coastal boat. This was just a little weekend build, (actually closer to a week)

Any way, Throughly enjoying this GB... My entry here still a LONG way from dry... Chawing at the bit to get back on it... must be patient...must not touch...