1/72 Type IXC U-Boat Build Log

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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 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. 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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). 

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.

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.

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?

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

I stumbled across the perfect tool: a mechanical pencil with very thick lead. I retracted the lead into the pencil and the hollow end is about the size of a rivet on this model. I put the end of the pencil over decal, and over the rivet, and put pressure on it. It seemed to push the decal down around the rivet.

Meanwhile I've started some basic dot filtering and rust weathing.

Next time try Solvaset. This stuff will melt just about any decal with the exception of thick Academy decals which may need freaking  Muriatic Acid     to melt down those suckers!

That tower looks impressive. The paint and weathering are just kicking butt! I see that you added something that most modelers leave out, the black line along the bottom of the island structure.

Ref. the Andrea figgies, if they are resin, wash them with dishwashing soap and dry them  with a paper towel. Only use super glue to assembly resin. You can prime with either the Tamiya rattle can primers. I like to decant Krylon black primer so I can spray a thin coat that will provide shadows as you paint them.

Thanks for the feedback! Not sure if I'm going too far with the rust. I think I need to do some chipping now. Gonna use the sponge method and also brush.

The figures are metal. Does tamiya primer work on metal?

Yes, Tamiya primer works great on metal. You rust looks spot on so I would leave things as is. Remember that any chipping you do means exposed metal that will rust with the salt water. The effect is subtle and not over done.  Remember the old saying, " less is best".

Senormodeler-Your paint job on this project continues to amaze me.  It is SO realistic!

Phillip1

Thanks so much, Phillip. After looking at your work on this forum, that means a lot. When I got back into this hobby I had no idea I'd get SO into it.

Today I put a coat of future on the hull in anticipation of applying some washes and fading and then rust.

I'm slowly starting to weather the hull. I used a black wash all over the hull and then a light wash below the waterline to fade the paint. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but here's the port side bow:

Señormodeler,

This has to be the most realistic looking weathering I've yet seen with regard to rust/wear on an anchor. I am in awe of your weathering on the sub and wonder if you ever visually document the process in more detail?

My modeling experience is limited as is my talent for the hobby but I sure do enjoy following along on the builds of masters such as yourself in the hope that I'll learn a thing or two about this delightful pastime.

Mike

Hey Mike. I hardly consider myself a master, but thanks for the kind words. I'll make an effort to document some of the in-between steps I'm taking. But mainly I'm just using a variety of artist oils (specifically gamblin oil paints) with odorless mineral spirits.

For the anchor, I started with the base coat (Lifecolor Schlickgrau III). Then did a dark filter with black oil paint. Then I sprayed future gloss on it and did a black wash. After letting that dry I applied a rust wash (just burnt sienna and mineral spirit) and let that collect in the recesses.  Then I tried adding some rust pigment -- my first time trying that. Then I thought I'd do some panzer grey chipping using the sponge technique.  Then I did another dark wash to sort of blend it all together.

I was really just experimenting. I read somewhere that some people go back and forth with washes and chipping and pigments, layering each and then going back and doing another pass. This is counter to what I normally read on here so I tried it and it gave an interesting result.

I find that it's hard to go wrong with the artist oils. They had a huge amount of tonal difference without really trying that hard.

1943Mike

Señormodeler,

This has to be the most realistic looking weathering I've yet seen with regard to rust/wear on an anchor. I am in awe of your weathering on the sub and wonder if you ever visually document the process in more detail?

<SNIP>

Agreed!  That thing looks like it's made out of metal that's been set in the ocean for a while!

And I'll +1 on the Solvaset.  I had a Mercedes DTM race car that was covered in decals (100%).  Some didn't lay down well, and shrank a bit across body panels.  It took several treatments to get things to settle down and follow the contours of the body, but they sure did.  Never give up. 

VERY nice work, sir!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Thank you, Gene! I hope to do the rest of the hull in a way that will match (without overdoing it) this anchor.

As I'm slowly weathering the bottom hull on the port side, I masked off the starboard side to work on the upper hull and did some initial discoloration filtering.








Also attached the screws after letting them soak in vinegar and salt for 48 hours.