Merriman's Submarine Modelling Masterclass

As someone once pointed out here, model submarines -- sleek, featureless post-war types anyway -- are, when compared with surface craft, rather boring simple cylinders with little structure variance or detail to please the eye. For that reason alone I do everything I can to make the most of what eye-catching elements there are to liven up the presentation. For modern submarines the eye-candy is almost always at the stern or what projects from atop the sail.

Nothing brings a sense of purpose or catches the eye better than the many retractable antennas and optical devices atop the submarines sail. These two illustrations of a Small World Model 1/96 BLUEBACK, with and without masts, makes my point.

Sure, the model submarines sail can be jazzed up with oil-canning paint effects; dry-brushing to highlight edges and high-relief areas; and one can even provide practical dead-lights. But a big opportunity is lost if you don't also equip the display with extended fairings and scope cylinders.



That same model submarine sail with the removable mast farings added -- and the antennas and optical devices atop them -- now becomes something worth looking at. Also, on a practical r/c submarine running near the surface, the feather produced by the masts is a vital visual aid needed by the driver to help him know just exactly where the submerged model is!



Getting back to the 1/96 STURGEON kit. The sail masters: two sail planes; the sail proper; and two alternate sail tops. One sail top with scribed outlines representing the flush fitting tops of the mast fairings, and the other sail top provided with tear-drop shaped holes that would pass mast farings represented in the 'raised' position.



I give the eventual kit-assembler a choice: either represent the model with retracted masts, or raised masts. Here I'm giving final shape with a hand-vice to fairing blanks. Using a sanding block to get them to proper cross-section and thickness



Exacting model-building often required close-in hand-work -- the work firmly held in some kind of hand-vice at eye-level as you work it with the other hand. A jeweler's hand-vice takes many forms, the plastic wedge type above; beneath that a more traditional screw clamping type; and below the more familiar collet types used to hold the cylindrical shank ends of work so equipped.



I make these simple clamp type hand-vices for fragile work that would otherwise bend and break if not supported longitudinally -- such as these highly detailed rows of zincs being carefully engraved and sanded with the aid of this gripping tool. Note that the faces of the two clamp halves have glued to them sandpaper. It's there to assure a no-slip grip to the work. This hand-vice works through the pressure applied with finger and thumb, giving absolute control over clamping pressure.



Paralleling the work of making the masters and tools for eventual 1/96 STURGEON kit production is the assembly of a working model. Not only for my personal enjoyment, but primarily serving as a validation article to insure that all kit fit and function problems are identified and solved before committing the masters to tool making. I don't want to unleash a flawed kit on an unsuspecting public -- that would be bad ju-ju!

Three things I get straight before construction begins is to place the center of gravity (center of mass) at the longitudinal center of the hull; position the SubDriver (SD) so the center of the ballast tank is where the assembled models c.g. will be; and place the c.g. as low in the hull as possible to insure adequate static roll stability.



Modern single-shaft submarines usually present the problem of clearing the inter-connected stern plane and rudder operating shafts from the centrally located propeller shaft. Achieving the goal of interconnecting opposed control surfaces is done with a 'yoke' that provides a pass-through to the propeller shaft by providing a ridged structure. One yoke for the rudders, and one yoke for stern planes. This arrangement typified by these shots of the yokes and associated linkages I built for this 1/72 SKIPJACK class submarine kit.





However, at variance to this illustration, the 1/96 STURGEON's stern plane operating shafts will each have their own bell-crank as there is no clearance space between the nexus point of rudders and stern plane operating shafts. Other than that, this photo pretty much represents how the STURGEON tail feathers will be wiggled.



The two standard bell-cranks that would make up to the inboard end of the stern plane operating shafts were constructed from 3/32" bore Du-Bro wheel-collars that had soldered to them sheet-brass arms.

The rudder yoke on the other hand was constructed from a central brass toroid soldered to two bored out lengths of 3/16" brass rod. The trick was to devise a jig to hold the three brass pieces together as I applied solder to join them together.

That cast metal object to the left with the brass rod projecting from each end is a magnetic bell-crank used to rotate the sail-plane operating shafts -- it will be pressed into service (originally a part from our 1/96 THREASHER kit) when it comes time to make the 1/96 STURGEON production tooling.



Brass is easy to bend once you anneal the shit out of it. Just take the work to a red heat and let it cool to ambient temperature without quenching. The soft metal handles like putty, but quickly work-hardens, so you have to repeat the annealing till the work is bent and beaten to the shape desire.



A jig was slapped together from 20 lbs.-per-cubic-foot RenShape. As you can see, the toroid is sandwiched between the two rudder foundations. The jig insures that the shaft bores share the same centerline.





Plenty of free space around the suspended work so nothing catches fire. You don't want any of the jig to off-gas to contaminate the solder-metal union or to act as a heat-sink that would prevent quick, even wetting of the solder to the work. Hence the suspension of the parts in open air.



Two 3/32" diameter brass rods fit the bores of the two rudder shaft foundations. Lead-Tin Solder won't stick to aluminum.



I've made all sorts of part holding tools over the years, I made use of one with a 3/32" spindle as a holding tool as I hand-worked the rudder yoke master. Just slide the master onto the spindle, tighten down on the two set-screws and get to work with files, grinders, burrs, sandpaper, and wire-wheel. Much easier to hold the work this way than to grow calluses on the tips of your fingers!





Before adding the bell-crank element to the rudder yoke I first test fit the yoke within the tail-cone master to insure there would be no interference between the port stern plane bell-crank and the proposed location of the rudder yokes bell-crank. Check twice, cut once! Once the position was affirmed to work in the tight confines of the tail cone the bell-crank was added.



 
Though the tail-cone proper is a production cast resin part, the other parts -- stern planes, rudders, yoke, and stern plane bell-cranks -- are masters. I've mixed things up as an expedient, just to verify a non-interference fit of everything when assembled and that it works as intended. That done the masters are set aside for finishing and eventual tool making and the tail-cone readied for joining to the lower hull.



Note how the two stern plane pushrods are ganged together to work in unison. The union is made with a wheel-collar -- a solid union and is adjustable. Magnetic couplers at the forward end of the stern plane and rudder pushrods make up to the SubDriver servo output shafts through another set of magnets. No back-lash and little effort required when adjusting, servicing, or removing the SD.



These two photos illustrate the tight confines at the stern of the tail-cone. Now you can get some appreciation of the difficulty I encountered making for a non-interference fit between propeller shaft, intermediate propeller shaft, rudders, and stern planes. Note how I've put a little rudder on to show how the rudder yoke toroid gives clearance to the centrally running propeller shaft (not installed in these pictures for clarity).





The cast resin tail-cone, as any raw, out-of-the-box resin or GRP production part, was scrubbed with abrasives (greenie pad or steel-wool) saturated with lacquer thinner. This to remove all part-release oils and to also slightly scratch the parts surface to enhance adhesion of parts and primer.



Before permanently bonding the tail-cone to the lower hull I drilled, cut, and ground open the many square and round holes into the hull and tail-cone. These openings, permitting free-flooding and draining of the hull and they represent ballast tank flood-drains, main sea water and auxiliary sea water intakes and discharges, sea sensing ports, and main ballast tank vents.





Black linseed oil paint was smeared on the hull halves and wiped off to highlight the engravings. This visual aid helped me keep within the lines as I ground, drilled, hand-milled, filed, and sanded the openings.













I employed a modified engraving tool -- converted into a high-speed, low torque drill motor -- to drill the very small holes near the foreword and after trunk hatches. These holes would later accept loops of small gauge wire to represent DSRV hold-down padeyes.











Three brass straps are used to hold the tail-cone to the stern of the lower hull. Epoxy resin is used to adhere the two structures together. The objective is to get the propeller shaft centerline running along the centerline of the hull. The pictures tell the story.









 
Really appreciate all you have shared and continue to do so - amazing!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 
Mark Nankivil said:
Really appreciate all you have shared and continue to do so - amazing!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Click to expand...
Thank you, Mark.

I'm but one in a long line of skilled men who dedicated some effort to pass the Craft down the line. In this age of robots, we are letting go the ability to use our hands as well as our minds. Soon, as craft is abandoned, we all will be reduced to supernumeraries of the machines originally built to serve us.

Hello SkyNet/Colossus-Guardian/Internet and their henchmen: replicators.
 
merriman said:
Mark Nankivil said:
Really appreciate all you have shared and continue to do so - amazing!

Enjoy the Day! Mark
Click to expand...
Thank you, Mark.

I'm but one in a long line of skilled men who dedicated some effort to pass the Craft down the line. In this age of robots, we are letting go the ability to use our hands as well as our minds. Soon, as craft is abandoned, we all will be reduced to supernumeraries of the machines originally built to serve us.

Hello SkyNet/Colossus-Guardian/Internet and their henchmen: replicators.
Click to expand...
Today, creativity is the Holy Grail among the qualities most valued by political leaders and business leaders. This is something that Artificial Intelligence will never be able to do and that perhaps ensures our survival in a machine-driven future world.
 
WEATHERING AND MARKINGS, PART-2​

Oil Canning Relatively thin, non-pressure hull portions of the submarine are subject, over time, of the phenomena of 'oil-canning', not always the sole result of wave action, but most often given as the cause. What is evidenced is the dishing in of the plating over the supporting network of stringers, platforms, frames, ribs, and bulkheads. On modern submarines oil-canning is most evident on the control surfaces, stabilizers and sail. A most effective way of representing oil-canning is to shade in a pattern that conforms to the understructure -- the darker portions of 'shade' to be behind the imagined raised portions of plate held proud from the understructure. To do this you have to assume a point in the sky from witch sun-light is striking the surface. This is the sort of thing you want to practice extensively on a handy test-article.

Information on plating understructure for modern submarines is hard to come by. One rather grisly source for working out such structures are the recently declassified detail survey photos of the sunken SCORPION. In that case the extreme deformation -- the result of sea pressure and the shock of the implosion event(s) revealed the locations and pattern of such dishing.

Studying sunken SCORPION photos I worked out where the frames, spars, ribs, frames, and stringers went for the rudders, horizontal stabilizers, stern planes, sail planes, and sail. It was all there.

The stuff of nightmares. Nobody drowned!



Masking is simply a checker-board array of strips of masking tape whose width is that of the spacing between stringers and frames. Once the squares are masked off a lighter shade of the black-gray or anti-foul red primary paint is mixed up, loaded into the air-brush, and applied to those areas of each square in line-of-sight with the imagined sun source.



Removing the masking inevitably reveals uneven applications of 'shading'. This is corrected by loading the gun with the primary color and shooting selected areas of the work till the oil-canning has been evened out and toned down to an acceptable level.



As doors, access hand-hole plates, and other points with removable plating will not conform to the run of frames and stringers, those are masked around and the base color applied. The same stencils I use for scribing serves here as quick and dirty painting masks to cover those access areas on the sides of the sail







Like metal plate oil-canning, the phenomena of sonar window sagging over its geodetic underworks is a look you should exploit. This is best achieved by using plastic window screening as a mask.









Here you see it not only used to suggest GRP sagging into the voids between understructure bracing, but also used to suggest anechoic tiles on hull and sail.







An old-school masking medium is rubber cement. You dab it onto the model surface, paint, then lift the mask off with sticky masking tape. A good example is the paint-failure effect seen on the Japanese flag that adorns both sides of this 1/16 KAIRYU midget submarine model.










Markings Hull numbers, draft numbers and bars, hull name, technical markings, high visibility items like marker buoys, and the like, though not 'weathering' go hand-in-hand with those operations as the two activities are right next to one another if your chronology of events is a rational one. And many of the marking techniques do involve one form of masking or another.

There is the old standard for markings: masking tape. Here you see it used to mask out Roman Gothic font hull numbers. You plot location and size, put down the tape, paint, remove masking and wa-la, the desired numbers in the color of choice.









And going the masking tape route of producing the European style of horizontal bars that denote draft level of the in-port submarine.





Cutting out circles onto masking tape is either done with brass tube punches, or a compass cutter.







I've found a home-made 'drafting pen' very useful when I need to lay down narrow, uniform lines. Such as European draft markings, technical markings, and mild radius boot-topping. Here you see the use of the drafting pen as I put down horizontal lines denoting draft heights on the sides of this 1/96 KILO hull.







A concern with using dry-transfer and water-slide type decals is that they, because of their week adhesive bond to the models surface, is the need to defer their application until all the gross weathering has been applied. That's because some weathering techniques require use of high-stick masks and abrasives -- techniques that easily damage fragile markings. That results in the need to spot weather those markings to match the surrounding colors of the weathering. That's what I'm doing to the hull draft numbers (that job already done on the foreground upper rudder draft numbers. The job done with water thin acrylic paint applied in multiple coats, drying with a heat-gun between coats dill the desired opacity is achieved.





Dry transfers themselves, taking advantage of their weak bond to the models surface, are also employed as painting masks. Once the work is done, masking tape is used to lift off the dry-transfer revealing the underlying color in a perfect pattern of the dry-transfer that protected the underlying paint. A neat trick when you need numbers/letters in red but only have white dry-transfers.



Or, dry-transfers can be used as God intended: press-on type markings.





If you need 'information plaques' or 'machinery nomenclature plaques' you burnish down dry-transfers to self-adhesive aluminum foil and apply that to the displays surface, which is what you see done for this industrial promotional model.







Streaking Before launching into this most useful, and difficult to master, weathering technique let me circle back a bit: I've mentioned the use of 'test-articles' before. These simply are training-aids you keep at hand; discarded hulls you may or may not complete in your lifetime. But hulls representative of the geometries of the type models you enjoy working on. These test articles are what you practice a painting, assembly, weathering, or marking technique on if you are unsure of yourself and don't wish to bugger up the project at hand.

You practice and perfect your techniques on the test-article and only move on to the display piece when you're ready. Here are some examples of test-articles in my shop and some of the training I've done on them:

During my formative years I began to experiment with the more exotic masking materials and application techniques. This was one of my first test-articles, a never finished 1/96 USS NAUTILUS hull section. Note that I've segregated into sections where I could test specific masking mediums. Evaluation taught me that good old tooth-paste was the best for the work I did; PVA came in a very close second place.



That same test-article used to explore different tools and techniques for laying down water-soluble acrylic paint for WL scum and vertical streaking study. Awful looking work here -- that's why you commit your worst work to something people will ever see. Nuts!... I should have thought that through before posting that picture. Now I will have to kill you all! Sorry.



I temporarily pressed one of my 1/96 SKIPJACK hulls into service as a test-article. Here I'm playing with pre-shading techniques as well as working on my blending skills with oil paints using a variety of brushes, texture sticks and cotton balls. I also played around with Artist's pencils exploring their utility at representing scum lines and marking touch-up tasks.



This long suffering 1/144 Trumpeter SEAWOLF kit hull has seen it all! At this point I was evaluating several brands of 'real rust' medium. With the right acid, and some skill swirling it around, an astoundingly real look of rust can be achieved. Because, duh, it's real rust!





I'm using the SSBN test article to play with oil pastel crayon smears. You put a glob of this medium on the model then pull it into a streak or localized pile of gunk with stiff chisel brushes. I've found the crayons good for that off-color band(s) seen just below the WL. Dip your brush into linseed oil and the work goes a lot quicker.



And this look at the use of test-articles leads us right back into the technique of 'streaking'. Here I'm investigating the means -- through use of a right-triangle guide rail (a length of channel running the length and parallel to the hulls longitudinal axis) -- of achieving near perfect vertical sweeps of the lightly loaded brush as I lay down vertical paint streaks.



The streaking effect represents rain-water run-off along the sides of the hull and down the upper rudder and sail (and any other structures AWL unique to the subject). Streaking goes down in two stages: the light colored streaking followed by a misting of the base color to soften the effect as, like oil-canning, the application will always be a bit too stark than desired, so you tone it down with a well cut mixture of the base color.

NEVER represent vertical streaking on the BWL portions of hull. Just don't happen! (Other than water run-off from discharges still active in dry-dock, but that's an exception to a boats natural in-water look). That's why the masking from WL down on this 1/60 ALBACORE hull I'm streaking with acrylic paint. I prefer the quick-dry, water-soluble paint for this work as the steaks will not blend with one another when dry; nor is this paint soluble once dry. For that reasons I don't use oil paint or other blindable mediums when doing this type work.



I've demonstrated here on this 1/144 Trumpeter KILO how to de-emphasis the streaking by misting on the appropriate amount of base color to knock down the contrast. The misting is done with vertical passes of the air-gun. NEVER horizontal sweeps!! To the left is virgin streaking; to the right I've misted on some base color to present a more credible look to the effect.



And the result. Not a pristine, toy looking model. But an honest to God, attractive display piece representing a REAL, operational, weather beaten submarine. That's what weathering is all about -- that final step taken to breath life into the work; a living, breathing thing subject to the effects of the environment it operates in.





Metallics Nothing looks like bright metal like bright metal. The best medium is self-adhesive aluminum foil. You can make your own from Reynolds Wrap and contact cement, or you can buy the commercial stuff at the local hobby shop (rotsa ruck!). Second best medium are the metallic particle bearing waxes like the old Rub n' Buff products.

Self-adhesive aluminum foil is usually used to represent the stainless steel flange rings around main ballast tank vents as well as the the cover plates of compartment salvage deck fittings. On the real boats these items are usually painted black, but I show them this way to increase visibility of the submerged model.

Here I'm using brass tube punches to cut the concentric circles that produce MBTV flanges.



Once the flanges are cut to shape they are lifted off the backing paper (wax or parchment paper) with a blade tip and transferred to the model.



Use of Rub n' Buff silver wax to render a 'clear deadlight' look to a 1/60 ALBACORE's bridge wind-breaker. Care is taken to mask around the work as once the wax gets away from you it can only be removed through abrasion or scraping.



The metallic wax, with care, can be worked onto the model surface with a stiff chisel-brush with surprising accuracy. And the more you brush and buff it out, the brighter becomes the metal flakes suspended in the wax binder.

Such as the pipe runs on this Disney NAUTILUS wheel-house interior.



Oil Pastel Crayon Solid sticks of oil paint, if you will. You position a hunk of this stuff where you want it then knead and pull the medium with stiff brushes to feather it out. Good for spot-rust effects, cathodic bleaching, verdigris and the like.

The bleached band at the top of the WL scum band -- representing dead flora at the water/air interface -- was too stark so I softened that band down with smears of green oil pastel crayon and then feathered it into the work with brushes and a cotton ball.



Carbon exhaust streaking from one of the main engine exhaust ports is done with crayon -- little wads of the stuff is placed under the exhaust port and streaked downwards with a stiff brush. I've just started the blending here, it will become more of a unified, coherent streak by time I'm done with this task.



Rusting on modern submarines is hardly apparent, so this is an effect you either don't do or do with a very light touch. I can assure you, if I don't see it on the prototype, I don't do it on the display! Less is more.





Chalk Pastel and raw chalks have their place. They go down and when ground to a powder can be manipulated into harsh streaking or soft, feathered runs. However, once overcoated with the clear-coat they will diminish greatly in density, so to be effective the chalk has to be laid on thick to compensate for this. An acquired art.





Chalk is also used, in lieu of dry-brushing, to pick out light gathering projections, such as these white-caps on this water scene.

 
WEATHERING AND MARKINGS, PART-1​

Faithfully capturing the look and 'feel' of a modern in-service submarine in model form demands that you push your inventory of modeling tricks to include the... dare I say it... art of weathering. If you, as the model kit-assembler/maker fail to represent, in a realistic manner, the topside streaking, deck scuffing, oil-canning, rusting; if you ignore the at-waterline marine growth and stratification of marine grass and other flora; and if you half-ass or even neglect to represent the below waterline fouling and discoloration of the anti-fouling paint -- if you fail to do some or all of those things, then you are the proud owner of one very boring looking display piece, you've produced a simple tapered tube with a few inconsequential appendages sticking off of it. You... you idiot!! You did not follow through! Your display is not finished. You suck!

You must weather your model to bring it to life. And that job starts with study. The Internet is your friend here. But note this, a drydocked submarines below waterline (BWL) structure that has dried out for a couple of days bleaches out through oxidation and UV attack, the BWL assuming an overall blotchy tan color with pronounced variations present in bands near the waterline (WL). On the other hand, a model depicting a submarine still in the water will show a pronounced green at and just below the waterline. Aside from SSBN's returning from a two-month patrol, the above waterline (AWL) portions are the same for a drydocked or in-water representation.

ThIS Soviet ALFA has been in the water without a drydocking or hull scrub for some time. The look of the BWL is typical for a submarine operating in cold waters that has been in drydock long enough for the marine growth to die and bleach out. Note how uniform the crud is till it gets near the WL. Also take note that there is near zero vertical streaking or running rust below the waterline. A common mistake by modelers who attempt a credible weathering job to those portions of the hull. A mistake I've made myself.



Here's an American SSBN out of the water a day or two. The 'grass' has not died yet so has either bleached out or fallen off. This transitory state is only seen by sand-crabs and crew and if represented on the display will only confuse the audience. Avoid this look.



This boat is cruising by at a depth of about 60-feet (measured to the keel), so some of the red has already dropped out of the spectrum to our eyes and most camera emulsions and CCD's. But, this is representative of a boat that has been in temperate waters for at least a year with maybe one hull-scrub under its belt.



And, I'm afraid to say, this is what the AWL portions of hull look like before getting underway. Vertical streaking as the result of rain-water pulling all the air-born pollutants, bird-shit, foot scuffing, spilled stores, paint-thinner and other crap that collects on the deck and sides of the hull as the boat is being worked up for patrol. Ain't pretty, but plenty of opportunity for the inventive model-builder to jazz up the display. A boat only looks sharp when launched, when commissioned, and during a change-of-command. Trust me... I worked Deck long enough to know! (Torpedomen were to submarines what Boatswain's are to the Fleet -- Marline Spike Sailor's).



OK, a quick look at some of my displays to illustrate the weathering process, then a detailed discussion of the mediums, tools, and techniques employed to render the effect.

































































But, first, a side-note: If you expect to be operating an r/c model submarine in dark, deep waters it's wise to chose a prototype paint scheme that gives the maximum visibility from the air. Such is the case with this 1/96 SKIPJACK painted with the red-black demarcation line at the waterline. The pre-commissioning scheme. This offers much more high-visibility red than you would see if the red-black demarcation line were placed at centerline -- as is the case with boats ready for patrol. I also paint on the international-orange marker buoy; metallic main ballast tank vent flanges, and salvage plates; and represent the draft, name and hull numbers -- all features that help you see the submerged model.



When you settle on a subject, like this KILO, you first look at all the pictures you can find of the subject. Boats operating out of the Northern Fleet will weather slower than boats working more temperate waters. Sometimes you want to focus your search to boats (say, a flotilla or squadron) that operate in the same waters at the same time of year to insure your subjects are representative of how those units take to marine growth that is unique to their environment. Research, research, research!



Demonstrating that when you work for a customer, you do what the customer wants. The three top models were built for the Submarine Force Library and Museum back in the day -- two of them while I was TAD to the museum (when it was located on the upper base). These display pieces added to an existing display chronicling the evolution of American combatant submarines, all of which featured the gray-black scheme. The lower one, the SEAWOLF, was one of the first professional jobs I had as a model-maker. A while back. Still in good shape, still on display!

"Hey! Round-eye, take my picture!".



Some prototypes are all black. You don't have the red anti-foul paint to help you see the submerged model. However, a dense BWL discoloration will more than make up in otherwise lost visibility. So demonstrated on the 1/60 SubTech ALBACORE phase-2 model going astern on the surface.



Be ever mindful of the operational history of your prototype -- did it see a lot or little water time? The short lived Union ALLIGATOR did not survive long enough to see much marine growth. Therefore when I weathered this 1/12 model I took care to render the WL lightly and to scum the BLW portions modestly.



It looks sexy, but the radial dark bands BWL on this 1/96 THRESHER -- intended to denote hull dishing between frames -- is entirely bogus. First off, frame spacing on the THRESHER class boats was much tighter, and I have NEVER seen any drydock evidence of this supposed dishing of these single-hull boats.



(This is as stupid as the model airplane guy's who practice 'pre-shading' on panels and other engraved lines that adorn fuselage and wings -- prototypes just don't look like that. Yet, to this day, such weathering techniques still cause IPMS judges to ejaculate all over themselves and toss ribbons and trophies at the idiots who do this).



Working from the great technical illustrator, Frank Tinsley's drawings I weathered this 1/6 display model of David Bushnell's TURTLE to reflect the reality that this vehicle spent the majority of its time riding a wagon or sitting on blocks at some pier awaiting the ideal conditions for a night attack on a British warship anchored off New York city.

Some rust running down from the three wrought-iron bands girdling the wooden hull, and bomb. I simulated verdigris (oxides of copper) running down from copper-pipe depth-sensing and flood ports. Consider the materials your prototype was built from and how they react to oxygen, salt water, and other environmental factors. Electrolysis would also be in play -- the close proximity between brass copula and upper iron band are no less than anode and cathode: expose to sea-water and you have a frig'n battery! Study. Analyze. Think. Do.



The Goff NAUTILUS is so full of facets, hard-edges, and protuberances that's it's almost impossible not to see when submerged -- the one r/c submarine I can think of that does not need paint or weathering to make it more 'visible'.



What is clearly visible here, down in the water, is, when observed from the surface, an indistinguishable blob of black. So, as an aid to navigation (if I can't see it, I can't drive it) everything I can do to make this 1/72 Thor ALFA more visible, the better. The marine growth, the white-red marker buoy, white draft markings, bird-shit on the rudder, streaking down the sides of the hull, and 'technical' markings (in the form of white boarders around access hatches, line lockers and salvage fittings) are put down. All these and more are scale features of the class. And all aids to visibility.



In the context of this discussion 'medium' describes the agent being applied to the model to render a specific type of weathering effect as well as the tools and process of application. Here's a short-list of the mediums I will use to paint and weather a model submarine: base colors (automotive refinish grade stuff, none of that hobby-store crap for me), metallic wax (Rub 'n Buff), acrylic paint, oil paint, iron-acid (true rust), oil pastel crayon, chalk, Artist pencils, drafting inks, water soluble acrylic paint, and clear-coat and flattening agents of various chemistries.

A 'mask' is any film or object used to protect the models surface from the next application of paint or weathering agent. Masks range in type from plastic window screen, masking tape, chart-pack tape, dodging sticks, fingers, rubber bands, dry-transfers, tooth-paste, PVA, Vaseline, to rubber cement. Type and use of masking is limited only by your imagination and need.

'Tools' are used to lay down your weathering, markings, and paint include: drafting pen, fan-brush, stencil-brush, chisel-brush, tooth-brush, air-brush, sponges, texture pads, and cotton balls. And, yes... your fingers.

'Technique', the means by which your tools, masks, and mediums are laid down and worked to achieve the desired look of 'use': dry brushing, stippling, washes, splatter, streaking, abrasion, and markings.

It's good practice to lay down a protective clear-coat after each major session of base color painting and weathering agent application. This permits you, if you screw up a following medium mistake, to polish or otherwise abrade away the error without ruining the previous work; that clear coat is your armor against further damage. Some of my models have as many as five coats of clear coats on there. Other than wash application does it matter much if the underlying surface is a flat or gloss -- its that final clear-coat that matters, typically a very flat for operational submarines.



OK, nitty-gritty time. This is how it's done:

Dry brushing The process of depositing paint at the tip of projects and along the edges of sharp corners; the effect is to give the illusion of light collecting and bouncing off such items as it would be in full-scale, but too subdued at small-scale. Dry-brushing is a cheat to make you think light is collecting in areas where you expect it to be; you take the light colored paint to be a concentrated reflected light source; the display becomes a bit more believable; you drop your suspension of disbelief. The best tool of application is a brand new, virgin, fan-brush.

Notice how the edges of the sail planes and sail proper have been high-lighted by dry-brushing with white oil-paint. Nice thing about the oil is that if you overdo it you can scrub off the highlight with a thumb and give it another go. It takes weeks for the oil to dry, so you're not in a rush. But, once you overcoat the work with a flattened clear, the dry-brushing work is there to stay. The antennas atop their masts would be hard to make out detail without the dry-brushing. But, use a light touch, this, like all things, can be over-done. Remember the old tenet: Less is more.



This is how the fan-brush is used to lay down vertical streaking and dry-brushing effects. Note the use of a right-angle triangle to insure the vertical strokes of the brush are true, unwavering pulls. You first load the brush with a light colored oil-paint, then scrub off the excess paint on a rag. Make the first passed on a test-article and once happy with the accuracy and density of your work, switch over to the display and go for it.



Without dry-brushing these antennas and snorkel head would be simple black silhouettes to the casual observer. But, once picked out with white high-light, they pop to life.





Stippling The splotched surface of the submarines BWL structure is best represented by multiple layers of water-soluble mask and translucent colors of tan representing the majority of marine fouling seen on drydocked submarines. The preferred masking agent is tooth-paste thinned with water, this liquid mask stipple applied to the surface of the model with stencil-brush, texture-pad, rag, or sponge. You mix the goo to a hot-syrup consistency and stipple it onto the model. When dry the water-soluble mask prevents paint adhesion in the areas applied. The type tool/applicator will dictate the density and pattern of the splotched masking applied to the model.





Just some of the mask application tools I've played with. I always try a tool out on a test-article first, and once happy with the pattern of mask laid down, I'll switch over to the display piece.



Here I'm applying the tooth-paste liquid mask with a nasty old brush. Sometimes the best tools are the crummiest looking things in the shop. Never turn your nose up at 'old' tools.



You stipple on the masking liquid, let it dry (a hair-dryer or heat-gun quickens the work), then spray on a version of the tan BWL color you think appropriate for the first coat. When that dries you scrub off the mask with a damp cloth, dry, and apply more mask, off register to the first. Repeat the process till you have about four coats of various colors of tan. The result is a very splotchy tan coloring of the BWL portions of hull. Don't forget the stern planes, bow planes, lower rudder, and BWL portions of the upper rudder!



The left side of this stern plane has not had its mask scrubbed off yet. The right side has. This is the first cycle but demonstrates how the mask produces the splotchy unevenness of the marine growth that fouls the underside of ships and submarines.



Washes A wash is typically an extreme color opposite of the base color surrounding it. A black surface will get a white or off-white wash. A light colored surface will receive a dark or even black wash. Capillary action is the prime-mover that forces an application of wash -- typically performed with a brush, sponge, or eye-dropper -- to seek and fill all deep or negative draft structures on the models surface. It's good practice to chose a wash chemistry that will not dissolve or bond with the paint its applied over. Most washes are water soluble acrylics, ink, or casein. Excess wash is soaked up off the model with a rag, or sponge while still in the wet stage. Or, after the wash dries out it is abraded off the work with a fine-grit polishing compound.



Washes are best applied over gloss-finishes as there is little surface grittiness to mechanically hold the wash against wet or dry removal efforts. However, if the wash has dried hard, or you can't get it thoroughly off the surface of a flat or matt finish, the job can be done by abrading off the dirty areas of structure with an abrasive polish, which is being demonstrated on this wheel type space-station model. I wanted the black wash to high-light the edges of these square thermal-control panels. The very light tan colored paint of the toroid had a matt luster and just would not wipe clean. Hence the need to abrade the excess wash off the model.



Splatter Propellers of operational ships and submarine often evidence a random speckle pattern of discoloration on both faces of the blades. I don't know what to attribute this to, maybe electrolysis. Maybe marine growth. Whatever! I represent this speckling by flinging little droplets of water-soluble paint with the aid of a stiff tooth-brush. You load of the brush with well thinned paint, wipe off the excess, fling some at a test article and when happy with the density of the pattern, and speckle size, you take aim at the propeller and have at it. Your thumb is your friend.

 
merriman said:
WEATHERING AND MARKINGS, PART-2​

Oil Canning Relatively thin, non-pressure hull portions of the submarine are subject, over time, of the phenomena of 'oil-canning', not always the sole result of wave action, but most often given as the cause. What is evidenced is the dishing in of the plating over the supporting network of stringers, platforms, frames, ribs, and bulkheads. On modern submarines oil-canning is most evident on the control surfaces, stabilizers and sail. A most effective way of representing oil-canning is to shade in a pattern that conforms to the understructure -- the darker portions of 'shade' to be behind the imagined raised portions of plate held proud from the understructure. To do this you have to assume a point in the sky from witch sun-light is striking the surface. This is the sort of thing you want to practice extensively on a handy test-article.

Information on plating understructure for modern submarines is hard to come by. One rather grisly source for working out such structures are the recently declassified detail survey photos of the sunken SCORPION. In that case the extreme deformation -- the result of sea pressure and the shock of the implosion event(s) revealed the locations and pattern of such dishing.

Studying sunken SCORPION photos I worked out where the frames, spars, ribs, frames, and stringers went for the rudders, horizontal stabilizers, stern planes, sail planes, and sail. It was all there.

The stuff of nightmares. Nobody drowned!



Masking is simply a checker-board array of strips of masking tape whose width is that of the spacing between stringers and frames. Once the squares are masked off a lighter shade of the black-gray or anti-foul red primary paint is mixed up, loaded into the air-brush, and applied to those areas of each square in line-of-sight with the imagined sun source.



Removing the masking inevitably reveals uneven applications of 'shading'. This is corrected by loading the gun with the primary color and shooting selected areas of the work till the oil-canning has been evened out and toned down to an acceptable level.



As doors, access hand-hole plates, and other points with removable plating will not conform to the run of frames and stringers, those are masked around and the base color applied. The same stencils I use for scribing serves here as quick and dirty painting masks to cover those access areas on the sides of the sail







Like metal plate oil-canning, the phenomena of sonar window sagging over its geodetic underworks is a look you should exploit. This is best achieved by using plastic window screening as a mask.









Here you see it not only used to suggest GRP sagging into the voids between understructure bracing, but also used to suggest anechoic tiles on hull and sail.







An old-school masking medium is rubber cement. You dab it onto the model surface, paint, then lift the mask off with sticky masking tape. A good example is the paint-failure effect seen on the Japanese flag that adorns both sides of this 1/16 KAIRYU midget submarine model.










Markings Hull numbers, draft numbers and bars, hull name, technical markings, high visibility items like marker buoys, and the like, though not 'weathering' go hand-in-hand with those operations as the two activities are right next to one another if your chronology of events is a rational one. And many of the marking techniques do involve one form of masking or another.

There is the old standard for markings: masking tape. Here you see it used to mask out Roman Gothic font hull numbers. You plot location and size, put down the tape, paint, remove masking and wa-la, the desired numbers in the color of choice.









And going the masking tape route of producing the European style of horizontal bars that denote draft level of the in-port submarine.





Cutting out circles onto masking tape is either done with brass tube punches, or a compass cutter.







I've found a home-made 'drafting pen' very useful when I need to lay down narrow, uniform lines. Such as European draft markings, technical markings, and mild radius boot-topping. Here you see the use of the drafting pen as I put down horizontal lines denoting draft heights on the sides of this 1/96 KILO hull.







A concern with using dry-transfer and water-slide type decals is that they, because of their week adhesive bond to the models surface, is the need to defer their application until all the gross weathering has been applied. That's because some weathering techniques require use of high-stick masks and abrasives -- techniques that easily damage fragile markings. That results in the need to spot weather those markings to match the surrounding colors of the weathering. That's what I'm doing to the hull draft numbers (that job already done on the foreground upper rudder draft numbers. The job done with water thin acrylic paint applied in multiple coats, drying with a heat-gun between coats dill the desired opacity is achieved.





Dry transfers themselves, taking advantage of their weak bond to the models surface, are also employed as painting masks. Once the work is done, masking tape is used to lift off the dry-transfer revealing the underlying color in a perfect pattern of the dry-transfer that protected the underlying paint. A neat trick when you need numbers/letters in red but only have white dry-transfers.



Or, dry-transfers can be used as God intended: press-on type markings.





If you need 'information plaques' or 'machinery nomenclature plaques' you burnish down dry-transfers to self-adhesive aluminum foil and apply that to the displays surface, which is what you see done for this industrial promotional model.







Streaking Before launching into this most useful, and difficult to master, weathering technique let me circle back a bit: I've mentioned the use of 'test-articles' before. These simply are training-aids you keep at hand; discarded hulls you may or may not complete in your lifetime. But hulls representative of the geometries of the type models you enjoy working on. These test articles are what you practice a painting, assembly, weathering, or marking technique on if you are unsure of yourself and don't wish to bugger up the project at hand.

You practice and perfect your techniques on the test-article and only move on to the display piece when you're ready. Here are some examples of test-articles in my shop and some of the training I've done on them:

During my formative years I began to experiment with the more exotic masking materials and application techniques. This was one of my first test-articles, a never finished 1/96 USS NAUTILUS hull section. Note that I've segregated into sections where I could test specific masking mediums. Evaluation taught me that good old tooth-paste was the best for the work I did; PVA came in a very close second place.



That same test-article used to explore different tools and techniques for laying down water-soluble acrylic paint for WL scum and vertical streaking study. Awful looking work here -- that's why you commit your worst work to something people will ever see. Nuts!... I should have thought that through before posting that picture. Now I will have to kill you all! Sorry.



I temporarily pressed one of my 1/96 SKIPJACK hulls into service as a test-article. Here I'm playing with pre-shading techniques as well as working on my blending skills with oil paints using a variety of brushes, texture sticks and cotton balls. I also played around with Artist's pencils exploring their utility at representing scum lines and marking touch-up tasks.



This long suffering 1/144 Trumpeter SEAWOLF kit hull has seen it all! At this point I was evaluating several brands of 'real rust' medium. With the right acid, and some skill swirling it around, an astoundingly real look of rust can be achieved. Because, duh, it's real rust!





I'm using the SSBN test article to play with oil pastel crayon smears. You put a glob of this medium on the model then pull it into a streak or localized pile of gunk with stiff chisel brushes. I've found the crayons good for that off-color band(s) seen just below the WL. Dip your brush into linseed oil and the work goes a lot quicker.



And this look at the use of test-articles leads us right back into the technique of 'streaking'. Here I'm investigating the means -- through use of a right-triangle guide rail (a length of channel running the length and parallel to the hulls longitudinal axis) -- of achieving near perfect vertical sweeps of the lightly loaded brush as I lay down vertical paint streaks.



The streaking effect represents rain-water run-off along the sides of the hull and down the upper rudder and sail (and any other structures AWL unique to the subject). Streaking goes down in two stages: the light colored streaking followed by a misting of the base color to soften the effect as, like oil-canning, the application will always be a bit too stark than desired, so you tone it down with a well cut mixture of the base color.

NEVER represent vertical streaking on the BWL portions of hull. Just don't happen! (Other than water run-off from discharges still active in dry-dock, but that's an exception to a boats natural in-water look). That's why the masking from WL down on this 1/60 ALBACORE hull I'm streaking with acrylic paint. I prefer the quick-dry, water-soluble paint for this work as the steaks will not blend with one another when dry; nor is this paint soluble once dry. For that reasons I don't use oil paint or other blindable mediums when doing this type work.



I've demonstrated here on this 1/144 Trumpeter KILO how to de-emphasis the streaking by misting on the appropriate amount of base color to knock down the contrast. The misting is done with vertical passes of the air-gun. NEVER horizontal sweeps!! To the left is virgin streaking; to the right I've misted on some base color to present a more credible look to the effect.



And the result. Not a pristine, toy looking model. But an honest to God, attractive display piece representing a REAL, operational, weather beaten submarine. That's what weathering is all about -- that final step taken to breath life into the work; a living, breathing thing subject to the effects of the environment it operates in.





Metallics Nothing looks like bright metal like bright metal. The best medium is self-adhesive aluminum foil. You can make your own from Reynolds Wrap and contact cement, or you can buy the commercial stuff at the local hobby shop (rotsa ruck!). Second best medium are the metallic particle bearing waxes like the old Rub n' Buff products.

Self-adhesive aluminum foil is usually used to represent the stainless steel flange rings around main ballast tank vents as well as the the cover plates of compartment salvage deck fittings. On the real boats these items are usually painted black, but I show them this way to increase visibility of the submerged model.

Here I'm using brass tube punches to cut the concentric circles that produce MBTV flanges.



Once the flanges are cut to shape they are lifted off the backing paper (wax or parchment paper) with a blade tip and transferred to the model.



Use of Rub n' Buff silver wax to render a 'clear deadlight' look to a 1/60 ALBACORE's bridge wind-breaker. Care is taken to mask around the work as once the wax gets away from you it can only be removed through abrasion or scraping.



The metallic wax, with care, can be worked onto the model surface with a stiff chisel-brush with surprising accuracy. And the more you brush and buff it out, the brighter becomes the metal flakes suspended in the wax binder.

Such as the pipe runs on this Disney NAUTILUS wheel-house interior.



Oil Pastel Crayon Solid sticks of oil paint, if you will. You position a hunk of this stuff where you want it then knead and pull the medium with stiff brushes to feather it out. Good for spot-rust effects, cathodic bleaching, verdigris and the like.

The bleached band at the top of the WL scum band -- representing dead flora at the water/air interface -- was too stark so I softened that band down with smears of green oil pastel crayon and then feathered it into the work with brushes and a cotton ball.



Carbon exhaust streaking from one of the main engine exhaust ports is done with crayon -- little wads of the stuff is placed under the exhaust port and streaked downwards with a stiff brush. I've just started the blending here, it will become more of a unified, coherent streak by time I'm done with this task.



Rusting on modern submarines is hardly apparent, so this is an effect you either don't do or do with a very light touch. I can assure you, if I don't see it on the prototype, I don't do it on the display! Less is more.





Chalk Pastel and raw chalks have their place. They go down and when ground to a powder can be manipulated into harsh streaking or soft, feathered runs. However, once overcoated with the clear-coat they will diminish greatly in density, so to be effective the chalk has to be laid on thick to compensate for this. An acquired art.





Chalk is also used, in lieu of dry-brushing, to pick out light gathering projections, such as these white-caps on this water scene.

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Last year the great hull fabricator, Richard O'Malley and I agreed to work up USS NAUTILUS (SS-168) kits so we can jointly terrorize the skimmers providing target services at the NC 'fleet-run'. Richard is well underway on the hull, and I've just started work on the appendages. Here's my contribution so far:

My work started after receiving a beautiful orthographic drawing of the NAUTILUS prepared by the Polish historian, Stawomir Brzezinski for Richard. I checked it against my sources and was delighted to see that Stawomir had likely used the BuShips 'Booklet of General Plans' as source -- most aspects of those documents were in agreement. A real confidence builder.





A very good start; Richard had secured the 'good stuff'! While Richard was doing his magic to produce the 1/96 hull master I set to work on the appendage masters. The list of things to make included: bow planes, sail, shears, guns, stern planes, rudder, and gun-deck. Today I stated with slapping together the RenShape blanks for the rudder, bow planes, and stern planes.

As is my practice I mount the drawings on a 'billboard' that will keep the documents flat for accurate lofting. The billboard permits me to move, in mass, all the orthographic documents relevant to the job around the shop or to just to get the damned thing out form under foot when it's not needed. Sorry about the fruity sweater, a joke birth-day gift by my smart-ass daughter! She's been a button-pusher from day one.



As Richard sent me the plans folded I had to iron them out to eliminate the creases. I also cut away dead space to reduce the total footprint of the plans. That work done I secured the drawings to the billboard with clear packaging tape. Now: to work!





The ideal modeling medium is RenShape, for detail I use the medium-hard 40 lbs. per cubic foot stuff. I broke out a box of end cuts and worked some of it on the band-saw to come up with the control surface master blanks.





When shaping symmetrical structures it's wise to laminate two halves of a blank together after darkening their glue-side faces with black marker or paint. Doing so, no matter how much material you work away from the edges, you always have the centerline evident to guide you as you work both sides to the correct section -- in these masters, a tear-drop shaped hydrofoil.









Screw it. Enough. I'm hitting the rack!
 
A brief recap on the 1/96 STURGEON master and tooling work I'm doing for the Nautilus Drydocks in support of the kit they will be coming out with in a few short months.

Keep in mind that this installment has little do do with the master and tooling work, but instead chronicles the work I've done so far on the 'check-model' I'm building to affirm the fit and detail capturing of parts produced from production tooling.

Previously I had bonded the resin tail-cone to the GRP lower hull. And that left me with the task of fairing in the radial seam between the two structures, initially with Bondo. After sanding that smooth, I switch to Nitro-Stan air-dry touch-up putty, sanded that, and then sprayed on the first check pass of gray primer.



I didn't bother priming everything, just the recently opened up holes in the bottom and upper hull halves, as well as the before mentioned after radial break between stern-cone and lower hull; and the forward radial flange of the forward hull. The gray primer identified flaws that required filing or filling, and the process repeated.



Radial seam? What radial seam? I don't see no radial seam!





I was glad to see that the fine engraving I had applied to the hull master was not only faithfully captured in negative by the glove-mold, but was also imparted faithfully onto the check-model. Can't do engravings that deep and narrow with a hard-shell type tool.

 
I always endeavor to make a model submarines sail as interesting as possible. That means representing all or most of the boats extendable masts and fairings as possible. You see that done on these models I did, both in 1/96 scale -- like the STURGEON masters and tooling I'm working on now. The finished one showing THRESHER, the unfinished one the WEBSTER (my second boat to have served on).





I install the masts and fairings when the model is on display, but will leave them on if I'm to operate the boat in 'safe' waters -- that is to say, I'm not running through surface formations and acting the fool as I play cat-and-mouse. If I'm froggy I leave the removable items in the tool-box and put a single 'sacrificial' mast on the sail I have something to see when tooling around at periscope depth.



If the masts and fairings are to be removable AND are to all stand tall and straight each has to be support at two points. Typically a mast or fairing is supported at the top of the sail (or a point just within the opening at the top through which the mast would project), and another fixed support structure farther down in the sail. I've found the minimum distance between these two bearing points to be one-half-inch.



I'm tired, it's late, I'm hitting the rack... you got questions about how I do it? Ask! Here are the pretty pictures.

Nighty, night!

























 
Where was I?... Oh, yeah. Model building.

Getting the 1/96 BLUEBACK kit checked out and readied for another season of fun I found that the upper hull had warped open much wider than the lower hull -- the two no longer shared a tight, in line, separation. This is how I went about heat-warping the upper hull back into alignment:

As GRP structures have 'some' thermoplastic properties -- the ability to use heat (sometimes a risky operation) and stress to slightly reshape a structure -- I employed a fixture to hold the heated hull to the desired shape as it cooled and (hopefully) assumed the correct geometry once removed from the fixture.

The whole disaster was the result of pulling the still green GRP upper hull from its tool too soon after fabrication. That original sin committed about eight years ago. Lesson learned!













David
 
I assume most American's here have made good use of the wide and varied selection of hand and power tools offered by Harbor Freight. I sure have! Not high-quality stuff, but good enough for our work. However, sometimes the Chinese stuff will throw you a curve-ball. Such is the case with this 'new' 18-volt battery pack used with their recent line of battery operated hand-tools. Looks like it was immersed in salt water somewhere between the orient and here -- I suspect its shipping container, stowed above the main-deck, might have taken a wave or two during the Pacific crossing. When I got it, it would not take a charge. OK, enough Communist China bashing for the moment.



Removing the slightly squeezed upper hull half from the compression fixture, I was happy to see a significant restoration of the original circular cross section throughout the length of the hull half. As the lower hull had a longitudinally running flange, all I had to do was install an array of indexing lips within the lower hull to engage the inside surfaces of the lower hulls flange to pull the seams of the two halves into proper alignment.



Cast resin, carbon reinforced indexing lip blanks were cut into three's and prepared for mounting within the upper hull.



Before CA'ing the indexing lips I first ascertained the mean thickness of the lower hulls flange (.030") with a micrometer. I then made a 'indexing lip gauge' from a like thickness of styrene sheet. This gauge installed between the lip and the inside surface of the lower hull into which would later slide the lower hull flange during assembly.





And the desired result: the two hull halves with their longitudinal edges butting up tight against one another in almost perfect alignment. We'll see how well this holds up after the assembled model has been left sitting under the summer sun come next sub-regatta!

 
Has anyone launched bottle rockets out of missile tubes of large scale sub models?
 
In another thread here, there is a vertical submarine design that could make hobby rockets launch more easily…maybe punch through lake ice.
 
The interior of a free-flooding r/c submarine is wet with the exception of the compartment(s) needed to keep the propulsion, control, and ballast sub-systems dry. Trimming the submarine involves matching the weight of water it displaces to the weight of the vehicle itself -- that's how you achieve 'neutral' buoyancy in a fluid. The foam installed in the wet portions of the hull are there to meet the displacement requirement.

It's vital that the displacing element be light of weight and will not, in time, saturate with water. That requirement is met by using a tight, closed-cell type foam. In this case, a professional model building medium, RenShape. This easy to carve and machine stuff is a light-weight foam, with a density of twenty-pounds-per-cubic-foot.

A shot of the end-game -- installation of closed cell floatation pieces tightly crammed within the annular space between SubDriver and hull -- to give you perspective of what went on to get these precisely shaped pieces of foam installed.



We received this big piece of RenShape in support of a MIT tow-vehicle job commissioned a while back. fortunately, for us, we only used a fraction of the material on that job and have since been using the remnants for master, jigs; and floatation piece, such as the work described here.

The initial cut, just to get this thing into the shop after an eighteen-wheeled truck dropped it off, with no ceremony, in our parkway. Ellie was not amused!



Hacking away to further reduce the RenShape to manageable sized pieces for later work. What a mess!



And this last shot, taken only a few days ago, of the raw cutting process as I got medieval on this hunk of low-density RenShape in support of the floatation work discussed here.





I used the bandsaw for the remainder of the blank work, then made use of the oscillating drum sander to render the concave face of the inboard pieces of floatation foam. The rest of the work was completed with razor saw and sanding blocks.









And, finally, the floatation pieces were installed within the hull with the aid of a hot-glue gun.

 
With an initial amount of buoyant foam secured within the lower hull it came time to dunk the model in the water – ballast tank full – to find out how much foam had to be installed to achieve neutral buoyancy (or, in some rare cases, the removal of excess foam).

In this case the BLUEBACK model sank like a rock. I easily determined the amount and location of additional buoyant foam needed by simply rubber-banding hunks of the stuff to the outside of the model.



And this is the objective: the nearly completely submerged model (only a small portion of the upper sail projecting into the air) resting at a zero bubble angle. To achieve this I kept adding blocks of foam and moving them fore or aft as required. In this condition the submarine is said to be at proper submerged trim.




Now, to shift all that foam from the outside to the inside of the model – not an easy task, as the annular space between the BLUEBACK hull and SubDriver is only a half-inch or so, and tightens even further near the bow and stern tappers.

To maximize roll stability you want the foam as high as possible, but not higher than the submarines designed waterline. So, most of the foam you see here had to go within the upper hull half. The work went pretty much like how I installed the buoyant foam into the lower hull.



Using the cylindrical sanding 'block' I trued up inboard faces of the installed buoyant foam pieces – this to afford clearance of the SubDriver. Counter to my previous comment, I did install some of the foam above the models designed waterline. You do what ya gotta do!



With that the model was again assembled, but this time I turned on the transmitter and receiver so I could vent and blow the ballast tank while it was in the test tank. The models ballast tank was vented. I found that the model was still a tad negatively buoyant, but this was negated with a little more buoyant foam. As you see here those touch-up pieces of foam were rubber-banded atop the hull. Note that the models submerged trim has just the top of the sail projecting into the air. Perfect!

I then blew the tank dry and observed where the actual waterline was in relation to the designed waterline. Any disparity is fixed by moving foam above/below the designed waterline as required – the net buoyancy remains the same, but the buoyancy in surfaced trim has been altered to make the model float at the designed waterline with the ballast tank empty.

And that, boy's and girl's, is how you trim a free-flooding r/c model submarine for surfaced and submerged trim. Note that the discussion now departs from the BLUEBACK and shifts to the same process applied to my little 1/96 Type-212.

Also, I conclude this screed with a rant describing what it takes to be successful at this game. Buckle up!



Slobbering old fool checking the submerged trim of his Type-212 before boxing it up and taking it to Nauticus for our monthly run. Just one of the many pre-mission checks done before even thinking about loading the car for a days fun.

Successful r/c model submarining demands more attention to detail, maintenance, trouble-shooting, and dogged determination than any other form of r/c vehicle operation. These very wet vehicles are not crummy little foamies you just charge up, pull out the antenna and point skyward. NO! R/c submarining is a high-maintenance, intolerant, unforgiving, demanding bitch! You play by the rules or you go home with an empty boat stand!

I've broken this game down into three phases: Pre-Mission checks and operations; Mission checks; and Post-Mission checks and operations. (you navy Diver's might see a pattern here).



Before I even load up the car for an afternoons play-time I've already put several hours of pre-mission checks and operations in. Then, once at the lake/pool/river I conduct mission checks to insure everything works before I head out to deep water. And the fun never ends: when I get home after a hot, tiring day, I still have a few hours of post-mission checks and procedures to perform, insuring everything is put into a preservation mode and problems corrected.

I see so many of you guys at regattas with your boat never leaving the table. Why? I'll tell you why: because you got cheap with your time and resources, that's why! You treat this facet of the hobby like your r/c submarine is just another cheap-ass RTR Chinese play-toy! How come I'm that guy still operating in the water come 2PM -- usually the only one left standing. How's that? Because my shit works... and yours don't!

Hint: If your maintenance-to-running ratio is less than 2, you're not putting enough effort into this game.

There!... done. That pop sound you just heard was me extracting my foot from your ass.



At Nauticus with my fellow Elite Fleet partners in crime. In the middle of some mission checks before getting the model wet again. You can see the fresh water pond in the background – the perfect place to run our models. We've been doing this for about ten years and is a monthly event in the summer months.






The Nauticus people even built this fine little step-off pier for our use. Note the use of a PVC pipe 'boat caddie'.




The first mission check at the site is to dive the boat close-in – so you can jump in if you have too – and affirm that the boat will assume proper submerged trim with just the top of the sail sticking out of the water and resting on an even keel.



The ballast tank is then blown dry and proper surface trim is verified. Only then do you take the boat out into deeper water, confident that things are working as they should.




Arriving home, the car is unpacked and all I want is a drink of cold water, a warm shower, and a long nap.

But... Nooooo! Post-Missions got to get done.

NEVER store a WTC/SubDriver/Module/whatever all buttoned up after an outing. Never!

First thing is to break out the note-pad you kept at the site and used to jot down problems encountered during mission-checks and operation of the boat on and out of the water. Post-mission is the time to address those issue.

The fun never ends!


 
Primarily this post deals with the start of the final push to complete the 1/96 STURGEON kit master and tooling so the Nautilus Drydocks can get this product into production and into the hands of a patiently waiting clientele.

But, first, a little house cleaning as I conclude the discussion on how I installed the last of the flotation foam into the 1/96 BLUEBACK model.

After going through all that careful work of contouring the pieces of flotation foam that were glued within the upper hull I was disappointing to find that I could not enclose the models upper and lower hull with the SubDriver in place. Yet, removing the SD, the hull halves fit together perfectly! Obviously the SD was making contact with the just installed foam. Damn!

Normally I would slather black Artist oil paint over the top of the SD, slam the upper half of the hull in place as far as it would go, remove it, and examine where the black (very messy) paint made contact with the offending areas of flotation foam or other structure making contact with the SD.



The only variance of the procedure was to dragoon a discarded length of 2.5” diameter cylinder in as a proxy for the models SD – I hate cleaning up oil paint! So, after installing the proxy and brushing on the black oil paint I pressed the upper hull into place as far as it would go, I pulled it off and, presto-chango. There were the smears of black Artist oil, precisely directing my wrath towards the offending hunks of foam and... surprise!... also the flexible hose that runs from the sail mounted induction snorkel down to the induction side of the SD's SAS ballast sub-system.

Pictured, an accusatory finger points to the paint smears on two of the after pieces of recently installed flotation foam. The right of that you can make out black paint on the end of the snorkel flexible hose. Ah, Ha... Gotcha!

A bit of sanding of the foam took care of the interference fit between foam and SD. And a re-routing of the snorkel induction hose solved the contact problem between it and the top of the SD. The proxy cylinder was then unceremoniously slam-dunked into the dumpster, the operational SD installed and – to my great joy and relief – the two hull halves sat down on each other in reasonable alignment and with their longitudinal edges actually making contact. Success!

Damn... I'm good!



OK, back to the 1/96 STURGEON masters and tooling – work long delayed by current events.

Time is at hand to produce the rubber tools needed to produce production cast resin sails. First task is to construct a flask, or containment, that will hold the liquid tool-making rubber as it changes state from liquid to solid. A simple box constructed from 3/4” thick shelving (particle board faced with a veneer of white plastic). My go-to material for flask making. In background is the tool I made for producing cast resin stern-cones for this kit, in shot to give you an idea of what the sail flask will look like eventually. But, at this point I'm in the lay-out process where a paper study validates rubber wall thickness which in turn drives flask geometry.



About two years ago I completed the masters and tooling for a 1/96 THRESHER kit for another customer. I show off some of the tooling work here to illustrate how the STURGEON's sail master will be positioned within its flask during the rubber making process. It's a bit involved as the master – and subsequent resin pieces – is hollow. Typically, for a tool like this, it takes about three discrete pours of rubber to properly encapsulate the master yet will permit separation of the tool elements during master (and later production part) extraction. This is why the flask faces can be unscrewed and pulled away from the hard rubber tool.



From the orthographic drawings I loft the dimensions onto the shelving stock and go to town with band saw and drill-press. I'm making a box here, no big deal.



And here we are. Flask. Awaiting final detailing of the sail master.

 
One last test fit of sail parts to insure proper fit and alignment. From here things are taken apart and the tooling started.



These masters represent most of the items that will be employed to achieve the tooling from which production parts will be produced to achieve a reasonably detailed sail for the eventual kit.



The scope heads and antennas will be ganged with other small detail items in a disc type centrifugal tool that will be used to produce white-metal production parts for the kit. Those masters in foreground.



Three separate rubber tools will be created to form the production parts that make up the STURGEON kits sail. The flask you're familiar with for the sail proper; a two-piece tool for the masts; and a two-piece tool for the sail top -- two version, one representing retracted fairings and one with opening for a display of extended masts; the two sail planes (fairwater planes, for you purists); and the mast internal platform.

The inked outline is a study of how to arrange the masters and internal sprue and gate channels. When happy with such an arrangement I cut a piece of shelving 'mold board' to that outline, clay it up and set the masters half-way into the masking clay in preparation for pour of the first half of the rubber tool.

 
My Navy buddy, Phil Kordich and I go back a bit. We were navy Divers back in the day. Though we never served together our paths did cross professionally. In the late 80's, shortly after my retirement from the Canoe-Club I introduced Phil (who was and is still into static kit assembly) to the hobby of r/c submarining with a gift of our first commercially available kit, the USS SKIPJACK. Phil was hooked in no-time; we would spend almost every weekend at Mount Trashmore Lake – the most beautiful model boating site this side of the Iron Curtain -- terrorizing the model surface targets driven by other members of our mob, the Elite Fleet.

Those were the days! This is what it was like to go boating with these ruffian's on a nice summer weekend:

View: https://youtu.be/S0WeKt3FMFI


In later years – soon after the City of Virginia Beach decided that Lake Trashmore was only for looking at, but not for its citizens to use – our club found a home in Norfolk, putting on model boating demonstrations at the Nauticus museum.

That's Phil to the left driving a surface target as our mutual buddy, Al Lintz, gives chase with a submarine. Blood was let! As it shook out, the well maintained fresh water, cement lined, three-foot deep Koi ponds (the fish never worked out long-term there) are a much better venue for our runs than Lake Trashmore. Suck it, Virginia Beach City Council!

Al's an interesting bird: As a Gunners Mate he was Coxswain on a Fast-Boat in Vietnam. And today he does duty as the right-seat ballast meat-bag/traveling certified engine-air frame mechanic – riding an honest to God, restored, and flight-worthy de Havilland Mosquito. Part of his day-job now that he's older and slowing down to a more leisurely pace, befitting the stature of an old grump. He's obviously brain-damaged!

When not restoring classic war-birds at the Pungo hangars he's out there making the air-show rounds here in the States in the above mentioned very fast; high-G pulling; low-to-the-ground; scary airplane held together with pegs, screws, and epoxy glue. But there are perk's to that job: Ever seen and heard two Merlin's coming to life? On a par with the Vulcan 'growl' at run-up. One step removed from sex.

Al Lintz. From pounding along narrow river paths in a GRP gun-boat to hanging on for dear life aboard a tightly packed plywood attack-pathfinder-spy insertion/retrieval-bomber aircraft. Mr. fast-lane! Oh, and I must mention, Al is a top-notch, old-school, model builder. What's not to hate about this guy?



In the mid-90's Phil's wife commissioned me to assemble for him a birthday gift – an extensively modified SubTech 1/60 ALBACORE kit. As I had previously had a hand in development of that kit – having acquired a great deal of documentation on that experimental boat, I elected to represent Phil's model as the later variant of that submarine, the phase-4 – his submarine was outfitted with X-tail control surfaces and two concentric, counter-rotating propellers. Before delivering the model (this was over twenty-years ago) I trimmed and worked out the bugs in various outdoor fresh-water basins, and the local dive-center training pool. Note the two counter rotating, concentric propellers. This is the ALBACLORE before they shortened the distance between the two propellers.



The actual ALBACORE was a commissioned, non-combatant naval submarine used to explore new hull forms, control surfaces, depth-excursion recovery methods and devices, ship control enhancement, speed, exotic battery types, drag reduction through polymer injection, and propulsors. During its career the ALBACORE underwent four significant configuration changes (sources vary as to the exact number), each described as a 'phase'. The model I assembled for Phil represents the most sexy, the phase-4 with the enlarged dorsal anti-roll rudder; X-tail control surfaces, and well distanced coaxial, counter-rotating propellers.



Note that what I represented was the submarines near to the final propulsor configuration, before the researchers significantly shortened the distance between the two propellers.

This type propulsor found practical application on the USS JACK, of the THRESHER class. However, they never did work out a reliable shaft-seal system and the boat had to live with a constant flow of leaking water around the shafts. The Navy never revisited the concentric, counter-rotating propulsor again (other than paper studies – hello, ConForm!).

During the work-up to qualify the model I found it to be frighteningly fast, and scary maneuverable. I loved it! It broke my heart to turn this magnificent beast over to Phil. But he did make good use of it.



But. Time moves relentlessly by, and friends move away. Such is the case with Phil and his family. They are moving out of Virginia and will homestead in Tennessee. In support of that move Phil asked to borrow my shipping-storage box I built for my 1/60 ALBACORE, phase-2 kit. So -- temporarily taking my model out and placing it in a safe corner -- we transferred his 1/60 ALBACORE, phase-4 kit into it for its journey to Phil's new digs. As his move multiple trips I'll be getting my shipping-storage box in a few weeks time. Nice to know, I have the Groton run coming up the first part of September.

Just for fun I took these shots of the two models to illustrate the changes the Navy made to the ALBACORE from it's phase-2 to phase-4 configurations. Point of interest: these models were assembled twenty-some years apart. As you can see, Phil is not a practitioner of 'obstacle avoidance'.





 
merriman said:
publiusr said:
Has anyone launched bottle rockets out of missile tubes of large scale sub models?
Click to expand...
Much more than that:

View: https://youtu.be/yHeAPGi8Xzg
Click to expand...

Maybe this makes me a wicked little fellow, but I'd love to have a little robot recover the Liberty Bell 7 SOFAR bomb they threw overboard and put it inside a model sub and detonate it underwater with a go-pro nearby.

That SOFAR is down there...waiting...but I thought I heard a rumor they were going to try to find that and the hatch.


Here is that wild sub concept:

That might be a good project to model. You could put an Estes in that one.
 
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There were two rather distinctive sonar transducer fairings that sat atop some, but not all, STURGEON class boats. For that reason I produce these items as discrete parts, the production parts to be added to the display at the kit-assemblers discretion – depending on what boat of the class, and moment in time, the display represents.

Unfortunately, the excellent orthographic drawings of the STUGEON I used (I usually mount such working drawings on a bill-board to ease the process of handling and lofting) did not indicate these two fairing in question: the WLR-9 (torpedo detection) forward of the bow marker-buoy; and the GNATS (sonar jammer) well aft, forward of the upper rudder.

So, I was compelled to post to the various submarine forums I know and requested assistance from anyone in Web-Land. And sure enough, an old buddy popped up, who had access to the real thing, and he supplied me with GNATS and WLR-9 fairing dimensions! An excellent start.

Then, to further define the shape and location on the hull of these fairings I dragged my drawing into the study, started a search for STURGEON's and found enough photos to fine-tune the shape and location of these items. It was then an easy matter to represent them orthographically onto my working drawings.



Jumping ahead a little to show you the objective: the nearly completed sonar fairing masters. The forward mounted WLR-9, temporarily mounted on my proof-models bow – in background is a file photo of a real boat outfitted with an actual WLR-9 fairing; and the much larger GNATS fairing back aft.

(Incidentally, most sailors referred to the WLR-9 as the, 'shark-tooth' for obvious reasons... to the deck-gang it was just another God-damned thing to trip over during the maneuvering watch as you wrestled with retractable cleats, tried to step over open line-lockers, as you and your fellow sweat-hogs wrangled heavy mooring lines).

The WLR-9 and GNATS masters are in the ruff at this stage but will be refined before they are employed to produce production tooling.



The GNATS fairing master presented a bit of a problem: its vertical reference plane needing to be parallel with that of the boats, but the fairing is slightly off-set to the starboard side of deck center-line. Careful work with Dremel sanding drum, files, and conformal sanding paper finally got the base of the fairing to make a good fit to the hull, that location denoted by the inked in outline atop the hull.



As the shark-tooth and GNATS fairings were symmetrical of section I constructed the RenShape blanks as two-piece assemblies – by darkening the face of each half before gluing together I produced an easily observed center-line plane that would never be obliterated no matter how much I cut, filed, and sanded the work to shape.

I was remiss with my picture taking, I failed to record that process on the masters under discussion here. But, not to fear, the below photo demonstrates the process as applied to a 1/35 Type-23 set of control surface masters. Though not germane to the STURGEON work, but of interest to some, is that by making the master blanks from halves like this you are given the opportunity to mill out, with great precision, channels that later fit control surface operating shafts.

Note the use of a magic-marker to blacken the inboard face of each blank half. You can also just make out the dark lines that denote the center-line plane of a blank, either in the raw or worked to the desired section – that reference plane NEVER goes away (well... until you hit the work with gray primer, duh!).



Plan and profile template for the top portion of the GNATS faring. From my photo analysis I determined that the curved upper part of the fairing was the top half of a body-of-revolution, so only one template was required to guide me as I cut the curved portion of the master in plan and profile. Making templates from clear plastic permits you to trace the shape from the drawing onto the template blank without need of lofting measurements with drafting tools, which would be necessary if the template blank was made from an opaque material.



Once the two sonar fairings were worked to section I then cut them to correct profile with razor saw, sanding block, files and stiff little pieces of #240 sandpaper. Note the selection of hand-vices I employed for this and other STURGEON work.

Sanding blocks come in many sizes and flavors. This nail-sanding stick for example. You can get these by the bag full at your local beauty supply store. I dare you!



The hand-made hand-vices are most useful for holding small parts tightly and keep them from flexing as you work with, saw, knife, file and sandpaper.



Just some of the abrasives on hand for work like this.



Using Mom's old Jeweler's hand-vice to secure the WLR-9 master as I work it to shape.





Using a waterline marking tool I denote the base of the upper half of the body-of-revolution.









First coat of primer to find errors. Those were corrected with sanding/filler and the work primed again. This process repeated till the masters were presentable.



 
Earlier here I chronicled the repair work I did on my friends 1/72 THRESHER model. The longitudinal edges between the upper and lower hull halves were chipping; and we managed to break off one of the models horizontal stabilizers (I blame the other drivers!).

Now, finally, after all the intervening work, I'm completing work on Fred's model. The remaining tasks including a frequency band change, from 75 to 72mHz – to get this model off the more common frequencies used at submarine regattas (not a single model aircraft in attendance. Besides, today's aviator's operate on the 2.4gHz band); and to re-weather the hull to its original look.

Here's a shot of Fred's boat before the damage. This is the state of the display we're shooting for after my work. I should have it all wrapped up by the weekend. Done in plenty of time for the next Groton submarine-base all r/c submarine regatta next month.



Polk's Seeker-2, 8-channel receiver is physically bigger than more modern receivers, but that's it's only liability. The receiver features a 'synthetic crystal' that can be set – what you see me doing here – to any frequency the transmitter poops out on the assigned band. Once set, the receiver 'remembers' the setting in a non-volatile memory. Big, clunky, old thing!



Though an old system, the Polk's Tracker-3 transmitter and companion Seeker-2 receiver were – and are today, if you ask me – the finest r/c system ever devised for the r/c submariners. The transmitter can load and retain settings for 99 models; it has an installed receiver that does a frequency check before transmitting, this to guard against inadvertent frequency conflict between operators; is programmable for every conceivable thing; and above all the transmitter features a 'synthetic' crystal which permits the operator to select any frequency on the band for which the transmitter is intended, be it the 75mHz or 72mHz band.

The only requirement for a frequency change being, regardless of system brand, is that the receiver and transmitter are tuned to operate on the same band (a broad selection of discrete frequencies assigned by the FCC – in America the approved bands for r/c vehicles are the 72, 75, 27, 40mHz, and 2.4gHz bands). Most non-2.5gHz systems on these bands require a physical crystal change, and those crystals today are very, very hard to find!



In its plastic case the Seeker-2, 8-channel receiver was just a tad too big to fit within the SubDriver. Which compelled me to remove the PCB from its protective case and sheath it within a length of heat-shrink tubing. This reduced the receivers foot-print enough to fit the receiver within the tight confines of the 3.5” diameter SD.



It's good practice to insure that the receiver is still alive and well after being heated to tighten up the protective, clear heat-shrink cover. You don't want to install the receiver and only then discover you fried something, necessitating a tear-out and replacement. Just power up the transmitter, receiver, then cycle the testing servo through all eight channel ports as the appropriate transmitter stick, switch, or knob are twiddled.



I laid down a strip of masking tape over the top of the receiver, next to the servo pins so I could ink onto the receiver which channel port was what. On the sides of that tape I also indicated polarity of the pins. It's amazing how quickly you forget what goes where, hence my care to make it all painfully obvious when looking at the receiver itself. Once happy that all is right with the world the receiver is connected to the other devices within the SD's motor-bulkhead, and the receiver secured in place with a high-stick servo-tape.



You can make out the big size difference between the more modern Wfly 8-channel receiver and the older Polk's Seeker-2 8-channel receiver. Fortunately, when I designed the 3.5” SubDriver device tray I sized the device mounting bulkheads and trays for the largest items then (in the late 90's) on the market. Today, things are much smaller, so are easier to mount. But, with this step back in time I had the available room to fit the old receiver. But only after removing the receiver from its bulky case and wrapping it in heat-shrink.



After transferring all the device leads from the Wfly to the Polk's receiver, and before sticking the new receiver into position on its aluminum tray, I did a final systems check to insure I got the right assignments and that there were no problems with the servos, ESC, and low pressure blower motor.

Note the use of a zip-cord-and-switch test-cable between battery and motor-bulkhead. This permits off-cylinder test and adjustment. Use of the test-cable permits unobstructed access to all devices mounted onto the motor-bulkhead. It's in this configuration that I set-up the ESC, angle-keeper, and battery-link-monitor (fancy fail-safe). Attempting such steps with the motor-bulkhead half-out of the cylinder, still made up to its power cable and ballast servo, is a nightmare.



The only electrical unions between the motor-bulkhead and SD cylinder is the lead between the BLM and ballast tank servo; and the heavy power cable running from the forward battery dry space, forward, through the ballast tank conduit, and finally (me holding it in this shot) made up to the SD devices that require battery power. Good old Dean's connectors made for quick, positive, and high load carrying between battery and SD devices.

With only two connectors to deal with, it takes only moments to install/remove the motor-bulkhead and its attached devices from the cylinder. I design and build for simplicity, ease of access, and reliability.

See: even that big honking Polk's receiver fits the device tray!



Some people make a big deal about charging Lithium-polymer batteries. Which I understand if your a racer and want to get every Erg of energy jammed into the pack. But me, I keep it simple and just jam the current in there through the output wires. Been doing it this way for over a decade and have yet to burn the house down. That said, note the use of a metal plate and fire-brick to keep any conflagration from burning through the table. Never charge when you're out of the room, and have a smoke alarm nearby, tested, and audible. And, to drive home the point, just out of camera frame is a dry-chemical fire extinguisher, with the pin already pulled!

I only use the balancing leads to monitor battery voltage when I'm done charging; or mission-checks at the lake to insure I don't run the battery down past the critical voltage. Run town this type battery past the critical low-voltage and it will go all puffy on you. And, yes, I still use puffy batteries! I'm powering up toy submarines not high performance drones!



Once I had the THRESHER's SD up and running and talking on the 72mHz band, I prepared the below waterline portions of the hull for weathering, this done with a light wet-sanding with 3000 polishing paper and equivalent sanding sticks.



The broad surfaces were easily abraded with a hand held wad of polishing paper. However, in those areas of tight corners and raised items – specifically the tail-cone with its horizontal stabilizers, operating shaft bearing foundations, and zincs – were best worked with very low-grit sanding sticks.

 
OK! All the prep-work done on Fred's 1/72 THRESHER. Time to lay down the hull weathering. Which will have to match that of the original finish on the upper rudder and two stern planes. As it was well over ten years ago I did the original weathering on this model submarine, but now compelled to match it in 'color' and density. All representing the random bleached out 'patchiness' of a structure that has been in salt water for an extended period of time. Since memory fades with time, I thought it prudent to practice the nearly forgotten the subtle points of that process on a test article.

And here it is, the next project on my to-do list! But not just yet. First, it has to do some dirty work for me: I'm temporarily turning a failed HUNLEY r/c submarine model hull into a painting and weathering test article.

...Hope the client isn't reading this!

As I would be experimenting with variations to the weathering (type of liquid mask, density of over-coat, and type tool used to apply the liquid mask and other weathering mediums), I used masking tape to section off several portions of the test article. Each test section labeled and process notes taken so when I stumbled upon the techniques that produced the best match to the THRESHER's original weathering (the stern planes and rudders) I could go to those notes, replicate consumables and techniques, and jump straight to the THRESHER hull weathering job without fear of screwing it up.

Measure twice. Cut once!



First I experimented with polyvinyl alcohol (PVC), then tooth-paste. The tooth-paste won the contest. The liquid mask application is with a semi-stiff brush, delivering the liquid mask by a stippling motion of the brush; stabs, not sweeps.

The way I achieve a 'splotchy' look to a surface is to apply over the base color random splotches (is that a word?) of a water-soluble liquid masking that, when dry, will prevent over-coat(s) from discoloring the underlying color. The overcoat is a tan that is well cut with clear acrylic, and further reduced with a good helping of water. I don't want an opaque over-coat, I want a semi-opaque over-coat.



After the overcoat dries on the work (a heat-gun speeds things up considerably) a wet rag dissolves and pulls away the mask, revealing the splotchy black, not-so-black look. It took several different tries on the test article, but I eventually replicated the original look of below waterline weathering. My gauge, or reference item, was the old lower rudder still in its original weathered state.



Getting the desired weathering result on the test article I shifted work to the THRESHER model itself. I used a small stippling brush. As I did a section of masking I would stop and dry it out with the hot-air gun and move onto the next patch. Doing so kept me from smearing the masking agent as I handled the model.

The liquid mask is nothing more than gummy tooth-paste thinned with water and transferred to the work with a brush. Stippling is a stabbing action with the brush, not the usual back-and-forth sweeps over the work. This produces the varied pattern of masked, and unmasked portions of the hull.



However, that cheesy little brush was taking all day to lay down the tooth-paste liquid masks, so I shifted to the big-gun: a nasty four-inch, warn-out Walmart house-painting brush I dug out of the shed. NOW WE'RE TALK'N! Some times the gnarly tools are the right tools!





All the masking dry I sprayed on a heavy 'mist coating' of a tan color cut heavily with an acrylic clear-coat. You just can't water down the pigment -- you still need the adhesive binders of the resin (which incidentally classifies the paints chemistry) to make the paint stick well. Too low the binder content, the lower the paints adhesion to the work, the easier it is to scratch and rub the dried paint off the model through handling and later masking operation. You just can't thin (in this case water) the paint to get a semi-opaque coat, you have to achieve that objective by adding a clear resin binder; a clear-coat.



Several coats of this light colored, semi-opaque paint went down, using the heat-gun between coats to insure things are dry before applying more paint. Fail to do this and you get beading, orange-peel, and possibly even the dreaded 'fish-eye' spots in the paint. Water soluble paints are intolerant of heavy wet build-ups. The heat-gun makes the work go as fast as you can swing the air-brush and gun. I hate waiting for paint to dry!



And, finally, the green colored 'marine growth' you typically see just below the submarines waterline. In drydock this quickly dies and bleaches out to a light tan and/or gray. And STINKS!!!!!

The above waterline portions of the hull had been masked off for months, so I could jump right in with the green loaded air-brush.

Hobby-shop acrylic paints are stupid-expensive. You can buy the same crap at Walmart for a fraction of the price! Besides, quality here is wasted as the entire hull will later be over-coated with an industrial quality flattened clear-coat to protect and even out all the applied paint and weathering mediums.

(Hobby-shops used to be fun places. Not any more. What few that still stand are franchised big-boy-toy-stores with RTR crap in big, fancy boxes. Most counter-people are face pierced and tattooed, slobbering idiots. I long for the old mom-and-pop shop where you could actually buy building supplies and get useful advice from the guys behind the counter.)



Starting to remove the masking so I could get on with the next operation: blending in some white Artist oil paint just below the waterline to represent the dead and bleached marine growth that accumulates at the waters edge when the boat is floating in the water pier-side. The scum-line.


After laying down the scum-line I'll reinstate the bow draft numbers below the waterline, do a little touch-up work, paint the cathodic protection zincs back aft a light gray and then, finally, blast the model with a near bullet-proof, well flattened DuPont ChromaClear protective coat, and the display will be finished (again).



I laid-down the feathered green marine growth on the test article. Note that for small volume air-brush paint jobs you can dispense with both the paint bottle and paint-cup and just put a few drops (which is all that was needed for this job) into the air-brushes needle directly. Makes later clean-up of the air-brush a much easier, quicker job.



Since Artist's oil paints can be smeared to blend in with the other work, that was the choice of paint selected to represent the scum-line. A small chisel-brush was the weapon of choice here. A small amount of paint was deposited on a paper palette and the brush lightly loaded, then carefully run along the edge were the green meets the black. A paper towel is then used to smudge the white paint downward, feathering it slightly into the green paint.



Using the original weathering of the upper rudder to check likeness of results between it and the test article. Good enough! Time to take the work to the model.



And here you go.

 
While working on the 1/72 THRESHER I remembered that I had to get my old Mat Thor 1/96 THRESHER model dressed up and tested for the upcoming Groton sub-run next month. So, during the touch-up painting – chronicled later – I pulled the 1/96 model off the wall and addressed it while I still had wet paint left over from the 1/72 model paint touch-up and weathering.

This picture clearly shows that I don't have a clue as to the THRESHER's anti-foul color at any time during its service life. Was it all black, or did it sport anti-foul red from waterline down/from centerline down? Beats the hell out of me; I simply don't know! Anyone out there who can give me a solid answer, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Different yards, different ways of doing things. Confusion is the by-product.



During all that detailing and handling my grubby finders stained the work. So, before committing to the markings, touch-up painting, and well flattened DuPont ChromaClear clear-coat the entire model – including all its removed appendages – was scrubbed with soapy water, rinsed, and dried and hit with a tack-rag to (hopefully) reduce its static charge, a move to limit accumulation of dust between the cleaning and the other operations.



Four rows of cathodic protection – owing to the dissimilar metals of brass and steel hull at the stern – in the form of sacrificial Zinc anodes, were highlighted by scrubbing onto them brownish-white oil paint applied with a brush, then rubbed in with a paper-towel.



The objective was to suggest mild oxidation of the Zincs as a consequence of galvanic action (two dissimilar metals, sea water, all in close proximity = battery).



Nothing looks like shiny metal like shiny metal. In those modeling situations where you need that 'look', a self adhesive aluminum foil is often the medium of choice. Such is the case with the THRESHER's deck mounted main ballast tank vent (MBTV) retaining rings, and disc shaped compartment salvage covers. As a practical matter most boats that go out on patrol have these items painted the same flat black as the other structures. However, I have seen pre-commission and post-overhaul shots of boats that have these items unpainted.



Bare Metal Foil is my go-to product for self-adhesive foil. They offer several shades of Aluminum. And, as they say in their advertising: “It looks like metal because it is metal”. Can't argue with that!

You either cut out the desired shape of foil while it's still attached to its backing; or you lift an over-sized piece of foil off the backing, place it on the model, burnish it down, and then cut to outline and pull away those portions not needed. On this job, which required simple circular pieces of foil, the cutting was done off-model with the aid of appropriately sized punch-cutters.



The reason I take every opportunity to make things on an r/c submarines topside structures stand out is, visibility! When operating submerged I have to see something. And metallic items, or garish 'international orange' escape marker-buoys, hull and draft numbers, and even weathering – help one to make out the submerged models location and attitude. Vital. If you can't see it, you can't drive it!

Here I'm refining the open hole of the MBTV by pushing the shank end of a drill bit into the hole which forces the foil to fail and punch through the hole, leaving a crisp opening where air can quickly vent in or out of the hull as the model submarine transitions back and forth between surfaced and submerged trim.



Use of dry-transfer markings produces crisp, clean markings of the desired size, font, and color. But, the process does demand of you correct use of lay-out tools to place each marking in the correct spot, with proper spacing between the markings.

Woodland Scenics, their Model Graphics division, produces an all encompassing sheet of white transfers suitable for almost any US submarine. You want MG747 45-degree, USA No. GOTHIC-WHITE. Sizes of the numbers are suitable for both hull numbers, and draft numbers in 1/192, 1/96, 1/72, and 1/32.



Care is taken to employ a masking tape guide to help keep the individual markings in correct location on the model as well as in correct spacing from one another. The wax-like markings, are available in many different fonts, sizes, and colors. US Navy numbers and letters on ships are usually white and are a block type font. The marking itself is bonded to a carrier-film. The marking is transferred to the work by placing the carrier-film – which is transparent enough for you to see through it and the marking you will press onto the model – where you want it, then pressing over that marking with an embossing tool to force the sticky marking to break its weak bond to the carrier-film and stick to the models surface. That accomplished, the carrier-film is pulled away, leaving the marking on the model.



Nice thing about self-stick dry-transfers is that if you make a mistake (here I've gotten the '9' and '8' slightly out of alignment, so they had to go) its an easy matter to lift the offending marking off the model with masking tape. The inherent weakness of the marking is countered later when the model is given a heavy clear-coat, which goes a long way in making the dry-transfer marking more durable.



Though there are commercially available 'burnishing tools' out there, it's been my experience that the pointy end of a stick – or sharpened end of a popsicle-stick – will do the job equally well. A slightly blunted point works best for the smaller sized transfers.



Here I'm using some very watered down green to slightly discolor the just applied white dry-transfer draft numbers just below the models waterline.



While the water-soluble acrylic paint was out I did some touch-up paint repair work to the 1/72 THRESHER, as well as to a 1/96 THRESHER I have to get ready for the upcoming Groton Sub-Run. Color matching submarine models is pretty easy: black and white to get any gray you need, some green, and the three primary colors which give you the ability to mix any color or shade to suit the job.

 
Justo Miranda said:
martinbayer said:
On a tangentially related note: https://culttvman.com/main/building-the-doppelganger-dove-by-davey-happyfellow/ ;)
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I remember very well that series about the scratch construction of the Dove, I was a modeler at the time and I was amazed by the enormous wisdom and skill of Merriman ... and I still am.
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Just today I was cleaning out the attic of my shed, and there, covered in squirl-shit was the unfinished hull and bits of the DOVE. Damn!
 

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