Will Vale Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Hi folks, After some encouragement I stopped hiding from my submersible and finished it off - I think it's the first plastic kit I've finished in several years (barring some wee model railway bits). (click for big) This is the Bandai Exploring Lab 1/48 kit of the Japanese deep submergence vehicle Shinkai 6500, as operated by JAMSTEC. I'd intended this to be a "light relief" build but it ended up taking about a month on and off. I'd thoroughly recommend the kit, it's nicely done and my only complaint would be that the decals are a bit thick. I built it out of the box apart from adding cabling and hydraulic lines, wire grab handles, opening some lift eyes, and rebuilding the very coarse sample baskets to get a better sense of scale. The last task was probably 25% of the entire build time, and 75% of the frustration encountered, but I'm glad I did it. I painted the bodywork with Tamiya rattle cans and polished the paint with their compounds. The details are brush painted, mostly with GW acrylics, and the panel lines and pin washes are from MIG. I've probably forgotten to do something, but the easiest way to find out what that might be is to claim it finished and let you lot point it out To which end comments and suggestions much appreciated, and thanks to everyone who offered encouragement while I was building. Cheers, Will Edited April 16, 2012 by Will Vale 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainA Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Very nice Will. Saw this on your flickr pages, very impressive stuff going on in there. Cheers Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 That looks real. The moral of the story is that I think you should finish more models! Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basosz Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 That is something different. Very nicely done. I can't claim to see anything missing, but you might put some recovered bits from the sea floor in the baskets. A bit of Titanic perhaps would be appropriate for the season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar2 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Very nicely done Will. She looks like she could very soon take to the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Now that's something completely different! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thanks for the kind words! I'd definitely like to finish more models, working on the Stuka is probably the next priority then I have a couple of ships being slowly assembled and other odds and sods. Too many pies, not enough fingers you might put some recovered bits from the sea floor in the baskets. That's a good idea, I've seen some pictures of the sub diving with an ROV in the large basket - that would be a fun mini-project. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madam I'm Adam Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Well done Will. The Sub has been done justice. Your build is soooo good. Ab Fab For me, my all time favourite WIP and subject and build I have seen on BM, possibly on the interweb If I was a bit bossy, it was well worth it if that gentle cajouling helped encourage you to finish, and what a finish, smooth & shiney. Very nice weathering, subtle and realistic Bandai should offer you money for your images, they demonstrate how good their kit can be, if put together by a talented modeller... I think that's enough praise now, I wouldn't want it to go to your head. Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert26 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thats a beauty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 The real deal...in miniature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted April 20, 2012 Author Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thanks again folks, it's very kind of you. Excitingly, Bandai have announced another JAMSTEC vessel for their next Exploring Lab release! I want it, but I'm also a bit nervous about how good a job they'll make of the latticework mast in 1/700. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madam I'm Adam Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thanks again folks, it's very kind of you. Excitingly, Bandai have announced another JAMSTEC vessel for their next Exploring Lab release! I want it, but I'm also a bit nervous about how good a job they'll make of the latticework mast in 1/700. Will That is soooo ugly................................ Want it ! But all that lattice in 1/700 ...hmmmm I share your concern Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madam I'm Adam Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Thanks again folks, it's very kind of you. Excitingly, Bandai have announced another JAMSTEC vessel for their next Exploring Lab release! I want it, but I'm also a bit nervous about how good a job they'll make of the latticework mast in 1/700. Will That is soooo ugly................................ Want it ! But all that lattice in 1/700 ...hmmmm I share your concern Adam oh how did that happen? could a mod delete the repeat please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Ogilvie Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 That's fantastic that is - really like it! And, yes, you should build more!! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HADman Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Hi Will, I have never seen submarine kit, like this and your work are very-very nice! congratulation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 3, 2021 Share Posted November 3, 2021 Lovely model Will! I guessed someone on BM would have built one of these, should probably have guessed it would be you. In your research for this build, did you happen to come accross any images of the Shinkai 6500 being transported on land? I'm actually more interested in the vehicle transporting it than in the sub itself, I've found a couple of images (from the MHI website) of the sub on a trailer, but that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goji308 Posted November 3, 2021 Share Posted November 3, 2021 What a very interesting model. I love the work you put into this kit. Your attention to detail is incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted November 4, 2021 Author Share Posted November 4, 2021 Wow, this is a blast from the past! Thanks for the kind comments. I don't recall seeing anything about land transport. I remember research was difficult owing to the language barrier, and also because there's a museum replica which isn't especially accurate. Or at least I think that's what I remember? There have been some modifications to the real thing (new thrusters) which Bandai and Hasegawa have reflected in updated kits. Cheers, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted November 5, 2021 Author Share Posted November 5, 2021 @Sgt.Squarehead I found someone who'd put the 1/72 Shinkai on the Aoshima 1/76 Type 73 trailer, and that looks similar-but-different - note the transporter trailer has the right shaped wheel arches, but is cut off at an angle to accomodate the ramp. It feels like it probably has bigger wheels too. There's a picture here of a 2 axle trailer which looks different again - https://www.nmeweb.jp/duties_probe_shinkai.html Aha: This is Shinkai 2000 though, and a different trailer again? https://www.sankairenzoku10cm.blue/entry/torakku-doboku Bingo! Top photo. https://www.jamstec.go.jp/shinkai6500/reports/yk14-03.html I found the text "しんかい 6500" helpful for finding more pictures. NB: I found my Bandai Chikyu while cleaning up the other day, I should really build it... Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 13 minutes ago, Will Vale said: @Sgt.Squarehead I found someone who'd put the 1/72 Shinkai on the Aoshima 1/76 Type 73 trailer, and that looks similar-but-different - note the transporter trailer has the right shaped wheel arches, but is cut off at an angle to accomodate the ramp. It feels like it probably has bigger wheels too. That is exactly what I was going to do (The Type 73 Transporter is 1/72, as is all of Aoshima's modern military stuff, it's Fujimi who can't make up their mind which scale they want to work in)! My plan was to cut off the end of the existing bed and replace it with a flat extension to closer match the picture.....There's a mesh panel on the transporter, just ahead of the angle, but I can't see anything resembling it on any of these pictures, indeed all of the trailers here look rather simpler than the transporter. Thanks for your advice with the search term, the English approximation didn't get me very far at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondrome Posted November 6, 2021 Share Posted November 6, 2021 I like this blast from the past! Never seen this model before, and your build is awesome. lovely smooth glossy finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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