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Revell 1/72 US Navy Submarine Gato-Class Platinum Edition, Need help


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Well, it's been quite a while since I built anything, been out of the country working for quite a few months.

Anyways, Xmas done and dusted and much to my surprise.....despite dropping hints.....nobody bought me a model! So, with the money given in lieu of a model I procrastinated for a while and then took the plunge on this baby......it arrived yesterday. Already started her and got the hull buttoned up, the nose and tail pieces built up, started on the PE for the decks. Waiting on paint to arrive from Jamie at Sovereign. Not taken any photos yet but will do in the next day or so.

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It's a rather big baby.......but I thought about this a while ago, about a year ago when I finished my first and only maritime model which was a bit of a slog. Most of my stuff is aircraft and usually gets done inside of a couple of weeks, not the months it took for this ship.

 

 

 

Edited by Starspell
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Got a few more hours in this evening, at ~1.3mt (4.2ft) long she sure is a long puppy, Heaven knows where I'm gonna put it when done..........guess I'll worry about that later 🤪

 

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Got the wooden decking attached.

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Got all the PE on the decking.

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And made a start on the conning tower (think that's what they call it🥴)

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That's it for today, more progress in the coming days.

 

For those that have gone before me on this I would appreciate a heads up on any problem areas of things to keep an eye on.

 

 

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OK......so it's been about 9 months since my last attempt at PE...........still no easier this time round 🤪

I use a very thin CA and find things don't stay in the right place immediately and I have to try hold them in place for a few seconds. Am I using the right type CA or do I need a thicker one?

(I find thicker ones tend to cause a 'blob')

 

Anyways, time to give the old Mk1 eyeballs a break......MOTD on in a mo so footie and a G&T for me!

 

 

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Your PE work looks neat enough from here! I've a couple of magic solutions for PE which have paid off over the years...the first is either GS Hypo cement or B6000 jewellery glue (basically the same stuff). It's clear and sticky (holds the part in place) and cures in minutes rather than seconds allowing some 'wiggle time'. It also creates a flexible bond which will withstand my clumsiness when required!

 

The second is Klear/Future, for the fascia-type of PE like vent covers, flush panels, scuttle covers etc. Brush a thin layer on and just stick the PE part over it. It dries crystal clear and invisible, and will withstand painting and dry-brushing.

 

Just my :2c: worth, what you're doing already looks pretty good!

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What a treat! I'd love to do one of these to accompany 1/72 Hunley and Alligator, but the beast is huge!

I agree, this is looking fabulous! :popcorn:

 

For PE-plastic surface bonds, I like to use an acrylic glue, like Formula 560 Canopy Glue or Gators Grip. As you're in the UK, Deluxe Materials' R/C Modellers Canopy Glue might be easier; Deluxe also have some PVAs that would also work. My key reason for using these is their flexibility. which better handles shear stress due to the different thermal expansion rates of metal and plastic. As CA is rigid and weakest in shear, it's more subject to failure.

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Thanks for the CA advise guys............and for the kind words of encouragement.

Have been 'tinkering' a bit more today but no photos as not much to see really. Things came to a grinding halt this afternoon when one of the household tested +ve for Covid so have been scrambling to find LFT's, they are getting harder to find than rocking horse poop!

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A little more work done and the conning tower is almost complete, just one small gun assy for the rear to do (more PE!). Got a coat of primer on (Tamiya Fine Grey) and it's all looking good.

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One small gun assy to go on the rear here:

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Front gun done........a bunch of PE

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These binoculars were tricky to do, lots of very small PE parts

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Spot-light has a small clear lens that I have covered with Maskol and will remove it one finished painting.

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And the small radar dish (another PE replacement of kit part)

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That's as far as I have got. Got the paints from Jaime at Sovereign yesterday so will move on the spraying all the hull tomorrow or the day after. Ordered 5 x 14ml tins so hoping that is enough as there is a lot of hull to spray !!

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little more progress to report, not a lot..........just a little bit :)

 

So here she is, nothing fixed yet, just placed to get a few photos...........bit of a beast!

Can't really see from the photo but got the lower hull sprayed, Tamiya (X-18) semi gloss black. Black on the top side is Colorcoats (C02) matt black

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Front end:

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The middle.......Midships (?)

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The rear end:

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Tower is all painted up but not the guns yet.

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Thats it for now, more tomorrow. Missus is at work so once I've done a few bits round the house I should get the afternoon to play some more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, a bit more work and the finishing line is in sight. Made a bit of a boo boo on the depth decals......never put a gloss underneath! Oh well, c'est la vie. Luckily, only did it on one side so will clear coat it tomorrow and put the other side on then matt it all down again.

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One thing I have noticed is that a matt black finish sure seems to attract the dust etc and doesn't easily brush or blow off.............anyone know of any tricks for this??

 

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Hi this is looking pretty impressive nice work, I have found matt paints attract dust,like you say, I think because matt paint has a rough surface, a coat of lacquer whatever finish usually helps to prevent it  happening and is easier to blow clean, as it is a topcoat. hope that helps, maybe

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OK peoples, I need a little guidance/assistance.

I finished up painting my model and in readiness for weathering I put down a gloss clear coat of Alclad Klear Cote Gloss (ALC310-60). That was done midweek and has been in the house the last few days to dry. Now when I have used it before it went off really quickly but for some reason seems dry but still a bit tacky and will leave finger prints if I hold it for too long! Not a great problem as I'll just wear gloves.

 

I have some Mig Rainmark effects (Mig-1208) with which I am having limited joy with (this is just down to my inexperience, not the product!!) but my main issue is with trying to weather the large black expanse of the hull!

I have tried using some Tamiya powder but the effect just doesn't look right to my eye, looks a bit clumpy and wondering if the apparent slight tackiness of my Alclad is the cause . I have seen videos on YouTube of people using watered down acrylics which looks so easy to do but I just can't do it as the water just beads up on my gloss clear coat. If I add a little Fairy (other dishwashing soap is available!) to the paint/water mix will this help out or just make it worse.

 

Any advise or tips or other methods will be greatly received.

 

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  • Starspell changed the title to Revell 1/72 US Navy Submarine Gato-Class Platinum Edition, Need help

@VinBizz4786_ Cheers mate, happy with paint but not with the weathering on the black hull so have removed it today and will try again.

As for paint, Colourcoats paint from Sovereign Hobbies, goes down real well thru the airbrush.

 

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Hi Steve

FWIW I found the Mig "Rainmark effects" difficult to use.  It sounds like something is not right if the top surface of the varnish is still tacky?

Worth letting dry for longer?

The Tamiya weathering products are odd - I found them greasey - not quite pigments and not quite anything really

 

I agree with Chris - Try oils, though as you are aware if you've used enamels such as Sovereign you'll need an acrylic top layer.  I thnk the Alclad is lacquer and wouldn't trust that with oils unless you tried it on a test piece first.

Try 3 oils - Mig Abteilung Indrustrial earth, Faded White and any Faded Grey - apply using the "dot" method - i.e in very small amounts and experiment with scrubbing them in dry or streakingetc using VERY small amounts of white spirit.  If it's not working you can clean it all off, when you've applied you'll have up to 24 hrs at least to modify it before it dries.  For rust effects go for Mig Productions "Light Rust" effect which is a wash (and brilliant)

 

The boat is looking tremendous

Keep us posted

HTH

Rob

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OK, so on the suggestion of using oils (which is new for me) from @robgizlu and @airbus320 I got myself some Mig 302 in the colours Rob suggested

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After playing around on some scrap sheet I figured it was time to bite the bullet and have a go on the model.................not as easy as the online YT demos!

 

Anyways, here is the result:  seem about right to you all ??   Seems to take the shine off things so maybe won't need to dull coat it?  Or should I to seal it all in ?


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Hi Steve

Looking good and yes they do leave a matt appearance - I very rarely matt varnish my models after using oils over Klear

Don't forget - if you dont like it - you literally have hours to lift it all off with white spirit or adjust it.

For a comprehensive primer - it might be worth getting a Mike Rinaldi book who models AFV - he is generally accepted to be the grand master and calls his techinique "ODR = Oil dot rendering"  :nerd:

Nice work

Rob

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, here she is. Has actually been done a couple of weeks but got sent away for work and never got round to taking any photos.

I am reasonably pleased with how she turned out, the weathering is not quite how I envisioned it, dot filters are definitely something I need to work on. I sort of did it in stages, a couple of panels at time, and found it nigh on impossible to get the same results each time...........some panels I am happy with, others not so much. I think I cleaned it all off 3 or 4 times until I thought 'enough, that will have to do!'  I only ended up dirtying up one side as I couldn't find the enthusiasm to do the other side!!

I am happy with how the weathering turned out on the grey, but weathering the black was challenging and it is here that I am not so happy.

So this is how she is.............comments and critique welcome as would help in the future.

 

Port Side views ('dirty' side)

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Starboard Views (the 'clean' side)
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Top side views:
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Based on feedback on another forum I was told the flags were the wrong size. so have searched out images and resized them. Will fit them tomorrow and then call this done.

"Revell let you down a bit with the flags--those are Size 1 or 2, and a submarine would be issued Size 6 or 7 (about a quarter of the size you have)."

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