Need Help with (plastic) Submarine Model Building
(Jamal Hannah)
(NOTE: this is actually a number of questions; these are
shown individually below along with their answers.)
How do you keep the model glue from getting on your fingers
and then smearing on the model and ruining the visible surface
with marks?
How do you keep from putting an excessive amount of glue on
the model parts so you can avoid smearing, but still put on
enough to keep from having gaps in the model's seams?
These two questions have pretty much the same answer. Use one of
the thin solvent glues such as Tenax or Ambroid (there are others too)
which disappear into the seams via capillary action. The trick is to
apply the stuff with a small detail brush. Never use the brush
that comes in the bottle with some of the glues. You might as well just
pour the bottle over the model with those brushes. The glue can also
be applied using a hypodermic syringe with a blunted needle. If the
parts are too small to hold without your fingers getting in the way, use
tweezers. If you goof and some of the glue gets under your fingers
and mars the model surface, don't try to fix it until the plastic
has completely re-hardened, even if you have to let it dry for 12 to 24
hours. Then, buffing with 000 or 0000 steel wool will usually fix it
without doing additional damage. When joining the deck to the hull,
or even when joining the two hull halves, start at one end and slowly
work your way to the other, applying pressure to the just-glued part of
the seam until it sets up before proceeding down the line. This will
usually avoid gaps. However, very few models actually go together
cleanly right out of the box. Always dry fit the parts and sand and file
where necessary. If there are still gaps after you're done, they can
usually be filled with by brushing in a little white glue. More drastic
repairs can be effected with Bondo glazing putty (comes in a tube) or
gap-filling cyanoacrylate glue.
What do you do if the model pieces fit together in slightly
"overlapping" manner? (I bought a Revell Monogram U-505
U-boat model and the deck parts overlapped on the sides of the
hull a tiny bit, but in the photos on the side of the box, it doesn't
overlap at all)
If you dry fit the parts first, you can usually fix the problem when it's
still easy. Otherwise, simply scrape or sand the overlap to the correct
configuration. However, be wary about using box art as a definitive
reference. The paintings are there to look dramatic, but they often
have errors. Actual photographs and scale drawings are the safest to
go by.
Is it better to use spray paint to paint the hull, or can one use a
brush and Testors paints and avoid brush-stroke marks?
The best way to paint is with an airbrush. If you don't have one try to
find spray cans formulated for plastic models. Standard spray cans
will apply the paint too thickly and obscure fine details, and the
solvents in some of them will actually melt the plastic. You can
probably get away with using a brush to do a submarine because the
paint quickly flaked off and was degraded by salt and rust as soon as
the sub put to sea. In any event, use a good soft sable brush and thin
the paint. You're less likely to have brush marks if you apply a couple
or three thin coats of paint rather than one thick one. Especially if
using a brush, wash the model first to remove all traces of the mold
releasing agent. As for the paint, I recommend waterbase acrylics
rather than the solvent base enamels such as Testors. Poly-S is
particularly good.
Is it possible to make your own decals so one can make a
version of a model that isn't the original version?
Although many after-market decals are available for airplane models,
there's practically nothing for ships. You can buy decal sheets of
numbers and letters at most hobby shops. As for more unique
markings, purchase clear decal film or white decal film if the pattern
you want includes white markings. Next, you can make a small
drawing or painting (or find a photograph) and photo-reduce it in a
copier and print it on the decal film. Give the decal a light spray of
varnish (such as Krylon Matte Varnish), then cut and apply as usual.
You can also use a computer and laser printer to make the decals.
For color, use a color copier or a color printer.
Where can I get diagrams and pictures of various U-boats and
US WWII subs so I know exactly how to construct and paint a
particular model? (Gato, Balao, and VII-C classes)
First off, surf the Internet. There are many submarine and naval history
sites. There is even a U-boat Net. The ANATOMY OF THE
SHIP series includes a volume with every detail of the Type VII
U-boat. THE U-BOAT by Eberhard Rossler covers the entire
history of the U-boat with extensive photographs and detail drawings.
U.S. SUBMARINES THROUGH 1945 by Norman Friedman
does the same with American submarines. Both are available from
the Naval Institute Press. There are many many other books that
have useful photographs and operational histories of submarines.
There is also an organization in Florida called SHARKHUNTERS,
which is dedicated to the WWII history of the U-boat. Do the
research, it's half the fun.
The two TAUTOG versions I made from the Revell
LIONFISH model required changing the Balao class submarine
into a Tambor class. Luckily, the hulls are similar, but the conning
tower is inaccurate for any sub, including the Lionfish! Also,
the kit guns are a joke. Some after market parts are available in
photoetched brass and white metal, but I generally prefer to fabricate
my own.
{Kenneth H. Goldman}
Lurk over on
alt.binaries.pictures.military -
that's a newsgroup for posting pictures (primarily modern navy) of
ships.
{John O. Kopf}
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