What techniques do you all use when painting a model submarine? I'm getting close to being ready to paint and am looking at my model (Zvezda 1/350 Oscar II) wondering where I'm going to stick the dowel so I can paint it. Surely I'm missing something obvious?

I did a couple of Los Angeles Class, and used the hole in the stern where the prop would be installed. Since the hole wasn't that large, instead of a dowel I used a straightened out coat hanger.

Hmmm, on the Oscar instead of a hole there's pin/tab, the prop is the female end. Then I have the problem of the resin Yankee Model Works Alfa...surely there is something basic that I'm missing? Can't see painting the bottom, letting that dry, and then rotating it to paint the top.

If the Oscar is plastic and hollow, you can always drill out a hole in the stern that will be the correct size for what ever rod you're using to hold while painting, and then make a small pin that fits into the prop and the hole in the stern to secure the prop when you're done. A slight bit of extra work/scratch building, but not that bad.

In any event, I'm guessing that you're going to paint the upper half one color (black?) and the lower half some sort of hull red color, so wouldn't one half always be masked?

For the resin boat, you may wind up having to hold it by hand on the masking tape while you spray. Shouldn't be that difficult to manage, and all you need to worry about is some way to brace the kit while drying that only contacts the tape and not the painted surface.

When you're painting the upper surface, whatever you're using as a stand for display should work I figure. And as far as when you paint the lower part of the hull, assuming the sail is installed, perhaps something like a shoe box with a hole in the top just large enough to place the sail in with the boat upside down. That should keep it from falling over.

Hope that helps.

Tom

Had completely forgotten about the lower hull being a different color. Though Zvezda's instructions call out the entire sub being flat black with the sonar aperature being aluminum. Any ideas what would be correct for an Oscar II?

Ahoy Mike!

I can't say exactly, but here's a link to a "Museum Quality" replica, that shows quite an interesting scheme...