I finished the I58 a few days ago, but I waited for better light to take few pictures. I spend a lot of time with weathering the hull, especially the underwater part. Im very happy with the end result. I learned how to use photoetched railings and gained some confidence in shipbuilding. So what is the next step ? Yes, right, I will take on more ships. I purchased the Destroyer Yukikaze from Hasegawa for my next project. And then I went completely mad and purchased also the USS San Francisco and to top it up I blasted mylast money on the Myoko from Aoshima. Looking at the size of this heavy cruiser, I think I might buy a new furniture aswell










And lastly, whats next on the Program

One word, man: Excellent!

I second that. Great lookin' sub!

Thank You guys. Im happy You like it. Im also looking forward for others to complete their builts.

Still trying to locate the digital camera after moving a couple months ago, so the phone will have to do for now.

Here is a small update on the USS Chicago. I made good progress this weekend.

After the disaster with the tie downs along the top of the hull, I decided to replace them by cementing on locator pins from a couple parts in the spare bag. After those were dried I filed them down and superglued thin strips of extra PE that I cut from the PE sheet which came with the model.

After that I masked and applied a light coat of Tamiya Fine primer to avoid the issues with adhesion I got with the hull red coat.

I airbrushed the upper hull and sail flat black (Tamiya XF-1) and then masked and painted the periscope and other masts with Insignia White (Tamiya AS-20). I decanted a little bit onto a paint tray and touched up the white by hand. After sealing it with some dullcote and letting it dry overnight, I went back with a 5/0 spotter brush and some toothpicks and put the black camoflauge onto the periscope and antennae by hand. Lastly I took the spotter and applied some Modelmasters Acryl gloss where the decals are going to go. After I washed up I realized I forgot to brush some onto the nose for the big bull face!

Hi Guys some great builds.

I am naerly ready to enter the fray, will be the Bibber. i have just ordered the transport trailer by u-model from WEM, don't know whether I will have time to incorperate it in this build, but willtry.

Si

Put the final flat seal coat on the USS Chicago last night. Overall it was a much more trying build than I was expecting, mostly due to my own stupidity, but some poor fitting small plastic pieces on the top of the hull were unexpected for such a recent tooling that is so well engineered in other ways. The hull would have fit together seamlessly if I had used liquid cement instead of tamiya extra fine, unfortunately I learned that the hard way when the hull split open at the nose during the unmasking process.

All that is past now, just got to take some pictures for the campaign gallery. Found the digital camera so they will be much more crisp.

I'm a late entry to the game but I wanna play too and just happen to be working on a sub, which I only just started about a month ago. Maybe this will give me an extra "push" to get somewhere on it!

The kit is Revell's 1/72 Gato:



The game plan is to modify it into the USS Cod as she appears today complete with "covered wagon" fairwater, twin 40mm Bofours and 5"25 deck gun. I also am modding the deck to be "see through" like the real boat with the forward section around the escape trunk under the deck detailed out too.

I am using the Eduard "Big Ed" and White Ensign gato sets. Here's the progress so far:

The forward and aft decks have been skeletonized right out of the solid kit deck (the Eduard PE will go on top of it):



Modifications on the fairwater (I opened the molded-in kit doors and am in the process of moving the ammo trunks):



The WEM PE periscope frame vs the kit offering:



And the fairwater:

This will be my entry Revell 1/144 Type VIIc

This will also be my first submarine

Tried to make like a 3D type display. Painted with MM Acrylics and weathered with chalk. Still learning this hobby as this was my first submarine.

Great U 81 Kevin, that is an inovative and absolutly outstanding build.

Right, better late than never I am off the mark. A package arrived from WEM this morning, unfornately no Biber trailer. Plan is therefore get on with it as a stand alone, and put it in a diorama setting whenever.

As the Bibe will be on a trailer ot will be closed up, so the Interior is going to be straight out of the box.

The Kit.



This has eturned more like building an aircraft than a naval subject, I have started with the the "Instroment Panel"



Needs a bit of a touch up, but getting there.

More soon.

Si

As the boat is going to be cloased up, the kit interior, which although a little basic will be satisfactory.



the hull halves go together well.



The rudders and diving plane, and prop shaft fir quite neatly.



More soon.

Si

Hi Simon great little kit this one see your build will be nearly as quick as mine have you got your Camo pattern in mind yet some very striking ones for this little beast
Cheers Keith

Hi Keith, it is a great little Kit, and very enjoyble to build. Haven't decided on colour scheme yet, I am doing some diggingas the final plan for this baby is on a trailer behind a frtuk sat on Italeri's dock front.

Si

Onward and upward. This little beast really does go together quickly, etch added to the man hull.



Torpedo rails added, with the etch at the forward end added.



and completed, the "cockpit roof" is loose fitted so I can remove it for spraying. I am not happy trying to mask the film without pushing it in.



I have found one picture of an interesting colour scheme, light grey upper with a a pattern of white and very dark patches, and a dark lower hull. I am assuming the lower hull is the same dark grey as the lower hull of their larger cousins, the dark upper colur is very dark, so could well be black, unless of course anyone knows different.

si

Simon the little beast is looking great well with it being the Easter break I have some time for myself and will be starting my second build for this campaign got this cheap in the LHS sale Revell 1/144 type 11B should be a quick OOB build but will be trying some water techniuqe with this that I read about in a Magazine hope it turns out OK and looks like the box art

Somehow I missed looking in here a while and missed out on some really nice builds!

Jason, some nice updates on your GATO. How old is that kit? Doesn't look too old?

Kevin, really like your display. Is it attached with the periscope?

Simon, interesting build. Wouldn't care to sit in one of those... The steering wheel assembly looks rather futuristic.

Unfortunately my Gato hasn't gone anywhere since January. Still waiting for paint and a display...

Cheers!
Stefan

Well after a couple of hours build hull and conning tower built up and first coat of primer all small parts will be added when i get this in some water the fun part

I wouldn't have fancied sitting in one either Stefan.

Nice start Keith.

A bit more on the little beast, well is armament.



completed and fitted.



and a base coat of the ever reliable citedal Skull white.



More soon

Si

@ Stefan no, actually it has a rod connected to the sub about midship in the hull, and the back of the case.

I'm currently building the Trumpeter Class 33G but I took a break to work on some other campaigns. I pulled these oldies out of the basement today. The Skipjack and Soviet Romeo are by Monogram and Aurora. The German submarine looks like an interesting build.




I built these years ago and am inspired to rebuild them along with U505.

I've completed a few entries and taqken some pix. It has been forever and i have forgotten how to download them into my gallery so i can link them to a post. COuld someone be so kind and refresh my memory. I've for 4 nuc subsso far and working on another at the moment

Hi Steve,
Log in to Kitmaker Network
Click My Photos top left side it will take you to your gallery.
Click upload top right side of page.
Click browse button and upload from your computer files
Repeat last step for additional pics.
Cheers,
Joe

Small update hull painted and decals added to tower some chipping and wheathering added using oils and corner of a sponge to make small paint chips

Hope to get this in some water before the weekend
Cheers Keith

Another update got cracking on the base last night and built up the sides I have used building insulation board for the main part and set the sub into some clear silicon it looks white when wet but will dry clear will leave this for a couple of days to set and then add more silicon to the base to build up the water line and waves to make it look like a rough north sea.

Cheers Keith