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General Ship Modeling
Discuss modeling techniques, experiences, and ship modeling in general.
USS Ohio Submarine Paint Colors
dbusack
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Posted: Friday, August 23, 2002 - 08:15 AM UTC
I am starting a collection of 1/350 submarines and ships. My first attemt in this line is a Dragon USS Ohio. Since I am just getting back into modeling after a 20 year break, I decided to start with something a little less expensive.

Does anyone happen to know the colors used for the top and bottom of the USS Ohio? I cannot tell if it is a dark grey, dark blue, or black.

Also when I was looking through pictures of the submarine, it looked like the dividing line between the bottom and top colors shifts anywhere from the mid line to the top third. Am I confusing different sub models or is it a different paint job between the various Trident subs?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Don Busack
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Tin_Can
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Posted: Friday, August 23, 2002 - 08:41 AM UTC
dbusack, welcome to ArmoramA!

The color scheme is black on top and hull red on the bottom.

The dividing line will vary on several factors: was the line painted while in drydock, the draft of the sub (how much is below the water which is affected by many factors), and by multiple paintings of the waterline by ships crew

To get a good example of where the division should be, try and find a pic of one in drydock. I found this link for you:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/slbm/ssbn-726_i.htm

Hope this helps.
dbusack
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Posted: Friday, August 23, 2002 - 08:55 AM UTC
Thank you for the quick reply! Now I have a project for the weekend. Thanks again

Don Busack
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Tin_Can
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Posted: Friday, August 23, 2002 - 12:46 PM UTC
No problem. If you have a digital camera snap some pics and let us see the finished product.
Cob
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 03:23 AM UTC
Don, I served in USS OHIO from '97-'00. During overhaul in the early '90s, the 6" countermeasure tubes were relocated. The DML model has them on the superstructure, above the waterline just aft of the sail. Today, they would be located aft of the engineroom hatch same distance above the waterline. I will try to get a more detailed location for you. I can't recall any other obvious external changes. As far as the hull color, during every refit period, painting and preservation takes place. There is no master plan. You get done what you can given the weather, the time, and the number of people available. For example, during refit, I would have deck div paint the port side of the Missile compartment deck. It would end up looking better (less faded) than the stbd side. Painting secures access to workmen trying to get other things done so it is typically done "piecemeal" resulting in a number of shades of black. Let me know if you have any other questions. I can't /won't talk about operations or capabilities but appearance is fair game.

Cob
Tin_Can
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 03:45 AM UTC
Cob, nice to have another submariner around the boards! Were you a nuc or A ganger?

Your definetley right about the 'piecemeal' effect you get from painting different areas at different times. On USS Lastship (cruiser) appearance was of major concern (on what ship is not I hear you saying...lol) so we always had to paint the entire side of the ship at once. If you think ahead and mix a large enough portion of paint at once you can save 5 or 10 gallons for touchups (under the drains and discharges) later so that its as close to the original shade as possible.

We wouldn't have to do those touchups if we could get those engineers to fix all that leaking equipment though. :-)
dbusack
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 04:09 AM UTC
Cob,

Thank you for the updated information. I just may have more questions for you before this project is done. Of course I will not ask for any information that may be classified or place current personnel in harms way. If I do stray into that area, nudge me back! :-)

I am doing a bit of test painting on a cheap Heller sub to see how the multi black shading looks before I try it on the Ohio. Thanks again for all the help!

Don Busack
[email protected]
dbusack
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 04:14 AM UTC
Bryan,

I will get some pics up after I finish it.

Thank you all for the information. It simply amazes me how fast and simple it is to get information that might have otherwise completely eluded me forever. This really is a wonderful forum!

Don Busack
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Cob
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 06:39 AM UTC
Hello LT !

Quoted Text

Cob, nice to have another submariner around the boards! Were you a nuc or A ganger?



To answer your question, I'm not the guy getting a 60K SRB :-) for anyone else reading this that means I'm an A-ganger.


Quoted Text

Your definetley right about the 'piecemeal' effect you get from painting different areas at different times. On USS Lastship (cruiser) appearance was of major concern (on what ship is not I hear you saying...lol) so we always had to paint the entire side of the ship at once. If you think ahead and mix a large enough portion of paint at once you can save 5 or 10 gallons for touchups (under the drains and discharges) later so that its as close to the original shade as possible



The only time anyone on a sub really cares if the paint matches is when a flag or civilian VIP is coming aboard. As long as there is no bare steel to rust, you're good to go. Many moons ago when I was an E-3,I actually spent a weekend using buckets of Future and a mop to wax the hull so it would look good for a change of command ceremony on Monday.
Tin_Can
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 07:42 AM UTC

Quoted Text


To answer your question, I'm not the guy getting a 60K SRB :-) for anyone else reading this that means I'm an A-ganger.



Man, they must have went up since I was a nuc. I did six years on fast boats out of Groton with about 2 years of it in new construction on Seawolf. I was a nuc MM (ELT).
Cob
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 01:39 PM UTC


Quoted Text

Man, they must have went up since I was a nuc. I did six years on fast boats out of Groton with about 2 years of it in new construction on Seawolf. I was a nuc MM (ELT).



LT, you'd better sit down before you read this. NR has a request in to NMPC to raise the SRB cap to 120K !!! Every time I think about it I wanna slap a nuc upside the head
Tin_Can
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 01:56 PM UTC

Quoted Text


LT, you'd better sit down before you read this. NR has a request in to NMPC to raise the SRB cap to 120K !!! Every time I think about it I wanna slap a nuc upside the head



Well, that means the work conditions, stress, retention and overall quality of life in engineering must be (let's see 30K x 4=120K) four times worse than what it was when I re-enlisted way back when....man 'o man!
Ranger74
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 09:24 PM UTC
Don,

I too have the Dragon kit of the Ohio. I am going to build it as the USS Tennessee. I am thinking of using "Grimy Black" for the upper hull. That would allow use of straight black for a wash on the upper hull.

Rob & TC - thinks for the info on the submariner life. The Army is no different. except we have commanders & sergeants major that like to paint big rocks #:-) and to polish tactical vehicles with diesel fuel (CARC paint has mostly put an end to that practice -just about nothing can make it shine :-) )

Jeff
Cob
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Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 10:21 PM UTC
Jeff,
That sounds like it would work. It's kind of like the question of olive drab. THe exact shade depends on age, weather, application, etc. so it's hard to go wrong. If you choose to depict it coming out of overhaul, the paint would look pretty good. After a few years of use it would look faded and patched. Sealife (barnacles and seaweed) will grow on the hull at the waterline in warmer waters such as Pearl Harbor and Kings Bay. If the boat has been at sea for any length of time, the seaweed is usually not present . Hope this helps.

Cob
BlueBear
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Posted: Sunday, August 25, 2002 - 04:49 PM UTC
I've been on the Triad up at Bangor when the USS Michigan, USS Navada, and the USS Alaska were tied up alongside, one in the grafting dock, undergoing various levels of maintenance. They might be intended to be black above the waterline, but all 3 looked a dirty gray/black/brown mix tending toward dark gray when I was standing 20 feet away.
As an ex-Airedale, I've got to salute the Bubbleheads out there that go down for 60+ days at a time in those things after seeing those boomers with soft patches cut open in their outer hulls and sails. Not for me! No thanks! Give me a Plastic Bug with a brain sprain any day!
Tin_Can
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Posted: Sunday, August 25, 2002 - 10:17 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I've been on the Triad up at Bangor when the USS Michigan, USS Navada, and the USS Alaska were tied up alongside, one in the grafting dock, undergoing various levels of maintenance. They might be intended to be black above the waterline, but all 3 looked a dirty gray/black/brown mix tending toward dark gray when I was standing 20 feet away.



Your right, you do see a lot of different shades after those things have been painted. Not only due to touch-ups but also due to sun fading, sitting in the salt water, walking topside and underway time with the water moving over the surfaces.

By the way BlueBear, welcome to ArmoramA!
Cob
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Posted: Monday, August 26, 2002 - 02:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Your right, you do see a lot of different shades after those things have been painted. Not only due to touch-ups but also due to sun fading, sitting in the salt water, walking topside and underway time with the water moving over the surfaces



If you choose to model a boat tied up at Delta pier in Bangor(the Triad), you would have to add 8 0r 10 Sea Lions on the deck aft. They seem to enjoy sunning themselves and resting between salmon feeding frenzies. Sometimes the momma Sea Lion leaves her little one on deck while she hunts. When someone has to go back there to work, it sometimes takes a while to get them to leave without harassing them. A 1.5 inch firehose pointed in the general direction usually works. You haven't lived until you've gone toe-to-toe with a half-dozen PO'd 600 pound Sea Lions barking and growing at you :-)

Cob
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