Hi there...
this is my DDD2 sub.. here is the work in progress photos and the update so far.

my new project. It's a revell 1/72 Uboot type VIIC Wolfpack kit.
i think i wanna do my blog on this build here.
here it goes.

first lets start with the box



can wait to see how it look so i test fitted the hull



and the construction begins..
Another update that I managed to do last weekend. Here is the partial torpedo door interior as supplied with the kit. I decided to close the starboard door and open both portside doors. I painted the interior and the door first. This is how it’s look before painting and this is after painting and some weathering.



I then choosed to assemble the coning tower. I paint the periscope and the anthena mast. I paint them with gunze Mr Metal chrome silver and vallejo black grey for the upper portion. This is how it’s look after painting.


Next the construction of the coning tower started. Test fitted everything looks ok and then I glued all the parts together. Here are the tower. I still have the masking tape on



Now the boat is started to take shape. I test fitted the coning tower onto the deck. Here some posed to give u guys ideas. The ciggarettes box is just a scale comparison.



The next day I assemble the two hull together. I install the partial torpedo interior as well. Since the kit is so long I faced problem getting the two half together perfectly. After several hours when I get back home I realised that the two part didn’t have good contact at the join just below the torpedo doors. This is weak spot where less surface area are and it’s hard to tighten the masking tape here. So after several hours of thingking, I drill 3 holes and put brass fire and twisted the wire. This is get the two pieces together tightly. Fuhh, now I was abit relief….




more progress soon. Thanks for viewing.

Hi Zaidi

You're doing good!
What kind of cement are you using? Revell Contacta is good for longer drying time (like long hull parts) and Tamiya Liquid Cement excellent for tight fit and small parts.
Keep us posted

Skipper

Very nice so far. Excellent work on the torpedo tube doors.

Kenny

Ahoy Zaidi,

She coming along just great....keep the photos coming.

Very smart technique for gluing the bow....

Joe

thanks guys for your comments and the kind words...

skipper, i used revell contacta cement (the kind in the bottle with the needle applicator)..

ahh i forgot to bring my camera today...
not so much progress this week. Mainly i did a lot of sanding and sanding along the join..

will post some photos soon...

been awhile since the last progress..

here are some progress photo that i manage to upload...


the join of the bottom hull photo. with this large kit with large join i already figured that this sort of thing will happen. there is a slight different in the level about less then 1mm different..so i apply Mr Surfacer 500 layer by layer and later sand them smooth. I knew this will delay this project


these parts were dented on the surface..so i apply Mr Surfacer 500 once again..and send them smooth..
fuhh..so much dust were produced...used approved dust mask!! i used 3M N90 particulate matter dust...no cheap surgical mask!!



the join on this part is not good..so i used strecth sprue method here..i applied it with Tamiya Superfine Cement...and coat with Mr Surfacer 1000 applied with brush.
Later i sand this area

so many sandpaper from various grit were used in this process..
as for today, the sanding job is almost done! after the first sanding job, i spray the affected area with Mr Surfacer 1000 thinned 1:9 with Mr Thinner. After the surfacer dried, i found a few more imperfections that need to be fill/trim/sand..
i will try to do all this by this weekend..

the conning tower is completed..
the deck gun is almost done..i have to fill the inverted cone base that is poorly done..

well..that all for now...

another update...

it has been more than a week since i touched this baby./.lot of outside commitment to attend to... last weekend in manage to work on this project once again

lot of effort were done with sanding job... i consumed a sheet of each grit from 280 to 2000 grit... lot of dust were generated and i get dusty too... [safety& health tips: wear particulate dust mask -approved type for dust i.e N95 Particulate dust mask..]

after all is done i washed it and let it dry

then i assembled the minor details such as railing, deck gun etc..etc

here are some photos
overall shoot




the conning tower - i havent glue it yet to the deck..


the deck gun



well that's end of part 1 (construction phase). After this, the sub will have her maideen voyage in my bathtub and check her boyancy factors... haha

and next on to the 2nd stage which is painting...

cant wait to have it painted......

thanks for viewing!

Beautiful job!

thanks Doug..

now this is history..

her first maideen voyage into the bottom of the tub..



she still float but lost her balance...

:-) :-) :-)

You need some more ballast to keep her upright, Zaidi
Looking good
Keep us posted
Skipper

D@mn! I'm getting VERY tempted to get one!

You should see the CMK resin interiors for this thing.

OH MAN! Don't DO this to me!

Hi all.
now ..this kit was taken for painting...

First I prime the entire model with Mr. Surcafer 1000 thinned with Mr Thinner (3:7 ratio) . I have to make a painting jig from foam board to support and hold the model while it is painted. I have to spray outside the painting booth as the current booth couldn’t fit the sub. I have to use a fan blowing at the back of me pointing at the window and I wear 3M respirator with multigas catridges which I believe can reduce my exposure to solvents vapour. This is one of my challenges as I have to keep my daugther from entering the room..i have to wait for her to sleep first..normally it end up with me falling asleep beside her….okay..now back to bussiness
This is photo after the primer has dried.


After the primer dried, I carefully scan the entire models for flaws and imprefections. Lucky me that I found a few minor imprefections that can be corrected by sanding with 800 grit sand paper and a few drop of superglue to cover some minor gaps.

I leave the primer to cure for more then 24 hours to begin the next task.

Next I preshade the model with Humbroll Flat Black and later follow with Humbroll Red Brown along the edges, welding lines and borders. This is how it look just after preshading process.


I leave it for another 24 hours and then started the first color. I choose to paint the upper hull first because I think I will make the task a lot easier and will conserve on the usage of masking tape. I use Revell enamels (as suggested in the manuals) for the first color. I laid the paint carefully as not to cover the preshading job that was done a day ago. The process took almost 1 ½ hours which later caused fatique in my finger. They should invented a more ergonomics airbrush!
This is how it look after the first color is applied.




I did the same with the conning tower which I regretted that I forgot to take photos of the tower.

Last night, I masked the first color to prepare for the other 2 colors. Sorry no photos on that…

I will update soon..

Thanks for viewing.

Cheers,
Zaidi

ok here is another update photo..

the deck after being painted ..


another shot to look at the masking bussiness..(before the third color is applied)


the conning tower. i will install on the deck after final work.




then i paint the third color with revell paints... 2 hours of spraying process. In this stage, disaster happen as the airbrush went berserk... i have to stop and do a quick breakdown maintanance job on the ab.... it went well again but then it come again...the ab will shoot air and non uniform pressure and sometimes it will shoot air only not paint...i have to dismantle the entire ab...so frustrated at the middle of painting job..
after cleaning the nozzle, needle nd others i start to work again..the problem still there but reduced to minimal...arghhhhhhhhhh... i have to do something about the ab later..
anyway, here is the photos of the sub after the third color was applied..still with the black masking tape...




till then fellas...

cheers,
Zaidi

Looks good so far. Keep up the good work!

Zaidi, I don't see any photos coming up.

Looking good Zaidi
You really should check the airbrush issue... either clean it up properly or could be the compressor (????)
I wouldn't go any further until this problem is solved

Keep your spirit
Skipper

u may refresh the screen...maybe the photo hosting server is down for a while..




Skipper, u are absolutely right.. yesterday i try to troubleshoot the airbrush...i have to dismantle it once again and look for flaws etc..etc..i spend a few hours shaping the needle and the nozzle... but the ab still wont work normally.. after observing it under bright light and magnifying lense, i saw something wrong with the nozzle. The needle was also in bad shape at the tip. I try to reshape it again but still the problem persisted. now i guess i have to get the replacement needle and nozzle. So progress has to be stop for a while. at least for all major painting job. However the details inside the conn tower will be handpainted. That's all for now. This sub has been grounded untill reinforcement arrived! Thanks for all the nice words and your interest to see this build.

cheers,

Zaidi]

Looking very nice. Good luck with the airbrush!

Hi mates!!!
it has been quite long ago since the last time i update this thread...

the airbrush spareparts arrived from rainbowten a month ago... but due to my tight schedule, outstation job and some other personal matters, i only have time to continue the build last week...

all 3-tone cammo color have been applied. The coning tower still havent glue yet to the hull. This will make thing a lot easier during detaling job and some more weathering job...
I painted the wood decking with vallejo paints.. well it doesnt look like real wood..may be i will try to try touch up a bit ...
this is the conning tower on the table and place at where it was supposed to be..





the rest of the photos are verious shot at various angle with a few lighting setting...
i did some initial weathering and post shading...
will do some more....

here are some photos...















as usual, comments/tips/suggestions are welcome!

Man, she's looking beautiful!

Gator

Ahoy Zaidi.

You have done a beautiful job!

Love the subtle tones.

Just a little suggestion....the life preservers stand out too much. I would tone
them down just a little..... add a little brown to your orange. And personally, I
would have the periscope heads point forwards.

Once again, beautiful model !

Have a nice day and happy modeling.
Joe

thanks for your comments Kenny and Joe.

for the life preserver thing, yes it's too stark because it still havent finished. I just lay a few tone of red from bright red and will add some more red tone to make it dull a bit. It also still glossy from the gloss paint that i use.

As for the periscope head, dont worry about it. I havent glue it yet together with the periscope mast to the tower base. But thanks for your point so i will take good care when i glue it in place.


there are so many job to be done next....

Hi Zaidi Great work so far,am impressed with your progress.

Just one question what are you planning on doing with the flood vents?as i see you have not drilled them out.i was going to open up my vents but i bottled it ,so i have to try and paint them black using a steady hand

anyway good job on yours.

reguards

karl