L.A. Boats Anechoic Tiles - Need Mucho Help!!

[diane paterson]

I'm in the process of documenting a 1/120 scale model of the USS Newport News (SSN-750). This is going to be a scratch built super-detailed project. While I have a very good idea of how the anechoic tiles are arranged above waterline, I have no documentation showing the tiles below waterline and around the stern. I could make some educated guesses but I'd like to pin this down as far as possible. If any of you "Bubbleheads" has any info to share on this or any other subject, I realy need your help.

[tom dougherty]

Here is a detailed photo

Here is a detailed photo of the Greeneville in drydock, showing the stern area. Don't know if this helps any.
USS Greeneville in drydock

[thordesign]

In that scale you will

In that scale you will be unable to see them. If you display them on a boat that small, it will not be scale.

[diane paterson]

Dear Mat]

[color=#000000]Dear Mat]

[gerwalk]

I have to agree with

I have to agree with Diane. There are many photos showing the tiles clearly even if they are taken from a distance. It's not the separation between the tiles what you can actually see at a distance (which I agree is too small to be represted in correct scale) but the different ways light reflects on the tiles. This can be accomplished by using slighlty different shades of paint in each tile on the model (a painstaking task BTW)

And]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/Gerwalker/usslajolla.jpg[/img]



Edited By Gerwalk on 1130423989

[diane paterson]

Thanks or all the input

Thanks or all the input folks! As far as making the tiles visible, I may have to to apply the tiles individually!! Problem is, there are areas that are not covered, It is easier to build the basic hull to specs and the cover the apropriate areas instead of building over-size and the having to excavate uncovered areas.

[aeroengineer1]

Just a thought, I know

Just a thought, I know that there are some very thin films that are used for masking, one could apply that and then score it while on the model, or why not just a light score line on the model itself, and carve down a little in the area where there are no tiles?

Adam

[diane paterson]

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[tom dougherty]

Just a thought, I know

Just a thought, I know that there are some very thin films that are used for masking, one could apply that and then score it while on the model, or why not just a light score line on the model itself, and carve down a little in the area where there are no tiles?

That would be quite tedious, as the tiles are applied in a staggered array, sort of brick-like, and not in an X-Y grid. Take a look at the photo posted by Pablo...err...Gerwalk.

As a point of reference, Don Preul (D&E Products Models) who makes superb 1/196 scale sub kits, has been working on applying individual tiles to a master for his resin LA class kits. Now, Don's a busy guy as a top commercial model builder, but he has stalled out on the project (temporarily, I'm sure). It's almost overwhelming. I believe he told me that there were some 5000 tiles or so that needed to be individually applied in a staggered pattern. Assuming that you could position and glue a tile a minute, that would take about 90 hours of very tedious detail work for just this feature alone. And, as Matt has pointed out, even if it were visible, it would be a VERY subtle feature at this scale.

[JWLaRue]

It seems to me that

[color=#000000]It seems to me that given the scale (of the model) that we are talking about, the actual thickness of whatever is to be applied as tiling doesn't make a difference. And if it does, than just adjust the size of the underlying model as and where appropriate.

The effect to be create is as someone noted earlier]

[diane paterson]

]

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[tom dougherty]

You know, building and detailing

You know, building and detailing a model is a labour of love. If one is a professional model builder it's just work. I don't mind spending a few hours a day for a week or so to do the work. It's fun!!

Well, it's certainly your model. However, if my calculations above are correct and it is 5000 tiles to cover the hull, then 2-3 hours a day, 7 days a week, will take 9-12 weeks, not a week or so. Whether it's as much fun on tile # 3,246 (only 1,754 to go!) as it is on tile #3 is up to you.

You might want to check some back issues of the SCR. Seems to me that quite a few years back, Ralph Ratcliffe had an article about his R/C USS Pittsburgh, and if I recall correctly (which becomes less & less likely as I age), he may have done a tile treatment of some sort on that model.

[diane paterson]

Guess you're right Tom. I

Guess you're right Tom. I might have to re-think my approach. However, I'm a pretty dedicated and goal-oriented person who likes a challenge. I'm convinced that I will find a way of getting the job done.

[PaulC]

Tom,

Ralph did write an article

Tom,

Ralph did write an article on this for the SCR. He made a jig to hold the boat level horizontally with rollers so he could roll the hull slowly as he scribed in the tiles row by row. But I'm afraid scribing might be too severe in the smaller scale.

Special Shapes makes perforated brass sheet that could possibly be used as a stencil to spray on lighter shades to simulate the tiles. Doing a row at a time with an airbrush might only take a few days to get right if you had the proper stencil.

[silent runner]

Verlinden also make what they

Verlinden also make what they call 'scribing templates' in at least 2 different scales. Made out of very thin stainless steel. I have used them as a paint template for a certain shapes or effects.