Anechoic Tiles a waste of time? - Many onflicting opinions.

[diane paterson]

[color=#0000FF]??? Dear bubbleheads]

[JWLaRue]

I don't think most are

I don't think most are disputing that they can be seen at that scale.......but how you achieve the right look is where you have received a lot of very good advice by folks who do this for a living.

-Jeff

[PaulC]

I'd focus on building the

I'd focus on building the boat first. Once you have the hull, you can experiment with the different techniques. Compare the results, and choose which method looks the best to you.

[anonymous]

I'm with both of you

I'm with both of you guys here.

Diane. This is your passion. Make it yours and do what ever it is you want to make it come alive. We support you.

As Jeff has said you got all the details on the hows. Now you just need to do. If you need any help we will all be glad to help you.

Now go build that dream of yours. You'll love it!

Steve

[fx models]

??? Dear bubbleheads]
Hi Diane,

For the

[quote]??? Dear bubbleheads]
Hi Diane,

For the record, at 1/120 scale, the tiles are visible if you want them to be. Depending on conditions, the tiles are either highly visible or difficult to discern. But, since they are REAL geometry on the boat and not just a subtlety visible only in the best of conditions they are certainly worth putting on the model.

Once our schedule lightens up, I have always wanted to take one of our 1/192 boats and put tiles on it. Even at that scale the tiles would be visible under typical pierside conditions so it is definitely worth putting them onto the model.

Look at these pictures that follow: I took these pictures when I was at the base to show how discernible the tiles are... Look at the sunglint. That is the SPECULAR light I was telling you about. In that reflection you see the pattern clearly. Then in approaching the boat I took the next shot showing the non-reflective version. Again they are clearly visible and would be from a long distance away...






Keep goin' Diane. Put the tiles on! Make it the best model ever. Just keep the tiles subtle perhaps by using the paint technique I talked to you about. They will end up being blatantly visible in the right conditions and difficult to see in others... just as to be expected!

-Marc

[diane paterson]

]



Edited By Diane Paterson on

[color=#0000FF]]



Edited By Diane Paterson on 1131418663

[fx models]

Hi Di...

Yes the tiles are

Hi Di...

Yes the tiles are such a problem to reproduce that most model builders dont care to take on the effort and show them! Plus, they are different patterns depending on which Flight of 688 you are making for instance.

Marc

[diane paterson]

Your point regarding the differing

Your point regarding the differing tile patterns is well taken Marc. That is precisely why I posted the topic asking for information about the tiles. I am still of the opinion that there are two frequent variations. The first are what appear to be thicker square tiles about 2' sq. The second are what appears to be thinner rectangular tiles about 18"x36". Both types are arranged in a staggered pattern. I just wish someone would tell me which is appropriate for USS Newport News (SSN-750 Flight II)!!???



Edited By Diane Paterson on 1131486081

[boss subfixer]

Diane,
You are correct that there

Diane,
You are correct that there are two different types of patterns. Newport news does a staight pattern both horizontal and vertical while E.B. does a staggard pattern, like a brick layer lays bricks. Any variations from that are mostly due to sections being repaired later in the life of the boat. There are some areas down low on the boat that do have fairley large tiles that are odd shaped and are just there as transition pieces. A picture at the navsource web site shows the Newport news pattern for the SSN750.
Hope this helps and good luck
BSF

[timothy guest]

Marc from FX Models,

Please share

Marc from FX Models,

Please share with us the tile painting technique that you mentioned in your 07 Nov post to Diane. I would enjoy learning more about how to achieve this effect.

Regards,

Timothy Guest

[fx models]

Marc from FX Models,

Please share

[color=#000000]

Marc from FX Models,

Please share with us the tile painting technique that you mentioned in your 07 Nov post to Diane. I would enjoy learning more about how to achieve this effect.

Regards,

Timothy Guest

Hi Tim,

I replied to your request earlier today but I now dont see it so I might have messed it up. Back in Oct on the 31st or so I outlined the technique but I have excerpted it and provided it below so you can see exactly what I was talking about for the tiles technique. You have to understand that this is by far the best way to do this. Having done this type of thing hundreds of times hundreds of ways, this is the king of all the ways.

Read below and let me know if you have more questions... I have some comments after the excerpt too as necessary ...

------------begin excerpt---------------------
I can get you started really quickly. Just cut yourself a bunch of thin little strips of masking tape, perhaps only a 32nd thick. Get some nice consistent thin strips. Then put them down in a grid, one direction first, then the other. This is a test grid so you can see how well this works. Burnish them down so they are well attached to the plastic [use styrene for this if you can otherwise a piece of plex will work]. Then start laying some paint on it, nice and lightly first, mist coating initially, and slowly build up to a heavier coat. As you get to a point where you look like you have laid on a bit of paint, go ahead and pull the tape off strip by strip not all at once, and do it as soon as you are done painting. Dont wait for it to fully dry! What will be left is your raised panels with a deep trough in between them which is just what you will want.
Summarizing then for this test/practice of the technique]

[diane paterson]

]

[color=#0000FF]]

[timothy guest]

Marc,

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation

Marc,

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation of your tile painting technique. Well done and most appreciated.

I have one point for clarification. The paint you are applying once the tape strips are in place is the same color as the base coat, correct? Meaning that the "tile effect" is achieved by the differencial thinkness of the paint and not by a tonal variation, yes?

With this in mind, can you sugguest a painting process for depicting (e.g., on a Gato) the warps and bends in a boat's hull that appear between where the sheet metal plates are fastened to the ribs?

Thanks again for sharing your technique.

Regards,

Timothy Guest

[JWLaRue]

Tim,

I used the painting technique

Tim,

I used the painting technique to achieve the "dish hull" technique on my 1/48th scale Type VII. To do this I mixed a slightly darker color than the upper hull gray color. An airbrush, set to a wide dispersion and a light paint coat, was then used to apply the paint.

A piece of 3x5 file card was used as a 'mask' to create a hard edge. The edge of the card was placed vertically at each frame location. The airbrush was aimed so that more of the paint falls at the edge of the card and diminishes moving away from the card edge.

The hard paint line creates a very good impression of the raised area at the frame.

To do this for an entire side of the model took about 15-20 minutes.

-Jeff

[timothy guest]

Jeff,

Thanks for the tip. I

Jeff,

Thanks for the tip. I can see how your masking process would achieve a "dish hull" effect. I imagine that sail panel lines on 1st generation SSNs are possible using a masking card cut to a right angle and placing the apex at one corner of the panel.

Thanks again, Jeff.

--- tg ---