The US-(C)SSN996 'Dragonfish', a Cold War concept sub.

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Now thats a water test! Id be afraid to leave mine under for that long. Must be water tight , for now.

At least I'm happy that she's watertight and will be secure for her maiden voyage, there's nothing worse that putting a boat in the water in front of a crowd and then having to pull it out quick as it starts to settle way past the waterline in the water.

Hoping for good weather at the weekend for her sea trials...


Rich

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Just a quick update...

Owing to complications at work (early retirement on ill health grounds was offered and accepted) the paint job wasn't able to be done there.
However, my adopted daughter's partner is car sprayer by trade, and as a side interest he sprays those beautiful air brush jobs on custom cars and street rods, etc, so he was volunteered into spraying the Dragonfish. It went off last Sunday afternoon and should be back by this weekend.

He's going to flat it down, prime and prepare it, and then spray it satin black above the waterline and red primer below water, then pick out the deck details in white or silver, whichever is applicable. Then he'll apply a couple of coats of satin varnish over the whole boat.

Pics as soon as it comes back.

I've also come up with a ships crest for the Dragonfish, this is being made into a vinyl sticker and will be applied to the boat stand for when she's on public display duty.

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

The Dragonfish has had her first course of beauty treatment...top two pics show her being prepared, a few spots of filler and flatted down.




The first coat of satin black applied...

[greenman407]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Nice! I cant wait to see her done and in the water pushing a wake. In the top two pictures, why did he put a white line of paint in the grooves? Perhaps its white primer and he wants to get down into the bottom of the grooves with it.

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Ah...a trick of the trade, I was told when I asked!

He applied a very thin coat of white paint to the scribed lines with a tiny brush, then a coat of something called Sylfix (I'd never heard of it either) that seals the white paint. Then the black paint is sprayed on in the usual fashion...when it's dried, the Sylfix is removed (very carefully) leaving the white paint in the scribed line...some of the white paint is removed with the Sylfix which leaves a lovely sort of worn looking white scribed line. The Dragonfish will be only lightly weathered, so the scribe lines should look just about right.

I'm hoping for more pictures later tonight...

[greenman407]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Your signature quote "Take her down........." is that from Das Boot?

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Your signature quote "Take her down........." is that from Das Boot?

It's not from 'Das Boot', in fact I'm not sure where I heard it...it just seemed to be appropriate.

[petn7]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Neat work!

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

I hope to have the hull/deck back very soon..although it's only a mile or so from me it may as well be 100 miles. It's snowed so much here that the roads are virtually impossible to drive on, so for the time being the WTC sits here and the hull/deck sits over there.

And there's more snow forecast for my area, arriving this afternoon...


Rich

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

And here she is, fresh from the paint shop...sorry there's only the one pic, the bloody camera batteries died on me.

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Oh, the joys of trimming and ballasting...add a bit of foam, add a piece of lead, bit more foam, a lot of swearing...bit more lead.

But she's done and ready to go out on her first operational Cold war patrol into Russian waters...

[u-33]

Re: Seawolf CONFORM

Just a couple more pics of the Dragonfish, she makes her public debut next weekend at the first show of the year.








(one day I'll learn how to take a decent photograph.... )

[greenman407]

Re: The US-(C)SSN996 'Dragonfish', a Cold War concept sub.

Great! Maybe you could take some video as well. Id love to see her run.

[steveuk]

Re: The US-(C)SSN996 'Dragonfish', a Cold War concept sub.

Aha so this is your Dragonfish. I like both the concept design and the model, very sleek looking.

Is it the angle of the photo, or is the detailing a little off??

[steveuk]

Re: The US-(C)SSN996 'Dragonfish', a Cold War concept sub.

I'm pulling your leg of course. Great job on this Rich.