1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

[jefftytoo]

Thanks, Ralph. I did get them to work above, but I’ll never know why it re-displays them as thumbnails at the bottom of the post and then flips them around.

Jeff

[jefftytoo]

Very long overdue to get back on this thread! Will finally be back to work on Harder tomorrow—starting work to correct some serious errors on my part. Meanwhile, here's some work from awhile back...

This is a reference shot of Harder's stern:



Tried to reproduce the access hatch and bolts. Pretty rough, yes, but will look okay from a distance when painted and weathered.



Here's a portion of Oto Gerza's magnificent PE deck set now installed:



Here's reference for scale sound heads for the Gato. I scratched the heads by rounding off some very thick resin sprue from another kit. They appear toward the top of the shot.



Here's the completed scratched part. Note that the heads are angled such that when the base piece is bent to match the sharp curvature at that point in the keel, the heads themselves will "straighten out" to the proper angle.



And here's the finished part installed, showing the heads retracted:



That's it for now. Hope to be back soon!

Keep a level bubble,
JeffP

[scott t]

Looks good Jeff.

[jefftytoo]

Thanks, buddy!

[salmon]

Jeff,
That is a nice touch. You never explained what the disaster was.....willing to share?

[jefftytoo]

Tom C. was kind enough to ask above what my Harder/Gato build setback has been. Briefly, I couldn’t get the twin long limber hole side pieces to fit properly; they were simply too warped. Knowing some heat should allow me to massage them into the proper shape, I very carefully (but indeed oh-so stupidly) went after the task with a heat gun. Extreme caution didn’t matter: in a blink of an eye I had not only ruined the side pieces themselves, but the perforated area behind the forward dive planes and even a big part of the foredeck! Gadzooks—what a mess!

A new kit was ordered from which to cut out “patches” with which to replace the newly destroyed areas of the build. This method worked great for the areas behind the dive planes, but despite my best efforts, a new section “welded into” the foredeck didn’t work at all; the whole kit piece had been too warped by the heat—it was too far gone—so a whole new foredeck piece was worked up and installed. This involved again carefully removing material to make frames upon which the PE could mount, filling the tiny deck perforations, etc.—starting over, in other words—and ordering said PE replacement parts for the area too. Sheesh!

Well, as of today, I have now FINALLY just repaired or replaced nearly all the damage from Harder’s unfortunate run-in with my recklessness—now months ago. In fact, I have over the last couple of days even managed to properly attach replacements for those long limber hole side panels which had gotten me into all this trouble in the first place! It was a battle getting them to fit properly—each side ultimately requiring a very different technique—but they eventually succumbed to my will. Next up is a lot of puttying and sanding of these areas to complete their installation. Then I can actually move on with the rest of the build and start to get this boat actually looking more like a certain particular American fleet submarine! Japanese destroyers, be warned.

Life is good.


A cut-out replacement patch.


Patch being installed.


Starboard area completed patch repair.


Ruined (with failed attempt at a fix) and replacement bow piece—a work in progress.


Port limber hole piece now installed, awaiting puttying and sanding.

Note: all this will be covered in more detail in a forthcoming build article series in The SubCommittee Report. Part One is set to run in the next issue.

Jeff

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Jeff, as you have found out, a heat gun is the enemy.
It heats too big an area and it can be impossible to control the plastic.

May I suggest (but hopefully you never have to do this again) use a soldering iron so you can control where the heat is applied.
Doing small ares at a time and messaging the plastic to move slowly.

Nice job on the grafting in of the new sections.

[jefftytoo]

Good idea, Ralph. I have also found that applying sufficient solvent (plastic “weld” glue) to the back (non-viewable) side of some thin styrene pieces allows them to be reshaped somewhat too. This is how I succeeded in installing one of those long limber hole pieces. But you’re right—I hope I don’t have to do much reshaping in the future!

[Ben Brigham]

Onwards and downwards! Good job, J!

[jefftytoo]

Thanks, Ben! So good to have finally made some real progress. Now comes another long wait while I wait for my recently broken collarbone to heal...🙄

[jefftytoo]

Still dealing with a snapped collarbone and awaiting word on the necessity of surgery, but am FINALLY back on Harder as my arm has started to feel well enough to do some everyday things again. Last couple of days have put in a little time redoing unsuccessful puttying and putting back weld lines all over the bow lost to sanding. Feels good to be working on her again. Big things to come!

Later,
Jeff

[jefftytoo]

Added fresh PE to Harder's newly reworked bow. Man, is it hard getting those fiddly bits into position and aligned before the glue sets. Lost track of how many times I had to pry that far-forward little vent cover off, sand the deck down and re-glue it! (Final main piece of foredeck PE has now been put back too.)

Later,
Jeff

[jefftytoo]

Mixed results today. Reference photos showed much thinner frames around the fairwater’s twin access doorways than how I had previously opened them up. So I attacked them again with additional filing and sanding and opened them more. Pretty pleased with the results. Also finally sanded off those goofy (probably postwar) raised oblong panel lines along the sides of the fairwater too. These welded cutouts were evident on Cobia—which Revell used in their kit research—and were not necessarily found in that shape or pattern on other boats. So: gone. Also attempted to clean up some disappointing prior stern detail work, but pretty much made a mess of it. Typical setback. Now more cosmetic repair and cleanup needed in that area when next at the bench.



Later,
Jeff

[jefftytoo]

Time, finally, for a little overdue Harder catch-up.

I’ve been trying to slog through more major PE application, working now with the superstructure “hinge” sets from Eduard. These are beautiful pieces, showing off the extensive fine rivet patterns present along the upper sides of the Gato boats. But I’m new to this work, the metal being simultaneously so thin and delicate that it’s difficult to work with without ruining it, while also being so thick it’s a major challenge to satisfactorily bend into the proper curve of the application positions. Lose/lose—at least potentially, for a neophyte like me.

This has been borne out by the fact that my first two attempts were dismal failures, and it’s taken me till this third (and final set of my in-house stock!) to start to get the hang of it.

A big part of the problem has been that the major pieces have to be custom cut by moi to fit around the custom deck extensions that are not part of the kit’s out-of-box design (see photo); that is, Eduard’s pieces do not account for my Harder’s non-generic deck shape. Even more such custom trimming will come into play at the aft end of the boat when dealing with the very different positioning of her stern marker buoy. In other words, the cutout section provided by Eduard for the kit’s buoy fairing will have to be replaced with a solid PE section, while the scratched fairing I added will need to be cut around. But hey, I went into all this required modification with my eyes open, didn’t I?

The rest of the trouble is decidedly my fumble-fingers and inexperience, dealing with 30-minute two-part epoxy to affix the main portion of the large pieces, then later instant-sticking thin CA to get the tops of these pieces to literally bend to my will and adhere to the curving edge along the main deck. Yikes.

As I say though, this last attempt is finally bearing fruit—fruit that is at least good enough, I believe, because paint should later help to hide a multitude of sins. Also working in my favor—proven during my second failed attempt—is that working over the PE later with steel wool erases the raised tarnish and various tiny glue blob blemishes created by my amateur installation job.

In other words, all should work out at least pretty well in the end. Long way yet to go to get there though.

More later,
Jeff

[scott t]

Jeff you are probably past the point you described but might this work to make patterns. Lay the photo etch on some paper then ink over it so it leaves an outline of the piece on the paper. Then cut out the paper pattern created by inking and cut and fit it to perfection. Then use it as a pattern to cut the photo etch.

Saw this video today and it came to mind for creating patterns: https://youtu.be/aTgXhtRtKz4?t=376

Your fitting looks good from here. Keep on keep-n on.