1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Absolutely, Mark! Welcome aboard.

[boomerfunker]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

I'm more of the wardroom steward around here but I'll welcome you aboard SmallSubGuy!

And you totally hit it on the head. The whole point of this group thread is to inspire and if need be, guilt, us into sitting down to the bench and getting stuff done.

At the moment I'm strongly in the 'guilty' column with not much to show against Paul and Jeff's recent progress. I have been working on my Nautilus Models resin conning tower, cleaning it up, removing as much heavy resin as I can, and getting it to look right on the kit deck, but nothing photo worthy yet.

This will be my largest sub project to date too, should be interesting!

TomK

P.S. Yeah Bill, I think I've got to model those deck extensions at the main gun hardpoints. I think those will be a feature to big to ignore if it's missing on my Trigger. <Sigh>
More for the list...

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Tom,

Right you are about the purpose of all this. But there's nothing that isn't photo worthy in my book. To back up that assertion, I bought a new body filler to use on this project. It's made by Bondo and so far, so good. It doesn't dry quite as quick as the Nitrostan which I've been using for over a decade (the same tube by the way). The only reason I bought something else is the cap split on my 9001 tube and a large block of putty dried in the top of the tube. If I can figure out a way to salvage the rest of it I will. But in the meantime I got the Bondo filler to keep working. Got it at Napa Auto down the street. They had a UV cure filler as well which I thought sounded fun. But you need sunlight for it to cure and I'm working mostly at night in the garage so...



Here's my first try with the new filler. Seems to work okay. I'll know more about shrinkage, etc. in the morning. A shot of primer to clean things up and it looks a whole lot better than my last image. Still a ways to go. The hull dimple sections are next. They fit behind the shutters. It's taking a while but this is actually the part I like, working on the details.

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Good work, Paul, as usual. And I add my voice to the "Welcome Aboard" choir for my good friend the distinguished Mr. Jones, soon to be known as Medium Sub Guy. Ahem, isn't there a t-shirt you're also supposed to be working on, bub?

And hey, call me a dope (many have, so I'm used to it), but going for accuracy is no waste of time in my Patrol Orders. (No disrespect intended, Mr. Lambing; honest.) My Harder will be as accurate as I have the skills and patience to make her because: A) I really don't run all that often; B) my car is happily tailor-made for safe boat transport; and most important, C) I intend to be very, very careful with her in the field! Of course, accidents can and will happen, but I don't want to be gazing at my beauty on the shelf (where she'll be docked most of her life) and saying, gee, I wish I'd added this and done that. Besides, what would Sam Dealey say? (When he wasn't clobbering destroyers, that is.)

And by the way, Kisler, since you're mess stewarding, like Yeo I take my coffee blond and sweet.

JeffP

[salmon]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

I may be a klutz, so view this in that light, I break things off my sub - sometimes several times on the same piece. That being said, it is worth the hassle to fix. The Gato strikes a balance between modern and old technology.
Here is my first Gato - the second will be coming.

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

A very good looking boat indeed, Tom!

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Nice work indeed, Tom! And thank you: that particular (accidental?) angle/silhouette may have just proved Mr. Lambing's "optical illusion" take on the foreshortening of Harder's fairwater in that earlier photo.

JeffP

[mar7ck]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Hey Salmon,

That's a good look'n boat. Thanx for the pic now i can see the proper water line.
Well i don't know if my boat will achieve the proper water line, but ill give it the ole college try.
Oh yeah Salmon, you are working on a second fleet boat, most of us cant get the first one done!!!

Ya know i thought i heard something about artwork..., naugh..., I'm hearing things.

[salmon]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Thanks guys for the kind words.
Artwork, do you mean photoshop? Like this?

Or something else?

[Guest]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

I recently got some two part polyester putty. Advantage being you can start working the filled area within minutes rather than wait an hour or more for air dry putty to cure.

The product I'm using is made by a company called Upol and is called Dolphin Glaze. It's very fine consistency, so ideal for model work. It's designed for the auto refinishing trade as a final top coat of filler before priming and sanding, to fill pin holes and mild 'sink', and is described as 'self-levelling'. You can see it comes in bag form, which is much better than a tin for keeping it nice and fresh.



I don't think the Upol brand is available in the States, much like Bondo (3M supply similar products under different labels) and Evercoat aren't known here in the UK, but I'm sure there is something something similar available under one of your own brands.

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Thanks for the tip, Andy. I've used Evercoat metal glaze and had success with it. I like to use both -- sometimes I just don't want to fool with adding the catalyst.

Tom, regarding using Evergreen strips to build up the deck, take a look at this guy's build: http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum...06287&start=60. It is certainly doable. Won't have to worry about trapped air much either.

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

A little more progress on the starboard side. The hull dimples are now installed for both tubes. They are a bit on the hard side to see. It should show better with some primer. I also filed the little notches for the shutter door hinge mechanism. One of those "nobody will notice but me" kind of details.



A different shot to hopefully show the hull dimples a little more clearly.



I tacked the dimple plugs with CA and the backed it up with J-B Weld. I'll let it cure overnight and then work on fairing them into the hull tomorrow.

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Wow! And hooray for JB Weld—my favorite stuff!

[salmon]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

That looks really good Paul! I think it will come together nicely.

[wlambing]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Tom,

The pool picture is exactly what I was saying regarding a "runner"! She looks really good without being overly delicate. Hake will have the correct weapons, reworked shears and reworked sail. From a few feet away, I dare say she'll look great. I'm really just hoping that she'll be a good operating little machine and provide many hours of fun!

Nice stuff, guys! Keep it coming!

B^)