1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Here you can see a little better what I mean.

I sectioned the plans and scaled them onto two sheets of paper. Then I cut them out and taped them to the hull. You can see the Nautilus models templates below the hull.



Starting from the back I worked my way forward taping them to the superstructure. It became apparent that the template holes were much larger than the ones on the plans.



Here is the template in place. You can see some of the scale limber holes inside the template cutout holes.



These plans are for a Portsmouth Balao so they are not exact matches for the MI boats such as Wahoo, etc. However, I do have a set of images, taken by JeffP, of Silversides which clearly show the proper placement and size of the holes. Between the plans and the images I should be able to work up a good roadmap for the correct limber pattern.

[thor]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Paul,

I will be less than 15 minutes from Silversides in February, so of you need any photos or measurements let me know. I am always happy to see her.


Matt

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Good for you, Paul—great detective work! Admittedly the Nautilus Models templates look wonderful, but wrong is still wrong. I'm sensing that at some point you'll have a fully corrected/individualized, complete, and utterly scale set of MI limber holes as a PhotoShop file or files. Printed on some kind of vellum (like the old days), or even thin sheet styrene, these could be an invaluable help to a lot of people. Now you're feeling the same disappointment I felt in the Nautilus Models keel flood hole pattern, and likewise the same excitement I felt by using a template set scaled from real plans. (Thanks again Tom C. and Scott T.!)

Of course, it'll be a lot more work to go this new way. But the real benefit is: you'll sleep at night.

Green Board,
JeffP

[boomerfunker]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Grrrrr. Just flippin Grrrrr.






Well I guess it proves the old adage---"If you want something done right...."

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Paul,

Now that I think of it, could you photo-etch those (eventual) redone/accurate MI limber hole strips? Either on your own or farm them out? (LaRue? Eliot Brown?) I'm gonna use those third party EB pattern limber hole brass strips on mine; no reason not to think about the same for yours. So much less drilling and filing, my friend!

JeffP

[ober freak]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Here are my modifications made to my Gato kit which will evolve to be USS Puffer.
My WTC will be closed by 2 simplified bayonet locks and i plan with 2 piston tanks.

[scott t]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Looks interesting. Are you planning to lay down planks on the deck since you marked the
cross members on the deck surface. Interested to see how you machined your bayonet
rings. Keep us posted.

Scott T

[ober freak]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Yes, I will plank the deck as Puffer had a full length wooden deck.
The bayonet rings are the 70mm tube with small lasercut acrylic rings to fit into the 80/74mm tube.
The locking will be done by the acrylic formers with some M2 screws.

Marco

[ober freak]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Here are closeups of the rings.
I got that idea from Brüggen's Revell Type VIIc conversion kit.

[ober freak]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

I replaced the Revell bow shutters with the valley type AMP shutters.
The shutters itself are not fixed, yet.
The area need some putty first, but I didn't found any.

[scott t]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Looking good Marco!

Scott T

[PaulC]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Very nice. The early Gato shutters are a cool look.

[ssn705]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

The great work continues. Love watching this one. Managed to score a second Gato for $80! Now I have two so that I can do a normal fleetboat and a post war SSK. Unfortunately work is gonna keep me from joining the fun for a bit.

Cheers,

Dave

[boomerfunker]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Nothing like a blizzard to get some time at the bench...

When last we saw our hero he was had at work casting a custom set of periscope shears for Trigger.
I choose the best one to start getting it ready but first I had to get the covered wagon frames
finished which was a simple matter of finishing the middle ones and attaching them.



Every thing from the bridge decking up is going to have brass pins installed for extra strength. Steyrene
by itself isn't going to hold up very long to the odd knocks and bangs we give these boats. So I drilled
out all the mast and periscope tubes on my new shears piece. Turns out I'd by spending a lot of time
with the pin vise this weekend.

Everything gets a pin. Here I'm drilling out one of the kit scopes. I did this for both the standard and
attack scope heads.




I cut brass tubing to serve as periscope casings and radar mounts. There will be some photo-etch added at a much later date
for the radar heads, no point attaching them just to break them off. Here is the array of piping and masts. They are all pretty
rough yet but serviceable.




Nothing here is permanently attached. I have to do some painting in there first or I'll never be able to get at it later.
I have bracing, floodlights, navigation lights, and a plethora of odds and ends to do to busy up the aloft area but the bones
are in.

I will continue along those lines not thinking, not at all, about those dang flood holes in the hull down there. Nope.

[jefftytoo]

Re: 1/72nd Revell Gato Wolfpack

Ned B. would be proud. I know I am; nice work. Lots o' room back there on the cigarette deck, I see, for one standard issue park bench. H'yep.

JeffP