1/72 Virginia Class USS South Dakota

[Timothy L]

[Ongoing repeated reminder: I am a beginner just trying to share whatever foibles I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies - I am no expert by any means - so proceed at your own risk!]

Today I was able to finish up the control linkages and I’m very pleased with them. I did not like the 3D printed yokes that came with the hull so I made my own out of brass. It was a bit tricky but I learned a lot

Hmmmm…,,,so (scratching head) what can I share with my fellow newbies? I must confess I occasionally wonder if there are other newbies out there. I mean you do need to be a little wacko to get into RC subs when your skill set is about two steps away from a plastic kit builder LOL!!!

Anyway here are thoughts regarding making fittings. Don’t panic when you see the “Rolls Royce” of fittings that master craftsman on this forum create! If you don’t have s lathe or a machine shop, it’s not a problem. All you really need is the ability to make bending jigs out of wooden blocks and an understanding of soldering.

For jigs, I make different wooden shapes that are glued to a building board after I think about how I need to make the bends. Once my jigs are solidly in place making the bends is a piece of cake. Although not talking about railings in this post, I want to add railings shouldn’t freak you out because it’s very easy to make a nice jig to make perfect railing every time - maybe keep that in the back of your mind if you decide to build a WWII sub.


For soldering 99% of the time I use the same kind of electric iron that stain glass artists use. For tiny wires used fir deck railings a small electronics iron is more appropriate. Also spend a few minutes on the Internet so that you make sure you’re using the right flux and solder. There’s a big difference between soldering stainless steel and soldering brass. it’ll just take you a few minutes to check it out and then it will save you lots of hassle.

Very basic stuff but with luck these mutterings may be of help!

[Timothy L]

[Ongoing repeated reminder: I am a beginner just trying to share whatever foibles I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies - I am no expert by any means. LOL proceed at your own risk]

For newbies like me (and probably you if you decided to keep reading LOL) there can be many small victories and moments of satisfaction - nothing thrilling or unique - just satisfying.

Today was one of those satisfying days and the key word for fellow newbs is “accessibility”. From the get-go remember that the completed sub must be “maintainable”. You need to be able to access anything that can break or get out of wack. You know how David Merriman often refers to “mission checks” - the idea of always thoroughly checking your sub before and after your mission? Well you can’t do that very well if problem areas are not accessible!

The stern of my South Dakota is basically a long pointy tube not designed for clumsy arthritic fingers LOL. Servo linkages and drive train go through that narrow canal - so putting in the servo links etc and permanently gluing in the pointy stern is probably something you want to avoid.

For me the solution was to attach the stern “cone” with four 2-56 screws and nuts AND making sure I had the proper long handled narrow screwdriver to reach the screws. The nuts were epoxy resined into the cone so that the screw heads face the bow. It was a little tricky to do - but I did it! Now if I need to get at the internal stern mechanisms, I’m all set.

I know this sounds like moronically simple stuff compared to the info / work shared by the amazing craftsmen on the DT - BUT I just know there’s a few newbies out there who are down at my level - who might benefit from my simple shares - trudge on!!!!!

[Timothy L]

Thank you. The prop was made to my specs by Simon at the Prop Shop in the UK. It was an original casting so to reduce per unit cost I had 4 made: 2 for me and 2 for ND. Simon has always been terrific to work with. I have many props from him for my surface ships - great quality.

[RazorAntilles]

Looking good! Where did you source your prop from?

[Timothy L]

[Despite DM’s kind encouragement (tnx), I am compelled to include this repeated reminder: I am a beginner just trying to share whatever things I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies - I am no expert by any means. LOL proceed at your own risk]

With a little more time available then in previous months I can now proceed to the lower hull. Earlier I suggested to fellow newbies that maneuverability is something to be aware of when choosing your first sub. What will the turn radius be? Can you improve it? Can you accept limitations of a large turning radius?

I determined that I really, really wanted to build the South Dakota because I was fortunate enough to tour it inside and out at Groton (thank you SUBEX!). From the outset I accepted the fact that maneuverability could be a challenge. I also knew that I am a builder who will (within limits) prioritize functionality over scale. One could, for example, try the ND swiveling stern. I looked at and decided it was way too much of a departure from scale for me.

So I have decided to experiment with an enlarged bottom Becker rudder combined (possibly) with reversible bow and stern water pumps. So, fellow newbies, I think a good question to ask is how comfortable are you with experimenting? Are you willing to try different ideas knowing you might need to return to the drawing board? LOL, I think I am - but I may have to revisit the question after I return to the drawing board one time too many!

Below is a photo of three rudders. The top left is the standard scale rudder for a Virginia class; the top right Is a sleeve to enlarge the standard rudder. Below that are the two parts combined. And below that is my even larger scratch built Becker rudder in process. my prioritizing functionality over scale can accept a large rudder that is not particularly visible on the surface. Others may be extremely uncomfortable with that. Decisions, decisions Jerry Lee!!!!

Another departure I made from scale is the prop. I have chosen to use a brass scimitar prop instead of a rotor. Again, it’s my boat and my choice. And I guess that’s something I want to emphasize to lurking newbies / even though it should be obvious. You will be building this boat for you, not for others - you can do anything you want!!!

That’s all for now!

[Timothy L]

A little better photo….I think I am now a 2K poly fan - but final test will be pond wear…..and I will need more practice to develop good technique (something my fellow newbies should consider if thinking about 2K poly).

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Trudging along…… and just a reminder that I am a beginner just trying to share whatever things I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies……mistakes and all LOL.

While not specific to the USS South Dakota, today I used 2K polyurethane clear coat for the first time. This will eventually be the clearcoat that I use on the South Dakota so I thought I might share my first experience with it even though the subject model was my 212A. I had stripped its original paint job, repainted with acrylics, and today put on the 2K clearcoat because I wanted something much more durable than my original rattle can clear coat. David Merriman prefers the rugged qualities of this clearcoat and that’s what I was looking for. I tried to read as many of David’s descriptions of using this paint as possible - but in the end I just had to jump in and experiment myself. I did so with a little bit of trepidation but I’m happy with the results and here’s what I’m learning:

The products used were Restoration Shop Urethane (C), Restoration Hardener (H), Restoration Reducer UR-60 (R), and Transtar 6494 Flattening Agent (F).

The mixing ratios were 4 parts C to 1 part H. 2 parts R were then added to thin it. Then 1.5 parts F was added to flatten it. These ratios produced the drying / hardening rate and level of flatness I desired. I got lucky on my first round guess.

The process: spray a wet coat with a wide nozzle Pasche airbrush; wait about 10 minutes for it to flash; spray 2nd wet coat; wait 30 minutes for solvent release; and run IR lamps 15 minutes at 130-140° for quick drying. I will wait another 24 hours before handling set it aside for a week just to be sure that it is cured.

Soooo…….what to share about this with my fellow newbies????? Using 2K is s personal choice - there are lots of easier ways to clearcoat but none will provide the durability of 2K. I guess the first thing I would say is if you’re not particularly into painting, don’t do this. 1st, the products are very expensive (although in the quantities purchased they will last a long time). 2nd, the products are extremely toxic and a bit messy to use. I would say don’t even think about it unless you’re willing to buy the appropriate mask and have a well ventilated area like a garage with doors at both ends. 3rd, it’s pretty easy to screw something up. 4th, I think when I spray the South Dakota I will go from the Pasche to a very small auto shop touchup gun .


If that doesn’t sound like fun, you might just grab your favorite one part clearcoat rattle can and go for it LOL.

I’m pleased with the results I’m glad I ignored the trepidation and tried it. I hope this might help some of you who are doing head scratching about many of these questions on your first sub. Until next time….,

RTFI, all my TM instructors would rattle on in classroom and lab (Read The ****ing Instructions!!!!).

You did just that and hit a home-run on your first outing with this paint/clear-coat system. Not luck. Not at all! Tenacity, attention to the instructions, and a well prepared working environment.

Enough with the humble-pie crap: Your good and you know it. Strut a little; it won't kill you!

Don't bother with the Reducer, Tim. Cut the paint/clear-coat with any quality brand Lacquer thinner and the work will go a bit quicker.

Yeah, get a cheap 2mm touch-up gun from Harbor Freight. Poops out much more product than our old reliable 'hobby' H-model.

David

[Timothy L]

My last post seems to have duplicated itself 2X and attempts to delete the duplicates are not working. Sorry about that. Maybe an admin person can delete the 2 extra post duplicates?

[Timothy L]

Trudging along…… and just a reminder that I am a beginner just trying to share whatever things I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies……mistakes and all LOL.

While not specific to the USS South Dakota, today I used 2K polyurethane clear coat for the first time. This will eventually be the clearcoat that I use on the South Dakota so I thought I might share my first experience with it even though the subject model was my 212A. I had stripped its original paint job, repainted with acrylics, and today put on the 2K clearcoat because I wanted something much more durable than my original rattle can clear coat. David Merriman prefers the rugged qualities of this clearcoat and that’s what I was looking for. I tried to read as many of David’s descriptions of using this paint as possible - but in the end I just had to jump in and experiment myself. I did so with a little bit of trepidation but I’m happy with the results and here’s what I’m learning:

The products used were Restoration Shop Urethane (C), Restoration Hardener (H), Restoration Reducer UR-60 (R), and Transtar 6494 Flattening Agent (F).

The mixing ratios were 4 parts C to 1 part H. 2 parts R were then added to thin it. Then 1.5 parts F was added to flatten it. These ratios produced the drying / hardening rate and level of flatness I desired. I got lucky on my first round guess.

The process: spray a wet coat with a wide nozzle Pasche airbrush; wait about 10 minutes for it to flash; spray 2nd wet coat; wait 30 minutes for solvent release; and run IR lamps 15 minutes at 130-140° for quick drying. I will wait another 24 hours before handling set it aside for a week just to be sure that it is cured.

Soooo…….what to share about this with my fellow newbies????? Using 2K is s personal choice - there are lots of easier ways to clearcoat but none will provide the durability of 2K. I guess the first thing I would say is if you’re not particularly into painting, don’t do this. 1st, the products are very expensive (although in the quantities purchased they will last a long time). 2nd, the products are extremely toxic and a bit messy to use. I would say don’t even think about it unless you’re willing to buy the appropriate mask and have a well ventilated area like a garage with doors at both ends. 3rd, it’s pretty easy to screw something up. 4th, I think when I spray the South Dakota I will go from the Pasche to a very small auto shop touchup gun .


If that doesn’t sound like fun, you might just grab your favorite one part clearcoat rattle can and go for it LOL.

I’m pleased with the results I’m glad I ignored the trepidation and tried it. I hope this might help some of you who are doing head scratching about many of these questions on your first sub. Until next time….,

[Timothy L]

Trudging along…… and just a reminder that I am a beginner just trying to share whatever things I might run into that might possibly be of interest to fellow newbies……mistakes and all LOL.

While not specific to the USS South Dakota, today I used 2K polyurethane clear coat for the first time. This will eventually be the clearcoat that I use on the South Dakota so I thought I might share my first experience with it even though the subject model was my 212A. I had stripped its original paint job, repainted with acrylics, and today put on the 2K clearcoat because I wanted something much more durable than my original rattle can clear coat. David Merriman prefers the rugged qualities of this clearcoat and that’s what I was looking for. I tried to read as many of David’s descriptions of using this paint as possible - but in the end I just had to jump in and experiment myself. I did so with a little bit of trepidation but I’m happy with the results and here’s what I’m learning:

1. The products used were Restoration Shop Urethane (C), Restoration Hardener (H), Restoration Reducer UR-60 (R), and Transtar 6494 Flattening Agent (F).
2. The mixing ratios were 4 parts C to 1 part H. 2 parts R were then added to thin it. Then 1.5 parts F was added to flatten it. These ratios produced the drying / hardening rate and level of flatness I desired. I got lucky on my first round guess.
3. The process: spray a wet coat with a wide nozzle Pasche airbrush; wait about 10 minutes for it to flash; spray 2nd wet coat; wait 30 minutes for solvent release; and run IR lamps 15 minutes at 130-140° for quick drying. I will wait another 24 hours before handling set it aside for a week just to be sure that it is cured.

Soooo…….what to share about this with my fellow newbies????? Using 2K is s personal choice - there are lots of easier ways to clearcoat but none will provide the durability of 2K. I guess the first thing I would say is if you’re not particularly into painting, don’t do this. 1st, the products are very expensive (although in the quantities purchased they will last a long time). 2nd, the products are extremely toxic and a bit messy to use. I would say don’t even think about it unless you’re willing to buy the appropriate mask and have a well ventilated area like a garage with doors at both ends. 3rd, it’s pretty easy to screw something up. 4th, I think when I spray the South Dakota I will go from the Pasche to a very small auto shop touchup gun .


If that doesn’t sound like fun, you might just grab your favorite one part clearcoat rattle can and go for it LOL.

I’m pleased with the results I’m glad I ignored the trepidation and tried it. I hope this might help some of you who are doing head scratching about many of these questions on your first sub. Until next time….,

[CC Clarke]

Lots of sanding on display here - the bane of FDM 3D printing, but it's looking good! For detail sanding work, I use a DSPAIE reciprocating sander which works very well.

As for mast and antennas, this is a full set of 1/72 I made for an upcoming Block V build, as soon as official photos of the new missile deck and sonar array are published. Remember the angled portion of the mast fairings points forward when installed.

[Timothy L]

Reminder to my fellow struggling newbies - if you choose to use Tamiya’s terribly expensive Fine Spray Primer to help preserve small (PE) details and you plan to use acrylic color coat next, all the solvents on the Tamiya primer must be thoroughly dried out. I will use IR lights snd then let it set for a week.

[Timothy L]

Getting a little more time and trudging along…..upper hull is primed…..

[Timothy L]

(WARNING - If you were looking for advice from a skilled craftsman, don’t read further LOL)

From the trudging neophyte - since my recent post, two things occurred to me that might be helpful to my fellow head scratchers.

THE BIG PICTURE
Before you begin your first wet hull sub you might think about what your NEXT sub might be - and not because you’re a stash builder like all of us. Why? Because the WTC’s aren’t cheap and it might be good to have a WTC that can easily be transferred between two hulls. Are you doing something with your first sub that would make it difficult to drop the WTC into a 2nd sub? Seems like “future of the fleet” thinking might help. Will my subs have as many transferable parts as possible? Will they be the same scale? Will my drive shafts, props, and universals have similar diameters and threads (very helpful if you don’t happen to be a machinist LOL). Future thinking might make your fleet build more efficient. For me, I’ve made all threads and drive shaft diameters for surface ships AND subs the same. The more machinist knowledge you have (I have none) and the more machinist equipment you have (I have none) might make such thinking irrelevant - but this is just from one head scratcher to another LOL.

WHAT COMES FIRST!
Most wet hull subs don’t come with instructions. You have to identify and source all components on your own. For many NO INSTRUCTIONS is like heaven!!!! But to be clear, for me, once I sourced this big pile of stuff I had to ponder where I would begin!!! What I’ve learned is that the order in which you do things is pretty important. Did I approach this logically? Nope. I avoided what seemed new and confusing and focused on the “easy stuff”. My motto seems to be do the fun stuff first! And the fun stuff is the stuff you have more of a chance of understanding right off the bat!

So the first thing I did was glue the hull parts together and strengthen it with fiberglass. Wait, did I say easy? Actually I had to get more familiar with “glue”. Really. This sub is a 5’ foot plastic tube! Tamiya model glue won’t hack it. So I did some searching on this forum and somewhere DM, the soft-hearted curmudgeon, talks about adhesives and cohesives. Check out his videos and posts - if you don’t know a lot about glues, This is a must. In short, some glues weld and some glue stick - when you’re putting a plastic hull together you want to weld it. Oh, and those immaculate fiberglass jobs you see skilled builders do? Not really so easy when you’re doing the interior of a submarine hull. You’re trying to get resin and fiberglass cloth onto an awkwardly curved surface. The solution for me was to do it in stages to try to avoid any kind of resin pooling. I also used terrarium heating lamps and an electronic thermometer to make sure my drying temperature was good (New England basements can get cold in the winter!).

In the process of gluing the hull parts together, since I’m an idiot and there are no instructions, I accidentally on purpose removed some of the alignment holes that were built into the bottom hull. You see what I mean about getting into that “ You don’t know what you don’t know conundrum” LOL”. If I had realized what those holes were for, I could’ve made life a bit more easy. The lesson here? Before you do much of anything try to get a very clear idea as to how you are going to fit the top of the hull to the bottom. Again, DM the SHC has some super stuff on this topic on both the forum and his videos. DM is devoting an absolutely phenomenal amount of energy trying to share his knowledge - far more than you’ll ever expend trying to research this stuff. Take advantage of it. That’s the best way to say thank you.

After the hull sections were welded together and reinforced, I discovered that the top and bottom section didn’t really fit together ideally (understatement). I did the research to finish that task as described in an earlier post. This is something you want to do pretty early in the game because it’s messy, prone to making stupid mistakes, and very important.

Once that was done I felt comfortable that I could do the finishing and detail work on the upper hull. Before I did anything I brushed on a coat of acrylic filler so I could assess what an ordeal many of the striations in the ABS would be to deal with.
For me it’s kind of like knowing where the mines are in the minefield LOL. Then I learned about etching PE and I’m still in the process of finishing the upper hull. And that reminds me: Do a quick YouTube search on how to etch Plastic models. Buy or make some good itching tools and teach yourself how to use them on scrap plastic. Not as easy as you might think. And guess what lol, DM the SHC has really good information on this. To me I think this is an essential skill and you should not skip learning how to do it.

As you can see the order in which you do things can be haphazard but there are certain sequences you really don’t want to get too much out of order.

I would suggest that you are very clear about what kind of paint and clear coating etc. you will be doing before you get too far into the project. The paint and the fillers have a lot to do with how much detail shows up. Figure out what kind of paint you want to use and make up some scrap plastic with details etched in etc.. Fill it and spray it and see what kind of trouble you run into before you go near your actual sub model. There’s lots of opinions about paint. I’m the type that likes to build a brick poop house and subs can get pretty beat up - more so than surface ships. So, planning in advance, I took the leap and decided to go the 2K poly clearcoat route over acrylics. more on that later. I’m just suggesting that early in the game you decide what you’re going to use and it will save you some grief I believe.

I’m jabbering on here as if I know what I’m doing. I don’t but I’m trying LOL! Probably the biggest mistake I’ve made in the process is avoiding the time it will take for me to study the WTC and thoroughly understand how it works. For those who have the minds of a physicist or an electrical engineer it’s no sweat. For me it will be a challenge LOL! Particularly because I am thevexperiment first and do the research second type - not necessarily the best idea!

Ok, end of the jabbering. I’ll need to stay away from some of this for a few weeks because of some really severe arthritis in my right hand that’s put me using brace for awhile - but as I stumble along I’ll try to share any head scratching thoughts that might help fellow neophytes (or not!).

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I’ll copy snd paste the blocked post here. Maybe that will work;

Musings from the trudging neophyte are posted here only for one reason - to possibly help others who will not ask questions because the incredible expertise on this forum might seem intimidating and questions might feel embarrassing.
Sharing the occasional foibles of a sub-rank rc sub newbie might encourage you. As a “quasi build log” anything I post here is likely of no interest to the supreme craftsman who so wonderfully infuse their knowledge into this forum LOL!
BUT my fellow (likely quiet) neophytes here are a few quick thoughts on things I’ve learned so far:

1) if you buy a printed hull make absolutely sure you know how much sanding and prep work you’re getting into. There are trade-offs between having details cleanly and accurately portrayed vrs strength. I chose to focus on strength and therefore I’m working with an ABS/FG (plastic with bits of fiberglass thrown in). Mucho sanding.

2) if you’re looking for answers on this forum or the Internet at large, you will have to do a little bit of work. Take the time to learn how to search the forums, search Dive Tribe sessions etc. Giving yourself the tools to find answers is no different than getting the right tools to do a job.
a) Sometimes those answers are like jumping down the rabbit hole because they simply lead to more questions. And that can get confusing. This is definitely a hobby where a basement tinkerer newcomer may very well suffer from “ You don’t know what you don’t know” conundrum.
b) and that’s about the point where you might want to ask David Merriman a question. Despite his reputation for being a softhearted mush-mellow, he’s an unbelievable crafts person with a knowledge base that I doubt will ever be duplicated. As I mentioned in an earlier post you might be well advised to daily follow his Today’s Work posts.

3) PE (photo etch): I was dreading using photo parts when I started on this project. I got over that hurdle - this is what I learned; 1) make sure you cut the PE parts out on a rock hard surface 2) anneal parts that will fit to a curved surface (heat it up and then cool it - lots if videos on it) 3) make your own application tips when using CA glue (I sharpen a 1//16” sprue and use it with thin CA). 4) depends on your view towards detail, but in my opinion don’t sweat the really tiny stuff that you can barely see - (2 feet away from you no one will see it).

4) Fitting the upper hull to the lower hull. If you’re used to building surface models, this is a whole new focal point that you may never have given a second thought to! However, it is super important! This is something that’s not too difficult to research on the forum - BUT here’s the thing: for me, doing it was a challenge LOL. There are two things going on. First, you want the upper hull removal to be a trouble free “2 second” procedure. Second, you want a really clean seam between the hull sections. I experimented with several of the suggested methods. How you approach it will probably vary depending on the type of sub that you are building. For this hull only a small bolt in the stern needs to be removed to lift off the upper hull. After trying several methods I found that the Vaseline / Gold Evercoat filler combo worked best. You MUST use thin CA to harden the filler as a last step.

5) Turning radius: Larger, longer subs have very poor turning radii. This should be part of your decision on what sub you want to build. If you really love the looks of the larger nuclear subs, Make sure you understand what its operating characteristics will be and whether or not you want to change those characteristics during your building process.

Well, that was a lot of jabbering. The point for sharing these rather simple thoughts is that they might help somebody who’s sitting there scratching their head like me. Like me, you may not be somebody that’s fond of reading instructions and just want to try everything your own way. I don’t advise that though. This is a different kind of hobby and you need the experts and need to expect you will run into things that are not common to any other RC hobby! I hope my musings will be of help. As I trudge along with this most enjoyable model I’ll try to share bits of my experience that might be of worth.

Congratulations, your post came through without being 'flagged', Tim. Excellent presentation and I know your words will strike a chord with most of the 'new guys' visiting here.

(Softhearted Mush-Mellow!!!!?????..... You will pay dearly for that!)