Models By Design T-class

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Very good. Fogging we can live with. However, pooled water in the cylinder has to be tracked down and the source fixed. Make sure you observe the post-mission checks and maintenance tasks -- and leave the motor-bulkhead off between uses, we want things to air out in there between outings.

David,

[Ironhorse]

New battery padck(s)

Hi:
I am planning to replace the gel sealed battery (6V 3.0ah) by a couple of 7,2v 3800 mah NIMH packs wired in parallel to give an increased capacity of 7600 mah.Since actually I do not have an WTC to house the packs I am planning to put them in the wet as I have done before.I have covered the packs with some balloons sprayed inside with silicone oil and joined with two sections of bike innertube. The weight is somewhat lower tan the gel batt,I am planning to join the packs with an Y connector.....
About the pics .One is the battery packs .The other ones are of the T boat after some retouching of the scum line to a less rabid tone of green.I offer them to your approval.The other ship is a trumpeter Seawolf just for size comparison purposes.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Hi:
I am planning to replace the gel sealed battery (6V 3.0ah) by a couple of 7,2v 3800 mah NIMH packs wired in parallel to give an increased capacity of 7600 mah.Since actually I do not have an WTC to house the packs I am planning to put them in the wet as I have done before.I have covered the packs with some balloons sprayed inside with silicone oil and joined with two sections of bike innertube. The weight is somewhat lower tan the gel batt,I am planning to join the packs with an Y connector.....
About the pics .One is the battery packs .The other ones are of the T boat after some retouching of the scum line to a less rabid tone of green.I offer them to your approval.The other ship is a trumpeter Seawolf just for size comparison purposes.

Yes, you can wire Ni-Cad's and NimH cells in parallel, but it's not recommended -- unlike lead-acid (gel-cells) and Lithium types the NiCad's and NimH cells expend a lot of energy trying 'equalize' themselves when so arranged. You can do it, but I don't recommend it.

And putting the batteries in a balloon bladder to 'keep the water out' is a fool's-errand: Water is going to either find its way into the cells via the cable wires (it will eventually travel from the wet connectors, between the conductor and insulation, work its way into the pack, eventually dribbling onto the battery poles and collect). Or the bladder will leak somewhere.

The insidious thing here is that you won't see the water in the cells and the environment within will quickly become a water-laden, hot, nasty collection of stink and corrosive gases -- and it will be like that 24-7! The water corroding the cell walls within will eventually conduct and electrolysis will destroy everything within -- you might even get a short and fire.

Strip the cells of all insulation, spray coat them with silicon spray and put them in the wet in that condition. The cells are in nice fresh water for only a fraction of their life, not 24-7 as they would be if you stick them into a supposed 'watertight' bladder. Your post-mission tasks will include drying off the battery pack and wire brushing the green scum off the positive cell poles, then putting them back on charge -- they will last forever if you do this. They will last only a few months at best if you go the bladder route.

Nice weathering job on the T and the SEAWOLF. Put a white demarcation line at the waterline, blending into the green below. The white representing bleached out 'sea-grass'.

David,

[Ironhorse]

Battery alternatives

Many thanks for you excellent advice and complete explanation David.
As often is said yhere is not substitute for experience. Notice has been taken.Also thanks for your hint concerning the painting of the scum line.
I will send you some pics soon.
What alternative would you consider worth trying as replacement for the 3.0 ah 6v gel battery.They are not unsatisfactory but they give only 30 minutes running time (perhaps I am asking too much....?)

Regards:
Jose

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Many thanks for you excellent advice and complete explanation David.
As often is said yhere is not substitute for experience. Notice has been taken.Also thanks for your hint concerning the painting of the scum line.
I will send you some pics soon.
What alternative would you consider worth trying as replacement for the 3.0 ah 6v gel battery.They are not unsatisfactory but they give only 30 minutes running time (perhaps I am asking too much....?)

Regards:
Jose

Go the Lithium-polymer route: four of the Caswell 1300mAh batteries in parallel will give you nearly double the capacity of the old gel-cell. Put 'em into a 3" WTC (the one we sell for the bigger 11.1-volt LiPo's), cut it to a length to suit the four LiPo's, re-trim your boat, and you're off to the races. Make sure you install a LipoGuard circuit to protect the battery from under-voltage, and that's it.

David,

[Ironhorse]

More weathering.....

Hi:
I offer to you all some pics of the T boat after further weathering it.I have revised the scum line again after taking note of the tip David gave me and also after watching some real warships in close quarters these days...
:wink:The technique used has been mostly drybrushing (very dry..)tones of green light cream,shades of brown.The type of paint used has been Floquil enamels from my old stock of RR paints.

Best wishes to you all

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Well done, sir!

Now, about the vertical 'running water' streaks that originate from down the superstructure and above waterline hull: they stop at the waterline, they do not continue down below the waterline. And the below waterline areas should be shot with a whitened base colorer cut with clear -- you want the below waterline to assume a lighter shade than the above waterline areas.

And before you do that take a stiff brush (stipple brush) and dab the below waterline area (don't forget the stern planes, rudders and propellers) with flecks of toothpaste. After you lay down the lighter shade and the paint drys, wipe the model down with a damp cloth -- the water soluble flecks of toothpaste come off revealing the unshaded flecks. This gives the illusion of marine growth on the below waterline portions of the hull.

You're doing good kiddo!

David,

[Ironhorse]

Weathering tips

Hi: Thank you David for your excellent advice.I will implement what you have explained and I will show you the result.

Really this late phase is resulting in a lot of fun!!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I agree with you -- it's the painting, markings and weathering that blow my skirt up the most on a project.

You're an excellent student.

I'll be learning at your feet in no time.

David,

[Ironhorse]

And now the hull takes the beating...

Hi everyone:David first of all my most sincere thanks for your very nice comments.They are most encouraging.
I have eliminated the running water streaks going any further down the waterline(perfectly logical but you have to take notice).
I have carved my teeth with other scale models but.... Submarines are new to me.
I employed the old and time proven technique of spraying over the border of a masking tape to simulate teh look of the welding seams.I have used about three different tones and shades of gray trying to emply warm mixes not the "cold" ones that come from mixing just white and black adding cream instead of white and minute quantities of brown .
I have done this weathering enhanzing the more lighted areas with lighter tones and the more shaded or deeper areas with much darker tones.This technique is easy but not should be overdone.
Now that I am reaching the finish phase of this project I beggining to dream in a model S or U from MBD in Mediterranean blue livery.ANYONE THERE CAN GIVE SOME CLUE ABOUT THIS SCHEME'??.
Just thinking in a Blue boat weathered and aged makes me shudder........
Thank you in advance to you all.

[Ironhorse]

Marine growth.An alternative route

Hi everybody:
After some thinking about how to represent the appearance of marine growth in the lower hull I submitt to your approval if you find it worth trying the following adaptation of a technique commonly used in AFV modelling to represent mud (dry or otherwise) with the volume that you may want to impart (within certain limits..)
The tools used are:A shortened flat cheap brush.
Acrylic matte medium
White or light gray pigment
You make a mix with the acrylic matte and the white-gray and you obtain a creamy compound that you apply with the stiff-hair shortened brush with the brush vertical to the surface and in short tip strokes.
If you are not happy with the look you can wipe it away with water.
You will see in sucessive passes how the volume "grows".
These deposits seem to appear more intensely in the edges of the "undersurface" areas.
The painting is as follows: the basic tone and small dabs of enamels (flat) in pink or purple and very pale green...
The result is extremely pleasing and I encourage you to give the technique a try.You can fix all later on with some passes of a good varnish..


Try it and enjoy.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

New to me. And I can't wait to check these mediums and techniques out. Thanks.

David,

[VanguardUK]

Well done, sir!

Now, about the vertical 'running water' streaks that originate from down the superstructure and above waterline hull: they stop at the waterline, they do not continue down below the waterline. And the below waterline areas should be shot with a whitened base colorer cut with clear -- you want the below waterline to assume a lighter shade than the above waterline areas.

And before you do that take a stiff brush (stipple brush) and dab the below waterline area (don't forget the stern planes, rudders and propellers) with flecks of toothpaste. After you lay down the lighter shade and the paint drys, wipe the model down with a damp cloth -- the water soluble flecks of toothpaste come off revealing the unshaded flecks. This gives the illusion of marine growth on the below waterline portions of the hull.

You're doing good kiddo!

David,

Like the Toothpaste tip, not heard of that befoere, I'll include in the further weathering of Vanguard

[Ironhorse]

Sea Growth

Hi Folks: Give the technique a test on an old hull, be patient and see the results.When painting donīt be timid with colours (remember they are small dabs...) and observe first hand if you have the chance the bright tones of the calcareous algae for example in a reef aquarium
That is:purple, pinkish tones,very pale green..

Have fun.:wink:

[VanguardUK]

So you're mixing the Acrylic with the powder & applying directly to the surfaces, the effect definately looks right, I will have a bash I think, after spreaking with my son who serves on V Boats, he says I've severly under done the weathering, particularly below the waterline, so I've plenty of room for scope.