Monstrosity! 1/72 Seawolf

[ManOwaR]

Thanks Yannis... Feeling more positive about it already. I liken this to being kicked in the gonads in a boxing match, it isn't supposed to happen, it makes you angry, and gives you more inspiration to win. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, though. Check out my Permit thread and you will see that I did that boat 3 (or was it 4?) times over and can still pinpoint improvements that can be made because of things I'm discovering on the Seawolf. I think that is what this hobby is all about, not just being able to build things, but being able to persevere through adversity when it shows up. It will happen and if you know that before hand, you will be better prepared for when it does happen. Over these last few years I've found that I'll go into plan A always with plan B for back up and usually a C as well and this project with its sub-projects is no different. Onwards-ho!

[bassplayer1]

Damn it Joel.....Reading your post really felt like a punch in the stomach .I know EXACTLY how you feel as it happened to me before and I think is one of the most frustrating feelings one can get! I agree with David, take a break and come back with your batteries recharged and I'm sure you'll sort things out!
Best of luck Yannis

[ManOwaR]

Always good advice, David. Maybe I'll take the rest of the day to repair the large hole that I left in my shop resulting from my skin turning green after the incident lol!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Within this forum I think it safe to say that only Bassplayer1, Rick and Me truly appreciated how devastating this 'incident' is, Joel. We three (and I'm sure there are other 'experts' reading this who are nodding in agreement, as they too know the enormity of this problem) have been there. Not that you were glib or anything, Joel, with your above post, but what you're facing is a very involved and expensive fix to a set of hybrid tools.

What a ****er!

Get out of the shop, take a break, and come back to it only after your blood drops below the boiling point and a smile once again crosses your lips.

David,

[ManOwaR]

Ughhh...I was close at the beginning of the week...then I de-molded the hull and found that we have a problem(s) Houston. First off, the rubber wasn't curing properly so I made an oven (50 degrees C) to help cure it. The rubber cured, but apparently something else cured and expanded inside my plug moulds giving me large expanded blisters on their sides of which transfered to the rubber. Also, the excessive heat softened the exterior so that the fiberglass pattern sort of printed through. Then trying to get the bottom hull half out of the mold, the WAA's were partially damaged. Also had delamination on some of the cured rubber layers. Not a good week. One extremely good thing is that all the areas with detailing were still miraculously ok! Anyhow, now that I have finished feeling sorry for myself I have commenced on repairing and refinishing the plugs and I have a strategy in place to get everything corrected and am back on track. I feel terrible about this and I sincerely apologize to everyone who has been patiently waiting for this project to be finished.

[Slats]

You must be close now Joel?
J

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Thanks Rick!
I haven't stopped her, but I have kinda entered the same phase with it that you and Dave were at on the Foxtrot awhile ago...you know, that special feeling where your food feels like its going to come back up when you're in a 20' radius of the thing lol!

I'm with you, Pal!

David,

[Rpmtech1]

I hear you buddy. I get that nauseaus feeling still! lol

[ManOwaR]

Thanks Rick!
I haven't stopped her, but I have kinda entered the same phase with it that you and Dave were at on the Foxtrot awhile ago...you know, that special feeling where your food feels like its going to come back up when you're in a 20' radius of the thing lol!

[Rpmtech1]

Says its your birthday today Joel. Happy birthday! Now get back to work on this monstrocity!

[Slats]

I need another cold shower - see the latest update:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=183881251660387&set=a.183881168327062.45891.147922521922927&type=1&theater

J

[bassplayer1]

Joel
I just went through your pictures and I'm absolutely speechless!!! Fantastic work my friend!!!

[ManOwaR]

There's a ton of new pics showing mast and rack work here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...47922521922927

[Slats]

Hi John,
From what I understand, that half red oxide scheme was indeed used, but only at launch and then up to, and this is only my guess, the closest drydocking period to when the Virginia would have been commisioned. So, to paint your boat in this scheme would not be wrong, but it would have to be "Seawolf-circa luanching" or something like that. But, for a number of years now the colour has been all black. This could be because the rubber itself is black and does not need further painting, and then after applied and cured, they might add an additional treatment to that rubber below the waterline thereby giving us that drydocked demarcation line that is so well disputed all over the net.

With all that being said, my proto-type and beauty model to used for promotional pictures will represent the Seawolf as it currently stands, in all black. I use automotive paints and the only colours I have are black and white and these are mixed accordingly to give me the shade of grey that I want. What I'm thinking of doing here is to go with a very dark grey mix for the entire hull. Below the water line I will clear coat with a pure flat and above with a satin. The non skid strip will be pure black with a pure flat finish. This could change and probably will once I actually start painting her. I am not going to heavily weather this model but I might do a white wash to bring out hatch and other details, something like what Dave did with a Skipjack awhile ago

Thank Joel, sound good.
J

[ManOwaR]

Hi John,
From what I understand, that half red oxide scheme was indeed used, but only at launch and then up to, and this is only my guess, the closest drydocking period to when the Virginia would have been commisioned. So, to paint your boat in this scheme would not be wrong, but it would have to be "Seawolf-circa luanching" or something like that. But, for a number of years now the colour has been all black. This could be because the rubber itself is black and does not need further painting, and then after applied and cured, they might add an additional treatment to that rubber below the waterline thereby giving us that drydocked demarcation line that is so well disputed all over the net.

With all that being said, my proto-type and beauty model to used for promotional pictures will represent the Seawolf as it currently stands, in all black. I use automotive paints and the only colours I have are black and white and these are mixed accordingly to give me the shade of grey that I want. What I'm thinking of doing here is to go with a very dark grey mix for the entire hull. Below the water line I will clear coat with a pure flat and above with a satin. The non skid strip will be pure black with a pure flat finish. This could change and probably will once I actually start painting her. I am not going to heavily weather this model but I might do a white wash to bring out hatch and other details, something like what Dave did with a Skipjack awhile ago