... I went ballistic!

I pointed out that we had agreed earlier that his turnkey model SEAWOLF would
be represented as a well weathered submarine. You can imagine my chagrin at
this change request; I had already invested a couple of days work to the

weathering, and it would take additional days to scrub it all off and start in with a new paint job. The cat knew something was up, could not find him all day!

Anyway, as quickly as this issue flared up, it went away: Soon after receiving Mike's query and shooting back my response (a defense of the 'weathered look'), we had settled back on the original agreement. My position was further strengthened, and the client relieved, after I sent him shots of other model submarines I built and weathered. And Matt Thor also chipped in with some positive comments about my work.

As it turned out, Mike was very concerned how the general public would receive the weathering job. Fair enough. Apparently Mike is new to the game and does not have an appreciation for what the 'norm' is as far as the looks of a well done r/c model submarine.

To be fair to Mike, he was worried that I was turning the boat 'ugly.' He was kind enough not to state it that way, but I get that impression from our talks. However, after I and Matt filled him in on what weathering can do, in the hands of a Godlike talent such as myself, Mike relented, and actually became enthused at the prospects this aspect of the finishing job presented to the final display.

Below are a few of the materials and techniques I used to further detail and weather the display: This is something I should have done while the sail was still in primer gray ... oh, well. Fitting of the cast resin mast fairings into the holes atop the sail. An import thing when dealing with holes that will accept interference fit items, like these masts, it to bevel the top of the holes slightly. This prevents chipping of paint later. Though there are six penetrations for masts atop the SEAWOLF sail, I only install four 'raised' masts, two antennas and the attack and night scope. The other open holes are there to permit venting of the sail as the boat submerges and surfaces.

After I had done the initial weathering work on the model parts (hull, sail, and upper rudder) they were given a heavy coat of flattened clear to encapsulate the still wet, though thinly applied oil-paint. Once the clear-coat had dried, the pieces were given a very light wet-sanding with #4000 grit paper. The sanding knocks down the rough texture of the flattened clear-coat and produces a uniform 'scratch surface' to better grab the upcoming applications of additional weathering agents.

The circular self-adhesive tape masks needed for the deck hatches as well as the tight radius turns atop the deck that defines the nonskid area were achieved by using a modified compass as a circle-cutter. One leg of the compass was modified with a grinder and stone to become a cutting edge. Just put a piece of masking tape atop a scrape piece of plastic, punch a shallow hole in the middle of the tape, set the desired radius on the compass, and use it to cut the circle. The inside 'discs' were used to mask off the deck hatch DSRV seating surfaces, the outer portions of tape produced with this tool are used to mask the forward and stern portions of the nonskid areas.

Note that you can also used beveled brass tubes as disc/circle cutters. Mount a length of tube in the chuck of the lathe and cut the bevel inside or out to the diameter required. These punches, if kept sharp, do a wonderful job of cutting both tape, and thin aluminum foil alike.

'Rings' of self-adhesive aluminum foil (BareMetal Foil is the material of choice here) were needed to represent the deck mounted flanges of the forward and after Main Ballast Tank Vents (MBTV) atop the deck of the SEAWOLF. I made these by using two sizes of tube cutters. The portion of BareMetal is scissored off the main sheet and tapped to a scrape piece of plastic sheet. The tube-cutters were used to cut out the rings. Transferred from the sheet here to the model was done with the tip of the X-Acto blade.

The Thor kit of the SEAWOLF has engraved circles on the deck representing the MBTV's. During construction I opened up 1/8" holes in the center of each --needed to insure good venting of the hull as the model submarine makes the transition between surfaced and submerged modes. A ring of self-adhesive aluminum was lifted off its backing with the tip of a #11 X-Acto blade, and transferred to its position atop the hull. Once in position I then pressed the aluminum item down on the model with a thumb. The bright, shiny aluminum rings atop the dark model deck are very striking!

Using Woodland Scenics rub-on type dry-transfers I marked the sail and upper rudder with the required draft numbers and hull number. As a practical matter the hull numbers on operational American submarines are not displayed. However, I display them to help give the subject a bit of character as well as to improve the visibility of the model submarine when driving it submerged. The clear-coat, eventually sprayed over these markings, acts to prevents handling damage.

Before laying down the draft numbers to the bow of the model I first applied a strip of low-tack masking tape slightly ahead of where the numbers would be rubbed down. This to insure alignment and to get the spacing of the numbers right. You can see some of the graduations I had marked on the tape.

After these markings went down, I completed the second pass of weathering, and then gave all above centerline portions of the model another heaving coating of well flattened clear coat.

With the exception of the 'bleaching' on the hull just below the waterline, which was applied with the spray-brush from Chroma System white, and selected spots of water soluble acrylic paint here and there, I exclusively used artists Linseed oil based paints to represent the weathering on this model. These very slow drying paints can be streaked and blended to represent running rust, radial hull streaking, localized corrosion, foot traffic scuffing, marine growth, carbon diesel exhaust staining, and even bird-shit atop the upper rudder!

Note that the paints are spread out on this automotive filler mixing palette -- there are over a hundred sheets of this solvent resistant paper, all mounted on a stiff board. As a paper palette is consumed, the paper is turn off the sheet and discarded, revealing a new one ready for paint mixing. I dab out some primary colors along with white and black, and some burnt umber and I'm ready to mix and apply.

I never miss an opportunity to practice my masking and weathering skills, often on an unfinished hull. In this case a primed 1/96 616 class SSBN kit (from Scale Shipyard) that I hope to one day to convert into my old boat, the USS DANIEL WEBSTER (SSBN 626) -- the only American SSBN with bow planes!

It's on the practice article where I work out the colors and techniques of application I'll use on the current work, the SEAWOLF in this case. Note that I make use of post-it-notes as masks. The very low tack of the adhesive on these little squares of paper will not damage previous work. Also, the absorbent paper is an ideal blotter used to pull excess paint off the brush before committing its tip to the model proper.

When applying the oil-paint I dab just a little on the hull with a color bearing small brush, then use a 'clean' larger brush, I sweep the paint into a streak in the direction desired. As a rule of thumb, you streak above waterline areas radially or vertically; below waterline areas, horizontally. Sometimes I'll use a scribing or stippling action on the brush to localize a discolored areas, such as along a seam.

Application of the oil-paint is done with different brush types and sizes; from simple little '000' pointed brushes, to the big ugly bristle brush to the extreme right.

Documentation is everything: Some selected references out of my 'SEAWOLF folder.'

I maintain a 'weathering folder' as well. >From that resource I selected shots of American submarines that represent typical marine and oxidation effects seen on those hulls. I keep these documents at hand as I weather a model.