jRatz: Sci-Fi "Submersible" aka Fish

[JohnRatzenberger]

"interpretation" is perhaps a bit of a push, considering my lack of artistic ability ....
The entry form said he did all the finish in oils, IIRC, so that's one strike against me right there ....

I still would like a soft light on the inside and the "nose" to open. I have changed from a rear hinge to maybe one at the front/under, but either way it leaves me with an opening nose that would be below the waterline if surfaced. However maybe I should just be thinking about underwater ingress/egress and it might be more logical except the aquanaut would have to travel in diving gear and/or have a means to blow the water backout. It's not that I really care, but I'm looking for an excuse to have the "nose" open so the interior is visible -- otherwise there is a lot of wasted detail in there. Maybe I should just hinge the nose for display purposes and not bother making it part of the "real thing" ....

Wifey has volunteered to collect stuff for a base .. she has tiny shells and such.

[SJPONeill]

Treat it like a modern small submersible, many of which are occupied while aboard a ship and then craned into the water...thus, how the hatch opens isn't directly related to the water...

[philp]

I do believe the top hatch is supposed to be the entry which probably would remain out of water when surfaced. I agree you loose a lot of the detail by not being able to see into the fish when done (couldn't see much of the one at Nats). Like the idea of a light to brighten it.

For display, would be neat to have it surfaced alongside a dock with some appropriate Victorian ladies and gentlemen wishing the pilot a bon voyage.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Treat it like a modern small submersible, many of which are occupied while aboard a ship and then craned into the water...thus, how the hatch opens isn't directly related to the water...

That's a great idea and ties to Phil's idea of a dockside scene with the "fish" in something like a cradle to be lowered in the water.

I do believe the top hatch is supposed to be the entry which probably would remain out of water when surfaced. I agree you loose a lot of the detail by not being able to see into the fish when done (couldn't see much of the one at Nats). Like the idea of a light to brighten it.

For display, would be neat to have it surfaced alongside a dock with some appropriate Victorian ladies and gentlemen wishing the pilot a bon voyage.

Yes, the top hatch is an entry, and there is a hatch inside the "cockpit" -- but you'd have to be awful agile to make that bend. And that doesn't solve how one could actually see through the periscope unless getting back into that crawlspace. We'll leave all that alone ....

So two very good ideas that won't be done in 30 days -- it'll be enough to get the "fish" done, then work on the display later .... 35th scale Victorian people ? I am getting way out of my comfort zone here ....

[SJPONeill]

.... 35th scale Victorian people ? I am getting way out of my comfort zone here ....

Someone - Preiser, Verlinden? - did series of 1/35 posable figures that could be posed and then 'dressed' with epoxy putty etc; there are also various figures available in the gaming community e.g. http://www.smartmaxstore.com/mag/en/lis ... 414&page=4;; http://www.ifelix.co.uk/jimbo_old_west_01.html;;

For a steam-punk Victorian scene there are also various figures sets in plastic 1/35 like the Tamiya generals set (MacArthur & Co) and others that have female figures (e.g. Soviet tank crews) as well that might be adaptable, especially if this Victorian era was more enlightened towards the role of women...perhaps your aquanaut is female...?

[BWP]

Well, I don't think you have to raid any tank crew sets. There are civilian figures (male and female) around, but WW2 doesn't look very Victorian, unfortunately.

[philp]

The figures are out there. Gavin from the SLC club did this one several years ago.

[Dirkpitt289]

Who makes the Hunley?

[philp]

Think it was Cottage Industries, 1/32nd scale.

[malepo]

this is a nice interesting kit - the fish sub - cool

[JohnRatzenberger]

Today I washed the resin & the PE, gave me a chnace to look it over more carefully. I'll take some pix later but the cockpit opening isn't "square" from the top .... but the head fits nicely so I'm not going to worry about it.

I did not there is a door "mouth" on the nose -- it's hinged at the bottom and even has tiny teeth. Presumably on the real thing it opened but for what purpose, I don't know as there is apparently nothing but "instrument panel" behind it. I don't think I'll fiddle with it, but it is interesting.

I need to figure out a stand to hold it while working. I still come back to having to drill a hole into the bottom for a rod. Makes me nervous, particularly since I have to drill through the mechanisms on the bottom piece also.

I have also listed all the brass/copper/bronze/iron paints I have. I think the interior walls will be a light cream, maybe off-white. And I still need light.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Oh, look !!!

We've waited so long for the GB to start that our fish produced an off-spring ...

[JohnRatzenberger]

Interesting idea .... might be taking it out of the sci-fi theme ?

[philp]

Right, would just be camouflage.

[JohnRatzenberger]

And we're off, so to speak.

Today I spent my time cleaning up parts and doing some fitting. I have found the resin to be quite dusty.

I had to do some sanding and carving to get the machinery to fit in the bottom of the body properly -- nothing difficult. Then I worked on the screw and the prop support. I have a few little holes to fill on the prop, but otherwise, it seems fine.




A .problem'. I had not tried seriously to fit the head to the body because there was a nubbin on the head, probably from a pour block, that got in the way. Well today the nubbin got taken off and guess what ? The head-body fit isn't bad but it isn't perfect. Not only are there gaps along the edge but also at the back of the head. See all the pix.








Now, I think I have a plan which is to "bevel" the inside of the head at the top around to about 1/3 of the way down and sand the top of the body back just a bit. I'm going to do this in stages. I think the net will be to reduce all the gaps. It is my current goal to get it to fit snuggly then drill holes in the body and head, mount pins in one of the two, and then slide them together -- that way I can remove the head and display the innards, yet have it all sealed and shipshape for regular display.


Another 'problem'. While trying to clean the view ports, I knocked off some of the frame -- it's gone and will need to be rebuilt. I have lined the porthole with Tamiya putty to get a smooth appearance. While doing all that I looked at the port glass provided. Oddly it includes a frame and I wondered if either the frame on the glass or on the head was redundant, but when looking at the pix I look of the completed model, I see that both have the frame. I think some work will be need to make that realistic. Also, the glass isn't very clear, nor is there, as one would expect any glass for the inner side. As I mentioned before, being unable to see in is a major bummer so I need to play with this ....






It's a start .... I think tomorrow I will confine my work to the head and body fit. After that I will work on the porthole and glass fit, as well as cleaning up the glass. I can tell you that removing the glass from it's pour block is the scariest part of all this. Once I get those two things resolved, I can move on ...