weathering submarines

Wher's the merry man when we need him? Come in, Dave......

RobG (the Aussie one)

Thanks for this -- very useful. I'm particulary struck by the information about discoloration between ring segments. I would guess that this discoloration is farily subtle, but I suppose some mild undercoat variations would be still be in order.

I just came across a very fine U-Boat model (by Ken Hart) on p. 52 of the July FSM. He's got strong contrast above and below the waterline -- almost as if the top is sun-bleached. I'm also very curious about what looks to me like corrosion in ring patterns on the side of the hull. Very cool effect. Could anyone comment on the authenticity of this sort of thing (and perhaps how to achieve it)?

Whatever he's doing corresponds to my intuitive sense of what a lot of sun and salt water will do to steel (particulary since I imagine paint wasn't quite as sophisticated then as it is nowadays).

Steve

Well, since my sub spent much more time submerged that the WWII subs, I can't really speak with the lips on my head about that.

A lot of Ohio models I've seen have the distinction of the rings, but it is very easy to overdo. It does add a neat multitone effect to an otherwise unicolor object though.

That's the one. It really looks like corroded steel. I'm just wondering how authentic it is. In other words, did he study the weathering patterns on subs or did he try to emulate the way metal artifacts corrode underwater. It reminds me a lot of the way canon look when they're excavated from a wreck -- there's rust, for sure, but the dominant "motif" is this white corrosion that I assume is the result of lots of salt.

His model is astonishingly good by any measure. I tip my airbrush to him.

Steve

I went looking for some WWII sub pictures to see how they were made and I found this page on when the U-505 was moved...

A bit different than modern sub construction! And it does not look like the Germans cared much about smoothing down the welds...

Wow! Those are truly amazing photographs. Were the Germans using an entirely different method of construction?

To be honest, they leave me even more perplexed about submarine weathering. It seems, once again, like corrosion. But why should the corrosion get progressively worse (and progressively darker) as you go lower down the hull?

I know nothing about ships or the ocean. I'm just completely and totally fascinated by submarines (I've never set foot on one -- or even see a real one. I just think they're amazing, and I'd love to become really good at modelling them)

Steve

Ken was just experimenting with weatheing techniques. Not exactly a corrosion pattern but he did try to get it to look like one (and he succeeded!). He airbrushed the base coat, then after it was dry, he coated the model with soapy water, then airbrushed on another color. That gave the mottled effect. Additonal drybrushing, etc. I have the complete article on how he did it. Ken moved on from models a few years later, but he built a number of dynamite dioramas of submarines.

Tom Dougherty ( snipped-for-privacy@aol.com)

Paint above the waterline is subject more to sun bleaching, chipping, and cracking. Being exposed to getting wet and open air these will corrode faster. Underwater antifouling paints will generally stand up better but can be subject to scouring and discoloring. Ships I served on wher always being painted above the water line to prevent corrosion. Below the waterline we got drydocked for hull cleaning and painting every 5-7 years. In between we got a hull cleaning by divers using mechanical scrubbers.

Dave

Dave