Construction and painting tips 1/144 scale USS Seawolf

I picked up Trumpeter’s kit of USS Seawolf Attack Submarine. This is my first sub and need some input as to the construction and especially the painting scheme. Trumpeter’s instructions are very vague and research shows upper hull colors ranging from dark gray to metallic black

I can use all the input you have.

Hi Tony,

I’m doing the same kit and have started an album on the build.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/577788841WwTwBX

The colors I used on the hull are Testors Crimson Red and Floquil Grimy Black, the prop area got Floquil Flat Black. As you can see in the photos I had to add about 15 little pieces of sprue to give some strenght to the long axis of the hull. It tended to cave in out of round. Also the lower section of the hull is about 1/16th shorter than the top section, I plant to fill with sprue and putty over.

The reason I pre painted the upper and lower sections is becasue of all the sanding I’ll have to do to haide the seams, so I’ll be wet sanding for a good bit and I fell thathe base colors will help blend the paint a little better.

Did you notice the spelling on the decal sheet for “Submaine” yet. “Something lost in Translation?”

You can email me direct if you want to jbgroby@charter.net

I can tell you guys with a pretty high degree of confidence that there is no red anti-fouling paint on that hull any longer. Perhaps when she was first built but not now. The US Navy no longer uses red on the hulls. They are now uniformly satin black or a very dark gray.

Yeah, but she looks better dressed in red satin [6]

Personally when I do Subs I use Tamiya Dull Red and Model Master Acryl Aircraft interior black. The Black looks like its already got a nice salt bleaching on it. It works really well !