# Progress Build of 1/72 USS Skipjack Submarine (SSN-585)



## Phillip1

Fellow Modelers, 

U.S.S. Skipjack (SSN-585) was the lead ship in a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines
first commissioned in April 1959. These were the fastest submarines in the world, with its new “teardrop” shaped hull design allowing for speeds and maneuverability far beyond anything that existed at the time. A total of six were launched, with only one being lost (Scorpion/SSN-589) in 1968 from unknown causes. The rest of the class served very successfully, and were still considered effective attack submarines when they were individually de-commissioned decades later. Skipjack was the last of the class to be de-commissioned, beginning in April 1990.

In 2012 Moebius Models released a huge 1/72 scale model of this very famous and historic submarine. The kit consists of 60 parts (52 light gray plastic/4 clear plastic/4 photo-etch) and has an overall length of 42”. Master model builder/model maker David Merriman served as the lead-man for Moebius on this project, and I understand he went to a great deal of effort to make sure the manufacturers in China got all of the details and shapes right. Certainly this is (by far) the most accurate styrene plastic model of Skipjack ever made. This is the start of my progress build, so let’s cast off and make some headway…

1st Image: This is the model box artwork. I honestly think it would have looked better if it had been a complete body shot underwater, but everyone has an opinion.


2nd Image: This is the back of the model box. These photos are of the assembled model. I think the same guy that painted the box art built this model, and he did a really nice job. These are helpful as an assembly and painting reference.


3rd Image: The majority of the kit parts are shown here. The molding is clean and sharp.


4th Image: The two sail halves are shown side by side.


5th Image: The hull comes in four pieces (upper/lower front and upper/lower rear). A little mismatch between the front rear upper pieces can be seen, but this easily removed once the glue is added.


6th Image: The upper hull seam-line is shown after gap-filling superglue was applied and sanded out. 


7th Image: The front and rear lower hull pieces have been glued together, but the seam-line has not been filled in or sanded out.


8th Image: Here is an overview of the lower hull assembly on the work table.


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## Phillip1

9th Image: 5-Minute Epoxy was used to glue the upper and lower hull assemblies. A lot of pieces of masking tape were used to make sure the hull had a tight, gap-free fit.


10th Image: The area around the bow was a little warped and required a few rubber bands to make sure the alignment was good while the glue dried. 


11th Image: This photo shows the hull seam in the process of being sanded out. Over 80 inches had to be removed. The sanding was fairly easy since there were no surrounding raised details in danger of being lost. The only thing to remember was that the seam line is on a radius so you have to be a little careful not to create any flat spots.


12th Image: All the hull join lines (upper/lower/front/rear) are shown. You can see the gaps are small and the alignment is good, which tells you a good job was done with the engineering and manufacturing of the kit.


13th Image: Here is the assembly after the mid-hull seam line was sanded out.


14th Image: Works now moves to the sail assembly. The two halves went together very well and it was easy to sand out the seam line. When I added the sail top part it was too wide and overhung both sides by about 1/32”. My fix for this was to cut open the join at the top of the sail and add small styrene pieces to act as spacers. I added three down the length of the sail. Once I had a perfect fit between the sail and sail top, a fair amount of glue was applied to the spacers and original join line.


15th and 16th Image: These two photos show the sail assembly after the top has been added and the seam line removed. 



Until next time…

Phillip1


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## Phillip1

Fellow Modelers,

More progress photos…

1st Image: The sail planes (top) and rudders (bottom) are two pieces assemblies. In this photo they are being test fitted to the connecting yoke. The connecting yokes had to be trimmed back a little so the parts had a close fit to the hull. 


2nd Image: Here are the ten different assemblies that extend from the sail. They consist of (1) snorkel, (2) periscopes, (1) light, (1) radar and (5) antennas. Four were a single piece and six were two piece assemblies. 


3rd Image: Here are all the sail extensions being test fitted to make sure there is no interference before any painting is done.


4th Image: The kit’s whip antennas were too thick and clunky, so they were replaced with small diameter rod. The photo shows the kit parts beside the metal replacements. 


5th Image: Cutting several of the masts into three sections served multiple purposes, including making the seam line easier to sand, making painting easier and improving the overall appearance.


6th Image: This photo shows test fitting two of the kit’s four photo-etch parts. They represent the Main Sea Water Suction and Discharge Gratings. These parts did not fit well to the hull and sanding was required to improve the fit.


7th Image: The next step was attaching the sail to the hull. Before this was done two areas (one on the sail and the other on the hull) were masked and painted Testors flat black (1149). These areas are the “open” section of the turtleback behind the sail. Skipjack was nuclear powered, but also had a diesel generator for auxiliary power. The diesel generator exhaust piping was located in this section. You have to paint it now or it is impossible to completely cover after the hull and sail are together.


8th Image: The fit of the sail to the hull was good, but a small bead of 5-Minute Epoxy was applied all around the connection to eliminate any tiny gaps. In this photo you can see the black paint in the turtleback opening.


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## Phillip1

9th Image: The upper and lower rudders are shown after being glued in place.


10th Image: Here is an overview shot with the hull, sail and rudders finally together. Now that’s what I’m talking about! I will say that before I began building this kit, Skipjack’s shape never made that big an impression on me. However I have now changed my tune. I have to say this is a very sleek, streamlined and attractive design. All of the larger, “teardrop” hull submarines that followed never matched the looks of this class.


Until next time…

Phillip1


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## hal9001

Phillip1, looks like you've over come the kits short comings very well. It's looking like a sub now! I agree, it looks much more interesting a design in model form.

Looks like you're on the home stretch now. What color scheme are you going with? I've seen one painted in a very cool looking color with a gray back, black mid section with hull red bottom. I know nothing about modern subs to know if this accurate or not but it sure looked great.

Can't wait to see it painted!

Carl-


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## Phillip1

Carl-Thanks for the comments. The paint scheme I will use is hull red below the mid-hull line, discolored black from the mid-hull to the waterline and black above the waterline. When I started the project I knew almost nothing about these submarines, so it has been a good learning experience. 

More progress photos…

1st Image: The kit comes with two pedestals for mounting. I wanted these to attach to a wood base I purchased at a Michael’s craft store. Unfortunately the largest base I could find was too short to match the mounting holes on the hull. To make the wood base work I located a new mounting hole about 2.5” inward from the stern hole. After the new hole was made the original hole was covered with a very thin piece of styrene.


2nd Image: Changing the pedestal location required modifying the pedestal by adding a styrene ring (or lip) for the hull to sit on. This ring had to sit at the correct height and angle. This was harder to do than I thought it would be and it took me three tries before I got the correct placement. Lastly, a small piece of masking tape was added at the top of the pedestal to create a tighter fit against the hole in the hull.


3rd Image: This photo shows the wood base and kit pedestals being properly located before any painting was done. 


4th Image: The wood base was stained and given three costs of satin finish clear polyurethane. The kit pedestals were painted Model Master aluminum (1418) and sealed with Model Master Metalizer Sealer. 5-Minute Epoxy permanently secured the pedestals to the base.


5th and 6th Image: Time to start painting the model! The first area painted was below the mid-hull line, so everything above it was masked off. These photos show how this was done.



7th Image: On the real submarines anti-fouling red paint was used. This is usually a dark, dull red. To get a “hull red” color, I mixed 50% Testors flat red (1150) with 50% Model Master (MM) rust (1785). This photo shows the second of four coats being applied. To prevent any grainy buildup and to keep the finish smooth, I gently buffed the painted surface with a very soft rag between applications.


8th Image: This photo shows the lower hull after all four coats of paint were applied.


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## Phillip1

9th Image: Let’s talk about recessed panel lines. The Moebius kit comes with very deep recessed panel lines representing the waterline and sonar dome outlines. I have read some criticism about these being included, since they are really not accurate and are heavy-handed. However, by including them the ability to mask and paint these areas is made MUCH easier. My belief is once the model is done the recessed lines will not detract from the finished display, and I am very grateful to Moebius for including them. The area around the lower sonar dome is shown after being painstakingly masked off.


10th Image: My understanding is the sonar domes were made out of glass-reinforced plastic and were painted with hull color paint. The hull paint eventually discolored and wore off, exposing a medium gray primer coating. However, I followed the kit instructions and painted the lower sonar dome a lightened, washed our red by adding white to the base color.


11th Image: The final painting done to the lower hull was airbrushing (at random) a very thin wash of medium gray and dark gray, to break up the single color and give slightly weathered appearance.


12th and 13th Image: These photos show the model after the masking tape was removed.



Until next time…

Phillip1


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## hal9001

Phillip1, I'm really glad to see you did not paint the hull 'red' like a lot of folks do by painting it a _ candy_ _apple/fire engine_ RED! I've always thought this looked to 'toy-ish' to me. 

You chose a *good color*. Being an armor modeler at heart, I'm glad to see you weathering it too. To me that is more interesting than 'factory fresh'. But, to each his own I guess.

Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing it completed. _Completed __models is something I only dream of_. 

Carl-


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## Phillip1

Carl,

Thanks for the color compliment and support.

The painting progress continues… 

1st and 2nd Image: After the red paint fully cured everything below the mid-hull was masked off. 



3rd Image: This photo shows the first coat of Testors flat black (1149) being applied. Like the lower hull, a total of four coats were added with each coat being buffed with a very soft rag to produce a smooth finish. On the real submarine an anti-fouling black is used on everything above the waterline. On FBM (fleet ballistic missile) submarines a very dark purple paint is used between the mid-hull and waterline, but this turns black after exposure to seawater.


4th Image: Here is the model after all the black paint has been applied. It was a tedious chore using a regular size airbrush on such a large subject, but I never use paint spray cans so I had to be patient and gut it out. I will say the submarine looks a lot meaner and tougher now that it is painted.


5th Image: The upper sonar dome is shown masked off and ready for painting. I used MM dark ghost gray (1741) to represent the gray primer.


6th Image: After the upper sonar dome was painted I was not happy with the demarcation line between the black and gray. It was not as sharp as I wanted it to be. To correct this I carefully masked over the gray sonar dome, hoping I would have better control over-spraying with black.


7th and 8th Image: These photos show the upper sonar dome after my second painting attempt. The demarcation lines turned out very sharp and I am happy with the way it looks. 



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## Phillip1

10th through 12th Image: The next area to be painted was above the mid-hull line and below the waterline. Masking began with 3/16” wide masking tape strips carefully placed along the recessed panel line. Small, curved pieces of tape were used around the waterline location. After the waterline was masked, larger pieces of tape were used to cover everything above the waterline.




13th Image: The assembly is shown here completely masked and ready for painting.


14th through 18th Image: I wanted my model’s hull weathering to look similar to what I had seen on David Merriman’s 1/96 scale Skipjack RC model. Two photos of it are shown. Also shown are several photos of nuclear submarines in dry-dock, showing (to varying degrees) how the black paint between the mid-hull and waterline oxidizes to a chalky, light green color.





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## Phillip1

19th Image: For my “oxide green” I mixed 50% MM SAC Bomber green with 50% Testors flat white. A concentrated, 3/16” wide band of this color was airbrushed around the top of the waterline. 


20th Image: For the next weathering step, the same color was applied further down the hull. The application was less concentrated and more random. 


21th Image: For the final weathering step, a lightly concentrated overspray of MM flat gull gray was applied over most of the area including the stern section. Note that both the oxide green and flat gull gray paints were thinned down to washes before they were used.


22nd through 24th Image: The assembly is shown after the masking tape is removed above the waterline.




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## Phillip1

25th through 29th Image: The assembly is shown after the masking tape is removed below the mid-hull section.






Until next time…

Phillip1


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## Phillip1

Fellow Modelers,

More progress photos…

1st Image: To improve the appearance of the lower hull grates/vents I masked off the outline, burnished dark gray pastel dust into the recesses and dry-brushed the lower hull color over the raised areas.


2nd through 5th Image: The next item on the list was painting the two emergency buoys. The first photo shows the outlines being carefully masked off. The second photo shows the tape applied to prevent overspray. The third photo shows the buoy after painting. I wanted the buoy color to appear washed out and faded so I used Floquil reefer orange (F110030). The final photo shows the aft emergency buoy after removing all the masking tape.





6th Image: The decals were added next. The only markings applied were the hull number to the sail (585) and the name (Skipjack) at the end of the turtleback. I used Aeromaster and Superscale decals for this. Almost all of the clear decal film was cut away, and each number/letter was applied as a separate decal. Doing this, and using multiple applications of Micro-Sol and Walthers Solvaset (the strong stuff), allowed me to get a “painted on” look with the markings without having to add any gloss coating. The photo shows a piece of masking tape was used to help line up the decals before any setting solution was added. I did not include the draft numbers on the hull or upper rudder. There is some irony with my choice of markings, since the submarine name and hull number are present for a very short time (i.e. commissioning and publicity photos), then they are removed. The draft numbers remain for the life of the submarine. 


7th and 8th Image: Here are two views of the assembly after all the decaling was finished. 



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## Phillip1

9th Image: I included this photo with my hand as a reminder how large this model is.


10th Image: Only a small amount of water streak staining was added above the waterline. Some of it can be seen in this photo. I applied dark gray pastel dust then spread it out with “down strokes” from a soft wide brush.


11th through 14th Image: In these photos the model has been permanently attached to the base with 5-Minute Epoxy. I am always relieved when I can get to this point on a ship or submarine model, since it means I no longer have to handle the hull and risk damaging the paint finish.





15th through 18th Image: Next on the list was painting the sail masts. Four of the masts have a light gray/dark gray mottle camouflage pattern. This camouflage makes it much more difficult to detect vertical objects at great distances. First the entire mast was painted Floquil neutral gray (303176). Next the “mottle” shapes were drawn with a pencil onto a piece of masking tape. These shapes were cut out with an x-acto knife and added to the mast. My only rule on applying the mottling was trying to keep equal spacing. The mast was then painted MM dark ghost gray (1741). The last photo shows the finished mast after the masks were removed. The mottle masks were tedious to cut so I used the same ones for all four masts.



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## Phillip1

19th Image: The only “horrible” part of the entire model is the dish for the SS-2 Radar (Part 48). Instead of being a fine mesh screen it is a thick blob of plastic. I replaced it with a photo-etch antenna from my spares box. What I used is not really accurate, but still a lot better than the kit part. The photo shows the two pieces side by side.


20th Image: Krystal Kleer was added to the lens openings of the two periscopes to make them look like glass.


21st Image: The propeller was painted MM Brass (1417), sealed with MM Metalizer Sealer, then airbrushed with a heavy coat of flat black wash. The flat black wash removed the shine and made the finish look worn and dingy.


22nd Image: This photo shows some the sail extensions being after being glued into place.


23rd Image: This image shows the 1/72 scale submarine photo-etch set I purchased from Jeff LaRue. I used ten of the ballast tank vents, and two of the ASW vents. An identification sheet came with the parts.


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## Phillip1

24th and 25th Image: I scratch built the center covers for the ballast tank vents. The first photo shows some of them about to be painted, and the second photo shows two of them already installed.



The next post will contain finished photos of the model.

Until next time…

Phillip1


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## hal9001

_Ok, now you're just showing off!_ :lol: The Giraffe necks look really good and the PE always adds that extra little 'something'.

You're about to put this baby to bed, huh?

Been a fun project to watch even though modern subs _ain't_ my thing....


:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Carl-


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## Phillip1

Carl,

Thanks for the compliment. It is greatly appreciated. This model required only a few "tweaks" to make it shine. You don't see many of these built, but I guess it is a pretty small group that is interested in this subject.

Phillip1


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## whiskeyrat

I've watched this build for a couple of weeks and been very impressed. The paint scheme and execution are perfect. An absolutely beautiful model, my compliments! The size of this kit stuns me...that image of your hand next to the hull was a shock, I had no idea! Very well done, and I'm eager to see images of the finished product!


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## hal9001

P1, I went back through the progress pics and noticed on the real sub the brick work (tiles) on the upper and lower hull. I didn't know the hull was tiled! Interesting. What's the story here?

Carl-


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## Phillip1

Whiskeyrat-Thanks for the compliments. They are greatly appreciated. It is a big model-about six inches longer than the Revell Type VIIC, which is the same scale.

Carl-Concerning the "tiles" on the outer hull, I am fairly confident none of the submarines in the Skipjack Class used this technology. They are there to help conceal the vessel from detection by causing sonar to bounce off the hull. The U.S. Navy began using this technology in 1983. The Ohio Class ballistic missile subs, and the Los Angeles Class fast attack subs use them, but not Skipjack. 

Phillip1


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## hal9001

Phillip, I thought the photos_ were _of a Skipjack ("none of the submarines in the Skipjack Class used this technology"). Are they not? Because they have the tiles. Showing my ignorance in modern subs here.

Carl-


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## Phillip1

Carl,

Let me clarify. The "real" submarine drydock photos I posted are NOT any submarine in the Skipjack Class. All three photos are of the USS Greenville, a Los Angeles Class fast attack submarine. This class is much newer and MUCH larger than the Skipjack Class. I posted them because they are great examples of how the paint oxides near the waterline. I hope this helps.

Phillip1


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## hal9001

Phillip1 said:


> Carl,
> 
> Let me clarify. The "real" submarine drydock photos I posted are NOT any submarine in the Skipjack Class. All three photos are of the USS Greenville, a Los Angeles Class fast attack submarine. This class is much newer and MUCH larger than the Skipjack Class. I posted them because they are great examples of how the paint oxides near the waterline. I hope this helps.
> 
> Phillip1


Like I said, showing my ignorance in modern subs (ok, ok, just showing ignorance, period) meaning I didn't really study the pics of the subs well enough to notice they were *NOT* Skipjack class! Sorry.

And yes, they were excellent examples of weathering!

Thanks for clearing that up,
Carl-


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## Phillip1

Carl,

I hear you, brother. I am probably only one notch above you on the Modern Submarine Knowledge Chart. The little bit I know about Skipjack and modern submarines I learned while working on this project.

Phillip1


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## Phillip1

Fellow Modelers,

My U.S.S. Skipjack is finished! This is a large model, but it did not have a lot of parts, which kept the building time down. It took me about 100 hours to complete. The modifications and after-market add-ons were kept to a minimum, so this build is close to being “straight out of the box”. The kit fit together very well and had almost no warping. The scribed panel lines are a little soft and deep, but they do not detract from the finished display. Creating an attractive paint finish is the key to this model being able to turn heads. For anyone who is interested in modern submarines (and has the shelf space) I highly recommend this kit. Thanks for the interest and following along.









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## Phillip1

I will start another thread, where more photos of the finished model will be posted. 

Until next time…

Phillip1


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## hal9001

*Great Philip, Really great build! The conn looks superb!!*

A piece to be proud of!

Question. What are the segmented strips aft, between the stabilizers?

Carl-


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## Steve244

Very nice! My first inclination is to clean off the greenish sea-slime so I guess it's effective!

What was the strategy of painting the real boats' tops black and bottoms red? Why not all black?


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## Phillip1

Steve244-Thank you for the compliment. Yes, when you see these submarines in drydock they really look nasty.

Carl-Thank you very much for the compliments and your continued support during this progress build. The metal parts in front of the propeller represent blocks of zinc. All modern US Navy submarines have them. Apparently zinc (when in salt water) stops all iron connected to it (by wiring) from rusting no matter how far away it is. Having the zincs in front of the propeller extends the metal life of the propeller and tailfin/rudder sections.

Thanks

Phillip1


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