# 31" Scott Brodeen Disney Nautilus



## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

According to the website, this is now available with a 2-piece hull to allow internal lighting installations.

Is this considered the "best" of the Disney kits?

Tom


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

what is the website ?


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

RMC said:


> what is the website ?


Brodeen 31 Inch Disney Nautilus


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You actually have it backwards. The Brodeen kit NOW is available with a one piece hull. It always came in two pieces. I bought one in 2011 and it is in two pieces and no one piece option was available then.

I'm not exactly sure what the status of the kit/company are today. The link you posted is to a sub forum not Brodeen's own shop. His web site is gone now but a sound alike one is hosted on RC Subs that does sell two of his kits. I recall he is/was in Sarasota FL when i got my kits direct in 2011.

The two piece option really was done for the RC crowd, as you need to take the hull apart to access the interior workings, or to install them before sealing it up. The kit was already designed to be lit with lights in the pilot house and a jack plug installed in the bottom, in the diver's hatch. 

Overall the Brodeen kits are EXCELLENT. From what I gather they are quite accurate, and, they are accurate enough for me. Casting quality it top notch with no air bubbles or holes or really any flash either. These are PROFESSIONALLY cast and not some expensive garage made crap. I also have the smaller Nautilus kit, which is largely solid, and it is also very good.

Still, I have some minor complaints about the two kits in general. The white metal parts are rather lackluster. Fortunately there are not many and they are usable but they are not as good as the resin parts of the kits. The vacuuform windows are also so-so. At least in the large kit I recall they are kit specific. In the small kit they are more like craft store google eye bubbles in an "approximate" size. 

Neither kit provides for the hull salon interior. The iris shutters are molded CLOSED behind the glass windows and metal window frame parts. So, if you want to light the interior, you have to scratch build both the interior (roof, floor, hull structure and details) along with open iris shutters. 

Also, to light the small eyes or ears? on the top of the pilot house, those parts are cast solid to the top of the pilot house. You have to carefully dremel them open, dremel channels for the wires for the lights, and then smooth everything out. Having these small bits cast separately would be really nice, even if they were in metal.

The display stands are not that hot... Minor I know but you are paying for it.

But, the subs themselves, as a whole, are very well done and worth the money IMHO if you want this kind of thing.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Is there a link to any of his other kits or is the 31" kit the only remaining one in production now?

Love this subject, I have a small 10" one but it always seemed too small for this ship


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## veedubb67 (Jul 11, 2003)

Masterpiece Models is selling the 31" kit.

20K Submarine, 31 inches in length ? $199.99 | Masterpiece Models

They also have a solid 16" version.
http://masterpiecemodels.com/product/16-inch-long-20k-submarine-the-nautilus/


Rob
Iwata Padawan


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Thanks!


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> Still, I have some minor complaints about the two kits in general. The vacuuform windows are also so-so.


Have you built this kit? Based on their shape could they be replaced without a lot of difficulty?



djnick66 said:


> Neither kit provides for the hull salon interior. The iris shutters are molded CLOSED behind the glass windows and metal window frame parts. So, if you want to light the interior, you have to scratch build both the interior (roof, floor, hull structure and details) along with open iris shutters.


Are these shutters separate pieces, or part of the hull that would have to be cut out?



djnick66 said:


> Also, to light the small eyes or ears? on the top of the pilot house, those parts are cast solid to the top of the pilot house. You have to carefully dremel them open, dremel channels for the wires for the lights, and then smooth everything out. Having these small bits cast separately would be really nice, even if they were in metal.


Just the kind of info I'm looking for. 

Thanks very much for the detailed info!

Tom


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I have both the 16" and 31" kits but have not built them yet. Right after I got the kits my dad took ill and passed away, and I never got around to it. 

The clear parts would be hard to source from somewhere else, unless you just happened to find a clear dome exactly the right size. The clear parts in the larger kit are nicer than the smaller kit. The smaller kit seems to use craft store googley eye bubbles that are sort of flat and not a true half circle.

The iris shutters are a thick resin disc with the shape of the shutters on the outside. The disk keys into slots in the top and bottom half of the hull (in my kit at least). So, its not like something you can easily cut apart or open. The kit was not meant to show off the interior of the hull, which is empty. Only the interior of the pilot house has some detail, although even in this larger scale (not sure why they didn't make it 1/72) you can't see too much through the two large eyes and small rearward facing window.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> I have both the 16" and 31" kits but have not built them yet. Right after I got the kits my dad took ill and passed away, and I never got around to it.


Sorry to hear that. 'Life' has certainly altered my schedule too often.



djnick66 said:


> The clear parts would be hard to source from somewhere else, unless you just happened to find a clear dome exactly the right size.


I'm only interested in the 31'' kit. Would you say that these 4 domes are about as good as they could be using the vacuform process?

All 4 cutouts are round so that makes replacement easier than elliptical shapes. These domes are less than a full hemisphere. I think that a sphere or hemisphere of the approximately correct diameter could be used. When 'sliced' at a diameter to match the cutout, the depth of the dome wouldn't be exact, but I wonder how much that would matter?

Thanks for the info,

Tom


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

From what I recall the large kit has actual, dedicated, clear parts that were made for that kit. Nothing wrong with vacuuform stuff. It works well for things like the windows. I really haven't looked at the kit since I got it although I did drag the hull out of its box today.

The smaller kit seems to have had the short cut of using some existing flat google eye domes that are not very domed. More like buttons for some of the clear parts. Remember there are a lot of domes/lights around the main salon, along with the clear parts on the bridge.

I like both kits a lot and have no problem recommending them and I would certainly buy another if, for some reason, I needed one. I had even thought of the real big kit they sell/sold. Wasn't it something like 50-60 inches?


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> From what I recall the large kit has actual, dedicated, clear parts that were made for that kit. Nothing wrong with vacuuform stuff. It works well for things like the windows. I really haven't looked at the kit since I got it although I did drag the hull out of its box today.


My plan is to purchase the 31" kit, so you are saying that the domes are acceptable on this kit?



djnick66 said:


> I like both kits a lot and have no problem recommending them and I would certainly buy another if, for some reason, I needed one. I had even thought of the real big kit they sell/sold. Wasn't it something like 50-60 inches?


There is 66" kit mentioned, and I've seen for sale, but I don't kow if it's a Scott Brodeen design.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

Amazing working Iris inside Salon Dome:

[ame]https://youtu.be/ffoByUJGRVA?t=210[/ame]


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Ooooh that is cool. And, I am sure, a whole lot of work! 

Note that if you want lights you will have to open up all the floodlight ports around the salon windows. I am not sure how you hide that on the inside. 

Yeah the big kit is a Brodeen kit too. He used to have his own web site with all of his stuff together and a bit more information.


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## harpooner54 (Sep 15, 2008)

This website also sells the 31" & 16" versions of the Nautilus. In 
addition, some accessories are available as well- props, figures, etc.
The 31" sub is listed as 1/77 scale.

The Nautilus Drydocks Home

This shapeways shop has some 3D printed items that are upgrades for
some of the white metal parts that come with the model. Also, there
are parts available for the loge area- what is seen through the salon
window. The parts that work with the 31" are labeled B31.

Steam Phoenix by David_McCamant - Shapeways Shops

-David (no I am not the one from the Shapeways shop...).


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## FlyAndFight (Mar 25, 2012)

veedubb67 said:


> Masterpiece Models is selling the 31" kit.
> 
> 20K Submarine, 31 inches in length ? $199.99 | Masterpiece Models
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link, Rob. I just placed an order!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the link to the Shapeways shop. I had actually looked there for stuff but didn't find anything.

I had bought the Voodoo FX light set for the 31" kit as well. Seems nice although you have to do some soldering, which I suck at. That is one reason I have not built the kit.


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

I'm been think about getting a Disney Nautilus model in the 30" size for quite a while now. I wanted to get a version with the 2-piece hollow hull and see if a salon can be added. With the links posted here, it looks like only 2 websites sell a 31" - Masterpiece Models ($200US) and RC-Submarine (The Nautilus Drydocks) ($396US) - (that's pretty steep). RC-Sub mentions 'Several options and upgrade parts are available' but I don't where and they show no pictures of the kit parts. I'm leaning toward the Masterpiece Models one. Are there any other ones?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Nautilus Drydocks kit is the one to get... The optional parts were minimal when I got my kit. I think they offered a set of divers to pose outside of the sub and maybe a new propeller or something. The stuff on Shapeways would be more useful.

The price of the kit is really not bad at all when you figure how large it is... you pay $25 for a 1/35 resin figure these days, or even a little tiny 3D printed part. The kit is nearly 3 feet long. Plus a lot of time and effort has to go into casting these suckers so well.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> The Nautilus Drydocks kit is the one to get...


Considering that it's twice the price of the Masterpiece, what is it about the Drydocks kit that is worth the added $?

Thanks,

Tom


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

The video that I posted is of a 31" Nautilus with a working iris inside the Salon dome. There's no mention as to the origin of this iris. It could have been scratch built by this builder or an unknown source.

The 66" Nautilus build-up by Bob Martin has an iris also, but there's no mention if this is part of the 66" kit or whatever...

Anyone know how to get one of these?

Tom


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## harpooner54 (Sep 15, 2008)

Here is some information posted by Bob Martin (Nautilus Drydocks)
on the nautilussubmarine.com forum regarding the models.










From what I have seen & read about the different models, it appears
that the difference is the quality of the castings & that the more
expensive model has white metal detail parts (while the other one
has all resin parts).

I have no connection to either company- I'm just a Nautilus fan.

The Nautilus Submarine forum that I mentioned, is a very good 
resource for any information pertaining to the sub. They do require
you to register.

-David


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The working iris parts are totally scratch built. You don't get working irises on any of the 3 sized Brodeen kits.

Apparently the Masterpiece kits are a recast of some sort and not original Brodeen products made and sold by Scott Brodeen. They were also not available when i got my kits. Having said that, I feel you get what you pay for. I asked about what was the best sub kit on this same forum a few years ago and everyone pointed to the Brodeen kits, hands down. Yes they are not cheap, but for the quality of the casting AND accuracy of the master model, you can't go wrong. 


This thread prompted me to get my 16" kit out to work on. The one piece, solid cast hull is about 95% "ready to go" straight from the box. There are ZERO air bubbles, pin holes, etc. Usually resin kits with rivets will have a lot of them damaged by air bubbles but not here. There is a slight amount of mold flash along the horizontal keel of the sub that needs to be trimmed or sanded off. This is basically a 5 minute job as it is wafer thin. No heavy cutting or hacking. There is a slight seam on the prow spear point to sand off. The casting plug for the hull is on the stern where the propeller will fit. You need to do a little cutting and filing here but nothing major. For casting purposes, hollow areas like the cut out for the speed indicator screw are flashed over and have to be opened up. And, that is about it. 

The one piece, hollow, pilot house has some internal detail and you get white metal parts for the ship's wheel and other doo dads. The other resin parts are the rudder, dorsal fin, and top spine that joins the bow to the pilot house. All of those parts require only minimal clean up and fit is excellent. No filler is needed.

The white metal parts are a bit better than I recalled. They are typical for white metal - there are some mold lines to remove and some thin parts need to be straightened out. Most of them are pretty simple anyway - ship's wheel, hatch locking wheels, propeller guard ring, propeller, speed indicator screw, frames for the big salon windows.

The clear parts include specific vacuuformed domes for the salon windows and main pilothouse "eyes". The small spot light lenses around the salon windows are meant to be made from craft store "google eyes" and you get a ton of them in different sizes. You have to cut them apart and use the appropriate size clear bubbles. This may be the weakest part of the kit. On the other hand, I guess it saves time making and molding a lot of 3mm-4mm clear domes. I am not thrilled with the display stand, but that is just me. It's not that it is bad, it is just rather boring. A flat resin plate with two simple cradles and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Nautilus" on the front. Rare for a resin kit are the fairly well done photographic and written instructions. The picture quality is average but you get good written step by step instructions for both assembly and painting. Pretty hard to go wrong.

The large size 31" kit is virtually identical to the small kit except the hull is split horizontally and is hollow. There is more detail inside the pilot house. But, the casting quality is the same, as are the details and level of detail.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> The working iris parts are totally scratch built. You don't get working irises on any of the 3 sized Brodeen kits.


Today I received a reply from Bob Martin regarding the irises. He purchased them completely built from a Scientific Supply Co. for about $150.00 each.



djnick66 said:


> Apparently the Masterpiece kits are a recast of some sort and not original Brodeen products made and sold by Scott Brodeen. They were also not available when i got my kits. Having said that, I feel you get what you pay for. I asked about what was the best sub kit on this same forum a few years ago and everyone pointed to the Brodeen kits, hands down. Yes they are not cheap, but for the quality of the casting AND accuracy of the master model, you can't go wrong.


Following extensive research online I agree completely, and will be making my kit purchase from Bob Martin at Nautilis Drydocks.



djnick66 said:


> This thread prompted me to get my 16" kit out to work on.


Back in the saddle again - glad to hear it!



djnick66 said:


> The large size 31" kit is virtually identical to the small kit except the hull is split horizontally and is hollow. There is more detail inside the pilot house. But, the casting quality is the same, as are the details and level of detail.


Thanks for the review. Can't get too much info on the kit...

Will you be posting build photos? I'd sure like to see how the build progresses...

Tom


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I can take some pictures. I have the small kit largely assembled. I have to repair a tiny broken hand rail on the pilot house, add a couple more of the white metal parts (they really are kind of craptacular once I started messing with them), and finish the interior pieces. I did find the position of the ship's wheel and control levers to be a bit off. But, it is easy to reposition those if desired. Certainly not a big deal.

An odd thing I found in my kit is there are two movable rudder portions. One is quite small and too small for the cut outs in the tail. The other is much too large, but can be cut down to fit. I actually liked this approach, as there is a mold seam around where the rudder fits and when you sand it down it can affect the size of the opening for the rudder. If you clean up the fin first, you can make the movable rudder fit perfectly. 

The resin is really nice to work with. It's hard but not rock hard, and it doesn't seem too brittle. It is easy to cut and trim. I also found the nose spike is cast around a brass rod so it won't break off.


I did a good bit of research and asking around before I got my kits and figured the ND ones were the way to go. I am sure some of the other ships are good and can be made into a nice model with varying degrees of work. But, the ND kits seemed the best and most accurate. A lot of the others on the market are based on the ND kits.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> I can take some pictures. I have the small kit largely assembled.


Assuming you have easy access to the 31" and when the opportunity presents itself, would you mind measuring the diameter of the iris opening itself, and the outer diameter of the ring surrounding the iris? 

I'd like to get a price for a single iris from a science supply store, and see if I'm crazy enough to spend that much money to have a working iris...

Thanks,

Tom


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I don't have real easy access to the small parts but the iris should be about 3. something inches across. That probably doesn't help much though.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> I don't have real easy access to the small parts but the iris should be about 3. something inches across. That probably doesn't help much though.


Actually, it does give me a starting point to find a price.

It's not worth extra effort, but if you do pull the parts out at a later time though, measurements would be helpful.

Thanks for the info,

Tom


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I need to dig the whole kit out. The box is in one of my closets behind a bunch of big 1/350 Star Trek kits. I was able to pull one of the big parts out but the whole box is burried.


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> I need to dig the whole kit out. The box is in one of my closets behind a bunch of big 1/350 Star Trek kits. I was able to pull one of the big parts out but the whole box is burried.


Are you SURE you weren't looking in MY closet?

Thanks, 

Tom


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

Just so happens I have the Nautilus sitting on one of my shelves in my work room,I take it its the same one we are talking about,I got mine from Nautilus dry docks a few years back after having to sell the big Custom Replica's one,still haven't started it yet ,anyway back to measurements,the Iris opening on my sub is 32mm,the outer ring which also has all the lights moulded on to it is 44mm,my sub is 31 inches overall length si I assume its the same one you are needing the sizes from,mines is out the box so if you need any other sizes just ask

cheers
Gordon


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

GordonMitchell said:


> Just so happens I have the Nautilus sitting on one of my shelves in my work room,I take it its the same one we are talking about,I got mine from Nautilus dry docks a few years back after having to sell the big Custom Replica's one,still haven't started it yet ,anyway back to measurements,the Iris opening on my sub is 32mm,the outer ring which also has all the lights moulded on to it is 44mm,my sub is 31 inches overall length si I assume its the same one you are needing the sizes from,mines is out the box so if you need any other sizes just ask
> 
> cheers
> Gordon


Thank You, Gordon!

That is the same sub as I am about to purchase, so those measurements are exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate the offer to provide other measurements, but I think this is all I need.

Tom


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

No problem Tom,I had a fancy for doing a salon interior for this scale but I have to convince/bribe my 25yr old son to use techniques he learned at school in 3D cad but its still a bribe in progress...lol.he made a 350th scale patern for etch brass crew for me that I never produced for the Star Trek crew Original/Classic Movie stuff Tholian web to Wrath of Khan one of these days I may get them produced,my problem is that each set is only 3 inches square so its cxost prohibitive on an A4 sheet of brass,anyway I'm glad I could help.you will need to let me know how you get on
regards

Gordon


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

GordonMitchell said:


> No problem Tom,I had a fancy for doing a salon interior for this scale but I have to convince/bribe my 25yr old son to use techniques he learned at school in 3D cad but its still a bribe in progress...lol.he made a 350th scale patern for etch brass crew for me that I never produced for the Star Trek crew Original/Classic Movie stuff Tholian web to Wrath of Khan one of these days I may get them produced,my problem is that each set is only 3 inches square so its cxost prohibitive on an A4 sheet of brass,anyway I'm glad I could help.you will need to let me know how you get on
> regards
> 
> Gordon


Although I'm still looking, I *may* have found an iris that will fit. The outside diameter of the 'ring' is 49.8 mm v. your measurement of 44 mm. A difference of a little less than +3 mm per side. I don't think that can be made to fit, but it may be possible, and the next smaller size is too small.

As I always say, "Everything comes in 'too' sizes - too large and too small."

How would your son like to do a 3D CAD of a perfectly-sized iris diaphragm? >

Tom


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

Knowing my son Tom it'll be cost prohibitive....lol,but I never say never,his mum wont let me...lol

cheers
Gordon


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## taneal1 (Jul 27, 2014)

GordonMitchell said:


> Knowing my son Tom it'll be cost prohibitive....lol,but I never say never,his mum wont let me...lol
> 
> cheers
> Gordon



:grin2:

Cheers!

Tom


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

Finally after reading and hopefully helping along this thread I decided to make a start on my own Nautilus,now said kit as I had stated previously had been sitting gathering dust on one of my shelves in my work room,all the resin,white metal and wobbly eyes/vacform domes all neatly tucked safe inside the hull,the instruction/drawings were put somewhere safe........in fact so safe even I cant find them now.......my request is can anybody scan me a set for this model and email them to me please,all the external stuff is fine but there are placements of some small white metal bits in the wheel room along with bollards and cleats that I dont want to mess up,
hope you can help
cheers
Gordon


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## GordonMitchell (Feb 12, 2009)

Panic over,the wife remembered seeing me putting them in a box of parts for my S-Boat(thats not what she called it...lol)and into my cupboard next to my reference book case,I went and had a quick shuffty in said cupboard and lo and behold I found the box of bits and the Nautilus instructions were there on top,now I remember what the brass wire was for....ladders...lol
let the build begin 

cheers
Gordon


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

Congratulations that you found it Gordon. I remember where I place most things but occasionally I forget where somethings are. It doesn't help when someone moves some of my stuff around (without asking me first) and then they don't remember where they moved it to! I picked up a X-Plus 16" Nautilus (a bit over-priced) and it now sits inside a display case looking good. I still what to get the 31" Nautilus kit, however my storage space is 98-99% gone. I have no idea where I will put it. :frown2:


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## whereisanykey (Sep 25, 2011)

I bought a Nautilus kit from Monsters in Motion and it is listed as 32" kit. It doesn't state who manufactures the kit. It has clear parts and white metal parts. The pictures on that Brodeen page does seem to look like it. Those parts that are listed on the RC page would be worth considering but I don't know if they go with this kit, especially the figures. 

I Did consider making the iris work but instead I'd rather build an interior that is visible, much like Steve Neill did with the kit he built. I plan on doing the same with a Forrestal kit by building a complete hanger deck interior, since I happen to serve on that ship.

Greg


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## FlyAndFight (Mar 25, 2012)

A couple of months ago, thanks to posts here, I ordered the 31" Nautilus kit. The detailing is truly well done, throughout. 

Bob Martin at RC-Sub offers two great lighting kits for the 31" Nautilus. One is just the lighting and the other provides sound effects and a turning prop function. I went with the lighting kit itself.

He also has some fantastic videos on YouTube regarding building, painting, weathering and detailing the different Nautilus kits available. Highly recommended viewing prior to starting your build, whatever the scale.

I also ended up purchasing the "rust effect" paint that he used on a few of his builds. The paint actually rusts! It's called "Modern Masters Metal Effects Oxidizing Iron Paint". The effects possible are amazing. Bob provides a great video on how to prep, apply and finish off the paint.

Thanks to Harpooner54, I also picked up some amazing 3D printed parts from Shapeways. I plan on having one iris opened and showing the interior salon on that one side. There were also other 3D printed parts to further enhance the submarine throughout.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I used a different brand of that rust effect paint some years ago and it worked great. The only drawback with that stuff was that, you got 1/1 scale rust that looked a bit out of scale on a smaller model.


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

Fellow Modelers, 

I am glad to see this thread has generated good interest. I am a big fan of the original Disney Nautilus design and always like to read posts about the available models. Since I have built the Scott Brodeen 31” kit, I wanted to post comments and photos of my model. I bought (and built) it in 2001 from a company called Sci-fi Matters. It was advertised as “20K Submarine” and did not reference Disney, Nautilus or the kit designer’s name. I paid $399.00 for mine, which was a lot on money but I had been waiting a LONG time for a large, accurate model of this submarine. 
As you can see from the photos below the kit has great detail and is very accurate. An example of the accuracy is that the rivet detail on the left and right hand side of the hull is different (not symmetrical), just like on the 11ft. miniature used in the movie. The model required a decent amount of sanding/cutting to achieve a proper fit between the upper and lower hull halves. Also a handful of minor repairs were required to fix scratches in the hull castings. Every time a scratched area was repaired, rivets were lost. I wound up replacing over 1,000 rivets lost during sanding. Keep in mind the entire model has over 20,000 rivets (I think), so what I did was not that dramatic. Using 5-Minute Epoxy to replace the rivets was not difficult, just tedious. Overall, the casting parts were excellent with no warping or air pockets. I just thought it was worth mentioning that regardless how good a resin casting is, it will ALWAYS be harder to work with compared to styrene plastic. I had no problems working with the clear vac-form pieces as they were heavy-duty and fit very well. The cast metal parts required cleaning, but most fit together well. I never considered opening up the iris shutters or adding lighting, as that would be getting over my head. 
As for the paint finish, I wanted my Nautilus to have an overall dull red rust color with lighter and darker variations throughout. The base color was mixed per the kit’s instructions (black/gray/rust) which created a dark chocolate color. Next, various shades of rust were added using an airbrush, and dark gray pastel dust was added for depth. Finally, it was dry-brushed with Model Master Light Ghost Gray to high-light the rivets and sharp edges. I painted the interiors of the smaller clear windows yellow to add color, and you can this detail in some of the underwater movie shots on the 11ft. miniature. 
The one “aftermarket” part I added was a replacement skiff (small boat) for the one the kit provided. This was done several years after I built the model. It was a good upgrade and cost about $15.00.
I have never regretted buying the Scott Brodeen 31” model, as it was exactly what I was looking for. I hope you enjoy the photos. If anyone has a specific question about the kit I will try my best to answer it.

Thanks

Phillip1


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

more photos...


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

My God! This is so beautiful! Great job on rusting effects.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

I was amazed to find that the SPFX model was built from coining's and castings in brass, soldered together and filmed as a silhouette. It was bare brass!


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

Fernando-Thanks for the compliment. The color of the Disney Nautilus is open to interpretation, so you see a lot of different color schemes used by modelers. 

Y3a-There were several different size Nautilus models used for filming, including a cast iron cutout for used for undersea shots where the submarine is seen from the diver's point of view. For the 11ft. miniature the hull was made out of 1/8" iron plates with the detailing done on brass plates "sweat welded on". The submarine's lights were powered by five car batteries, and the model weighed over 1,000lbs when fully rigged.

Thanks

Phillip1


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