Subject: SMML17/12/97VOL032 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEX 1: Maths & Scale (&Hulls!) 2: Re: BISMARCK turret top colors 3: Re: BARHAM 4: Re: List of available kits 5: Re: TITANIC 6: Re: Cruisers 7: NEW KITS ON DRAWING BOARD 8: Re Titanic / Montana's and Stuff ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Sue & Ben Subject: Re: Maths & Scale (& Hulls!) Hi Greg, >> I got my Montana Plans today - VERY COOL! I Have to build me one of those bad boys - Argh Argh Argh! << Yeah, I have to build me one of those before I die! >> But the thing that confuses me is that it states the scale is 1Eighth of an inch is equal to 1 foot. [ . . . ] hence 1/96 in modeller talk - but the Montana's were meant to be 921 feet in length, that means the plans (Or a 1/96 model) would be roughly 9.5 feet long? The plans are 56 inches long (4.6feet) ??? Wouldn't that be closer to 1/200? << Your math sounds right by me. I would speculate that the plans were originally done at 1:96 and that someone tried to photo-reduce them to 1:192 (and missed; it works out to 1:197!) and forgot to mention it. >> I would also welcome suggestions about where to start scratchbuilding a hull? << Plank on frame (pof) is the only way to go. First make the keel and the bulkheads. Assemble these together using a jig or your hull lines plan (to taste) while making sure everything's squarre (nb some put on the deck shape at this point too). For all of the above parts, keep in mind the thickness of planking and final (ie detail) deck you'll use. For the planking proper I use a double overlapping course. The first course is made from .020 sheet plastic cut into strips of varying width (as suitable) which you can also taper towards the ends. After this is set you then apply the second course using .010 stock using the same procedure as above all the while making sure that you cover the joints of the first course. As was done to me I shall now pass on the age-old mantra of the scratcbuilder. As you build your hull remember the following: - "Sandpaper is good, sandpaper is my friend!" :-). >> And also where I could get my hands on Hull Lines for the Montana's too. << I assume you've checked TFW already. I'll ask around and get back to you. Cheers Ben ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: BISMARCK turret top colors Thanks for identifying the list. I've got some rather important new (to me) info that I've not seen elsewhere, so wanted to contribute it. John Snyder ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: BARHAM Regarding her camo pattern and sternwalk: there's that famous film clip of BARHAM rolling over and blowing up that we've all seen. That has to be a snippet of a larger piece of film (RN? newsreel?). Find the whole film and you may find the information sought. John Snyder ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: jpoutre@lehman.com (Joseph Poutre) Subject: Re: List of available kits >> You are correct. I had not visited the site for some time. I have had it listed on our sources page for a long time. There is no sense in duplicating work already accomplished. However, two noteable comments about the listings. First it is confusing since there are kit manufacturers listed on some models, a note regarding scratch-built models on others, and some model photos have no indication on orign. The second is there is no mention of the significant, albiet few, wood hull ship model kits such as BlueJacket's models, and the large fiberglass hull based models - partial kits from US manufacturers, and full kits from the UK manufacturers. An omission I noticed is the popular (?) Revell - ex Airfix corvette. There may be others. I did not visit every listing. You are also correct that the listing is inconvenient. The photos spread out the pages considerably. What I had proposed was a single line per subject, categorized by ship type and country w/o photos, since someone looking for a kit knows what the ship looks like. Again, this is close to the Navis page, so duplication of effort is not worth while. Comments? (cc to NAVIS) << Gene, I think your confusing Paulo's page with the list of model reviews. Paulo has web site called Navis with images of models, some reviews, articles and links. Within that site is a page called Rajendra's List. It is a list of almost every known steel ship model with a brief review; no photos or other images. The list is maintained by several people, including myself, who buy and build ships. The reviews are (usually) brief and mostly based on having built the ship, though an out-of-box review is permitted for new models we haven't had a chance to build yet. Check the list out, and please send in reviews, especially if you've built a model that's on the list but hasn't been reviewed, or if you have a model that's not even on the list. Joseph Poutre, aka The Mad Mathematician N2KOW jpoutre@lehman.com Systems Admin and Programmer, Lehman Bros. Webmaster, Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society http://www.quuxuum.org/bnj/ GO METROSTARS!! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: graham walker Subject: Re: TITANIC Why not try the builders Harland & Wolff, they have a web site with information on it. Sorry but have not got the address but I got it on a search(ship builders UK) hope this helps ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: graham walker Subject: Re: Cruisers In the new year I will be starting a web site aimed at cruisers, it will list all cruisers what models that have been issued plus reviews and photos. This will take some time to set up how long I don't know. Now the catch, the site will be free but I will be in need of reviews of model cruiser kits and photo if possible, so if you feel like having your name and work on the net send me your reviews. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Dave Carter Subject: NEW KITS ON DRAWING BOARD Hi Greg, Time for a plug I guess re. those new kits. Here goes... First off, in 1/700 Scale, we will be releasing the 1/700 HMS Benbow 1923 in the next week, having released (over the past 5 weeks) the Iron Duke, the retooled 1/700 Sheffield 1941, the 1/700 HMS Bluebell 1939, and the 1/700 HMS Invincible 1982..Phew!! All, of course, come with extremely complete photoetched brass detail sets. The 1/700 HMS Sussex, County class cruiser, is in the caster's hands, as is the 1/700 HMS Chester 1916, Birkenhead Class light cruiser, and the HMS Edinburgh 1939, WW2 heavy cruiser. HMS York is next for retooling. ...and in 1/350 Scale, 1/350 Brave Class WW2 Fast Patrol Boat (2 kits in box), and a 1/350 Vosper (2 kits) patrol boat (masters just completed). This is the first announcement anywhere of these releases, by the way. The 1/350 HMS Milne and HMS Lance (L and M Class Destroyer) masters are complete now, except for the etched brass. The 1/350 HMS Invincible 1995 is awaiting its etched brass. However, decals and masters are complete. Our 1/350 HMS Victorious is now well underway from one of our US master makers. We are scheduling it for a June/July release. Peter Hall's 1/350 Repulse and Renown masters are 80% completed. Brian Fawcett's 1/350 HMS Sheffield 1941 is 1/2 way there. This was announced in Plastic Ship Modeler, along with Warspite, Rodney and Nelson...these are scheduled as Peter Hall's next projects. Towards the end of February, we will be releasing the 1/350 Ikara converted HMS Leander 1972..and I forgot, the HMS Brave instructions are Dave's next project as the etched brass and castings have been sitting here for 3 months!! I THINK that's about it for now... Caroline Oh I forgot, in-between times, Peter's working on photo-etched (computer generated art) brass for the 1/700 Nelson/Rodney, the 1/700 O Class destroyer (Tamiya/Skywave) and etched brass for the Tamiya 1/700 Hood, as well as etched brass AA weapons sets for the US Navy, the German Navy, and the Imperial Japanese Navy, having done a superb job on the 4- and 8- barrelled pom-poms and 0.5"mgs for the WW2 Royal Navy. White Ensign Models,Gardeners Cottage,Cowarne Court,Lower Eggleton, Ledbury,Herefordshire,HR8 2UF,U.K. Tel: 01432 820403 Fax: 01432 820830 http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/xdt22/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: TANewell Subject: Staining the decks / Titanic Hi Greg On the decks of my Arizona, after spraying on the "mud" paint, I started with the driftwood stain first. I use a 5-0 paint brush, which is the smallest that my local shop had, and I've removed a couple of bristles from it to make it even finer. Make sure you really shake up the stains...the pigment really seems to settle fast and hard to the bottom of the bottle. The first few times that I dip the brush into the stain, I have to blot it out on a paper towel to avoid the brush being too wet. I actually do not "wash" the stain on the deck, I actually "paint" it on, trying to simulate the graining of wood. I found that I could paint one of these streaks of stain with a width of about half of the width of the raised "planks" on the deck of the Arizona. I varied the lengths of the streaks and varied the intensity (lightness of the driftwood, darkness of the walnut) to create a random effect. I found that I would settle into a routine: first I would shake up the bottle to suspend the pigment, open it up, and, just using the stain around the top edge of the bottle, wet the brush, dry it a bit on the paper towel, and paint a couple of streaks. After a short while, the stain around the top of the bottle would dry enough that I could apply it directly to the deck without blotting. Soon the stain at the top would be too dry to work with, so I would cap it up and shake it again, starting the routine over again. I think that it took several hours to do the decks of the Arizona...however, I think that it was worth it...my brother (usually my harshest critic) when he first saw it, thought that the deck was real wood! Rick... Gold Medal Models has 3 Photoetch sets for the Titanic: 350-3 ($36) which is the basic set of railings, ladders, etc, which was just updated and improved about a year ago; 350-15 ($10), called the Gold Plus set which is a small fret that has a bunch of neat stuff like deck chairs, crane girders, and the compass platform. The third set is 350-16 ($10) which is 218 figures, including Capt. Smith and the orchestra. I bought all 3 of the sets for my Lusitania, and I heartily recommend them. There are reviews of all 3 sets on the Navis site. Tim ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Greg Subject: Re Titanic / Montana's and Stuff Just a note to a previous post, Harland and Wolfe are at, http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/hwtech.serv/ And Ben, Thanks for the info on scratchbuilding hulls, Its a new thing to me. You probly hit the nail on the head with the xerox reduction on the plans! I was wondering about how to transfer hull lines to frames? Do you copy the line to a piece of paper, fold it in half, cut it out so you have equal contours port and starboard, then place it to your material, trace and cut? And Tim, Did you paint/stain your decks first and brush paint barbette's and Tubs later, or airbrush Tubs and Barbette's first, mask them, and then paint/stain your decks? Greg ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume