Subject: SMML07/02/99VOL449 Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 23:53:04 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Burt Battleship Book 2: WEM 1/600 PROFESSIONAL range/SMMLlie response 3: Re: WW1 Subchaser 4: Re: Cunard Colors 5: Re:WEM 1/600 resin 6: Re:photographing red print ("Lost" Ensigns) 7: 1/600 USS Missouri (Arii) 8: Re: USS Arizona colours 9: Propeller guards 10: Russian Cruiser Askold Models @ 1/700 11: Re: HMS Suffolk 12: Re: Aoshima USS North Carolina 13: Looking for a book -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Old Naval Dockyards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Sanartjam@aol.com Subject: Re: Burt Battleship Book Hi SMML, R.A. Burt did not write a book called "British Battleships 1939-45," but he did write one called "British Battleships 1919-39" that in fact covers the period 1919-45 with the exception of the Vanguard and the Lion class battleships that were never built. This is an extremely difficult book to find and it is usually very expensive when you do find one. Art Nicholson OOPS, sorry guys I didn't read the dust jacket right :-(( Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: WEM 1/600 PROFESSIONAL range/SMMLlie response Hi guys, What the hell eh?? So..why don't we go for totally broke and get Brian Fawcett on to 1/600 Scale accessories! We DO listen to the modeller and that's probably why we made a 5 thousand pound loss this year!! Actually, we've shoved over 60 thousand pounds at NEW investment this year, which MIGHT be why... I am quite impressed with the response actually, and maybe you just might do yourself, and us, a favour, and also buy a 1/600 Hood, Belfast or Warspite etched brass set, (which previous SMMLie postings prompted us to do!), once the WEM PRO 6001, 2's, and 3's get off the ground!!! Then all we need are a few nice build articles from Felix or anyone else who wants to see their name in lights.. maybe at last, 1/600 may come of age... However, I can see Bob Brown at MDC getting horribly confused and our 1/700 Warspite and Edinburgh kits ending up with 1/600 Scale 8-Barrelled Pom-Poms in them!! Aircraft will have to wait though.... will keep y'all posted with updates (did I just catch Texan??) Best Regards, Caroline Carter Business Manager, White Ensign http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: N2FIX@aol.com Subject: Re: WW1 Subchaser The USCG operated four WW1 110' subchasers as WPC's (patrol craft) and one as a WIX (unclassified miscellaneous) during WW2. The WPC units were the "Boone", ex SC-229; "Blaze", ex SC-231; "Bowstring", ex SC-238 and "Belleville", ex SC-258. The WIX was "Bonneville", ex SC-438. Scheina's "U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and Craft of WW2" shows a port bow picture of the "Belleville" and a port side picture of the "Bonneville". The WPC's were armed with one 3"/23 single bow gun, two .30 cal machine guns, two Mousetraps and two D/C tracks. The WIX was armed with one 1-pounder bow gun and one 20 mm oerlikon in 1942. A second 20 mm, two Mousetraps and two D/C tracks were added in 1943. I think these would be interesting conversions for the Glencoe kit, when I find a few more.... Bob Birmingham Three Triumphs, and two Austin Healeys live in the garage. The MG has been driven over 200K relatively trouble free miles... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Cal Probasco" Subject: Re: Cunard Colors Update on color for funnels. Try the following: Mix 7 drops of Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Orange with 3 drops of Delta's Rouge. This proportion gives a color that closely matches a sample of Cunard's funnel color mailed to me by a fellow SMML reader. I was also sent a paint chip for the masts. Did not try to match it as I already have a satisfactory finish on the ship I'm building. Ratio I used was roughly 7 or 8 drops of yellow with 2 drops of brown. This color probably varies from ship to ship. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Keith Butterley Subject: Re:WEM 1/600 resin Hi all Oh yes please Caroline and Dave, please please have mercy on us poor ignored 600 scale warshippers. Keith "I love Airfix" Butterley Gray, 4C, and pouring buckets here at the little village on the edge of the rain forest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re:photographing red print ("Lost" Ensigns) >> Actually, your red Ensign 9 CAN be copied--photographically. Just attach a red filter to your lens and shoot away. The resulting negs could then be enlarged to give you black-and-white copy that could be placed on any copier.... << I may be wrong, but as I recall, the original problem was red text on a white background. In that case, a blue filter will make the red look black in a monochromatic system. If the background is red, then a red filter will make it look white. Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Les Dorr Jr." Subject: 1/600 USS Missouri (Arii) I probably should have asked before I ordered...but does anyone have any opinions on the Arii USS Missouri? I know it's the 1980s configuration, but little else. Les "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: USS Arizona colours About the Arizona colors, back in 1991 I visited the Arizona Memorial and they had a color painting of the Arizona at the time of Pearl Harbor and she is blue instead of dark gray. Could there have been a shortage of dark gray? Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Propeller guards Are all propeller guards on navy ships all metal construction? When I visited the USS Des Moines in mothball at an open house affair the propeller guards were metal but the I-beam curved piece that is used as bumper had wood inside of it. Also is it only purpose to guard the ship propellers or help keep a moored ship centered for the gangways? Craig Bennett BTW the weather here is cold, windy, rainy and snowy. So I'll wear my insulated coveralls, wool cap and gloves and wait for spring and summer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: RCClem@aol.com Subject: Russian Cruiser Askold Models @ 1/700 Are either of the recently issued Askold cruisers models (WEM and W-S-W) made in full hull forms? I think the hulls of naval warships of this era are part of what makes them so distinctive. Why cut them off? Roger Clemens Hinsdale, Illinois 40 degrees, sunny and wishing for more -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "Robert Lockie" Subject: Re: HMS Suffolk Airfix Magazine June 1978 had an article by Ian Fleming on modelling the County class cruisers. It covers differences between members of the class, refits and colour schemes, as well as converting it to the London class. Airfix Magazine October 1977 had an article on Suffolk itself. You might also try MJ Whitley's 'Cruisers of WW2'; Man of War 1 also covered the subject but I do not own this particular long out of print tome. Hope this helps. Robert Lockie Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Robert Lockie" Subject: Re: Aoshima USS North Carolina It was seeing this kit at a club show in about 1995 that got me back into ship modelling after years of concentrating on vehicles. It was being offered at a stupidly low price and as I had a recollection that USN ships carried some interesting colour schemes, I handed over my cash. I assumed that it would be a straightforward stick together and paint job. Given the number of AFV kits which I have in half finished form while I awaited some information on details that just had to be improved, I should have known better... Despite my good intentions to build something on which I had no references (that meant no problem, just build and paint), I decided I needed some detail on the exact colour scheme and also on the appropriate AA fit as it had clearly changed during the war. The problem with a ship that is one of only two built, as the rest of you will have known for years, is that 'generic' is definitely out and it is necessary to establish the appropriate configuration at a particular time or it will just be plain wrong. After spotting the need to replace the 40mm and 20mm mounts, I began to wonder about exactly where they went, and was delighted to discover that the Floating Drydock has a plan of it, which was duly ordered from White Ensign. This revealed a few problems with the basic structure, and I suspect is largely why the North Carolina has been consigned to my 'needs work' box. From what I can recall, the hull sides are vertical when they should angle downwards, which ,makes the belt wider than the main deck when its top should be either vertically below or just inboard of the deck edge. The bow is far too narrow forward of A turret, which necessitates much filler and then relocating all the forecastle detail. This is a major pain as the deck is 'detailed' with the ghastly overscale raised representation of planking typical of injection kits and is therefore impossible to restore once it has been removed. The solution is to remove all of it (on a real ship it tends to be almost invisible in this scale - planks I measured on the USS Alabama were less than a foot across and these are about 1mm, equating to two feet) but that is seriously tedious work and I have not finished it yet. The main superstructure block is pretty suspect and really needs rebuilding level by level. At the very least, the verticals need detailing with scuttles and watertight doors. The 16" turrets are usable but too short at the front by about 1mm (just add a piece of 40 thou card and cut out the slots) and the rangefinders need replacement. The 5" turrets should also be replaced - I had planed to use Skywave parts but before I have measured them up, I heard that they are inaccurate anyway. The 40mm and 20mm AA, as on most kits of this vintage, needs to be replaced. I can highly recommend the Floating Drydock plan - it has sections, side profiles and plans of all levels and enabled me to sketch the design of the superstructure so that I can at least tackle it. Without it I would have struggled more than I did. The out of print Leeward Publications book on the NC came my way last year at the same club show and that is useful too. There is some information in the Squadron Signal book on US Battleships in Action part 2. If I can help any further, please email me off list and I will see what I can dig out. Robert Lockie Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Burl Burlingame / Pacific Monograph Subject: Looking for a book I'm looking for the book "Underwater Warfare in the Age of Sail" Anyone got a lead on it? Burl Burlingame Pacific Monograph, 1124 Kahili Street, Kailua HI 96734 A historical interpretation company. Visit our web site at http://www.PacificHistory.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: