Subject: SMML26/02/99VOL468 Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 00:14:13 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Bofors drawings 2: 1/1250 scale site 3: Re: Custom Photo etching 4: ACW Propellers 5: Re: 54mm figures 6: Re: Airfix HMS Warspite 7: Ship plans & books 8: Re: 54mm 9: Re: HMS Warspite 10: 40mm and 20mm mounts 11: Royal Navy steam picket boats 12: Re: 110' sub chaser 13: Re: Airfix HMS Warspite 14: Alabama book 15: Re: Subchaser 16: 1999 KIT RELEASES 17: Re: 54mm figures 18: Re: 54 mm 19: HMS LION 20: Ring 2 bells and a rasberry.... FNG coming aboard! 21: 1/350th scale chain 22: Re: 20mm for Subchaser 23: Re: C-3 Cargo Ship 24: Re: OT Scanning help 25: Initial OOB review of USS San Fransisco 26: Dedalo (USS Cabot) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: WEM Pages Update -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Bofors drawings Jim, Floating Dry-dock carries a series of ordinance pamphlets with excellent drawings and photos geared to the modeler. I personally have the 40 mm Quad Bofors mount, 40 mm Bofors twin mount, 20 mm twin A/A gun and 20 mm single A/A gun. These pamphlets have everything you need to build a model. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. Ships and Tips http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: 1/1250 scale site For those of you who complain about 1/700 being just too small to work with, check out this site. Miniature Military Airplane & Ship Model Gallery is a web site not to be believed. It's filled with models of 1/1250 scale. Most of them scratchbuilt. You gotta see the ships this guy builds. Amazing detail for such a small scale. http://members.aol.com/planenship/ship/gallery1/index.html Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. Ships and Tips http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Custom Photo etching >> My question is, does anyone know of a source where I can find some *fast*, cheap, custom, one-off photoetched parts? I only need 10-15 gratings in 1/350 scale, each about one quarter the size of a US penny so the sheet would be very small (about the size of a GMM or Flagship accessory sheet). The design is nothing more than a square with rounded corners and horizontal louvers, plus probably a few other simplistic designs (nothing at all fancy). << I would check with Floating Dry-dock. They carry quite a few standard photo etched grids in different patterns. Flagship does custom photo etching but the cost for such a small part would be prohibitively high. See my web site and click on the custom photo etching icon for complete details and pricing. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. Ships and Tips http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: JVT7532@aol.com Subject: ACW Propellers Hello to everyone, The question's I have here are about the propellers used on the early Ironclads and steam ships, I'm fairly sure that they were made of iron and more than likely painted black or red lead. Can anyone confirm or dispute this? Was Brass or Bronze used? As the South seemed to be Iron ore poor and most of it would probably go to making iron plating and cannon. What colors would the propellers be? Thanks to everyone for all the help, many of you have been great and supplied some very interesting information. SMML is the best, thanks to Shane and all the others for such an interesting letter. All the best Jon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Bruce Burden" Subject: Re: 54mm figures >> From: Bradford Chaucer I believe that 54 mm is equivelent to 1/35 scale. << As I understand it, 54mm means that the "average" height of a figure will be 54mm high. The problem comes in the interpretation of what exactly does "54mm high" mean, as some people measure from the figures eyes, others from the top of the head. So, that means that even with "54mm" scale figures, you can have a lot of variation between the different resin and white metal figure manufactures. But, then, people vary quite a bit, as well, so in the end it often doesn't mean all that much (unlike 1/32 and 1/35 scale tanks, where there is a noticable difference if each vehicle is correctly scaled). But, historically, 54mm is pretty close to 1/32, which is a popular size in England for toy soldiers, which then carried forward into the resin/white metal figure industry. Bruce -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: drwells@hogpa.ho.att.com (David R Wells) Subject: Re: Airfix HMS Warspite Chris Hughes wrote: >> After seeing some of the ship models at Yeovilton on Saturday, especially those on the WEM stand, I'm now gearing myself up to attacking my CVN-65... I stopped off at a local model shop today and bought a couple of reasonably cheap kits to hone my modelling skills. One was the Revell HMS Sheffield, the second was the Airfix HMS Warspite. I'm quite happy that I can get some reasonable references for the Sheffield, but would appreciate any help from the SMMLies with Warspite. I see that WEM has a PE set listed, which I shall order in due course (as I will also do for the Sheffield). Having had a nostalgic look through the instruction sheet (I first built a Warspite back in the late '60's) I would like to portray her in her D-Day guise. So, any hints, tips or other gems of wisdom from the assembled masses? << Here's some basic stuff on the kit: "FAIR. This kit represents the Warspite after her 1934-37 refit. The biggest problems are the bow, (kit has a bulb bow instead of a ram bow) and the quarterdeck. (wrong shape) Both can be corrected with some effort. Once again, there is the problem of the "flash suppressors" on the main guns. Sand them off. Superstructure is decent, gun turrets are nice, and the casemate 6" guns are fragile, but nice." (my review from Rajen's List) Mine's still sitting on the shelf, awaiting the release of the WEM photoetch set. If it's as good as the set that Caroline just sent me for the Iron Duke, it'll be pretty spectacular. I did correct the bulb bow on mine. I filed the bulb below the waterline down until the bow was suitably pointy. Of course, that left two holes in the bow, which I filled with sheet styrene & putty. The main guns are flared at the tips, so they look like they've got flash suppressors on them. This is of course, totally wrong. A bit of sandpaper and effort took care of that problem. It took quite a bit of effort to fix the quarterdeck. The edges flare outboard forward on the kit, and that's wrong. You'll have to check references on the Warspite's 1941-42 refit at Bremerton (and subsequent refits) if you want to make your kit portray her in 1944. Mine will portray the ship in 1939, so I have not done any research on 1944 camouflage. David R. Wells "There seems to be something wrong | David R. Wells with our bloody ships today" | AT&T Middletown, NJ Adm. D. Beatty, May 31, 1916 | Email: drwells@hogpa.ho.att.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Shane Subject: Ship plans & books Hi all, P.C Coker has a pretty good list of books & ship plans. Contact him at CokerRE@aol.com for an email copy of the list. Regards, Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Burl Burlingame / Pacific Monograph Subject: Re: 54mm By recollection, 54mm is the distance from the figure's eyes to the bottom of his feet. This works out to about 1/32 scale. SOME manufacturers, though, measure 54mm from the feet to the top of the head, which works out to about 1/35. The reason eyes were chosen is that model soldiers are often wearing headgear. It's actually not a bad idea to mix up the two scales, as full-sized people come in various heights. Burl Burlingame Pacific Monograph, 1124 Kahili Street, Kailua HI 96734 A historical interpretation company. Visit our web site at http://www.PacificHistory.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Robert Lockie" Subject: Re: HMS Warspite Airfix Magazine October 1978 has an article by IM Fleming on the QE class battleships in WW2, which covers how to turn the Airfix kit (1937-1940) into her 1942/43 fit. Apparently most of the wartime changes were more 20mm, more radar and different camouflage. The 1942/43 colour scheme stayed the same until she went aground on the way to the breakers' yard in 1947. Unfortunately I do not have details of the 1944 fit but perhaps someone can provide as I would like to do that version myself..... Robert Lockie Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "Robert Lockie" Subject: 40mm and 20mm mounts There are drawings of mounts for both USN 20mm Oerlikon (on Mks.4, 6, 10 mod 24 and 24 mod 5 mounts) and single USN 40mm Bofors Mk.3 in the Lambert and Ross book 'Allied Coastal Forces of WW2 Vol 1', along with a whole section on the 110ft subchasers with drawings, photos and a hull listing. Robert Lockie Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: HGYL@aol.com Subject: Royal Navy steam picket boats Charles Stephanian enquired where he could obtain drawings of what Billings Boats has chosen to call "H.M.S. Renown". It is in fact a model of a Royal Navy 50 foot steam picket boat, none of which was ever called H.M.S. Renown although the picket boats carried by H.M.S. Renown had the name on the illuminated name boxes on their cabin tops. Norman Ough produced an excellent drawing of a 50 ft. steam picket boat which is currently published by David MacGregor Plans of 99 Lonsdale Road, London SW13. I have had my copy for a long time but I seem to recall that I ordered it from Maritime Models in Greenwhich. Anyone seriously interested in building a model of one of these fascinating boats must obtain a copy of Lt. Cdr. N.B.J. Stapleton's book "Steam Picket Boats" published in 1980 by Terence Dalton Limited. This book is a labour of love and is the most complete account of steam picket boats, their design, construction and operation that anyone could want. There is an article on these boats in Conway's magazine "Warship" no. 22 and articles on scratchbuilt models of steam picket boats in Conway's magazine "Model Shipwright'" no.s 42, 54 and 67. "Model Boats" had a review of the Billings kit a few months ago and my opinion was that the kit does not do justice to these magnificent boats, although I must admit that I have never seen a model built from the Billings kit in the flesh, so to speak. Incidentally, the last time I was in Portsmouth (which is admittedly a few years ago now) there was a steam picket boat in what I understood to be fully restored working order. If anyone has any forther information about this picket boat at Portsmouth I would be pleased to hear it. Harold Lincoln -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: ALROSS2@aol.com Subject: Re: 110' sub chaser If you are trying to convert a WW1 SC to a WW11 SC, you have a lot of work cut out. About the only thing they share is the length. The hull and superstructure shapes are very different. Only a few of these boats survived to see service in WWII. If you are interested in doing a WWII SC (SC 497 class), take a look at John Lambert and my Allied Coastal Forces of WWII, volume 1. The SC is covered in detail, along with the 20mm, 40mm, and 3"/50 mounts carried by this class - lots of drawings and photos. The book is out of print now, but you can probably find it in larger libraries or get it through interlibrary loan. Al Ross -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Chris.Evenden@agso.gov.au Subject: Re: Airfix HMS Warspite A good reference source for Warspite is the Profile Moroskie book. Photos and plans (overall and detail) are in English but the text is in Polish. I got my copy from White Ensign Models, Str 6.99. Chris Evenden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Chris.Evenden@agso.gov.au Subject: Alabama book Fellow SMMLers, US publishers Squadron Signal are starting a new series of books titled 'On Deck'. Similar in format to their 'Walkaround' series on aircraft (themselves a similar style to Detail and Scale), the first volume is on the USS Alabama and is due out around March. Chris Evenden Now, that sounds like it'll be a winner. Can't wait for the Bismarck one ;->> Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: Subchaser I just finished researching the WW1 subchasers using James Fahey books and Norman Friedman's book of US Small Combatants and it would seem that the World war one subchasers seem to be armed at the start of W.W.II with the original 3/23 gun a two . 50 caliber guns and then in June 1942 they were approved to have 4 machine guns and 2 depth charge racks with 2 charges. There were only 12 of these in service and at the end of the war they were armed with the original 3/23 gun, two . 50 guns and . 30 caliber guns and two K-guns . And 2 mousetrap rocket launchers. At the end of the war two were active. Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: 1999 KIT RELEASES Hi Guys Does any one in Europe have the latest edition of Fine Scale Modeler issue with kit releases in it? Just curious to hear what's coming out. Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: 54mm figures I see many list members are making the same mistake, 54mm figures ARE NOT equal to 1/35, the armor scale. Believe me, I have been in the figure business for almost 30 years, 54mm figures are 1/32 and noticeably bigger than 1/35 figures (the basis was the old toy soldiers of WWII and prior). I do have to say that the term 54mm figures is a bit ambiguous because in years past manufacturers chose to measure their figures as "head to toe", "top of headgear to toe", "including stand", etc. but for about the last 20 years, 54mm figures ARE 1/32 scale. Cheers, Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: "russell/joyce powell" Subject: Re: 54 mm Hello folks, 54 mm is equivalent to 1/32 scale, NOT 1/35. This may or may not matter depending on the nature of the project utilizing the figures. However, side by side figures in these scales are noticeably disproportional: don't use some of each. Does anyone know where I can get photos of ratlines, etc., for the Kaiser's Nurnbberg. I'm dead in the water without more info. Thanks for any help. East Winded Russell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: PulligS@aol.com Subject: HMS LION Some weeks ago there were posts as to whether LION had torpedo nets or not.In Young's WITH THE BATTLE CRUISERS there is a photo of her after Dogger Bank with the repair ship ASSISTANCE. the photo reproduction in the reprint [96] is very poor but I do not see any nets. I used to have a first edition and remember that the photos were real good does anyone have access to a copy. I still stand by my learned assumption that by the start of the WW1 battles that the royal navy had done away with nets and the Germans still had theirs. Sam Pullig -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: MDDoremus@aol.com Subject: Ring 2 bells and a rasberry.... FNG coming aboard! Hi folks, Stumbled into the list trying to find out about after-market fixes for Revell's Gato submarines. This stuff is great! I mostly build aircraft but you've got me fired up to try more ships. BTW. FineScale did an article around 94-95 comparing scale model sized to figure sizes, you might check that out on the 54 mm gun. Mark Doremus Eden Prairie, MN Bob -- we're obviously not in our right minds up here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: valiant@home.com Subject: 1/350th scale chain Hello all. I'm in need of 1/350th scale chain as I can't even get any around here which means I need to order it off the net. I know floating drydock lists 3 different sizes, but which one do I need? or is there another place I can get some scale anchor chain? Thanks in advance, Aaron Propper modeler on the loose Hi Aaron, A good alternative(or so I've been told) is to get some necklaces or bracelets to use as chains. Also model railway shops sell chain in various sizes. HTH, Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: 20mm for Subchaser If it's a 1/72 20mm you're looking for, there's a pretty fair one in the Revell PT-109 kit. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: C-3 Cargo Ship Revell makes a C-3 kit in various forms, both in civilian version and as an AK. Try your local hobby shop and look for the USS BURLEIGH kit (I thinks that's the current version). John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Ives100@aol.com Subject: Re: OT Scanning help >> Having some hassles with scanning in scale drawings, pics & printing them out the same size as the original. We're using Iphoto Plus (came with the scanner), it scans in well & we can get the right size on the monitor, but when we print it, the scale's not right(which is a real bugger, as they're for articles). Shane << Try changing the DPI (dots per inch) to a lower number, such as 80-100 DPI. Many people believe (erroneously) that the higher DPI gives a higher quality (larger number of dots) in the original. If you think about it, both your printer and monitor have a fixed DPI; when you increase the DPI, the image just gets larger, whether you view it with a web browser or print it. The exception is that it doesn't look larger when viewed with the scanner software, which shows the image at a lower resolution. Hope this helps! Shane, Glad the tip on the scanner worked. As I said in the post, it's a common mistake, fueled by the misleading adds for scanners (600 DPI!!! 1200 DPI!!!). I learned when I sent a photo of a fleet submarine I was building for a WWII usinmg my then brand-new scanner. I used 500 DPI, figuring he could see all my detailing that way. Well, yeah, he could, because the photo stretched accross three web page widths! Tom -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Initial OOB review of USS San Fransisco I just received my Accurate Images 1/350 USS San Fransisco kit and hereby offer my initial impressions First, this kit will be a decided winner. While there are a few minor problems with some of the smallest parts, overall this is a well designed and well made kit. It is provided in resin, with a fret of P.E. Brass for the usual stuff (rails, catapults, cranes, radar, etc) and some brass and plastic wire stock. There are no white metal parts The first thing that strikes the eye on opening the box is of course the hull. It is a one piece (sorry W/L builders) with the pouring sprue along the bottom. The hull is molded upside down, with the unavoidable result that there are some bubbles and pinholes along the hull bottom. They are easily repairable. On my kit here was also some type of mold defect on one side at the bow, resulting in a small crevice in the resin; also easily repairable. Otherwise the hull up to the deck is fine. It's on the deck where one first begins to appreciate how well molded this kit is. There is a lot of detail molded in; hatches, coamings, turret bases, AA gun tubs etc and the fine detail is wonderful. The molded gun tubs couldn't be much thinner if provided in brass! The deck and all topside detail was clean, crisp and appeared to be defect free at first look. The detail parts; i.e. turrets, guns, bridgework, superstructure are all provided in molded resin. In almost every place the molding is crisp and nearly defect free, with for instance, upper decking that forms the superstructure molded with detail on both the upper and lower surfaces. Most of the pars are either flash free or have at most paper thin flash that falls away at a touch. The kit designer molded even the tiniest parts in resin, and here is where there are a few problems. Some of the life rafts have bubbles that destroy part of the surface detail, and the attempt to mold the 40mm guns in resin resulted in many of the barrels incompletely formed (each 40mm quad is made up from 4or 5 parts) Some of the 20mm singles also looked like they had bad barrels. One may wan to replace all of the 40 and 20mm gun barrels with bits of brass wire. One largish fret of PE brass is provided. It looked good but I didn't have a chance to go over it in detail. I will note however, that it is shipped taped to the inside of the box cover, with nothing over it to protect it. Accurate may want to consider providing a card folder for the PE to protect it as I think it might be susceptible to damage while opening and closing the box. A set of instructions are provided. On quick glance they appear more than adequately detailed. Overall as I said, this is a good kit well worth the price, and a bargain to those of us who had the foresight to take advantage of the preproduction discount. Even at list it won't disappoint. Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: roberto paredes Subject: Dedalo (USS Cabot) Hi, What were the radars used by Dedalo (USS Cabot)? I bought the Independence kit (Revell) and I would like to build the ex-spanish Dedalo aircraft carrier. Thank you in advance, Roberto. 35ºC in the beach, on vacations :)) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: WEM Pages Update Please check out http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models/news.htm for a first look at the photoetched brass for the WEM 1/700 HMS Warspite kit, K 717, and the set for the 1/600 Warspite (of course you can post it on your page Felix!). This is not the entire set.. extra frets have been produced for in 1/700 all the WW2 QE's, such as Valiant, Malaya and Barham... Peter Hall nicknamed the entire batch of frets "The Rockpool" as it's full of starfish! BTW, by the time I got round to a quickie pic session on Ian Ruscoe's incredible 1/700 Edinburgh diorama, Dave had nicked all my angle poise lamps for the stand at Truks n Tracks.. till next time I guess! See y'all next week!! See some of you on Saturday or Sunday!! Regards Caroline and Dave Carter WEM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume