Subject: SMML01/03/99VOL471 Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999 23:22:04 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Fletchers & carrier deck numbers 2: Re: Konigsberg 3: Viking's USS Texas in 1/700 scale 4: Re: Carrier Deck Numbers 5: Re: Heller HMS VIctory 6: Re: turn of the century ship models 7: KONIGSBERG ARMAMENT 8: Re: Casting Plugs 9: Re: Heller Victory 10: Re: Heller Victory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: A.I.M. San Fran Camo Glitch 2: Askold 3: March edition of Internet Modeller -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Steve Singlar Subject: Re: Fletchers & carrier deck numbers Regarding the Fletcher class configurations, would the Squadron/Signal "Fletchers In Action" be useful? It has a number of detailed photos. Also, for true research you could always go "on the road" and visit one of the three Fletchers still afloat as museums. Regarding the carrier flight deck numbers, I have used the Naval Air Museum as a resource in the past. Unfortunately I do not have their e-mail address handy. Regards, Steve Singlar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: Re: Konigsberg The original armament fit for the Konigsberg was 9 - 5.9 inch (3 x 3), 6 - 3.5 inch AA (3 x 2) and 8 - 37mm AA (4 x 2). I have a photo showing the Konigsberg with these 2 turrets in place but I do not know what they might be. Of interest to you as well is that the Konigsberg's structure and hull is all the same colour in this photo. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Ed Grune Subject: Viking's USS Texas in 1/700 scale THE TEXAS IS OUT! This past weekend at the San Antonio (Texas) model show & contest, Viking had their USS Texas in 1/700 scale available for sale. They brought 18 of them. Mike Quan (of this list) and myself bought numbers one and two. Dan Joplin of Viking said that the orders were going to be going out to the distributers over the next week. If you're waiting for kit, start checking with them later this week. The kit is offered as whole hull. The hull is crisply molded with nice planking and and other deck detail. Its very well done. However, if you want to make it waterline, you'll have to take a saw after it. There's also a 3x6 inch fret of bi-level photo etched brass (nice work Rusty). The small parts come in a zip-loc baggie. Check your parts list carefully. I appear to be short some parts. I'm going to have to inventory the parts bag against the instructions. Speaking of instructions .. the resin assembly instructions are covered by a 13 page booklet covering ship's history, parts inventory, and 11 assembly steps. Add to that a 2 page assembly annex on the brass details. You will want to check your references closely and plan your work. There are some assembly steps which arn't obvious. The etched inclined ladders in the fore mast assembly need to be installed as the assembly is built. There's no way that they could be inserted after the fact. Ed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: Carrier Deck Numbers Dear Duane: I don't have any information that you need but try the USN Public Relation Office in Washington D.C.at 1-703-695-0965.I contacted them and they helped me when I was building an AFV Knox class frigate USS Jesse Brown on her E-award color meanings. Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Donald Harstad" Subject: Re: Heller HMS VIctory I've been working on this ship off and on for about three years. I discovered that, with the visibility question, the ring bolts in the deck behind the guns were visible a station further forward than the rigging on the sides of the guns. Don Harstad -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: turn of the century ship models >> Someone asked about the whereabouts and history of the contemproary 1:48 scale models of the Great White feet. According to PC Cokers book, they were built to show the folks in the middle of the USA what a fine fleet their tax money went to pay for. I had no idea they went on tour with the circus however. The models, at least some of them, are currently at the Smithsonian. I have seen one in the flesh, they are extemely well made. << According to this booklet, they were not built with tax money, they were by order of the circus. If they are what ended up in the Smithsonian they are indeed well done. The photos look very well done and I have guessed at the scale. They could be 1/48, they "look" large in the photos but there is nothing to compare them to for size. Thanks, Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Baker Subject: KONIGSBERG ARMAMENT KONIGSBERG was originally completed with the WW I mounts shown by Breyer, but the intended twin 100-mm twin mountings replaced them withing a couple of years after completion. The twin 100-mm mount did have a very long barrel, and the trunions were near the after end of the open mountings, which gave the impression that the exposed barrels were even longer than they really were, especially when the mounts were elevated (both barrels elevated together). Your very best source for all German ships from the 19th Century right through the end of WW II would be the multi-volume works by Erich Groner (with umlaut over the "O"); these were published in German, but Conway in the UK and the USNI Press in the U.S. issued the first several volumes in English translations about ten years ago. There are detailed drawings of just about everything that ever served the German Navy in a uniform 1:1200 scale, often several at different stages of their careers for the more important ships. Oh, as the draftsman for the Friedman carrier book, the numbers that appear on the decks were taken from the general arrangement drawings from which the drawings were prepared. It looked to me when drawing the ships as though the numbers were simply sized to fit the available space, with no specific size. A.D. Baker,III -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Robert A. Clifton, R.A." Subject: Re: Casting Plugs >> I think I know what resin casting blocks are. But you guys better tellme. How do you remove them? I'm still new to resin modeling. << >> Casting blocks are a form of sprue, more accurately a riser, that occurs when resin parts are molded in molds arranged to have the liquid resin poured into the top of the cavity. There are basically 2 types; one is a Flat plug like pad that occurs when an open top mold is used. It can only be used when the entire bottom of the part is flat. He other is the more traditional riser in the form of a cone, cylinder or web at the "highest" portion of the mold cavity........ << Wait a minute; I'm supposed to remove those casting plug things? No wonder I don't do well in competition. Hell, this opens all kinds of new doors to me and my modeling! Now I know why the parts never seemed to fit right! ps- This is a joke, and in no way meant to demean the original question or answer. The fact is, I still can't figure out how to remove a long, thin cylindrical part which has a casting plug along virtually its entire length which is usually wider than the part. I always seem to wind up with either a deformed or broken piece, a flat sided part or stitches in at least two of my fingers. Any ideas? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: Mark Seitz Subject: Re: Heller Victory Bill, and others, I just finished HMS Victory late last year. As far as rigging the gun tackle, you need to do the 6 waist guns, port and starboard, on the third gun deck, as well as the 3 (each side) guns on the quarter deck, that's all that are visible. I opted for a simple rig for each, a small copper eyelet, cemented into the gunwals, and a thead looped around the cascabel as "Representative" of the actual gun tackle. I spent about 800 hours as it was, building it almost straight from the box. Some hints: The deck alignement is very important. The masts step through all the decks into the keel blocks. I recommend setting the lower masts in place whenever you are adding a gun deck. I didn't, and really had to work on the mizzen as a result. I disregarded the kit rigging instructions, and went with the rigging plans in the anatomy of a ship, and anatomy of Nelson's ships, both volumes that you posess. I built her "bare poles" because I couldn't find suitable sail material. Test fit all decks and deck houses, the fit can be off a bit. The flying jib boom (the farthest out piece of the bowsprit) needs to be replaced, as do the topmasts. They deflect when the slightest string tension is put on them. Pay particular attention to the gunport yellow striping, it seems natural to follow the wales, but this is incorrect. The width of the stripes also vary from bow to stern, though subtely. This seems obvious, but there were times I forgot. Make sure that all fife rails, eyelets, and other belay points are securely fastened! The shrouds should wrap around the deadeye blocks, but this was very frustraing for me, so I threaded the shrouds through the topmost eyelet on each deadeye block. You have to look close to see that I cheated this way, but it probably saved 50 hours, and God knows how much gin. Other than that, she's a fine kit. I built a case for mine out of plexiglass, and she is displayed over the entertainment center in the living room, where she never fails to draw a comment. Enjoy, and good luck, Mark Seitz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: RCClem@aol.com Subject: Re: Heller Victory Did the British refer to their ships as "HMS" in 1805, or is it just "Victory"? I am also on Step 9. And I also did a dry run on the decks and hull. I found that the hull at the main deck level (parts 8 and 9) was too wide, resulting in a centerline gap that required filling and finishing. And now in hind sight, I spent a lot of time doing detailed painting of main deck cabin walls that will never be seen! However, the hull is too narrow for the single-piece castle deck to fit into place. I've tried spreading the plastic until I'm sure it will break. It just won't fit. I'll have to trim down each side of the deck a little. The poop deck fits nicely. This will be a great looking model WHEN I ever finish it (Not IF). Roger Clemens Hinsdale, Illinois -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Jeff Herne Subject: A.I.M. San Fran Camo Glitch Hi guys, Caught a glitch on the camo sheet, the deck colors for San Francisco CA-38 are 20-B & 5-O Ocean Gray, not 20-B & 5-H. See what happens when you do artwork at 3am?? Jeff Herne Accurate Image Models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Kenneth H. Goldman" Subject: Askold Has anyone built one of the Askold models yet? (That includes the card model.) If so, please contact me off-list. Thanks. Ken Goldman THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER http://www.wman.com/~khgold/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Shane Subject: March edition of Internet Modeller Hi gang, Well this month's edition of IM (URL is above) is up & I managed to have a good look at the Ship section(beating off Lorna, who wanted to look at the WW1 planes articles :-)) ). First off, let me congratualate Ken on his first edition & may he find a whole stack of wheat germs :-). There are two articles by Ken & Rusty White. Ken's article is on building the Verlinden 1/35 Neger & Rusty has dine a great job of showing you how to make a water base for all your waterlines. Both very highly recommended. Aw well, I suppose I'd better let Lorna get back to the WW1 planes ;-). Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume