Subject: SMML12/06/99VOL574 Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 01:37:14 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: C.A.T.S. 2: Cats and Modellers Wives 3: Re: Aurora 1/400 Enterprise 4: KM boot-topping 5: Re: More on modelers wives and the cost of models 6: Re: Display cases 7: Wives. 8: Re: Feline Menace 9: H class destroyers 10: Other models 11: "Nearly finished a E Type" 12: Landing craft 13: Re: Nelson colors 14: Re: H class destroyers 15: "The Hunley" 16: Re: Building Your Own Display Cases 17: Re: Other models you build 18: Modelling in other fields 19: Plastic cases 20: Display Cases 21: Re: Boottopping 22: Re: Civil war ironclads - new subscriber 23: Other models I build 24: Display Cases 25: Re: How to fix problem with cat 26: Re: Aurora Colors 27: Display cases 28: Sundry Subjects -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Free GMM Instruction Sheets! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Jeff Herne Subject: C.A.T.S. C'mon guys...I've had numerous felines on my modeling table...In fact, I haven't had the heart to replace my 17 yr. old tabby which passed on a few years ago. My dog goes to the office with me every day, sleeps under the computer desk... It was meant to be funny. Now I'm getting my house burned down... Geez, good thing I didn't mention my 7 month daughter up-chucking a whole bottle of formula on my newly completed Arleigh Burke. You guys would have social services at my door. Yours in humor, Jeff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Colin Ritchie Subject: Cats and Modellers Wives As the owner of 4 cats being married to a wonderfully tolerant wife, I guess I can comment on this thread, just for once! Our cats are all mature and neutered animals, all running to fat like their owner I guess, and very happy with life, as far as I can tell. Only one of our bunch spends any time in my work room, and that is only to be petted by yours truly. The rest of them tend to sit at the door and meow very loudly, however the combined smell of White Spirit, paint, liquid Polly and CA seems top put them off. Only one occasion I can remember our solitary female cat tip toeing through my assembled 48th aircraft collection, without touching anything, how she did it I really can't work out, but she managed it. Other than that we've been really lucky . On the theme of luck, my wonderful wife Jill, actually encourages me in my hobby, on the basis of anything I buy for my hobby, she can spend an equal amount on her hobbies. The end result, she has more unmade kits, (albeit cross stitch kits) than I have. In passing, in the news in the UK this week was a report from psychologists reporting that people with "passions", (read hobbies are happier, and more relaxed than the rest of the population. I wonder how much it cost to come up with that blinding piece of insight? Other subjects 48th scale Aircraft, (approaching 100+ built or in progress, and the current project of a 48th scale carrier deck scene with a nice hi-vis A-7 with various other bits and pieces around it , sort of practice for the Big E later this year... Colin Ritchie Aberdeen (currently awaiting summer .....) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "joseph w. reyna" Subject: Re: Aurora 1/400 Enterprise Greetings Tim, First things - congratulations on your acquiring the Aurora USS ENTERPRISE carrier. I have vivid wonderful memories of building this kit after receiving it for my 12th birthday. I think your best bet is to build the BIG E as commissioned, which is the configuration the kit most closely resembles. Get hold of a "Detail and Scale" issue on the USS ENTERPRISE for photos, history, and very importantly, aircraft complement when she commissioned. Aurora's provision of A-4 SKYHAWK light attack, F-4 PHANTOM fighter, F-8 CRUSADER fighter aircraft and HUP RETRIEVER helicopters is accurate for as-commissioned status, but should be augmented with S-2 TRACKER Anti-Submarine and E-1 TRACER airborne early warning aircraft, which WHITE ENSIGN MODELS (WEM) provides in beautiful resin detail. Check with them, or Bill Gruner at Pacific Front Hobbies, to acquire a couple of sets of these aircraft. WEM is also about to issue A-1H SKYRAIDERS in 1/400, which I believe were also initially stationed on the ENTERPRISE. The "searchlights" provided for the island superstructure somewhat resemble the early fire control directors for the beam-riding version of the TERRIER anti-aircraft missile, two twin launchers of which are provided in the kit, but were never installed. Leave both the missile launchers and the "searchlights" off - you should be able to scratchbuild the two small local-control radars installed on the island top. Also, you will need to fashion several rows of progressively smaller broadcast horns for the ECM Dome the sits atop the main superstructure. Use older pictures of the Big E for guidance. Contact me at jreyna@home.com if you need a few island superstructure photos. The single yardarm masthead is accurate for as-commissioned configuration, but was later replaced with a dual-yardarm masthead, if you wish to model Big E in VietNam War-era livery. Gold Medal Models has a generic 1/400 photo-etched brass sheet that provides railings life rings, hatches, doors, and various details that will add depth to the sparse details on the Aurora kit. If you have the earliest version of the Aurora ENTERPRISE, the deck striping was inked onto the kit deck, and is decent, though for accurate appearance you may wish to mask and repaint those markings (especially after filling the gaps in the installed sectioned flight deck). Aircraft markings are easy to replace, as only the roundels and "navy" decals were provided. Check out rec.models.scale, or hobbyweb's classifieds to post a "wanted" ad for some aircraft markings decals - I've acquired some that way. These are only basic suggestions - there's a lot of work you could do, not the least of which is adding a hangar deck! But this will get you started, and have a great time building this fine old kit! Cheers. Joe Reyna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Peter Mispelkamp" Subject: KM boot-topping Yes, it was standard practice for the German Kriegsmarine of WW II to use a dark (and I do mean dark!!!) gray boot-topping. I would like to know what - if anything - the IJN and other major navies of WW II used before I start completing more members of my to-date un-built (shame, shame, shame on me) 1/400 warships. TIA Peter K. H. Mispelkamp -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: More on modelers wives and the cost of models I'm not trying to "one up" anyone but when I started building resin ships my wife started to get bent out of shape because those kits cost so much. That's okay, I had an answer ready just in case she ever brought up. Once I took delivery of a $700.00 resin model and she made mention of the price. I told her it would take the better part of a year to build the kit. "Spreading $700.00 over a year of a relaxing hobby is a great deal when divided up by the day". She anticipated my answer and said "what about all those other resin models you buy throughout the year". I'M NO FOOL. I anticipated her question and fired off a rehearsed quick retort. "Since I own Flagship Models I can deduct it anyhow". When all else fails, I fall back on that one. "I'm now out of anticipated questions and answers so get out of my model room". In a sarcastic tone she just said "right". Man she's smooth. The moral of the story is to have several answers to the obvious questions to be put forth by the spouse. That's my story and I'm stickin to it. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. (a legal business deduction. Ha Ha) http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Display cases Felix, Let's assume I'm building a rectangle case for a 1/700 scale model. They are small and easy to do. You're going to need only one special tool. You must have a bench grinder with a polishing wheel and plastic polish in a stick. You can get both at any hardware store. 1) Measure your base and measure and cut your sides and top parts. Don't put the top of the case too close to the top of the mast. The resulting corner on each side will obscure your view of the model looking down on it. Also, be sure to leave the protective plastic on the sheets so you can use an ink pen to draw your cut lines. I use 1/8" Plexiglas. Since it's so thin it's easy to cut (big models will require thicker plastic). 2) Just like photo etch, measure twice and cut once. I measure the longer sides and put the end pieces between them so be sure to allow for the thickness of the plastic. I use a Dremel table saw to cut my parts, but you can make clean cuts by heavily scribing the lines, placing them on the edge of a table and snapping it off at the scribed line. I've done it both ways and it works. 3) Once you have the four sides cut, use a sanding block with 100 grit sandpaper and smooth down all the edges. 4) Here's where the grinder comes in. Using the solid polishing stick, rub some on the polishing wheel while the grinder is running. Now, CAREFULLY start at the center of each side barely touching the polishing wheel to the edge and draw the plastic upwards. Keep the plastic moving or the wheel will melt the plastic sheet. Flip the plastic over and do the other end. Repeat this process for all the edges. The polished edges should appear to be smooth and shiny. This will give you the same shiny edges you see on the pros cases. 5) Glue the parts together (after removing the protective plastic). I use same liquid cement as I use on my models (Weld On #3). Make the case in two sections (one long side and end). I use a plastic clamp and carefully clamp the two pieces together at a 90 degree angle. I put a small angle in the inside corner to keep it 90 degrees. I apply my cement using a plastic bottle with a syringe type tube I got a plastic store (That's what the pros use) but a ruling pen or brush will also work. After about 30 min. glue the halves together using the same technique. 6) Measure and cut the top of the case allowing for the thickness of the plastic on all sides. A nice sharp corner is important. Use the same techniques on the top as the other parts and you should have a pretty nice case for your model. Sorry to ramble on, but all the steps are necessary. I'm about to build a case for my 1/350 Fletcher. I'll take photos and post an article on Warship and in the IPMS Journal. I hope this helps. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "brian lawrence fawcett" Subject: Wives. Hi Rusty and fellow modellers. I noticed some comments about wives/partners and would like to mention my first wife, she gave me the ultimatum.The models went or she would go. I am happily married now to my second wife who doesn't mind my obsession one little bit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: Re: Feline Menace Hi Guys, Well... I thought this might be time for a confession... I think Dan Jones, editor of Plastic Ship Modeller, is the only other person who I ever told... About 20 months ago, we acquired a "pre-owned" Siamese/Tonkinese critter from the Cat Rescue, whom we called Rumbly (some of you out there will have seen his pics on the website or heard him howling while I'm trying to talk on the phone..) a large and rather beautiful beastie who quickly got used to his litter tray (it is actually a large placcy crate, as, due to his rather unusual anatomy, despite doing his bestest, his wee would, rather strangely, arc upwards at about a 45 degree angle.. anyhow, we had just received 2 boxes of Plastic Ship Modeller magazines, and were busy packing and despatching the subscription, when I suddenly realised he had got into one of the boxes on top of the magazines (Issue 97/2 or 97/3 I think??) and was performing well... now this cat's got a bladder like a bucket, and, poor love (because as far as he was concerned, boxes WERE for weeing in..), I picked him up pretty forcefully, and in one fluid movement, chucked him into his plastic box to continue... flipped the cardboard box over to minimise damage... cloths and kitchen roll aplenty, but unfortunately the shiny white cover delaminated in parts, mainly on the edges.. the plus point was that, to our noses anyway, the damaged copies, when dried, were completely odorless... and there was no colour change, so.... we put them on at half price at the next model show as "waterstained", and sold them all!! Next day, we opened the other box, and, blow me, he did it again.. fortunately, only a few copies "got it"this time! Are there any modellers out there who have gotten 97/2 or 97/3 PSM from us who wonder why their cat has weed on it??!! Caroline Carter http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models/index.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: H class destroyers Hermes is actually ex Vasilevs Georgios and whilst being built in Britain differed in certain details. The armament was 4 x 5 inch, 4 x 37mm, 4 x 20mm and 8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes. She was also slower than the H class. The design did follow the standard British destroyer design though. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Lisa and Bill Wiseman Subject: Other models I started with planes in '67. Went to cars & trucks because they were more readily available. Back to planes and into armor as a teenager. (remember the Monogram WWII Planes & Armor series with those neat booklets by Shep Paine?) Got in to ships and Sci Fi later in my teens. Now, I build Armor, Sci Fi, Ships, and Figures. My favorite genre is the Diorama. I like to freeze a moment in time and tell the story silently in three dimensions. Drives my bride nuts. She especially has trouble with the figures. It reminds her of Dr Frankenstein; taking a leg from here, arms from there etc. Doc Wiseman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "graham peter walker" Subject: "Nearly finished a E Type" mmmmmmmmm sounds like some else I know, he always saying that as well. But we never see one completed ;). Hey, I've only been working on this kit for a short time (approx 18 months) Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: EBK139@aol.com Subject: Landing craft I'M LOOKING FOR OF LANDING CRAFTS AND LST'S DO YOU KNOW OF ANY? I'M ORINGAL CREW MEMBER OF THE USS SALEM HERE IN MASS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MODEL FOR THE SHIP'S DISPLAY ROOM.WE ALSO ARE LOOKING FOR DETAILED MODEL SHIPS IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO DONATE THEM TO THE SHIP WE WILL PUT A NAME PLATE ON THEM TELLING WHO DONATED IT TO THE SHIP SUBS ALSO. WE HAVE A MODEL GEYYING STARTED BUT EVERY BIT HELPS, AM, TO BRADLEY FIELD TO SEE THERE DISPLAYS SO I'LL CHECK THE MAIL BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRIP THANK YOU SALEM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Joe Costanzo Subject: Re: Nelson colors >> Steel decks not covered with corticene, semtex or asphalt should be painted B15 blue << What areas of the deck would be covered with these substances? Also, should ALL horizontal areas (barring those mentioned) be painted as in measure 22 or just the decks themselves? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Rick Heinbaugh Subject: Re: H class destroyers >> Guys, how about "Hermes" built for the Greek navy, served the German Navy in the Med. << Now THERE's an idea! I hadn't thought about that angle. MJ Whitley's "Destroyers of World War Two" tells us that Greece got two British built DDs in '38-39, similar to the I class, but with quad tubes instead of the quintuple tubes on the I-class. The I class also had the angled bridge front pioneered by HERO & HEREWARD and used on the TRIBALs. However, the Greeks wanted German 5" guns instead of the British 4.7". Does that mean we can use the Airfix Z class single guns on those ships? Also, they had 4 37mm guns, "between the funnels and abaft the aft funnel." Also, they had two depth charge throwers and one rail. I interpret that to mean no British TSDS minesweeping stuff on the fantail. They were modified during the war similar to British DDs, losing ther after TT mount for a 3" AA gun, among other things. The ships were VASILEFS GEORGIOS & VASILISSA OLGA. The former was captured by Germany, renamed ZG3, and later renamed HERMES. The same book gives us a photo of ZG3, poorly exposed, so that the camouflage is effective and we can't see much detail. Whitley's book "Destroyer!" mentions HERMES, but has no photo. BTW, re: HOTSPUR herself, Edgar March's "British Destroyers" has a pre-war photo on p311 of HOTSPUR in drydock, showing chewed-up propellers and clear waterline's eye view of the TSDS eqpt on the fantail. Also, Maurice Cooker's "Destroyers of the Royal Navy" has a photo of HOTSPUR at anchor in 1943, in WA-looking camouflage, and with 20mms on the bridgewings and a radar lantern atop the bridge. In general, as far as I can tell, the G, H & I classes were dimensionally identical, all with quad TTs, except GLOWWORM & the I class with quints, and flat bridge front except HERO, HEREWARD & the I class with the angled bridge fronts. TSDS & ASW fantails varied, see photos. Wartime modifications were pretty much random, apparently. The Brazilian & Turkish ships were similar to the I class. Lots of HOTSPUR conversions possible! Rick -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Burl Burlingame / Pacific Monograph Subject: "The Hunley" A mini-review of TNT's upcoming "The Hunley": It's taken rather seriously, and the reproduction of the Hunley is first-rate. It has the deadlights in the top of the hull, and correctly shows the likely under-hull spar attachment. A rack installed on the rear of the submarine to hold the towed torpedo is speculative, but a reasonable interpretation. (We'll add these pieces in brass on our upcoming kit.) I'm not sure where the tow line is housed, and the line reel for the spar charge isn't shown. The turrets show portholes on both sides, which isn't accurate. It opens with a montage of Hunley and crew drowning in the second accident, and then follows the adventures of Lt. George Dixon, Lt. William Alexander and their rather subdued (by television standards) motley crew during the siege of Charleston. Much is made of civilian suffering during the bombardment of the city. The mood of the film is grim. The "War of Northern Aggression," indeed! It winds up, naturally, with the sinking of Housatonic and the loss of Hunley's crew. Some real events are telescoped. Hunley was generally towed into position by a David, and this isn't shown. An incident when Hunley's towed torpedo line became dangerously wrapped around the David's rudder and had to be cut off by a diving volunteer is repeated, but the rudder becomes Hunley's and the volunteer becomes Dixon, and they add Federal sharpshooters taking shots to add some zing. Beauregard may ordered the switch to a spar charge, but did he actually design it himself? Other scenes, however, that seem pure Hollywood turn out to be quite accurate. A diving test to gauge oxygen consumption that is almost undone by a seaweed-choked pump is exactly as described by Alexander. Dahlgren's orders to protect the fleet by hanging chain in the water is shown, as are little bits such as Housatonic's skipper shooting at Hunley with a double-barrelled shotgun. All true. During the attack, a round strikes the forward porthole, puncturing it (and striking Dixon). This matches damage on the recently discovered Hunley and may be a cause of sinking, after the submarine pulled away from the scene. The special effects are first-rate by television standards. Underwater shots of the Hunley are CGI, above-water are a mock-up. The destruction of Housatonic is not skimped on, a combination of stuntwork and CGI. The most liberties are taken with the depiction of the crew. Virtually nothing is known about them -- one of them we don't even know his first name -- and so some speculation is allowable. An interesting undercurrent of Irish tensions in the Civil War is touched on, an excellent plotting choice. Alexander is reasonably portrayed, as is Beauregard, although Donald Sutherland is a bit too cool and creepy to play a Southern gentleman-cavalier. All the crew appear able to hold their breath underwater for very long periods. A thought: Were they filmed with breathing tubes and the tubes later excised via CGI? The tall, blond, cheerful, babycheeked Dixon, however, is played by short, swarthy, angst-ridden middle-aged Armand Asante. Asante's southern accent is impenetrable. His love-life is pure hoo-hah, with Dixon's "wife" being drowned by the evil federales (via flashback) and beckoning to him beyond the grave. In real life, Dixon's fiance Queenie Bennett survived to a ripe old age. Queenie did give Dixon a gold coin as a good-luck piece, and it did bear the brunt of a round that tore into Dixon's leg at Shiloh, giving him a permanent limp. (This is nighmarishly flashbacked as well.) It's assumed that the mangled coin will be found inside Hunley when it is raised. In general, good flick. TNT deserves credit for taking this bit of history seriously. Tape it. Burl Burlingame Pacific Monograph, 1124 Kahili Street, Kailua HI 96734 A historical interpretation company. Visit our web site at http://www.PacificHistory.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: Erwin Van Deynze Subject: Re: Building Your Own Display Cases >> I am sure that a lot of us will be very interested in getting tips on how you build your plastic display cases. I brought some plexiglass from Home Depot, hoping to make some "bubbles" for a couple of my models. What do you use to cut the plastic (or do you take it to a hardware store to have it cut?). What do you use to glue the sections together? How do you keep the sections from falling over and keeping them straight when you are assembling the case? I don't have a cat and I doubt that my dachshund can jump high enough to reach the shelves. Cases will help keep the dust off the models and help protect them when I take them to shows and fairs. << I usually build my cases from glass. First I make the bottom plate, usually 12 or 18 mm MDF, all around it I saw a slot in of about 2 mm (just the width of the saw) and about halfway through the MDF. At a local DIY-store I then buy my 2 mm glass-plates, which are cut for me at the given dimensions, I let the top-plate overlap the side plates, and the two long sideplates the two short ones. The dimensions are so that the finishe case will fit exactly in the slots. With regular masking tape I fix the plates together, inside and outside. I then cut the masking tape through on the edges. Then I apply some silicon glue (The kind wich is used to make aquaria). The whole thing is then mounted together and kept in place with some masking tape. After about 24 hrs, the silicone is cured, and I then make a two cuts in each corner with a new sharp #11 blade (surgical blades, not the regular ones). When you then remove the masking tape, all excess silicone is easily removed with it. Voila, one nice glass case... You can make your case even better by glueing thin veneer strips on the corners of the case and by glueing a nice mold around the bottom plate... I prefer glass, because it is not so easily scratched when cleaning the dust off, it is also UV-resistant, and protects your models better against UV, and finally it doesn't give any trouble with static electricity, something which can be a real pain in the ass with plastics ! (I remember an article in Model Shipwright, where the author once build a plastic case on special request from a client (he usually didn't), after some time the client came back, asking to build a glass case... the static was so bad that the flags seemed to flutter in a rather strong breeze, each time the case was cleaned...) I use 2 mm for most of my models, wich are mostly 1/72 planes and 1/600 ships, but I think a 1/350 battleship would be better off with 3 or even 4 mm... Erwin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: Other models you build >> I would like to know what other kinds of models ship builders delve into. << Well, I like to build ships, WWII aircraft, cars (muscle cars, street rods, and classics), and WWII armor. If only there was enough time to build more than 4 or 5 a year. Curse the computer and the internet for using up so much modeling time. :>) Mike Settle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: Denis & Marilyn Campbell Subject: Modelling in other fields I have been mostly a 'lurker' on smml as I am fairly new to what I now call 'serious ship modelling' (I made a couple of ship models from Revell kits way back in the past but I wouldn;t call them serious). Rusty White (whose comments I have almost always admired) wrote in the last issue, about modelling in other fields and I heartily endorse his theme. I am now 68 years old (my body is, anyway - I'm still 29) and have been modelling since I was about 10 when I used to make rubber-band powered paddlewheelers out of my father's old cigar boxes. The 'hull' was the box, waterproofed with melted candle wax along all inside joints and the paddle wheel was cut out from the top and notched so two pieces fit together and formed four paddles with a rubber band stretched across them and then wound up. They sailed just fine in the bathtub. I made the obligatory balsa gliders and (again rubber powered) aircraft and later, moved into plastic aircraft when the kits first started to come out. I was heavy into HO railroading for many years but finally gave that up when the family grew and space was required for sleeping space for a son and a daughter. I was also into photography for some years - converted the downstairs bathroom into a darkroom - and I have even dabbled in oil painting a la Bob Ross school of wet-on-wet painting. I also became interested in electronics and took a correspondence course from ICS during which I made a TV set, a radio (am only) and a Vacuum Tube Voltmeter - this was long enough ago that transistors were a newfangled thing that had just appeared on the horizon. The thing that always bothered me was, I would be downstairs in the playroom or the darkroom and my wife would be upstairs reading or sewing or watching tv and I didn't see as much of her as I would like. Then, about 18 years ago, I discovered a book on 'miniatures' in a hobby shop and took it home and she got interested and we have been making miniatures together since. For the uneducated, 'miniatures' is a sophisticated sounding name for doll houses. Now don't sneer at this - it is as challenging an endeavor as the making of any other type of model. I first made a dolls house from a sheet of plywood and a set of plans then many roomboxes and I got into making furniture (reasearching furniture is easily the equal of researching Naval History) and there is as much pleasure to be had from making a perfect set of cabriole legs and adding them to a lowboy as in putting a fine finish on a ship model. I try to be many faceted, not one-dimensional. The saying is, 'Jack of all trades, master of none' but I like different challenges and to be able to switch from one hobby to another when the mood strikes. On the question of accuracy and authenticity, I tend to go with what pleases me - I don't sell or publicly display my work, it's just for me. I remember reading in Gerald Wingrove's book 'The Complete Car modeler', his philosophy about accuracy and what materials to use and he said that he sometimes changes the shape of a curve,say, because it does not look as graceful scaled down as full size and he will use any material that will give him three criteria: shape, texture and color. So my vote goes for trying anything at least once. If you get pleasure from it, it is worth doing. Denis Campbell Avon MA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: Denis & Marilyn Campbell Subject: Plastic cases Felix, I am not an expert by any means, but I make cases for my models to protect them from dust - and, more important, the dusters! We no longer have a cat but my wife has demolished several aircraft models over the years trying to dust them! I use the stuff you buy at Home Depot - either acryllic or plexiglass - and I rout a groove all around the top of the base a shade wider than the plexiglass thickness. Then measure VERY carefully and cut out the five pieces (you have to be aware of how they are going to fit together - I prefer to have the top sit on top of the sides) on a table saw with a fine blade (I use a Dremel miniature table saw, but they no longer make this). Lightly clean up the cut faces with a file. I use Tenax-7R plastic cement to weld the pieces together. I lay one side on the workbench and, using a machinist.s square (available from Micro- Mark) lay an end up against the side on the bench resting on the upright of the square. Then I dip a fine, natural hair brush (don't use nylon bristles or any artificial - the cement will fuse the hairs together) in Tenax-7R and just touch it to the joint and capillary action will suck all the Tenax off the brush and neatly into the joint. Repeat at different spaces along thejoint - you will actually see the joint change its color slightly Don't move the joint for, say, 10-15 minutes, then repeat for the other joints. Then lay the top piece on the four sides and, position carefully and, again, touch Tenax to the joints on all four sides, If you measured right and cut carefully (all cuts perfectly square), the case should fit into the routed groove in the base. If you can't find Tenax-7R, any of the truly liquid plastic cements should work. You don't really want a cement or a cyanoacrylate - you need something which will melt the plastic pieces and weld them together. This may be heresy, but I prefer tu use this rather than cyanoacrylate to assemble my models too. You can't apply super glue with a brush of any sort and I find a brush to be a better applicator than a wire and the joint ends up making two pieces into one piece - much stronger. Denis Campbell Avon MA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: MDDoremus@aol.com Subject: Display Cases Felix, I was going to pass on some old FSM articles on building display cases. But it seems I'm a little late. Apparently you've already talked to the expert. The most recent article I've found (July 1995 I think) was written by some guy named Rusty White. Ever heard of him? There's another one in FSM vol. 1 # 2 if you're interested. Contact me off line. Mark -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "arthur" Subject: Re: Boottopping A little aside regarding the origins of the need for 'Bootopping Paint' From memory of my Cadet days prior to going to sea under sail, the need for a special paint came about during the change from 'wooden Walls' to steel hulled ships. The wooden hull would grow a skirt of sea grass on the copper sheathing up to 3' long at the waterline if the hull was not careened/dry-docked occasionally. (Not to get pedantic over spelling and use of Lizzies English) and impair the efficiency of the hull. With the advent of steel hulls, the oxidation caused by the constant interaction of air and water at the waterline caused by waves/passage through the water was not enough to prevent the marine growth from occurring or an exaggerated rate of rusting at this point.. A different mix of paint was used as a 'Bootopping' to counteract this rusting and included a greater proportion of oil in its make-up. In this day and age, because of greater speeds of ships and the ease of hull maintenance etc, the use of a bootopping paint is more cosmetic than preventative, hence the black colour to disguise harbour waste and oil disfiguring the paint scheme of a vessel, - something that was not around at the time of its conception. On the subject of Plexiglass used for display cases, I use a skilsaw set to the depth of the thickness of the glass, (any deeper results in fractures and splits) to cut sheets to size. Then a router run along a guide is used to cut a rebate (results in a clean glass-edged finish) to mate corners exactly. A glue similar to the make up of the plexiglass (I do not know the US equivalent name) will produce a seemless join which is difficult to detect. I also use this method to build small aquariums with a measure of success. Oh, and the origin of the name of "Bootopping'? One old salt told me it was a carry over from the days of horse transport, (remember we are talking of that time frame) when riding boots were made of leather and had a brown appearance. The turndown at the top appeared black in colour, hence the term ' Boot Topping'. The old buccaneer sea boots (Yes they wore 'boots' at sea!!) had a much larger turn down than riding boots for obvious reasons and when wetted by sea water/spray, definitely appeared black in colour, so I am not so sure it was a carry over from the landed gentry or a follow-on from the buccaneer days or earlier. The similarity to a copper bottomed ship with a wide black band at the waterline (black because of the lack in the range of pigments) in appearance, led to the term 'Boot Topping'. I stand to be corrected. Arthur -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: Civil war ironclads - new subscriber >> G'day Mate, I am interested in the color schemes of Civil War ironclads. Chief << They varied all over the place, for Monitors, think a lot of Black or dark metallic colors. For CSS stuff it depends on the boat. I have gotten what I consider to be pleasing results with ModelMasters Metalizers, followed with drybrushing with black and rust to simulate weathering. Below the waterline, I've seen dark reds, copper (CSS Virginia) and some claims to an almost white material (On a model of the USS Onandega at the Nauticus Museum). Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Evert-Jan Subject: Other models I build 23-year old has nostalgia attack: When I was small (<10 yrs), I started with small Revel carriers. Every one of them would be uglier than the next when I was done with them, but at least, I would finish them (I never finished all the planes I bought (got) then). I remember trying to build a Revel 1: fits-in-the-box Tirpitz. I wondered how somebody could paint a model as nice as on that Revel box. I tried of course. Then one day, I opened a Tamiya catalogue, and stared at the picture of the King George V and Prince of Wales, with drilled out barrels etc. The nice Missouri with the barrel covers (I though they were rubber). That large Enterprice model. Suffice it to say, that catalogue pulled me right into where I am now: the desolate pit of incurable modelers I got the cataloque for free when I bought the Missouri. Completely handpainted the model, it looked horrible, but at least I painted it completely, and glued all the parts on. Yet, the catalogue did inspire me to buy some armour models. I even build a 1/32 Tomcat! I spend hours airbrushing that monster. I used oils for the first time, but I thinned them with the stuff you normally thin your paint with if you paint on canvas. That stuff was incredibily sticky. I tried to wipe it clean with toilet paper and Cleenex, but that kept sticking to the paint. I don't know how many hours I spent picking all the paper pieces from the model. There were still some scratches in the nose where my cat bit it when I finally threw it out (a few years after I finished it) But I still do some armour. I even got 8 or 9 variants of the US m133 armoured personel carrier lined up next to each other, until we got a new cat (The same one on my 1/350 big E carrier deck). I guess he didn't like m113's. It wasn't that he accidentally worked them of the shelf, I saw him pushing them over the edge with his front paw so he had some room to lie down (I kept that shelf empty ever after). I still mix building tanks with ships, mainly because I can't keep some model lying in the store. I don't really build a special armour era, just anything I like. I currently have two types of KoenigsTigers waiting for me when I get home. The silly thing is, they are much more expensive than you'd think. These things costed me over $100 each with all the extra sets. Still, if you're a ship modeler and you want to do something else, armour might be appealing, as you can learn a lot of new painting tricks, and the new Tamiya and Dragon tanks are really suberb. Everything is on the spot. One thing that tanks have, and ships don't, is that you can hop over to a museum and see the real thing (Hey, I live in Holland, not Boston). At least, some of the tanks. It's the armour guys I got all my painting skills from (Also, finding a good ship modeler in the Netherlands is difficult. The IPMS only started a naval branch this year, and the rest is just motorised shipping, and those guys just can't paint). But I have some plans to start building 1/700 Science Fiction models (scratchbuild) At that scale, the fighters are at a decent scale (1,5-2,5 cm), and the starships can be sufficiently huge (I'm thinking between 1 and 2 meters here). But that requires a lot of skills I haven't got yet, like lathing, etching and electronics. I also need a sturdy support frame. I added a link of a guy who's actually doing it, and his frame will cost him $1200 (Done this month). Some are more nuts than others, and he's nuts! http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/1991/star_destroyer.html Here's a link to the movie model. This model is amazing, and seing it will make you want to build one yourself. It's detailed with hundreds of battelship kits, and you can identify lots of parts on it. There's a Scharnhorst turret mounted on the bridge face! See the pics here: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/1991/sw_star_destroyer.html Also, look at this guy http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/chron/mcaddwing.jpg http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/books/taosw/mccruiser1.jpg http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/books/taosw/mccruiser2.jpg So you want interior lights? Here's 25,000(!) of them: http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/ssd/ssd1l.gif EJ Foeth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: "Chris Christenson" Subject: Display Cases I made a display case for my Revell Arizona to take to the IPMS Nationals in Omaha in 1994. I took .100 clear acrylic sheet (i.e. Plexiglas) the same stuff you fix broken windows with. When I cut sheets at the Lumberyard I manage (no tree-hugger am I!!!!) I use a scoring tool, but I found that I needed a square edge to fit the pieces together so use a band saw or sabre saw or table saw but be careful because the brittle plex will shatter if it vibrates too much. I then cut a board slightly bigger than the ship and screwed the side pieces of plex to the edges of the board with brass screws-- be sure to stain and finish the wood first! Also predrill for the screws. I held the sides together with tape and used quick setting CA to bond them--it dries clear and is invisible if you don't get it out of the joint. After the sides were dry I applied CA sparingly around the top edges and set the top piece on. Add a suitable base and a nameplate and voila! A model worthy to be judged! In fact our own Rusty White gave me some tips on improving my model which I have incorporated into my techniques. So far after 5 years the case has held up to age and I think it got dusted once. Chris Christenson Ord Nebraska Huskers #1!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: SteveWiper@aol.com Subject: Re: How to fix problem with cat For all those ship modelers I have heard about, or seen, that dont use a DISPLAY CASE, besides dust, a cat is another reason to invest in one, not that you spent a bucket load of money and time in that model? Also try a CATAPULT. Steve Wiper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: Marc Flake Subject: Re: Aurora Colors I understand the model represents Aurora as he is now. You can see pictures at: http://www.invet.obninsk.ru/nether/navy. Go to the Memorial Ships page. There are three photos of Aurora, as he is now. I can't find "ABPOPA" in the cryllic "corbina" site. However, the "obninsk" site also has a page on the old Russian Navy. The site's server was down when I just checked on it. There may be some photos of Aurora there. There's a photo in Conways 1860-1905. It was taken in 1910 and he's in overall gray. As I noted in the Potemkin thread, the Far East Fleet wore a simple white livery carrying yellow funnels with black tops. How far down the black came varied from ship to ship. Some ships also had their topmasts painted black. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: Marc Flake Subject: Display cases SMMLers: I make my own display cases, but I make them large enough to hold dozens of models at the same time. I have several bookcases that I have converted for this purpose in my room. Three are about three feet tall, two are over six feet tall. All you need are some sliding door guides at the hardware store and a few sheets of glass. I paint the entire inside of the bookcase white because it displays the models better. Then I measure off the width and cut the aluminum sliding door guides to fit. Then I measure for the glass, making sure I leave enough room to lift the glass up into the top guide, check the instructions for the guide. Then I go to the local Binswanger Glass dealer and have my glass doors (single thick) and glass shelves (double thick) cut and sanded. I also buy little handle appliques to stick on the doors. Also from the hardware store, I buy the little metal or plastic thingamabobs upon which you place the glass shelves. I leave about five to six inches of space between shelves(adequate for 1/700 ships and even 1/32 aircraft). The top shelves of my two largest dislay cases were left large enough to display the Oregon and Olympia. I got two of the book cases from an office supply resale warehouse. The two big ones I purchased from a Sears damaged freight warehouse. I have dozens of models in cat-proof, toddler-proof display cases. Some I've even rigged with lighting. Marc in Mansfield -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: Marc Flake Subject: Sundry Subjects Wow, there was a lot of topics that spurred my interest this time around. I've already addressed two and I'll wrap up all the others in one short response. Spouse: Gets a little annoyed if she thinks I spend too much time in here. But she prefers that I spend my time here than elsewhere. Cats: We have now been cat free for about six months (the wife's faithful companion of about 12 years passed on). All I know is that I don't find cat hairs stuck on my paint jobs anymore. (whoppee!) Other Models: I'm working on two ships, a WWI tank, and a 1970s Ferrari right now. I've got more aircaft than anything else (both built and unbuilt). I'm also into figure painting (I have close to 1,000 25mm figures). I used to have a lot of spare time. Marc in Mansfield -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Loren Perry Subject: Free GMM Instruction Sheets! You can actually get an accurate preview of the quality and completeness of a photoetched detail set for your ship model project by examining the instruction sheet that comes with the set. If an I-sheet appears professionally drawn and is clear and thorough in its directions, then it follows that the photoetched details themselves are probably equally well designed. Gold Medal Models now makes it easier for ship modelers to see what our sets provide for the cost of a postage stamp. If you'll send us a business-sized envelope with your address on it plus a 33-cent stamp, you can request a free copy of the instruction sheet to any of our full-size ship sets (limit one instruction sheet per envelope, please.) Now, by asking all the other manufacturers to do the same, you can make intelligent comparisons between the instruction sheets and choose the set you think is best for you. This offer is good until September 1, 1999. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume