Subject: SMML22/07/99VOL614 Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 00:46:56 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Bismarck 350/400 2: Mistress Lorna asks! 3: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks! 4: USS Hornet (CV-12) tour 5: Lionfish/Drum Tigerfish sound chip 6: Mistress Lorna's 1st Model Poll 7: Re: Sub Stuff & First Model 8: St. Louis Latticework Structure 9: Lionfish/Drum/Tigerfish? 10: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks! 11: Re: First Model 12: Re: First Model 13: First Model 14: Re: First ship model 15: First Ship Model 16: Sodak camo & AA fit 17: Re: Your First Model 18: Flower Class Corvettes 19: Re: Flower class corvette photos 20: Re: First Ship Model 21: First ship 22: First Ship Model 23: Re: Flowers and first models 24: Re: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks 25: Re: Mistress Lorna asks... 26: Re: First Ship Model 27: Re: First Model 28: My first model -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: KDur597268@aol.com Subject: Bismarck 350/400 Hi folks - Just saw that the local shop has the Heller 1/400 Bismarck. I already have the Academy 1/350 kit, and I have a 1/400 Heller Prinz Eugen. Now the idea of eventually having Bismarck and Eugen in the same scale is attractive. My question is: is the Heller Bismarck of sufficient quality to consider the trade? The Bismarck is more important to me to have than the Prinz, so if the Academy kit is like WAY better than the Heller, I will stick with divergent scales. Thanks for the advice. Ken Durling -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "mig mad marine" Subject: Mistress Lorna asks! Lorna: I was about 6 when my dad took me and my brother to a local 5 & dime and he got three model ships. One was the Revell USS Randall, as he served on an identical ship in the Navy during WWII in the Pacific, one was the Revell USS Missouri, and the other was the Revell USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, as my dad had seen both of them during his time in the service. From then on I always like ship models. I am also into aviation modelling, especially U.S. Naval Air, to include the Marine Corps. But for now, and the last year or so, I have really gotten into ships models. I have served on at least 7 during my time in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve, and always enjoyed my time on ships. I guess by modelling them, I relive, albeit in a small way, those halcyon days of yore. Thanks for asking. Mark Krumrey Sub tropical New Richmond WI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: DaveRiley1@aol.com Subject: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks! My first ship model (first model was the old wooden Strombecker B-29 built ca. 1950) was the old Revell (?) Missouri about 1953 or so. Built a whole bunch of the existing plastic fleet of the time before joining the Navy to see the real thing in 1962. It wasn't until 1980 or so that I built my first quality ship kit - the 1/700 USS South Dakota. Hope this helps. Dave Riley Portsmouth, RI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: USS Hornet (CV-12) tour Just visited the Hornet this past weekend, and for those of you that haven't been there, you won't believe the good condition of the ship. I was fortunate to get a semi-private tour of the engine room (featuring some equipment from the Franklin (CV-13) and the Oriskany (CV-34)) and the CIC. Now any old museum ship has a CIC, but have you ever seen one that has allthe equipment and lighting working? It was like being in a WWII movie - or more accurately a 1950's movie - the CIC dated from the late '50s. The ship is in terrific condition (probably thanks to some well-done mothballing), and the staff out there is doing a great job of maintaining it. I highly recommend a visit, if you're in the Bay area. Not a lot of exhibits compared to Yorktown or Intrepid, but I honestly didn't mind - I prefer seeing the ship, myself, and this one was in great shape. Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: Lionfish/Drum Tigerfish sound chip Mark, Get one of those frames that let's you record a several second sound clip and "liberate" the chip to put inside your model! My hot water tank sounds just like the Tigerfish, so try yours! Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Ralph E. Batykefer, Jr." Subject: Mistress Lorna's 1st Model Poll Thanks for the question... Mine was the Revell USS Enterprise when it first appeared. Since I was a aircraft modeler and was fascinated with more intricate building, I felt ships would offer more of a challenge to build small items. Plus, ships are just plain awesome to sea... Ralph -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: kenny_II Subject: Re: Sub Stuff & First Model Two things: First, if interested, the geek factor on the sound chip for the sub is high enough to interest me in helping out, if someone needs a circuit designed. Second, reaching back through the fog too many years induces, I remember my first ship kit being the Revell Arizona. I did a horrible job, even by the standards of the average eight year old. After about the 5th or 6th try, it started looking like the painting on the front. As fate would have it, I'm building a super detailed version to give a friend as a gift. He had an uncle that was killed on her during the attack. I'm still not sure which PE kit to use, anyone have a recommendation? Tim Maleck Hi Tim, Depending on which Arizona kit you have you can IIRC go for Gold Medals Models PE for both scales. Also Toms Modelworks & Classic Warship (all three are SMMLies) have USN BB sets in 1/700, which should be ok for the Revell 1/720. Check out WEM, Pacific Front, IMM, Warships etc for further details. Shane (via Lorna) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Joe Costanzo Subject: St. Louis Latticework Structure I'm building the Classic Warships 1:700 St Louis CL 49 with the GMM WW2 US Cruiser/Destroyer set. I notice there is a latticework structure amidships, cast in resin and it looks rather out of place with the detailed brass. I will also have a difficult time painting the voids because the relief is very low. The brass set includes noting to resolve this. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Is there anything I can purchase? I don't know how to scratchbuild something like this, so that really isn't an option for me. Or am I making too much out of it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Kenneth H. Goldman" Subject: Lionfish/Drum/Tigerfish? When I built mine, including a scratch-built conning tower (before the resin set came out), I actually cut out the correct shape in the hull for the torpedo doors and inset sheet plastic, I did the same for the stern after cutting off the "frog eyes." This seemed to match my reference photographs in US SUBMARINES THROUGH 1945. And yes, I did drill and cut the limber holes in the deck casing and conning tower and the flooding vents in the hull - for two versions of Tautog, 1941 and 1945. I don't relish ever doing that again! A little trick to get rid of the last bit of fuzziness around the holes is to airbrush over them with acetone. It evaporates before it can attack the model but not before it melts the fuzzies. Ken Goldman THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER http://www.wman.com/~khgold/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "Kenneth H. Goldman" Subject: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks! It's hard to remember back that far, but I think my first model was to make the Santa Maria using a walnut shell half for the hull. Soon after came the Lindberg LST and USS Randall (my father was navigator of another APA). Later on came Missouri, Q-ship Atlantis, U-505, and HMS Hood. Sadly, they and others now rest on the bottom of the Rancocus Creek in New Jersey. Carefully placed thermite charges look pretty real. The old (not then, however) Revell Cutty Sark was coming along fine for my expectations of the time until my brother ran into the living room and, without looking, plopped down on the chair where I had set it down! Believe it or not, he's still alive, though I once got even for something else by setting up a hydrogen sulfide generator under his bed. Ken Goldman THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER http://www.wman.com/~khgold/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: b29@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: First Model Gee, Lorna, this will probably tell more about our ages than our preferences. My first ship model was a little plastic kit of the SANTA MARIA, back about 1952-3. Since I was only about 6 years old, I can't be exact about the time, tho I vividly remember the model. It was only a few inches long and rested on a realistic plastic sea base. Perhaps that's why I prefer waterline models to this day! Anyway, my dad did most of the work, and we painted and decaled it, and even used thread for rigging. My memory of it today was that it looked so realistic. I have no idea who manufactured it, and it's been long out of production. Naturally, the model is long gone. Paul Jacobs Editor: THE 1250 PAGE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Sean D. Hert" Subject: Re: First Model My first ship model was a large USS Enterprise CVAN 65, back when I was around 10. Since then, I mainly build models of ships I am also scratchbuilding for R/C Warship Combat. They make a good reference, and they don't get shot up! I want to build more model ships, but my wife only allows me 4 hobbies at a time.... Sean D. Hert Webmeister, MBG Site: http://www.netwalk.com/~popev/bg/ Ringmaster, Big Gun R/C Warship Combat Ring "History doesn't always repeat itself... sometimes it just screams 'Why don't you listen when I'm talking to you?' and lets fly with a club." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Chris Christenson" Subject: First Model Mistress Lorna: Glad to see you handling the reins in Shane's absence--great job! My first model was a Scharnhorst kit. I think it was the Airfix kit built back in the mid 60's. Don't know what fate befell it for sure but I have one unbuilt and waiting. Although planes are my first love (after my wife of course), ships have some kind of mystic draw. I think it's a guy thing to love machines and a big ship is the ultimate in machinery. Chris Christenson Ord Nebraska---hot, with opressive humidity -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Marc Flake Subject: Re: First ship model Lorna: Goodness, my very first or just recently when I turned from aircraft to ships? My very first ship model was started more than four decades ago. Probably an Aurora (?) Baltimore or one of the modernized Essex class carriers made by Revell. I remember making a Renwall "show-off" sub, too. My recent conversion began with the Glencoe Oregon. I've always loved the sight of a pre-dreadnought. I found a ship with my wife's name--the Tama--and built it. Then came a Deutchland with railings, that looked real good. I haven't been able to stop since. I've always liked naval things, that's where I spent my service time, by the way. But I never got completely into it because I wanted to build 1/700 USN ships...all of them. Then along came resin (and a job that pays well enough that I can buy them). I almost have at least one ship of each class from destroyer escorts on up--not built, but bought. I've only got about 20 ships built. Marc Flake -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Mike Connelley Subject: First Ship Model Howdy: My first ship model is (under construction since September, but I'm almost done!) the Revell 1/426 USS Arizona. I decided to get into ships since I really like the look of battleships, especially those of the IJN. Also I was getting tired of aircraft, after a while it starts getting repetitive (I have no idea how guys can do one Bf-109 after another). I chose the Arizona as a "practice" kit since it was cheap, simple, easily available, plus I lived a few miles from the Memorial in Pearl Harbor. At the time the plan was to do this kit quick so I could get onto my beloved Yamato kits. However, being an old Revell kit it needed lots and lots of help. Once it's done I'll finally get to build a Yamato and I'll probably make an airplane during the long haul. Cheers Mike Connelley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "Alan Lindstrom" Subject: Sodak camo & AA fit Without proof to the contrary, I would lean toward the Sodak being in MS21 by November 1942. She arrived in the Pacific in August '42 and on September 6 she hit an uncharted rock near the Tonga Islands, which required a return to Pearl for repairs where she stayed until October 16. The photos of here (albeit not very sharp) at the Battle of Santa Cruz on October 26 look like she is painted in a solid color to me. If she was in MS12 upon arriving in the Pacific, I would guess that she was repainted into M21 during the stay at Pearl for repairs after hitting the rock. As we know, she was hit by a bomb in the Santa Cruz battle, and then ran into the Mahan on the way back to Noumea, which required some further repairs. Just speculation regarding the MS21 on my part, no real research. While on the subject of the Sodak, Whitley gives here light/medium AA fit at the time of the Kirishima action as: 5 quad 1.1" mounts 4 quad 40mm mounts 57 single 20mm mounts (Whitley states that in September '42 she had 35 single 20s and 16 50 caliber machine guns - I presume that the 50s were removed and repaced by 20s by November) The Washington's AA fit is less clear: 6 quad 1.1" mounts 35-40 single 20mm mounts (40 in the Autumn of '42, 35 by year end) 0-28 single 50s (28 in June '42, 0 by year end) I had not realized before that the Sodak was carrying a mix of 1.1" and 40mm in November '42. Does anyone have any better info on the AA fit of these two ships in November '42? Alan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: "Jeffrey Roberts" Subject: Re: Your First Model When I was around six years old, I started building model aircraft -- mostly World War I-era Fokkers, Spads, Sopwiths and so on. Then, when I was around 8 years old I built an Aurora model of the Enterprise CV6 and thereafter I was a confirmed shipmodeller. Back then, I would take days, maybe even hours to finish a kit and some of my paint jobs were positively surreal. I had a much less critical eye for detail in those days. Now model building is a far more intense and time consuming activity. It seems to take me almost as long to build a model kit as it took to construct the real thing. I'm still an enthusiastic modeller but I sometimes miss the exuberance of those boyhood models. Thanks for asking Mistress Lorna! Best wishes to you and Shane. Jeffrey Roberts North Hollywood, CA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: Flower Class Corvettes You could always try the Imperial War Museum photo archives. I'm not sure how good they are on smaller ships though. Chris Langtree My first ship model (if you don't count Airfix) was Fujimi's Japanese light cruiser Kinu which I bought because it looked interesting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: Rick Heinbaugh Subject: Re: Flower class corvette photos WRPRESSINC@aol.com wrote: >> Can anyone direct me to photos of the following vessels:- Alisma 1942/42/43 << Ensign #3, "Flower Class Corvettes" p11: "Broadside and quarter views of ALISMA in 1942 after modifications to bridge and addition of radar." p46: "ALISMA in July 1943 after her second refit..." stbd side waterline-height full length photo. Also a color stbd profile drawing in WA pattern in mid-1942. >> Charlock 1944 << Ensign #3 p44/45: "Three views of CHARLOCK on the Clyde in 1944. This was the final configuration of the corvette type with single & twin 20mm mountiings, hedgehog, surface & air warning radar and the latest type of depth charge throwers." Also a non-typical little funnel cap.One of those photos is also in "Allied Escort Ships of World War II", p197. >> Potentilla 1942/43 << Ensign #3 p17: "Four on-board views of POTENTILLA in the Indian Ocean in 1942." Any help would be appreciated. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: Rick Heinbaugh Subject: Re: First Ship Model First model: Pyro (US reissue of Eagle) 1/1200 HMS NORFOLK or DORSETSHIRE - don't remember which, followed by the other one the next week. This was the first of a lifetime series of disappointments in finding the contents of one model box were identical to a different model. But the $.39 US price was right, and the BBs & CVs were only $.49! Inspired by: Movie "Sink the BISMARCK" and book "Brave Ships of WWII" (published in 1943), checked out from the public library a dozen times. And yes, my personal library has a copy of that book on the shelf and I have some Eagle 1/1200 kits for nostalgia. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: Keith Butterley Subject: First ship Hi group & Lorna My first ship kit was the Airfix Repulse. I did her about four years ago. After 30 years of building 1/72 scale aircraft I need a change. Boy am I glad I did. Happy modelling Keith Butterley RNaholic -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: Suvoroff@aol.com Subject: First Ship Model Geez...I'm not sure, but I think it was a Revell Tirpitz or Bismarck I got as a child, for Christmas. I painted it with the leftover oil paints from my sister's paint-by-numbers kit, and of course I had to use ALL of them. Yours, James D. Gray -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: J.L.Pickstock@lboro.ac.uk (Les Pickstock) Subject: Re: Flowers and first models There was a chap called Steve Johnson running a website full of photos of ships in Portsmouth/Plymouth? but I lost the URL when I switched computers and haven't been able locate the site again. I think it was an English site. He seemed to have a lot of great pictures including some Flowers but some of the dates were wrong! >> From: Mistress Lorna Subject: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks! << Being English I started with Airfix. I clearly remember building the BISMARCK in the 60's. Les Pickstock. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: "Thorsten L. Wahl" Subject: Re: Your first model - Mistress Lorna asks Hi, Mistress Lorna, Shane & Gang, Your wish is my command ;-) Well, if memory serves (you know, at a certain age and/or after a certain amount of sniffed glue...) that must´ve been Revell´s Scharnhorst/Gneisenau or Airfix´ USS Forrestal. After that, only Monogram´s Chicago and a HMS Ark Royal (can´t recall which manufacturer´s that was, though). Since then, about fifteen years were spent modelling a/c and armor. Beginning of the 90´s, Dragon released their gorgeous 1/350th scale Ticonderoga-class CG, which got me back ´into the water´, figuratively speaking. Since then, lots of Perry-class FFGs (I just plain love ´em) and mostly modern stuff (USN, RN and RAN, some Russian stuff as well) Best Thorsten ´At least we don´t name our ships after our mothers-in-law.´ USS Reuben James to HMS Battleaxe -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: Ann or Gregg Dunphy Subject: Re: Mistress Lorna asks... Hi Mistress Lorna (and everyone else): My first ship model was almost my last. It was the old Aurora kit of the USS Nautilus, SSN 571. I was nine at the time. Perhaps I needn't say more, but I will anyway. Although I didn't know it at the time, Nautilus was terrible kit all the way around. It had very few details and what few details it possessed were either inaccurate or totally out of scale. To add insult to injury, it was damn near impossible to build due the the abyssimally poor fit of the hull halves. For my first attempt at assembling Nautilus, I used Elmer's glue (hey, I was nine, remember?). In hindsight, the results were fairly predictable. For my second attempt I used the correct adhesive, model cement (ACC hadn't been invented yet). For my third attempt I used model cement, many rubberbands and certain colorful metaphores which I'd learned in the course of the first two attempts at assembling Nautilus. Collectively, these efforts succeded in binding the hull halves together and I finished the model shortly thereafter. My experience with Nuatilus put me off of ship models for several years. Eventually I did return to ship modeling and I dabbled in various scales and eras before discovering the wonderful 1/700 waterline series kits. A couple of hundred kits later, (and much to my wife's chagrin) I'm still working in 1/700 scale. The funny thing is I find myself prowling garage sales and hobbyshops in search of another Nautilus. I can't believe I've gotten nostalgic over that damn thing. Reality certainly is stranger than fiction! Cheers! Gregg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: "Les Case" Subject: Re: First Ship Model Sorry to hear about your husband's back. My doctor prescribes codeine (or something like that). I hope he feels better soon. The earliest ship model I can remember building was the S.S.United States, c.1965 or so. My father bought it for me and helped be build it. All I wanted was to finish it so I could play with it. Then, when the film "Poseidon Adventure" was released, c.1975, I built the R.M.S. Queen Mary (as clearly, the S.S. Poseidon was the Queen Mary). I couldn't wait to get it finished and turn it upside down in the bathtub. In 1998, I saw the film "Titanic" and built Revell's 1/570 Titanic. I set it loose in the Pedernales River with a block of ice I bought at a convenience store. Sense a pattern? Les Case -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: Felix Bustelo Subject: My First Model Dear Mistress Lorna, Technically, I actually do not recall what my very first "solo" ship model was. It was probably the Revell Arizona or an Airfix kit (Bismarck or Hood). My earliest recollection of building a model was helping my father build Revell's smaller version of the USS Constitution. My Dad loved ships and growing up in Havana, see saw many, many military and merchant ships go in and out of the harbor. He passed his love of things maritime to me. After college, getting started on my career, getting married and going back to school part-time evenings for my MBA, I returned to the hobby finding that I all of a sudden had some free time! My first kit in my return was the Revell Yacht America. It turned out OK and I should snap a photo of her for my site. However, the model that really got me hooked again was the SS United States, which was my first attempt at using photoetch and some techniques I have read about. Now, I have become a fanatic or, as my wife Lori would say, obsessed! P.S. Let's all give Mistress Lorna a hearty round of applause for doing a great job in Shane's place! Felix Bustelo Webmaster International Maritime Modeling http://members.tripod.com/~Febus65/imm.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: "Millen, Alan R." Subject: My first model The Aurora U.S.S. Nautilus in 1956 +/- is what got me into modelling. Then a B-58 Hustler through a cereal box offer. Then ....... Alan R. Millen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume