Subject: SMML06/12/99VOL751 Date: Tue, 07 Dec 1999 00:16:22 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Seattle 2: Re: Waterline ship models in metal. 3: Re: Waterlining models 4: Re: Stuffing Tubes 5: San Diego Harbour 6: Re: Waterline ship models in metal 7: Re: Badger ModelFlex paints 8: Re: Tankers - was- Just do it 9: Stuffing tubes 10: Re: MISSION CAPISTRANO 11: Re: Badger ModelFlex paints 12: Collier Glyndwr 13: Navio da Republica Portuguesa 14: Re: Just do it 15: Seattle sites/ stuffing tubes/ L&H 16: T-2 tankers 17: German deck colours 18: Re: Waterlineing 19: Pearl Harbor Day -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Mission Capistrano 2: 1/500 -1/535 Carrier Decals 3: Paint Chips - what next? 4: New Kit from Iron Shipwrights -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: James Corley Subject: Re: Seattle I went to SeaTAc for the 1998 Airliner Nationals the weekend prior to Santa Clara. There is a nice hobby shop in the Skyway area just north of Tukwilla/Renton and east of Boeing Field. As for ships, either take the ferry or drive around to Bremerton. The DD Turner Joy is there, as well as the PacFlt reserve ships, including Indy, Midway, Ranger, all the old SSNs which are still intact, Triton is very prominent, all of the CGNs. There is a small museum near the Turner Joy a few blocks from the ferry pier and the TJ shares the pier with a waterborne tour that takes you all the way past the mothballs and back. ($10, IIRC). If you drive there is ample parking and signage directing you to the ferry, I would suggest doing a round trip, ferry & drive thru Tacoma. As you approach up Wash16, you get dumped out at water level directly across the fjord from the navy yard with a good view of the ships. There is also a navy base in Everett, home to a CVN battle group. Sorry but I dont know off hand if either of the area CVNs will be in port. James -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "J. London" Subject: Re: Waterline ship models in metal. This enquiry may relate to 1:1200/1250 scale models. In which case refer to the 1:1200/1250 site on the WARSHIP URL for a very complete run-down on this scale including the many manufacturers. Mike London -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Waterlining models I waterline almost all my models (except those built for clients). I use a technique that works well on any scale model. I have waterlined a 1/350 New Jersey and an Enterprise and it works great. Using a Dremel Tool, attach a circular saw blade (you can get them from Micro mark). With the toll turned at a pretty high rpm, the saw goes through even the thickest plastic like a hot knife through butter. I run masking tape around the waterline boot to act as a guide. You have quite a bit of control over the Dremel tool so you can get pretty close to the boot. I clean up the edge with my Micro mark hand held belt sander. I also make my small scale water from artists Gel Medium for Liquitex. Not only will this glue the model to the new water surface, but it will cover any gaps left where the Dremel tool may have wandered (it's always the tool's fault). The Gel Medium can be sculpted into waves and make a very realistic water surface. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: SeaPhoto@aol.com Subject: Re: Stuffing Tubes Kenneth Perry writes: >> This question is for anyone who does radio controlled ships. I'm building a ship right now and I'm at the stuffing tube installation. Of course, I have to fill them with grease before assembly. What I want to know is how often do the stuffing tubes usually need to be refilled. I'm asking because the tubes with the kit have no refill tubes and I will have to disassemble the shafts each time unless I make some sort of fill tube. << Hi Ken, It is good practice to remove your shafts, wipe off any water that has seeped in, and re-grease every time you run your model. You can get away with longer intervals if you run in fresh water, but at least once a month while you are running. If you are running in salt water, or pool water that is not changed frequently, you should regrease your shafts every time, or you will experience corrosion problems. With a lot of radio control models under my belt, I have yet to see a more satisfactory system than a simple brass stuffing box, with tube brass bearing Loctited in place at either end (the Loctite makes the bearings removable when they wear out with less damage than if you had soldered them in place). If you can, try and avoid tubes longer than 12", shafts tend to whip inside, causing vibration. Kurt SeaPhoto Maritime Photography -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "R. Keith Reed" Subject: San Diego Harbour Hi folks, While attending the NRG Conference in San Diego I took a harbour tour on November 5th. My pictures of that tour can be downloaded from the following: http://ldphotostation.com/authenticate.asp?accesscode=AKJ5EAFC2Q These are in display format only 75 dpi. If I can find where I safely stored my roll of film of the competition and display models I will post it later. Keith R. Keith Reed Victoria, British Columbia Canada Mailto:rkreed@home.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: b29@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: Waterline ship models in metal The ship models that you describe are 1:1250 scale models made in Germany. Those with the shield with the "S" inside are Hansas. Hansa did not make HOOD however, and most likely this is a Neptun model. SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU could be Hansa's or some other manufacturer's. They should be easily identified by the markings underneath. To learn more about these ships and where to get them go to 1250 SCALE in the "warship.simplenet" site. There you will find the information you need to locate and purchase them. Paul Jacobs Editor 1250 SCALE http://warship.simplenet.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: Badger ModelFlex paints >> Haven't read anything lately regarding the new Badger ModelFlex paints. The marine colors seem to be rather hard to find, at least in my area (San Diego, CA) so I've been ordering them by mail. They airbrush very smoothly with little or no thinning necessary, and if applied carefully by hand, leave few brushmarks. The quick drying time is really nice (although it does have its own drawbacks), especially when it can be accelerated with a hair dryer. The elastic nature of the paint is great for painting P/E railings and ladders, as they can be bent to shape with little or no flaking of the paint. I found one problem with the containers, though. This could be "operator error", I don't know for sure...the paint comes in plastic bottles with a plastic lid and the air seal is paper. It seems that the acrylic paint saturates the paper, and after a few openings and closings of the lid the seal shreds and contaminates the paint. I tried cutting a seal out of a styrofoam egg carton, but it didn't last too long. I finally ended up straining the paint through a piece of pantyhose into a cleaned out glass bottle with metal lid and haven't had any problems since. I'd be interested in hearing any tips or experiences others have had with this new product. << I have not used the Badger paints, but I do have one tip about paint jars and lids. I cut a square of household aluminum foil, about twice the size of the mouth of the bottle, and place on the jar before putting the lid back on. This keeps both the lid and the threads of the bottle clean. It is necessary to clean the lid and the threads on the bottle first, but a quick wipe with a thinner soaked paper towel accomplishes this. Mike Settle I am not agent #1908 of the non-existent Lumber Cartel (tinlc)tm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: Tankers - was- Just do it >> If anyone knows of any books, etc that might be able to help me out on this please let me know. For some reason, information on fleet auxilliaries seem to be sorta scarce. << The Mission Capistrano, AO-112, was a T2-SE-A2 type launched in 1944, but not commissioned until 17 Nov 1947. Even though Mission Capistrano did not see WWII service, plenty of the T2-SE-A2 type did. The first T2-SE-A2 type was the Escambia, AO-80, commissioned on 28 Oct 1943. The USN was woefully short of auxillaries at the beginning of WWII, especially tankers. Many of the tankers used by the USN were appropriated commercial designs, with many being transfered to the Navy from the National Maritime Commission. Most of these ships were commissioned as merchant marine, and then immediately transfered to the USN for "navalization", ie, special equipment not required for commercial use and larger crew quarters. The Soubarissen, AO-93, was the first navy oiler actually commissioned as such on 5 Jan 1945 at Marinship. An excellent book on tankers is Gray Steel and Black Oil by Thomas Wildenberg, published by the Naval Institute Press. All of the above information came from that book. Mike Settle I am not agent #1908 of the non-existent Lumber Cartel (tinlc)tm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Ron Hillsden" Subject: Stuffing tubes Ken wrote: >> What I want to know is how often do the stuffing tubes usually need to be refilled. << Ken, it depends on how often you use the model, what you put in it, and how well made it is. I get 5 years or more. Around here, we use a lithium grease which is designed to work in a wet environment. Do not use Vaseline. Vaseline and some other lubricants harden and just fill your stuffing box. If you use them, you have wasted your time building a stuffing box. Visit an outboard motor dealer and discuss your needs with one of the guys who repairs the motors. He'll suggest stuff that lasts. You'll get a tube with enough grease to share with your buddies for a long time! When a little water starts getting past the stiffing box, it is time to pull the shafts, clean and replace the lubricant. Check your shafts and make sure they spin free and true before you lube them. If one is bent or the bushing are off centre, it will wear and it will also leave a cavity in the grease which will invite leaks and corrosion which will get worse as the bushing wears into an ellipse. Ron Hillsden, Victoria BC Canada My boat club: http://members.home.net/vmss/ Flags: http://members.home.net/ron-hillsden/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: MISSION CAPISTRANO Dan Jones had an article on accurizing the Revell kit earlier this year in _Ships in Scale_. It's worth looking for (Dan, are you there??). As for sources, there aren't a lot that are loaded with photos. Wildenberg, Thomas. _Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1992_. Annapolis: USNI Press, 1996. This one should still be available. Carter, Worrall Reed, RADM, USN (Ret.). _Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil: The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II_. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1953. Check the libraries, or scout used and rare book stores. _Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II_. New Jersey: Standard Oil Company, 1946. Lots of photos, including a number of ships that were taken over by the Navy, but this one will be very hard to find. You probably should also see what Floating Drydock has to offer in its photo sets, and look for photos from other sources such as USNI. John Snyder Snyder and Short Enterprises The Paint Guys (Starting to paint chips for RN Set 2....) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Al Superczynski Subject: Re: Badger ModelFlex paints >> Haven't read anything lately regarding the new Badger ModelFlex paints. << I used their clear flat on the ot A-36 in this month's Internet Modeler. Dried dead flat in about five minutes! I love the stuff -- will use it exclusively from now on for my flat overcoats. BTW, I thinned it slightly with windshield washer fluid. Al http://www.up-link.net/~modeleral -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Bob Pearson" Subject: Collier Glyndwr Greetings all, A friend of mine researching Baltic operations in WW1 asks the following "The Germans interred a British collier when the war broke out - named "Glyndwr". They then outfitted it to be a floating seaplane hangar and sent it to the Baltic to help in the struggle for control of the Bay or Riga. Would your resources be able to tell me when it was dispatched to the Baltic?" Any information would be most appreciated Regards, Bob Pearson Visit my WW1 Aviation page: http://members.xoom.com/Sopwith_5F1 For the CBR/RNP Profile page visit: http://members.xoom.com/profileart/ Managing Editor / Internet Modeler http://www.internetmodeler.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Brian Selzler Subject: Navio da Republica Portuguesa I was wondering if one of our Portuguese SMMLies could tell me something about an event that I recently came across while reading about the civil war in Spain. Apparently, in early September of 1936 the crews of two Portuguese warships mutinied against their officers and prepared to sail to join the Spanish Republican cause. However, Salazar ordered loyal forces to fire on the rebel ships and destroyed them because he was generally sympathetic and actually aided the Nationalist side fearing that the instability of the Republicans could upset the status quo in Portugal. Can anyone tell me which two ships these were and a little more about their destruction? WRT what-if projects, my latest is the seven turret Colony class cruiser, HMS Zanzibar to be followed by her sisters Barbados and Rhodesia of the 1938 building programme! cordially, Brian -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: cwjerden Subject: Re: Just do it I saw Derek's comments last night. What's that your Mom says about you having a twin someplace in the world. I'am working up a revell "mission tanker",work in a shed at the mercy of the weather and can't find data on my project. First, lets cover what I can help you with. To store paints, solvents and glues in "smell sensitive" areas is easy. Go to Wal-mart and in the camping area you will find the perfect box. The MTM "case-guard", "Sportsman's Dry Box"(SDB-1-11 F.GREEN) is what I use. It looks a little like an ammo box but has a tounge and groove O-ring seal. I have kept my "Smellys" in the closet UNDER my wife's clothes for two years now. Never heard a complaint yet, as long as I don't open it in the house! I just take the box out back when I'm working and back to the closet when done. Next I can tell you the Revell Mission tanker is the reissue of the old fifties(?) box scale kit. It isn't as awful as some I have seen. Yes the railings are molded in, Yes the catwalks are a writeoff as are the guns and the tubs and OH Yes the few pipes on the deck are molded in as well as in the wrong place. Other than that it's fine. Ok all I'm useing it for is to tune up for other "Revell Box Scale" ships. I'll use alot of 1/400 PE left-overs to jazz her up. But I'm going for something a little different, a post war civilian tanker. I'll just loose the guns and tubs and keep my warm-up simple. One suggestion, check your to see if the ship your modeling had Railings or plating on the stern. I was triming off ALL the railings on my kit, then I saw the box art! I have found photos of fleet oilers with railings in lue of plating so I'll still be ok, but Gee-wiz decide for your self BEFORE you go to the knife! Working in the shop in winter, well get the little heater started early and hope to warm it up for work time. I start mine at 4pm and don't go to work until 6:30. My 1500 watt electric basebord heater goes under the bench and will warm my 16x24 "barn" in about that time. I only give up below frezeeing! Good luck and keep plugging. Any Smml's have suggestions on civilian T-2's, Ships names, colors or equipment carried? Anything about these workhorses post war lives (or where to look for info)would be a great help!! Charles Jerden Ft.Worth "It's finally chilly" Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Darren Scannell Subject: Seattle sites/ stuffing tubes/ L&H On Seattle hobby stores: >> The only hobby shop in Seattle I am familar with is American Eagles, which won't have any thing you can't get anywhere. << I always went to American Eagles, (206) 440-8448, 12537 Lake City Way Ne, when I went to Seattle and found it well stocked, but that was 15 years ago so it might have gone downhill. I recommend the Boeing museum ( float planes? : ). Bremerton had some mothball ships that you could tour, but that was when the Mighty Mo was there, still might be some nice views. Here's a couple more that I know of: Don's University Vlg Hobbies (206) 525-7700 2943 Ne Blakeley St, Hobby Room (206) 246-8208 16604 14th Ave Sw M & L (206) 522-8189 6504 Ravenna Ave Ne Webster Hobby Shop Inc (206) 546-5159 1116 N 183rd St, Stuffing boxes: My personal opinion is that grease is overkill. A 4-6 inch tube over the shaft with just enough clearance to allow the shaft to rotate freely (eg: K&B brass tube) and a little oil is what I normally use. The model shaft is usually 4-8 inches below the surface and that is not enough water pressure to get past the oil. Grease doesn't normally start getting hard for several years and shouldn't need to be added to for a long time. When you do need to add some in a few years, you should take the shaft out and clean out the old grease. I have seen tubes and grease nipples added to stuffing boxes for grease addition and people give a shot at the start of boating season. Just don't forget to clean it out every so often. On love and hate: I hate sanding, sanding and more sanding and I'm starting to hate this Resin OHP frigate I'm working on. Bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles. I love opening the box and completing a model. Research is somewhere in the middle. I enjoy the actual building, whether it be straight assembly, scratchbuilding, P/E or painting. I hate mucking up what I've done, with paint fingers, glue or knocking it over. Regards, Darren Scannell In the great white north where we have +13c in Dec., which is 20c above normal, and it's kinda scary, cause I know as soon as I start to get used to it, the white stuff will come. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: cwjerden Subject: T-2 tankers One last call for help tonight. In a prior post I asked If anyone had Info useful on postwar, civilian use of, T-2 tankers. I forgot to ask, Can anyone out there help me figure how much to cut off the bottom of the Revell "Mission T-2" for a full load waterline? Info I have says a maximum draft of 30ft 6in. The model mesures 7/8th inch to the main deck. Anyone ever calculate the amount of hull Revell "flattened" off the bottom in this kit? I will protray her underway and that wouldn't be fun except at a full load. Again, thanks for any help ya'll can provide on this project. Charles Jerden Ft. Worth, Tx. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: Clifford Franklin Subject: German deck colours I am nearing completion on models of Scharnhorst (in 1943) and Gneisenau (in 1940), but have run into a problem concerning the colours of the various decks. The weather deck was planked, and was presumably a natural wood colour on both ships, but I am having difficulty deciding what the other decks were covered with. Which ones were steel (and painted dark grey?) and which were linoleum covered? Or did other decks have a wood covering as well? I have had a look at the drawings on the excellent Bismark website, and they show extensive areas were wood covered, but none seem to have a linoleum covering. Is this true for all German capital ships? What areas was the linoleum used on? Cliff Franklin New Zealand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: Derek Wakefield Subject: Re: Waterlineing Don, David's suggestion about rough cutting *below* the waterline (that really is the key thing to remember) and sanding on a flat surface is probably the best way to go. Back in HS, that's pretty much the same thing I did in an experiment to make a waterline kit out of a full hulled 1:1150 Lindberg Prince of Wales kit. Just make sure you take your time, and don't rush the sanding process, or you'll end up with a ship with a noticable list. A small pocket level comes in handy here. One more bit of advice though, with two piece injected model hulls (split down the centerline) it's best to put them together (before you start sanding) and then mount pieces of the parts frame between the the two halves to simulate traverse bulkheads to provide extra support. I failed to do this once, and it resulted in the hull cracking in half on one side. Oh, did I say don't go too fast? Even if you put the deck on before you do this, the extra support helps out quite a bit. I used a ruler to measure the distance at various points between the two halves (usually at the widest parts), cut the sprue a bit long, and sanded them to fit before gluing them in place. Be prepared to angle the ends a bit for those to be placed fore and aft of the centerline to maximize both fit and support. If the sprue is exceptionally thin, double it (over and under, side by side, it doesn't matter) to insure the best support. Originally I used wooden dowels for this, but learned that the plastic parts frame worked just as well (and was cheaper to boot). Depending on the ship you're doing this with, you should only need 3 to 5 of these supports, but use your best judgement. Dasvidanya! _|_o_|_ Derek "Tiger" (/\)akefield /---(.](o)[.)---\ iscandar2@chatter.com o oo O oo o http://www.iscandar-66.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "Jeff Herne" Subject: Pearl Harbor Day Hi gang, Just wanted to pass on a special thank-you to fellow SMML-ies Gary Kingzette and Bob LaPadura who participated in our Pearl Harbor Remberance Ceremony on Dec. 5th. We ended up with 18 350th scale ship models at the display, which was nicely received by the Pearl Harbor Survivors and all Navy vets. In addition, I want to thank the BBNJ Community Outreach Program who set up a very nice disply including a 5 foot long BB NJ. The event was attended by roughly 150 people, we had color guards from all branches of the service, and the key note speaker was Rear Admiral Timothy Beard, a personal friend who covered for us at the last minute. A navy rifle squad performed their 21 gun salute from the cigarette deck of the USS Ling, it was the first time the ship had seen that many 'Dixie Cups' since 1945. What a site to see... I apologize to those SMMLies who inquired about attending, but since I was thrown into the organizational fray, I never got a chance to check emails... Best, Jeff Herne -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: Mission Capistrano If your looking for this out of prod. kit goto "Amphib. & Support Ships" page we have them. Plus the Lexington, Pine Island, Chicago, Randall, U-505 and North Carolina to name a few. Shaya Novak Naval Base Hobbies The Store for The Model Ship Builder www.modelshipbuilding.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: 1/500 -1/535 Carrier Decals Naval Base now has decals so you number and name the 1/525 Yorktown II from Linberg. Our stated policy is we will match any price on the internet or mailorder. Look on our "Decal" page NAV01- $6.00 Shaya Novak Naval Base Hobbies The Store for The Model Ship Builder www.modelshipbuilding.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Paint Chips - what next? Now that we're close to completing Royal Navy Set 2, it's time to ask about which to do next. RN2 will be the post-1941 standard colors. We have enough ship-specific colors to do (and will do) RN3. However, what would you like to see next: RN3 or Regia Marina? John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: ironship@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: New Kit from Iron Shipwrights Hi Everyone, Now available from Commander Series Models/Iron Shipwrights: US LST 1-542 class 1/350 scale Hull is cast with integral tank/well deck, with the main deck a seperate piece. Extra parts come with the kit to make either a 2-davit or 6-davit version. There are extra tubs and guns to make (hopefully) any version of the LST with the main deck elevator. Also, the kit comes with an assortment of vehicles including M4 Sherman, M7 Priest, LVT-3, DUKW, 2.5 ton truck, M3 Half Track, and Jeeps. Cost is $165 retail. For direct orders, and a 15% direct sale discount, call us toll free at 888-476-6744, or e-mail to: mailto:dparis@eznet.net. Sets of the above mentioned vehicles will be available later in the month. The price for these has not been set, and the sets will be available only directly through Commander Series. The LST kit is available through most of the usual outlets. Jon Warneke Commander Series Models, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume