Subject SMML VOL 777 Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2000 00:45:16 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: What happened to the USS Ward 2: New Announcements from Skywave/Pitroad 3: Re: Ventilators & Flame 4: Re: 1:350 figures 5: Re: Waterline Striking Device 6: Re: Corrction (avove waterline) 7: Re: 1/350 figures 8: Superiority of USN 9: HMS BURDOCK 10: Re: Pipettes- Don't spend a fortune 11: Superiority of USN ships 12: Warship Comparisons 13: Re: USN Ship Names 14: Stuff, Reviews 15: Re: U.S.S. Ward (DD-139) 16: Japanese Aircraft Colors 17: Re: USS Olympia 18: Happy New Year 19: Re: USS Ward DD-139 20: Re: waterline striking device, mark I 21: USS Ward 22: Polly S paints 23: Re: Fate of USS Ward 24: Tarawa Kit 25: French Destroyers 26: Re: Re-release of the Revell USS Olympia 27: Re: Ward 28: Superiority of US Ships 29: Re: USS Chicago 30: Re: USS Chicago 31: Re: USS Ward 32: Tools and techniques 33: Re: Paint bottle markings anyone? 34: Re: 1/350 figures 35: "Wish I hadn't Said That" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: What, more Archives? 2: January's Internet Modeller is up -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS Hi gang, Welcome to the first issue of 2000 - the last year of the 20th Century & 2nd Millenium - check out the USNO (gotta keep it on topic you know ;-þ ) for confirmation at: http://www.usno.navy.mil/ ;-). All the best ahead for the modelling year & for other endeavours that you may undertake. My resolution for the New Year is to get the back issues archive upto date ASAP, so that everyone can have access to past issues - only 380 odd to go. All the best, Shane & Lorna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: ironship@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: Re: What happened to the USS Ward >> Does anybody know what happened to the USS Ward after Pearl Harbor? MM USS Ward spent the next year or so with DesDiv80 (Ward DD139, Chew DD106, Schley DD103 and Allen DD66) escorting ships in and out of the Pearl Harbor "Prohibited Area", then left Pearl Harbor in late 1942 for Bremerton, WA, for conversion to an APD (APD16). She left Bremerton in Feb. 1943, and spent the next 21 months supporting landing in the South Pacific. These were the campaigns in the Solomons, New Britain, New Guinea, Morotai, and the Phillippines. Her career ended on 7 Dec 1944, enroute to Ormoc Bay, when she was struck by a Kamikaze amidships, destroying both firerooms. She was scuttled at 1130 AM by the USS O'Brien, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Outerbridge, who on 7 Dec. 1941, was Lt. Outerbridge, the new CO of the USS Ward. The Ward never lost a crew member to enemy fire, and only lost one overboard in her three year wartime career. All of this is from the book "USS Ward-The First Shot" by Arnold S. Lott and Robert F. Sumrall, Copyright 1977 by Leeward Publication, ISBN 0-915268-11-6. Now for the blatant plug. You can build the APD version of the Ward from our kit of the USS Roper, APD20, and there will be kits in the next couple of months to do all of the destroyers of DesDiv80. Jon Warneke Commander Series Models, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Ed Grune Subject: New Announcements from Skywave/Pitroad Hello to all SMMLies. I followed-up on Uwe's posting on the new 1/700th Pit Road/Skywave products. After stumbling around the site I came across their "Combat Sub" line of 1/350th scale submarines. Pit Road is also planning the release of the following CS-6 USN SSN-571 NAUTILUS CS-7 USN SSGN-587 HALIBUT CS-8 USN SSBN-598 GEORGE WASHINGTON . They have photos of the test shots. Is there anyone here in the States going to be carrying them? Ed Mansfield, TX I watched on TV as the New Year came to Australia. It looks like a grand party was had by all. Fireworks in Sydney harbor etc. I'm staying home tonight to chaparone my daughter's party. (I hope there's no fireworks! ;->) Happy New Year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Denis L Johnson Subject: Re: Ventilators & Flame I usually build car models, but am currently attempting a scratch-built model of my fathers Corvette as she was commissioned. I have finished the hull & a zillion deck fittings, but am stumped by the ventilators. The scale is 1:144, and the four large funnel casing ventilators are about 25mm (1 inch) high, with the flared vertical opening about 9mm in diameter, That opening is too large to fake by painting it flat black, & I don't have the skills to hollow out such a thin-walled piece. Since the basic form of the top portion is hemispheric, I was thinking of making a hollow hemisphere & gluing it to a tube. But how to make the hemisphere? Stretch a piece of stretch fabric over a form & impregnate it with 5-min. epoxy? How would you keep it from adhering to the form? Is there a better way to do it? Help! Thanks in advance. Re: flame - it seems to me that comments about whose navy is best, & similar drive-by remarks which are irrelevant to the purposes of SMML should be edited out. Happy New Year all, from Denis Johnson, (who is a Canadian and therefore a natural peacekeeper) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Phil Kirchmeier Subject: Re: 1:350 figures Keith Bender wrote: >> Does anyone know if there is figures made in 1:350 scale other then photoetched? U.S.N. sailors. << Preiser makes a set of 1:350th figures, 7 to a package. They're made from what appears to be styrene. If you're not familiar with Preiser they make figures from 1/32 scale on down to 1:500th. They're real popular with the train guys. I saw samples of the 1:350th scale at FSM so I'm not sure who carries them. In the USA I'd check the Floating Drydock or Pacific Front Hobbies. Phil Kirchmeier -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Ives100@aol.com Subject: Re: Waterline Striking Device >> I need to strike the waterline on my Amati Type VII U-boat. Where can I get a waterline striking gauge ("attrezzo di quotatura" in Italian)? << Tom, Micro Mark has a gauge device (Tool Maker's Surface Gauge #60520- $24.95) used for marking model ship water lines, among other uses. MicroMark address is: 340 Snyder Ave. Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Toll free order number is : 1-800 -225-1066; online orders at: http://www.micromark.com. Tom Dougherty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Corrction (avove waterline) >> I then aim the airbrush up at a 45% angle below the waterline and spray the entire hull (below the waterline) and superstructure. << Sorry, I meant ABOVE the waterline boot. My brain isn't Y2K compliant yet. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: 1/350 figures >> Does anyone know if there is figures made in 1:350 scale other then photoetched? U.S.N. sailors. << GMM and Tom's Modelworks both produce 1/350 crewmen sets. Flagship Models has crewmen in most of our details sets regardless of scale. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "John Rule" Subject: Superiority of USN >> Oh, let's not go down THIS path, folks. Tom, if Dave's (Baker)tongue wasn't planted firmly in his cheek when he wrote that, it should have been! SMML has to be the most civilized, flame-free list I've ever been on and we can all do without a bunch of nationalistic hoo-hah. << I don't disagree with this sentiment but as Dave has continued by expounding more verbal diarrhea I have to assume that his tongue is not in his cheek because there's no room for it as his foot is already there. From a man who professes such knowledge, his blanket statements call into question any credibility in any of his comments. I'm sorry Shane, but when the blood boils........................... John Rule PS Shane, the firework display in Sydney for the millenium was truly spectacular. You Aussies did a real number. Happy New Year to All. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: HMS BURDOCK Does anyone have or know of, any photos of the Flower Class Corvette BURDOCK, as she appeared in 1941 and 1942. I am interested because of her UNIQUE camouflage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Ives100@aol.com Subject: Re: Pipettes- Don't spend a fortune >> Pipettes (don't spend a fortune) You can purchase a box of 500 pipettes for about $15.00 or so at a medical supply house. One box lasts me for years. Thought everyone would like to know. << That also applies to Parafilm and a number of other useful items of utility to model builders. The laboratory I supervise is involved in molecular biology research, and there are a number of very useful and inexpensive lab items that make model building a whole lot easier. You can check out: http://www.fishersci.com/ as an example. Tom Dougherty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: DaveRiley1@aol.com Subject: Superiority of USN ships John Rule wrote: >> The US has a large Navy of which it should be rightly proud. Don't belittle it by believing it to be bigger, better, stronger than everyone else. There a lot of smaller more efficient Navies out there who can also be proud. << And I say: Bravo! Well said. Dave Riley Portsmouth, RI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Norman C. Samish" Subject: Warship Comparisons For Dave Baker, The US Navy is good but not infallible. And other navies are sometimes better. For example, I recently read in Stillwell's "Battleship Missouri," pp 320-327, describing parts of the recent Gulf War, " . . . Bulkeley's flagship Tripoli struck a moored contact mine. A few hours later the cruiser Princeton triggered a couple of influence mines on the bottom." This badly damaged the Tripoli and the Princeton. The U.S. anti-mine defense was apparently not effective. Later, when an Iraqi gas attack threatened the Missouri, ". . . (some crewmen) were alarmed when they opened up their protective suits and found they had two tops and no bottom." On Feb. 25, a Silkworm missile approached within half a mile of the ship, which was armed with the Vulcan/Phalanx system. This did not fire. "Post attack analysis revealed that the Missouri's Vulcan/Phalanx . . . had locked on and was tracking the Silkworm, but the missile didn't meet the threat profile that would activate the Gatling guns ." The Silkworm was downed not by the Phalanx but by two Sea Dart anti air missiles fired by a British destroyer. It sounds as though the British had superior anti-missile technology at that time. ". . . about six in the evening, someone on board one of the British mine hunters saw a flare (incoming missile). . . The frigate Jarrett was only about a thousand yards away from the Missouri, and her Vulcan/Phalanx system was in a fully automatic operating mode. Triggered by the Missouri's chaff (launched to deflect the incoming missile), the Jarrett's Gatling guns poured forth a stream of 20-mm bullets and sprayed the side of the battleship in the process. . ." This caused minor damage and a friendly fire casualty. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Peter Hall" Subject: Re: USN Ship Names Mr Dave Baker Wrote, >> When we were building large numbers of ships, it made good sense to have well-defined categories, but today we build very few ships (which is really okay, as ours are infinitely better than anyone else's and nobody else is building very many), << You must have heard the saying " Size isn't everything, it's how you use it" Cheers Mate!!!! Happy New Year/Century etc to everyone All the best Peter Hall -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: TechnoInfidel@webtv.net (John Collins) Subject: Stuff, Reviews Greeting SMMLmates: Happy New Year. The last year of the 20th Century. I'm with you, Shane. I'm to see that not all of us have succumbed to the media hype about 2000. All you have to do is count. Given the 4-7 year error in the Gregorian Calendar, the 2000th year since the birth of the Christ has been here and gone. We should be entering 2004 to 2007. Oh, well. I like Mike Eisenstadt's idea about color matches to (dare, I say it) the standard, Short & Snyder chips. Let's do it. But I must admit, I don't think I'll be quite as quick as Mike. Mike, were you a member of the Austin Scale Modelers during the era 1985-90? I also like Rusty White suggestion about favorite technique and tool. I'll have to give it some thought. John Snyder is right. We don't need to fan the flames of nationalism here. We are the people of Earth. Membership is free. My wife gave me some cool kits for Christmas. I received Regia Marina's 1/700 Vitoria Veneto and Samek's Leipzip. From others, I received Delphis 1/350 Animoso, Hasegawa 1/72 Beaufighter Mk. X and 1/48 ProModeler TA-154; also very cool kits. First impression of the ship kits. Regia Marina 1/700 Vitorio Veneto. The hull is superior. The underside of it is recessed about 1/8 inch so it does seem to hog as much as I've seen in long hulls in both plastic and especially resin. It seemed reasonably close to flat. Deck details are very fine. The resin feels somewhat gritty; nothing that couldn't cured with minor sanding. On my copy, the piece for the bridge superstructure looked mildly smushed, like it had been removed from the mold a tad too soon. Small parts are exquisite. Finely detailed and petitely molded. Perhaps even too fine. While gun barrels on AAA are to scale and truly wonderful to behold, more than half failed to survive the trip from the manufacturer. Small parts also have a nearly vaporous resin film along the mold part lines. While not overly difficult to remove, given the fragile nature of some the parts, modeling may be accompanied by wailing and expletives. My initial thought was to replace all AAA barrels with brass wire, but that might just be another can of worms. Nonetheless, an excellent kit, with several very interesting camouflage schemes. Samek 1/700 Leipzig. I like Samek kits. They appear simply, but very cleanly. molded in buff-colored resin. Small parts are presented on a thin wafer. But, when painted, much more surface detail becomes apparent. Samak kits also challenge you a bit, by requiring some fabrication of parts, like masts and gun barrels. The kits are also good platforms for adding detail parts. Instructions are graphically presented and are generally complete and clear. It does have some photoetch to represent the cranes some guns, but not rails. Still, a very good kit. My great-uncle served aboard her in the early part of the WWII, so I have a vested interest in the ship. Delphis 1/350 RN Animoso. A Ciclone class torpedo boat and like most of the Italian DD and escorts, a very handsome ship. The kit is handsome, too. The kit provides two hull components, upper and lower. Both parts look to have poured into open molds, so some sanding will be needed. The quality of deck detailing is generally excellent. The upper hull had some pinholes on depth charges and the port forecastle extension had broken off, fortunately, I had all the parts and was able to reassemble it. You can tell that the hull master was built using the bread and butter method. Some evidence to those seams not being properly filled is evident, but correctible. The superstructure is a piece of work; cast as one piece and covered with details, even the grating forward on the bridge. Very nice. The aft superstructure is also one piece, lays flat, and as nicely done as the bridge. The main guns are awesome, they look like artillery pieces. But like the Regia Marina kit, the small parts are covered with that thin resin film, and many parts are extremely fragile. The kits doesn't have many more parts than a 1/700 ship of the same type of boat and the size isn't daunting. The hull is only 22 cm (about 10 inches) long. A superior kit. Neither of the Italian kits came with photoetch, and I don't know of any specialized photoetch kits for Italian ships in either scale. Any information on this subject would be appreciated. And, just in case you wanted to know, I was able to build cross braces for the masts of the 1/700 Spruance on which I am working. I had to use one diagonal brace with two half braces to complete the X. I used approximately 50 pieces of plastic rod. I glued with cement and filled with superglue. It took about 4 hours to construct and 2 hours to clean it up and paint it. It came our better than I thought it would, with no major errors. But there has got to be a better way. Enjoy your New Year's celebrations and resolve to build more and better models in the coming year and have fun doing it. John Collins Atlanta, GA, Planet Earth -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Charles Jarvis Subject: Re: U.S.S. Ward (DD-139) After Pearl Harbor, Ward was converted to a Fast Transport (APD-16) and set out for the South Pacific on February 6, 1943. Ward fought through the South Pacific battles, until December 7, 1944 (ironically), being heavily damaged by air attack, was scuttled by gunfire by U.S.S. O'Brien. She sank in Ormoc Bay between Poro Island and Apali Point in the Philippines. Ward received one battle star for her service as a destroyer and seven battle stars as a fast transport. For all the details, see the Dictionary Of American Naval Fighting Ships at: http://www.uss-salem.org/danfs/ Regards: Charlie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: Charles Jarvis Subject: Japanese Aircraft Colors Hi All. I'm writing this with the hope that Western Civilization as we know it has not collapsed after the great Y2K appearance. If it has, you can forward all replies by carrier pigeon to my Mountain Redoubt in Idaho. What were the colors of the Japanese aircraft of Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu and Soryu (1st Carrier Striking Force) at Midway? And what were the colors of the Zeros of the Tainan Air Group at the time of Guadalcanal? Thanks: Charlie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: USS Olympia Dear Nicolas: The USS Olympia wasn't a pre dreadnought at all she was an armored cruiser. Her hull designation was C-6. The kit of the Olympia was reissued by Revell-Monogram, USA and might to be able to get it from Pacific Front Hobbies. I hope this of help to you. Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Happy New Year Happy New Year 2000 every one on the SMML list. Craig -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: CBNJBB62@aol.com Subject: Re: USS Ward DD-139 Dear Josh: The USS Ward DD-139 after Pearl Harbor was converted to a Destroyer Transport-APD and when the war got the Philippines in Late 1944 she was damaged by a kamikaze on Dec 7.1944 so badly that a USN destroyer had to finished her off. Strangely the captain of that destroyer was the Ward's Captain at Pearl Harbor when she fired the first shots by the US. Craig Bennett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: waterline striking device, mark I >> I need to strike the waterline on my Amati Type VII U-boat. Where can I get a waterline striking gauge ("attrezzo di quotatura" in Italian)? Thanks and Happy New Year to all SMMLies! << Cut a block of wood to such a height that if you lay a pencil on top of it, the pencil point will be at waterline level. Run this "device" around the model and you have struck the waterline. Cheers, and Happy New Year ! Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: USS Ward Hi Josh USS Ward was converted to a high speed transport in Jan 1943 (APD 16). Her final fate was to be sunk by a kamikaze of Ormoc, Leyte on 7 December 1944. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: JRuotsala@aol.com Subject: Polly S paints Greetings from the North country. Love you magazine. Can you send me a website or address where I can contact Polly S paints? Thanks Jim Ruotsala Happy New Year to you and yours from Janet and myself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: RCClem@aol.com Subject: Re: Fate of USS Ward >> Does anybody know what happened to the USS Ward after Pearl Harbor? << Check out the United States Naval and Shipbuilding Museum at http://www.uss-salem.org Then go to the ships dictionary /danfs/destroy/dd139txt.htm for the USS Ward. Ironically, the USS Ward was sunk 3 years after Pearl Harbor Day on 12-7-44 by a Kamikaze (sp?). Even stranger, it was sunk by US gunfire by the very same officer that was in comand of the Ward on 12-7-41. Wierd things happen. Roger Clemens Hinsdale, Illinois -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Bob LaBouy Subject: Tarawa Kit Dear Sirs, I am looking for the DML/Dragon 1/700th kit of the USS Tarawa. Do you stock it or can you order it for me and if so, at what price? I was pleased to see a note in today's listing indicating that at least one lucky dog actually got the kit of his desires for a Christmas gift. This leads me to believe that there is still hope I'll find the kit (and the associated brass after market parts) for the Tarawa. Thanks and good luck to everyone for the new year, assuming our plastics, brass, paints and decals don't all go down the flusher tonight as the new year rolls over? Just in case I buried a few kits and tooks in the back yard in old sonabuoy tubes as an emergency stash (as I'm sure everyone did, right?). Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Bob LaBouy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: "larsenal" Subject: French Destroyers Hello All ! I saw some days a posting of someone asking for material about French destroyers of WWI vintage. To my knowledge there is no complete book on such a subject. There were good articles in Marines Magazine about French Battleships at the beginning of the 20th Century but no articles on French destroyers. I have an old article about a torpedo boat of this vintage and can make a copy if you send me your address. Best regards, Jacques Druel L'Arsenal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: RCClem@aol.com Subject: Re: Re-release of the Revell USS Olympia >> I believe there was a recent re-release of an Olympia pre-dreadnought BB. Does anyone know where one can be purchased (on or off-line). << Model Expo has this kit. I paid about $15 US for it. I called their number and used my credit card. I had the kit about 4 days later. It is molded in the single white color, as compared to the original 3 colors of the the 1959 issue. Other than that, the parts seemed to have more flash than my older kit (still in the box-forever). The Olympia was a Protected Cruiser. It had no real side armor, except for the coal bunkers and those ineffective cellulose cells. But it did have a protected deck. It was internal and extended, at varying thicknesses, over all vital sections. Positioned at about the waterline, it was sloped at the sides and flat across the centerline of the ship. It served as the ceiling of the dynamo room close to the bow, the floor of some of the coal bunkers and went all the way back to past the aft turret. Speculating, I think the flat configuration of the protected deck was due to the thought that shellfire in those days was from such a close range that the trajectories would be fairly flat. Not plunging fire. It economized protection, stability and weight. Maybe they hoped incoming shells would pass right through both sides, sometimes without exploding. Any comments? Roger Clemens Hinsdale, Illinois -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: "Keith Bender" Subject: Re: Ward Here is a brief word on the Ward DD 139. After Pearl she did here normal destroyer duties then sailed for Puget Sound Navy Yard in 12/42. She came out rebuilt as APT 16. (Armed Personnel Transport). Back in service until being hit by a kamikaze on Dec. 7, 1944 and sunk. KTB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: Rick Lundin Subject: Superiority of US Ships The issue of superiority of individual ships of a particular navy is superficial and fallacious. Comparison of ship for ship is an excercise for amateurs who have little appreciation of maritime force. The US Navy can claim superority due to its size and the breath of missions that it can perform. A navy is a system rather than a collection of ships. That of the United States alone has the ability to apply sustained naval force - air, surface, submarine, amphibious and strategic to any theater on earth, for years at a time if the need is there. There are many naval services around the world that are first class professional organizations: well designed and built ships manned by superbly professional sailors that would do any nation proud regardless of size. It is not at all unusual to see US Navy ships sailing in formation with warships of other nations. At sea everyone pulls his weight and nobody is arrogant for very long. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: James Corley Subject: Re: USS Chicago First, I hope everybody gets to read this....that means the world didnt end as predicted. I tis currently 2312 EST (0412Z) and so far no nukes have went off, real or virtual, anywhere. Happy Y2K everybodyt, lets make the LAST year of the second millenium the best yet. John Sheridan sez: >> USS Chicago CA-29 was painted MS 21 in 1943. << I was not stating that Chicago was painted *in* 1943 but was carrying that paint scheme in the year 1943. Two statements are the same, but disagree.......Y2K meltdown in progessssasssss, doesnt not compute, does not compute. ;-} -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) From: James Corley Subject: Re: USS Chicago >> The yard photos that I have of Chicago at Mare Island are dated 14 December 1942. The regulations changed in June of 1942, so MS21 was firmly in use by that time. She may have been gray when she lost her bow, but I'm positive that she was 5-N when she was sunk. << I wasnt trying to say that she was gray, just that she probably was no longer 5-N by the end of January....the photos I've seen show her to be much lighter than dark blue as she is sinking. My guess would be that she had faded to about the same darkness as the USN Blue-Gray used on aircraft. I guess this is another reason to invent that infernal flying DeLorean!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31) From: James Corley Subject: Re: USS Ward >> Does anybody know what happened to the USS Ward after Pearl Harbor? << She served with distinction, being converted to APD-16 and eventually was sunk on 7DEC44 ( an ironic date indeed) off Leyte. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32) From: Keith Butterley Subject: Tools and techniques Hi group, How many Kiwis in the crowd did not pick up their phones at midnight? Liars :-p Favourite Tool: tie, X-acto knife and flat file. Top Technique: Swearing, lound and long. It doesn't accomplish much, but it does make me feel better :-) Keith Butterley Vancouver Canada. where, as I write this, the Millenium is still 3 hours away and I am tired of watching it on TV. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33) From: Minadmiral@aol.com Subject: Re: Paint bottle markings anyone? >> After I open a tin for the first time I drop in 3 or 4 BBs. Next time, you can shake the tin to stir the paint. << Hi; Be careful with the BBs. I used them with acrylic paints and the BBs rusted! Ruined the paint. Now I use cut up pieces of white metal sprue, cut to BB size. Chuck Duggie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34) From: Minadmiral@aol.com Subject: Re: 1/350 figures >> Does anyone know if there is figures made in 1:350 scale other then photoetched? U.S.N. sailors. << Hi; There are a number of manufacturers of wargame figures in 1:285, 5mm, or 6mm. These include modern figures. Although noone makes specific naval figures there should be some that can be worked on and converted. I would suggest the ones made by C&C, as they are thin and spindley enough to probably pass for 1:350. Unfortunately C&C is OOP for a short re-organization. You will have to check around for wargame shops with any in stock. I would start with Brookhurst Hobbies in Garden Grove, California. I have sa large stock of C&C there. Figures come 50 or so per box for about $5. Chuck Duggie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: "Wish I hadn't Said That" Happy New One to you all and to Shane and Lorna, especially.. if they're conscious yet.. (!) For those of you who don't read "Pilot", the following flightdeck incident made me chortle.. A correspondent of FHM magazine tells of a royal visit by Prince Charles to a North Sea oil rig. For weeks prior to the visit, the staunchly royalist Canadian helideck controller drilled his crew in the arrival procedure, which included making certain the helicopter pilot had switched off its belly-mounted red rotating beacon before they approached to open the doors. Came the day, and the RAF Sea King landed, the rotors ran down, but the red light kept on flashing, despite frantic hand signals to the pilot. Exasparated, the Canadian thumbed his handheld transceiver, and yelled into it "Turn off your ******* red light so that we can approach your ******* aircraft you ******* idiot." The pilot gave a thumbs-up, killed the beacon,and slowly removed his sunglasses and helmet: it was HRH himself!! Cheers! Caroline (and yes, Shane, I think that Sydney succeeded in having the best fireworks display in the world!) http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Mike" Subject: What, more Archives? Yup, even more Archives are uploaded in 1999!!!! See the History page for details. Happy New Year! Mike SMML Webmaster -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Shane Subject: January's Internet Modeller is up Hi gang, Seeing as Bob's obviously recovering from New Years festivities ;->>, I'd better tell you that Jan's IM is up at: http://www.internetmodeler.com/ On topic items include the following articles & firstlooks: Glencoe 1/74 USN 110' Subchaser by Richard Eaton Encore Naval 24-Pounder Cannon by Caz Dalton BWN 1/350 resin Prewar USN S-Class Submarine by Bob Pearson Lindberg 'Box-Scale' HMS Ark Royal I ca.1587 by Lynn Dunn (the wife of SMML's webmaster Mike Dunn) All very well written & highly recommended. Also, there's a review of APMA's latest journal as well ;-). Regards, Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume