Subject: SMML VOL 828 Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 00:23:59 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: The First Destroyers by David Lyon 2: Re: filler 3: Re: 1/700 K-Guns 4: NELSON and RODNEY 5: Re: Quotes 6: SM Schwabenland 7: Disney Movie 8: Re: RCN gray (grey) 9: Re: Why 700? 10: Australian Cruisers 11: The First Destroyers 12: Re: BATTLESHIP BISMARCK 13: Model building story 14: 1/700 K-guns and rails with nets 15: Re: Chinese Junk 16: Re: RAN Q Conversion & Type 15 ASW FF 17: Aurora Plans and The First Destroyers 18: Re: True story 19: Re: Scales 20: Re: True story 21: 1/200 Yamato 22: Re: The First Destroyers by David Lyon 23: Scale Wood Decks 24: Re: Fillers 25: Re: Nichimo Y*m*t* @ 1/200 26: Re: RC Conversion for 11 year old 27: Re: Midway Print 28: pearl harbor movie and some ethics 29: Filler materials 30: Re: True story 31: wish list 32: Re: Motorizing 1/200 Yamato for R/C 33: Enterprise art 34: Yamotos, Super Yamotos, and even Super Duper Yamotos 35: Pit Road Inquiries on Warship Message Board 36: HMS Tiger C-20 37: 1/2400 Models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Sami Arim 2: Re: Chinese Junk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: ALROSS2@aol.com Subject: Re: The First Destroyers by David Lyon >> Is anyone on the list familiar with this book (published by the Naval Institute Press in 1996)? My specific question is whether or not it covers USN destroyers as well as RN.....any thoughts would be appreciated. << With the exception of a half-page at the end, no. The focus is RN types. The book is full of plans and photos and makes a great reference on the type. If you want info on USN types, go to your local library and ask if they have the Transactions of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Volume 1 was published in 1893. In one or more of the next ten or so volumes, you will find a large number of detaiiled drawings of USN types. Al Ross -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: ALROSS2@aol.com Subject: Re: filler I have used a product called "Nitro-Stan" for years and have had excellent results with it. It is a lacquer-based automotive spot putty and works well on wood and plastic. It comes in a one pound tube, costs about $6.00 US, and, if kept capped, will last for years in the tube. It wet-sands well and shrinks very little unless put on thick. Al Ross -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Matthew Prager Subject: Re: 1/700 K-Guns The GMM Crusier/Destroyer set has the PE K-gun racks and instructions you're looking for. Happy modeling Matt Prager Ingleside, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "J. London" Subject: NELSON and RODNEY Can anyone explain the purpose of the two box-like structures just aft of the forward breakwater on these ships? Are they crew shelters or do they serve some other purpose? Michael London -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: Quotes Another personal favorite was from the CO of the US submarine WAHOO: "WAHOO in running gun battle with (Japanese) destroyer. Destroyer gunning, WAHOO running." John Snyder Snyder & SHort Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Lars Zander" Subject: SM Schwabenland Hi there, I am searching fro informations, photos, plans etc of the german SM Schwabenland (former SM Schwarzenfels) which was built as catapult ship for Dornier DO 15 Wal airplanes to enable the Lufthansa to explore the antarctic in the late 30ties. Any kind of information would be helpful. Thanks in advance, Lars -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Mike Leonard" Subject: Disney Movie Marc Flake updated with - >> Eisner gave it a thumbs up (for a $130 million budget) and shooting is scheduled to start in April or May. Release date is Memorial Day 2001. The US Navy has agreed to provide assistance. << >> BUT this isn't the end. Kevin Costner is rumored to be cast as Jimmy Doolittle and that the climax of the movie would be the launching of B-25s from the Hornet (maybe this is why they need the Cabot). << Say it ain't so Disney! Kevin Costner shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the set. It'll turn into "Waterworld 2". Does anybody remember the dreadful thing he made called "No Way Out"? His impression of a naval officer who wins the Navy Cross during peacetime was beyond ludicrous. Mike Alexandria, VA USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Victor Baca, Photomarine Archives" Subject: Re: RCN gray (grey) Modern RCN gray has a decidedly greenish cast to it. I have found the closest shade to be Pactra's Rebel Gray in spray can form. Haven't used it in years and hopefully it's still available at dealers. Hope this helps Victor Baca Model Ship Journal Photomarine Archives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Tim Perry" Subject: Re: Why 700? Just a thought about this question of scale. There seem to be two types of 'modellers', those who make models to creat a collection, and those who model for the technical challange of the modelmaking itself. This applies to AFVs, aircraft, pretty well every kind of static modelling. The smaller scales (1:700, 1:76, 1:72, 1:144 etc.) appeal to the 'collector' types, whose main requirements are speed of assembly, models small enough to be displayed en masse, and that capture the look and character of the whole vessel. They are the ones who belly-ache most about the cost of kits, paints, but spend nothing on their tools. The thought of scratchbuilding something is generally alien to them. The 'Modeller' types are more interested in reproducing every little detail and feature of their chosen subject. They go more for the larger scales such as 1:350, 1:48, 1:35, and make larger, fewer models. They are likely to be complete, ie full hull, and probably in a glass case as a stand-alone object. The thought of scratchbuilding something is likely to get them salivating. I will go further: the 'Collector' type will keep all his models, back to the first one he ever finished. The 'Modeller' type is as likely to sell off a finished model, or even canibalise it for parts for his next project. Once the work is over, they will loose all interest in it as another subject takes their enthusiasm. They are the ones who belly-ache most about the cost of books and trips to museums, but will happily spend the cost of a real motorcycle on a lathe. Both Collector and Modeller will look down on his opposite, even if every so slightly. Both of course think their way is the better way. However both may end up as 'Experts'. And we all know one or two of those, don't we?! So, which one are YOU? As for me, I am neither. I collect lots of Projects, but rarely finish any of them, whatever scale or subject. Now what does that make me?! To wrap up, 1:700 appeals to modellers who build to collect, 1:350 appeals to modellers who model. I am now retreating to a deep bunker......... Tim Perry Bristol, UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "Edward Brown" Subject: Australian Cruisers Shane Australia and Canberra were repeats of the Kent Class. Sussex belongs to the London Class. Unfortunately the hulls for Kents and Londons differed substantially. The Kents were bulged (beam 68'5") whilst the London's were slab sided (beam 66'0"). Without major surgery to the hull the Sussex can only be used for the four Londons - London, Shropshire, Devonshire and Sussex. Shropshire and Devonshire are relatively simple conversions. London, as modernised, needs a complete forward superstructure rebuild. Sussex could also be used to used for the following Dorsetshire class - Dorsetshire and Norfolk - which shares the same hull. The differences are to superstructure and do not look to be difficult. Unfortunately its not just a matter of adding the bulges as the Kents had "pinched" sections. I think you have to be very brave to take a file to hull of a kit which costs £60 when most of the bridge and after superstructure has to be discarded. A Suffolk kit would be a better starting place, however you would need to build up the cut down stern. Anybody whose thing is RN Cruisers will want a full set of the "Counties", which will include the two RAN ships. The London's are possible from Sussex (manufacturers please note 4 hits on one kit). I hope that I can wait for WEM to issue the Norfolk as a base for the two Dorsetshires (2 hits). A perfect base for the Kents (a 7 hit potentia|) is HMS Cornwall. Note not Suffolk or Cumberland as I would rather cut down two kits than build upfive. I would not complain if Australia or Canberra were chosen by a manufacture These two ships would be an equally good base. Hi Ed, Thanks for the info. Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Suvoroff@aol.com Subject: The First Destroyers >> My specific question is whether or not it covers USN destroyers as well as RN. << No, it does not. It mentions them but not in any detail. The best source I have come across so far is _The American Steel Navy_ by John Alden. Yours, James D. Gray -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: Re: BATTLESHIP BISMARCK Get a copy of "Schlachtschiff Bismarck ein Bericht in Bildern u Dokumentation" by Elfrath and Herzog, also get a copy of "Schlachtschiff Bismarck Eine Technikgeschichtliche Dokumentation" by Koop and Breyer. Together these picture books publish the complete and only known surviving set of builders photos preserved at the Bundesarchiv Koblenz. Its a general study of German paint and camoflage, and it is neither a guide to different schemes worn by the Bismarck nor the last word on KM colors. The book will dissappoint those seeking an index of camo schemes worn by specific ships and/or a full explanation of the application of colors. Best wait till Snyder & Short release their paint chip set. >> Please keep me informed on the status of your progress. << LOL!! You sound like my ex boss, except he never said "please" Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Robert OConnor Subject: Model building story Rusty, Thanks for the great laugh you no doubt provided to many of us on SMML ref your story.That's got to rate at the very topof the list of hobby troubles.I could picture it as almost slapstick comedy as I read it.Thank God you weren't cleaning a 5 pounder cannonball from some long lost naval battle. That might've smarted a bit more than the exacto knife in the head! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Loren Perry Subject: 1/700 K-guns and rails with nets For 1/700 K-guns holding single depth charges, no photoetched substitutes are available to my knowledge. They wouldn't look very good anyway - too flat. But by simply making a small "T" from stretched sprue, a decent representation can be had. Make the top of the T at least twice as thick as the base to simulate the depth charge sitting on the launching arbor. Use the molded plastic depth charges in your kit as a guide for making the single charge the right size. Angle the T outboard just inside the stern railing and secure it to the deck. As for 1/700 rails with nets, Gold Medal Models has these rails included in its 1/700 scale Gold PLUS brass railing set (GMM No. 700-23 @ $15 + $1 postage for over 9,000 scale feet of rails of nine styles.) The nets are an integral part of the rails and do not have to be attached to the rails as a separate step. Thickness is .003" or about 2.1 scale inches. It's recommended for expert modelers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: "Nuno J. V. Rubim" Subject: Re: Chinese Junk I'm studying the (Chinese-Southeast Asia ) Junks,according to portuguese 16 /17 th centuries sources. By far,the most important book I found on these type of ships is: Science and Civilization in China ,Vol.IV ,Part 3 :Civil and Engineering and Nautics,Joseph Needham,Cambridge University Press, Cambridge ,1971. It is a very expensive book and it covers (the nautics part ) near 320 pages. I can give,if requested, some information about it. Nuno Rubim Portugal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: Rick Heinbaugh Subject: Re: RAN Q Conversion & Type 15 ASW FF >> I'm also about to start on a RAN Q class DD conversion, so any info there would also be appreciated. As well as any Type 15 ASW FF info. << What are you going to convert from? I found out that the Matchbox KELLY is an unexpected possibility. The Q/R class hulls were very similar to the J/K class, with the addition of a transom stern, and a 2' greater length. The more obvious Skywave/Tamiya kit is of the O class, 13' shorter. Best info is from Nat Richards' IPMS/USA Journal article. Type 15? Going to build a Frog HMS UNDINE? "Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983", by Leo Marriott, published by Ian Allen in 1983, has a nice 7 page spread of Type 15 info. Rick Hi Rick, I'm going to use the Skywave/Tamiya HMS Onslow for both conversions or at least try to ;-). I don't know as yet which RAN Q class & Type 15 I'm going to do. I also have Nat's excellant article from the IPMS(USA) Quarterly Regards, Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Aurora Plans and The First Destroyers Russian Cruiser Aurora I have a very good article on the Aurora, including plans at 1:400 scale, by Harry Woodman and published in Military Modelling back in 1971. Contact me off line with your snail mail address if you would like a copy. The First Destroyers by David Lyon This book purely covers British subjects with just a couple of pages at the back comparing the designs with those Germany, France, Russia and the U.S. Regards Les Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: SteveWiper@aol.com Subject: Re: True story >> Man, this hobby is dangerous. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" << No, I think you are the "Dangerous" one, Rusty. That is one of the best stories I think I have ever heard. Please announce yourself from across the room at the Nat's before you approach my tables! Your the head ship judge? Should the entries be made of Kryptonite? Steve Wiper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "James Johnson" Subject: Re: Scales As someone who has been building models for over 40 years, I can perhaps shed some light on the question of model ship scales. When I first started building the early 50's, scale didn't matter. Nobody gave it any thought. Things were build to "box scale". This meant that kits were scaled to fit a particular size box. The price of the kit was determined by the size of the box. There was $.98 size, $1.49 size, etc. There are still a lot of these kits around, mainly Revell's.Then in the 60's, aircraft,armor and automobiles started coming out in constant scales. The British did 1/72 aircraft (Airfix and Frog), Revell started doing 1/72, Monogram started doing 1/48, etc. The Japanese started doing metric scales (base 10). I bought 1/75 Hasegawa and 1/50 Tamiya kits! (still have them, by the way). They finally went to english scales except for armor. The majority of armor kits were done by the Japanese, primarily Tamiya. Here the metric 1/35 won out over the english 1/32. The ship section, on the other hand, found no common ground. Every manufacturer chose a different scale. Airfix did 1/600, Frog did 1/500, Hasegawa did 1/450, Heller did 1/400, Nichimo did some 1/200 and one of the Japanese manufactures did 1/550. Pretty hard to be a ship modeler in those days. I built mostly 1/72 airplanes then, partially because of this. In the 70's, 4 Japanese manufactures decided to do WW 2 ships. They were Tamiya, Hasegawa, Fujimi and Aoshima. They split up the IJN, USN,RN and KM between them. This, if tried by US manufactures, would have been slapped with an anti-trust suite. All the capitol ships of the IJN and all classes of smaller combatants (DDs CLs etc.) were produced. The most popular of the other navy capital ships were produced, but by no means all of them. The whole thing kind of lost popularity for a while. Some time after that (I think in the early to middle 80's) Tamiya introduced a new scale, 1/350 or twice the size of 1/700. These were, and still are the best injection molded kits on the market. Soon after that, polyurethane resin became available to the cottage industry. People started filling in the gaps of the 1/700 range and then started to produce the 1/350 resin kits to go with the Tamiya kits. That's why I and others are back into ship building, because of the availability of ships in a constant scale. Several people have pointed out why 1/700 is more popular. Students of math know that the volume of a sphere increases as the cube of the diameter. Double the diameter and the volume is increased by a factor of 8. The same law seems to apply to resin ship kits. Perhaps Bill Clinton, in his effort to build a legacy could push through a law that 1/350 could only cost twice as much as the equivalent 1/700 kit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: "James Johnson" Subject: Re: True story My story doesn't involve any destruction, but is amusing nonetheless. I was working on a model one day and dropped a small part. Looked all over, on the bench, on the floor, in my clothes, etc. I couldn't find it anywhere. Later that day, my wife and I went to bed. She was rubbing my stomach (I can't imagine why, blush blush) and she found the lost part imbedded in by belly button. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: Mike Connelley Subject: 1/200 Yamato Howdy: Yep, the 1/200 Yamato is a monster. I have one but haven't built her myself. The kit is old and it shows. Strictly speaking, the details in some parts are really very good but in other parts noticably lacking. In general, the hull is accurate but many of the other details and dimensions are not. Being a Yamatoholic myself, I plan to spend a good long time on mine to scratchbuild new guns, turrets, etc to make it real nice. Given that the kit has over 600 parts, its not something that can be tossed together, and to get all the stuff for the motorization to work together would take a good bit of time. The kit costs ~$300, so I don't know if that's more than you want to spend on something that'll be more of a toy than a model. By looking at the instructions, the kit wasn't designed to be RC but I don't see why you couldn't modify it if you know how to do those things (I have no idea about RC stuff myself). This kit has potential if you want to spend time and make a nice and BIG model, and as a toy you'd have to be careful about not breaking off the little fiddly bits. Nevertheless, I'd pay to see a 50" long battleship sink the other little RC boats on the lake! Cheers Mike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: geoff-smith@cwcom.net Subject: Re: The First Destroyers by David Lyon >> Is anyone on the list familiar with this book (published by the Naval Institute Press in 1996)? My specific question is whether or not it covers USN destroyers as well as RN.....any thoughts would be appreciated. << Short answer is no. Though small mention made is of French, Italian, Japanese and US the real subject is the RN ships. Regards, Geoff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: Scale Wood Decks Had a look at the Titanic site and noticed an article by a lady who planked her 1:350 model decks with real wood. Check it out http://titanic-model.com/association/enter/wooddeck.html Looks allright in the pics but I would not personally use this method for a number of reasons. Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: "James Johnson" Subject: Re: Fillers The use of fillers depends on what you are doing. There is no one filler that works best for all applications. Super glue works great for small gaps in flat surfaces. It can be put in the space to be filled, accelerated and filed/sanded to contour. Lacquer putty works better on larger applications. Squadron White Putty, Green Putty and Dr. Microtools putty are the prime examples of this type of putty. The third type of putty is epoxy putty, where two parts a kneaded together and then used. Milliput and Tamiya putty are examples of these. Here are some considerations I have found when using them. Super glue Advantages 1. Dries very quickly 2. very smooth 3. If properly applied, will not fall out 4. Strong Disadvantages 1. Only good for small areas 2. If not sanded/filed right away it becomes very hard to work Lacquer Putty Advantages 1 covers larger areas 2 can be filed/sanded easily 3 most modeling brands can be finished smoothly Disadvantages 1 shrink as they dry 2 color can show through finish coat (that's why Squadron did their white putty) 3 not as strong as super glue or epoxy Epoxy putty Advantages 1 strong 2 can fill large gaps 3 shrinks less than lacquer putty 4 can be formed easier when wet/uncured 5 is water soluble when uncured Disadvantages 1 not as available as other types 2 mixing the 2 parts is "a messy affair at best" 3 less tolerant of dirt/contaminants 4 slower curing than the others, depending on the brand I use Dr. Microtools for large areas and then use Squadron White for second applications. This gives me contrast against the red putty so I can tell if it is feathered in properly. I use superglue for pinholes in resin castings. For very small cracks/seams, I use correction fluid. This dries almost instantly and sands very nicely. It is soft and does not work as well for large areas. It gets sanded away faster than the surrounding area. Epoxy putty should have more use than it does. As I read the above I wonder why I don't use it more. There are 3 types of Milliput. They are different in their fineness. The white is the only one I use. The other courser ones are cheaper and would work for filling large areas as long as something else covers it up. Meteror Productions makes an epoxy putty that sets up in about 5 minutes verses about 15 for Milliput. I have just used it once and was very happy with the results. I hope this helps people who are new to the hobby and will maybe push some of you into trying something new. Jim Johnson IPMS 1788 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: Derek Wakefield Subject: Re: Nichimo Y*m*t* @ 1/200 Roger... Take this as a possible alternative. I don't do R/C models, and I bet if I'm completely off base here someone on the list will fire off a broadside to inform you how wrong I am. Although the Nichimo kit is BIG, I've also heard it's accuracy isn't 100% on target. There's an article about the model on the Warships site. Perhaps one of the Tamiya 1:350 battlewagon kits might be an alternative as a starting point for you. They're fairly accurate, and include a motorized option. YMMV, but a gent on another list I used to belong to said he used the Tamiya kit to build an R/C Japanese behemoth. Granted, it didn't have all the bells and whistles normally associated with 1:96 ships. I would suspect there'd be a problem with the added weight of the receivers, motors, etc -- might reduce the draft below acceptable levels. As he put it though, he wanted to get a taste of what it would be like to build and operate R/C ships before dropping a bundle on a big kit. Add to that the nearest pond large enough to float a boat was 40 mi away, and he couldn't fit a 4-ft hull into his Honda without renting a trailer. That made the Tamiya more appealing in this respect. There's also the fact Model Expo still has them available for $40...which is a lot cheaper than $325+ for the Nichimo kit. Add to that, the variety of different ships to choose from. Go Navy! _|_o_|_ Derek "Tiger" (/\)akefield /---(.](o)[.)---\ iscandar@chatter.com o oo O oo o http://www.iscandar-66.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: Re: RC Conversion for 11 year old Roger, Rather than go with the Nichimo Yamato, you might want to try one of the Lindberg kits. They make a 1/125 scale FLetcher class destroyer, and a 1/32 scale PT-109. Either of these are easily converted to RC, though you have to be carefull with the Fletcher, as she doen't have a lot of displacement. Lindberg's heavy, simple detailing is perfect for a modeller that is to be handled by a young skipper. If you want a good starter C boat, consider Hobby Lobby's Neptune. It is a 33 or so inch long freighter, with sinmple, sturdy details. In any case, don't worry about scale details-- the boys won't care. A common conversion in large plastic models is to go with a single motor/shaft instead of the prototype's multiple shafts. When it is on the water, you can't tell! Another option is scratchbuilding. I'm building a 1/325 -ish semi-scale model of the USS Enterprose (CVN-65), with my 10 year old son. We're builing the hull bread and butter style out of pine planks, and the flight deck will be a sheet of plastic cut in the right shape. We'll outfit it with Tamiya'a 1/350 scale aircraft. The model will have a single screw and rudder, using a cheap (RC car) 2 channel radio. It won't be the most accurate model on the water, but it will be sturdy, and it will be his! Drop me an e-mail if you want to talk RC some more-- that's my primary are of interest. Bill -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: Re: Midway Print >> In the Time/Life series Epic Of Flight Volume "The Carrier War" there is a painting of Enterprise's SBDs destroying Akagi, by R.G. Smith. I'm not familiar with Mr. Smith's work, but am real interested in purchasing a print. Anybody out there know where I could find more information on this? << My Fall '99 US Naval Institute Print Gallery catalog shows the Midway print. The bad news: It is listed as being "Out of Print", and listed for $125. It is listed as a limited edition of 500. Still, I'd start with them-- give them a call at 800-233-8764. (If you're not in the US, drop me an e-mail and I'll call them for you.) Bill Check out my US Coast Guard subjects model list at: http://www.tiac.net/users/billkaja/kitlist.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: Christopher Crofoot Subject: pearl harbor movie and some ethics As far as the Pearl Harbor movie is concerned I hit a site that seems to be run by a fan. He seems to have the latest on the story of the Hollywood version of this history. The URL is: http://cinemenium.com/pearlharbor/ . On another topic...ethics. While looking at the iregister.com site I decided to check out Loren Perry's statement about Toms cyber squatting. It's true and the info and date the actions took place are listed there. While the actions Tom took are entirely legal, I find them personally repugnant. I've purchased some of Tom's Modelworks items before but since seeing this they will not have any more of my business... anymore than Viking Models will get my business for their shenanigans with Flagship Models. Ours is a small modeling community and I'm frankly disgusted with these types of business practices. Have you no personal shame, Tom? As for the rest of us...as a market if we tolerate these types of business practices by rewarding the offenders with our cash, we do so to our own peril. I would contrast this with service that I've had from GMM in the past. The first photoetch I ever purchased (1994) was GMM 1/400 Warship for an Arizona. Unfortunately, it never arrived when I contacted GMM, Loren said his records showed it as having been mailed. He took me at my word, replaced the set and even sent along a gift certificate for my trouble! Obviously, Mr Perry trusts his customers and that is simply an outgrowth of his own honorable business practices. I've had similar experiences with White Ensign... They trust there customers too. I'm sure that there are a lot more examples that could be related but I've simply done no business with them. All I can say is in the midst of business practices such as GMM and WE, why does Tom do the dishonorable thing? And shouldn't the rest of us vote with our cash accordingly? Chris Crofoot (yes, I'll say it...my only relationship with GMM, WE or Toms Modelworks has been solely as a customer... satisfied in all cases, but disturbed ethically, in the last.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: David Sepos Subject: Filler materials Hi, I have almost gone exclusively to SUPER GLUE (CA), let me explain. When set it is an acrylic resin, very similar to the resin kits. I don't do much resin, mostly injection plastic and cast metal, but it works equally well. I just filled the bottom/hull seam on an old Tamiya Suzuya a week ago, it's perfect after sanding as the acrylic is roughly the density of the plastic and sands about equal. Be sure to wet sand or the paper clogs FAST. Just take a pin or wire and apply moderate anounts of CA to the joint. Capillary action will draw it into the gap. This can be accelerated with ZIP Kicker, but do sand it off right away if you do, because it gets super hard if left for any period of time. Works on airplanes, ships, cars, trains, anything. If you need some "body" due to BIG holes or gaps, I mix gap filling and regular CA about 50:50 and then hit it with kicker. You can always re-apply thin CA if the first time doesn't get the gap/depression filled. Best thing about this method is it doesn't SHRINK like a lot of putties do in time. And don't over do it, apply and sand several thin applications rather than trying to get to the final surface the first time. Hope you find this helpful. Dave Sepos IPMS SVASM & IPMS Three Rivers / USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: True story >> Man, this hobby is dangerous. Rusty White << After reading Rusty's tale of woe, I just had to comment to the wife that if she thought I was bad, she had to come over to the computer and read this story. It has been 5 minutes, and she's still laughing. Sorry about that, Rusty. Mike Settle I am not agent #1908 of the non-existent Lumber Cartel (tinlc)tm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31) From: "kenny_II" Subject: wish list >> This is kind of a wish list, possibly someone could have some guidance on how to do one of these or maybe, I'll entice one of the resin manufacturers listening in to give it a thought. Has anyone ever considered a Lexington or Saratoga in their original planned battlecruiser (CC1) configuration? There is a real nice drawing of one on pages 166-7 of Jane's Battleships of the 20th Century and I can't help thinking what handsome ships they would've been. A Montana class BB or German Mackensen BC would be a great build as well - I seem to recall that someone made a Montana kit, is it still around? I've never heard of a kit of either of the others though - how's that for esoterica? If I was crazy enough to try making one of these on my own is there any existing kit that would be a good starting point or should I just start carving? << I for one would love to see a large scale Lexington or Saratoga (cruiser or carrier), along with a Montana. I just bought my first resin kit (a CW 1/350 Indianapolis) just to get a new subject. Just to play devil's advocate, what kind of volume would a resin manufacturer need to make money? Tim Maleck -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32) From: "kenny_II" Subject: Re: Motorizing 1/200 Yamato for R/C >> In my past, when I was active in scale R/C model ships, I found one very effective way to silence a drive train on my model ships, and that was to eliminate the gear train entirely. But be advised that to do this, you also need to drastically reduce the propeller pitch which will allow the motor to come up to speed without causing the model to run too fast. I did this on three of my R/C models - a 3/32" = 1' scale model of the Titanic and my DD USS Vogelgesang and USS Long Beach, both in 1/96 scale. The propellers (screws) home-made and had scale diameter and scale blade profiles, but the pitch on the blades was almost flat. The result was a set of models that ran at scale speed or slightly better, looked pretty good out of the water, and were absolutely silent while underway. The only sound audible was the slight burbling of the water as the hull slipped through. This solution also eliminates a maintenance item - no need to lubricate what isn't there. Cleaner to operate, cheaper to build, and takes up less hull space inside. Also more efficient - less friction for the motor to deal with. And try to use a lower RPM motor and prop combination to keep things quiet. << To go one step further, has anyone considered a pulse width modulation motor control system? These are very efficient on power consumption and with a little extra work, could be made to work well with RC systems. Tim Maleck -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: Enterprise art Charlie, You have good taste! "The Famous Four Minutes" was issued by the U.S. Naval Institute Historical Art Print Collection in September 1992 as a limited edition of 500 plus 50 artists' proofs with signatures by the artist and Bombing Six commander Dick Best (I have # 49). R.G. Smith did a previous version that I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Best sign as "Dick Best, CO Bombing Six, USS Enterprise, Midway, 4 June 1942" at the Nimitz Symposium in San Antonio in 1992. The latter is always available from USNI - you might check to see if the former still is. I'm sure there is a secondary market in them as well. Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34) From: "Norman C. Samish" Subject: Yamotos, Super Yamotos, and even Super Duper Yamotos Somebody complained that he couldn't access the site in my message. The message was "There's an interesting discussion of the history of the Yamotos, Super Yamotos, and even Super Duper Yamotos, with references". If you have similar problems it's probably becuase of the lengthy site name. Try going to http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/academic/history/marshall/ which should get you to an index. Then click on "military". Then click on "wwii". Then click on "Japanese.navy". Then click on "jap_yamato_bat.txt". When you do that you should get the desired text. If you still have problems, Email me and I'll Email the text to you. It's worth the trouble - fascinating reading. There's a whole lot of other neat stuff at the other sites on the "wwii" index. Norm Samish -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35) From: Rob Mackie Subject: Pit Road Inquiries on Warship Message Board Mikiya Yoshihara of Pit Road has been soliciting the opinions of non Japanese modelers on the Warship Message Board at http://warship.simplenet.com/msgboard.mv Apparently Pit Road is considering some non-Japanese injection molded subjects. Many have requested US Battleship kits, but Mikiya has responded that the necessary injection molding technology - and financial risk - exceed Pit Road's capacity at present. Interestingly, he says that the Cleveland class US cruiser issued several years back was not a financial success for Pit Road. They do, however, plan on releasing a Livermore class US DD and, if that succeeds, further destroyer and possibly cruiser size subjects. Interested SMML readers should take a look at this thread on the Warship Message Board and make their desires known. Included below is one of Mikiya's responses: "We knew here that Indianapolis and Astoria class cruiser are very popular. Even we want to supply those items. However we planned Livermore class before. The reason is Cleveland did not succeed as the business. If Livermore succeeded we would be going to plan Benson,Sims and other pre-war destroyer. Thereupon if those plan succeeded the next turn would be cruiser again. You know the length of period will be in inverse proportion to the proceeds in U.S. market. Therefore we want you to purchase Livermore by all means." Rob Mackie Warship http://warship.simplenet.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: HMS Tiger C-20 One of my future projects will be building a 1/700 TIGER class cruiser in her all-gun-cruiser configuration. I thought of converting the old Matchbox kit of TIGER. The main part of the work will be the re-construction of the after superstructure. I had hoped to find a plan in Neil McCart: Tiger, Lion & Blake. But there was none. So can anybody provide me with a plan of the all-gun version of the TIGER class cruisers which is suitable for building a 1/700 scale model? Further, can anybody give me information on the decks layers and their colors? There seems to have been wooden planking on the main decks as well as semtex or corticene. When was te wooden planking removed? Thanks in advance Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: 1/2400 Models Hi you miniaturists With great interest, I recently learned from some postings that there seem to be several producers of 1/2400 scale models. I started collecting these models some time ago, so I have some questions on this subject: 1) Can someone give me the addresses, fax numbers and - if available - the URLs and/or e.mail addresses of the following companies? Viking Superior Panzerschiffe Tumbling Dice Hallmark Check Six CinC 2) Are there any other producers of 1/2400 models (except of GHQ)? I am mainly interseted in WW1 and pre-WW 1 ships and models of the 1960-70s era. 3) What is the quality standard of the different producers? I understand that models of this scale were originally ment to be used in war games where accuracy in detail is not so important. On the other hand, some of them are very accurately detailed models. From what I know, GHQ has the best detailed models. You can, however, argue if a 1/2400 scale model really needs to show engraved wooden decks and portholes. These details are surely out of scale. But they make a model look a lot more vivid. The CinC models are almost of the same accuracy as those from GHQ, but they show much less details. This may be accurate as far as scale goes, but it doesn't look quite as good - at least in my humble opinion. I also saw some Viking models and found that they were more "abstract". To me they are looking more like war game figures than like models. Some company's names lead to the conclusion that they are devoted to the war game business. So I would like to know other SMMLie's experience with/resp. opinion on the different producers. Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "graham" Subject: Sami Arim Does anyone know a Sami Arim, he sent me an email cocerning the sig I run but so far I keep getting a fail notice coming back. If anyone knows him please let him know that there is something wrong with his server. best wishes graham -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Alan Simon Subject: Re: Chinese Junk Have 19-page (11x17) 1:100 plans, details & instructions from kit of GIUNCA Cinese Pirata (10-gun junk). Written material in Italian/English/French. Send snail mail address off list for complimentary copy (U.S. locations). For overseas mail, let's make a deal. Alan Simon Atlanta, Ga. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume