Subject: SMML VOL 954 Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 23:02:00 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Revell Alabama v. Kearsarge 2: Scale Barnicles 3: Re: San Francisco sights 4: Re: Soviet Cruiser MURMANSK: Information? 5: Re: Scimitar class Fast Patrol Craft 6: Re: Model Ship Journal 7: On Topic vacation 8: Re: IPMS Dallas Get-together 9: S-Boat / E-Boat Newsreel 10: Re: resin 11: Re: USS Constitution Kits 12: Re: Trip to USS Massachusets 13: Re: FLOWER CLASS CORVETTES 14: Grenville 15: Big Mamie 16: Re: Flower Class Corvette detail sets 17: Re: Soviet Cruiser MURMANSK: Information? 18: Re: San Francisco Hobby Shops & Museum Ships 19: Fwd: Model report from Newport News, Virginia 20: Re: FLOWER CLASS CORVETTES 21: Re: Safe-Mounting Bottled Paints 22: Scimitar Class - fast patrol craft 23: Re: Resins 24: salvage and tugboats 25: Bay Area Modeling 26: Re: San Jose area Hobby shops 27: Mikasa "C" sprue 28: Re: Sea Blue Blues... 29: Re: Modeling vessels from fiction 30: Flower Class Fittings 31: Toxicity of Resin? 32: Cage Masts 33: Anchors Aweigh 34: Nexus plans 35: RIMPAC Exercise 36: Re: LCS(L) models 37: Starter Kit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMMLcon Infomation & posts 1: CT/NY/NJ/PA SMML get together? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: FSM Back Issues 2: Warhip Books announcement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Steve Sobieralski" Subject: Revell Alabama v. Kearsarge Not only are the hulls below the waterline identical, but the main deck pieces of the Alabama kit are all identical in shape to those of the Kearsarge and the masts, spars, boats, davits, guns and a myriad of other small parts are all straight from the Kearsarge. I'm not sure that the similarity in the hulls necessarily means that the Kearsarge molds were modified and therefore lost. I think it would be very difficult to make such major modifications to the mold itself. It would probably be easier to modify the master and make new molds for the hull pieces. I do, however, find it strange that the Alabama has been re-released several times while the Kearsarge has not. BTW there are two Kearsarges on ebay presently and with about 6 hours to go (10:45 am EST, June 25) both are over $300.00. Steve Sobieralski -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: Scale Barnicles >> Does anyone know where I can get 1/500 Brass etched or resin Barnacles? << I don't recommend using commercial scale barnicles because it is very time consuming to remove them from the sprues. Instead, after painting, I would leave the model in a dish of scale sea water. Be sure to use 1/500 scale sea water, so that the barnicles will be the proper size. This method requires some patience, and remember to keep refilling the dish to compensate for evaporation. Scale water is pretty expensive but I know a guy who can give you a good deal. He also has bottled propwash in 1/700 and 1/350. Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Rod Dauteuil" Subject: Re: San Francisco sights Last week I got back from spending a week in San Francisco. The 3 things on my "to do" list (besides the conference I was sent to attend) were to visit the USS Hornet, the USS Pampanito, and the SS Jeremiah O'Brien. To get to the USS Hornet museum, you must cross the Bay Bridge and follow the signs to Broadway and Alameda. The USS Hornet website has specific directions. The ship was great to see, although they still have a lot of work to do. The admission was $10.00, but be careful not to go on Tuesdays--There is no guided tour of the island on Tuesdays. They were nice enough to let me come back Wednesday for free to get the tour. There are also other Reserve ships of the US Maritime Administration berthed there, but you can't go on them. I also went to Fisherman's Wharf, where the Pampanito and O'Brien are berthed (although on maps it says the O'Brien is further east down the piers) When you go on the Pampanito you get a headset which is a recorded guided tour. Berthed aft of the sub is the O'Brien, which is a masterpiece. It is truly an amazing ship, fully restored and clean as a whistle. While you're there, visit the SF Maritime Museum, which is a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf. Among other things, they have a model room which hosts a HUGE (maybe 1/48 scale?????) model of the Battlehsip California. SF is a good city, and I would look forward to going back there. Have fun, Rod. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: Re: Soviet Cruiser MURMANSK: Information? Hi Robert Whatever the ship was, it wasn't the Murmansk. The Murmansk was ex USS Milwaukee and was returned to the US in 1949 after an uneventful career in the Soviet Navy. A quick check of the records also reveals that the only Soviet ships sunk in 1944 were escorts and minesweepers. It looks like a case of an inaccurate newspaper report (which is quite common). Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Subject: Re: Scimitar class Fast Patrol Craft The Scimitar class of fast patrol craft were a development of the Brave class of the 1960s era. The names were Cutlass, Scimitar and Sabre and were used by the Portland training squadron as the "enemy" for ships working up there. They also provided live targets for helicopter launched missile aimers to track during training sorties. These were very powerful craft and made for a spectacular sight when they passed down the side of a ship at high speed. It seems that they never carried any armament as they main role was training, though I don't doubt that they could have received the full MTB type of fit similar to that of the Brave class, if it had been necessary at any time. I do have a set of plans for these craft and currently have it scheduled as a subject for the WEM Narrow Seas Range in 1/350 scale. It is difficult to say when the kit will be available as there are so many other projects in the pipeline at the moment. The small ones tend to get squeezed in between the larger ones if you know what I mean. I hope this has been of some help. All the best Peter Hall WEM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Devin J. Poore" Subject: Re: Model Ship Journal I would just like to echo Mr. Barnett's statement concerning the high quality of Model Ship Journal. Fantastic publication. Devin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Marc Flake Subject: On Topic vacation SMMLers: I'm back from a thoroughly On Topic vacation in which I visited a Battleship (Texas), a Destroyer Escort (Stewart) and a PT Boat (PT 309).I even snuck in some off topic looks at a fully rigged brig (Elissa) and a well-stocked airplane museum (which had a wonderful 1/87th scale USS Hornet). The Texas is the best of the lot. They've removed the concrete that was on the deck the last time I was there, but some of the conning and command spaces were shut off due to renovation projects. I took some photos of things I wished I'd had photos of while making the Viking TEXAS. Since I now have a scanner I can either post these at the SMML website or have them available to other SMMLers who undertake this project. I also took photos of the sad looking Stewart. She's in a very run-down condition and needs some major work. My greatest photo coup was the Higgins PT 309. The boat is docked at my father-in-law's yacht club, so I had easy access for some close-ups of the deck fittings. Her only armament so far is a 40mm Bofors on the fantail and a couple of torpedoes. There's a tripod mount for a 20mm on the port bow, but no gun. I got some closeups of the roll-off torpedo mounts, and the mounting of the dome radar used late in the war. There's a little fight going on between the Houston folks and the Nimitz Museum folks in New Braunfels. I'll go into more detail about that, if y'all want me to. The 1/87th scale Hornet was nice. According to the display info, she was sculpted entirely out of metal. (I'm not sure of the scale but 1/87 is closer than 1/72 -- it could be smaller) I was impressed by a complete hanger deck filled with Wildcats and Dauntlesses. A couple of Wildcats are even hanging from the overhead. I got some photos of this too, but as it was in a plexiglass case, I'm not sure how they will turn out. We also hit the beach and the NASA Space Center. I've got four rolls of film to get developed. As the On Topic stuff becomes available, I can start making scans, if anybody wants 'em. Marc Hi Marc, Start the scans ;-). I'm sure Mike will have space to post any pics you send him. Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Marc Flake Subject: Re: IPMS Dallas Get-together Updated list (30): David Angleo Derek Brown Bruce Buchner Bradford Chaucer John Collins James Corley Mike Czibovic Joe Damato Marc Flake Ed Grune Donald Hinton Jim Johnson Mark Knowlton Steve Lau Hugh Letterly Dave Miller Art Nicholson Tony Partlow Nathan Pettigrew Allan and Crystal Plumb Mike Quan Kelly Quirk Nat Richards Bruce Ross John Snyder Al Superczynski Rusty White Derek Wakefield Steve Wiper Friday lunch -- 2 Saturday "sometime"-- 1 Saturday lunch -- 2 Saturday "Happy hour" -- 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: S-Boat / E-Boat Newsreel Hi I just had another look through the densely packed WEM catalog and noticed a video titled "Stukas of the Sea" which is about German Schnellboote in WW2. Unfortunately for me, it is in PAL format, so I was wondering if anyone who has seen it would comment. Specifically, are there any shots inside the conning position of the later war boats? Also I got WEM's etched 1:700 Kriegsmarine AA guns and give them 2 thumbs up. I especially like the 20mm Flakvierlings. My only complaint is that the spent cartridges keep jamming, so the rate of fire is really not up to the factory specs. There is no comparison between WEMs flak guns and the injection molded plastic lumps that come in the kits. Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: resin >> Wouldn't the use of a lower viscosity resin solve this as bubbles would rise more rapidly?? Also is there any way to premix in a closed container to lessen the amount of air that gets into the mix?? << Some do. Armand Bayardi is a friend of mine and IMHO the best resin caster alive. You will NEVER find a bubble or pin hole in any of his castings. He uses a resin that takes much longer to cure. He out-gasses his resin in a vacum chamber right after he mixes it, pours the resin into his molds, outgasses in a vacum again, and then sets the mold in a pressure pot to force any remaining air into microscopic bubbles inside the object. It sounds like a lot more work and it is, but his castings show it. Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Joel Labow Subject: Re: USS Constitution Kits I have owned the Bluejacket kit (solid hull to the main deck level: planking overlay available as an extra) and can attest to it's excellence.....and the Model Shipways kit appears to be every bit as good, if not better (altho ENORMOUS!). I don't think that there can be a lot of question that the 2 US kits outclass the Italian ones in terms of accuracy and completeness of their fitting sets. I would question, however, if any of these extremely complex and expensive kits would be the best choice for someone who has never made a wooden ship model before. I suggest the Model Shipways USS Niagara as an alternative.....it is very accurate based on recent research and makes up into a very impressive model, but is less expensive and complicated than a frigate. Joel Labow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: Trip to USS Massachusets >> Looks like I'll be in Burlington, MD for about a week on a business trip starting July 10. This is a great chance for me to go and see the BB USS Massachusetts. << The Mass is in Fall River, a good 6 hour+ drive from Maryland! >> some memorabilia in it, but that was about it. I am curious as to how far into the Big Mamie you are allowed to explore? I find this ship a more interesting topic than the Missouri, just because the Big Mamie looks more like a stout brawler than the sleeker Mighty Mo. Thanks for your help << The ship is fairly open, you can go at least 2 levels below the main deck, and several levels up, so if you want to do a thorough exploration it is well worth it. Note that there are several other ships at the site, including a sub, a Russian Missile boat and a PT Boat museum. Also worth the trip is the USS Salem about a 1/2 hr further north in Quincy Mass. Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: FLOWER CLASS CORVETTES >> When Revell reintroduced the "Matchbox" Flower kit someone posted a note on this list regarding a detailing kit that was being produced for it. Could anyone enlighten me as to whether the detailing kit was in fact produced and if so by whom and where it is available? << FlightPath in the UK is supposed to be doing it and is supposed to release "imminently" however it has been imminent for 2 years now!! Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: Grenville Write to me. I may have plans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: "Mike Leonard" Subject: Big Mamie >> Looks like I'll be in Burlington, MD for about a week on a business trip starting July 10. This is a great chance for me to go and see the BB USS Massachusetts. << Quinn - Assume you mean Burlington, MA? >> I am curious as to how far into the Big Mamie you are allowed to explore? I find this ship a more interesting topic than the Missouri, just because the Big Mamie looks more like a stout brawler than the sleeker Mighty Mo. << As of ten years ago, they had quite a bit opened up, from the armored bridge all the way down to the machinery spaces and a few ammo magazines and handling rooms. I'd think by now there might even more places to explore. Don't forget to see what books might be on sale in the gift shop. Also the great display of PT boat squadron memorabilia in a couple of the old berthing spaces. Mike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "cpalfreeman" Subject: Re: Flower Class Corvette detail sets Regarding F****r Class Corvette details, try: http://www.djparkins.clara.net/gls/glsmast.htm I'm informed by a normally very reliable source who contributes regularly to this list that this set has been planned for some time.... Good luck, and if you';ve actually started I'm sure that there are a number of SMMLIEs who'd love to hear your thoughts about the kit and your experiences assermbling it. Charles Palfreeman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: Soviet Cruiser MURMANSK: Information? The only Soviet cruiser MURMANSK I'm aware of was the OMAHA-class light cruiser MILWAUKEE that was lend-leased to the Russian in 1944. She obviously wasn't sunk since the Russians returned her in 1949. You can find good photos of her in Steve Wiper's excellent book on the OMAHA class ships. Now, did the Soviets have another ship by the same name lost earlier? Someone else will have to answer that one... John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys http://www.shipcamouflage.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: San Francisco Hobby Shops & Museum Ships Ned, In the San Jose area you'll want to hit D&J Hobbies (see the phone book) and San Antonio Hobbies, while in SF I'd recommend Franciscan Hobbies out on Ocean Avenue. As for museum ships, there is the collection of vessels at the National Maritime Museum at the Hyde Street Pier, plus USS PAMPANITO and SS JEREMIAH O'BRIEN. Across the Bay in Alameda you'll find USS HORNET, and the SS RED OAK VICTORY up at Point Richmond. And for viewing purposes, there's always the Reserve Fleet in the upper Bay at Benicia. Sacramento has the former Sacramento River sternwheeler DELTA KING, now engineless and converted to hotel/restaurant use, but nicely restored. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys http://www.shipcamouflage.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Fwd: Model report from Newport News, Virginia >> From: BSteinIPMS@aol.com Subject: Re: Model report from Newport News, Virginia If you folks are not too tired of hearing about the "Ship Model Competition & Exhibition 2000" at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, I'd like to render a brief report on what can be seen there. To this observer it was more fantastic than anything Walt Disney has to offer. Firstly, I have never seen such a collection of extremely well built and finished models. Every one had an interesting story to tell and each was worth quite a bit of time for study. Secondly, I don't envy the panel of judges the hard work judging represented and the difficult decisions they had to make. To my eye, every model there was a winner. To avoid using an excessive amount of bandwidth this report is brief, necessarily subjective, and not all-encompassing. The models are mentioned in no particular order and if I don't end up discussing a particular model here there is no slight intended: ALL of the models were wonderful. Truly, the exhibition is inspiring, humbling, and of Olympic quality. There was an excellent color photo mural on the wall depicting the stages in the building of the Civil War era brig USS EAGLE by Joe McCleary which helped me interpret the intricacy of the actual model on display elsewhere in the museum. Joe should consider publishing this for the benefit of the rest of us; it would make a good book. There is a case of modeling implements and tools showing how cannon, carronades, gratings, hardware, fittings, ventilators, and many other ship modeling items are fabricated by museum modelers. Very instructional. John R. Rose's model of the SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was awe-inspiring for the sheer amount of gilt-encrusted fittings covering seemingly every square inch of it. Monumental. Greg McKay's (a great-great-grandson of the clipper builder Donald McKay) diorama of the clipper LIGHTNING slicing through heavy swells with a full deck load of passengers in period costume was full of animation and life. Steve Rogers' (author of four books on building wooden boats) menhaden fishing boat HELEN ELIPHANE was more of an artistic interpretation than an exacting scale model, but wonderful to behold lying in the muck, quietly rotting away, covered with rust, decaying and broken timbers, and guano. High marks for artistry. William J. Oakley's World War I SMS EMDEN was large, colorful, and well-detailed. This won the novice award, but the builder is certainly no novice. Donald Preul's 1/192 scale model of the light cruiser USS ST. LOUIS was a marvel to me: the radar grid was jewel-like and he had two detailed Curtiss SBC Seagull floatplanes mounted on the intricate catapults. The hangar bay in the stern was open, the hatch being slid forward, to reveal a detailed hangar bay with yet another SBC within with folded wings. This model won a gold medal and the Newport News Shipbuilding award. Jean Eckert's gold medal winning British merchant ketch NONSUCH was another detailed, well finished, astonishing model and was complete with believable sails, some of which were furled, some were drying, some were sheeted home. Richard W. Sullivan's diorama of the EDMUND FITZGERALD was breath-taking. He was the official artist on the discovery/exploration mission and his model reflects this role. The ship is depicted lying on the bottom, stern section inverted, bow section upright, and the detail of the trail of wreckage and structure has to be seen to be believed. This won a silver medal and the Steamship Historical Society of America award. Gregory A. Herbert had a model of the Colonial Schooner HANNAH, scratch-built from Harold Hahn's plans, it would appear, which was extremely crisp and well done, a visual delight using a number of colorful but understated woods. NRG Secretary Buddy McLaughlin had a model of an American utility skiff, built from a Midwest kit, I believe, that sat suspended above a mirrored base with nets, crabbing gear, and lines with bait. There were even two hand-carved crabs nibbling on the bait which appear to have taken more time to carve than the skiff did to build. Humorous yet very nicely done. Harry Ohanian's 1/700 model of the Japanese battleship YAMATO was another jewel-like model, knifing through a gesso sea, replete with .001" aerials and rigging. A gigantic effort on a microscopic scale. Awe inspiring. Harry, are you blind yet? James S. Wiser's frigate HANCOCK was also majestically sailing on a starboard reach, heeled over and complete with crew working the lines. A wonderful model. Rob Wadleigh's gold medal winning yawl NOETA (no estimated time of arrival) was astonishing with its many miniature brass fittings including working turnbuckles less than an inch long. Beautifully finished, this model turned a lot of heads. John M. Bobbit's Chesapeake Bay oyster dredger METUNGA has been featured in Seaways' Ships in Scale magazine recently, but to see the real thing sitting there with sun-bleached paint, weathering lightly done with rust, smudged deck, and salt stains, is to view greatness. It authentically captures the essence of a working waterman. David Antscherl's British ship of the line HMS POLYPHEMUS was gigantic in both size (about four feet long) and in quality. A crisp, sharp, and wonderfully detailed admiralty model, it won the NRG's Howard I. Chappelle award. N. Roger Cole's British naval cutter HMS ALERT, with its machine-like, computer-controlled-appearing, but yet hand-done, lapstrake planking was another wonderful model exquisite in its detail. In the miniature field Peter C. Baker had several models, including a harbor service anchor hoy. his models are so tiny and petite, about an inch long, with rigging in scale, that one wonders how small a model can be made by the human hand. Timothy Riggs also had a miniature, an American colonial armed sloop which rivaled the others for accuracy, crispness, attention to detail, and tiny rigging. The planking must be made from thin shavings. And yes, there are trunnels in there. (!!) Gus Augustin, familiar to readers of Seaways' Ships in Scale magazine, had his British royal yacht ROYAL CAROLINE on display with launching flags flying. To see this tiny model, all of six inches long, I'd guess, sliding down the ways with its huge flags and royal standards waving in the breeze, is to marvel at the precision some builders are able to achieve. So, there it is, just a short report, and if I've left out anyone's model please be assured that there is no slight intended. ALL of the models there were marvelous to look at. I felt privileged to be able to study and photograph ALL of them. Bob Steinbrunn Minneapolis Member, Nautical Research Guild Louisiana Naval War Memorial - USS Kidd, DD 661 << -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: Erwin Van Deynze Subject: Re: FLOWER CLASS CORVETTES >> When Revell reintroduced the "Matchbox" Flower kit someone posted a note on this list regarding a detailing kit that was being produced for it. Could anyone enlighten me as to whether the detailing kit was in fact produced and if so by whom and where it is available? << David Parkins of Flightpath-fame is doing some sets for her. They are some years in the pipeline, but the first are to be released august or september. At least that's what he answered me when I mailed him for them... You can find David's site on : http://www.djparkins.clara.net/djpmasterframe.htm just follow the Great Little Ships link from there on ! Seems he is also planning a short forecastle-version ! Erwin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: DILIANE@aol.com Subject: Re: Safe-Mounting Bottled Paints Hi. Thought I would add a suggestion on not spilling paints and keeping small parts where they belong. I found a tray in the local housewares section of one our dollar stores. It is a bit like a silver ware tray. It has one long tray, two short ones, and a row of 6 small compartments on the edge. I keep the small parts seperated, and paint bottles sit in the small compartments. See, it pays to go shopping with the wife sometimes! Actually I bought two, in case one was ruined for some reason. And it keeps those nasty xacto knives from rolling off the table to sensitive areas! As to whats building, I am finally working on the WEM Warspite. Not used to resin, so I had to build up my courage. I also started on the Detroit. This is a nice looking kit, for what is there. Just have to take my time. Hope the suggestion helps. Jim Campbell Chippewa Falls, WI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: "Edward Brown" Subject: Scimitar Class - fast patrol craft Two out of the this boat class may still exist. The boats were named Scimitar Cutlass & Sabre. I believe that two of these boats were used as a pontoon in Southampton Water - just off Husbands Ship Yard. However, they disappeared during the course of this winter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: ironship@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: Re: Resins Hi Bradford, >> Wouldn't the use of a lower viscosity resin solve this as bubbles would rise more rapidly?? << Well, I'll go with the answer, "it depends". Here's why. I've used both a higher viscosity and a lower viscosity resin in the same mold, and the air trapped in the same place each time. Now, there wasn't as much trapped with the thinner resin, but still it trapped air. The big trick to eliminating large air pockets is to design the parts, the mold, and the gating for the exhaust of the air to minimize the air traps. This is difficult, since the parts sometimes gate through other parts, or through other sections of the same part. Now, this is with a two piece mold. Some have suggested that we go to a one piece mold to eliminate voids and air pockets. That sounds good up front, but the same vagarities also exist with that type of mold. I've thrown out many parts that trapped air in some way in a one piece mold. Also, Ted and I have made the decision to put out parts that have details on all sides, and thus we use a lot of two piece molding. We've decided to do this to assist the modeler so that he doesn't have to put two deck pieces together to make one, or do the detail work himself. We've accepted that this will cause us to have to replace parts, and we do it gladly. >> Also is there any way to premix in a closed container to lessen the amount of air that gets into the mix?? << Conceptually I can think of a way to do it, but I don't think that the resin we use has a long enough gel time delay to allow us to do it. Also, there's the factor of surface tension which causes air to trap in a rubber mold, and even de-gassed resin won't solve this. For right now, gating the molds properly is really the only way of getting this problem solved, and I always miss one or two of them. However, I'm sure there's someone out there somewhere figuring out a way to make all of this discussion irrelevant. Jon Warneke Commander Series Models, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: "Matt Pawley" Subject: salvage and tugboats A few weeks ago there was a posting with reference to the savlage tug 'SMITS ROTTERDAM; from Heller. I am looking for the manufacturer's model number and or any information about how to obtain this model. Failing that does anyone know of other salvage boats or tugs? Thanks for your attention. Bob Pawley Port Elgin, ONT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: Mike Connelley Subject: Bay Area Modeling Howdy: The Silicon Valley area has two good hobbyshops. One is D&J Hobby down in Cambell and the other is San Antonio Hobby in Mountain View. It's in the shopping plaza at the intersection of El Camino and San Antonio Rd. That's the one I went to the most, they say it's the biggest hobbyshop in the country, so naturally they have a lot of stuff. But, they're pretty slim on ship stuff for a place their size and have no, absolutely nothing, of photoetch for ships. D&J Hobby is really good too, seem to have friendlier people there, and are still a big hobbyshop. For other things to do, there's the SF Maritime Museum (never been there) and the USS Hornet (been there) which is docked at the now defunct Alameda Naval Station. It believe it's CV-12, but it's at the same place that the original Hornet (CV-7?) took aboard the Doolittle B-25s. It's pretty neat....they have an F-8, an A-4, and an Avenger for restoration on the Hangar deck. I didn't see any models aboard, but they're still getting things together. Cheers Mike Connelley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: Paul Jacobs Subject: Re: San Jose area Hobby shops Two excellent hobby shops in this area are D&J Hobbies located in Campbell at San Tomas Aquino Road and Campbell Ave, and San Antonio Hobby in the San Antonio Shopping Center in Mountain View at San Antonio Road and El Camino Real. Both are easily accessible from Los Gatos. Paul Jacobs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: isublett@home.com Subject: Mikasa "C" sprue Am I the only one who would be interested in seeing Seals Models release the "C" sprue in Mikasa as a separate detail set? I think it would be useful for a lot of ships (not just Japanese) built between about 1890 and 1914. The artillery especially should have a pretty wide application since it appears to be composed of Armstrong and Krupps - pattern quickfirers. I've already re-done one of my Modelkrak pieces with spares from the Mikasa, and it is much improved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: Derek Wakefield Subject: Re: Sea Blue Blues... Okay...so 5-S C is the "official" 5-S (per Munsell)...right? I would've thought it would've been A (with B & C being the variants). Maybe I just think too logically. >> The waters muddied up enough for you? << It's not as much the mud, but all those Baby Ruth bars I see floating around. I've decided to hold off on any '41 projects until I start seeing blue water again. If you could post the URL with the new information (when you post it on the site), I for one would appreciated. Go Navy! _|_o_|_ Derek "Tiger" (/\)akefield /---(.](o)[.)---\ iscandar@chatter.com o oo O oo o http://www.iscandar-66.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: WVeigele@aol.com Subject: Re: Modeling vessels from fiction Ned Barnett, For another interesting WWII vessel that served in the littorals and the open ocean see the book "The Eye of the Storm." It is about a PC Patrol Craft in the South China Sea after WWII. A good nonfiction book to use that has photos, drawings, and engineering details is "PC Patrol Craft of WWII. See www.astralpublishing.com and the review by the Warship wevbsite. Bill Veigele -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) From: Michael Eisenstadt Subject: Flower Class Fittings Folks: Regarding the query about detail sets for the Revell 1/72 Flower; in the current issue of Model Graphix (Japan) they have some small photos in the "what's new" section of detail items for this kit from Sirmar. They look to be either in white metal or resin or both: main and secondary guns, depth charge K guns, bridge items (pelorus, binnacle, etc.), and liferafts, IIRC, as well as some other goodies. No info as to where these may be obtained, however (at least not in English!). Hope this helps, and good luck! Mike Eisenstadt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31) From: Michael Eisenstadt Subject: Toxicity of Resin? Folks: We've had this go-around about the toxicity (or dangers) of resin fumes/dust several times, with no clear resolution. Some have said resin is not toxic at all (or at least not a carcinogen); others have said that the fumes that it vents are dangerous, and therefore if resin dust lodges in one's lungs, over a period of time, the fumes that it continues to vent will take some kind of toll; and finally, some have said that the dust is simply an irritant that, like any other kind of dust, can cause respiratory problems (I've heard of guys who have worked in workshops for decades without respiratory protection who have gotten respiratory problems from inhaling, over a period of years, something as innocuous as sawdust; resin can't be better). But is there anyone out there who knows the truth of the matter? Or who knows someone who might? I think this is an imporant issue to resolve, not because it will lead any of us to abandon resin kits if we find out that resin can pose risks (so can filler putty and paint, but that doesn't stop most of us from using these things), but it will enable us to take proper precautions. Hoping to get at the truth. And happy (carefree) modeling! Yours truly, Michael Eisenstadt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: Cage Masts I love cage masts! The following might be useful in making a model of one: Great reference photos of cage masts can be found in Stillwell's history of the USS Arizona, which is a truly outstanding book, and still in print. Go to the library and look in the arts and crafts section for a book on making string sculptures. This was a fad craft from the early 70's and if your library is outdated as mine, they will still have some books on this. Basically they consist of string threaded over forms. If you do the same procedure by threading wire over disks, you should get your cage. You'll have to be diligent about marking off the disks in precise degrees. If you can think of a cage mast as a reeaaaally elongated wire spoked wheels, there are also some articles by model car guys who make their own spoked wheels that would be helpful. FineScale modeler had an article on this a few years ago. Also Gerald Wingrove wrote two books on making classic model cars, "The Complete Car Modeler 1 & 2 " in which he treats spoked tires. (Highly recommended to ship modelers as reference books on miniature metal work) Seen in profile, the sides of cage masts often curve in a gentle sweep. I've not tried this, but I think if you gave the finished assembly a gentle twist, it would create that curve. Incidentally, physicists call this a "toroid" and that is the only shred of knowledge I retained from high school physics... only because I thought it might come in handy for a cage mast someday. Dave -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33) From: DSand47702@aol.com Subject: Anchors Aweigh Embarrassed to admit it, but have lost the words to Anchors Aweigh - needed for an Independence Day observance. Can anyone help? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34) From: "Alan Roots" Subject: Nexus plans Sorry folks I got the Nexus URL wrong it should be: http://www.nexusonline.com/nexusdirect.html My only excuse is old age,advanced decrepitdude,athritic hands failing eyesight and a key board with the keys in the wrong place. The Traplet URL still isnt responding so that isn't my fault (I Hope) Regards Alan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35) From: Rick Heinbaugh Subject: RIMPAC Exercise Elements of US Navy, along with units from Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Chilea & the United Kingdom, are participating in the annual RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) Exercise. The US CINCPACFLT website at: http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac2000/index.htm has a bunch of images that includes some good ship portraits, mixed in with a zillion hometown-news type photos. It includes flightdeck detail shots, as well as some depressing SINKEX photos, showing the final moments of some old friends. I enjoyed reading how many weapons were used in trying to sink BUCHANAN, a CHARLES F ADAMS class DDG. There are some marginal photos of the JMSDF participants, and nearly useless shots of the South Korean ships. The index page also has links back to each government's own navy website. Anybody need a shot of KONGO or OHSUMI? The JMSDF site has a few photos of these, among others. This site is good research for the modeler of modern ships. Rick -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36) From: Jeffon10@cs.com Subject: Re: LCS(L) models For Luke Andeson re LCS(L) models LCS(L) was 157 feet long. So, in 1/350th, it'd be a little over 5 inches long. Non-modelers, have little concept of what professional modelers charge for their services or what they charge for large kits. (I'm not a professional modeler by any standards; nor, do I manufacture kits.) I knew a guy once who said he'd pay ANY PRICE for a kit of USS BARFBAG. I found a resin kit for about $300 and his response was "WHAT! DO YOU THINK I'M MADE OUT OF MONEY!" Mike's Models, on the net at""mikesshipmodels.com" offers an RC LCS(L) of about 40 inches in length for $1,500. (Not sure if it's a kit or built up.) That's not bad. In my experience, a mediocre "professionaly built "model runs at least $1,000 a foot. A few years ago, I built a 1/192nd scale model for a friend of mine who served on LCS(L) 14 (about 10 inches long) as a gift. Jeff F. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37) From: Derek Wakefield Subject: Starter Kit Can anyone recommend a good starter cruiser kit... A) Small enough to fit in a 1:24 car display case (probably 1:700) B) Can be built out of the box with a minimum of mods C) Requires only basic tools D) Can be hand/brush painted E) Doable on a supremely restricted budget (which rules out resin). I'm bored, I'm broke, and I have no space (my workbench is a folding dinner tray, okay), but I'd kinda like to build something before winter sets in again. Go Navy! _|_o_|_ Derek "Tiger" (/\)akefield /---(.](o)[.)---\ iscandar@chatter.com o oo O oo o http://www.iscandar-66.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMMLcon Infomation & posts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Jeff Herne" Subject: CT/NY/NJ/PA SMML get together? Hi gang, I've noticed a growing number of posts from members in and around the NYC area... Anyone care to have a Saturday get together? I hereby donate the use of my museum in Teterboro, NJ, just outside NYC. This makes it 2.5 hours from Philly, 1.5 from Danbury, CT, and anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours from NYC/Long Island. Of course, if you're from NJ, we're within driving distance (1 or 3 wood) of Giant's Stadium... Just curious...contact me off list, we'll see what we can put together... Jeff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: FSM Back Issues The shop I ran for 30 years has moved south to Florida where my son and his wife are running it. I am left with some "leftovers". From time to time I see where a list menber is looking for an old issue of Fine Scale Modeler. I have a stack! I even have many that FSM is sold out on. We sold FSM and never returned old issues. Here's the deal. I have FSM's, all never been out of the shop, from 1985 through 1995. Some I only have one or two and some I have a dozen or so. Cover prices go from about $3.50 to $4.50. For list members, if you let me know what you need I will see if I have them, and make it an even $2.00 per issue plus actual shipping. Cheers, Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Keith Butterley Subject: Warhip Books announcement Hi group, I would like to announce that I am now carrying the AJ Press and BS Publishing excellent series of books. AJ Press Monografie Morskie Books Deutchland/Lutzow - $20Cdn/$14US Admiral Graf Spee/Admiral Scheer - $20Cdn/$14US Deutchland/Lutzow, Admiral Graf Spee, Admiral Scheer - $20Cdn/$14US Ubootwaffe, Part 1 - $19Cdn/$13US Ubootwaffe, Part 3 - $20Cdn/$13US Ubootwaffe, Part 4 - $21Cdn/$14US Nelson & Rodney - $22Cdn/$15US BS Publishing Profile Morskie Books HMS Ajax - $15Cdn/$10US HMS York - $15Cdn/$10US HMS Repulse - $15Cdn/$10US Karlsruhe - $15Cdn/$10US Raimondo Montecuccoli - $15Cdn/$10US HMS Belfast - $15Cdn/$10US Fuso - $15Cdn/$10USUSS Indiannapoli - $16/Cdn/$11US Maya - $16Cdn/$11US Yubari - $22Cdn/$15US Tama - $22Cdn/$15US USS Porter - $24Cdn/$16US Yukikaze - $24Cdn/$16US HMS Royal Oak - $24Cdn/$16US As always the evil shipping rate is also involved here, I always send via airmail, $5Cdn/7US, but for those of you who wish to save a couple of $$$, contact me and I will give you a surface rate quote. Thanks Keith Butterley http://www3.telus.net/warshipbooks/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume