Subject: SMML VOL 977 Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 23:31:22 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Spru vice nylon line 2: Re: Reheat Punch and Die set 3: KM Scharnhorst 4: Re: Emabrassing ship names 5: Re: Möwe Class Torpedoboote 6: Re: Long Service/Good Conduct 7: Re: Chicksands Incident... 8: Re: Forrestal colors 9: Re: Vet thread 10: American humor & a Brit question 11: Musashi/Takao 12: Re: Service thread 13: Vets 14: Re: Embarassing ship names 15: The bitter end 16: Awning staunchions & HMS Nelson 17: Re: Vets 18: Vet Thread 19: Re: Embarassing Ship Names 20: 1/144 Nimitz or Tarawa Carrier 21: USS Pensylvania camouflage 22: Re: SMML VOL 1000 23: Vet thread 24: Re: Vet Thread 25: Victor Baca and Women in ship modeling 26: Large scale models of JFK 27: Best material for superstructures 28: Hobby Room? 29: Intresting events at bases ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Liberty Ship Book / USS Cabot 2: IPMS(USA) Nats -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: SJantscher@aol.com Subject: Spru vice nylon line Rick, I use stretched spru only when I need a tubular piece of plastic less than the diameter of a spru and greater than a fine filament. Usually to detail something or another. I use invisible thread exclusively now when I want to represent aircraft antennas or the rigging often found on modern ships (vice sailing ships). However, I use a two step process to "prep" the invisible thread (I also use Dai-Riki fishing line). First I wind out a bit more of the thread than I'll need, and attach a clothes pin at the end, and hang the thread down from a shelf. Then I borrow the wife's hair dryer/blower, and heat the thread up some (not much is needed). This takes the curl out of the thread. Then I place the thread under a black permanent magic marker, and pull the thread out from under the marker. Do that a couple of times and you've got very very thin black line. Attach with super glu, and if it sags some, it wil still respond to a little heat and taught-up. I suppose you could combine some basic colors to get brown, or for that matter use a silver marker to get a real "metal" appearance. This marker method is much better than painting, as the coloring is basically super thin, and not something that can "glump" like paint. Good luck Steve Jantscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: SJantscher@aol.com Subject: Re: Reheat Punch and Die set Devin, I've had one of the Waldron sets for a number of years now, and it's great! My best friend picked up the Reheat set a few years ago (one of two I believe they offered), and he now wished he got a Waldron set. The one neat thing about the Reheat set was that it had many different shapes, not just circles, but the problem was that it wasn't as "tight" as the Waldron site. Now for the bad news, I'm not sure it's available anymore. I hope someone else will be able to locate one for you if you still want one. Good luck Steve Jantscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "bearkat_ind" Subject: KM Scharnhorst After doing an ancestrial search for relatives prior to WWI Germany, came across a gentleman in Hamburg that indicated he was in the 1930's naval ship yards building the S class battleships, i.e. Scharnhorst and Gneseanu. What was confirmed to me was the decks were teac and the stores carried sufficient wood to reflit the deck structure at least once while at sea. That is one hell of a lot of fine teac. Therefore have painted the decks a very light (teac) to match some of our scandanavian den furniture. Did this with model masters tan and added grey and white to lighten it up a bit till I had a color match. Hope this helps someone else who is doing DM's. Both ships were air brushed. Have also found the Scharnhorst and Gneseanu are early versions of these ships as supplied by Heller and require significant scratch building to get them to the last configuration prior to sinking. The mods included the 15" guns on the Gneseanu, the Atlantic bow mods for both ships, relocation of the anchors, addition of the third main mast on the Scharnhorst, relocation of the spotlights and pods on the funnel, ventilation ductwork at the funnel, and the list goes on. Building these from photo's taken at the shipyard and from various books on the KM's. Want to get it correct. Have also found that the photo-etch kits as supplied by Gold Medal, and Tom's are first rate once you get accustomed to working with something that is extremely fragile until placed on the ship. It has sustained the activity of our 30 pound Siamese cat without damage, fortunately for the cat. His name is Kato just as in the Peter Sellers movies and is aptly named. Now started the rigging, using the suggestion from a previous source here at SMML and using black panty hose to make the lines, using three strands, yes I took them off my wife's leg first before I cut and twisted the fine strands into a rope. Could not resist that Shane......... Jack -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Shirley Sachsen Subject: Re: Emabrassing ship names >> After regarding the post yesterday about the HMS Beaver, I wonder if the powers that be give any consideration to the crew who will be serving on these vessels. I know you just can't disallow a name because it could be embarrassing to the crew (USS Cowpens for example), but geeeez, I hope they at least consider that when naming ships. << obviously not when naming the USS Moosebrugger... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: SteveWiper@aol.com Subject: Re: Möwe Class Torpedoboote For drawings on this class of ships and other German ships go to www.vth.com I hope you can read German. You will actually have to pay for these plans, as they do not come in any magazine for free, they are too good. An American with no sense of humor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: MIKE.LEONARD@customs.treas.gov Subject: Re: Long Service/Good Conduct According to the clock, have spent 19 years, 8 months, 13 days, and 47 minutes in the USNR. But who's counting??? Mike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Christopher Hughes" Subject: Re: Chicksands Incident... Well, at the risk of turning Chicksands into another Area 51... I haven't a clue what you're referring to. Twenty years ago, I was ...well, not at Chicksands. The British MOD has only been in residence since the USAF pulled out in 1995, so any stories preceding our tenancy will, no doubt, be just local folklore by now. Perhaps you could enlighten us - if Shane agrees, you could do so here, other wise "off list". For those who don't know Chicksands by reputation, during the Cold War, it was occupied by the USAF as a listening post (SIGINT station) with a HUGE "Elephant Cage" antenna. The local tabloids still report strange blue flashing lights, little green men and odd goings-on at the base - even though we had an Open Day last Saturday! We keep a file of newspaper cuttings of the whacky stuff, just for a laugh! Failure to comply with my "request" will result in a visit from the Men in Black -you've been warned! ;0) Chris PS Shane in chains and Mistress Lorna in attendance - Phew!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "wblad" Subject: Re: Forrestal colors When fresh from the shipyard the entire flight deck is a uniform dark gray non-skid color, but the landing area receives much more wear and tear than the rest of the deck and the crew periodically renews it with fresh non-skid while the rest of the deck, which is too vast to redo during deployments, weathers out to a lighter gray. If you're modelling her showroom new use dark gray on the flight deck overall, but if you want to weather her you can make the landing area a darker gray. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: Vet thread >> I spent a lot of time with the Defense Communications Agency and was aboard a boomer once at Faslane, Scotland (Holy Loch) for a couple days to work on a crypto equipment problem. Got a lot of quizzical looks from the sailors, who were undoubtedly wondering what an Army NCO was doing on their boat.... << Heh, heh, heh. Talk about a "fish" out of water. I'm sure they just figured you were lost, Al. :-þ That reminds me of the time that I was sent TDY to Fort Eustis, Va., with two other swabbie types, to go to the Army's welding school for SIX WEEKS! For those not acquainted with the Army, you march everywhere you go. The Company Commander delighted in putting us sailors out as road guards when we crossed the streets and highways. It definitely got a lot of big-eyed stares to see three blue uniforms among a field of green. And, of course, we would just grin like the cat that got the canary. We were such a curiosity that the post commanding officer, a full bird Colonel, even visited the company during muster one morning just to see us. He even apologised to me for laughing when he saw me standing at attention with the rest of the company. Beards were allowed in the Navy, but not the Army, and he told me I looked so out-of-place in the rest of the company with my blue uniform and a beard. (I shaved the beard off a couple of days later in order to be less conspicious). He must have felt a bit bad about it, because for the rest of the week, he sent his personal driver over to chauffer us three sailors back and forth the mile or so to class. Either that or he was trying to keep us from public view! (Just thought I'd beat you to it, Shane). The Colonel even paid me a personal visit at the barracks a couple of weeks later to see if we were doing well. All in all, during our six weeks at the Army Post, we were treated very well, obviously much better than the average GI. And most importantly for a sailor, the WACs loved us. :-) Mike Settle I am not agent #1908 of the non-existent Lumber Cartel (tinlc)tm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "David Miller" Subject: American humor & a Brit question Americans can certainly lay undisputed claim to the best sense of humor for the last 7 1/2 years. We have PROOF! I give submit to you our "first" family. I hope this objective, factual account will put to rest this silly sense of humor debate. We own that title for now. Question to my almost as funny Great Britian friends. What was done, if anything, to protect the HMS Victory during WWII? Dave Miller Palm Bay. FL Note from Shane: Other posts about the First Family & jokes left out - as one is enough ;-). Sorry guys. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "chisum" Subject: Musashi/Takao Does anyone know of any deep dives on the Musashi. I know of the expedition on the Yamato, but none on the Musashi and her condition. Also, Does anyone have a source for information pertaining to the Takao or Myoko at the end of the war? I have seen pictures of the Myoko after the surrender, while in British hands, but there has to be more info on them before they were scuttled. Randy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "wblad" Subject: Re: Service thread Kevin Your son made the right choice, career-wise. Today's navy uses the surface force as a dumping ground for officers it considers unfit for anything else. It's a thru-ticket to civilian life. It should'nt be that way, but it is. Aviation the best path to advancement and a long career. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Alan Roots" Subject: Vets I hadn't thought of myself as a veteran before this thread but thinking on it of course I am, I realise that before I joined SMMLies I rarely recollected or remembered much of my service days other than a blurred memory of hard graft, long hours of study and training, bloody good times and even better mates and colleagues, I should recall and be proud of, if that isn't being too conceited, my those long ago happy days. My Record: Joined RN June 1955 Six weeks basic training HMS Collingwood August 1955 HMS Daedilus Electrical Training School (Air) Worthy Down. (Got to work on a Firefly what a beast) June 1956 RNAS Ford Station Maintenance (Now an open prison) Avengers, Seahawks, Vampires, Sea Venoms, Wyverns, even a Dominie or DH Rapide real canvas and glue this one. September 1958 RNAS Eglinton (Just outside Londonderry. Right beside Loch Foyle great fishing!) special duties. June 1959 RNAS Portland Helicopter base, instrument servicing and maintenance. January 1960 RNAS Yeovilton 890 Squadron Sea Vixens Mk June 1960 Embarked HMS Hermes Six month work-up in home waters and the MEd, took part in Operation Broadsword a major NATO exercise complete with Russian trawlers. Far east tour of duty calling at all the usual ports - Gibraltar, Malta, Sicily, Aden, Port Said, Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was then, Honk Kong,Singapore, Cubic Bay and then back the same way. July 1961 discharge from HMS Hermes due to ill health September 1961 RNAS Lossiemouth Aircraft Holding Unit. Working on Mk 1 Buccaneers on major moods, also Scimitars, Hunters Swordfish, yes one of the flight from Yeovilton Navy Museum. Starting these is another story. Various helicopters, and a Corsair F4U left behind after lend lease and used as the station hack until it was given to the Navy Museum. Discharged due ill health June 1964 after gaining an external degree BA Maths (Hon) a lot of good that did me I still had to go. There were bad times but what the hell who remembers those! I wouldn't change any of my time in the mob. I feel I should explain the ill health bit. During our time at Worthy Down we were posted to HMS Bulwark to get the feel of a real ship for two weeks. This ship was undergoing a major refit alongside at Pompey so some sea time! I was ordered to paint the deck of a machine space below decks, while so employed some clown closed and clipped the door shut as the space was not used at sea the door had clips on the outside only. I was trapped in there for 24 Hrs before anyone realised where I was. I wasn't the same when I came out. I was eighteen at the time I'm sixty three now and I am still terrified of enclosed spaces and wake up sweating with fright at night. You can imaging how I feel about submarines!!! Still I managed to go on and gain Masters degree in electrical engineering so the Navy missed out there. I have started a site at http://www.witchcraft99.fsnet.co.uk The old lady is there Hermes that is as a youngster show her petticoats. If anyone is interested still some work to when time permits. Regards Alan Roots -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: Mike Settle Subject: Re: Embarassing ship names >> After regarding the post yesterday about the HMS Beaver, I wonder if the powers that be give any consideration to the crew who will be serving on these vessels. I know you just can't disallow a name because it could be embarrassing to the crew (USS Cowpens for example), but geeeez, I hope they at least consider that when naming ships. << Rusty, you have to remember that Great Britain and the United States are two countries separated by a common language. The word "beaver" may not have the same meaning as a slang term in the rest of the English speaking world as it does here in the US. In order to explain this to the Aussies (And Shane doesn't think Yanks have a sense of humOR, got ya Shane) in the US, the word "beaver" is sometimes used to refer to a particular part of the female anatomy. That was one of the nice things about serving on board the U.S.S. Manley, DD-940. We didn't have to take anything from anybody. :-) As for the Cowpens, I'll bet that those aboard pronounced it COWP-INZ, and not COW-PENS. Mike Settle I am not agent #1908 of the non-existent Lumber Cartel (tinlc)tm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: The bitter end I was looking through one of my Anatomy of the Ship books and noticed an interesting note on one of the drawings. On page 68 of the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid book, I noticed that where the very beginning (or end) of the anchor chain is attached to the ship was noted as "the bitter end of anchor chain." Does anyone know if this is where the saying "sticking to it to the bitter end" comes from? Just curious. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "JOHN CURRIE" Subject: Awning staunchions & HMS Nelson Hi all, Well i hope the slanging match is complete now, game set and match to the listmaster. The long poles, definitely Awning Stanchions, they continued to be used throughout WW2 threat dependant, and are still in use in the RN today(same stanchions) and if we can get out of rigging the Awning we do, we never do though it is always rigged for the first night cocktail party. A request please, can anyone help please, i am modeling the RODNEY and NELSON as in May 42, i cannot find any clear photo's of NELSON's X Turret after her Oct 41 Mar 42 refit, all the books i have been through have the photo's too small or they are too dark, i need to know how many 20mm were mounted on this gun whether they were in zarebas or not, from the photo's i have seen it looks like ther are in some kind of zarebas on there, and possibly the protective shield from the UP launchers that were removed during the refit. the plans that came with monografie morskie no14 show 14 20mm when all other info says 13, it also shows 3 20mm on X Turret but not in zarebas and no sign of the protective shield, can anyone help. VMT John -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: "Stuart Batchelor" Subject: Re: Vets On the Veterans thread; Enlisted 1980 in the US Army, served 2 years active duty as a Military Police Dog Handeler (HHD Miesau Army Depot FRG). Enlisted 1982 in the OKlahoma Army National Guard (745 MP Co. [Gd.]) and got 3 trips to Panama (1 prior & 2 after the demise of Sr. Noriega), also got to take a sun and sand filled trip to the Persian Gulf in early 1991. Honourably discharged in 1992 as a Staff Sergeant. Stuart Batchelor Norman, OK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: DYSLEXIAUK@aol.com Subject: Vet Thread My service career is fairly similar to John Lambert`s. Started off as cadet then joined Royal Naval Reserve (Clyde Div). Joined Royal Navy as Radio Operator in 1959 at HMS Mercury. Ships - Jutland (1960), Brocklesby(1962), Ulster(1962), Iveston(1965), Wotton(1966), Bulwark (1968), Gurkha (1975). Loan drafts - Aeneas, Finwhale, St Margarets, St Giles, Centaur, Leopard, RAF Seagull, RAF Sea Otter and RAF Seal. Shore sides - Gibraltar (1963), Lossiemouth (1964), Capic Clyde (1964), Neptune (1970), RAF Pitreavie (1971). Terror (1972)(Under Aussie control as Woodlands Garrison), Royal Naval Reserve (Clyde) (1974), Northwood (CincEastlant) (CinC was Sir Henry Leach - son of Captain Leach of the Prince of Wales) (1979), Palatine (RNR Communications) Preston (1981). Was attached to Royal Naval Reserve ships Clyde (Repton) and Mersey (Brereton). Left RN in 1983 as Chief Petty Officer and joined Police - served on beat for about 8 years, rest as Detective, left in Jan 2000. Don`t agree with sentiment that to build model ships is better than serving on them -- I loved being on ships and really miss them. 2. At the moment my modelling projects are mainly in 1/1200 scale -- I`m building all RN major surface ships of WW2 and samples of destroyer and escort classes. Also I`ve started building the Jutland fleet in 1/1200. Hope to finish it before 2016. (God Willing). Whilst serving on HMS Jutland I came under HMS Victory for administration purposes --so... at least I can say I have something in common with Nelson. Served with USN and RAN personnel on numerous occassions and loved working with them. 73s and Best Regards to all and BZ to our Web master for a great site. John Ewan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: ECammeron@aol.com Subject: Re: Embarassing Ship Names Actually Rusty, I don't think the crew of USS COWPENS (CVL-25) were at all embarassed about the name of their ship. They called her 'The Mighty Moo' and they seemed pretty proud of her record. Eugene -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: "Timothy J. Barron" Subject: 1/144 Nimitz or Tarawa Carrier After much consideration, I am about ready to build either a 1/144 scale Nimitz-class (CVN) carrier or Tarawa-class (LHA) carrier. While I am up to scratchbuilding the carrier, my decision factor will be to find 1/144 kits (plastic or resin) for the airwing. I intend in buying the airwing immediately so they are "on hand." Does any know of 1/144 kits of S-3 Vikings, SH-60B Seahawks, or AH-1 Cobras? Here is what I have found out: CVN Air-Wing * F-14 (Plastic - DML, Revell, etc.) * F-18 (Plastic - DML, Revell, etc.) * EA-6B (Plastic - DML) * E-2C (Resin - Starr Minatures) * S-3 (I can't find any 1/144 kits) * SH-60B (I can't find any 1/144 kits) LHA Air-Wing * AV-8 (Plastic - DML, etc.) * CH-53 (Plastic - Revell Germany) * CH-47 (Plastic - Revell Germany) * AH-1 (I can't find any 1/144 kits) Timothy J. Barron mailto:tjbarro@worldnet.att.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "Jean-Paul Binot" Subject: USS Pensylvania camouflage Network Blitz Hi gang, I found the following table on the US WWII Battleships & Battlecruisers site (http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/4289/index.html ). It lists camouflage schemes for USS Pennsylvania during WWII. ? - 1?/42 Measure 1 1?42 - 6?42 Measure 11? 6?42? - 44 Measure 21 44 Measure 31a/6B? 45 Measure 21 I was under the impression that USS Pennsylvania had been sporting MS 21 from early 42 (refit at Mare Island) till the end of the war. MS21 would translate into Navy Blue vertical surfaces. However, all the photos I have of USS Pennsylvania at the time of the first Mare Isand refit (Feb 42) show the ship in a medium dark color that is noticeably lighter than the unifirms worn by most sailors (who would be wearing dark blue uniforms at that time of the year, I guess). I would have expected Navy Blue to be dark enough not to appear so light against a sailor's clothes. Now, if indeed it was Ms 11, and not 21, that was USS Pennsylvania's vertical color, that would translate into Sea Blue. Would Sea Blue be lighter enough that it would explain the distinct contrast with the sailors outfit? And is the table above correct at all? Was USS Pennsylvania really painted MS11 in early 1942 (as USS Tennesse was, for example). And were her decks painted Deck Blue then? Anybody volunteering to try and make an educated guess? At least we have many photographs of the ship at that time, unlike Bismark's (possibly) yellow turret tops... Thanks for your opinion. Jean-Paul Binot -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: SMML VOL 1000 >> On reaching Volume 1000, to the sound of "The ride of the Valkyries", all existing volumes will go up in a puff of cyber smoke. We will then start afresh from issue 1. Thereby making room for more yellow turret, Flower, Yamato, judging, research threads. << I saved all my posts on copyright law :-) Regards, Bradford Chaucer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Douglas Bauer Subject: Vet thread Howdy! Even though we had a II-S deferment my buddy and I dropped out of college and enlisted in the Navy in 1966...went to boot at San Diego, and I was assigned to USS Merrick (AKA97) already in WestPac (1966-1967).....after a family emergency was assigned to USS Windham County (LST1170) out of Yokosuka...served aboard her from 1968 to 1970. As a BM3 I offered to extend my enlistment 18 months in exchange for a destroyer on a Med cruise...was turned down and served my last 6 months as LPO of LCM-8 Div. at Assault Craft Unit ONE in Coronado, CA....which all proves that "Once a 'Gator, always a 'Gator." Doug Bauer Poway, CA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Jhouse652@cs.com Subject: Re: Vet Thread Hi all. First time writing but decided to throw in my two cents. US Navy 1984-1996. Stationed onboard USS Moosebrugger DD980 1985-1990, NRD Raleigh 1990-1992, Sima Gitmo 1992-1995, and finally USS Arleigh Burke DDG51 1995-1996. Departed for civilian life as an Interior Communications Electrician 1st. If anyone requires deck pictures or information on the Spruance class destroyers deck pictures and a few of the A. Burke also. Well, thanks for a great news letter. John -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: BSteinIPMS@aol.com Subject: Victor Baca and Women in ship modeling Victor Baca is taking an interesting approach in his recently debuted but excellent magazine, Model Ship Journal, regarding a proposed article on women who build ship models. Victor, you might consider taking a trip to the east coast to The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, to see the ship models on exhibit in the "Scale Ship Model Competition and Exhibition 2000." There are several models there built by women and if my opinion is worth anything, I think they're excellent. One woman received a gold medal for her marvelous ship model: Jean Eckert and her British merchant ketch NONSUCH. A truly wonderful and inspiring model ship. Another woman, Diane K (forgive me, Diane, but I can't remember the spelling of your surname), built a model of a current U.S. Navy resupply ship on which her husband served as chaplain. While it didn't win any awards, this scratch-built model was extremely nice and well detailed. I seem to recall both she and the model were featured in a past issue of Model Ship Builder. I, for one, would be very interested in this type of article. What motivates a woman to become involved in what is primarily a male-dominated hobby? And why are they, generally speaking, so darned good at it? :-) Bob Steinbrunn Minneapolis Member, Nautical Research Guild Louisiana Naval War Memorial - USS Kidd, DD 661 Former U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot "Ghostrider 22" Bell UH-1C & UH-1H Pleiku, Vietnam, 1967-68 (Where, in the first seven months of combat, he saw 1/3 of his fellow pilots killed. Now he's an Airline Transport Pilot and takes the time to enjoy each and every new day. He's learned that life is so fragile and transitory that we all need to be nice to each other, especially in the Internet age, and that manners, courtesy, and politeness are as required now as ever they were, and he hopes these qualities never go out of style.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: Denis & Marilyn Campbell Subject: Large scale models of JFK John posted last night >> Current Project --- deciding whether to build the USS John F Kennedy in 1/72 or 1/96 scale. I'm having difficulty in locating aircraft in 1/96. I will probably start the project this month in 1/72. << John, I hope you realise how big that model will be - over 14ft. in 1/72 and over 10ft. in 1/96. There was an article in FSM a few years ago about a 1/72 model of Enterprise and it was over 15ft. - the guy had to build an addition to his house just to house it, if I remember correctly. And hope you never move! The variety of aircraft in 1/72 was great, though. The other thing to consider is the amazing amount of detail required in that scale. If you go with 1/72, you will probably have to scratch build everything - including the hundreds (thousands?) of deck tie-downs. You are taking on a life's work Denis Campbell Avon MA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: "Victor M. Baca" Subject: Best material for superstructures Styrene sheet works well for this application. It's relatively inexpensive and takes a finish very well. If laid out like a hull, deck camber is automatic and you end up with an accurate superstructure, no matter how complex the design is. The distance from the model's centerline to the deck edges will allow you to combine with the vertical measurements along any given superstructure "station' to draw accurate bulkheads wherever they are needed to form the piece. For scale R/C models, I use sheet balsa or thin ply (1/64" thick) over the superstructure bulkheads and fiberglass the whole thing inside and out using resin and cloth. NEVER resin alone, it's guaranteed to crack and allow water to get into the structure. Fiberglass won't warp and resists the heat of the sun and handling better than styrene in my experience. It's also a simple matter to cut window openings and have a hollow superstructure for internal detailing in areas like the bridge for instance. It's kind of neat to peer inside and see everything in its place. May your models gather no dust, Victor Baca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: Ned Barnett Subject: Hobby Room? I've got a question about hobby rooms, and thought I'd start a thread (which if nobody gives a damn could also end a thread ). My bride (a rare gem) has suggested that I get a trailer (like a construction shack) to house my hobby work. There's room on one side of the house (a paved area) for parking an RV or boat - but I don't suspect that you HAVE to park something that's truly mobile. My question is this - any ideas (I've never owned a trailer) on how to set this up - from anchoring it to electrifying it to putting in vent fans for spray-painting. Now, the thread ... My first hobby room was supposed to be a walk-in closet in the basement. It wasn't ventilated well, at a time when everybody used tube or Testors liquid glue - which could explain a lot ... My favorite hobby room was a room I built into my garage in South Carolina. It took up half the double garage, had an exhaust-fanned spray booth - and as a sop to my now-ex wife, it had a hanging closet for her out-of-season clothes (it was right next to where I painted ... she always smelled like spray paint solvent after that, which probably kept the relationship going for another five years ...). I did my best work there, and I even made a model of my workshop. Right now, my "hobby room" is one table in my otherwise terminally-cluttered business office (I work out of my home); plus a very small portable table that lets me do rough assembly and sanding while watching Sly/Arnold/Bruce movies-with-explosions. I have no where to spray paint (doing it in the house is incompatible with my wife's allergies, which caused us to move to the desert. So the trailer is an easy alternative to building another room into my garage ... (and besides, I want to make the garage into a decent-sized office). Any other interesting hobby rooms? Any ideas on how to set up a trailer to be a hobby room? Anybody care? Pining away for Dallas, stuck in Silicon Valley ... Ned -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: Colin Ritchie Subject: Intresting events at bases ... >> I understand that not too far from Chicksands there was an INTERESTING incident that took place about twenty years ago outside the gate of the nearby USAF base; Unknown or uncorrelated target? Can you talk about that?" << I don't know is this is the incident being referred to, but the story I heard concerned an SR-71 that appeared at the Greenham common airbase back in the mid '80's. at that time as most of you might remember the US has based cruise missiles at the base, and a bunch of woman had been picketing the base protesting. The SR-71 had been booked to appear, and had set a new transatlantic speed record getting there, (1 Hr 50 I seem to remember coast to coast). On the Friday night some of the "ladies" broke in and daubed the tail of the 71 in various graffiti and abuse, much to the upset of all concerned with the base. Over the wekend the paint was cleaned off, and the aircraft displayed . Come the day of departure , the 71's crew decided it was paybacktime, (the 71's pilot in the version of the story I read was an ex-thunderbirds leader). The 71 took off and circled the base, it did a low pass over the peace camp, and then climbed a few hundred feet. On the second pass the 71 went vertical, as only a 71 can, and the pilot did the old fuel venting, and torching trick over the peace camp . The effect on the camp isn't recorded, but it must have been eh, "interesting"...... Ok this has nothing to do with ship modelling, but I do love the story Vet - Never served, but have the greatest respect for those who did, Colin Ritchie Aberdeen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: GrafSpee34@aol.com Subject: Liberty Ship Book / USS Cabot Hi I am selling yet another book, the proceeds from which I will send to the effort to save the WWII aircraft carrier USS Cabot. Sawyer & Mitchell THE LIBERTY SHIPS subtitled The History of the "Emergency™ Type Cargo Ships Constructed in the United States During World War II 224 pages, hardcover, near mint condition. A nice book! http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=386209352 Also, the Buxton book, "Big Gun Monitors" closes this evening, profits to be sent to the USS Cabot. You can get to it by following the above link, and clicking on "view sellers other auctions". Thanks, I will get back soon on how much the Cabot will recieve as a result! Cheers Dave Krakow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Ed Grune Subject: IPMS(USA) Nats Hello all I spent the evening making the vendor and model rooms ready for the convention that opens today. I guess we're as ready as we ever will be. The vendor room is impressive! It is a very large room thta seems to go on & on. A couple of vendors has sneaked in and were setting up when I left at 10 pm. They were impressed with the space. A couple of cautionary words for those of you who are planning on coming. Another hotel in Dallas suffered a fire last weekend that shut it down. The Mary Kay cosmetic convention was partially in that hotel. They have spilled into the Regency - so the hotel is full. Pick up a hotel/motel outside of downtown and hop on the Light Rail for a trip to the door. Second, the hotel parking is VERY expensive. Plan on using the Reunion arena lot. Its $2.00 a day. Y'all come. See you there Ed Mansfield, TX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume