Subject: SMML VOL 1598 Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 00:40:39 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: I've got my Arizona 2: 1:700 Incline Ladders 3: Re: The difference between "Want" and "Need" 4: 1900 Ships 5: Wants, Needs, Philosophy 101 6: SSM and Sea Classics 7: Re: Book Idea- Panay 8: Re: Scratchbuilding software 9: USS Ward plans, armament 10: Mosquitocon 11: Aircraft Carrier info site 12: Re: Want Vs. Need & info on Prinz Eugen 13: Re: Wants & Needs 14: 'The difference between "WANT' &' NEED' 15: Re: Skytrex kits 16: Kriegsmarine fotos from private collections -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation 1: SMML site update -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: I've got my Arizona My 1/350 scale Arizona came today from Squadron! Several others have reported on the model already, so I won't repeat it here. I found that the model comes with a neat little gearbox and plastic motor mount. It looks like a great little unit for use in my RC projects. I'd be especially happy to take the gear boxes (and the mount, too) off anyone's hands who will be sealing these up into the model or just removing and tossing them....... Bill -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: RhinoBones@aol.com Subject: 1:700 Incline Ladders I'm working on a Kombrig kit (one of my few attempts in 700 scale) and I've come to the point where I'm installing some PE incline ladders. What I have been doing is cutting the length (leaving about two extra rungs as an attachment point), folding up the hand rails and then gluing in place. The extra rungs are glued to the upper deck that the ladder leads up, the ladder is then in a cantilevered position sticking straight out from the upper deck, i.e. parallel to the lower deck). After painting the ladder and the bulkhead behind the ladder, the ladder is then bent down into the final position. Seems to work for me, but I am certainly open to suggestion from everyone else. I can use all the suggestions I can get. It's just my opinion, but sawing or grinding off the molded inclined ladders and installing some PE makes a big difference to the finished project. Where it hasn't been practical to remove the molded ladders, I have even pasted PE ladders over the existing molded ladders. Even that seems to help the finished model. I could also use some suggestions for scratch building 700 scale props. I haven't seen and props available in the PE market, so I assume that I'll have to make them myself. Regards, RhinoBones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Allan and Crystal Plumb Subject: Re: The difference between "Want" and "Need" >> [...] That's kinda like WANTING to buy every ship model kit ever made and knowing that that is not what I NEED. << What, there's a difference? You couldn't prove it by my pile of unbuilt ship kits... :-) My phrase is "not worth it to _me_". It combines the price of the whatever, how much I want it, and how much I've got. The beauty is that the final result is different for everybody. A different way of saying what you said. Allan Plumb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Mike Leonard" Subject: 1900 Ships RhinoBones@aol.com noted - >> Actually there have been a few other 1:700 scale US 1890's era ships previously released as follows: USS Brooklyn 1898 vintage by NRC, Mr. Leonard might want to discuss the quality of this kit. << OK. That one is my candidate for worst resin ship model to date. Correcting the major inaccuracies was a fairly straightforward job (taking just a couple of hours), but the quality of the resin used was a serious problem. As I started to build it, the thing began to warp to the point where it resembled a banana, so I removed the still-soft resin core as best I could with a Dremel tool, cut the hull into four sections, laid it on a flat surface, and reassembled it with lots of epoxy putty to fill the gaps. After much sanding and smoothing, I set it aside for a while and when I went back to it, the warping had resumed -- albeit not nearly as badly as before. I'm determined to finish it, and just added the ventilators and boat cradles. Hope to finish the beast in the next few weeks. On a more positive note, recently I received the Kombrig battleship "Imperator Pavel I" and WSW battleship "Potemkin". Both look very nice in the box, but I won't comment on historical accuracy yet. The Kombrig kit is beautifully cast in tan resin, with delicate parts and a fret of stainless steel PE that includes a cage mast. English/Russian instructions are provided. The WSW kit has some minor blemishes and pitting to the sides of the hull, but nothing that can't be easily rectified in under an hour. Brass pins to support the pilot house and bridge wings come inserted in the deck. The kit consists of approximately 75 resin parts cast in three colors, plus a paper flag and a few lengths of brass wire. A bonus is the inclusion of a tiny torpedo boat: the "Narwa". Comes with an English/German assembly and painting guide. MWL Alexandria, VA USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: david_l._miller@ccmail.wiu.edu Subject: Wants, Needs, Philosophy 101 This is an interesting thread regarding the $300 model kit and wants and needs. I have yet to buy a $300 model kit, but some of those I've seen really tempt me. Say you buy the $300 dollar kit and put a thousand hours of work into building the kit. To me, this represents a thousand hours of almost pure enjoyment, entertainment, and relaxation. So, you are getting all of this for about 30 cents an hour! Looking at it in this way, building a $300 model kit may be the best entertainment value out there, plus you have a nice model when you are done. Some of my friends are golfers, and I know they spend more than 300 bucks a season on their hobby, and I doubt golf ever breaks down to less than a dollar an hour in entertainment cost. I also suspect that some of the golfers derive much more frustration from their game than I get from my modeling. Consider other hobbies, like photography and the $$$$ there! Heck, last year, one of my friends paid over a hundred bucks for a softball bat. I have another friend who hunts with a $900 bow - and then there are gun collections! Of course one of my buddies has a $10,000 bass boat and a new Dodge Ram to pull it. Yes, a $300 dollar ship model may be cost prohibitive for many of us, at least at certain times in our careers, and family life. However, there are also kits under $50. There is also scratch building. We need to put our hobby into perspective, and remind ourselves that ship modeling, even with $300 dollar models, is not a particularly costly hobby, as far as hobbies go. And if cost per hour of entertainment is your yardstick, then ship modeling may well be one of the biggest values around! By the way, Steve, I gave up brewing my own beer several years ago because modeling used up all my spare time. Talk about the horns of a dillema! Dave Miller Macomb, IL PS: Of course what I had to say about the $300 dollar model only makes sense if you actually build, or try to build to model. It does not apply if you put the model on the top shelf in your closet and forget about it for 15 years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Darren Subject: SSM and Sea Classics Ok, Now I'm getting curious. Scale Ship Modeler went off the radar Feb. 2001. I can't remember when my sub. was do to run out, but it must have been shortly after this. Before Xmas I finally sent an email asking what happened and got a reply via snail mail(!?) in Jan. saying it wasn't published anymore ( no s**t). Feb., I get a notice that it's time to renew my Sub. to Sea Classics. I'VE NEVER SUBSCRIBED TO SEA CLASSICS! I chuckled and threw it out. Today, I got the May issue of Sea Classics in the mail. From Mack Printing Group in PA?!?! Wait! I know! I've mysteriously switched places with some guy who likes ships and he's now in my castle plotting to take over the world while I get to keep his magazines! Good trade. I wish they would stop playing games and come out and say what they are doing. Why take a year before doing anything? Or is it just because I asked what happened? Anybody else having this Bermuda Triangle experience? Darren Scannell (Not that I really care, I gave up on them a year ago and never really expected anything more, but it is a strange way to do business) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Preston L Hassler Subject: Re: Book Idea- Panay I, for one, would love to see a detailed exposition on the Panay. Have exhausted all the usual suspects of sources of info, including detailed plans and four photos of Panay and Oahu from Floating Drydock, leaving much to guess at. Perhaps it's just another "good excuse" to put off actual building. If I got such a book, I would have to find some other excuse. Please, don't make life any harder than it is by denying me my excuse. Skip Hassler -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Doug Wilde" Subject: Re: Scratchbuilding software Boatbldr, In a nutshell, not at a price you likely can afford. First answer this question: Is this a WANT or a NEED? (BG). You are talking about 3D CAD software and that just is not cheap, especially if you want surface expansions. Think $3.5-4K. I don't recall if Rhino has surface expansion already included or not: $895. If you've gone that far, just take your IGES file to a job shop and have them produce the hull in a 3D printer. Models are just toy versions of real boats. Get yourself over to the WoodenBoat list (www.woodenboat.com) and go to the forums. This expansion question comes up on occasion. Also us 1:1 builders live and die by spiling, etc. Any decent book on boat building will explain the process. I would consider strip planking, but talk about tedious. Doug Wilde -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: Rory Goodwin Subject: USS Ward plans, armament I am the proud owner of most of a 1971 kit of the HMS Cambletown, which will be constructed as originally built (WWI American four-stacker). What I desperately need are either a copy of the plans from the "First Shot-USS Ward" booklet or the name of a likely vendor with good prices. I'm particularly interested in details of the 4" and 3" guns. I'm also missing a few parts (such as a funnel half) if someone has a partial kit... TIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Boatbldr Subject: Mosquitocon >> Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing a built up S-100 at "Mosquitocon" the IPMS New Jersey regional: << Dave (and anyone else who may know - maybe Steve Wiper can chime in here too!) Firstly Dave - thanks for the web link! A coupla questions - Is that the correct color for a German torpedo - gold with black tips? I couldn't see any colour pics of a torpedo in Steve's book - hence the question. Also, any idea as to how the shading was done (seeing as you saw it up close and personal....)? Just as an example - in the pic of the bow, the darker colour on the deck around the bollards near the anchor - was that washed in or airbrushed darker? regards Boatbldr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: NEVENGER@aol.com Subject: Aircraft Carrier info site Say I was playing around and found this cool site that seems to have lots of pictures and basic info on carriers. Having said that any idea on when Trumpeter is gonna release those Essex carriers for us to purchase http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/us_index.htm Rich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: SteveWiper@aol.com Subject: Re: Want Vs. Need & info on Prinz Eugen >> One question, Steve- did you WANT or NEED those seven beers? I for one, would have taken the pretty woman anyday! Quite frankly, that new Prinz Eugen kit could wait! << After a very long 5 days of photo etch drawing on my computer, I needed those beers to relax. I dont NEED the occasional pretty woman, I am lucky in that I managed to land one for myself some time ago. Being a Prinz Eugen nut (Damn good looking ship!), I WANTED the new Tamiya kit, Badly! I have also just acquired copies of original German drawings on that ship, dated 10/1942, just after the refit replacing the stern, lost on the way to Norway after the Channel Dash. A couple of quick notes about the new kit. There are minor problems, but all are things to be removed to correct the mistakes. I also question the instruction's camo pattern for the Channel Dash. I believe the hull was painted in one solid color and not as illustrated in the kit instructions. The superstructure was painted with a very small and random dapple pattern of, I am using my best educated guess here, of browns and greens on a light gray background. I dont believe the stripes on the hull were painted on until after the Channel Dash, just before the trip to Norway two weeks later. When I publish my upcoming book on the Prinz Eugen, I will have a pair of Port side photos of this pattern as well as a color illustration showing both sides. Steve Wiper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: SteveWiper@aol.com Subject: Re: Wants & Needs >> And I could use a beer or two but Seven!!??. << That is just enough to let me know that beer is a liquid!!! Steve Wiper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "denis james" Subject: 'The difference between "WANT' &' NEED' Lovely post Mr Wiper. And so true-- -in all respects!! Ive been trying for years to teach the kids the difference between 'nicety' & 'necessity'-- with conspicuous lack of success. I, ofcourse, at my advanced age, know the difference. Ive been blessed with that rare of all things rare 'the frugal spouse' who just occasionally wonders (aloud) why I, 1...buy all those books (research ,ofcourse) & 2...keep all those kit boxes hidden away & never build them. They're necessitys of course,for when I retire. See, I really DO know the difference. lol Kind regards denis james -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: Skytrex kits Hi Andrew, In this case, I suspect "as built" means as the ship appeared when first constructed, rather than as-modified later in her life. Best, John Snyder White Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "Franz Aigner GmbH" Subject: Kriegsmarine fotos from private collections Go to: www.photosammler.de There are 13 blocks of about 4 pics each of ships and U-boats, nice camouflage scemes and detail shots in the "Schiffe u. U-Boote" section. The other sections have some ship-pictures, too. Enjoy, Richard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Mistress Lorna Subject: SMML site update Hi Everyone, It doesn't seem that long ago that we had an SMML site update, yet here I am back again with another one ;-) http://smmlonline.com Welcome Stephen Allen to the Mainbrace section and we've updated Bill Waldorf's and Don MacDonald's pages there as well. Loads of book reviews have come in ...Plastic Ship Modeler 26, Esploratori Italiani, Leander Class Frigates (2 different books), Kriegsmarine, HMAS Australia. Keep these coming guys... in keeping with the WANT vs NEED discussion it's always handy to know which book you NEED versus which book would be nice to have. Added Task Force 72 2002 Sailpast to Member's pages Added tour of Spectacle Island (RAN Naval Depository) to Australian Reference pages. Added shots of HMAV Bounty to Civilian Reference pages Archives 1468-1498 added Now it would be nice to be back here with an update in an even shorter space of time so send me some contributions ... reviews of kits/books/aftermarket .... model or reference pics... check the site, maybe there's something you can add that makes the site even better Cheers Lorna -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at: http://smmlonline.com Check out the APMA site for an index of ship articles in the Reference section at: http://apma.org.au/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume