Subject: SMML VOL 1626 Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 12:00:38 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: 1/350 Kits of Russian Battleships 2: Re: dogs and ex-wives 3: Camouflage Of Dido 4: Re: Shipyards Models/Gowland Models 5: Re: Resin 6: Sea Slice 7: Falklands war 8: What to do in Philadelphia 9: Re: Dogs and Models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: 1/350 Kits of Russian Battleships News from the Nuremberg Toy Fair say that Eastern Express is announcing 1/350 kits of the old Russian battleships BORODINO, SUVAROV and PERESVET. They are already showing the box top art in their catalog. Has anybody more information on this? Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Lkjohnson214@aol.com Subject: Re: dogs and ex-wives The Japanese Kido Butai at Pearl Harbour had nothing on my black cat. She got on the display shelf where I had my scratchbuilt 1/300 scale collection of ships and tore through them like the daughter of Satan she looks like. The poor USS PENSACOLA looked like she'd gone through a typhoon. Masts gone and scattered, and mount 81 lying 10 feet away. More mast damage to all 4 carriers with their aircraft scattered with a casual swipe of the paw. A couple of tin cans were o their beam ends and a DE had boh depth charge racks removed and devoured. Unfortunately the ashcans upset the little darling's delicate digestive tract, so she decided to leave me a little present by hackin gup her guts all over one of the flatops AND the spotted aircraft. EEYEW! The damage was bad enough, but having to cleanup cat chunder,,,, LD Johnson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: Camouflage Of Dido I am putting together something on the Dido. This will be far from definative, but I will give the references that go with it. When done I will send it through the post to somebody so that person can then post it in an approriate manner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: SAMI ARIM Subject: Re: Shipyards Models/Gowland Models Joe Poutre wrote, >> These sound like rereleases of kits original to Pyro, later released again by Lifelike and most recently Lindberg. They're not very rare, except for perhaps the label on the box. << Hi Joe, I just realized the boxart showing "Gowland & Gowland", or some boxes "Gowland models". The kits are for ship in the bottle layout. There is also a version with the kits coming with plastic bottles. Best Regards Sami Arim -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Michael London" Subject: Re: Resin The resins usually used are either polyester resin or polyurethane resin. They set up due to catalytic action which is activated by mixing two parts together. Polyester resin is used primarilly as car body filler and comes in a can with a tube of hardener (catalyst). A very small quantity of the latter is required and, since it is usually colored, it is easy to see when complete mixing has been achieved as the mixture will have a uniform color. It has a working life of only two to three minutes so must be applied immediately after mixing. It cannot be poured but must be ladled into a mold or onto a surface. Used to fill a plastic card shell of a hull or other feature. Gets warm while setting up so do not use use with very thin plastic or warping could occur. If using with an RTV mold (see below) the resin must be forced into the mold for complete filling and it is advisable to insert airways at high points and corners. It can be easilly cut with a sharp blade while in the setting-up process and, when fully cured, is easy to sand and shape. If you goof it is easy to repair. Simply cut or drill out the location, refill with fresh resin and sand or cut to shape after cure. "Planks" of this material can be made by sandwiching the mixed resin between two plastic card sheets separated by a couple of spacers and allowed to set. These planks are a good substitute for wood since they have no grain, will not split, and take paint without priming. Polyurethane resin, such as "Alumilite" is a pourable resin which comes in two parts to be mixed together in equal amounts. This is used for those items which require a very liquid material to get into the mold. Most molds are made using RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) latex rubber. If the master has a flat surface this can be placed flat side down on a piece of plastic card and anchored in place with glue. Strips of plastic card are then cut to build a box around the master leaving at least ¼ inch all round and high enough to provide the same clearance above the master. If the master does not have a flat surface it must be fitted with outriggers to center it in the box. At least one of these must be large enough to act as a pouring funnel later when the resin is added. These outriggers will become sprue when the casting is complete so should be located at places where cutting off will not mar the finished product. Mixing RTV requires a plastic container and plastic mixing rods. It, too, sets up using a catalyst in the proportions to one part catalyst to 20 parts latex. The standard catalyst takes several hours to completely react but a separate catalyst is obtainable which does the job in as many minutes. Mixing must be very thorough and then carefully poured around the master. When set the master is removed. If the RTV completely surrounds it carefully cut the mold open with a razor blade leaving the two halves connected on one side. The Alumilite can then be added. Mix two equal parts together in a disposable container and pour into the mold. If the mold is in two parts hold together with an elastic band. Set up is fairly quick and can be judged by testing any resin left in the mixing container. When fully cured this resin is harder and slightly more brittle than polyster resin and is harder to cut and sand. Hope this helps. Michael London -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Kelvin Mok Subject: Sea Slice >> Lockheed Martin's advanced hullform ship Sea SLICE will participate as a littoral warfare ship in the Navy's Fleet Battle Experiment Juliet (FBE-J) this summer. << If its a warship what else can it carry as armaments as there seem room for little else once the support facilities for the helicopter are factored in? Littoral implies inshore. The mission therefore duplicates that of a helicopter's with few of the helicopter's versatility, speed and the ability to get in and out of a danger zone fast. There is a demand for patrol endurance to counter the threat of conventional submarines that can go where the larger nuclear submarines cannot. But the sea slug looks built for speed and again the question of mission armaments crops up. Its a strange ship indeed. Kelvin Mok -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Andrew Jones" Subject: Falklands war Hard to imagine it was 20 years ago yesterday that the Argentine govt invaded the Falklands & I thought I heard that 200 Argentine soldiers were killed yet when they returned they were ignored by the govt & nearly 400 had committed suicide over since the end of the war..guess it was their Vietnam & the fun thing with that sea slice is that one is only a small scale version...they wanna build a larger version! so wonder if the size will make it even uglier -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Steven Lau Subject: What to do in Philadelphia I am going to be in Philly for a meeting next week and wondered what to see. I'll have part of Sunday and all of Monday free. We'll be staying downtown but I can get a cab. I know about the New Jersey and plan on seeing her. What's the best way to get over there? What else is a "must see"? TIA Steve -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: Edd Pflum Subject: Re: Dogs and Models Burl Burlingame wrote >> Just a couple of weeks ago, our new half-boxer pup literally ate a helicopter model that was nearing completion. At least it had not been painted yet. She hasn't been near the models since, so it must not have agreed with her! << Burl, Given that your half-boxer pup ate a model, I assume you have the front half. How then do you know it's a "she"? Edd -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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