Subject: SMML VOL 1943 Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 15:40:49 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Next PSM issue coming soon? I hope! 2: Re: Italeri DUKW 3: Re: 1/250 scale railings 4: 1:250 scale railings 5: Airfix 1/600 HMS Warspite: making purse from a sow's ear... 6: a patrol french ship 7: DUKW Kit 8: Darius, Darius, Darius!!!!! 9: THAT OPEN LETTER TO JIM BAUMANN 10: ADVICE 11: Albacore mistake 12: Wash technique 13: Re: SS UNITED STATES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Aftermarket Barrels 2: Model Ship Journal For Autumn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Franz Aigner GmbH" Subject: Next PSM issue coming soon? I hope! When can we expect the next issue of PSM? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Subject: Re: Italeri DUKW >>> I don't think I have seen it mentioned on here that ITALERI is soon to release a 1/35th scale model of the DUKW. << Don't hold your breath: Last time I checked, they still plan to release their 1/35 halftrack in November, 2001. (Yes, that's Two Thousand and ONE.) The dukw's been in the rumor mill for at least five years. Steve Allen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Ernst-Bernhard Kayser Subject: Re: 1/250 scale railings Hi Bill, 1/250 happens to be a very popular scale for ship models made from cardboard. The only vendor (I know of) selling railing for those paper model addicts is Scheuer & Struever in Hamburg, Germany. If you want to check them out go to their webpage and click on the British flag, then on the tab "scale models". Now it lets you perform a "power search" of their merchandise. For "name of item" type in: reling (that's German for railing). For "scale" type "1:250" (make sure you use the colon rather than a / ) and click on the arrow to start the search. This ought to dredge up a couple of options: They have railings photoeched from nickle silver (Standardätzsatz Reling) as well as some fashioned from hemp yarn (Hanfgarn) varnished either white (weiss) or grey (grau). "3 Durchzüge" means 3 bars. I hope this was of any help. Bernhard ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "David Hathaway" Subject: 1:250 scale railings Bill 1:250 is a standard paper/card modelling scale. You can get standard etched railings (in various numbers of bars) in this scale from Scheuer and Struever at www.moduni.de or maybe PMI at www.papermodels.com (I think). I have successfully made custom railings in this scale from thread stiffened with superglue. Sample template and instructions at www.papershipwright.co.uk. Regards David Hathaway ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Hyun Yu" Subject: Airfix 1/600 HMS Warspite: making purse from a sow's ear... OK, guys, I'm going to be tackling my first conversion/super-detail project soon: converting the Airfix 1/600 HMS Warspite kit to waterline and building a decent model out of it. I am going to get the WEM PE for this kit. I was wondering if there's a guide or something available that lists what need to be fixed, etc. Has anyone here super-detailed the Airfix Warspite kit before? Any invaluable books/references that don't cost an arm and a leg? I know Profile Morskie had one out, but I was too late to get one. Thanks much in advance, Hyun Yu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Reginald Pinhorne" Subject: a patrol french ship hello i am looking for anything you might have on the french patrol ship De la Moqueuse as it was my wifes fathers ship. thanks reg ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "George Peat" Subject: DUKW Kit Dirk, I think that Airfix still do their 1/76th scale model of the DUKW. I also believe that they still do the Alligator tracked amphibious vehicle George ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "John Rule" Subject: Darius, Darius, Darius!!!!! There is an expression "Those (people) who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". When you enter into strong criticism, you better be very sure that you have all YOUR facts right. I have not examined carefully all of your contentions, but can dispute one without straying from my computer desk. You stated in reference to the Chen Yuan (Chin'En):- >> And Japanese kept both forward and aft turrets on this ship, all they did was to change the guns!!! << Definitely NOT true!!!! If you look in the book Warships of the Imperial Navy by Jentschura, Jung and Mickel, there is a very clear photo of the former Chinese battleship Chen-Yuan, then in Japanese service, showing that the aft turret circular turret has been replaced by 6" gun mounting in a shielded mounting. You are correct, I believe, in your comment regarding the 6" mountings on sponsons mounted port and starboard forward of the mainmast. These were not a fixture until the ship was rearmed by the Japanese, according to the references I have consulted. With regard to the reference "patterned after but smaller versions of the Inflexible", this not so far from the truth. The ships bear more resemblance to the Inflexible in layout of main armament than they do to the Sachsen. The Sachsen would be classed as a central citadel ironclad, whereas the Chen Yuang was an armoured turret ship. I appreciate that these classifications are somewhat subjective but do generally describe the type and layout of the ships. That's all for now folks. Sincerely, John Rule P.S. Remember what I said about glass houses. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "James Baumann" Subject: THAT OPEN LETTER TO JIM BAUMANN From: "D.Przezdziecki" >> Yes indeed I do know that you are a talented and award winning modelmaker. Your craftmanship is plain to all those who visit Model Warship.com or Steel Navy.com but why is it that you have recently decided to venture into territory where your knowledge is sadly lagging way behind your modelling skills??? Photograhps of your models of Russian, Chinese and Japanese pre-dreadnoughts have been displayed for some time at Model Warship and, recently, begun appearing at the Steel Navy. I have been silent about the photos at Model Warship because I have assumed that here is a tallented modeller who tries his hand at a new and unfamiliar subject -more power to him!!! But photos of your model posted at Steel Navy are accompanied by articles written apparently by you and which contain statements that I, for one, find patently untrue! Lets look at couple of examples: Photo of one of your models was titled "Chen Yuan, Imperial Chinese Battleship 1886. Modelkrak, 1:700 scale. Buily (sic!) by Jim Baumann". Author of the article states that: "...This were constructed in the German Vulcan yard and WERE PATTERNED AFTER AND SMALLER VERSIONS OF HMS Infexible..." No they weren't!!!! They were build as a modified versions of German panzercorvettes of "Sachsen" class!!! Further on author of the article states that: "...This model was backdated to her Chinese days, hence she is seen with the turret armament forward and aft..." The only backdating I have seen are two powered launches amidships (which were never a part of this ship boats complement) and square (incorrect) Chinese flag on the mast!!! To backdate this model correctly the 6inch guns and their sponsors (p & s sides of aft superstructure, main mast area) have to be removed too. And Japanese kept both forward and aft turrets on this ship, all they did was to change the guns!!! Dr. Kerry Jung, being a generous soul, says that "references are conflicting" but I have yet to see a reputable reference which shows "Chen Yuan" in Chinese service with her 6inch guns and sponsors present or "Chen Yen" in Japanese service without her bow and stern turrets.* Second photo is titled "Borodino, Imperial Russian Battleship 1904. Combrig 1:700 Scale. Built by Jim Baumann, photograph by Caroline Snyder". In the text of the article author (Jim Baumann himself) states that: "...The model of Kombrig Borodino was build with the aid of a dedicated Russian book on the class which allowed me to detail and accurize the model..." Dear sir, I would be very interested to know what "dedicated Russian book" did you use because the model in the photographs is certainly not "Borodino", in fact the model does not represent ANY of the of the "Borodino" class ships but is a strange amalgam of all four!!! Let me tell you how "Borodino" should have looked like: she, as the only ship of the class, didn't have any pipes adjacent to her funnels. She didn't have compass platform just aft of her forward funnel. On ther main bridge, just behind the mast there was an additional cabin on the first and the second level of the bridge as well as the second cabin (forward of the mast) on the first level of the bridge aft. No boats (on any of the ships) were ever stoved on the battery deck just aft of the midship turret since it would be blasted to splinters the first time this turred fired anywhere in aft quadrant.** Now we are all fallible and prone to an occasional mistake. Nobody knows it all and we all learn throu experience but, if you have decided to try something new and unusual, wouldn't it be wiser to gather some more references and maybe ask some questions before going ahead and write words like "backdated" or "accurized" with such a apparent confidence??? Regards Darius Przezdziecki * References: A.Mach "The Chinese Battleships" Warship vol.VIII 1984; J.Itani (et all) "Sankeikan: Japan's coast deffence battleships of the Matsushima class" Warship vol. XIV 1990; Drawings of "Tin Yuen" by D.Nottlemann & J.Tenner, research by K.Jang, D.Nottlemann, D.Stehman and J.Tenner. << To paraphrase a well known saying ; PEOPLE IN GLASS SHIPS DO NOT THROW IMPRECISE SHELLS.... FIRSTLY, in response to your comments regarding my venturing into modelling territory in which I do not have all the information I say: SO WHAT, I enjoy making modelships and will venture into any territory that I choose armed with what knowledge I see fit!!! Point 1. On page 14 of the well known and respected book WARSHIPS OF THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY 1869-1945 by JENTSCHURA,JUNG and MICKEL there is a brief description of the ship stating that the main guns are mounted in echolon as in the british ship INFLEXIBLE.In the Tony Gibbons book Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers it states that indeed the ships were built by Vulcan of Germany though they were more akin to British units such as the INFLEXIBLE and the smaller Agamemnon and Colossus classes than to german ships of that period.... As you can see when writing BRIEF CAPTIONS to accompany some photos pertaining to a HOBBY it is an easy mistake to make..... Also on page 14 of the aforementioned book there is a photograph of the ship during her JAPANESE ownership CLEARLY showing the aft turret to have been replaced with an open mount,whilst the fwd turret ONLY was retained. You are however quite correct about the sponsons and six inch guns, I had no plans or indeed a plan view. With reference to the BORODINO model: The dedicated russian book you so wish to know the title of is called BORODINO CLASS ARMOURED SHIPS by VLADIMIR ARBUZOV. I fully accept that I may have misinterpreted some of the photographs or indeed they may have been miscaptioned; I have lent the book out for someone else to build a BORODINO amalgam hence I cannnot at this stage verify what it was that I was looking at. Please note however that in that esteemed volume CONWAYS ALL THE WORLDS FIGHTING SHIPS 1860 -1905 on page 184 there is a side elevation line drawing captioned "BORODINO as completed 1904" showing her WITH compass platform and steam pipes, again an easy mistake to make, perhaps you should inform the publishers of their error...!! Please note that the boat you ASSUMED was stowed on the battery deck aft of the midship turret; if you care to examine the photograph more closely you will note that the boat is ACTUALLY suspended from davits, however if you look at the photograph of sistership SLAVA on page 171 of Conways ATWFS 1860-1905 you will note that the davits aft of the turret would actually put a boat slung there in about the position I modelled. My ship models are undoubtedly littered with errors and inaccuracies (whose model ship is PERFECT?) IT IS A HOBBY, albeit an obssesive one but nevertheless a HOBBY, no-one is infallible. I am far from being an authority on Pre-Dreadnoughts or any other ship and have never purported to be one, nevertheless I will continue to build modelships of all types and eras for my own pleasure and amusement. I will also continue to exhibit these models at shows as well as on the web. If you take exception to their inaccuracies and mixed identities(!) DON"T LOOK AT THEM!! I am however curious and hope therefore that you will soon submit some photos of YOUR modelships to the SMML homepage, STEEL NAVY and MODEL WARSHIP.COM With the dedicated research you carry out and the apparently extensive reference library you possess the resulting models should be breathtaking!!! At the end of the day I and thousands of others enjoy simply sticking the plastic bits together to make a model ships for FUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kind regards to all in SMML land JIM BAUMANN ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "DUCKMAN" Subject: ADVICE HI ALL, KNOWING THAT MORE THAN A FEW OF YOU SNEAK IN AN AIRCRAFT KIT ONCE INNA WHILE, I HAVE A QUESTION. WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF "CLASSIC AIRFRAMES" KITS? DAVID IN DIXIE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: AAA Hobby Subject: Albacore mistake >> The USS Albacore is not buried in any way. << Sorry, I meant to say Cavalla. I had just reread the submarine exploits during the Battle of the Philippine Sea and Albacore was, of course, the stalking sister of Cavalla and I simply crossed the two in my mind. Anyway, its kinda neat to go aboard a sub that actually sank a CV (Shokaku) James Corley AAA Hobby Supply email: aaahobby@earthlink.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: Wash technique Hello all, I'm working on my old Revell USCGC Eagle, and I'd like to try a wash to bring out the deck planking detail. The Eagle kit has nice engraved deck plank lines, not raised lines like so many kits have. I'm thinking a dark gray wash would do the trick to simulate the caulking and highlight the plank detail. My question is this: I airbrushed the deck with a coat of floquil tan acrylic-- what should I use for a wash? I've never found water - based paints to work very well- the surface tension is just to great. I remember reading somewhere that the airplane guys use very thin washes to highlight panel lines. I think I have two options: 1. Use an oil based paint, well thinned with paint thinner. (Is this safe to use on top of the acrylic base coat?) 2. Use a water based paint, but thin it with rubbing alcohol (or something else?) to get it to flow better into the crevices. Any recommendations? Bill Check out my US Coast Guard subjects model list at: http://home.earthlink.net/~billkaja/kitlist.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: NAVYDAZE@aol.com Subject: Re: SS UNITED STATES I have lost track and I do not know if this site has been posted but I came across it a while ago as it is about abandoned place. Anyway it has some QuickTime 360 degree moving views of the SS UNITED STATES. If someone has already posted it I apologized for not paying attention. The site is at http://www.modern-ruins.com/ssunitedstates/index.html Michael Donegan NAVYDAZE Naval & Aviation Artist http://www.navydaze.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Mike Bartel Subject: Aftermarket Barrels Regarding the subject of aftermarket gun barrels for 1:700 ships, my own IHP has released 16" 50cal turned-brass gun barrels for IOWA and MONTANA class ships. These aren't generic barrels- they are specifically profiled for these ships, and can be used on any plastic or resin 1:700 model/kit of these two classes. IHP will be including turned brass main gun barrels as standard in all new release kits, and will be retrofitting the concept to some older kits. The forthcoming Algerie, Lexington and South Dakota kits will all feature turned-brass main gun barrels. These will all be specific to the class in question. More info on the current 16" barrels can be found on the IHP website at: http://ihphobby.tripod.com Mike Bartel IHP http://ihphobby.tripod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Victor M. Baca" Subject: Model Ship Journal For Autumn Model Ship Journal for Autumn has returned from the printer! We have been preparing the mailings to dealers and distrbutors and will begin preparations for mailing subscriber's copies this weekend. You're going to like this issue. We have a special naval architecture pictorial feature highlighting the Farragut class destroyers and we also describe wooden fishing boats with excellent plans included. Yes, fishing boats, those things the navy scrambles to buy when war breaks out and warships need to be protected from mines... We'll also show Ken Summa's rendition of USS California based on a Classic Warships kit, Michael London's scratchbuilt Cunard liner Caronia in 1/1200 scale, Keith Bender's USS Yorktown from the Revell kit and Leonard Spey describes Steve Brejnak's scratchbuilt 1/72 scale PGM-12 based on the WWII PC hull along with a companion model in the same scale based on the new Revell S-100 kit using White Ensign PE fittings to outfit the basic kit. As usual, we have plans galore (including hull lines) for you to build small scale models and also advise on where the full sized originals can be obtained. Our centerspread plan feature this outing is the U.S. Revenue Marine steam cutter Winnisimmet. Model Ship Journal (quarterly) is available at better hobby shops and independent booksellers. Subscriptions and single issue copies are also offered direct from the publisher for $35.00 in U.S. and $45.00 outside U.S., postpaid. Single issues are available at $9.95 shipped postpaid worldwide. Victor Baca, Editor & Publisher PHOTOMARINE ARCHIVES Model Ship Journal P.O. Box 28516 Bellingham, WA 98228-0516 www.modelshipjournal.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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