Subject: SMML VOL 1957 Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2002 02:10:16 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Who mail orders White Ensign in the USA? 2: Re: Virii 3: Re: Ballast 4: Re: Dastardly Viruses 5: Tamiya 1/350 Enterprise fustration 6: Re: Ballast 7: Re: harvesting virusses 8: Interesting items on eBay 9: Help Pre dreadnought 10: Virus 11: Re: ballast for R/C model 12: Ballast ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: NEVENGER Subject: Re: Who mail orders White Ensign in the USA? I have found WEM (White Ensign Models) to be of very good standing with mail order and credit cards. So far (I have used them at least a dozen times in just the last year) they have treated me very well. If a model or book does not seem to show up when I though it should I have e-mailed them and gotten a very fast response as to why and when I may expect it to show up. One time I found what I wanted where I lived and with no problem they canclelled the order as it had not shipped yet. While in general I hate mail ordering (and really hate it when its out of country!!!) I would have to say WEM and Hobby link Japan are all that I use outside of the USA. Rich ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: Virii >> It appears that these virus designers are getting smarter & smarter. If in doubt of the origin doublecheck the email address - I have had people get emails from among others shipmodels@mira.net, shipmodels@onetel.net.uk & shipmodels@aol.com NOT shipmodels@tac.com.au with SMML content from past issues in it. If in doubt don't open it & get back to the person who you THINK sent it. Check the full headers of any suspect emails and you may be able to find out who actually sent it. << Don't be in doubt, get an anti virus program. I run Nortons, and it has already caught about a half dozen messages with the W32/bugbear virus. It's all our responsibilities as users to practice safe surfing!!! :-) Regards, Bradford Chaucer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "David T. Okamura" Subject: Re: Ballast Paul Harley asked: >> Help please, whats the best stuff to use to ballast a plastic hulled model and still allow for installation of r/c. I thought of plasticene but does it dry out after a year or so? << If this is a styrene plastic hull, you should not use any clay that uses oil to keep it pliable. The oil will eventually attack the styrene and soften it. I've seen a couple otherwise beautiful aircraft models with warped noses because the modeler packed them full of clay to keep the nosewheels down. You might want to try buckshot, fishing weights, or even large nails or bolts, fixed in position with epoxy once you got the weight distribution right. Just don't use too much epoxy, as it heats up considerably during curing and may also warp plastic. Does anyone else have suggestions? David T. Okamura ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Chuck Messer" Subject: Re: Dastardly Viruses I received one of e-mails with the virus. I didn't open the attachment thanks to Shane's timely warning. The page has a header identical to the SMML news letter. Mine ended up in the junk mail folder because the address ended in gmx.net. Watch those e-mails. Who knows what other trojan horses might be used to slip you a cyber-bug? Chuck ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: James fogarty Subject: Tamiya 1/350 Enterprise fustration Hi, I'm going crazy trying to find a decent layout for the Hangar deck in this thing, the Fantail is especialy a problem. Does anyone know of research material, Photos - drawings etc. that show this Hangar deck in detail. I have the Detail & scale but it's too edited to really be of use. Thank you Jim ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "David N. Lombard" Subject: Re: Ballast From: WYNBERG >> Help please, whats the best stuff to use to ballast a plastic hulled model and still allow for installation of r/c. I thought of plasticene but does it dry out after a year or so? << Lead shot from a gun shop. Cheap, dense, easily distributed. I always coat it with resin, glue, or something else appropriate to the model's construction to fix it in place and seal it. Before you do this, however, see if you can distribute the radio and other components to cut down on deadweight, unless, of course, you need it to make draft. David N. Lombard Rossmoor, Orange County, CA N 33 deg, 48', W 118 deg, 5' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: harvesting virusses >> a classic way of detecting infection by a 'harvesting' virus like W32/Bugbear is to put an non-existing emailadress at the top of your adress book. This will lead to a 'non-deliverable' response of your emailprovider after infection. << Hi Pieter, Not necessarily. I've gotten several "undeliverable" notices bouncing in with viruses attached, and I'm on a non-infected Mac. Obviously, the viruses are picking messages at random, including those. Just be wary, and check things when in doubt. I'm receiving 6 - 10 viruses per day. Best, John Snyder White Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: paulship37 Subject: Interesting items on eBay I saw these items for sale at eBay. JACKSPEAK Dictionary Royal Navy Slang P/BK http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1567762203 KM BATTLESHIP SCHARNHORST <> MARITIME MODELER http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1567754792 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "John Rule" Subject: Help Pre dreadnought >> I wondered if you could help I am building IJN Takasago 1890`s would the ships colour be white and what colour for the band around her hull. << From the absolutely gorgeous full page photo in Kajinsha's "World Warships in Review" the colours I would suggest are: Hull White Upperworks Brownish buff Funnels Yellow or pale buff Funnel tops Black Narrow hull stripe Red Bow adornment Gilt These colours are suggested by the photograph which was taken in 1898. The hull stripe could be black or red as the latter shows as black in photos taken using orthochromatic film. Red would look nicer. The stripe runs through the hawse pipe, and just above the bottom of the vertical portion of the hull gun ports. Hope this helps even though it is conjectural and not based on eyewitness account. Sincerely, John Rule ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "Rod Dauteuil" Subject: Virus Hello, One person suggested adding a false email to your address book, then when it comes back, you'll know your system's infected. I was hit by the KLEZ virus a few months ago, and the worm went not only into my address book, but into my Registry Editor (REGEDIT) to look for email addresses. For about a week I was getting emails returned from ISP's saying the message wasn't deliverable after x-days. When I looked in the registry editor I found hundreds of old messages, including many old SMML's. That's how some of these worms work. But you shoudn't delete content from this editor, because some of it may be necessary to run the PC. BTW, that's how law enforcement finds evidence once they've seized a criminal's computer. This stuff never really leaves your PC. Rod ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "Bud Link" Subject: Re: ballast for R/C model I would suggest a denser material than plasticene. Higher density puts the weight lower in the hull, and that's important. Consider buying a 25-pound bag of shot from a local gun shop. Other quantities may be available, but 25 pounds is a lifetime supply for most of us, and it's not expensive. It's used by those who make their own shotgun shells. The pellets come in a range of sizes; I use pellets about 1/8" in diameter. A few pellets can be a nose weight for an airplane model. A few ounces will ballast an "O" Scale boxcar. Several pounds can ballast that R/C ship. The pellets can fit into almost any space, too. They can be fixed in place with epoxy or other cements. For large applications, a compartment can be built to hold the shot, and closed after filling. I use a lot of auto-body filler [Bondo] in my large ship models, and that works well, too. It adheres very well to fiberglass, though gelcoat should be scuffed with 120-180 grit sandpaper. And...it's cheap. If using Bondo, mix the pellets with the gray goop first, then add the catalyst. Here I'd suggest using a little less catalyst than normal for more working time. It can be built up in smaller "pours," as it adheres to itself superbly. If you haven't used Bondo before, you might want to mix a small test batch to learn the proportions and working times. Measure out the two components BEFORE adding the pellets because they'll make it hard to eyeball the proportions of the Bondo components after they're added. Oh: be EXTREMELY careful not to contaminate the gray goop in the can with any trace of catalyst by, for example, using a mixing stick with hardened Bondo to scoop out the goop from the can. That trace will trigger the polymerization and ruin the whole can. Just use a fresh stick each time. Bud ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Ron Hillsden Subject: Ballast You asked >> what's the best stuff to use to ballast a plastic hulled model and still allow for installation of r/c"? << I am assuming you have a smaller model. 1. The first choice is batteries - maximize your bunker fuel. Less frequent battery changes mean longer running times and less handling (potential for damage). 2. Automobile wheel weights. These little wafers are available down to 1/4 oz and have a self stick backing that is strong enough to keep it on a rolling automobile wheel. Available from tire shops, sometimes for cash, sometimes in exchange for a pound of coffee, and sometimes free! 3. In difficult areas, you can pour shot mixed with epoxy. Sometimes called liquid ballast. Available from gun stores, it comes in various diameters, you need the smallest you can get. 4. Bigger ships = use lead acid batteries, divers' weights, flooding ballast compartments, down rigger balls, etc. Ron Hillsden Victoria BC Canada flags: http://members.shaw.ca/modelflags/ club: http://members.shaw.ca/VMSS/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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