Subject: SMML VOL 2109 Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 01:27:01 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: diorama protection 2: Interesting items on eBay 3: Japanese and Soviet MTBs 4: PE for Japanese 1/700 planes? 5: Re: HMAS Melbourne 6: New books from Floating Drydock 7: Nichrome and rigging 8: Ticonderoga Class Cruisers 9: Info on ACR USS Saratoga/USS Rochester 10: Re: Nichrome wire gauges 11: 3M Acryl-Blue 12: Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: For Sweet Charity - a Gentle reminder on sub-scale planes, vehicles, etc. (spares) 2: HMCS Sackville ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS This issue of SMML is dedicated to the crew of the Space Suttle Columbia and their families ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Kurt Van Dahm Subject: diorama protection >> How do you diorama builders exhibit your work and still protect it from dust, and from cats (and kids)? I associate dioramas with relatively large areas, difficult to encase. << Franklyn: My last diorama was 3.5 feet x 5.0 feet x 12 inches high. Used a Plexiglas case that fit right over the top and down the sides with about a 2 inch overlap where it was screwed to the base. Used 1/4 inch Plexiglas for all pieces of the case. The 1/4 inch was sufficiently strong that it doesn't sag in the middle at all. Take care, Kurt Van Dahm Westmont, IL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: paulship37 Subject: Interesting items on eBay I saw these items for sale at eBay: ICM 1:350 GROBER KURFURST WWI BATTLESHIP http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3111418321 HMS CAMPBELTOWN WARSHIP PROFILE 5 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3111107996 HUNT CLASS ESCORT DESTROYERS MAN O'WAR 4 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3111107769 Neger (German Man Driven Torpedo (1/35) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3112009753 ANATOMY OF THE SHIP : THE BATTLESHIP WARSPITE http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2706322820 JAPANESE LANDING CRAFT OF WWII http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2706315518 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Matthew Prager" Subject: Japanese and Soviet MTBs Hello to my fellow SMMLies! I am trying to expand my knowledge of post-WWII Japanese and Soviet MTBs and hope someone on the list can point me in the right direction. Specifically, I am looking for info on Japanese Type 4, 7, and 9 torpedo boats and Soviet P4, P6, P8, and P10 fast attack craft. I have the basic info from Conway's but would like some in-depth info, pictures, and drawings. Would appreciate any guidance I can get on books or websites to investigate. Matt Prager ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Ned Barnett Subject: PE for Japanese 1/700 planes? Just got the Skywave set of 1/700 aircraft, the one that includes the Rita 4 engined bomber. Any PE for this set? Ned ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "D.Przezdziecki" Subject: Re: HMAS Melbourne Andrew Jones wrote: >> One of our readers has sent in a story that a Melbourne city newspaper recently indicated that China has been using the flight deck of the old Australian Aircraft carrier melbourne to train pilots ahead of the launch of its first locally built aircraft carrier. SNIP hmmm interesting...guess they would have had to re-do the deck to allow it to take the weight of the Sukhoi fighters compared to our old Skyhawks??? ... also would not it have been easier, just to paint the deck marking on a runway (llike for the Doolittle raiders) << I am very suspicious about this story as well, when Russian started training pilots for theit carrier air wing they used runway with painted markings just like Doolittle. And even if Melbourne deck would have been strengthen, would it be long enough for Sukhois to take off??? Regards Darius ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: annobon4 Subject: New books from Floating Drydock Hi Has anyone seen the 3 new books from Floating Drydock yet on the USS ALABAMA BB-60, Joesph P. Kennedy DD-850, Laffey DD-724 yet? Also The Floating Drydock website lists a new book from Squadron called Landing craft in Action. Is this about WW2 or modern amphibious craft? Also I was recently looking at the Revell/Germany website and later this year their reissuing the old Revell "Battle of Midway" carrier kit. Craig ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: GKingzett Subject: Nichrome and rigging John Wressell asks what size nichrome to use for rigging. He has been disappointed by the lack of response. For anyone to answer that question John needs to provides more information. What is he rigging? Standing rigging or running? Signal halyards, boat falls, stack guys, maybe railings? What era? Here is what I know. In 1:350 scale, one model inch is .00286" real inches. My catalog shows nichrome as follows: 40 ga =.0031", 38 ga=.0040", 36 ga=.0050", 34 ga=.0063", 32 ga=.0080", 30 ga=.0100" and so on. I believe that other respondents have indicated that there are sources even smaller than 40 ga. In steel ships, signal halyards in real life are about 5/8" (.625") Boat falls and other tackle appear to be about 1" Standing rigging is about 1 1/2" steel cable, coated with tar or other water proofing. To determine the model size line, multiply the scale inch (.00286) X the real life line size. That will tell you the model size in inches. After saying all that, let me also say, you don't have to be mathematically accurate. Be practical. Get as small as you can, but don't be fanatical. Too small is almost as bad as too large. Make the standing rigging undersize and color it dark tan (not black). Make the running rigging light colored, or don't color it at all. The contrast is more important than the actual size. Don't tie any visible knots or leave any blobs. Keep in mind, it is your model and your hobby. You are the captain, the crew and the Secretary of the Navy. Nobody should tell you what to do. Have fun. Gary God bless the families of the Columbia shuttle. Only the good die young. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Stephen Varhegyi" Subject: Ticonderoga Class Cruisers I'm currently building the 1:350 Dragon USS Bunker Hill. I noticed that on the Bow they have raised detail for three portals on each side. Two round ones and a rounded elongated one in the middle. I studied some photos I found on photovault and they appear to be hollowed out but it's hard to make out. Does anyone know a bit about Ticonderoga Class Cruisers and if I should hollow these portals out? Thanks Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: David Gregory Subject: Info on ACR USS Saratoga/USS Rochester Can anyone tell me what modifications were made to the armored cruiser USS Saratoga/USS Rochester during WW1? Specifically: 1) Did she have a cage mast like the Tenessee and Pennsylvania class ACRs? 2) Where were her two 3" AA guns mounted? 3) Was she painted in a camouflage scheme? Thanks, Dave ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Ed Thoele Subject: Re: Nichrome wire gauges John: My modeling skills are pretty rudimentary, but the rule I followed in choosing a wire gauge was simple scaling. This for 1" lines at 1/350 you need wire about 0.00285" in diameter. The closest would be (American Wire Gauge) 41 which is 0.0028". The most readily available to modelers is probably 42 gauge. At 0.0031" under a 1/350 scale it corresponds to 1.085" line. The most complete reference I found in a quick web search for wire gauge to size conversions was at: http://www.reade.com/Conversion/wire_gauge.html It covers wire gauges from 0000000 (7/0) down to 56. It includes both British and American standard gauges in a handy chart. Ed Thoele ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: "Doug Bauer" Subject: 3M Acryl-Blue Just an addendum to the posting about using the auto body filler 3M Acryl Blue....the addition of acetone to the putty for thinning works fine, but the possible harm to the plastic might negate its usefulness. Try using lacquer thinner - much easier on the plastic, with the same results. Doug Bauer Poway, CA (please send us some precipitation!!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Raymond Guy" Subject: Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear Hi All. Just a couple of comments on the Airfix HMS Daring kit purchased on E-Bay recently. What a dreadful kit this is! The moulds must have been in pretty poor shape when this kit was cast, the amount of flash on the components is appalling. A large amount of filler is going to be required to hide the "dimples" on the underside of the hull and the stern. The WEM PE kit has been purchased to try and improve this model but unfortunately it will merely serve to show-up the poor quality of the remaining components. To John at White Ensign: why no truncated mainmast for this kit on your WEM PE no.624? This is not included by Airfix in the kit as it was probably to delicate to cast with any reasonable accurate representation of the original. Why did Airfix switch plastic compounds? This soft light grey compound they use for the current kits is awful the original harder compound at least had the sharper detail on the kit parts. This will be my last attempt to build an Airfix product. From now onwards it's Tamiya, Revell and an adventure into resin which I have yet to try. Anyone know of an RN Destroyer in 1/350 in either plastic or resin? Ray ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Ned Barnett Subject: For Sweet Charity - a Gentle reminder on sub-scale planes, vehicles, etc. (spares) If you've got some small-scale (even odd small scale) aircraft, vehicles, ships, boats, etc. that you don't need and won't use, I'd like them for a diorama I'm building of some ship RC modelers sailing their boats on the pond - being attacked by an RC kamikaze (it's a box diorama with forced perspective) ... and, a diorama of a model contest. That's where I really need the kits to flesh out the display tables. So if you can spare a few odd bits of plastic that look like 1/700, 1/400, 1/350, 1/288 or even 1/144 aircraft, or armor, or vehicles, or boats, please send them to me at the address below. Thanks Ned Barnett 420 N. Nellis Blvd., A3 - 276 Las Vegas, NV 89110 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Mac Dale Subject: HMCS Sackville Just a note to let you all know, my new Sackville site is up and running. Featuring 110 photo's in 3 exterior, 1 interior, Hi res, and below the waterline series. Drop by for a visit...... http://gwardnet.d2g.com/mac/corvettek-181.html Cheers, Mac http://gwardnet.d2g.com/mac/ Mac's Naval Photography Editor ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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