Subject: SMML VOL 2491 Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 02:14:59 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Re Can Anybody Help? 2 Re Hatches, Elevators & Boottopping 3 148 scale trawler crew 4 Re German H 42 plans 5 SCIPIONE AFRICANO 1700, Niko Models 6 1/700 scale USN 5-d and 5-l ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS Welcome to the ANZAC Day Edition of SMML 89 years ago today, ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) troops landed in Gallipoli. Today we honour all our servicemen past & present. "They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn; At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them" "LEST WE FORGET" Shane & Lorna Jenkins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From "Leslie D. Foran" Subject Re Can Anybody Help? A couple of years ago, I was in a similiar situation to Don's, needing additional landing craft and landing craft davits for a 1/192 scale LST. I was building a model of LST 325 as purchased from the Greek Navy in 2000 by a group of World War II vets. This particular LST was a Normandy veteran that had been sold to the Greeks as a communications ship/LST. My model was based on the Lindberg LST, with heavy modifications to the original kit. The converted ship carried four LCVP's, as compared to the kit's two. Of course, this required the addition of two more davit sets as well. The extra davits were scratchbuilt from Plastruct styrene strips. They have an odd shape, but the originals can be used as templates. The additional craft were made by using one of the originals as a master to make molds in modelling clay. Five pieces were cast for each craft two sides, a bottom, and two ends. These parts were cast using a five-minute epoxy, with talcum powder dusted into the clay molds as a release agent. The molds were slightly overfilled, then the parts trimmed and sanded to size later. I found it pays to make a few extra parts. The resulting craft were then covered with "canvas" covers made with tissue paper soaked with acrylic varnish. These were installed over transverse bows made from thin Plastruct rod. The wet paper will sag realistically between the bows, and can be painted after the varnish dries. Of course, if Don isn't as cheap as I was, he could buy an additional kit and get all the landing craft and davits he will need. By the time I bought the materials needed, I would probably been money ahead just buying a second kit, but then I would have missed out on the fun. I think I still have digital pictures of the project, so if Don or anyone else is interested in seeing this project, they can contact me directly at lforan@megavision.com and I will be glad to supply them with photos. Les Foran Still Landlocked in Nebraska ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From Randy Ward Subject Re Hatches, Elevators & Boottopping >> As this time I will be priming I will not be able to see were the upper and lower hull meet so I need some suggestions on how to set this line after painting. << Lyndon, you might try making a cradle/stand that temporarily holds the hull with the boottopping line parallel to the tabletop or whatever. Make an inexpensive device (maybe use a small plastic drafting triangle?) that allows measuring and remarking the line. After painting, place the hull back in the cradle/stand and remark the line. I've seen devices that hold a pencil or scriber for this purpose. ('Sorry, was that description sufficiently murky?) 8-) Cap'n Randy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From "Jimmy Bloom" Subject 148 scale trawler crew Greetings, SMMLrs, I have a static model of Billings' NORDKAP trawler sitting on my desk. It has a lot of blank deckspace and I have applied coils of rope and odd bits of netting etc. to try to make it more interesting. I would like to place about five or so deck crew on her. Does anyone know of someone that makes figures in this scale? Also, I've followed the traffic about the 1/72 U-boat crewmen. I have a lightship in 175 scale and would like to use some 1/72 figures on her. Could I convert the Kriegsmariners or maybe someone makes more generic figures. Thanks for any help, Jim Bloom somewhere just north of the infamous US capital beltway. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From David Wells Subject Re German H 42 plans Harold Winkel >> I´m searching for plans, sketches etc of the german H 42 project. Breyer´s plans are quite wishi-washi concerning the stern geometry, and (in some cases) his sources appear to be obsolent. Any information available? << Believe it or not, Breyer may be your best source. There's not much out there on the later variations of the H class. Some of my best sources have little to nothing. Groener (German Warships 1815-1945) has no diagram at all, and the usually thorough Dulin & Garzke have only a simple diagram, with less information than Breyer. Word is that there's a new edition of Breyer out now, so maybe that has something better. "There seems to be something wrong | David R. Wells with our bloody ships today" | Adm. D. Beatty, May 31, 1916 | http//home.att.net/~WellsBrothers/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From "Harold Stockton" Subject SCIPIONE AFRICANO 1700, Niko Models I have known for a month that the very talented people at Niko Models were planning to break out of the purely national model making scheme of Polish model subjects, but I waited until they announced it on their website to say anything about it. Well, it is official now, their planned SCIPIONE AFRICANO Italian light cruiser in 1700 scale is out. One can view this little jewel at http//www.nikomodel.pl/scip_afric.html . Besides being of another WW-II combatant than fought with a Polish crew, one is struck by a definite improvement in their assembly instructions over the simple but adequate exloded views and one is amazed at how much surface detail is molded onto the main hull and superstructure molding. For added fidelity of detail, Niko models has molded their kit's lifeboat and raft racks in two separate horizontal and vertical pieces in order to capture these very unique structures, and especially inside of the covered launches. And it should also be noted the very fine detail inside of each of the boats and rafts. As is usual with all of Niko Model's subjects, there are the requisite hatches, bollards, bits, fairleads, winches, ready use ammunition lockers, steampipes, scuttles and other smaller details are already added, and a very respectible representation of this vessel's AAA armament has been included. One can barely see the ship's torpedo launcher that is covered by the overhead boatdeck, but this adds to the unique appearance of these vessels. Though these vessels were classified as superheavy destroyers or leaders, they were designed as 40 knot light cruisers. Others of the Romani Capitain class were the Attilio Regolo, Caio Mario, Claudio Druso, Claudio Tiberio, Cornelio Silla, Giulio Germanico, Ottaviano Augusto, Paolo Emilio, Pompeo Magno, San Giorgio, Scipione Africano, Ulpio Traiano and the Vipsanio Agrippa. According to the Regia Marina website at http//www.regiamarina.it/carregeng.htm ". . . this class of light cruisers were small and very fast, because they had no armor; this class is to be considered half way between light cruisers and destroyer leaders. Only three of these cruisers were completed in war time Attilio Regolo, Pompeo Magno and Scipione Africano; other six were launched but they remained uncompleted. Attilio Regolo and Scipione Africano were given to France in 1948, while Pompeo Magno was rescued and refitted after the war; it was used as a destroyer leader and renamed San Giorgio." The Scipione Africano was given to France after the armistice along with the Attilio Regolo and Pompeo Magno of the same class, the DD Velite, Legionario, Oriani and Mitragliere, and the ship Eritrea. All in all, the Scipione Africano will be a welcome addition to anyone's collection of smaller naval combatants of WW-II, and the people at Niko Models should be congratulated for choosing such an interesting subject to model. There is abundant information about this class of vessel in order to adequately model this particular ship or others of her class, and with the addition of photoetched railings, ladders and stairs, these models will jump out at you as being an unurual addition to your collection. Happy modeling. Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From "Robert Zeit" Subject 1/700 scale USN 5-d and 5-l Hi. I am doing a 1/700 USS Vireo in the 1941 5-D/5L scheme. What off-the-shelf paints might I use to get the scale color. I am considering using WEM enamels or Testors cut 5050 with white. Bob Zeit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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