Subject: SMML VOL 2728 Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 01:32:53 +1100 The Ship Modelling Mailing List (SMML) is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com For infomation on how to Post to SMML and Unsubscribe from SMML http//smmlonline.com/aboutsmml/rules.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Lenton Books - a view 2 Re HT Lenton Books..... 3 Re 1/72nd scale U-boat flags 4 Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers 5 Re HMAS Kiama 6 Re CF MODEL BOATS GROUP 7 1/72nd scale U Boat flag 8 Re Flush Deck Destroyers 9 Re Flush Deck destroyer decks 10 Re HMS "Polyphemus" 11 Flush Deck DD's decks 12 Re Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers 13 Liberty ship conversion into AKA 14 Re Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From "Reid, John (AFIT)" Subject Lenton Books - a view I assume these are the small books, about 4” high by 6” wide, and about ˝” thick. If so great in their day but now outclassed by books published with aid of documents declassified after Lenton wrote. But if price is low, buy anyway, because there are few concise books on these topics – even Paul Silverstone’s book published by Ian Allan has the same problem of being too old; the real bibles (Friedman) are big, heavy, and usually expensive to buy and to ship. Calling all SMMLie authors seems to me that there is a market for a set of lowish-cost reference volumes designed for starters in the hobby but benefiting from the last 30 years’ worth of revelations, e.g. Atlanta did not do 38 knots on trials.... John Reid Rome ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From test Subject Re HT Lenton Books..... These books are long out of print and for their time, back in the 70s?? these were excellent little reference books.....and I mean little, in small, billboard format. They have been eclipsed now by the larger and better volumes of reference books now available. The captioning in general was very good and the charts and lists that accompanied each class listed were fairly accurate and a little hard to interpret. I think the major drawback was the pictures were printed so small and were quite grainy---hard for a modeller to pick out details on a 1 inch by 5 inch view. Value? No idea. To a collector who has missing titles and wants to complete the collection, these could be valuable....re you buying or selling?? Remember, most of whats in those books is nothing new, and for their time were great when we didnt have any Squadron, or Classic Warships or other specialized books around. Just my opinion. Ray in Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From "RAY MEHLBERGER" Subject Re 1/72nd scale U-boat flags Years ago, it was my pleasure to get some flag samples from the following company...to review in Internet Modeler Magazine www..loyalhannadockyard.com They have excellent flags of all kinds and they are cloth..printed on both sides. They have the U-boat flag. I know because they sent me one as a sample. Very well done and sharply printed in vivid colors. Hope this helps. Disclaimer I have no affiliation with Loyalhanna....just passing on info. Ray Mehlberger ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From Joel Labow Subject Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers Steve, To my knowledge no USN destroyer has ever had wood decks. The deck scribing on the Revell Aaron Ward kit is an error. The kit is otherwise fairly accurate...sand off the scribing and you should be fine. Also, Loren Perry at Gold Medal Models makes a very nice photoetch set for this kit. Best regards, Joel Labow ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From M Brown Subject Re HMAS Kiama If you are looking to convert a Flower to a Bathurst like Ron Young, there is an easier way. Allan Pew already gdoes a fibreglass Bathurst Hull and a semi kit for them. Michael Brown TF72 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From ALROSS2@aol.com Subject Re CF MODEL BOATS GROUP CF Model Boats Group???? How does one get in touch? Did a google search and they didn't come up. Al Ross ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From Ron Hillsden Subject 1/72nd scale U Boat flag David, BECC makes a super quality fabric flag for the U-Boat service. There are quite a few outlets in the UK where they are manufacturered. Drop me a note if you can't find one. Ron Hillsden Victoria BC http//members.shaw.ca/modelflags/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From "George Peat" Subject Re Flush Deck Destroyers I am at present building a 1/72md scale model of the John D Ford DD228 and all the info that I have been able to find on the Clemson Class destroyers shows the decks to be steel with anti slip surfaces in places on the decks, walkways, round guns etc. The colour of the deck was deck grey at the time I am building the 1920's, Regards George Peat ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From "Ed Grune" Subject Re Flush Deck destroyer decks Steve wrote >> My brother recently purchased an Arron Ward plastic kit. He said it appeared to him that the decks might have been wood based on the lines in the plastic. Were they wood or steel? I assume either way they wouold have been deck gray or deck blue at the time of P.H. << The flush deck destroyer's decks were steel not wood as depicted in the old Revell kit. Your brother may wish to sand off all the engraved deck detail. He may also wish to mount the decks just a bit proud of the hull sides then sand in some arch or camber on the deck by sanding the deck edges down to the hull. From the time of her construction up until she was camouflaged in the months prior to Pearl Harbor the Ward would have had her decks painted in Standard Navy Deck Gray #20. When she was painted into camouflage prior to Pearl Harbor, it is well believed that she was done into one of the PH experimental(Blue)versions of Measure 1. The standard for steel decks in that measure was 5-D Dark Gray. Whether her steel decks were in #20 or in 5-D at the time of PH, your brother can't go too far wrong in painting the decks very dark gray. Ed Grune Mansfield, TX ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From Subject Re HMS "Polyphemus" Chris Tilley hopes that someone will do a full hull model of "Polyphemus" sometime. It has been done. In "Model Shipwright" Quarterly No. 70, Dec. 1989, John Hollis has a article on a 1/60 scale "P". The article also reviews the original ship, and mentions one of its chief protagonists, the magnificently named ADM Sartorius. It also describes a feature of the ship that does not appear elsewhere, as far as I know the keel had 250 tons of ballast that could be released in case of hull damage. Really, with all this shape-changing, the ship would have been better named "Polymorph". Hollis' model would be about 4 ft long. It was a floating (operating) model. The article describes constructional details and techniques. The hull was molded in glass fiber. Upperworks and details were made in styrene ("plasticard") with some wood, although the decks were planked in a material called "Solaboard". The material was not further defined, an irritating habit of many magazines which have a circulation outside their native country. Five of the ten photos are of the completed model and show a high standard of finish and a most realistic appearance. Somewhere or other I have seen a photo of a model of "P" which I believe was a static one, and probably a smaller scale than Hollis'. It also appeared to be well done. For the life of me, I cannot find any reference to it. Brian Taylor ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From "Loren Pike" Subject Flush Deck DD's decks From looking briefly through "Warship Perspectives Flush Deck Destroyers in World War Two" by Glenn R. Arnold (NO ISBN#), I can only see either bare metal "painted" decks or an anti-skid material -- no WOOD. I "BELIEVE" that the wood was reserved for Cruisers and Battleships, with subs having some wood decking at times. HTH Loren A. Pike ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From Randy Ward Subject Re Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers Steve, DD-132 (the first Aaron Ward) was of the Wickes class, same as DD-139, the USS Ward. I've never seen the Ward depicted as having any wood on her decks, but all painted steel, so I'd guess that the Aaron Ward was the same. DD-132 was built "just up the road" from us, at Bath Iron Works. Cap'n Randy (the other Ward) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From DD Subject Liberty ship conversion into AKA Hi, Yesterday I thought that it would be a real challenge, and possibility to have one of the workhorses of Pacific war if... If I will made a conversion of liberty hull ship "Jeremiah O'Brien" to AKA (attack cargo ship). I have card model of "Jeremiah" and I'm asking you if anyone has any materials or data to make such conversion. Thanks Damian Pliszka Slupsk, Poland (temporary Trento, Italy) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From "John Snyder" Subject Re Decks on Flush Deck Destroyers Hi Steve, That's probably the major flaw on the old Revell kit the ships had steel decks, while Revell gave the kit a wood main deck. Best regards, John Snyder White Ensign Models http//WhiteEnsignModels.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume