Subject: SMML VOL 3033 Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 13:09:05 +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 Re Renwal 1/200 Ethan Allen Submarine kit 2 Re museum ships 3 Re USS Oklahoma Remembered 4 Looking for a modellers vac former 5 Looking for a book 6 Varnish for 1/350 King George V 7 PT-556 (Little Abner) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From "Rick Nelson" Subject Re Renwal 1/200 Ethan Allen Submarine kit Besides the prop being wrong for an operational 608 class boat Renwal did a horrible job on the rudder. The rudder (top and bottom) they provide is molded in two pieces, a solid piece attached to the top and bottom of the hull and a moveable piece for the top and bottom. This is totally incorrect. The rudders on the boomers and most fast attacks were one solid piece for both top and bottom which moved. The diving planes are correct with a solid piece (stabilizer) attached to the left and right-hand sides of the hull and a moveable diving plane behind it, both left and right. To correct the rudder error I cut the solid pieces off of the hull with an Exacto saw and glued them onto the leading edge of the moveable pieces. Then I filled in the gaps with plastic putty. any photo of the stern of a boomer will show that the rudders are one solid piece. Rick ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From "Shirley Sachsen" Subject Re museum ships >> I find it a little odd that the choices for docking the Iowa as a museum ship is between two ports in California. Old battleships make fine museum displays. I have visited the battleships Massachusetts and Alabama and found both of them to be very inspiring and educational. Would like to visit the Texas as well. Is California the only option? << the ship is IN CA. not that I care if this ship is made a museum here or not, making it one here makes more sense than towing it to the Atlantic as the BB NJ was.... >> A much better option may be to preserve structural parts of the ship as a display in its namesake state. This is what was done with the battleship South Dakota. A memorial was made with the outline of the hull full size on the ground, and parts of the superstructure placed in the appropriate position on the plan. That way, even a landlocked state like Iowa can have its battleship memorial (I would think this would look good somewhere on the State Capitol grounds). << I agree. the best surest way to preserve a ship for all time is to cut it up and mount the pieces on a board. lookit how many pieces and parts show up on ebay. chunks of ships on display in city parks in town centers is another option. especially for those regions who really want it (unlike CA, especially Northern CA, who could give a damn). >> Hornet's biggest problem is inaccessibility. Intrepid is right out there in front of God and Everybody in Manhattan - Hornet is squirrelled away obscurely at the end of Alameda island, a long-assed haul from San Francisco (you have to go through Oakland, hardly a tourist destination - or a garden spot). She's a great ship, but she'd do much better at the Embarcadero where the Iowa is being considered for docking. If Hornet and Iowa were moored together, they'd be a HUGE draw. << Alameda is not the backwater you contend. it may be a bit difficult to get to from SF, but that's thanks to Caltrans. the BB NC is in a true backwater which is only accessible by car, there is no bus, and it's across the river from the town rather than moored in it. yet it has traffic. there are boat museums who would kill for a location like Hornet's. and if you think Alameda is hard to get to, what about Stockton where they want to put IA? talk about 'tourist destination'. not. note also that the IA is not a sure thing for the Embarcadero. note also that Hornet's biggest EXCUSE is inaccessibility, it's biggest problem is its 'management'. as for 'draw'.... we ship people think EVERYone loves ships. this is not the case. gray boats are not half as appealing as squarerigged wood ones. and their maintenance costs are prohibitive. believing that NY is the end all be all best location for anything because so many people live there/visit there, remember Intrepid went bankrupt several times, too. it was only the personal fortune of its benefactor that kept it afloat during the dark days. making a museum out of anything, whether a gray boat or a locomotive takes much more than a hobby interest. it is a BUSINESS, not a hobby and cannot be treated like one. if you scratch the surface of the gray boat failures it's usually a case of overselling the product to a gullible public while stepping off the end of the pier with only the sketchiest of business plans. Hornet's latest attempt at 'preserving history' is renting it out to moronic 'reality TV' shows, the latest being Fear Factor. such exploitation certainly calls attention to the depth of history that Hornet represents. well, doesn't it?? ever see the movie The Ship That Died of Shame? sometimes the 'mount the pieces on a board' concept is preferable. s ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From "John Snyder" Subject Re USS Oklahoma Remembered The item may have been stricken based on the Foundation's perceived or real ability to raise the necessary funds. It may have also had objections from the National Park Service, who would be tasked with its administration and maintenance, as I suspect the bill did NOT provide for any additional NPS funding or staffing. Best regards, John Snyder White Ensign Models http//WhiteEnsignModels.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From "Stephen Bolton" Subject Looking for a modellers vac former Hi Guys Does anyone know if there is a modellers vac former available to buy? and where to find one? I had heard of one by Matell but was told this is no longer around. Ideally I'd hope to find one in the U.K. but now I think anywhere would do depending on the costs. Thanks for your time. Steve Bolton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From "Mark Doremus" Subject Looking for a book Hi SMML’es, I’m actually working on a project for once; Tamiya’s 1/700 HMS Nelson. Of course I totally lack references on the Royal Navy. Does anybody have the AJ Press Monografie Morskie #14 Nelson Class Battleships that they’d like to part with reasonably? Mark Doremus ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From defiant@dslextreme.com Subject Varnish for 1/350 King George V Good day, Happy New Year! Tried Googling for the answer, but failed to find anything useful. Do I varnish a Royal Navy WW2 Battleship Matt, Satin or even Gloss (doubting that they liked their ships to literally shine though). Maybe a simple question to some... Many thanks, Matt PS Threw together a 1/350 scale Minicraft Cutty Sark for comparison purposes...Those Battleships were pretty large! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From PTCONSULTINGNHR@aol.com Subject PT-556 (Little Abner) Hi All, How are you? I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. Listen - I've recently met a really skilled modeler (you've seen his work as evidenced by the model of USS KIDD in the photos taken by Len Roberto - the model was based on the Lindberg BLUE DEVIL DESTROYER kit). He has restored a 1944 vintage Varney kit as PT-103 (I will send Steve Backer some pictures as soon as I get the model). He'll also do a Revell PT-109 kit as PT-556 (Little Abner) - complete with a scratchbuilt Thunderbolt, Mark 15 quad 20mm mount. After that, he'll R/C a Lindberg kit so that I'll have something to do at Cape Cod if I get bored in the evenings. BUT - I have had an idea that I've been throwing around in my mind ... I could have him use the Airfix Air/Sea Rescue Launch and either make it into a Royal Navy MGB (MGB-64) or as PT-9. I realize that he'd need to put a spacer in the hull and do alot of work on the upperworks to do both boats. BUT I KNOW IT CAN BE DONE AND THAT HE IS THE ONE TO DO IT. My question is ... which boat will be the easier conversion? MGB-64 or PT-9? PT Consulting Naval Historical Research www.ptboatworld.com "You've got a question, I've got an answer." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume