The Ship Model Forum

Thanks Hank:

If one looks at a typical Yard Photo, the detailed ones taken with a 4x5 press camera, there is enough detail to keep going for a long time. The Admiral didn't get his exercise by striding the decks, More like the high hurdles and obstacle avoidance. I imagine there were a few injuries answering the General Quarters Gong.

Tom

Tom, that model is really starting to come together! Love it.

Bravo Zulu

_________________
Bruce
OSC USN-Ret


Currently on the building ways:
1/144 USS Stevens DD-479
1/144 USS Cook Inlet AVP-36
1/144 USS Walke DD-416
1/144 USS Preble DDG-46

Thank you Bruce:

Looking forward to progress on your Destroyer. Rather amazing win the advances in Naval construction in this short interwar period!

Best regards: Tom

Nice job, Tom, she looks great!

_________________
Pascal

•Battleship Bretagne 3D: https://vu.fr/FvCY
•SS Delphine 3D: https://vu.fr/NeuO
•SS Nomadic 3D: https://vu.fr/tAyL
•USS Nokomis 3D: https://vu.fr/kntC
•USS Pamanset 3D: https://vu.fr/jXGQ

Thank you Pascal!

I'm at that point where I have to paint the hull red and boot top, a point where pain-ting is just that, a pain. This ship is a bit unusual as the shaft struts actually have boot top wrapped around them. Since I took the photo I airbrushed the funnels in "Zane" Gray and affixed them to the deck. Strangely I have had issues with CA taking forever to hold, the Locktite that I just picked up sets way too fast, a second or two.

There are a great number of small items to design, for instance the K guns and spare racks, many other examples exist. The aft winch will be a challenge. Looking at photos, the ship model should't have an unoccupied square cm! That's a lot of stuff.

Cheers: Tom

Printed prop for Clemson Class Destroyer, 1:144

Current progress, all this stuff is attached except the prop.

Cheers: Tom

Have a few more items ready to attach, bridge ladder, pigs and kites, at least the midships ones, triple cable spool, dual Carley floats 3" ready boxes. Te position of the ready boxes seems to have not much in the way of a standard arrangement except there are some associated with the mounts.

Tom

Hi,Tom.
It is very good propeller.
Regards; Song

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Life is short model-warships is too many to make!!

Thank you Song! You have done well with your handmade propellers in the past. Having made propellers from brass in the past, a very difficult task. There are people who specialize in this to great effect. I think use of a form to press the blades into proper curvature would be necessary.

Best regards. Tom

Printed and printing more inclined ladders, a large double cable spool and a couple more dual Carley Floats with frames. As with the APA, this is a very crowded deck space, any mis locations tumble forth with lack of space for something else! Will take a while to accumulate a batch of small parts to "Err Brush".

Tom

Tom,
Your photo looks great - the B&W touch is right in keeping with the time frame - I like the details that are beginning to appear - nice work, as usual!!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hank:

Somehow I'm not happy with the sharpness of the photo as shown here. The original taken with a series of 50 MB images merged for depth of field, but the small allowed size takes all the quality away. Sometimes they come out well and sometimes not. Since almost all of the original ship phots of the era are monochrome, many even orthochromatic, it is I suppose appropriate. Perhaps I'll try going all blue spectrum to see how it matches the mood of the time.

Cheers: Tom

Outside in harsh, direct sunshine is about the most difficult lighting fo a model. but here is the DMS today on my workshop rail.

Tom

Tom,

That looks better and better - the details are quite convincing!!! The B & W is, of course, apropos.

Will you model Queeg in Winter or Summer Undress Blues? and his steel balls???? (couldn't resist...the cackling veep made me do it!!!)

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hank:

Just added a critical item for Strawberries and Ice Cream, the deck mounted refrigeration locker. For the long grind across the Pacific perhaps a minimal but essential addition to habability. In the 20's and 30's the General Board discussed the attributes of the planned new destroyers, such frivolous items like a laundry and refrigeration were considered by some as w waste of tonnage. Fortunately "Cooler" (Pun) heads prevailed.

Tom

To compensate for strawberries and ice-cream, steel balls place in the bilge as ballast.



Tom

Yes, the crew is always considered "second fiddle" when it came to allotting moneys for well-being, etc. That reminds me of the removal of the original soda fountain on NEW JERSEY in 1967 - only part of the original setup remains - that portion that was removed would probably be worth a fortune today in a retro-soda shop setting. They replaced that with one of those soft ice cream machines and eliminated the need for a Ships Serviceman billet in doing so. I think the other 3 IOWAs still have their original soda fountain fixture back behind the crew's mess. I still prefer a good old ice cream cone with choc. syrup!

Your overhead shot looks really good - getting more detailed with each new photo - this has turned out to be a really neat model project - good work!!!!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Tom,

I was looking at the seachests above the bilge keels. Did these ships have "scoops" to direct water into these openings? I ask because the Clevelands did have scoops (see attached picture) but many vessels didn't. Also, the Clevelands has several flat bars across these openings to keep out large sea animals.

It is interesting that these seachests (for the condensers?) were on the sides of the hull and not on the bottom as on the Clevelands and many other types. But because they were on the bottom we had to be careful to not suck in mud if the keel was resting on the bottom.

Phil

_________________
A collision at sea will ruin your entire day. Aristotle

Phil:

Indeed, the placement of the sea chests on the side of the hull is a little unusual. Bismarck had them positioned near the turn of the bilge. Missouri when she had her famous grounding on Mussel Shoals plugged them up and a quick shutdown of the power plant was necessary. Instead of a scoop the intake appears to have a NASA scoop effect with the small end forward, causes the cooling water to eddy into the opening. For a small ship the sea chest openings were moderately large. The dry dock photo I saw did not show any scoop, but the grating had been removed as well. Guessing that research showed that a smaller opening could be used with less drag and improved performance. Certainly something of interest to (at the time Bu C&R) or maybe some of the civilian outfits such as Gibbs and Cox.

I think severe rolling of "Caine" in the Typhoon would have caused issues for the black gang with sometimes exposure of the sea chests. Pretty small pilot house, much smaller than a Fletcher or an Essex, not a lot of room to bounce around. What can you do with just a thousand tons or so?

Cheers: Tom