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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:24 pm 
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Ian:

I couldn't even get a project started in Blender... Hank Strubb and I are using a free program called Design Spark Mechanical. Blender is probably quite a bit better at doing hull contours etc, but many useful objects can be made with a combination of geometric shapes. For this particular program, there are a number of good tutorials on Youtube by Jim Taylor. Something like a MK 37 director or a twin 5" 38 mount are pretty basic shapes, portions of cylinders and planes. It took me quite a while to figure out how to make the LCVP! I would like to make some 26' MWB's, but this is not the program optimal for that.

Good luck! Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:22 pm 
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Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 3:41 pm
Posts: 2927
Location: Mocksville, NC
The last time I used a Blender, I almost ended up with nubs......Oh, you mean the 3D modeling program Blender :doh_1:

Tom - I like the M36 - not familiar with that vehicle - but, wouldn't it be nice if we all had one to put to good use about now???????

Hank

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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


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:49 pm 
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Hank:

I printed the turret and it came out well, but as it's open topped I have to do all the interior details, including the turret basket. Having the innards on display will make for a nice little model! US had sort of a strange tank doctrine and they could have fielded the M26 Pershing, a match for the Tiger, much earlier but for some reason the Generals in Europe didn't want it. Instead of using tank vis tanks, they wanted to used the Tank destroyers, the M10 and M36 to ambush German tanks. Later a folding top was implemented, sometime in the field to protect the crew in closer quarters against snipers and infantry. In the Pacific, useful as a self propelled gun. They were fast, agile and the open top offered great situational awareness, if not protection.

Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:15 pm 
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A test print of the M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer.

Attachment:
M36 test.jpg
M36 test.jpg [ 141.71 KiB | Viewed 770 times ]


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:02 am 
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Excellent job. :thumbs_up_1:


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:11 am 
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Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2013 3:41 pm
Posts: 2927
Location: Mocksville, NC
Tom,

Well done, again!!! Any available at a local dealership???? :yeah:

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


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:38 am 
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Indeed very nice :thumbs_up_1:


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:10 am 
Really nice. I agree, well done.

Quote:
Well done, again!!! Any available at a local dealership???? :yeah:


Well, I remember a couple being up for sale at Cold War Remarketing near Denver a few years ago (they may have been M10s instead of M36s) but definitely close enough for humor.

...George in Colorado


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:02 pm 
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Hank:

The M36 was a response to the new 1943 EPA CAFE standards, it was lightened up to improve gas mileage over the M4. Crash worthiness was still deemed adequate against most jeeps and trucks, though complaints were issued concerning the open top when crashing through brick walls.

Last night I printed a new turret with the basket, including some minor details, breech, three seats etc. Still looking for more details. The hull had a number of external racks on the side slope, trying to fathom the use of these. I haven't retrieved it yet from downstairs.

All this activity is spurred by a desire to avoid repairing some rigging I knocked haywire.

Cheers: Tom!


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 2:07 am 
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The theory is, make a sketch on the screen, push a button and perfect part pops out. This assumes in a perfect world that you didn't male any mistakes in design. The aforementioned turret had the basket far to big to fit in the chassis. Those kind of issues circumvented (iteration) then there is the actual printing process, which involves some "Double trouble, boil and bubble, eye of newt, toe of frog to make the brew firm and good". This process isn't up to the standards of launching humans into orbit on top of rocket, with a million parts, made by the lowest bidder, yet.

The latest turret printed pretty well. At the least it fits well, a good standard for pair of shoes.

Cheers: Tom


Last edited by Fliger747 on Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:50 pm 
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Attachment:
M36 rail.jpg
M36 rail.jpg [ 380.74 KiB | Viewed 672 times ]


Current iteration of the M36 Jackson (aka Slugger). Apparently it once hosed a German Panther at 4600 yards! Will add a few more doo dads, track links, road wheels and whatnot. Rear deck of the turret gets a 50 BMG on a pedestal.

Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:30 pm 
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Attachment:
M36 pair.jpg
M36 pair.jpg [ 321.85 KiB | Viewed 618 times ]


M36's, with and without extra dealer prep, approval of the Class three 50 BMG's delayed due to paperwork hangup.

Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:10 am 
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Misc odds and ends. I had a M36 turret (a test print) without interior details so I made the foldable top for it, decaled the turret and chassis and dull misted. As to the ship, I finally went back to repair the rigging fwd of the #4 hatch. I finally used some of the printed blocks. I have probably enough vehicles to fill the #5 hatch!

As a distraction took a little time off and went back to my pistol shooting with some success, 8 of 10 in a 1" spot at 30' . Right now printing some 4 sheave blocks for the 50 ton Jumbo at the #5 hatch.

Cheers: Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:28 pm 
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Today:

Been stripping all the "set on's" (there are a lot) and blowing off dust and debris with compressed air, touching up paint as necessary and matt coating. Then, starting to glue down some of the boats and whatnot, working fore to aft. Painted the deck on the 5" 38 with deck blue, glued down the wooden grating on the bridge wings and the clip shack on the 03 level. Added a few cleats to the bulwark rails aft. The dull coat does a decent job of evening out any variations in deck shininess from touch up's or glue escapes. I am using the Krylon 1311 which has the advantage of cheap and available! The trick seems to be just misting it on, indirectly and at some distance. If I'm ambitious, maybe a photo later!

Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:36 pm 
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Attachment:
apa 3 P4210084.jpg
apa 3 P4210084.jpg [ 317.07 KiB | Viewed 945 times ]
Attachment:
apa 2P4210085.jpg
apa 2P4210085.jpg [ 348.85 KiB | Viewed 945 times ]


A minor bit of work today as previously described. I did replace the heavy lifting tackle for the 50 ton Jumbo Boom. New sheaves and new stringing of the "wire". AS it sits, it needs some down tension to remain straight, which is currently supplied via a "line" awarthships thru the hook. In the final set it will be set in the position of ready to lift a LSM.

You can see how bare the ship looks aft without the boats and deck cargo. I rather prefer the ship as seen in B&W, looks more era authentic.

Regards: Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:37 pm 
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Location: Austin
Fantastic stuff Tom -- this is one of my favorite threads to follow on this board!

You may have answered this earlier in the thread -- did you use a specific set of plans to scratchbuild this ship? I have a copy of the TFD drawings of LATIMER (APA-152), so curious if you used these as a basis or had others.


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:41 pm 
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Ian:

I have the Lowndes drawings, available on their website and the APA BOGP available on the HNSA site. In addition I have a copy of the movie Away All Boats which was filmed aboard Randall in the early 50's. That and consulting hundreds of shots onboard APA's at Navsource. Some other individuals have also contributed shots. The movie stills I have excerpted were often a great help for pesky details. For boats, weapons etc a myriad of manuals, photos and documents were consulted. There are a few errors and things I will still change, some not.

Last, and certainly least is the Revel model of Randall that I built when I was maybe 10 tears old?

Tom


Last edited by Fliger747 on Sat Apr 24, 2021 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:15 am 
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As to scaling and positioning, rather good accuracy was necessary, as you can see, the ship hardly has a square inch free on the decks. Some of the items such as the 36' LCVP's don't allow any leeway at all for not having something in the right place. Misplace a structural item by 1 scale foot and something else doesn't have room! Early in working up the masts, bulkheads and deckhouses this became quite apparent! Geeze I could hardly move anything!!

1:120 turns out to be a fun scale, not too huge but I think I can do about anything that I could do in 1:100 or so. For anyone with a digital caliper, pretty easy, .1"= 1'; 1"' 10 ft.

Regards: Tom


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:59 pm 
Very convincing looking model. Keep on trucking. :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:


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 Post subject: Re: APA project
PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 2:03 pm 
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Thank you gentlemen!

Do we have any gals here? I did find another doo dad to design, print and add. It's in the print process right now. Abeam the #4 hatch some ships had a rack to store three 25' refueling hoses on each side. These ships sometimes did underway refueling for escorts such as DE's etc.

Attachment:
oil hose racks.jpg
oil hose racks.jpg [ 288.86 KiB | Viewed 891 times ]


Probably a post war photo as the boat crawls outboard of the hatch are no longe rain evidence and the lifeline continues along the deck edge. (edit) I did print out the hoses and racks, but in the spirit of everything being crowded in, I have to uproot and move the inboard of the boat cradles slightly outboard!

Cheers: Tom


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