The Ship Model Forum

The USS SPHINX is an ARL. This thread concerns LSM/R's... Which have no deck camber, either, except possibly when they roll over and sink.

_________________
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

I wonder in their trans oceanic (do oceans have genders?) voyages if LSM's took green water over the sides into the open tank deck? The interior of an LST looks much like just a decked over and larger LSM. There were flaps at the stern to allow water to drain off the tank deck, perhaps slowly. Empty I expect they had a significant metacentric height and with the flat bottoms a bobbing cork like ride with a strong righting moment. WWII DE's suffered from this a bit, having a short, sharp annoying roll period.

The "R's" at least were at least mostly decked over though having greater top weight with the 5" mount and rocket launchers.

Tom

Can't answer that, Tom - but I would imagine that the higher freeboard and COG may contribute to a lot of shallow water wallowing at slow speed.
I've been working on the grinding down of the deck and repainting - now, having thinned out the bottle of deck green paint to the point that it no longer covers, I've had to put in an order for more paint, so while I wait I decided to do some 3D design/printing of some parts that I really don't need, but wanted to see if they would print nonetheless. 12" bulkhead portholes - inside & outside. And here is the design:

And here is the printed item (well, actually 9 of them ) - this is the inside porthole:

I haven't printed this yet, but may when I get around to it. With the inside portholes, I also designed & printed 12" closed chocks as I need them for the LSM/R and STODDARD and I can't seem to round up the files I thought I'd already created. Anyhow, here is the design file photo:

These printed out fine so I now have a small supply in case they somehow "disappear"....

The replacement a/c unit is back and operating - and not worth a crap!!! - it does maintain the temp at the face of the duct as the manufacturer stated, but loses cooling in the room due to (1) the excessive amount of heat the exh. hose generates. I've insulated this duct, but it really can't keep the heat contained. I'm thinking about trying a 6" dia. insulated sleeve rather than the rolled insulation I have in place now. But, I'm not holding out any hope. This unit simply won't keep the spaced cooled. I'm not holding my breath for winter and using the heating function, but we'll see. An expensive mistake! Once again, until fall and cooler weather - my shop time will be limited.

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

The only LSM sailor I know is Song, perhaps he could enlighten us as to how they were in a seaway. Shallow draft and lots of freeboard, could have been interesting. I read an account that LST's apparently were abysmal handling in wind and waves, but few if any on board complained due to lack of experience on anything else for comparison.

Looking forward to the application of the vents, bitts, chocks etc!

Tom

Well, with a bit of cooler weather and the delivery of all my ordered paints, things are moving along. I have repainted the main deck, hull, retaped & sprayed the bottom to correct a few spots and mistakes and all is looking fairly well. I should have a photo or two in the next day or so. I've also redesigned the 12" porthole and will probably print a few to have on hand:

I think this will work well on most superstructures, the LSM/R won't require any more, so this was just a side venture. But, I've also started work on the modifications to the 5"/38 gun mount - that being mainly the cover or slide cover that was placed over the barrel recess on the face of the mount - here's a photo of LSM/R-188 that shows this fairly well:

And here is my first design for this slide cover:

Taking measurements of the gun barrel recess on my gun mount - this is a spare I have on hand that I purchased in 2017 or thereabouts from Model Monkey - it is a single knuckle mount which is like the version that was used on the interim LSM/R vessels. I will also need to create a 3D part of the sight & ring on the right upper back face of the mount - which can be seen in the photo.

I have also modified a deck hatch w/scuttle for both a square & rectangular version for this project:

I've now painted those and will locate on the main deck shortly, as well.

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:

I think the curved flexible piece slides under the upper part, so perhaps that should be raised a little. A fairly unique setup, perhaps to add gas tightness to the mount?

Cheers: Tom

Exactly So!! Good reply - I think you've figured it out - so, I modified the cover somewhat to accommodate that feature - both on top and front sections:

A bit hard to see, but it will now appear that the section enclosing the barrel will slide under the other sections.

Thanks for pointing that out - makes the part a bit more realistic!!

_________________
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:

I had a thought on the Camo design if you go that way. I would suggest using the stencil material to cut your masks, it's available on about 1' wide rolls about 4' long at your local crafts store for the Cricut folks. It has an adhesive backing, it's the same material I sent you for the number stencils. Did you already paint the hull bottom? Easier to paint that after camo pattern is applied. An example is with Pascal's AO project and his disruptive pattern.

Tom

Tom,

In reply to your post above ... viewtopic.php?f=59&t=327450&start=100#p959157 ...

The sliding metal sheath type gun port seals, were a design developed by ChNY as a solution to the issue of the canvas "bloomers" needing to be replaced so often. ChNY developed these through several iterations starting in 1943. Many of the destroyers built or modified by ChNY from 1943 onwards had these. Maybe only on a couple of mounts or on all mounts. In about mid-1945 these gun port seals were made a "standard" for all 5-in/38 mounts. But, not that many ships had them with a large part of the fleet being mothballed. The USN apparently found them to not be acceptable or rather that an alternate design using inflatable rubber bladders that would deflate for gun movement and re-inflate when stationary did the trick. The sliding gun port seals had largely disappeared by the Korean War. The whole reason for the "bloomers" and sheath seals wasn't as "Blast Shields", it was to try and keep out water from the electrical and mechanical gear in front of the 5-in mount below the port opening.

Use of this type of gun port seal makes sense given that LSM(R)-198 was built at ChNY,

Rick,

Thanks much for the historical reply to the question about the sliding gun mount covers. I guess "what happens in Charleston stays in Charleston" as I've never seen any other ships with this sort of modification. I can see where they would want to keep the elec. as well as mech. circuits & mechanisms dry inside the mount. Things always tend to get simpler from the initial version as we have seen in the final versions of the synthetic rubber bloomers which were in vogue in the 1960s/70s, etc.

I am trying a simplified camo pattern based on the type of layout in pix of LSM/R-194 - this will be my first attempt at camouflage so it's probably going to be rather elementary. Will be working on this during the week upcoming - I guess the camo method will shelter me from The Admiral if she's out and about flicking The Cat.....one can only be wary when danger lurks.

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

Harken back well into the Analogue Era, to the days of sail when Cats had not only nine lives they had nine tails.

Over the last few days I've been working on the camo paint on the hull - is ok, nothing to write home about - 1st time for everything!!!

Also, started work on the 5" gun mount - I'm using a spare (well, now after almost destroying the 1st spare single knuckle mount I had )...2nd spare single knuckle mount that I purchased from the Monkey Man in 2017, I'm doing a bit of modification to it to bring it up to the version used on the Interim LSM/Rs. I've designed and printed several parts in addition to the gun barrel slide cover I've already described in an earlier post. These new parts are the side ladders, upper access panel, and the sight setter's open hatch and slew sight (base model courtesy of Tom Terrific and his Amazing Flying Circus ). Here are the design pics of these parts:

This goes on the port side of the top of the mount

I've also designed/printed a closed version which I may use on the 5"/38 mounts for STODDARD.

And, the side ladders - these also may find their way on board STODDARD, as well!
So, I hope to have a picture or two of the model soon enough showing the progress (?) I'm making.

_________________
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

Here is the basic hull of the model after tonight's installation of the (3) 20mm gun tubs on the main deck:

As you can see, the camouflage is completed and with minor touch up on the dk. red bottom paint on the stbd. waterline, I can think about the hull number placement as well as the draft mark decals.

I still have to do a bit of camo on the castle, but since that won't be added for a while yet, I'm in no rush. Tomorrow my 2nd attempt at modifying the 5" gun mount will be Job #1 and I hope this time I don't have any screw-ups or other mistakes or calamities to halt the progress Maybe even get a picture or two if it comes out successful!

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:

Looking forward to see how the hull numbering comes out. That will add a lot to the overall effect! I suggest doing some trial work before doing the hull proper. Phill's suggestion of sealing the edges of the stencil with hull color is a good one. Your vents and deck fittings so far look good, an improvement on the kit parts.

Regards: Tom

Thanks Tom!!!

Always nice to hear that I've made progress from another source! Yes, this afternoon will be getting the stencils applied via that method and masking off and then spraying.

Hank

Today I've been in and out of the shop working on various projects for The Admiral and doing work on the LSM/R. Using the stencils Tom Terrific sent me from his HQ in the Frigid Interior of Alaska, I got the hull nos. done and here is what the stbd side looks like at this point:

Tomorrow I will hopefully get the centerline rocket access hatches painted and in place. Also, I continued work on the 2nd attempt to modify my spare 5"/38 gun mount. That work will continue and maybe also get to a point where it can be painted, etc. It's about half way complete.

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,
Looking great! Can't wait to see the 3d printed rocket launchers!

Dave

Dave, thanks so much!! I have been printing the Mk. 36 launchers - actually I need to count how many I've got on hand now as I'll need 85 of those. Most on a single printing raft are coming out usable (90%??) but I haven't taken a talley on them yet. I have recently been printing the exhaust gratings for these items separately after I found an orientation for printing that allowed them to print in a successful manner (upright rather than flat). I'll try to assemble & paint one of these units and post a photo.

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:

You are coming right along with this project. You realize eventually you will run out of excuses not to resume work on Stoddard!

Cheers: Tom

Drat!!!!
I just KNEW someone would figure this out sooner or later...

_________________
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:

Amazingly I didn't see it first time (Cloaking device turned on?) that you have the hull numbers done! Nice work!

Tom