The Ship Model Forum

Today was a good day for yard work and a small amount of afternoon shop time, as well.

I did get the fwd. 40mm mount finished and located in the tub:


Once I have my hull painted (waiting on hull red spray paint) and a bit more work done on the foc'sle, I'll locate the gun tub and then add the additional items on the foc'sle.

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:

The single 40 and the tub came out nicely! Again, your good closeup photo doesn't reveal how small this item is.

As to my LSM I am trying several methods for the mast. The one I printed with a hollow shaft didn't stay hollow enough to insert a piano wire. I also printed a "top" with cross trees that I can perch on the brass rod I turned down on the lathe (not that easy) . I did solder on an extension of a smaller diameter tube to avoid trying to turn an item too long and thin.

Cheers: Tom

Fri. - 7:30am edit:

Tom,

Thanks!! Yes, I'm finally getting a few good photos with the Macro setting on the phone camera. Currently working on designing the amidships 40mm elevated tub which basically is a modification of the fwd. tub with legs.

The mast can be hard to design and as I've also noted, certain objects really take a lot of design time to get right - and perhaps the resin used is the limiting factor. I was able to use my kit supplied mast with a few alterations as needed for the LSM/R version.

Hank

Speaking about masts, here is the modified kit mast for my LSM/R-194:

The port yardarm was shortened in order to possibly avoid being blasted apart from the launch of rockets. I've also chosen to leave the RADAR unit gray as those items tended not to be painted. In addition, I painted the yardarm blinkers white as they were clear lamps, not colored (P/S) navigation lamps. I may replace those with clear, turned plastic lens as those would be more accurate. Haven't decided yet. I do have a few extra 3D printed 1:144 scale lamps on hand from my STODDARD build.

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

After a short workout pulling weeds early this morning, I picked up where I had left off last night on designing the amidships 40mm gun tub - it's an elevated affair in front of the Castle. So, after several hours of work, I've got it ready for an initial printing:

Hard to see but there is a ladder on the upper left side of the tub in this view. I will print two of these as it doesn't matter, it will take a bit over 5 hours to print. So, why not make use of the time, right??

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

_________________
Amen dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in paradiso (Lk 23,43).

Willie,

Thanks again!! It always helps to research these items before making parts and then having them be incorrect. And now it's getting harder to find relevant information on these items that are 70-75 years old and reference materials are scant.

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

Good idea about using clear plastic for the lights. I wonder if for the colored (port and starboard) running lights if painting the background behind the light, rather than the light might be effective?

As to masts for the LSM, I finished an example using a turned brass lower part with the uppermost detail printed looks good so far. It will be interesting to see if the overall mast has sufficient rigidity. If not, I can reconstruct the mast with brass cross tree etc and add printed detail, platforms, ladders, radar and whatnot.

Cheers: Tom

Latest iteration of the LSM Masts with brass used to increase it's turgidity. Unlike snakes, plastic doesn't suffer reptile disfunction on cold mornings. But warm conditions are a consideration. The tip's a little soft still as the brass ends just below the yard arm. The brass section turned on a lathe from rod with a hollow tube extension soldered on and this unit pinned to the hollow base of the resin top.

Tom,

Looks like that came out fairly nice - I'm guessing that with some drying time the small angled support rod will straighten out - as did other parts we've both printed with the same condition.

One step at a time, right???

OH - I did get the bottom of the LSM/R painted yesterday - may begin the hull painting today or this evening.

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 arm supports did not shrink back as hoped and I will replace them with either sprue or fine piano wire. I printed two of these and the one with better support wires had some other issues. 3D printing still isn't a fully mature technology but it's come a long ways. This reminds me of the early days of home computers where you had to go format the drive (one) and install the operating system and configure things in EDLIN. Even peripherals required setting dip switches and whatnot, then there was "upper memory" etc.

Tom

Tom,

Yes, that's just part of the deal at this point in 3D design/printing.


So far this weekend has been a positive one regarding most things - Hull red spray arrived and the hull bottom has been duly painted. Got the design finished for the elevated Mk. 51 GFCS tub tower and ladder. Here's the 2nd edition print of my elevated 40mm gun tub:

Please excuse the focus, still learning. HEY!!! What do you expect, perfection We're just Enlisted Pukes!!!!!
And, I heard back from the Whiners re. my a/c unit....I WAS RIGHT - IT DOESN'T WORK!!!! So, a replacement will be sent (sometime/someday/soon??? ).

So, with a bit of further design, I'll be printing the GFCS Tub ladder and elevated tower this evening. By then the 40mm tub may be fully cured and ready for cleanup and painting!

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:

The good news is you will soon have your shop AC unit back, just in time for the heating season. As you have recently noticed and I found out in spades with the APA that location of all items on the ship have very little to no leeway. The more "scratchy" the project is the more critical location is. Looking forward to more photos soon. I'm bogged down at the moment with the ARL hull but need to get back to the LSM mast replacement, repair of some life lines, a few tank deck details, and perhaps actually adding the military vehicles to the tank deck.

Cheers: Tom

Hi Hank,

I finally got around to checking out your thread about LSM(R)-194. Very impressive and beautiful work! I am envious of your ability to incorporate 3D printing; I wish I had the access to equipment and the skill to use it as you do! Keep up the good work!

John

John,
Thanks for the kind remarks - much appreciated!!! Yes, sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be beneficial to go in (as Tom has done with his 1:192 MISSOURI & ALASKA models) and replace hand made items on my 1:200 NEW JERSEY - but, at this stage I'm loathe to mess with it as it is in fine shape just as is. 3D design/printing is THE NEW MODELING MEDIUM and more and more will be done with it as things progress in development.

Today I designed and printed several deck items from the few photos available for the first group of interim LSM/Rs - small and medium exh. fans and also the large mushroom vent - I'm one shy from the kit parts so that provide me the opportunity to make 6!!!!

Here is a design pic of the parts:



I've also noticed differences between the equipment installed on the first group of ships and the latter group - they had at least one more large mushroom vent - the exh. fans I'm not sure about - I need to make a count

And also got in some further deck grinding/sanding & painting tonight before the storms set in and I decided it was time to go inside the house. More tomorrow, etc.

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:

What's the loop on the side of the vent, Perpetual motion device or (analogue) PFM generator? Those will look good once installed!

Cheers: Tom

Tom - that's a horn that I tried to show (very minimal compared to the photo I have of the actual fan) - I think used for warning crew prior to firing the rockets. We had similar warning horns on the battleship prior to the 16" being fired - 3 rings over the loudspeakers.

As I mentioned, these are very small parts, perhaps less than 1/8" high, so very hard to see. However, I couldn't resist adding that to the fan design!!

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 RN apparently used a ringing bell just prior to firing? My source (unimpeachable) was "Sink the Bismarck". On a LSMR (Interim) I am not sure you would want to be about anywhere topside! I suppose the Mk 51 director, 40 mm's and bridge were manned, probably a bit terrifying when first observed close up. I wonder how many reloads they had? Certainly a reload was an all hands effort, emphasis on the "hands" part. By now an old system, but clearly capable of defeating something like the "Iron Dome". The downrange effect would be even more spectacular if perchance one was in the wrong spot. Anybody have an idea about the accuracy or dispersion?

Cheers: Tom

Tom,
I should have clarified that the 3 rings were a bell, not a siren, etc. And, I believe the main deck open areas were clear of personnel before it became "rockets red glare"!!!

Hank

Over the last few days I've been reprinting 40mm tubs to the correct size and doing a bit of painting of parts. So at this juncture (another word Hiden won't figure out ) I've begun installing main deck fittings and so forth. Tonight's work is at this point:

Tomorrow I'll continue with adding more fittings. I'm waiting on some hull red bottle paint for touch up on a few small spots on the bottom - that paint should be here by the end of the month. Once that's done, I'll locate and place hull numbers & displacement markings, etc. The decal sheet included in the kit is pretty inclusive. Of course, Tom has provided me hull numbers - scaled and cut from his stencil cutter. What a guy!!!

_________________
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:

As to the hull numbers, I suggest a trial run first, if I sent you enough stencils. The Dr Phill method of sealing with hull color first then doing the white last. Airbrushing is the most elegant method, rattle can OK if you can mist it on enough. Willie's dry brush with a bunch of almost coats works OK too. Coming along nicely. One question about the kit, did the kit decks have a little camber?

Replacing the mast on 325 is still on the Roundtuit manifest, awaiting shipyard availability.

Tom

Tom - I'll email you re. the stencils. As to the deck camber, when I assembled the side walkway bulkheads and deck pieces they did have a slight camber. Since both were identical I left it that way and simply added the center deck over the well. At this stage, I'm going to have to go with it the way it is. Maybe this is something that I misinterpreted early on, I'll have to go thru what plans & photos I have and determine if this is something that will require a major redo at this point.

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