The Ship Model Forum

AKA 88...USS Uvalde is done. Of all the the merchant hull conversions completed on this "campaign", I like the "looks" of this ship the best. Pic 4 has a comparison with the AGC, same hull, different job, a totally different look.

jim

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jim

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I think you could rename this thread "A Tribute to the Unsung Heroes". Very interesting subject and excellent models! Also very educational; just shows the large number of "other" ships needed to keep all the BBs, CAs, DDs, CVs and the Marines fighting the war.

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Sten Ekedahl
Maj. (Retd) RSwAF

Well, without the EDIT function the title is no longer appropriate...but I will soldier on regardless.

Pic 1 AKA-53, USS Achernar is done

Pic 2 Batch 2 Achernar with near sister batch 3 Uvalde. Differences include pole vs lattice tower for the midships radar, LOTS more portholes and fewer 20mm.

Pic 3 What is completed so far for invasion day 1 fast assault ships, AKAs, APAs, an AGC and an APD.

jim

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jim

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Spring has sprung here in Arizona, so it was time to do hulls. They require a LOT of sanding and with highs near 80F being outside sanding is the place to be.

In the foreground are 6 LSTs (2 for Abram). Next is APA-12 USS Leonard Wood, a Harris class APA, another WWI conversion but quite a bit larger than the Heywood (inspired by carr). In the background are two LSDs.

jim

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jim

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Those completed ship are simply stunning!

Sharp and crisp modelmaking-I am mighty impressed!



Jim Baumann

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

Jim, may I ask what you do to the hulls after you've sanded them to their proper shape? Do you add details and then paint directly over the wood or do you cover them with putty, milliput, or styrene first?

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Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984

Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984

Pic 1 LSDs, plans came from HSNA see link http://hnsa.org/doc/plans/ . Using "magnification %" on the top menu and "current view" in the Adobe print menu you can print any scale you want. If anyone needs a more detailed set of instructions, let me know and I will post them.

This is a "fun" hull to build. The well forces you to operate in 3 dimensions (the assembly has acoustic properties) and the knuckle (seen best in pic 6) is an absolute challenge (it twists from 20deg at stern to 80deg midships).

jim

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jim

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Jim, thanks for the comment and thanks for the title fix

Cliffy, hull sides are generally wood, decks are .030" styrene. I try to get as close to "finished" as possible with bare wood (primer gums/plugs sandpaper). Then I prime with a "hot" rattle can primer that I get from an automotive store. This step inevitably shows lots of defects. Then the sequence is bondo sand prime inspect bondo sand prime inspect etc. The only details I add to hull sides are hawse donuts and propeller guards when appropriate, this is done when the primed hull is "finished" (another bondo sand prime sequence will cause more problems than it solves). I do not add any details to the decks until they are finished painted, saves a lot of masking. Locations for deck details in most instances is provided by a drilled hole, which is done very early (plans still rubber cemented to deck surface).

jim

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jim

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Mr. Jim Russell you are a talent sir.

These are impressive ,nice to see someone building the "Forgotten Ships" of WW2.

Regards Phil

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" If your going though Hell ,keep going!" Winston Churchill

Jim,

Could you please post the steps for taking a HNSA plan and turning it into one of your plans ready to use. I have adobe CS5, just need the knowledge.

Also, do you leave the deck diagram on the model forever or at what point do you remove it? Seems if it stays on there would be a chance of it lifting.

Great work on Gator-navy ships.

Rich

Rich, I will run an exercise on the LSD. The first step is to determine a known dimension. I picked LOA (length over all) because the longer the reference length the greater the accuracy. LOA = 457’ 9” = 5493”. 5493”/350 = 15.69”, this is the length wanted for a 1/350 plan.

Go to page 3, the side view, the magnification % when opened was 25% and the entire ship was in view. Since I will be printing in landscape, which has a max of 11” of paper available, and the plan I want will be 15.69” long I will need to “tile” two pieces of paper to get the correct size plan. I increased the mag% to 40% and the ship got larger and no longer fit on a single sheet, this will do far a start. Will now print the first trial, hit the Adobe print icon. Move the bottom slide bar so that you see the aft 2/3 of the ship.

Print range
**Current view** - the picture in the print menu should now match the screen
Properties
*Setup
**Quality – best
*Features
**Landscape
*Advanced
**Grayscale – black only

OK for set up
OK for print

Move the slide bar so that you see the foreword 2/3 of the ship and repeat the print process.

Tile the two pieces together, one has to be cut so that there is an edge to match. Measure LOA – I got 13.22” so the mag% is low – we wanted 15.69”. Set up a ratio…

Test mag% / test length = wanted mag% / wanted length
…40………/…13.22… = ……x…………/…..15.69
…………….(13.22)(x)..=..(15.69)(40)
………………13.22x…= 627.6
………………………x=47.47, reset mag% to 47.47% and repeat print and tile process.

I got a LOA of 15.62”. Repeat the ratio calculation
47.47 / 15.62 = x / 15.69
x now equals 47.68%, print and tile once again.

NOTE you have to do this exercise for each page, some use the same mag but others do not. Be sure to mark the mag% on the pages as they are printed and discard the “wrong” ones.

jim

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jim

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Rich, forgot part 2 of the question

Decks are usually .030" styrene and are permanently bonded to the wood hull with a solvent based contact cement. Plans are attached to the styrene deck with rubber cement. I keep them on as long as I am doing the bondo/sand/prime cycle on the hull sides. They are removed (come off very easily) and the styrene deck is cleaned with a clean rag dampened with mineral spirits before the final coat of primer.

jim

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jim

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Jim, if you're using Photoshop there is a much easier way. Simply find a known measurement, LOA works fine. Now use the "ruler tool" in Photoshop and measure the LOA in the side view. Chances are if the plans are from the USN General Booklet of Plans, they are 1/96 scale. To check take the 1/1 scale measurement and divide by 96. If the answer matches the measurement in Photoshop then your in business.

To scale it to your working scale (1/700, 1/350, etc...) simply take the known 1/1 measurements and divide by 700. LOA is easy for the first one. Get the new LOA in 1/700 and set up two guides in Photoshop. Then simply scale the image until the ends of the ship fit between the guides. Use the "free transformation tool". When you're done, print and cut out.

To do the other sheets, say superstructure decks, just measure a flat bulkhead. Take that measurement and multiply by 96. Take the answer and divide 700. Scale the image with the guides the same way as the first image.

I find that's easier than using magnification ratios because the plan sheets aren't always the same size, especially if you're scanning in 1/96 scale plans on a small scanner. I've done that before and its a pain to stitch them back together but its worth it in the end.

So yeah, that's my way of doing things. Just thought I'd share it with you.

-Mike

PS, have you seen something called a "rubber cement eraser" ? Its a block of semi rigid plastic that completely removes rubber cement in a breeze. We used in art school quite a bit since we had to mount all of our work on thick boards. It leaves nothing behind save for some eraser like shavings that sweep away easily. Look for one in a local art store. Would save you from having to break out the mineral spirits. Just a thought.

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Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984

Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984

Jim, looking good. I appreciate the help. I found it a little funny you started all those hulls on my birthday

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-Abram

Got sidetracked, did the USS Leonard Wood, APA-12 for the "Transports" group build. The build is included in this link, pages 2 through 4.
viewtopic.php?f=74&t=73052&start=20
Pic 1 - the ship.
Pic 2 & 3 - a comparison with a WWII built C3 (the largest sized APA built during WWII) and the Heywood (another APA of WWI vintage). The APD included to show scale.
Pic 4 - gives another view of the size differences.

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jim

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Jim,

That is just a great build, as usual. I feel like my dad is with me, looking over my shoulder at the pictures and telling me about his service on board the Allen. Thanks so much for sharing!

How did you do the hull plating? Is it drawn on, scribed, actual plates, or something else? Regardless, it makes a nice effect.

Regards,
Bob

Really great work Jim (as usual). Very inspiring stuff. Wish I had your talent!

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

That is some outstanding work Jim, fantastic effort!

Beautiful workmanship and crips models as a result!

Pretty darn outstanding!!

JIM B

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com