The Ship Model Forum

Awesome!! You are one of the great ones out there. I look forward to your work all the time truly an incredible diorama but all your builds are masterpieces. regards

Simply great...
Dock is superb! Rust like real.

It is going to be very, very good diorama

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...in my shipyard...

This is a really fun looking project! You have made me start looking at auxiliary ships myself and I might just borrow what you are doing for my own diorama.

I am thinking of trying to scale my own scratch building to the 1:500 scale. I think in between 1:350 and 1:700 there should still be enough size to do a lot of detail-work on the models.

Thanks for this inspiring build thread!

I have a side question about the floating dry dock. Does anyone know how the blocks were placed under the ship? Were they attached to the dry-dock before the ship entered and were in places for the ship prior to it entering? I.e. was the dry dock raised, and blocks put down on the dry surface, or was it something crazy like navy divers placing blocks after the ship was in the dry dock but before the lift was finished?

Do we know what the blocks were made of?

It must have taken a high level of planning for one ship to make sure all the blocks were in the right places. I have seen a few photos with 2-4 ships in the floating dry dock. Making sure all those blocks were in the right places must have been quite a feat!

Just a vaguely educated guess here but dry docking is, obviously, something ships are designed to do and as such I believe there is such a thing as a "docking plan" which gives specific information on the placement of blocks. So, with a floating dry dock, the blocks would be placed first following the docking plan, the dock submerged, and the ship brought in and aligned using measured markings or other fixed positions before the dock was raised, placing the ship correctly on the blocks.

Hello ;

Attached photos of the latest advances in the diorama on the floating Dock.

The battleship BB-59 (USS Massachusetts) is almost finished. It remains to make the implementation of different wires, antennas, stairs, doors, etc. Currently he is finished at 98%.



































The ship in the dock and with the setting up of the canvas at the end.

















Best Regard
Alain.

Keel Blocks:

Each ship has a specific arrangement and plan for the placement of the keel blocks. It is important that they be placed exactly under supporting structures. They are generally about a 4' cement cube, with 10" or so of timbers dogged to the top for cushioning. They are placed in the bottom of the drydock, flooded (cement doesn't float) and the ship positioned and then things dried out.

Current ones, observed recently at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, do not have appeared to have changed since WWII!

T

Alain,

What an amazing display!
You have to be proud of this.
Thanks for posting.

Regards,

Alain

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On the bench;

-1/200 Arizona

http://aaube.net/

Hello,

In these moments so serious, I'm kinda embarrassed to come and introduce the advanced of the Diorama on the floating Dock. But hey life goes on and it is beautiful.

I finished all the barges mounting. I have considered each of them full comp. With interior design, painting and the implementation of the elements of life (boxes, characters and cables and ropes.).

An overview of the barges and cranes



Cranes, the barge energy and a barge that will be next to the large crane











Les barges ateliers













A barge of various storage



It remains for me to do the painting of aging cabin barge and cranes from the dock and after final Assembly of all. Finally I can see the end.

Best regard
Alain.

You, sir, are a one-man museum collection. Bravissimo!

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Sean Nash, ACG (aircraft camo gestapo)

On the ways:
1/200 Trumpeter HMS Nelson
1/700 Tamiya USS Yorktown CV-5

In the stash:
1/35 Italiari PT-109
1/35 Tamiya "Pibber" Patrol Boat
1/350 Trumpeter USS Yorktown CV-10

Kick-ass is the phrase that comes to mind. This is really an astoundingly well done project.

I think Dan summed it up nicely.

Stunning work.

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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

Man,I don't understand. Shouldn't you be a museum curator? Your attention to detail is just mind boggling. I have a 1/350 New Jersey that I want to look dirty like your BB. I think that is out of reach. No other words for your build from me.

Your attention to detail is mind blowing what a build.

Sir,

This is one of the most impressive works I've seen here. Magnificent.

Mac

OK, time to get a larger trash can to put all of my work in now that I've seen this masterpiece ! Your weathering is outstanding, not over-kill, just outstanding. Looks like a winner at any nats coming up.

I've seen a lot of ships in drydock and they come in just like that.

Keith

Wow, that weathering looks awesome! Is the blue water gonna get a gloss clear like modpodge? That'd make it pop.

Kyle

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Shipmodels Gallery \/

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

Hello,

Thank you all for your posts and participation in this post. It really is sympatric.

Last big element of the diorama, the APL barge ended. I still have to put in place the US flag.

















The barge positioned in place on the diorama:





I finished the installation of the tug, 3 LCVP and 2 LCM. The LCVP and LCM used to supply and liaison with the onshore facilities.

Best regard
Alain.

WOW....your detail work is beyond impressive! Incredible work you've done on this big display

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Brett Matthews

My goodness, this is phenomenal work - very well done.