USS Haggard DD-555

[snaphappy321]

Hi everyone,
I just got a big shipment of fittings and PE from John R. Haynes. One of the PE sets I got was Target Sights. The set has the correct style USN sights in scales from 1/24th to 1/96th. Instead of the German machine gun sights I�m going to use the 1/96 scale sights for the Mk-39 Gun sight. I got more styrene shapes in a couple of sizes and I should have one finished soon. Sorry for the quality of this image, but you can get the idea of how they look. The set cost 5 GBP which is $8.34 USD. Even though the pound is worth more than the dollar John R. Haynes products are a reasonable price if you buy them directly from him like I do.

Yesterday I did more body work on the hull, it's alomst finished.

Then I removed the stern 20mm gun tub off the deck. I used masking tape to protect the deck while I cut off the tub with a coping saw. The shape and size of the tub is close and was not the problem. I need to move it forward to give me room for the PE roll off depth charge racks.

I am using Toms Model Works PE and I notice that some or possibly the whole set is not to scale. I think Toms PE was sized for use to add detail to an unchanged Lindberg Blue Devil kit. I have found a few drawings with dimensions online that prove some of the set is not to scale. I will continue to use it and I will finish my build one of these days.

Here are a couple of comparisons between Toms 1/125th scale Mk-12 rradar screen with John Haynes 1/96th scale part. I garentee John�s PE is to scale. One foot in 1/125 scale equals .096� and in 1/96 scale equals .125�, so there should be more of a difference in these parts, but as you can see they are almost the same.

Now lets compare twin 40mm guns. The kit part on the left John�s 1/96 in the middle and HR Products on the right. There is a hugh difference between John�s and HR�s guns and I rest my case.

Ckech back soon for more progress with the Haggard, and the upcoming USS Bennett DD-473!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD-473

[snaphappy321]

Hey Everyone,
This is a 1/72 Revell PT-109 I built my way about 10 years ago. I moved from Massachusetts to Rhode Island a couple years ago and my wife and I haven't finished unpacking yet. The 109 just surfaced after openning a few more boxes. Check out the TEETH!!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/473

[snaphappy321]

Hi Everyone,
Enough of the PT boat with teeth on with the build!!!!!!!

This is my second try at making the Mk-39 Gun Sight. I�m using the new 1/96 scale PE sights from John Haynes. The parts I precut are useless except for the wire piece that the sight is glued to. They are just too small to glue together without them sticking to the tweezers first.

What ended up working was cutting the pieces longer than necessary and trimming them to size after the assembly was completed. The sight and copper wire rear sight are glued to a piece of .030 square styrene cut about 3 inches long. By doing this I could hold it in my small drill vise to glue on the remaining parts together. The sides are made from .020 x .040 styrene, cut 1 inch long and glued on. The linkage is made out of .015 copper wires I bent and cut to size; those were the hardest parts to glue on. The control handles are made from the thinnest piece of the PE rails from Toms set that I�m not going to use. First I trimmed the .030 square stock and the .020 x .040 side pieces to size and glued the assembly onto the turret, then the control handles were attached last. First the 2nd try then the first try as a comparison.
Front View:

Side View:

Rear View:

I�m sorry for the somewhat out of focus photos of the Mk-39. To properly photograph them I need a macro lens for my camera, but I have spent so much on my next build I don�t have any money for camera accessories!!!!!!!!!! I have pictures of my first and 2nd attempt at making the Mk-39 Gun Sight. You be the judge, which one looks the best? The only problem is that I still need to build four more of them!!!!!!! Feel free to comment on my work, I appreciate your comments and criticisms!!!!!

Thanks
Roger DD-555/DD-473

[snaphappy321]

Hi Everyone,
I finished the body work on the hull today. Before I used the Bondo on the hull I tried it on a piece of scrap from the kit. Today I sanded the Bondo on the scrap test piece so I had a flat area. Then using super glue, I glued a piece of .010 styrene onto the Bondo test part and set it aside to dry. I checked it out tonight and it seems to work just fine.

Tomorrow I'll estimate the size and shape of the bow repair performed on the Haggard after ramming the sub and I'll cut and glue a couple sheets of .010 thick styrene to the bow to simulate the repair. By doing this I'm actually setting the date of my build to the day the Haggard�s repairs were completed and she sailed from Ulithi 21 April 1945 with battleship Iowa to support the Okinawa operation. Eight days before she was struck by the kamikaze that almost sunk her.

Roger DD-555/DD473

[snaphappy321]

Hi Everyone,
Today I worked on the Mk-39 gun sights. After they�re finished I�ll glue them on and paint all the 5 inch turrets and then move onto plating the bow to simulate the repairs the Haggard received after ramming the sub. I was going to do that first and give myself a break from those small gun sights.

I was surprised how fast I was able to assemble the last four Mk-39�s. I saved so much time and aggravation by leaving everything long and trimming the pieces after the assembly was complete. There are six steps to assembling the Mk-39 the way I'm doing it. First, glue the copper wire rear sight to the front sight. Second, glue that to the .030 square stock.

Third, glue the first side on and make sure it is perpendicular to the sight.

Fourth, glue the second side on with the spacer in between.

Fifth, glue the front linkage part on. Last, allow the glue time to dry, and trim off the excess.

The control arms I made for the first Mk-39 are not going on the last four. They are so weak the first time someone touches them they'll break off. I really don't expect them to make it to the first sortie down at the pond. All I have to do is glue on one more linkage piece, trim the excess off, and glue them onto the turrets and break out the airbrush!!!!!!!!:woo_hoo:

Roger DD-555/DD-473

[K494]

Nice work.

[snaphappy321]

Nice work.

Thank you very much; I'm glad you like it!!!!!!!!!! Greetings from the US!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD473

[jeroen zuiderduin]

Hi Roger, I've been visiting my brother in Norway for a week and you seem to have made some serious overtime. Very nice progress, looking forward to see some paint though.

Jeroen

[snaphappy321]

Hi Roger, I've been visiting my brother in Norway for a week and you seem to have made some serious overtime. Very nice progress, looking forward to see some paint though.

Jeroen

Hi Jeroen,
I'm making some progress, but a few things are slowing me down. I should have the turrets painted very soon!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD473

[snaphappy321]

Hey Everyone,
This is the day I've been waiting for; I finally painted the 5 inch turrets!!!!!!! I used a birthday gift to paint them. The new compressor worked great!!!!!!

I painted the turret tops deck blue by hand and it looks like they could use a second coat.

I need to get a few jars to put thinned paint in. If I had one I would have used the air brush for the 20-B. I will take a few photos of the turrets in natural light, the flash photography doesn't capture the real color.

Roger DD-555/DD473

[Red Devil Squadron]

Hello Roger,

Excellent results with the gun mounts! I think these are the best I have ever seen using the Lindberg kit parts. Congratulations on such superb results.

Cheers,

Bill

[jeroen zuiderduin]

Yes! Congratulations Roger, the turrets look great. I know the flash can ruin the color of the photo - no big deal - I can see the paintjob is beautifull. Neat!

Cheers
Jeroen

[snaphappy321]

Hi Bill and Jeroen,
Thanks!!!!!! ! I really appreciate your comments!!!!!!! The two of you have produced some very fine work; it makes me very happy you guys like the work I put into the poorly created Lindberg turrets. I may add a couple more bits to them, but for now I will let them rest and move onward!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Again,
Roger DD-555/DD473

[snaphappy321]

Hi Everyone,
On this day June 6, 2012 the 68th Anniversary of D-Day and the 70th Anniversary of the battle of Midway I would like to personally thank the members of the United States Armed Forces and our Allies who served with no regard of their own life�s and personal safety fought to keep the world free of ternary.

I am proud to be a member of this fine group of modelers whom build the ships of our Navy�s as an honor and remembrance of their service to the United States and countries of the free world.

Roger DD-555/DD-473

[Guest]

nice work there, but what happened? are you going to continue on her?

[snaphappy321]

Hi Everyone,
I had some work done to my house this summer and with a little help from a friend we made a new work area for ship building in my office. Lately, I have done more on the Bennett than the Haggard, but I am determined to continue building the Haggard and they will be sailing together hopefully next summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your interest I really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check back soon for more on the USS Haggard DD-555!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD-473

[PeeJay]

Roger -- have been following your thread while researching a Lindbergh Conversion of my own. What are you going to use for Mk 51 directors? Rework the ones in the kit? I have seen some Mk51 kits in 1/96th scale, but they may be a little big -- especially for the ones on the nav bridge level where space is tight.

PeeJay

[snaphappy321]

Hi PeeJay,
I'm going to scratch build them . I'm also building a 1/96 scale Fletcher on this site. I purchased almost all of the fittings for my DD-473 USS Bennett from John R. Haynes. I'm going to use his beautiful Mk-51 gun directors and scale them down to 1/125th scale for the Lindberg kit. I'm going to do the same thing for the torpedo directors .

I found many photos of each of the directors online, but none of them have any dimensions. Trying to scratch build them would be very difficult from photos alone. I think it's not going to be easy but at least I have something to work from. If I were you, I would buy one each from John and do the same thing . You know that you have to make five Mk-51's and two torpedo directors in all.

In the near future, I will be doing more work on the Haggard, so check back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD-473

[PeeJay]

Hi PeeJay,
I'm going to scratch build them

I found many photos of each of the directors online, but none of them have any dimensions. Trying to scratch build them would be very difficult from photos alone. I think it's not going to be easy but at least I have something to work from. If I were you, I would buy one each from John and do the same thing . You know that you have to make five Mk-51's and two torpedo directors in all.

Roger DD-555/DD-473

I did manage to find a multi-view illustration of the torpedo directors, but no dimensions. The torpedo directors in the USS Kidd book are covered with canvas and all detail is hidden, so the illustrations are helpful. The use of the Haynes directors sounds like a good way to go. At least that won't be as bad a trying to make up the forward torpedo tube controls, which are not covered by a "doghouse." And the doghouse itself on the aft set looks like it will need a lot of work. But that is why we do these things isn't it? "Not the destination, but the journey," or something like that.

Peejay

[snaphappy321]

[/quote]

But that is why we do these things isn't it? "Not the destination, but the journey," or something like that.

Peejay[/quote]

Yes my friend, it's a learning experience and sometimes a good one at that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roger DD-555/DD-473