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PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2013 8:03 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
Hi everyone,
I'm starting a "lifetime" project of a modern ficticious US Navy / NATO harbor and bases on a modgular style diorama, it will be going in a room 20' x 20' and will encircle most of the room. I'm going to start with (2) layout tables measuring out at 3' x3' jointed side by side for a starting base of 6' x 3', these will be able to be added to just like a model railroad layout.
The layout will have a naval base, amphibious base, airfield, a maintance facility (drydock area), new construction area, and whatever else strikes my fancy.

US Navy ships to include:
10 Nimitz CVN'S, 8 conventional carriers (CV 59 - CV 67), 8 Wasp LHD'S, 5 TARAWA LHA'S, 20 NEWPORT LST'S,
12 FREEDOM LCS'S, 2 BLUERIDGE LCC'S, 4 IOWA BB'S, 27 TICONDEROGA CG'S, 1 LONG BEACH CGN,
31 SPRUNCE DD'S, 4 KIDD DD'S, 62 ARLEIGH BURK DDG'S, 4 VIRGINIA CGN'S, 2 CALIFORNIA CGN'S, 1 TRUXTUN CGN,
8 SACRAMENTO AOE'S, 5 ANCHORAGE LSD'S, 11 SAN ANTONIO LPD'S, 12 RALEIGH LPD'S, 1 PONCE AFSB, 2 LASALLE AGF'S,
3 SEAWOLF SSN'S, 18 VIRGINIA SSN'S, 6 SKIPJACK SSN'S, 13 PERMIT SSN'S. 20 SSBN'S of various classes, numberous LA class SSN'S, numberous small craft and harbor tugs, barges, and whatever else I can fit in there.

If I am able to build all these ships it will be 300+ ships not counting the harbor craft and barges, tugs and whatever else finds its way there.
Right now the only ship I'm having problems finding is the TICONDEROGA Class Cruisers, I think Nektarus bought all of them,
:scratch: :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:

Then there is the airfield, all modern aircraft, from f-14's to c-5's and all them helo's.
Now fellows, if you got something you don't need hook a builder up!!!!!!! :big_grin: :big_grin: :big_grin: :big_grin:

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed


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PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2013 8:43 pm 
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Location: Hawaii
Ambitious is an understatement.... :faint: Good luck man, and I can't wait to see it :thumbs_up_1: Need any help let me know.

Found some Arii Ticos for you:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/aii/aiia941.htm
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/aii/aiia947.htm

They're not that bad detail wise and look almost exactly like the DML kits but I've heard their fit can be troublesome. Their Sprucans however are the most accurate of the class in the 1/700 and the only ones to ever get the after re-fueling stations properly located!! I'd give them a try unless you want to wait for everyone to get the DML kits back in stock...weird everyone is out...don't tell me they've been discontinued, PLEASE??!!

Edit: Found one! Sprue Brothers has the DML CG-47 kits in stock!
http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/dml7018.htm

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

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PostPosted: Thu May 09, 2013 10:46 pm 
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Location: Ellijay Georgia
Just saw a pitroad 1/700 Ticonderoga for $10 on ebay, with 1 day left on the auction and no bids, and an ARII Tico 1/700 for 15.again 1day no bids

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PostPosted: Fri May 10, 2013 1:50 pm 
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Location: Athens Greece
Good luck there. I ll ask my friend and i will answer your questions this weekend.

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Various 1/700 aircraft.
Juan Carlos I LHD 1/700.
HMAS Canbera LHD 1/700.
FGS Type 122 class FFG 1/700.
LSD-41 class LPD 1/700.


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PostPosted: Fri May 10, 2013 6:41 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
Thanks Nek, will be great., What you working on?????

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed


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PostPosted: Fri May 10, 2013 7:14 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
In route to the diorama:

3- Iowa Class Battleships near completion 85%
4- LCAC's completed except decals
1- Ticonderoga Class completed except detail paint
6- Nimitz CVN's completed
1- Forestal CV completed
2- Tarawa LHA's repaired / needs new paint
1- Tarawa 65% complete

Coming to the slipway tomarrow will be:

2- Seawolf SSN's
1- Los Angeles SSN
1- Ohio SSBN
1- Wasp LHD
1- Sacramento AOE
2- Sprunce DD
1- Arleigh Burke DDG

I will be getting the first layout table in a week or so, I'm gonna need somewhere to start placing the ships as I'm quickly running out of room in the shop to store them.

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed


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PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2013 3:43 am 
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Jim, very ambitious! But as a modelrailroader who also builds ships I like the idea :thumbs_up_1:

On what is the number of ships based? Could you tell me that?

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PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2013 12:33 pm 
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Man, that project sounds interesting! I'd like to do something like that when I move to my new place too ;)
Please keep us updated and post some pictures of the progress!

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- - - - Check out my 1/700 Imperial Japanese Navy blog at http://nihonkaigun.wordpress.com/ - - - -


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PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2013 12:51 pm 
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Ronald,

I have been building seriously for the past 5 to 6 years, but actually started building when I was eight years old, now its been some 33 years, and I have really been thinking about this for some time, actually years now, but never had the room to do anything like it, now where I live I have a 20 ' x 20' addition to the house that will allow for this dream to become a reality.

As far as the number of ships, well there is really no reason for the total other than the ships and the number in the class, I have always wanted to build ships completing their class, so the ships selected for the US Navy part of the build came to 300+ ships, now when I add the navies of other nations the count is going up a lot.

Hen,
I will most certainly post pics of the progress of this project, and all the ships as they are built.

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed


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PostPosted: Sat May 11, 2013 2:49 pm 
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exciting idea! hope to see it come to life soon :smallsmile:

My lifetime project idea is the Keroman Lorient U-Boot base...maybe some day I find the courage to start :frown_2:

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WIP:
-1/72 Revell flower class corvette,with GLS PE and lots of Evergreen.
-1/350 Dragon Scharnhorst, Artwox wooden decks, CyberHobby PE, Master brass barrels.


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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 8:23 pm 
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Well been doing some research on some Gantry and Bullhead cranes that I want to add to the diorama, I actually started scratch building the frame work for one of the gantries that I liked, its a basic fame right now but I'll post pics of it tomarrow as I ran out of daylight. Plus I wanted to do some tweekin on it, but I'll post some pics of the cranes that I found to use as referances. Hope you'll like to idea I'm having with these..................

Remember these will be 1/700 scale :heh: :heh: :heh:


Attachments:
File comment: this is one I'm scratch building now, to get the feel for it.
800px-Container_cranes_Bremerhaven.jpg
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File comment: bullhead with elevator
Clydebank_Titan_Crane_-_geograph_org_uk_-_1069892.jpg
Clydebank_Titan_Crane_-_geograph_org_uk_-_1069892.jpg [ 105.25 KiB | Viewed 10008 times ]
File comment: Harlin & Wolf gantry lift, this is another one for scratch building
'Resolution'_in_Belfast_-_geograph_org_uk_-_636807.jpg
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File comment: another bullhead
Finnieston_Crane.jpg
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File comment: I like this concept for a comm. dock
220px-Vallarpadam_Container_Terminal.jpg
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File comment: Big Blue is going to be another scratch buld
Container_ship_loading-700px.jpg
Container_ship_loading-700px.jpg [ 106.4 KiB | Viewed 10008 times ]

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed
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PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:06 am 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
Coming to the diorama :woo_hoo:


Attachments:
IMG_20130511_140848-1.jpg
IMG_20130511_140848-1.jpg [ 28.87 KiB | Viewed 9940 times ]
IMG_20130511_140839-1.jpg
IMG_20130511_140839-1.jpg [ 32.25 KiB | Viewed 9940 times ]

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed
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PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 7:03 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
Well made some progress one several items for the diorama, work has progressed on all 3 of the IOWA's, built the SEAWOLF and painted it, it needs hull red painted and decals then it's done. It was built as a full hull so I can have it on transport dock movers coming out of a construction/overhaul building. I found some decent pictures of the transport dock movers and I think it will look sweet on the diorama that way. The crane I'm building is coming along nicely, its hard to build it from a picture into a 3 demention build. So there is some guess work involved but it looks like it can be a real crane.
I have made a design of the first part of the harbor, I just have to get the tables bult to see if it will work, I hope it does cause it is a basic layout of Newport News Ship Building, and then I have another area designed as Pearl Harbor Shipyard. I've been doing research and getting ideas for the build of the harbor and bases. Finding things that stand out to me that are intersting that are going to make this project different and really over the top. Well at least I hope it will turn out that way, This is the most planning I've done on a project in a long time. I feel good about the research, the pictures I have found and the direction I want this to go in. There is still more research I need to do and get further along on the proto type of the first crane I'm building. I have a few other things to finish working out as far as the cross members and the cable mast.
If all goes well with this build of the crane I'll make a drafting of the parts and measurements if anyone is interested. Just keep in mind that this is a large freight heavy lift crane. The size is big for 700 scale but its measurements are extreamly close. The next crane I'm planning to build is a 360 axis quade super lift, as the one's used at the major shipyards and are used for super lefts of the modules in the prefab drydocks.


Attachments:
File comment: this is the next crane for the yard
10070609.gif
10070609.gif [ 15.65 KiB | Viewed 9869 times ]
File comment: this is the gantry lift crane being built now
Hamburg_CTA_Altenwerder_BungaRaya_wmt.jpg
Hamburg_CTA_Altenwerder_BungaRaya_wmt.jpg [ 111.13 KiB | Viewed 9869 times ]

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed
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PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 7:55 pm 
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Location: Connecticut
That is one heck of a diorama! I cannot wait to see the progress on it. One question though. No that I am trying to increase your workload, but what about the frigates? Do you have the room for 55 Perry class?

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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 4:44 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
Ping,
I want to put as many as I can into the diorama, I already added them to the list, the only problem is getting enouph kits to do all 55 ships, I'm having a realistic hope of 30 but you never know, I'm also planning a dozen or so KNOX class for the "mothball" fleet area of the diorama. I've been all over ebay trying to get some of the OHP class but there is hardly any out there in 700 scale and the few I've found I've been outbid on, par for the course, I was bidding on one the other day and it was a kit the retails for about 15 dollars and the person ran the bid up to $87.00, it wasn't that good of a kit, lacking in detail and several things wrong with it that needed to be corrected, so he must have REALLY wanted it bad to bid so high, hell the 350 scale retails for only $35.00. :scratch: :scratch: :scratch:

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed


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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 7:05 pm 
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Location: Sydney, Australia
There is also another of those cranes on teh Australian Fleet base east at Garden Island. Known as teh hammerhead - there is talk that it may be removed due to upkeep costs. It was once used for liting plans aboard the old HMAS Melbourne and Sydney 9old majestic class carriers,

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1/350 Slipway:
USS John C Stennis

Stennis CBG 2002:

Operational:
CG73 USS Port Royal
DDG73 USS Decatur
CG57 USS Lake Champlain
FFG33 USS Jarrett

LHD5 USS Bataan

HMAS Vendetta II D08
IJN Yamato
HMAS Vendetta I I69

Planned
DD967 USS Elliott



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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 7:44 pm 
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Well I finally have something to post of some actual building progress of a couple of the cranes for the harbor and drydock areas, hope you like it.


Attachments:
IMG_20130521_190759-1.jpg
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IMG_20130521_190812-1.jpg
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IMG_20130521_191023-1.jpg
IMG_20130521_191023-1.jpg [ 32.2 KiB | Viewed 9731 times ]

_________________
Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed
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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 7:51 pm 
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Location: Macclesfield NC
And another set. Hope you enjoy.....


Attachments:
IMG_20130521_200452-1.jpg
IMG_20130521_200452-1.jpg [ 27.22 KiB | Viewed 9731 times ]
IMG_20130521_200504-1.jpg
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IMG_20130521_202248-1.jpg
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File comment: Fresh paint
IMG_20130521_202050-1.jpg
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IMG_20130521_202133-1.jpg
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IMG_20130521_202203-1.jpg
IMG_20130521_202203-1.jpg [ 29.02 KiB | Viewed 9731 times ]

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Jim Varnell
ABH2 USN/RET.
89-00

Eastern NC Modelworks

Up coming projects:
1/700 scale rebuild of diorama project 960 square feet.
(Table 1 underway)Feb.2017
1/350 USS ALASKA CB-1(started Aug. 2017) 70% completed
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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 8:21 pm 
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C O O L
Can't wait to see more!!!

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My Builds ~ http://ussnorthcaroilna.shutterfly.com/


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PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2013 10:36 pm 
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Location: Paris France
Hello Jim

an ambitious project, which starts from very beautiful way :thumbs_up_1:
good luck
Nicolas

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