Trumpeter 1/200 USS Missouri Build Log (Sept 2015 - ?????)

[Fliger747]

A comment or two: any curvature in the boot top is extremely obvious when viewed from bow or stern. I use a fine pencil held in my machinists magnetic block with arm. Easy to adjust the line if any errors are made, the final bit is taping the pencil line, which again gives an opportunity to carefully sight and correct any errors. To get non parallel lines, it is necessary to shim the bow area of the ship such that one is not marking parallel to the base line. In this case maybe 1/16 to 1/8" is all that is necessary.

Just remember no one will notice most of the stuff we bring up here, but someone always catches somehing!

Cheers. Tom

[steinerman]

Doggone, Tom, now why didn't I think to shim up the bow when creating the line between the red and the black?? Must be a "Can't see the forest for the trees" type of thing.

Thanks for the tip!!

[Fliger747]

Shim is probably best around turret one as anything further fwd will tend to rock. Half the fun and challenge is figuring this stuff out!

cheers: T

[robertmelvin]

A comment or two: any curvature in the boot top is extremely obvious when viewed from bow or stern. I use a fine pencil held in my machinists magnetic block with arm. Easy to adjust the line if any errors are made, the final bit is taping the pencil line, which again gives an opportunity to carefully sight and correct any errors. To get non parallel lines, it is necessary to shim the bow area of the ship such that one is not marking parallel to the base line. In this case maybe 1/16 to 1/8" is all that is necessary.

Just remember no one will notice most of the stuff we bring up here, but someone always catches somehing!

Cheers. Tom

Tom, would that difference in the width of the boot topping near the bow be constant, or a progressive change that would increase/decrease as you approach the bow?

Bob

[steinerman]

Evenin' gents,

Ever since Jason was complaining what a pain in the arse putting the hull lip on was, I've been trying to figure out a simpler way to do it. Tonight I tried this idea I had and doggone if it didn't work. For all you detail freaks like Jason and myself who wants a lip on the top of their hull, try this tip. (This assumes you have already sanded and filed the top of the hull even with the deck surface)

1. First get a roll of 3/4" wide painters tape. I'm using green Frog Tape because it's the only painters tape I have. You don't want to use anything that will really stick, just tacky enough not to come loose for an hour or so. Lay out a few strips and cut it down the middle so you have strips about 3/8" wide. You don't have to be exact - just approximately in half.

2. Now apply this narrow strip of tape along the outside of the hull so that roughly 1/16 - 1/8" or so extends above the top edge of the hull. Don't rub it down or burnish it - you don't want it to stick really hard. Go along the entire edge of the ship. I did one side at a time just because I felt more comfortable not doing both sides at once.

3. Here's the fun part! Using tweezers, a bright light, and a magnifier, very carefully lay the styrene strip on the hull top and push it gently against the tape. Jason said he used strip that was 0.01" wide by 0.02" high. I measured the thickness of the wooden deck and the Pontros waterways and decided that 0.01 x 0.03" would look better, so that's what I used. Once you have the strip tacked lightly against the tape, use a popcicle stick or something similar to push it against the tape while running your finger along the outside as support. Don't go overboard - all you want to do is hold it in place while the glue dries. Once it's in place, use a needle dispenser and run a very tiny bead of glue along where the styrene strip contacts the hull top on the inside.

4. Wait an hour or so until the glue sets up and VERY CAREFYLLY pull the tape back along itself (Do not pull it straight away from the hull) and remove it from the side of the hull. Fill and sand as required and you should now have a nice even lip to your hull.

Now, all I have to do is find a simple way to glue the 0.02" dia brass rod to the top of this styrene strip so that the 0.005" overhang is uniform inside and out. I think I have an idea, but I'm not going to say anything until I see if it works.

Later, fellas,

[Fliger747]

Boot topping as viewed bow or stern. When viewed at the same level it should appear as two more or less parallel lines receding into the distance. The main thing you do not want is to discern any vertical curve. With a tapered boot top the perspective effect should be more pronounced from the bow view and less from the stern. Imagine as a displacement waterline at a given trim.

T

[Fliger747]

Larry

I did one side of my ship with brass and the other side with steel piano wire. The reason was an inability to obtain the brass locally. Except for the stern, the steel wire worked very well. What I did was to periodically position the wire with tape at the edge. When the correct position was obtained I tacked it with CA. Remove the tape and check everything, adjust as necessary and add more CA.

Are you lined out on the prominent vertical butt strakes joining the STS upper plating? Another subject previously beat to death here.

Cheers. T

[steinerman]

.....Are you lined out on the prominent vertical butt strakes joining the STS upper plating? Another subject previously beat to death here......

Tom, forgive me, but you're talking Greek. I have absolutely no idea what you're referring to - Butt Strakes & STS UPper Plating???????????.

But, then, I guess I'm about to get "Learned"

[Fliger747]

Along the sides of the ship coincidental with the armored citadel the ship used a thicker external plating of special treatment steel. These plates were in two horizontal rows and secured at their ends with externally riveted straps. These are plainly visible on any external photos of the hull. I think Cliffy B actually measured the location of the ones on the Whisky boat.

T

[BB62vet]

Tom,

This discussion took place on the forum prior to 12/14 - on pg. 118, CASF, IOWA Class BBs, RandyM has a picture of his MO with these strakes in place. This was originally brought up some time before but I haven't found the exact postings.

Step away from your workbench and do some backtracking on these forums that are discussing this model and I'm sure you'll find it. CliffyB and James M actually spent a day on WISCONSIN measuring these locations on the sides of the ship. See photo:

You can purchase these strakes from Free Time Hobbies - they are an Eduard product and come with a template for proper layout - however, CliffyB's dimension are exact.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Lady

In the scratch build section, page two a ways down is my missouri, titled something like Mosern BB 63, my build. Shows on page 8 a glancing view of the hull with the strapping quite visible.

Cheers. Tom

[steinerman]

Gee, looks like I've got a lot to learn about this hobby!

I'm going back and read all about the Iowa class battlewagons - and I'm ordering the Eduard's Hull Plates PE this evening.

Thanks for the information, fellas. Between us all, this might turn out OK after all

[Channell]

Ahh Larry... stop being so sensible, you're making me look bad.

You better keep going instead of disappearing like virtually every other 1/200 build log on the forum after a couple months.. You've passed my Iowa up and I'm gonna need your log for when I pick it back up after the Nelson!

[steinerman]

Hey Jason, how the heck are ya?

I have no intention of quitting. Heck, we members of "The 200 Club" have got to stick together. And, since Bob is such a nice guy, we'll make him an honorary member as well, although he seems to claim he couldn't tackle something like that.

I'm having fun - and learning a lot too. Problem is, with fall coming on, and leaves to rake & stuff to get ready for winter, plus we volunteer one day a week for our local food pantry, I'm not going to have a lot of time to devote to my big toy. But, when the snow flies - that's another story. By then we might even have another person or two to indoctrinate into our exclusive little club.

By the way, how's the Nelson coming? Still having fun??

Take care, gents - Have a great week. Ya know one thing bad about being retired? Weekends don't mean anything any more!!!

[BB62vet]

Larry,

I've been doing some research on the Paravane topic as you asked a question regarding the size of chain that the paravane gear employed. Well, here is a photo I found that shows the bow of MO with both the anchor and paravane chains in place:

And, here is the deck view of MO with paravane chain & winch as well as anchor chains in place:

Now, if you know the links/foot on the anchor chain you should be able to figure out the size of the paravane chain! One note - I don't think the lower photo shows the end of the anchor chain as being connected to the paravane chain only that it "appears" to be connected.

Hope this helps,

Hank

[steinerman]

Hi Hank,

Thanks for the info and the pictures. Going back in the CASF-Iowa thread I found this photo:

http://navsource.org/archives/01/062/016294.jpg

As near as I can figure, there's roughly 2-1/2 links on the paravane chain for every link of anchor chain. That corresponds quite well to what your shot of the Missouri's bow shows. At any rate, it's good enough for me.

Right now I'm putting the detail PE parts on that go under the bow gun tub, and I've primed that area. I want to glue the bow tub on so I can start gluing the round top to the hull lip. This round rod continues around the seam where the bow gun tub meets the hull in one continuous length. Boy, it takes some thinking to figure out the sequence of doing things so it will come out the way you want. You have to do this before you do that, but first, you have to do this........ It's enough to drive a person to drink.

I've also started on the bases to the 20mm Oerlikons last night. I have the base rings on all the bases and the upper rings are on about half of them. You get eye strain really quick working on these little farts. I'll say this - it would be impossible to do without a magnification light. I figure if I work on them a little bit at a time they won't be so frustrating. I did learn last night that I have to get some more wine in the house - and Katie's already told me more than once to stop cussing!

Slow but steady she goes. I got the hull plates from Free Time Hobbies, but I do have a question regarding these. According to the instruction sheet that came with the PE, it indicates that 22 of each size are to go on each side. Yet, in one of Cliffy's posts he said the Wisconsin had 20 plates on the top row and 19 on the bottom row. I'm inclined to go with what Cliffy counted, unless the two ships were different? What are you folks going to use?

Take care,

PS: Oh, by the way, Nothing gets done on the "Monster Mo" tomorrow afternoon. The Michigan - Michigan State game starts at 3:30 and since I'm a Michigan grad - well, you know who I'm banking on. We're gonna clean State's clock! GO BLUE!!!!

[Goodwood]

PS: Oh, by the way, Nothing gets done on the "Monster Mo" tomorrow afternoon. The Michigan - Michigan State game starts at 3:30 and since I'm a Michigan grad - well, you know who I'm banking on. We're gonna clean State's clock! GO BLUE!!!!

Keep dreaming, buddy...

[BB62vet]

Larry wrote:
I

got the hull plates from Free Time Hobbies, but I do have a question regarding these. According to the instruction sheet that came with the PE, it indicates that 22 of each size are to go on each side. Yet, in one of Cliffy's posts he said the Wisconsin had 20 plates on the top row and 19 on the bottom row. I'm inclined to go with what Cliffy counted, unless the two ships were different? What are you folks going to use?

Correct assumption - the 4 IOWAs had the same hull design and consequently, the same number of butt plates - I would use CliffyB's dimenstions per the photo I posted earlier that gives the dimension from the chock. Lay out the plates accordingly. That's what I'm going to do when I get to that point in construction.

Re. the paravane topic - while I'm not going to install the paravanes, I do plan to install the winch on the foc'sle.

Hank

[steinerman]

If anybody ever talks me into building another battleship after this one I'm going to drown them in a vat of hot oil! I've been working for a solid week on these @^%#&^ teeny tiny 20mm Oerlikons and I'm about ready to go screaming off into the night - not to mention going blind! Do you know how hard it is to pick up one of those tiny hand cranks that you can hardly see, hold your breath so you don't exhale and inadvertently blow it into the next county, and try to glue it onto that ensy-wensy little axle that's even tinier than the wheel. Good grief! Why did I ever talk myself into this!

OK, I feel better now. Damn, this is sure slow going! But then, it's also fun and relaxing, at least that's what I keep telling myself. When you get right down to it, I haven't spent that much time on these guns. I probably have only worked on the boat 5 or 6 hours in the past week. I have a table lighted magnifier on a stand but I finally broke down this afternoon and bought a headband magnifier with a light. This unit has 4 interchangeable lenses of 2X, 2.5X, 3X, and 3.5X magnification and so far I really like it. I can actually see the damn axle I have to glue the wheel to!

I have all of the 20mm bases completed with the exception of the hand cranks. I have those on 10 of the bases. Next comes the gun assemblies themselves. Jason, if I remember right, didn't you say that Pontos had the gun barrels too far back and they should stick out more? How far out did you move them? I'm really itching to get back to the hull but my pride says I'm going to finish these little guns come hell or high water. Thank Heaven Pontos gives you a couple extra spare parts because you invariably screw one up before you figure out their asinine instructions.

No pictures this time - nothing to show, really, but you can bet your sweet patootie that as soon as I get one of these little fartin' 20mm guns done, you're gonna see it here in all it's radiant glory.

Have a great night. Me, I'm gonna go uncork a bottle of wine and see if I can get my eyesight back. (Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one! )

[Channell]

Uh oh... Larry, I guess It doesn't help to mention I've got a box of finished guns/bases for my my now defunct Missouri project that I might never use?

Still, If I (the king of taking on ridiculous big projects but not finishing them) can get 'em all done for the 'Mo and Nellie, you shouldn't have any problem! It helped me to do some "mass production" of some subassemblies and setting a goal to do 5 or 10 a night... usually I'd get into the grove and end up doing 15 or 20 in a setting.

Anyway, here's how I set the barrels on the Missouri 20 MM guns ... just a tad forward from what the instructions said. I aimed to put a particular milled part of the barrel at the same place within the PE "receiver" frame so they'd all be the same length. I did something similar with the Nelson guns, but I put them slightly further in because on second thought I felt like I made the barrels appear a bit too long on the Missouri guns...

(Pontos Missouri)



(Pontos Nelson)



Another thing, I felt like I didn't quite get the right look when I folded up the little central shield section (directly below the gun, not the 2 big square shield panels on either side of the gun) as per Pontos instructions so I folded them off, ditched the back part of the piece and reattached them separately a bit higher up onto the shield. It was more work but it makes them look more "correct".

Anyway, you be the judge... I felt like Pontos has them too short but it may just be just me.

(20mm gun on the Iowa)



And yes, it feels AWESOME to have them all done and ready to go early in the build!