WIP - 1/350 USS Lexington (CV-2)

[Dan K]

That's a pretty remarkable coincidence. And wonderful inspiration.

[TOMLABEL]

I am so excited for you James!

Kelley

[lvsquarerigger]

During the discussion of what was coming up from the Petrel I decided that the flag bridge was totally enclosed and removed what I had done there. Then, after getting a high res version of the last pic taken, as it is famously called, I cropped and lightened that area of the bridge. Now to me it seemed I could see the front with a walkway around it so it was back to redoing(boy should I be used to that by now) the front. After much cutting and cleaning I got the flag bridge closed and started on what would go above the splinter shielding. I first tried drilling and squaring holes in one piece of styrene but that wasn't very successful so I decided to do it in pieces. I glued it all up on my glass sheet and scraped it off. After a little heat to get the curve I glued it in (again). Still have to cut the roof back, I wanted a very slight overhang, and sand and fill.

Then I decided to do the mast as I was working on the bridge and it was almost done. So I selected and cut a few pieces of tube and rod. Tapered the cross piece and then started to solder. I learned that my soldering iron does not have enough oomph. Got the cross piece done, and square even, and then started on the little piece that tops it off. As I did the cross piece came loose so I'm going to attempt it again today a little bit differently. If that doesn't work I have to spring for a bigger soldering gun.

Stay tuned

[lvsquarerigger]

This post should have a title of Adventures in soldering.

After redoing the bridge I decided to do the mast so I could, mostly, consider the bridge done. I quickly learned that my little pencil soldering iron did not have the necessary horsepower to do the job. So first I went to the forum seeking counsel and then did some online looking for soldering guns. Had pretty much decided it came down to two different Weller models, one a two different watt model, and one a heavy duty job with twice the wattage. There was only a few dollars difference so it was a question of how much wattage did I actually need. So as I waffled the mail came with all the weekly ads and I noticed harbor freight so I went to their website and lo and behold there was a 160 watt model for 15 bucks! A lot better than 40 or 50. So I took the 20% off coupon, a free tape measure coupon, (you can never have too many tapes as they have a habit of breaking) and off I went. Even better when I got there it was on sale!Got my new soldering gun and proceeded to finish my mast. It was a day and night difference. The hardest part was getting the pieces aligned in my holder. So here are the results and it's on to the next thing. Not sure exactly what that is yet but something.

James

[PetrolGator]

James,

First off, I'm thrilled to see you posting again. I was wondering how you'd react to Lex being found. Second, thank you for sharing your very personal story.

[lvsquarerigger]

First off this is an information update not construction.

I had a reply from the gentleman who had commented on the TBD pictures on Petrels Facebook page and boy did he respond. A couple of pictures, unfortunately my dad was not in either, and loads of action reports and a couple of letters concerning his death. This is the message he sent with it:

Good morning James,

It's been an interesting few days of research on your dad, and I've found quite a bit of info which you might find interesting. Your dad was apparently one helluva gunner, because not only did he fly with squadron commander LCDR James Brett in VT-2, he also flew with LCDR Robert F Farrington (a fellow VT-2 vet from Lex) when Farrington was the squadron commander of VT-12, and of course he flew with LCDR Bill Rowbotham, who assumed command of VT-12 when Farrington was transferred. Working backwards from May 44, that means a solid, unbroken career of serving as the gunner for every squadron commander he flew with... and that's not a position to be taken lightly, obviously. I've not yet found a pic of him with VT-12 but I'm still looking; I did, however, find a couple pics with Bill Rowbotham, which I'm attaching. I'm also attaching two action reports where your dad is listed as gunner for Farrington and Rowbotham, complete with aircraft IDs, as well as a summary page covering his loss and a page showing where he was rescued by the USS Dobbin following the sinking of the Lexington.

I've got a ways to go to download the full Soerabaja report (it's over 70 pages) but I'll be passing that along as well as other action reports from VT-12. One more interesting aside about VT-12... there were actually three VT-2 vets in the squadron in 1943, Farrington, your dad, and Harley Talkington who was an NAP flying T-12 at Coral Sea but received a commission not long thereafter. Both Farrington and Talkington survived the war but have long since passed away, sadly.

Hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll send more as I have it.

So I now have a much more rounded understanding of my dad and the possibility of more to come.

James

[MartinJQuinn]

That is amazing. How wonderful to get this information about your Dad, who sounds like he was quite a guy. You must be very proud.

[Jon C Ryckert]

James. your dad sounds like he was one of a helluva guy and highly respected by the those whom he served under.

[lvsquarerigger]

Thanks guys. The more I learn the more I understand what I missed.

James

[marijn van gils]

What an amazing story! Thanks or sharing!

Very glad to see you back on this build by the way!

Cheers,

Marijn

[LE BOSCO]

Hello James

Very glad to see you back on the "shipyard" and a incredible story
the work is good for this revival
cheers
Nicolas

[lvsquarerigger]

I surrender! My soldering skills are just not up to the task I want to perform. So after many tries I've gone back to the beginning and settled on a mast that is basic and does not include the pieces I was trying to make. I may try them in styrene and see if they will glue on and hold but for now I'm done.

So onward to I'm not sure yet.

James

Also thanks for the comments and support

[carr]

..

[lvsquarerigger]

I surrender! My soldering skills are just not up to the task I want to perform.

From the photo, it looks like what you're trying to do should be possible. In essence, it appears you're trying to join two rods. I assume you've tried the trick of filing a very tiny flat spot on each rod where they'll join to increase the contact area? It will be indiscernible on the final product but will make the join much easier and stronger. Just a thought.

It is supposed to be a small yardarm type with two supports going back to the mast. I can get an assembly but once I try to solder it to the mast, even tinning ahead and using wide nose pliers as a heat sink on the front rod and two joints, it all gives up.

[carr]

..

[Builder 2010]

Did you dad survive the War? Your story is awe inspiring.

That said, I've been patting myself on my back for the work I'm doing in creating a early War Trumpeter Essex into a late War version with lots of PE and some scratch built to change the island and add a 40mm gallery, then I see what you're doing and I am instantly humbled. I too remade all the masts and yards in soldered brass, but what you're doing is another dimension past my work. I couldn't support a project that spans so many years� just don't have the patience. I have lots of persistence, which is how I do what I do, but patience is an entirely different matter.

You're setting the bar as to what can be done in 1:350 and that is highly commendable. Please keep going and finish this masterpiece. I was sporadically posting on the Essex forum and was advised today to post my work on the WIP forum, so I'm going to do that, but hope folks judge me kindly now that they've seen what you're doing.

I may have missed something, but why was the Trumpeter kit so wrong?

[lvsquarerigger]

I may have missed something, but why was the Trumpeter kit so wrong?


Let me count some of the ways. It starts at the bottom and move up. The kit has 4 blade props the Lex had 3 blade props. The struts for same will not work, the props hit the hull. The portholes, boat bays, air doors, and the sponson and opening for the forward 5" guns are wrong. If you look back in my build you can see where I redid all of those. Many details are missing and some in the wrong place. Then we get to the bridge and so much is wrong that eventually it's mostly scratch built from the conning station up. Then we get the funnel assembly It starts with the radar room on the front, Trumpeter couldn't decide if they were doing the fly bridge or the radar room so did a little of both. The decks are wrong, there is just so much not right. There is more but that should give you some idea of why so much is scratch built. And now I have to get my mojo going again after a long layoff, partly frustration, partly other things needing done.

As to my dad, no he did not survive. He was transferred to the Sara and finished his war there. He was shot down around Java, while Sara was working with a British fleet, captured, and shot trying to escape.

As to my skills they're really not that advanced, just an anal attitude, MAAAANY do overs, and eventually it gets right. So keep it up and you too can learn and improve. The most important part is to ENJOY IT! Good luck.

James