Calling all USS Barnegat-class seaplane tender (AVP) fans

[Cadman]

I will most likely be at the April Show. Might even get a table and unload some more kits. But I'm not sure I can bring my wife, she kept all the money I made last fall.

BTW, nice prop, but I think it is a bit out of scale.

[NukeMM]

BTW, nice prop, but I think it is a bit out of scale.

What do you mean "out of scale"? It came with the kit!

[NukeMM]

Progress continues with a attaching some of the railings, ladders, stanchions, signal light and non-skid to the forward superstructure.

[Nektarios]

Well done Carl

[NukeMM]

Well done Carl

Thank you, Nektarios!

I'm having a lot of fun with this one. It is turning out better than I had imagined it.

I have been having trouble with the ISW USCGC Hamilton red USCG stripe decals. I've attempted and screwed them up about five times, now, I think the count it now. Jon at ISW is sending some more, to me.
The trouble is
1) they are rather brittle;

2) I have to trim the decal's height to match my hull (the Hamilton had a large distance from the wateline to the main deck);

3) Two of the four red stripes on each decal sheet have the USCG emblem on them and the other two don't. The ones with the emblem have to be exactly trimmed more so than the blank ones;

4) I had trouble with my first use of Microscale's Set and Sol and then I used Solvaset, too. In one attempt I applied Sovaset twice and ruined the color of the decal and the texture.

5) The angle of the bow gave me trouble, too, for a while.

6) And I pulled the decal off along with the clear coat while masking the upper hull to paint the lower hull and boot top.

After all of this, I think I have the right methodoligy to try again with the stripe decals.

[Edward Pinniger]

Looking good as usual!
One question related to the large-scale scratchbuilds you posted previously: what was the "balloon hangar" used for? Patrol blimps, or defensive barrage balloons?

[NukeMM]

Looking good as usual!
One question related to the large-scale scratchbuilds you posted previously: what was the "balloon hangar" used for? Patrol blimps, or defensive barrage balloons?

Thanks, EPinniger! And thanks for your curiosity!

The Balloon Hangars on the USCG Cutters were for weather balloon inflation. These cutters performed "Ocean Station" duty and would patrol specific areas of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s taking weather and ocean parameter readings before the sophisticated satellite weather systems that we have now. I think it was a two week patrol with a two week round trip journey to the stations, thus a one month patrol. During this time they also provide nearby aircraft with navigation information and what I think was the LORAN system.

There is a really nice article in the September 2008 issue of "SEA CLASSICS" magazine about the Ocean Station cutters.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_q ... tBody;col1

[NukeMM]

Finally! Some success with the stripe decals! Thanks to Jon at ISW for the additional Hamilton decal sets.





Anchor Chains in place:

[NukeMM]

Searchlights and their platforms and additional railings:





Winch and Mortar Launchers and Mortar Locker:

[bwross11]

Carl,
With the side stripes the vessel is really starting to look the part. Keep up the good work its going to be a wonderful addition to the AVP line-up.

Bruce

[Mike Taylor]

A bit about My WAVP that was recently posted in the Gallery (as requested by Carl).
I didn't even know this thread existed? not really a fan of the class, I was commissioned by a long time customer to build one. As always he wants it yesterday. I ordered the kit and the case at the same time and worked on it for a little over a week. I used the photos I could find online and had no plans to go from-it's all done by eye so there are 2 anomalies-It's not accurate as far as some dimensions go and it doesn't really represent any one ship as trying to find a comprehensve set of photos of one ship at one time was about impossible. I didn't even know that the structure on the aft end was a balloon hanger 'till I read this thread(yes the door has scribed fold lines but due to the exposure you can't make them out in the photo). This is just the dark side of professional building. Know what your customer wants and will please them and go.
Thanks

Mike T

[NukeMM]

A bit about My WAVP that was recently posted in the Gallery (as requested by Carl).
I didn't even know this thread existed? not really a fan of the class, I was commissioned by a long time customer to build one. As always he wants it yesterday. I ordered the kit and the case at the same time and worked on it for a little over a week. I used the photos I could find online and had no plans to go from-it's all done by eye so there are 2 anomalies-It's not accurate as far as some dimensions go and it doesn't really represent any one ship as trying to find a comprehensve set of photos of one ship at one time was about impossible. I didn't even know that the structure on the aft end was a balloon hanger 'till I read this thread(yes the door has scribed fold lines but due to the exposure you can't make them out in the photo). This is just the dark side of professional building. Know what your customer wants and will please them and go.
Thanks

Mike T

Thanks for your contribution, here, Mike! I think that your conversion of the USCGC Castle Rock turned out pretty well without having any decent photos or plans to go by. If your customer is happy, then that's what matters in this case, right?

If in the future, you have a similar build, let me know, and I should be able to help out with some references on AVPs, WAVPs, or these 311' WHECs.

Thanks, again!

[NukeMM]

I scratch built the unique Towing Capstan on the fantail.

[NukeMM]

I unintentially started a new project, tonight.

Before I knew it, I had a jig made and another AVP hull screwed to it and sliced it at the waterline. It went pretty slick! Minimal amount of resin dust, too.

[NukeMM]

Here's the start of my AGP PT Boat Tender. I think it'll be the USS Oyster Bay AGP-6 in a diorama with some PT Boats and maybe a PBY.

[NukeMM]

Railings, fore and aft!!

The catwalk railings were fun.

There will be a one-bar rail that goes atop the thick towing rail around the fantail and it will match up with the top rail on the three-bar railing forward of it.

Everybody or Anybody,

Let me know what you think about my painting the main deck railings grimy black and leaving the stanchions gray.

I think that it makes them look like cable life lines just like the real ship. And the little bits of gray on the railings make it look like turnbuckles. The darker cable life lines also makes them look more delicate and thinner, I think.

Most of the other railings on the ship are pipe rails except for where the small boats are located. I'm waiting on some special davits from ISW and I'll have to do some modifcation to them to replicate the USCG style of davits.

I've added the bitts and chocks from the DRAGON USS Buchanan kit. The bow chock is doubled up with two pieces. A taller than average jackstaff will be mounted atop the bow chock later.

[NukeMM]

In photos of other 311' Cutters I have found no non-skid treads on the fantail. Since this would be pretty large and slippery area with little to hang on to, I have assumed that the entire fantail area was non-skid and I have painted it with Engine Gray to make it a little darker and it almost matches the non-skid decals that are on the Gunship Gray decks elsewhere on the model.

[Nektarios]

Everybody or Anybody,

Let me know what you think about my painting the main deck railings grimy black and leaving the stanchions gray.

Carl i think that it will look very beautiful in 1/350. I ve seen something similar in a modelling contest (i think it was a Virginia class CGN) and tried it without much success in a 1/700 ship.

[NukeMM]

Everybody or Anybody,

Let me know what you think about my painting the main deck railings grimy black and leaving the stanchions gray.

Carl i think that it will look very beautiful in 1/350. I ve seen something similar in a modelling contest (i think it was a Virginia class CGN) and tried it without much success in a 1/700 ship.

I was wondering if anyone else has added this touch to their models. Before this, I haven't paid much attention to it, myself. You almost can't see them until you're right up close to it. I kind of like that.

Thanks for your valued input, Nektarios!

[NukeMM]

I almost forgot about the two-step inclined ladder just outside the bridge door, port and starboard. I also added the compass repeaters / pelorous from Paper Lab to both sides.



I have fabricated some inflatablel life raft canister baskets for the aft catwalk area.