The Ship Model Forum

I will have to put my other projects aside for a while because I have been asked to build a T3 tanker hull for Bob Hoernke a member of the NC Model Ship Builders . This is going to be a joint project between him and I. I will make the fibre glass hull and some of the deck fittings while Bob does all the real work on the ship .
The hull needs to be ready for the NC fleet run in Oct so I will be back to work on Mutsu and the BK1124 in Nov .
Four of the T3 hulls were used to build the Sangamon Class CVE's. Bob supplied me with Plans for AO-22 Cimarron and CVE-28 Chenango .He is not sure yet which one he will build ,the Cimarron or the Chenango .



The T3 Tankers were part of the Maritime Commission 500 ship program began in 1938 .Cimarron was built by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Chester PA . in 1939 .She was 553 x 75 x 32 and could carry 146,000 barrels of oil .The first twelve T3 hulls were built for Standard Oil. They were given Native American names for rivers and lakes .



The Sangamon Class CVE's were the largest CVE's using converted hulls .They were the only CVE's to carry dive bombers .
The plans for AO-22 Cimarron were purchased from the Smithsonian while the Chenango came from Floating Drydock .

Tankers are interesting objects to model with all their rigging and pipes. I also like the wide, fat hulls. Love to see you making a hull.

What construction method will you be using?

Pim

Hi Richard A Replenishment ship , what a superb subject , I will be looking forward to the build . Not much time for building a hull , does that include both the plug, mould and GRP hull ?
Dave Wooley

Hi Pim & Dave
Thanks for your comments .I need to have a finished T3 hull by Oct 7th .I don't know if he will then make the Cimarron using that hull ,or use the hull to make a Sangamon Class CVE .I think he is leaning towards the Tanker. I like the AO-22 Cimarron also .I am reading ( Black Shoe Carrier Admiral by John B Lundstrom ) and now realize how much the tankers were relied upon .
Here are some WWII action photo's .




There are lots of pipes and hoses on Cimarron plus four 5in single mounts,four 40mm twin mounts and four 20mm twin mounts .
I will first make a plug or master .Then because of the built in prop shafts , I will have to make a three piece female mold .This will be used to make a fibre glass hull .

Yeah these tankers pretty much dictated every major strategic sea campaign. They were maybe the most important vessels of the war. Maybe the president should be saying: 'where are the tankers' instead of 'where are the carriers'

I like these photo's very much! They show the beautifull roughness of the ocean. And when fully loaded these tankers were very low in the water. Must have been a wet job onboard

If you'll do a good job and save the plug you can make me a hull too

There's also a very good dutch made site with lots of photo's and technical papers about these ships.

http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/id94.htm

Pim

Thanks for the link Pim
The keel and bulkheads were cut out with a scroll saw .1/4 in ply was used .


A base line is drawn on the table then 90 degree angle plates are clamped to the table .

The keel is then clamped to the angle plates .

The T3 tankers had enclosed prop housings and no A supports .I will mold the housings in with the hull .Each frame that the shaft passed through was drilled to take a 1/1 in solid brass rod .

The T3 Tanker all framed-up .

Richard i love to see your buildings.
this project is very good i will watching with attention

Thanks Norbert
Each bulkhead was mounted on a large enough piece of ply so it could be used to make templates or a cradle .





A deck template was made using formica



I use spray foam to fill in between bulkheads .



The hull remains clamped to the angle plates until the foam has dried.



The foam is rough cut with a hacksaw blade .



More to come .

Hi Richard Scratch building I just love it . I like the method you use of overlaying the timber of both frames and deck drawings .
Dave Wooley

You're a good person! Putting so much effort in making a hull for someone else!
I would experience a lot of emotional difficulty giving it away afterwards..

Giving it away I sold the hull to Bob.I have sold another one also .Trying to make some money so I can build MY ship the IJN Seaplane Carrier Nisshin in 1/72 scale .

a faster way to build an hull
superb and very efficiency
good to see

Hi All
The foam is sanded down to the bulkheads .Each bulkhead is .100 small to allow for the matt thickness .



The middle bulwark leans inward .The angle is swown on the plans .







T3 hull ready for some tuning up .


more to follow .

Richard J OMalley wrote:Giving it away

haha, u know what I mean..

Lovely hull by the way, looks more like a cruiser than a fleet oiler..
And I see you've got your first cargo, a brick!
But why are you fitting on the bulkheads? You're making a mold right. So aren't they usually fitted after the hull comes from the mould? Are you molding this part of the superstructure in? A lot of question marks

I like the way you're forward thinking, when putting in the sterntubes. BY the way you're workplace looks like something out of a Saw movie

Pim

Hi Pim
Yes I will have the bulwarks molded into the hull .I left out some of the bulwark work but here it is now .



The bulwarks flare out at the bow and stern .I used thin alum sheet to make them as it will bend but still hold its shape .



I made a alum incert from the plans .The bow is notched and the incert is glued in place .The will hold its shape when I carve the bow .



They used my shop for one of the Saw movies .Good eyes.

Got some more work done .
The plug is covered with fibre glass matt .



The plug is then covered with resin .







Now I have alot of sanding to do .

Hi Richard my friend
wow i can see the hull form od your tanker easy;
great job - fantastic hull
i will watching always

Hi Norbert
Thanks for your interest .It is always good to hear from you .
After maney houres of sanding ,shapping and filling this is what she looks like .



Then it was time to work on the bulbous bow .You can see how the alum incert will help here .



The widest point of the bulb is on waterline #8 .The hight is measured of the plans then marked on the hull with a hight gauge .



A template was made and the bulbous bow was carved .



The bow after shapping



More to follow

Looking very good Richard.

Hi Richard
in the construction of my model KGV (1:160) I used a part of aluminum in the stern and stayed very strong and well inserted
p.s. the hull looks very good and you build so fast..
greetings