Tufer

[Darwin]

I seem to be suffering builder's block on the Helena, so am taking off on another tangent. After spending a couple of intensive weeks on the computer's graphics programs, I am ready to start butchering some more paper. Not just one, but two mystery ships to test Maurice. The only hint I'll give is that they are both American tin cans, separated by 20 years in design but contemporary in action. One is a fairly straightforward enlargement (with redraw only if discovered to be needed during the build) of a currently available commercial kit. The other is a major redraw of a long out-of-print, somewhat obscure kit. As the build progresses, it should provide contrasts on several levels....illustration of 20 years worth of design philosophy, different construction technique to just mention a couple. I've converted the kits to 1:250 scale so they can ultimately be displayed with the Helena.

I have experimented with a different type of paper.....this build, I am using matte photo paper for the parts pages instead of bristol cardstock. The paper takes glue well...perhaps too much so, since it tends to curl much more severely than did card stock. The appearance of the printing is much crisper than card. This may prove to be the only strong plus of photo paper vs card stock. The associated disadvantage is that the clay finish of the paper means that it is much touchier to a bit of misplaced glue (a huge downside if you are as sloppy as I am in construction technique), and the ink doesn't penetrate through the clay....so any attempt to clean up stray glue results in the ink flaking away. This build may come to a (temporary) screeching halt while I restart using cardstock. Time will tell. Here are the hull framework and deck parts so you can start guessing the subjects.

 

[jrts]

Hi Darwin

Hope you had a great day

I have not got a clue.
So with that in mind I would have a first and might be the last once Maurice see's this :lol: at a Benham class and a Sim class.

More when you can

Rob

 

[Gil]

Darwin,

Was it involved in a fierce night battle during WWII in the Pacific?

Gil

 

[Darwin]

Gil, you're giving me a case of the blues at how fast you are closing on the identity of at least one of them.

 

[Maurice]

How about USS Ward of the rolling rust bucket ... err ... Wickes class, and the other is one of the pre war focsle break classes, so could be the Cushing but I don't know the old kit.

Cheers
Maurice

Oh and don't miss
http://www.specwarnet.net/USSWard/
specially
http://www.specwarnet.net/USSWard/gallery/gallery_schematics.htm

 

[Darwin]

Maurice, you nailed the rustbuc.....er, USS Ward. Thanks for the links. Sounds as if Gil is getting fairly close to the other.....Bagley class, specificly USS Blue. The starting point for the Ward is the JSC kit...for this build, I was going with a straight enlargement, with exception to giving it a bit of a backbone. It's main claim to fame is having fired the first American shot of WWII ( this said keeping a very blind eye toward what was going on in the Atlantic during our *neutral* convoy escort duty ). Thanks for the links for the Ward. Makes me start thinking what I may do with the kit at some day in the future. Know any links to hull sections for either one of the them? Unfortunately, Wunderwaffe is pretty sparce with respect to detailed drawings of US craft. The Blue is a complete redraw of the old Watkins kit from the 70s. It had a comparitively short career, soldiering on in the Pacific until getting nailed in 1943. Both subjects were lost from enemy action, but live on in paper (and plastic, and resin, and .....).

 

[Darwin]

Update time. No pics tonight, I'm afraid. I did get both eggcrates constructed. The Blue went together quite nicely. Fit was as good as could be expected for an alpha build...only a few parts needed to be tweaked, and only slightly at that. The build is up to the point of the first layer of the superstructure. While looking for additional references to resolve some glaring differences between the Watkins kit I used as the starting point and a couple of photos I unearthed of the Blue, I ran across a great reference site for American Destroyers that I don't remember seeing posted in the forum....try http://www.domeisland.com

Some major discrepancies so far is that the Watkins kit includes a gun tub mounted on a pedistal (could be a ventilator room, based on the location) immediately in front of the bridge. In all the photos I've located of the various ships in the Bagley class, none have that feature....instead, there are a couple of large ventilation fans at that location. The additional gun tub seems to appear in only a few ships in the Gridley class. Also, the Watkins kit has portholes on the bridge....all the stepped DDs up to the Sims class appear to have had square windows there. Also, the Watkins kit only has one lifeboat station, and the photos of the Blue show two stations on the port side, and possibly one more on the starboard (the photo resolution is only good enough to show there is something outboard of the stack on the starboard side, but not to figure out exactly what it is. Anyhow, I've modified the design a bit to give better fidelity to scale.

The Ward is another story. The eggcrate went together well enough, but then it hit the fan when I tried putting the hull sides on. The height of the enlarged pieces left the entire base platform of the eggcrate bare. I thought about trying to increase the height of the sides, but since they are not redrawn, the manipulation that would be required to color in the gap that would have been created without an obvious break in the texture seemed more than I wanted to take on. I suppose I could have tried a "distortion" of the sides by increasing the image height while keeping the width constant, but the change that would have been needed (about 15% increase) would have produced some glaringly obvious distortions of the drawn-in detail....oval portholes, anyone? To give a quick fix (e.g., not going back to the drawing board and resizing the keel and formers), I ripped off the bottom platform and figured I was still ahead of the original JSC build-a-box structure. As far as getting the side parts to fit, that approach worked. However, the photo paper I used to print the parts on confirmed my suspicion that it was too flimsy for a "straight-out-of-the-box" build. Visions of wildcats and wet noodles came to mind. I even had to throw out the thought I had of adding internal pasteboard reinforcements, since there is a major deck structure that simply doesn't lend itself to much in the way of additional thickness. So, it is literally back to the drawing board on the Ward. After decreasing the height of the eggcrate, I will reprint the kit on 110 lb cardstock and see if that will give a bit more success.

Well, enough blathering for one night. I should have a few pics of the Blue by the weekend.

 

[Maurice]

I suspect you haven't been to
http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/387.htm
....yet.

 

[Darwin]

Time for a few pics. Not having figured out the web posting thing again, I continue to live with the forum limitations. This will take a bit.

 

[Darwin]

I feel like I should be writing Burma Shave copy.

 

[Darwin]

Ted, how do you like the way the hose reel came out? Not too good a shot of the other firehose storage rack.

 

[Darwin]

Yes, I'm happy to see you! (Sorry if this goes over the heads of those of you under 50.)

I've got to admit, this build is pushing me to the ragged edge of my building skills....if not my tired old eyes. And I haven't even gotten to the really demainding stuff.

 

[cmdrted]

Darwin, holy smokes :!: You have surpassed yourself :!: The hose reels came out great, the rest looks fantastic, keep going :!: Your best ship build so far, I am humbled and tip a glass in your name sir, T

 

[barry]

looking good Darwin

barry

 

[Darwin]

More pics. The build progresses. So far, no major fit problems. My experiment with inkjet transparency film seems to be working. It photographs well (no distracting glare), and doesn't craze when it comes in contact with superglue (about the only sure way of getting it to stick where I want it). I'm starting to think I may just be able to pull this build off.

 

[Darwin]

Six more to go.

 

[Darwin]

Last three pics for this posting.

 

[Darwin]

Oops. Here is what was intended.

 

[barry]

Railings look very effective as does the whole ship.

barry

 

[cmdrted]

WOW :!: This looks great, I think you've actually hit on the answers to alot of little design delimemas, printing the railings and radar parts on clear acetate. Excellant idea, and it looks good too. All the little depth charge racks , the ready racks for depth charges and the bedspring radars will pop to life without having to weld up a mash of structures, thanks man :!: Exactly what kind of clear acetate can take the inkjet printing? I'm actually "stuck" down here in Cape May New Jersey, having to surf, and bask in the sun and eat all kinds of "horrible" sea foods, but when I get back to "civilization" I'm going to give this technique a try. Build on, Looking Good :!: