Roger Pellett

Photo Etch? Roger

A great project! In 1964 I was attending the University of Michigan studying Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and also pursuing a USNR commission with the university’s NROTC unit. This program required one summer cruise, the 1st Class one. I received orders to an old WWII submarine in the Western Pacific. It turned out that the submarine was going “somewhere that I wouldn’t want to go” according to the boat’s captain. Wherever they were going involved scuba gear and rubber boats which were stacked on board. After considerable shuffling around and two more flights I found myself aboard the Ocean Minesweeper USS Loyalty (MSO 457) deployed overseas to Sasebo, Japan. It was my first experience aboard a US Navy warship. The captain was a hard-boiled sort of guy who was determined that the two midshipmen on board would become qualified OOD’s before the end of the cruise. As soon as we got underway, I was assigned to the pelorus and range finder on the bridge and told to keep station on another ship in the diamond formation. As the ship was fitted with controllable pitch propellers engine orders were given in feet of pitch (all ahead four feet). I was assigned to a regular watch section as JOOD and when we began a mine sweeping exercise with the Japanese Navy we stood four on, four off. We eventually got to the point where I was to stand an OOD watch by myself. Upon reporting to the bridge, the fog was so thick that I could’nt see beyond the jack staff but I was doing ok using RADAR. About an hour into the watch a signal came through to change formation. In my nervousness about this maneuver which I had little idea how to accomplish I garbled the Radio Transmission. The captain came boiling out of his sea cabin behind the bridge, pissed off. I was promptly relieved in disgrace. Looking back, it was remarkable opportunity. The combination of the small ship and old salt captain gave me wonderful experience that I wouldn’t have received elsewhere. After I left her to return to school, Loyalty deployed to Vietnam for operation Market Time and made several deployments after that. During one deployment she fired her 40mm “main armament” (later replaced by a 20mm) in anger destroying a gun emplacement. Roger

A two legged forestay ? Roger

Another great portrait! What used to be called the Cass Scenic Railroad and I believe is now a West Virginia State Park operates a fleet of these unique geared steam locomotives. Many years ago my wife and I rode a train pulled by one of these up through a number of switchbacks to the top of a mountain. For those traveling through the area this is not to be missed. Roger

Thanks for posting this Eric. “Keep em’ coming!” Mother Nature always has the last word. Roger

Remember, it’s just a ship model! You are not trying to plumb up a new toilet on a Saturday night with the water shut off and your wife expecting company on Sunday. Now that’s stressful! If you have to rebuild something several times to meet your standards that’s ok. Back in the good old days model kits were furnished with rough carved solid hulls. These can be built into beautiful models and with your woodworking skills might a good choice. Check Model Shipways and Bluejacket. And remember, Bondo and Durham’s Rock Hard Water Putty are important model shipbuilding materials. Jump in, make some sawdust and have fun. Roger

Wonderful! One of my favorites. Roger

Eisenglass or Isenglass is famous from the 1950’s Broadway song “Surrey With the Fringe on Top”- “With Eisenglass curtains you can roll right down in case there’s a change in the weather.” It is apparently is a chemical made from fish bladders used to do many things including preservation of “goldbeaters fabric.” Goldbeaters fabric was made from abdominal membranes of cattle and was used for the gas cells in rigid airships. It therefore makes sense that before the age of mass produced plastics an Eisenglass treated animal skin covering might have been used. Roger

The directions for the epoxy that I often use say to mix the two parts for a full 60 seconds. Roger

Eric, The Car of Commerce photo shows four vertical white stanchions protruding thru the deck in way of the paddle boxes. If you wished I believe that it would be accurate to show the same arrangement on your model with the transverse chains supporting the paddleboxes running above the deck. Roger

I am no expert but as an engineer, strongly believe that for good engineering design form is driven by function. If these alerion pulleys were not enclosed by some sort of cover fastened to the wing top they could become inoperative from chinks of dirt, sand, etc. kicked up by prop wash during takeoff. Therefore, an “eisenglass” transparent screen would make sense. I love these old aircraft and built balsa/tissue models of them in my teen aged years. Many years before I was born my father and mother attempted to supplement their income by manufacturing and selling model airplane kits designed by my father. Growing up there was a beautiful large scale 1930 era Curtiss P8 Hawk hanging up in my closet, all that was left from my father’s Viking Model Aircraft Company. Unfortunately it did not survive. I am tempted to try to build another one but I know that I cannot duplicate the craftsmanship of the original or that you guys show so I will try to stick to boat models. Somewhere along the way my father obtained an original propeller from a WW I Thomas Morse Scout. It’s now hanging up in my basement. I have no idea what I will eventually do with it. Roger

Heinrich, I have seen no evidence that red/brown sails were common on American sailing craft. Americans in the Nineteenth Century had access to cotton canvas which is slightly off white. The red/brown color associated with European small craft sails results from the “tanning” of sails made from flax to prevent rot. Roger

This is interesting! First of all it is obviously a warship. The round stern excludes ships from the war of 1812 period. I would hazard a guess that it is a mid 19 th Century sloop of war. Possibly one of the large sloops that served throughout the Civil War. You do not say if the hull includes a propeller aperature. If so, the modeler might have been trying to replicate USS Hartford. AJ Fisher used to offer a USS Hartford kit. They were bought by one of the current American model companies but the last time that I looked they were on the web. Roger

That brings up a chicken and egg question. Was someone on the Seinfeld show a closet ship modeler who co-opted the Vandalay name, or is the guy that owns Vandalay Industries a Seinfeld fan? I suspect the latter. Roger

The longitudinal load distribution on the hull of a ship is determined by subtracting the upward forces of buoyancy from the downward forces of weight at each point along its longitudinal axis. For sternwheel vessels, the paddle wheel represented a heavy weight at a point where there was little or no displacement and therefore buoyant force to support it. This would produce a large hogging moment required to be offset by the chains. You are modeling a sidewheel vessel. The heavy side wheels and engines are located at a point along the hull where the shape of the hull provides a full upward buoyancy force to offset their weight which is probably why the steamer in the photo that I sent you does not show longitudinal chains. Transverse chains are a different matter, as they would have been necessary to support the paddle wheel’s outboard bearing. Chains were only effective in limiting hogging forces as compression forces caused by sagging would cause them to buckle. Sagging forces in the calm water environment of the River could be limited by hull shape. Roger

Eric, I hope that you find the attached helpful. This is from a digitally remastered daguerreotype photo taken in 1848 of the Cincinnati, Ohio waterfront. The remastering was done by the Cincinnati Public Public Library. The steamer in the photo would appear to be a typical Ohio River boat intended fou use in shallow water. The vertical white posts are for the transverse chains supporting the paddle boxes. The vessel does not appear to be fitted with longitudinal chains. Roger

Dave, Another interesting variation of the Sopwith Camel would be that used by the Royal Navy- either as a very early carrier plane or as one launched from a platform atop a battleship. The Sopwith Camel was used in both capacities. When launched from a battleship they were disposable as they were ditched at sea with the pilot supposedly recovered. Roger

I remember when the Israelis agreed to return the Sinai to Egypt several analysts likened it to the sea in that it could be controlled by fleets of tanks without having to actually garrison it with boots on the ground. The US Navy’s great strategic writer Captain Mahan would have approved. Gallipoli seems to be an example of a concept sound in strategy but ahead of its time as the technology did not exist to allow it to work- ships’ boats instead of landing craft, and especially inadequate communications to allow effective command and control. I just read the first volume of Admiral Turner’s biography and even with voice radio, the US Navy badly underestimated communication requirements for early WW 2 amphibious landings. Like we did with the Japanese prior to WW2 the Turks were badly underrated as a competent, tough fighting force. In my opinion, once the initial assaults failed and the fighting settled into the same trench warfare as the Western Front, the troops should have been withdrawn sooner rather than later. Roger

How about a brass spittoon? Roger

Beautiful work, Eric! Roger

An interesting project, Heinrich, i’m Looking forward to following it. Roger

Thanks Ken.

I still have my old Lionel trains- an Alco Diesel Locomotive with Erie RR markings, a Lionel Lines 0-4-0 steam switcher and 6 cars. In the 1970’s my parents house was burglarized and all my track, switches, etc were stolen. I have three young granddaughters and would like to run them for them. I was able to buy track to make an oval at our local Menards last Christmas but still need at least a transformer. Any suggestions? I don’t intend to get into the hobby “whole hog.” Roge

After leaving her builder’s yard, a fire was discovered in one of Titanic’s coal bunkers that persisted into much of her maiden voyage. There is much discussion in print and on the web regarding the effect if any of the fire on the integrity of the hull. Some investigators claim that there was a noticeable discoloration of the hull in way of the fire. If you are a stickler for reproducing Titanic’s exact appearance during her voyage you might wish to consider reproducing this Mark on the hull. Google Titanic Bunker Fire. Roger

I believe that you should buy the tools that with your work style will produce your required results. Therefore a tool that one person relies on may not work at all for someone else. I am naturally clumsy and my success rate using carbide drills Is very low. On the other hand for me HSS drills enjoy a reasonable life. Roger