shipman
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Everything posted by shipman
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Thanks guys, for your help finding the CS stuff I was looking for. Anyone any feedback on their 'rope', blocks and deadeys?
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Thanks popeye, I found the new site. Just started browsing through it but have only found sails and flags. It's 00.40 here so I'm off to the Land of Nod, but will continue tomorrow. My best wishes to all responders. I'll let you know how I get on.
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dlock3155, thanks for that, it sounds just what I'm looking for. Unfortunately the address you give doesn't work as a hotlink, or a direct e-mail and nothing when I google it. I'd like to get there, but can't.
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Does anyone produce a photo etch fret for the Revell 1:96 Cutty Sark kit? Specifically the bow and stern decoration. Chicken coops etc would be nice. I'm also trying to find deadeyes smaller than 3mm. I can find 3 and 4mm. If anyone is interested; I've just acquired some sublime scale stanchions (two and single ball), plus stainless rail to suit and some incredibly small blackened chain (42 links per inch!). All from Keith at mteam@modellingtimbers.co.uk. He does a bunch of nice stuff, check him out.
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I've just got hold of the H-393 (1978) version of this kit, awaiting delivery. In anticipation, I'd appreciate guidance on the various scale chain needed to complete that aspect of the rigging, ie. links per inch. Some odd soul out there must have worked out what would be required, including an estimate of overall lengths needed. Can you help please?- 20 replies
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Congratulations on this bold take on an old favourite. Just found it on the 'new' quick' index. Just love your weathering, it's a shame there aren't more models looking like this; I would imagine most ships would look like this after a long voyage. Would be great to look at a good ship weathering tutorial.
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Yep, no place to be fighting a war. Not far from there is my grandfather; he went down with HMS Courageous after two torpedoes from a U-boat, 17 September 1939. My mother was born while he was away. he left a wife and five kids. One way or another the family still feels the pain. King and country.......and all that. Odd thing is; my mother died on 17 September. Strange old world innit?
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Jolly Roger you appear to be quite correct about the 'Fairport'. Just found this little snippet describing another sailing ship observed during that battle:- ''Another unidentified sailing vessel was spotted the same day not far from Fairport's course line by George Hanks, a sick bay attendant on HMS Carnarvon. In his diary, Hanks recorded, "About 3 p.m. a big sailing ship appears on the horizon and no doubt but what those on board her had a magnificent view of the battle just as it was at its zenith."
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Thanks for your interest, guys. the 'Fairport' is an intriguing suggestion, which I'll do my best to research. It is well known that the PBY had a pivotal role in the British search for the Bismark, but thanks for that.
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Two mystery topics.......... 1. I've read several accounts of a large sailing ship passing through the action at the WW1 Falklands battle, but as far as I'm I'm aware that ship has never been identified. I'd love to know if anyone knows more. I'm sure the crew had a thrilling, if brief tale to tell. 2. I read somewhere a long time ago of reports that the Bismark was shadowed by two American battleships during the period when the persuing RN forces supposedly 'lost' their enemy. At that time the USA was neutral and the 'fog of war' would downplay any American involvement no matter how passive. If the story is true, wouldn't the American ships have reported the encounter to their own command, if not to the RN forces? Any information?
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Just finished the Ough book, which is very absorbing. Left with even bigger respect than previously. Autistic or not, my impression is that he was devoted to raising the bar considerably, both in research and pushing the limits of what was possible with the most basic materials and tools, making miniature ships. Also a perceptive humane individual. A comparable exponent of these methods today, I would suggest, is Robert Wilson. He specialises in merchantmen, both sail and steam. So impressed by Wilsons modestly honest way of doing things, I bought 5 of the e-books he produces yesterday and am skimming through them with interest. Certainly a worthwhile and minimal investment of money. Though not as ambitious as some, he nevertheless produces some lovely models which could be built by almost anyone, without much of a workshop, if not the kitchen table! He deserves a wider audience. Not everyone wants or can build something over a prolonged period of years. Back to Ough....I was mistaken; the diorama was of all the Grand Fleet ships at Jutland to a scale of 1:1200. Apparently the assembly is in a broken and sorry state in the NMM storage facility. Such a sorry fate.
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Oh, you make me LARF 'druxey' This hobby, like many others, must have an abundance of folk who fit a certain 'spectrum'. It is a benefit to all of us that they have found such creative and productive ways to focus their skill and attention. It strikes me that Ough, despite his own domestic issues, could communicate and glean what he needed, from those professionals who gave him the courtesy, time and access essential to his work. We all have our faults and we should be grateful to be living in societies which give us the freedom to follow our dreams and ambitions, both great and small. Ough certainly gave of his best
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Roger, I agree with your brief comments about the Ough book. By the standards of the time and the very limited resources available to him, he did indeed produce remarkable results. He relied entirely upon his own research at a time when very little was to be found by the normal model builder. Though his techniques could seem archaic today, the results speak for themselves and have stood the test of time. I have had the good fortune to see examples of his work at the NMM, London (when their excellent public model collection still existed.) The level of realism and detail is astonishing and is testimony to a man who knew his subject inside and out. Being displayed near to the 18th century Admiralty Board collection tended to diminish his models to the passing viewer. That's when I learned to appreciate miniatures, best seen in focussed isolation. Reading the book gives incite (in his own words) into what the man could do with 'normal household' materials and difficult, diligent research in the 1920's and '30's. I would suggest few of us could match his achievements today, even with what is available now Truly a man of his time, but also a devoted pathfinder and rare genius.
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Presently reading the Ough biography. It's full of fascinating well researched features, published originally during the '50's and '60s. A little before my time. Mostly related to Royal Navy 20th century vessels of every types. I'm impressed with his first hand visits to various ships and his accounts of what he found and put to paper. Sadly he pointed out how everything that would be of interest to future study was being wholesale burned and destroyed, ships books, manuals, fixtures and fittings. At the moment I'm fascinated by a diorama of all the ships at Trafalgar, which, I think, was in the long since defunct 'Combined Services Museum'. I'm not sure if he made this, haven't read that far. But there is a small poor photo of it in it's case. I've been aware this existed for a long time, but have only seen similar dated indistinct photos such as this. Does anyone know what happened to it?
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Implacable (Duguay Trouin) - moved by moderator
shipman replied to Matrim's topic in Nautical/Naval History
I understand the George V is in the entrance area. Strangely, when I was there I never saw it. They do have a lovely Queen Mary(?) battlecruiser builders model, but I've only ever found a few photo's of it. Don't think it's been displayed. The main collection of their wooden models have been re-located to Chatham, most of which are in storage and can be viewed by appointment...free! The Science Museum collection is mostly in storage, but the big Vanguard model is at the Riverside Museum, Scotland, along with the big Liners. Incidentally, I'm reading the Norman Ough book, and he points out lots of Vanguard detail discrepancies. But generally he says the shipyard builders models, are laced with errors, even with the original plans. Some of those models must have taken longer to build than the real ship! There's a character who sacrificed his life for his models. Wouldn't it be grand if a few heads were knocked together and a new dedicated museum created to house the lot. Pretty sure a case could be made for some lottery funding. -
Implacable (Duguay Trouin) - moved by moderator
shipman replied to Matrim's topic in Nautical/Naval History
Norman, glad to hear another voice blowing in the wind. I checked out the NMM website a few days ago. They invite visitors comments. I was astonished to find there's now a £13 entrance fee.......I'm sure it was free when I was last there. There were several punters saying how they thought it was a waste of time and money and full of screaming kids, running about the place. At least it's somewhere dry to take them on the 364 days of cold and rain we get here. They can have it! I wonder what the original people who donated objects would think now?Makes you wonder what the Romans were doing here LOL. -
Fascinating informed debate. It's so long ago now, I can't remember when I saw a tv documentary demonstrating the firing of a naval cannon. Part of the 'drama' was about proof firing the thing, I think the feature include actually re-manufacturing and testing the gun which was relatively small ('Bounty' size). When it was deemed safe, they aimed it at a substantial baulk of oak from about 50 yards. It went straight through, making a nice round entry hole but the other side was ripped to pieces, showing how dramatic the shower of splinters was. See attached photo, which I believe is displayed on HMS Victory. It looks remarkably like the one I saw on tv. Given the data it would be possible to calculate the forces involved without even seeing a gun. 'It's all in the maths'. Like most things these days, that would be beyond me, I'm afraid. Use sunscreen.
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I agree with all of your comments. The quality of those models defies virtually all but a very few of modern builds. How fortunate we are that so many have survived as testimony to the talent of the builders, many of whom must have lived otherwise humble, if not impoverished lives. Oh to be a time machine fly on the wall of their workshops!
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Implacable (Duguay Trouin) - moved by moderator
shipman replied to Matrim's topic in Nautical/Naval History
Some years ago, on my first visit to the NMM, I remember how astonished I was to see 'Implacables' stern. Boy, did it seem big. I also realised it is mounted about the proper height above the water line (where you stand bellow it). Looking at how the same structure was so dilapidated in photographs taken before it was removed, makes one realise what a fine job was done, restoring it. It may have served some perpose to naval architects, if the hulk had just been allowed to rot alone up some quiet creek. Modern health and safety would put a stop to that now, I suppose. Since that visit and similar regular visits to the London Science Museum, things have changed drastically. Neither venue's display their once renowned model collections. A national scandal. At least, most of the exhibits have been photographically recorded, but there's no substitute to seeing them in the round. Their removal means I won't be going out of my way to pay anymore visits. How would our American friends feel if the Annapolis model collections were packed up and put into permanent storage? -
I also think the rope goes the wrong way through the ring. I also question the use of that ring, which, in my humble opinion is more likely to be used for lifting the entire assembly, being suspiciously close to the apparent centre of gravity. Also, if you follow the line of the breeching rope, routed through that ring, then at full extension, then there would be an unwanted lift to the carriage, with the possibility of either the rope and or the ring parting! Has anyone actually seen one of these guns fired, fully loaded with shot? The recoil is extremely violent, much more so than when fired with only a wad, during demonstrations for the tourist. It makes me laugh when this is shown in the movies, usually a big bang, a lot of smoke and the gun trundles backwards. As far as the hoo haa about this feature, I think the artist may be forgiven, after all, his depiction is admirably very clear in all other respects.
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Thanks 'druxey'. Yes I found the tutorial and read it. It takes a while but I get there in the end, usually with the help and patience of the guardian angels here on this forum. Best wishes.
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Thanks chaps. I have a split personality, altering between Mr. Dumb and Mr. Dumber. So the function of the fan is to give a consistent even spacing of planks at a given bulkhead. Drawing a fan consists of lines radiating from a vanishing point. So each gap between the lines represent each plank selected for the job. Back to the fan. presumably the lines are 10 degrees apart. Then you mark a paper strip with the top and bottom of the area being planked; then offer the strip to the fan so those marks coincide with the relevant fan lines; then mark off each fan line in between onto the paper. Take the paper and transfer those marks to the bulkhead. Is that it? Simples? Once again, thanks to my BIGGEST FANS!
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Hi to the planking Swami's among you. I'd like to draw my own 'planking fan' as I don't have a printer. I can draw, but haven't a clue how to configure the radiating angles. I appreciate those angles must be based on something, but what? Is there a formula? I've seen one or two of these fans illustrated on the forum, but I'd like to understand the principal properly. Your wisdom required, please. On a related matter; is it possible to plank a hull without resorting to stealers? I'd like to think so.
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Mark, thanks for getting back to my reply. Yes, I understand the issue compiling an index of posts. While we're here in the 'longboat rigging' area......perhaps someone can explain.....When ships boats are displayed stowed on board, rarely if ever, there's no evidence of the plates and dead-eyes for mast shrouds and stays. Yet when a boat is depicted rigged, there they are! Clearly the plates are bolted to the hull so I imagine they must be permanently there, even if the boat is un-rigged. I appreciate there's a wide range of boat styles and uses, yet it seems all of them are capable of having masts fitted. I could be wrong, but I have no recollection that this feature is indicated on original source draughts. Could it be that boats rigging is attached to inboard belaying pins. It seems to me these fixtures are included on model boats with a big assumption that 'how else can it be done?'. Another point; colours on boats and ships:- it is widely known by the younger generation, that everything prior to colour tv was black and white! So period paintings and drawings depict colours as products of artistic licence? A disturbing thought. Enough. Thanks again. Alex
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Wefalck, thank you for your intervention, which is much appreciated. Now I'm aware of dafi's situation, I'll stop grinding my teeth. Thanks again.
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