jud

Weight and because of that weight and the deflection forces diminishing as you go out from the center allowed for reducing the weight without hurting function. Or could be like Grandad, he liked to stand on the sunny side of the barn out of the wind and whittle a tooth pick from a much bigger piece.
jud

Here is my attempt to make a boom rest. There is one to be seen clearly on the Science Museum cutter (here the link, provided by Jay: http://www.modelships.de/Museums_and_replicas/Science_Museum_London/Ship_model_naval_cutter.htm), in Peterssen’s book.
 

 
Gregor

Jay,
 
Well, you have me confused now! However, at the present moment, I still think it's a boom crutch with the top orientated towards the viewer (as you suggest) for clarity.
 
I can't imagine what else it would be, unless we go back to Welfack's suggestion of a support for the sweeps. If, as you say, this is mounted on the outside of the hull, then there should be another one – most likely further forward on the ship's side, but I don't remember one from the drawings. Is there one? Having sweeps mounted athwartships in this aft position wouldn't seem likely, as they must be about twenty feet long! They would also interfere with the boom – and I would have thought a few other things!
 
Tony, I was going to suggest that the decorative tops actually form a lip, perhaps to be able to tie the boom (or whatever) down if required.

Should be a lot of places to get it done that are close to you. Almost any engineering or surveying office could do it, how about the engineering department of your local power company then there are all the government agencies getting into GIS Mapping that would have the ability. Heck, I would be happy to do it for you,' and even supply the paper, Mylar you would need to buy', max size up to "D" size. The offer stands only if you hand deliver the CD to me only as a favor. I bet you can find someone very close to you to do it.
jud

Brownells is a good place to get ideas, options and the means to complete the method chosen. I have used the cold blue method, never the hot blue which used to require tanks and chemicals to get it done. Have two S & W K-22 Masterpiece revolvers, they were users, "actually acquired them to replace one that I let get away", much of the bluing was gone and after I had them rebuilt they needed protection. The gunsmith I was using sent them to someone in Idaho who put a kind of  parkerised finish, black in color that has proven to be tough. Today there are many different methods and options to choose from to color metal, Brownells is a good place to start finding out what some of those options are. Looking there may encourage the use of aluminum in modeling because of the different treatments that can be used for different effects. One of the earlier finishes was just plain rusting in a controlled manner, they called it browning,  was used on many muskets.
jud

I think we have to wait for Slog to confirm you're right first Jan

It's not those flat coils that bothers me, even knowing they are not the norm. It is the lack of deck space that they make so obvious, where do the seamen travel? No matter how neat the lines may be, they don't belong under foot. Those who like those coils, fine, those who think about working and getting around the ship will take note of the clutter, usually say nothing and still be able to admire the effort, time and skill it took to produce the model.
jud

Thank you everyone for the great comments; they are really appreciated. 
 
Jud and Chuck, your point about the acetone is well taken.
 
All of this sequential preparation is probably overkill, but from what I've learned it is useful for achieving consistent results, especially when coated brass stock is used.
 
Apparently the acetone is often employed as a backup-step to remove any hand oils or dirt that might have crept in after the acid bath. However, it will also remove any lacquers or finishes that muriatic acid will not. This is especially important if you don't adequately sand all portions of the metal prior to the chemical treatments.   

Good work, now you have a repeatable method of blacking brass. I would expect that the muriatic acid bath followed by a good soak in a neutralizing agent would result in a surface to blacken without the need for an acetone bath. I have used that acid as a cleaner when re-soldering caterpillar radiators that had shaken loose after years of use.
jud

Tony
I'm not familiar with either of the two threads (Denier 100 and Cordonnet 100)....but my guess is they are braided or twisted of several independent strands.
When I need a really thin line, I simply separate the independent threads (usually only three or less).  Sounds like a lot of work, but only separate a length slightly longer than you think you need.  Worth a shot IF they are indeed as I describe.
Good luck
Tom

One of the things that will help you isthe surface tension of your line.  Even if it is the smallets diameter you can find it may still have a memory.  Let the line soak in some washing detergent ot softener.  Once you rinse it and let dry this might help out tremendously.
David B

Landing pad, a deck load and probably a tank deck, heavy derricks and bow doors probably hiding a ramp. The water moves around her like she is flat bottomed with shallow draft, so I would guess she is a type of ship built to do the same type of work as our LST's and can beach herself, retract herself after loading or unloading directly on a beach.
jud

Was wanting to get the collision between the USS Ammen DD 527 and the USS Collet DD 730 on 19 June 1960 in the history list. Was aboard the Ammen, guess this tag on, will have to do.
jud

Was wanting to get the collision between the USS Ammen DD 527 and the USS Collet DD 730 on 19 June 1960 in the history list. Was aboard the Ammen, guess this tag on, will have to do.
jud

When little mouse or little lizard come in house, Admiral  literary jump/climb on highest place She can reach screaming ... just like in cartoons ... first time it happened I can not believe what I see. That is main reason we have a cat in house last 27 years ...
 
And when young cat hunt his first mouse and bring it to home to show it, that is a real comedy ...   

I should add...some threads work better than others and as always test first as your milage may vary. 

Jud,
 
If you're using the 50-50 mix of white glue and water, a drop or two of liquid dish soap goes a long way toward helping penetration of the line.  Even if the line has been beeswaxed.

Cooooool .. thanks a lot Tim. Very interesting paper. It fits to my understanding - and I forgott completly about the Roux-paintings showing the ships during entering a port or being at sea without "action". .. and here half port lids visible .. while in action they seem to be dissapeared.
 
Meaning for this model: not showing them does not mean "there are no" .. but would still be a valid presentation!
 
I did never think of canvas for the captains ports .. I assumed this would be glass - but seeing some of the paintings / sketches it seems obvious that the author is right. Again something new for me!
 
Great - thanks a lot for this input!!!

Forget the swivel top, walk around it instead. If you tilt the top, which may be handy,  you will need a separate  tool table on wheels so you can easily take it with you as you travel around the main table, might put some sort of a fold down seat on the tool table that allows sitting at the required height. If you have air, run a line in there with your overhead wiring, lights and vacuum, all offset from the table at one place, close but clear of the table. That should be enough to cause you to rub a bald spot in your hair.
jud

Here's the newest addition to my shipyard. A 360 degree turntable. It's a pull out TV turntable.

Another minor point regarding ships at anchor.  They may not be riding to the wind, but to the tide, or a combination of both, depending on the relative strengths of wind and tide, so flags on an anchored ship could still be blowing in any direction.
 
John

what a terrible event. I am glad you and family are safe.

Hello everyone and thank all yuns who visited and left a like, much appreciated !!!
 
Today I tried to finish both gantries.  In reviewing the photos in my archive I discovered that I put the diagonal braces on the wrong post      Soooooh - - - I desoldered them, filled the holes with solder and filed them smooth.  Then I proceeded to drill the diagonal holes in the thinner / opposite posts and soldered the braces in and smoothed the solder out with small files.  After they are painted nobody will ever know   
 
I had to make another set of the boom / pulley swivels and the ratcheting "come-along" for the aft side too.  That ratcheting device gave me more of a problem then the first one.  I screwed up one but the second try worked out okay.  More metal scrap 
I also made the boom stowing brackets that'll be cemented to the deck.  Another tedious part but they look rather nice.  Sorry no pictures yet, forgot 
 
Well, that's about it for all the parts and pieces for the torpedo loading gantries and the dingy loading boom.  Oh yeah, I started to to make the two tackle handwheels for the dingy boom tackles.  These will just be dummies (like me) and cemented to the aft side of the con.  Then that aft end of the con can be painted black.
 
So, we are now ready for the pulleys, that'll be a fun project.
 
Cheers,

After some garden work I ventured back into the garage a k a shipyard, and tried to finish the dingy boom pulley brackets.  Got all but one done.
 
The raw parts were already made last Friday so I could dig right in.  I started with the top of the boom "loading" bracket.  That one seemed to be the most troublesome because of its shape and not much to hold onto.  
I shaped a small piece of wood to fit inside the pulley location and now I could hold it with a small pair of pliers and my left hand fingers.  This worked just fine and I managed not to ruin it.  After this was done I made two hooks to attach into the holes at each end.  Holes are #77 drill bit for all.
 
Next came the idler pulley with that funky ball end to the cable that attaches this pulley to the top of the boom.  That worked out okay as well, so far no goof-ups      I used a piece of 0.021 inch rigging cord as cable, poked it through a small hole -#77 drill -  and tied a knot in it on the inside of the bracket to simulate the ball end.  The other end will have to go over a simulated thimble.
 
Okay, so far so good, knock on wood    The last one I could manage to do today was the pulley bracket that hooks to the top of the AA gun deck.  For that one I thought to put a swivel-able eye in the end where I can attach a hook into.  This may be to large of an assembly and will most likely make another one that can be pinned directly to the "steel" part of the AA gun deck per the drawing. 
 
I started with the final pulley bracket that hooks onto the dingy or whatever other light loads we may have.  It can even assist with loading the torpedoes.
 
Here are a few pics for yuns to view and critique.
 

This shows the "load"pulley bracket that'll hook to the top of the dingy loading boom.  The next pic shows the side view.
 

This is the side view of the load pulley bracket and yes, all of the brackets still need some final trimming with a small file or sandpaper on a stick.  Yep, that's blood under my nail, poked it with a brass rod trying to pick it up.  Mutter, mutter, domkop.
 

This show the next pulley bracket I have dubbed idler pulley 1.  You may be able to see the knot inside the bracket.
 

This is another view of idler pulley 1. it's 0.15 mm thick.  The bleeding in my thumb stopped and I cleaned it with some water and ordered all the germs to stay away, or else 
 

This bracket I dubbed pulley bracket 2.  The way I made that swivel-eye is to first make an eye rod from 0.5 mm brass and a small piece of 1 mm OD brass rube.  The thickness of that piece of tubing is about 0.2 mm.  I first drilled a hole through the end with a #77 drill bit, then inserted the eye rod and held it with a small wooden clothe pin.  Holding it straight up I then clamped the clothe pin in my mini vice and then soldered the tubing piece to the pin.  I lucked out that I didn't solder everything solid, it swivels !!!!         Yeah, it's getting pretty long this way and then with a hook yet. 
 

This is a close-up of all the parts.  And yes, it still needs some cleaning up with fine sandpaper and then we can prime and paint everything.
 
Cheers,

When the Lettie was discovered after being abandoned the masts, bowsprit, and the windlass had been taken off the boat and mostly disassembled so I am not completely sure this is the correct windlass.  I got this design from Chapelle’s “The American Fishing Schooner”.  I think it will do.  It is mounted on a temporary base and I will be taking it all apart and painting some of the parts before mounting it on the boat.  I have to admit I had a lot of fun with the linkage.  I wish I had kept time on this I figure somewhere between 12 and 20 hours.
 
Bob