alross2
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Everything posted by alross2
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Well, we finished up the Whaleboat Davit kit today, so it is now available. It includes laser-cut parts (davit sections, deck section, cradles, and ladder rails), Britannia sheaves and blocks, strip wood for planking the bulwark, rigging material, full-size plans, and an instruction manual. Scale matches our New Bedford Whaleboat.
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Since Chris wanted to expand the scope of this thread, here's some basic info. Scale is 1/96, construction is plank on bulkhead. Construction is essentially the same as ALABAMA, KEARSARGE, NOTMAN, and WYOMING - poplar ply bulkheads on a central profile although this time the bulkheads are one-piece.
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Timberheads are now installed on both sides and the bulwarks trimmed down to their tops. Worked out fine, no breakage when sanding the bottom of the timberheads prior to installation.
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Right now, they are 1/8" basswood. I've installed both sides now and haven't experienced any splitting while sanding the bottoms of the timberheads.
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Whatever you consider appropriate.
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The kit will include a jig to support the bulwarks while they are being built. The three holes in the jig match the spacing of the mast holes in the deck and the jig is held in place with 1/4" dowels, making removal easy when bulwark construction is completed
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Chris, a skilled modeler such as yourself will be able to replicate the THAYER from this kit...😎 These are the revised timberheads on a new hull. They are clamped and drying out after soaking. I revised the planking sequence so that the top plank of the bulwarks is just a bit above the timberheads. The top plank will then be trimmed to the top of the timberheads establishing the correct sheer.
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Well, for now we'll just describe it as a "West Coast lumber schooner"...😎
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Looks like the lasered timberheads will work. In practice, the bulwarks will be built first. The timberhead strip will be soaked and clamped to the inside of the bulwark to preform. Once it's formed and dry, the modeler will have to CAREFULLY sand the bottom of the timberheads with a sanding block to form a slight angle along the section of the bulwark that flares a bit outboard. This photo was of the initial fitting and the timberhead bottoms were not sanded. I was primarily seeing if the strip would survive the bending and gluing. I had to make some height adjustments to the strip and am currently soaking one to fit to another test hull. Yuh, I go through a lot of laser...😱
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Some years ago, our late friend and builder Charlie Cook built one of our New Bedford Whaleboat kits for our gallery. Rather than mount it in its cradle, he built a partial bulwark with davits to display it. We've had a number of folks ask it they could get one, but we didn't make a kit for it...until now. I just finished building the display model using the production kit parts. The kit, KLW122A, will be available shortly. It has four sheets of laser-cut parts, the usual basswood strip and britannia fittings, an instruction manual, and one 24" x 36" sheet of plans. Scale is 1"=3' to match our Whaleboat kit and is 11.5" long. Price hasn't been set yet but will be soon..
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This is an experiment. I'm developing a new kit that has exposed timberheads and am experimenting with laser-cut timberheads. In theory, the bulwarks and waterways will already be in place. The timberhead strips will be soaked for pliability forward and glued down to the bulwarks and waterways. I can see some potential issues but will find out once I get the bulwarks on the hull.
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The three new HO scale kits are now available. All three have resin hulls and Britannia fittings; the sardine carrier and self-propelled barge also have laser-cut parts. These kits were designed primarily for the HO model railroad community, so they are waterline and have a lot of detail molded in. The sardine carrier and self-propelled barge can be completed in a weekend or two while the coal barge takes only an hour or so (including painting!). HO308 COAL BARGE - $35.00 HO309 SARDINE CARRIER - $98.00 HO310 SELF-PROPELLED BARGE - #98.00
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BlueJacket Shipcrafters has a large number of metal and resin fittings that are specific to our 20th Century warship kits that are not listed separately in our catalog. Most are 1/192 scale with a few in 1/96 and 1/48 scale. If you have specific needs in this area, make a list that includes the ship's name, type, time period, and required fittings and send it to me ( al@bluejacketinc.com ). I'll send you back a list of what we can supply and their prices.
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We have a 36' tow boat and I am finishing up a 90' coal barge complete with molded-in coal.
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Two new kits will be available soon - a sardine carrier and a self-propelled barge. Both kits are 1/87 scale (barge 7.5", sardine carrier 10") and include cast resin waterline hulls, laser-cut parts, and Britannia fittings. I still have about a month's worth of work to do on them (instructions, cost analysis, etc.) but the molds and laser drawings are done and these two were built from production castings and laser parts. Exclusive of paint drying time, each could probably be built over a couple weekends and might be a fun diversion from those beautiful but complex models we enjoy building so much.
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Tired of making all those repetitive parts by hand? Bluejacket Shipcrafters offers custom laser work in laser board, styrene, and wood. Here are a couple examples. The top image is a portion of a .015" laser board sheet that has gratings, scroll work, companion doors, and mast hoops. The lower image shows a custom laminated door for a customer who was designing and building an HO scale fire station. From left to right - clear styrene for the window glass, .015" laser board components, and the assembled doors. For more information or to discuss a potential project, contact al@bluejacketinc.com .
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Has anyone purchased any 3-D parts printed in metal? If so, how would you describe the surface finish? We're considering using 3-D for making casting masters but they have to be brass or aluminum to withstand our mold-making process.
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BlueJacket Shipcrafters has a large number of fittings that are specific to given kits and are not listed in our catalog. At the moment, I'm slowly putting together a list of them that are specific to 1/192 WW2 USN warships. There are over 100 listings so far, mostly cast Britannia but also a few in resin. It will be a while before the list is complete, but if you have specific needs in this area, make a list that includes the ship's name, type, and required fittings and send it to me ( al@bluejacketinc.com ). I'll send you back a list of what we can supply and their prices. The photo shows several of the cast resin items available: from left to right, twin 5"/38 gun house, two different MK37 gun directors, single 5"/38 gun house, and an LCVP with laser-cut ramp and skeg.
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There were 150 or so responses to the survey. Respondents were primarily from two major online groups like this one and the BlueJacket website. The results covered a wide range of ship types and were also somewhat surprising given the time period and types of models being built by modelers on both of the online groups (essentially 18th and 19th C Royal Navy types). No single named vessel got more than four mentions. The most suggested vessels were US Navy types from the Civil War through WWII. Vessel sizes ranged from about 20' through 1000+'. Model lengths for all suggestions were calculated at the following scales: 1/192, 1/128. 1/96, 1/72, 1/64, and 1/48. In a few weeks, we will take a long look at the results and make a decision.
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But imagine summering on the coast of Maine...☺️
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BlueJacket Shipcrafters is looking for a person to join our fittings casting crew. For more information, contact josh@bluejacketinc.com .
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On occasion, we end up with solid hulls that we can't put in kits because they are chipped or gouged, have an unexpected knot, etc. These defects are easily repaired by anyone with minimal skills or scratch-building experience. Because the hulls are shaped to the point at which they would have been ready for final shaping, they save the modeler the time it would take to cut out the necessary lifts, glue them up, and carve the hull. The list of on-hand hulls is constantly changing. As of this post (February 16, 2024), we have one each of the following hulls available: 1/192 ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG-51) 1/96 ATLANTIC 1/96 FANNIE GORHAM 1/192 FLETCHER class destroyer 1/192 NS SAVANNAH nuclear cargo vessel 1/32 RED BARON Holland 32 lobster boat 1/96 310' CLEMSON class destroyer For more information and prices, contact al@bluejacketinc.com .
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Naming of British Motor Torpedo Boats WW2
alross2 replied to Amanda G's topic in Nautical/Naval History
In this time period, RN MTBs, MGBs, and most other Coastal Forces craft were officially referred to by designator and number, e.g., MTB 34. Some may have had unofficial nicknames, but I'm not aware of any RN types. US PTs, on the other hand, while also only referred to by their designator and number, e.g., PT34, commonly had nicknames. These nicknames would often change with a new skipper, as well. -
😆 Thank you for your subtle attempt at influencing the outcome...😆 Actually, it's not what piques my interest so much as what seems most likely to sell well and I'm fine with that.
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