Hr. Ms. O 19 1938 by Piet - FINISHED - scale 1:50 - submarine of the Royal Navy Netherlands in service 1939 - 1945

[ianmajor]

Piet,

 

Fabulous. 

 

You will have to make and publish a video zooming over its structure to reveal the detail in all its glory. 

[amateur]

After being finished, it will take to the sea, and head straight to Den Helder, where it belongs at the Dutch U-boat base

Making a video is probably the best way to show both detail and size of this wonderfull model.

 

btw: Will your fathers name be somewhere on the model?

 

Jan

[Jim Lad]

Piet,  Are Dutch mines grey?  All other mines I have seen are painted black - or do museums etc. simply paint them black to try and make them look more sinister?

 

Johnb

[Piet]

Wow fellows and fellowette ( Vivian   ) I'm overwhelmed with all the remarks, kudos and likes.

 

@ Mark, thank you Mark and perhaps you need to make a soft cradle for your jaw to fall into that'll prevent you from stepping on it - - - and so often too      Please stop by as often as you like.

 

@ Kevin, thank you for all your likes!  Looks like you got caught up.   The clever Vickers engineers designed some very neet "stuff" in the sinkers that had also fail safe devices installed.  The arming cable is attached to a lever on the side of the sinket that activated a "dashpot" and from there things started to happen.  Instead of me explaining all this magic stuff I'll attach two of the Vickers drawings for this type mine.  If you can blow them up (pun intended  ) you can follow the whole sequence of events.

To retrieve the mines from the bins it was just a simple matter of unhooking the arming cable from the side of the bin and lifting the mines out.  

 

 

 

@ Remco, thank you, yeah, they kinda came out okay.  Well, yeah - - while I was playing with my new micro engraving / mini drill tool it was almost like writing, no problem.  No, the engraving is not noticeable because all the 6 mm pulleys are inside their holders / brackets.  We know they are there and unless someone takes a pulley out of it's holder / bracket no one will see them.

200 years from now?   People will take it as the name of the manufacturer, Rem Co(mpany)      

Hey man, I'm having a ball with this thing.

 

@ Pete48, thank you my friend, glad you like my efforts.

 

@ Vivian, so good to see you in my shipyard and your appreciation of my work.  Gantries?  Hmmm - - oh yes, the gantries.  Well, I ran into a snag and had to make a torpedo first to get the correct rigging figured out.  But it's coming, not to fear.  I hope you are recovering okay from you medical procedure?

 

@ Ian, and a big hello, glad you could drop in and thanks for the compliments. Yeah, Gwen, my dear bride and Admiral mentioned the same thing.  I have been looking at a good but not too pricy digital video camera.  Need to wait for a sale though.  I should have done this from the get go.  In addition to still pics also have a video record.  But alas we'll have to do it later, with demoing all the working items.

 

@ Jan, hmmm, you'd think she can make it across the pond???       Yep, that's where she departed from on her trip to the NOI's (for the non Dutchies that's Nederlands Oost Indie or Netherlands East Indies) in 1939 with my father on board.  How he loved that boat!  

Yes indeed, my father's name will be on the model and hopefully I can make a figure to represent him standing in the con.  I'll also have a brass plate engraved with some data on it and his name.  One plate will be affixed to the bottom of the keel plate and another for on the mounting board.  I have a few other ideas as well but let's finish the boat first.

 

@ John (Lad), I have no clue regarding the colors of mines or torpedoes.  Looking at the black and white photos I have they do look rather dark and could very well be black.  I guess I should do some research.  Well, they can still be repainted, they are not nailed down 

[Piet]

Well, the plan was to assemble all the parts for the torpedo gantries but then I had to rethink that idea.  I need to know how much the gantry boom is elevated up to have the torpedo hang in a correct angle to slide inside the loading tube below deck.

 

So, I started to make a torpedo.  here too I ran into a snag because there are two different lengths for the Mark 8 torpedo.  Which one do I need to make?  I made the deck launchers for the short models but is that correct?  If not then I have to do some major rework on the deck structure that also involves new doors.

 

According to the spec sheet the O19 was equipped with the Bliss - Leavit Mark 8 torpedo, which are 21.6 feet long and 21 inches in diameter.  The diameter is no problem because I have the brass tubes for them.  The 21 feet is the problem for the deck launcher.  That calculates to, in my scale, to 31 mm and that's too long for the deck tubes.  It doesn't even look right when I put a 31 mm dowel in the opening.

I'm not afraid or have any qualms reworking the deck structure to accommodate longer launch tubes, the model has to be as close to the original as I can make it.

 

So, I did make two short torpedoes that look right for the deck tubes but I'm still not sure if that's what they used before the war.  Remember that this model is based as she was when my father served on her, which was before the war with Japan started.

 

I also made a 31 mm torpedo that looks okay for loading into the boat from the gantries.

 

Okay, for now that'll be a problem I can work on later.  In the meantime I can go ahead and figure the gantry rigging with either one or both of the torpedo prototypes.

 

This is the 21.6 feet "long" torpedo, or 31 mm.  I was in the process of cementing the fins on and making the propeller.  Yeah, I also want that thing to be able to turn.

 

This is a shot of most all the gantry hardware.  The pats for the torpedo propeller are just out of the pic on the right.  But it involves a 1 mm brass tube with two small parts of a 1 mm tube to act as hubs.

 

Cheers,  

[texxn5]

Hello my friend, I knew you could meet the challenge! Mines, and torpedo are awesome as usual. Congrats....we'll all have to think of some challenging projects for the finish! We are in Monterey, California today. Off to Carmel and Pebble Beach tomorrow. Hope all is well with you and Gwen. I've toasted a couple of Leffe Blonds your direction, but internet has been scarce on our travels, so you couldn't see me! Keep up the good work, and Papa would be and is very proud.

[popeye the sailor]

that's a fine array of fitting hardware you have there!   the mines came out super......so life - like!   I wouldn't hit them with a hammer.....you really don't want to be responsible for extending the  'key's'......now do you ?       I like your start on the torpedoes.......they'll lend even more to the build........simply fantastic work! 

[S.Coleman]

A real master piece! Absolutely brilliant. I love your attention to detail. I will be revisiting this log again!

[FreekS]

Piet, can you explain the 31 mm remark?

 

I thought 21 feet in length is about 7.2 meters in "real" measures, and sound make some 14 cm on your 1:50 scale.

 

Also I think you should look for the V53 (53 in superscript) torpedo, that was the Dutch torpedo used by O-19 until they ran out and started using the Mark 8 I believe. It is however also 7.2 meters long. I'm pretty sure that the deck tubes were that long, and took these 21 inch Torpedo's or older 18 inch ones with an insert

 

Freek

[Piet]

Thanks again everyone for stopping by my shipyard, your comments and your likes.

 

Hello John, good to hear from you and that all's well with you and Diane.  Enjoy yourselves and share a few pics.  Thanks for the compliments.

 

@ Popeye: Thank you.  Yes, there's a lot of "stuff" there, also some other debris for the VOC ship.  No, I won't hit the mines or the torpedoes, too much work went into them    Yep, all this extra "stuff" does aid with the realism I try to accomplish.

 

@ S. Coleman: welcome to my shipyard and thank you very much for that undeserved compliment   , but I'll take it    Yes please, come again, everybody is always welcome and there is also a pot of coffee brewing.

 

@ Freek: Yep, the 31 mm is a typo and my dyslectic mind, failed to edit the page and didn't catch it.  I just did a rough calc and came to 131 mm but wrote 31, missing the 1.  Long story this, that's why I have to always triple check my measurements.  

 

Regardless which type they used, and I'll accept your V53, the length is what concerns me.  I did also look at the V53 type because the equipment list shows the Mark 8 first and second the V53, so I surmised they used the Mk8, it being listed first.  So, I guessed wrong   

Okay, according to my trusty calculator 21 feet comes out as 6.4 meters, which is 6,401 mm.  At my scale it works out to 6,401 : 50 = 128 mm.

 

Yep, that's what I am afraid of, de deck launchers being that long to fit these long torps in.  So then, the answer is for me to do some major surgery to the deck structure to allow these long launch tubes to rotate out and in.  AUCH!       

We'll have to tackle that operation at a later time, need to build up some courage.

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

Besides messing around with the torpedo I also started with the rigging of the aft gantry.  That proved to be challenge and had to rework a few parts just a little.  Enough though that in the process I jammed a small drill bit under the nail of my left index finger.  AUCH        Hmmmm, no blood though, just a little, but it stings.  Domkop     Yeah, yeah, Remco, no pin vice, just my little old fingers but some of these parts can't go into a pin vice though.   Okay, I'll shop for one, honest 

 

I did manage to finish one propeller for the prototype torpedo and installed it.  The propeller actually turns but a little stiff because I think the shaft has a slight bend in it.  Gwen said I should but some grease or oil on it.  Yeah right, I don't think so just be more careful and not to bend that shaft piece.

 

Then I put some primer on the torpedo and am waiting to buy black paint.

Okay, now that the torpedo size is established, thanks to Freek, I'll need to buy a few more hardwood dowels at the DIY store.  I think I'll make about six of them, that way I'll have a few to place on te display board with the extra mine and most likely a spare anchor and a few cases of good ole Heineken.

 

In order to rig the loading boom I managed to wind some "cable" on the boom elevation "come-along."  The last picture below shows it after I had wound enough cord on it and put a small clothe pin on it to keep it from unwinding.  The center picture shows the assembly partly rigged.  Sorry, but I didn't make the ratcheting parts, too small for me   Well, we'll just have to use our imagination and assume it's there 

 

That's it for now.  A few pics for my archive and your viewing pleasure.

 

Here I have laid out all the parts that make up the propeller assembly.  The top propeller is completed.  I started out with a round piece of brass shim of 0.3 mm.  Drilled a 1 mm hole in the center and drew out the four quadrant lines.  Next I cut 2 ea 1 mm long pieces of 1 mm brass tubing, one is for the propeller hub and the other is to keep the assembly from coming out.  A piece of brass rod acts as the shaft and is also soldered into the hub, then through a longer piece of 1 mm brass tube and finally the last small piece of tube is soldered to the end of the shaft, which locks everything up.  

The rough propeller is next shaped by using a razor blade and a small hammer to cut through the four marked lines as close to the hub as possible.  Then using a pair of scissors I carefully snipped away the unwanted brass shim and finalized the shape with a diamond file and then twisted the blades to a guessed at pitch.  

I drilled a 1 mm hole in the end of the torpedo deep enough to accommodate the shaft assemble and inserted the shaft assembly only about ⅓ of the way and then put a dab of CA gel cement on it and pressed everything home, making sure that the propeller rotates as the CA cement cures.

 

Here is the fully assembled torpedo in a coat of primer waiting for the final black paint.  I masked the propeller to keep it in brass.  You'll also see the "come-along" gizmo with the other hardware for that part part of the rigging.  The two small brass teardrop shaped thingies are thimbles that'll be part of the rigging cables and fit inside the triangular piece.

 

This is the famous boom elevating "come-along" device.  I just finished winding some cord on it just like the real thing.  I hope I can demonstrate it later on to show how everything works.  keep fingers crossed 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

[pete48]

Nice Work Piet

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[Remcohe]

Piet your hardware skills are admirable, but if it's only possible to make such nice parts through self mutilation you should really reconsider. We don't want to turn your build into an episode of ER. 

 

Please be careful and please continue to show the results of your skills

 

Remco

[FreekS]

Ok took me à while, but thats the torpedo propellor, not the ships propellor !!

LOL

 

Freek

[Piet]

Again I must first thank everybody who dropped by and virited my dockyard and your likes, it's really appreciated.

 

@ Pete48: Thank you.

 

@ Remco: Thanks for your concern about my well being.  As it was, it was more of a near miss, the drill bit just nicked the flesh under my nail, my reaction was lightning fast - - - amazing for a80 year old    Not even miner harm done, it's all healed by now.  Other then filing off some skin of my finger and this nick I have had no injuries!  Knock on wood 

I seem to get more injuries working around the yard, cutting palmetto branches and those pesky vines that have real sharp and many thorns on them.  They are called smilax, or something like that.

Thank you for your compliment on the skills, I'm just luck'n out here 

 

@ Freek: Ah, it dawned on you eh?  Yep, that long description with the pic was the Torp propeller.  The prototype has been elevated to a "keeper." 

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

Today I managed completing the rigging of the aft torpedo loading gantry.  I'm not really happy with it, primarily about the cable thimbles.  They are way too large for my scale and look bulky.  I have to do some thinking on how else I can "fake" the thimble issue before I tackle the forward gantry.

 

We are getting into a realm where the real full size thimbles are not much more then perhaps 2 inches long or 1 mm.  There is no way in the world I can make them that small and make 'm look realistic.  

 

For now though I'll just leave things as they are and when I have figured it out for the forward gantry I'll redo the aft one.  

 

Overall it didn't come out too bad and everything works as well, even the boom elevation "come-along" gizmo, which is a plus.

 

I also painted both mines black as well as the torpedo (you see John, I do listen and take advice  ).  They don't look to bad either. Menacing even 

 

Here are a few pics of today's accomplishments.

 

This shows the gantry sideways pretending to load a mine to the deck.  I needed some weight on the boom to keep things from jumping off - - - the "cable" is rather stiff and needs a little tension.  I also temporarily, stuck the torpedo into the loading tube to show the prop and black paint.  This is never done in real life, just in case somebody makes a smart aleck remark       I just wanted to how the finished mines and torpedo painted in black.  Loading torpedoes is a rather delicate operation that requires quite a few men.

The black cord at the exhaust pipe is to haul the torpedoes up or lower them.  In reality this cable is connected to an electric winch below decks. 

 

Here is another shot looking forward,

 

A side view shot with a RG 58 coaxial cable spice thingy for weight.  I still have "stuff" from my days when I owned and operated an aircraft repair facility in New jersey, about two lifetimes ago, or so it seems.  Hmmm, we could call it a secret weapon 

 

So sorry, I moved taking this shot looking forward with the "secret weapon" hanging on the boom.

 

Cheers,

[pete48]

The Crane looks fantastic, Beautiful job Piet

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[mtaylor]

Sweet work on the crane and armaments, Piet.  I wish I could hit "like" more than once.

[BANYAN]

That all came together very nicely Piet and makes a very fine enhancement to the presentation of the model - BZ and three loud Huzzahs!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[popeye the sailor]

the crane set up looks great.......don't kid yourself   the rig looks very life like...well done!   you've done a really nice job on the armament too.........nice work on the prop for the torpedo.   I didn't know that they were experimenting with Plutonium fuel cells back then    

[Vivian Galad]

Yeay! All assembled it looks fantastic. Great work, Piet! Very cool :D

[Jim Lad]

She's really looking first class, Piet.  paint your 'secret weapon' black and no one will ever know!

 

John

[Piet]

Thanks to all who visited and your likes, it's REALLY appreciated and encouraging to me.

 

@ Pete48:  Thank you!!!

 

@ Mark: Thank you but one like tells a lot to me.  Glad you "likeⁿ" my efforts!!!    

 

@ Pat:  Thank you and yes everything came together okay but only after I had to "modify" a few parts.

 

@ Popeye:  Thank you, but there are a few things I may redo at a later date.  For now it'll be okay.  Hmmmm, plutonium fuel cells eh - - - I though more along the lines of a lazer gun 

 

@ Vivian:  Good to see you again and thank you too for your kind words.

 

@ John:  Thank you my friend and the black armaments do look snazzy.  Yeah, a black lazer or death ray gun!  Hey, it seems that this world is filled with gullible people and who knows - - - they may believe it too     

 

Cheers to all,

[Piet]

Hello again and today was rather productive and enjoyable.  It's nice when things work and fall into place without any snags.  

 

Started out in the morning finalizing the parts for the dingy loading boom.  I had to install the few 3 mm pulleys in their brackets and secure the pins.  Then I made the cable shackles a bit smaller yet to see if the cables still go around them and it worked.

 

I whipped two of the cables that I put around the shackles and secured them with nail polish.  So I thought why not assemble the whole blooming thing!  It only took about half an hour for the boom and rigging was completed  

 

Then I heard some thunder and figured to quickly mow the backyard before the rain.  Then I had some lunch, read the mail and ventured back into the garage aka the dockyard.  I took a few pics of the assembled loading boom and discovered I had reversed the boom cable and the loading cable, so I quickly re routed them, no prob, done in a few minutes.

 

With the success in making the shackles smaller I now also made the ones for the forward torpedo loading boom smaller and what a difference that makes.  I "quickly" whipped the cables around them and prepped a few more parts for the forward boom.  By that time the grass was dry enough to finish mowing the southside of the backyard.  I don't like to mow when it's whet, I'm using an electric mower and one never knows - - -  

 

By that time it was time to call it quits and downloaded the pics and put them in my O19 file.

 

Okay, here are a few pics of todays work.

 

This shows the whipping of one of the shackles.

 

Here are all the parts laid out for the dingy loading boom on top of the drawing.

 

Here is a side view of the dingy loading boom, sorry about the camera movement.

 

A shot from the rear.

 

Looking straight forward through the torpedo loading gantry at the dingy boom.  It's getting busy.

 

A close-up of the dingy loading boom.  I had to hang some weight on the loading hook to keep the cables taught.

 

A look kinda from above.  I had to stand on a small ladder here. 

 

Cheers,

 

[Jim Lad]

That's a really busy crew on that sub, Piet!

 

John

[WackoWolf]

This has come a long way from when you started. It has turn out to be a very Beautiful build with all the detail a person could want. Thank you very much for sharing this with all of us here on MSW. Keep the pictures coming.

[amateur]

With respect to the cables: I have once seen someone who made a 'cable' out of a reduncand electrical wire (you know, the one with the multiple copper wires inside, not the single core ones...)

Take three or four of these wires, and twist them into a 'cable'. The resulting cable will always be taught, even when not tensioned.

 

Jan

[torpedochief]

This is such a great build! Take it from a guy who spent 20+ years riding submarines and writes books about them. Just a real bit of fine craftsmanship. 

[pete48]

Fantastic work , the details look amazing,  well done piet

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[cog]

Piet,

 

She's looking very smart. I love what you've accomplished with mere razor blades, apair of ordinary scissors, very small files, very small drill bits, a soldering iron, and not to forget your pair of strong fingers.

 

Very lovely details!