Zebulon B Vance by ESF - FINISHED - Dean's Marine - 1:96 - PLASTIC - RADIO

[ESF]

By the way, the kit didn't come with any hawse lips for the anchors.  Photos of liberty ship lips seem to scale about 6 ft tall (3/4 inch at 1:96).  Does that sound right?

 

Thanks

Steve 

[cog]

It should be the oval exit of the hawse pipe on the hull, Steve. If you've got that one, it will be merely tracing it, and make the inverted "v" shaped oval from some styrene, approximately 3mm - 1/8" thick. I've done it for one of my 1/350 destroyers as I destroyed (pun intended) it sanding ... a lot less thick though

 

P.s. How is the missus doing?

[Kevin]

as you will soon be on the home leg of your build, are/have you thought about doing any weathering on her, 

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Carl, I can always count on you to bring me back to the obvious.  With all the fiddling I did on the hawse pipe exits at deck level one would think I'd remember to use them as a pattern.  My wife is doing well, thank you for asking.

 

Kevin, I've thought about weathering.  I've seen how good weathering takes a lot of practice and skill, and how bad weathering can look otherwise.  I have had no practice so I'm limiting weathering to the door highlights.  Besides, there are lots of areas on the ship with their share of scrapes, dings, mismatched color shades and other signs of less than perfect finish 😁

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Steve

 

Kiss these lips?

Hawse lip fabrication from two thicknesses of 1.5 mm styrene.

Test appearance with anchor.

[cog]

Have a look at some hawse lips on real wwii ships. Those aren't flat but are either roundish, or "v" shaped, which makes it easier to accept the anchor in

[popeye the sailor]

...or if you have some thin half round stock {Plastruct or Evergreen} ,  you can heat mold in into the oval shape you've made there    when I first saw the picture,  I thought to myself........"oh look,  he's making them out of cheese!"      

[ESF]

To those who gave likes thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Carl and Denis, I just realized that on page 1 of this blog is a crystal clear photo of the real deal hawse lips on the Zebulon B. Vance at its original launching.  Why I didn't think to look at it before wasting time making bad ones is anybody's guess.😖

 

Do-over time.

 

Steve

[cog]

It's usually the obvious we seem to forget, Steve ... On the other hand ... you've got twice the fun  

[Rcboater Bill]

Steve,

 

There is a guy named Luis, from Spain, who does fabulous work creating 3-D printed figures.  He has a huge range of figures, including WW 2 era sailors, in scales from 1/144 to 1/16.   He has a bunch of stuff on Shapeways, and is now printing some on his own, too. 

The best part is that he will do custom work. When I needed crew wearing standard Navy kapok life jackets for my USCG 36’ lifeboat, I asked if he could  take his 1/24 scale PT boat helmsman and lookout, scale them up to 1/16, lose the side arms and steel helmets, and add soft hats. Two weeks later a set was posted on Shapeways for purchase!

 

You can see his stuff on Shapeways.com-  his name is Holden8702, and his  “ store” there is called Panzers vs Tanks.  He is also on Facebook as Holden8702, and is selling some of his stuff directly, avoiding the Shapeways markup. 

 

 If he doesn’t have what you want already, you can contact him and ask. He might even be able to make a set of “Exercising Nurses” using your photo!

 

He is highly recommended- lots of guys are buying his stuff.  I have personally bought bought his large scale figures, and a bunch of his 1/144 scale crew for my Escort Carrier.

 

-Bill

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Bill, thanks for the lead on figures.  A very impressive website with many pages to ponder.

 

The last railings have been fabricated (celebrate celebrate) and have received a primer and topcoat.  Not much to see until they get installed.  Then it's port side lifeboat/davit placement, set the awning permanently and have a test sail - or maybe vice versa for the awning.  Anchors are awaiting some cast hawse lips after I gave up trying to make my own.  I found a local vendor who said they can do white letters on clear self adhesive backing and am waiting to see how the order turns out.

 

Steve

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Steve

 

No more railings!

The last pile of railing wire and stanchions was trimmed, sanded and fitted in place.

After the sections were built up they were washed and air dried with help from the Admiral’s hair dryer.

All port side railings and davits are installed.  Celebratory photos are below.

With the ship nearing completion I wish to thank all those who contributed so much during the 100 episodes to date.  Without your support, guidance, helpful criticism, terrific ideas, gentle and not so gentle nudging the ship would not be what it is today.  It could always be better but it is way more than I ever thought it would.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[mtaylor]

A major milestone...!!!!!!   

[cog]

No worries, Steve. Get her into the water and sail away (and back preferably)

 

Really looks marvelous. Just a few more bits and pieces and you've got quite a museum worthy piece

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Carl and Mark, thanks for your kind feedback.

 

Steve

 

Beneficial occupancy.

The port lifeboats are attached to the davits.

 

Port davit rigging started.  As with the starboard side the boat rigging includes the cargo blocks and hooks, and four manropes on a cable hung between each pair of davits.

All port boats are rigged.

The awning is permanently set in its deck shoes.  Lashing of the perimeter poles to the railings has started.

The ship has reached beneficial occupancy, an architecture term that signifies the point in construction when the building is not quite finished but is ready for use.  More pics below.  I’ll get better ones after the shipyard gets a major cleaning.  I’m turning my attention to the upcoming test sail.

[mtaylor]

I think we're all looking forward to a successful launch and maiden voyage, Steve.  

[cog]

Don't forget your bottle of bubbles for the launch, Steve (preferably at scale!) A sight for sore eyes!! So when will be the movie premiere?

[ESF]

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Carl and Mark, thanks for your kind feedback.  Bubbly follows.

 

Steve

 

The launch.

The shipyard looks empty without the Vance which is on her way to test and launch.  Not yet clean, but empty.

I saw a PVC pipe carry rack in a Model Boats magazine article and thought that would be a good way to carry her while keeping away from the overhanging lifeboats.  I learned that the two part welding adhesive works extremely fast, and makes CA look slo-mo by comparison.

 

Not a very good pic of the smallest champagne bottle I could find.  Lead pellet ballast is at the left in jars, and bags in a box.

Grandson Legodude (see Skiff build) honored the upcoming voyage by creating great grandmother who took the Vance trip, and great grandfather who met her in New York City.

The carry rack, which had foam pipe insulation for a snug fit, was invaluable for moving the ship around and giving it a stable platform in the car.  With a few pillows and beach towels to eliminate sliding around the ship went to and from the launch site without incident.

The ship saw a perfectly clear day as she prepared for launch.  The first step was to remove the superstructure to tune the ballast.

The initial set up was close to the calculated ballast weight.  The ship settled well below the waterline.  Ballast was removed and repositioned until the waterline had a close match to water  level.  The final ballast was a mere fraction of the original load which makes me wonder if the waterline dimension in the instructions might have been a bit low.

After replacement of the superstructure and a christening by Legodude with a spritz of champagne the ship was launched.

Dryland testing of the driveline showed a buzz, probably due to the rigid anchoring of the prop tube to the hull, and the hollow area within the plastic motor support.  But underway the buzz disappeared and the only sound was a soft motor spin.  A video is below and a second video is in the next update.

 

 

All in all a successful voyage.  We looked at a nearby pond for a second voyage but it was weed infested right through the water surface, so it looks like one safe voyage may be it, which was the original goal.  There’s a little fitting out remaining, including the anchors, hawse lips, ship’s name and re-gluing three lifeboats that were bumped loose during the launch; before finding a permanent home for the Zebulon B. Vance.  Thanks again to everyone for your views, likes, comments and sticking with me for the build.

 

Steve

 

Stay tuned for the second video.

 

 

[ESF]

Here's the second video

 

[Rcboater Bill]

Steve,

 

Congratulations on a successful maiden voyage!  

 

That little pool doesn’t do the model justice-  it would be great to see it running on a proper pond!    If all else fails, bring her to the Boston area,  and join us on the 24th of August!  We’re having a club sailing session and picnic that day.

(Hey, it is only a 3 hour trip from Albany!)

 

Interesting report on the ballast- do you know how much the model weighs in sailing trim?   Was she stable with some of the ballast removed?   In any case, ballasting a ship with that much top hamper a quarter inch or more below the painted waterline may help it sail better. 

 

-Bill

 

 

[mtaylor]

Congratulations for a successful launch and first sail, Steve.      She looks really good in water.    The waterline might be a little low but if it moves well, don't worry about it.  I do like Legodude's donation.  

[lmagna]

Boy! I get a little busy and forget to check in for a few days and you go and finish the ship without me! 

 

She is looking good in the water. I at first thought she was sitting just a little shallow but before I opened my big fat mouth I took a look at some pictures of the real thing and sure enough they tend to ride with either the top of the rudder just out of the water or just barely under water. Right about where you are. Did you think of manually tipping the ship 45 degrees or more to the side and see how quickly she recovers? In the limited space you had she looked quite stiff with almost no roll at all.  Another nice thing you can do in a pool like that is have some one get into the water and create waves and see how she does, both broadside and head on.

 

Like Bill, I am interested in how much the final full sailing weight ended up as, and some more videos of her really underway. SUPER job Steve.

[cog]

The only thing missing from reality is a smoking stack. Love the video. Superb build. Glad I followed it as it has been time well spent.

 

Cheers to you

[ESF]

A quick tidbit - the all up weight was 23 pounds.  A better response to all will come later.  Thank you

 

Steve

[popeye the sailor]

awesome videos Steve.........glad I wasn't too late for the test launches     she responds very well...the props put out enough to get you out of those tight spots    she's a great looking model......you've done a fantastic job!👍

[ESF]

1 hour ago, ESF said:

A quick tidbit - the all up weight was 23 pounds.  A better response to all will come later.  Thank you

 

Steve

another tidbit - the hull length at the waterline is about 50 inches.  The full hull width is 7.5 inches and the depth at the full width is 2.5 inches.  The hull below waterline tapers in to almost nothing at each end and the depth at the tapered area is 2 inches.  Calculate all that out and the volume is about 600 cubic inches  which is 0.347 cubic feet x 62.5 lbs/cubic foot = 21.7 lbs displacement.  So 23 lbs. actual all up weight is about right.  Ta da!

[ESF]

Now, back to the action.

 

To all who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Bill, thank you for your kind comments and your wonderful invitation.  Unfortunately we'll be traveling with a carful of luggage at that time with no place to put the ship.

 

Mark, thanks for the pop of bubbly and your kind feedback.  Legodude thanks you and is anxious to get back down here to resume the skiff build.

 

Lou, thanks also for your generous feedback.  Legodude actually got in the pool but was quickly dissuaded from tsunami generation.  Since the pool pump outlet was directly adjacent to the launch area and there was a bit of a breeze I learned the Vance's broad side makes it susceptible to sideslip while making headway if air is blowing on it, and a little throttle plus a little rudder allows the Vance to counteract a current and move ahead.  Didn't try the 45 degree tilt.

 

Carl, you've been with me since the Bowdoin days and I truly appreciate it.

 

Denis, thanks for another visit and for your kind comments.  The brass prop and 500 motor give very sufficient power.  It was my first foray into an RC controller and some of the full power moments came when I mixed up rudder and throttle control.  I learned that the ship has enough mass that a good distance is covered at larger throttle openings before direction can be reversed.  Didn't hit the end of the pool but came close and brought new understanding to Titanic's Iceberg Dead Ahead!

 

 

[ESF]

 

To those who gave likes, thank you and thanks for stopping by.

 

Steve

 

The pond.

Not wanting to disappoint either myself or all you fellow members who have stuck with me for so long the admiral and I brought the Vance to the pond for a real sail.

The ship sailed well but the pond aerators create enough current that discretion was needed to ensure she didn’t get caught up in it too much.  Also a storm was coming and a little gust of wind broadside gave the Vance a good tilt and prompted a return to more sheltered seas.  Below is a video.

 

[ESF]

Background music credit is Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Isreal Kamanawiwo'ole.

 

Steve

[popeye the sailor]

looks great in the water!