USS Cape (MSI-2) by Dr PR - 1:48 - Inshore Minesweeper

[Dr PR]

One coffee cup coming up!

 

First I drilled out a piece of 1/16 (1.59 mm) brass tubing to about 0.050 inch (1.3 mm). Then I drilled two 0.016 inch (0.4 mm) holes for the handle. The handle is 0.012 inch (0.3 mm) brass wire. The wire was soldered into place and the interior filed to remove the wire stubs.

 

 

Then the cup was cut off from the tube, polished and painted. The paint needs to dry more before a second coat is applied.

 

 

Here is the 1:48 scale 3 inch (75 mm) cup next to the real 1:1 thing. I calculate it will take about 12,000 "cups" from the scale cup to fill the real thing.

 

 

 

 

And here is the navigator's cup on the chart desk.

 

In the real Navy you would never place a coffee cup on the chart desk. But the Cape was McHale's Navy, and we went by Cape rules.

 

The really difficult part was painting the Navy seal on the cup. That took a steady hand!

Edited Saturday at 10:14 PM by Dr PR

[JacquesCousteau]

Very impressive! How did you manage to paint the seal? Is your brush made of a single bristle?

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

You could make it easier to do these details in 1:24 😉 

[Jim Lad]

I agree with JacquesCousteau - very impressive!

 

John

[bdgiantman2]

Great progress, I like the bridge details and the upper level plans shared on here. I thought Navy mugs were supposed to be without handles?? Or was that older times?

[Dr PR]

I don't recall mugs without handles, so that must have been before my time.

 

If I was working in 1:24 the model would be 4' 6" long (1.4 meters). As it is, at 1:48 it is 28 inches (711 mm) long and pretty large.

 

 

 

 

And I must confess, I didn't paint the Navy seal on the mug - that picture was a Photoshopped fake.

 

Here is the real 1:48 coffee cup on the chart desk.

[JacquesCousteau]

1 hour ago, Dr PR said:

And I must confess, I didn't paint the Navy seal on the mug - that picture was a Photoshopped fake.

That's what I get for not zooming in more.... Still an excellent mug!

[Coyote_6]

Now it looks propper Phil!

[wefalck]

Did you use china-mugs in the navy? Thought it would be enamelled metal to reduce the risk of breakage.

[Dr PR]

The dinnerware (cups, plates, bowls and mugs) were all ceramic.

[CDR_Ret]

22 hours ago, Dr PR said:

In the real Navy you would never place a coffee cup on the chart desk.

That was true as well in our operational spaces on a submarine. Cupholders were provided near any flat surfaces. However, in the Wardroom and Crew's Mess at sea, tables were covered with Naugahyde, which was somewhat padded, so plates and cups didn't slide with rolls, and angles and dangles.

 

Terry

[Canute]

Now you need a Chief to carry that mug. 😁