Newsletter. Contacts. Volume 41, Number 7, July 2014

Transcription

1 Newsletter Volume 41, Number 7, July 2014 Contacts President: Larry Van Es ( Vice President: Bill Schultheis (714) Secretary: Paul Payne (310) Treasurer: Mike DiCerbo (714) Ocaso Ave, #DD204, La Mirada, CA Editor, Don Dressel (909) W. 22 nd Street Upland, CA Web Manager: Doug Tolbert: (949) Web Site Meeting Wed., July 16, 7 PM, Red Cross Building, 1207 N. Lemon, Fullerton, CA Officers meeting Wed., Aug. 6, 2014, 7 PM, Bob Beech s house, 130 Clove Pl., Brea, CA (714) Work in Progress June 16, 2014 Reporter: Dave Yotter Don Dressel announced that he is planning to put together another trip to Japan for April 12 through 19, 2015, for the 40 th ROPE Exhibition in Tokyo. The flight will again be via Singapore Airlines while staying at the Tokyo Hilton for the 8 day period. All SMA members who are interested in going next April should contact Don within the next several months. A general meeting of all interested parties will be established soon. Don also wanted to mention that he would like to have the names of all SMA members who do not have current name badges. Don will then contact Paul Payne with the list of names to have the name badges made. Craneship Hartmut Riedman Burt Goldstein Burt brought in a cardstock model of a 113 foot crane ship or barge in 1:250 scale. The kit was obtained free off the internet site at: katenbau.de. it is hard to tell whether this is a barge or self-propelled as the authors make no mention of propulsion machinery in the description. The model was started by Hartmut Riedman who was 1

2 developing the kit from Dutch plans. He passed away before completion of the project and so it was completed by some friends and the vessel given his name in memory. Burt enlarged the kit to 200% of its downloaded size. The crane boom is all cardstock and was very difficult to fabricate. He thinks the vessel was designed for harbor or river use as there is very little freeboard. Foiling Schooner-rigged Trimarran Speedy John Simmons Two months ago we had the presentation of the tri-hulled Trifoiller, followed up with the foiling catamaran, Speedy and a foiling monohull Speedier in 1:24 scale. The newest addition, modeled in 1:19.2 (5/8 =1 ) also named Speedy (which I must assume is a misguided attempt to confuse your reporter) is a foiling, rigid winged, 25-foot trimarran schooner-rigged cruiser. The hull is carved from pine and where filler is needed John uses a microsphere resin he gets from Home Depot. He says this works really wll and sands to a featheredge resulting in a fine painted finish. John describes his latest creation: This is an example of an overnighter or weekender for a couple to spend a comfortable experience after a day foiling at breakneck speeds. The rig is a rigid wing sail set both fore and aft, controlled from the cockpit or the trampoline outboard of the hull. Both tramps fold over the hull for trailing, within the 8.5-foot limitation. The cabin has a double bed forward and a settee to port with a fold-down table. To starboard there is a cabinet containing a self-contained sink, alcohol burner and storage. A self-contained toilet is stowed under the bunk forward. Overhead are several translucent panels that combine with the side windows for illumination. The wing sail is controlled as per previous designs with both camber and angle of attack controls on both masts, which rotate to permit the changes of angle of attack while underway. The rudders are cross-linked with extensions dedicated to either port or starboard tack. The two jibs and both boom travelers are controlled by winches provided for on either tack and within reach of the tramp position or cockpit seat. Japanese Ships Boat & the merchant ship Volante 1853 Don Dressel Don brought in two models to the Works in Progress. The first is a Japanese ships boat which had to be scratch built to the scale of 1:72 to install on his recently completed Japanese merchant ship Higaki-Kaisen, since the Woody Joe kit was not supplied with a ships boat. Due to the real difference between Japanese construction methods and Western practice, Don decided to carve the basic ships boat hull from a solid piece of boxwood. The hull was traced out on a block of boxwood, then cut out using his DeWalt jig saw. He first cut out the top view, 2

3 and then glued the pieces of wood back together (using Elmer s all purpose washable school glue sticks, which works better than rubber cement). The glued together piece of wood was then turned 90 degrees and the profile cut out. Removing the waste wood, the basic hull was shaped. Now the interior had to be carved out, which was done. The next step is to install the decks and other details to complete the boat. He hopes to have the boat completed and installed in the Higaki-Kaisen by the SMA meeting next month. The second model that Don brought in is a Model Shipways solid hull model of the Volante in 1:96 scale. The model was started by an old SMA member, Dick Roos, and Don has done very little with it yet. He plans to complete the detail and mast and rig the model. The Volante is a beautiful example of the small and numerous sailing vessels (brigs) which worked the so-called Triangular Trade manufacturers from New England to the Mediterranean, returning with fruits via the West Indies, where sugar, molasses, etc. were loaded for the U.S. ports. These were small but moderately fast vessels which was required for this trade in perishables. La Reale De France John Bakker The name Reale indicates that the Galley belonged to the King of France; also, from 1526 the admiralty vessel of the Captain of the French Galleys was called Reale. The original craft designed by us (Corel) is an exact reproduction of a typical 18 th century Reale, sumptuously decorated by the famous sculptor Pierre Puget; the stern ornamentations, still conserved today, are displayed in the Musée de la Marine, Paris. A large part of the reconstruction is based on old original plans, integrated where necessary from other securely reliable sources. The 1:60 scale model is a reproduction of a vessel with a total length of 63 m, 9.7 m wide at the over deck carrying 59 thwarts and 59 oars, each maneuvered by seven men. There were therefore 413 rowers. A small part of them were slaves but the majority were criminals condemned to life imprisonment, while the head rowers, I.e. the men at the head of the oar handles, were regularly paid volunteers. Besides the officers in the stern the rest of the crew consisted of a gallery sergeant and two helpers (who whipped the rowers from the midway to urge them on) and a variable contingent of gunners and solders 3

4 located on the forecastle and along the arbalesters. The arms consisted of five bronze pieces located in the bow under the forecastle on special sliding carriages and by 11 swivel guns along the arbalesters. Because the forward guns could not traverse they were apparently there to assist in the main tactic of frontal ramming. The vessel was equipped with two lateen sails. Before entering into battle the sails were furled and the yards chained to the masts to prevent them from striking the rowers due to enemy gunfire. When under sail the parts of the ship carrying the thwarts and rowers were often immersed. For a galley to be effective against a heavily armed ship in the 18 th century they would have to have smooth seas and choose their combat position carefully. In 1651 the frigate Lion Couronne with only 26 guns withstood the attack of 11 galleys while in 1684 the vessel Le Bonalone was victorious against 35 galleys. The battle of Matapan in 1717 was the last one in which galleys took an active part. Sovereign of the Seas Paul Carter As previously stated, Paul received the model from the widow of the gentleman who laid her keel who resided in Knoxville, Tennessee. Paul wrights: The Sovereign of the Seas was ordered in August 1634 and was launched on 13 th October 1637, serving the crown from 1638 until 1697 when a fire burnt the ship to the waterline at Chatham. Peter Pett at Woolwich Dockyard built her under the guidance of his father Phineas, the king s (Charles I) master shipwright. Peter Pett became the Commissioner of the Navy. The Sovereign of the Seas was the second threedecked first-rate ship (the first three-decked first-rate being Prince Royal of 1610). She was the predecessor of Nelson s Victory, although the Revenge (of Elizabethan Spanish Armada fame) built in 1577 by Mathew Baker, was the inspiration providing the innovation of a single deck devoted entirely of broadside guns. She was the most extravagantly decorated warship in the Royal Navy, completely adorned from stern to bow with gilded carvings against a black background. As built she was a 90-gun first-rate ship of the line. Length, 127 ft.; beam 46 ft. 6 in.; depth of hold 19 ft. 4 in.; tons burthen Ninety guns were ordered but as launched guns numbered 102. In total the guns added an additional tons. Since we last saw the model Paul has completed the decking using boxwood and added the deck bulwarks again, box wood. The bulwarks have yet to be finished. The stern gallery and beaks head are added. The transom is shaped and completed. The second layer of hull planking is achieved in walnut. The portions of the hull to be gilded are painted black with acrylic paint and the tallow waterline done with Krylon ivory. Paul is doing a really super job on this model, which is a real challenge for anyone to attempt. 4

5 Monterey Clipper David T. Okamura David has continued his work on the resin casting of the hull and deck of a Monterey Clipper of about 34 ft. in 1:48 scale. Dennis Iverson did the original waterline hull casting for an O-scale narrow gauge (On30) model railroad club. David decided, on a whim, to add the bottom portion of the hull, hopefully to be used later for a full hull master. He used some Billings Models plans to help with the shape when adding the lower hull. He is using styrene and detail castings from Grandt Line to build up the superstructure. As there was no common model for the deck structure of these boats he is trying to configure the pilothouse, cabin, engine space and hold so as to be actually useful for the boat s scale crew. Grandt Line is a model railroad supplier of architectural and hardware fittings in all the major railroad scales: N (1:160), HO (1:87), S (1:64), O (1:48) and ½ (1:24). All these are very finely made plastic castings and likely to be very useful for the boat and ship builder. Doors, windows, hinges, sacks, barrels, drums, railings (lots of these), gratings, stoves, brackets and then there are nuts, bolts, washers, turnbuckles, eyebolts, rivets, nut-bolt-washer castings, hardware, and Transmission components: gears, cross-boxes, U-joints, sprockets. An almost endless variety of stuff is available. Keep in mind that some items may work for scales other than the one designed for. Check them out at Krabbenkutter Cux 87 Larry Van Es Larry brought in a 1:33 model of a crab fishing boat started by the father of a young lady. She lost her father before the model was completed and Larry has agreed to complete the model for her with help from John Simmons who will help with the boat s rigging. The boat was built in Cuxhaven, Germany in The major dimensions are; length 18.3 m, beam 5.3 m and is powered by a 200 hp diesel, which propels the boat to knots. The crab fisherman operated off the Western coast of Germany and around the Danish island of Rõmõ. The hull and most of the deck furniture seem to be in place but it needs some repair around the bow and stern. Larry was missing the brass fittings and through a member who is affiliated with Billing Boats was able to get these replaced. Larry said they actually sent a complete kit! 5

6 Burt Goldstein s Craneship Hartmut Riedman John Bakker s La Réale Des France John Simmon s Speedy Paul Carter s Sovereign of the Seas David Okamura s Monterey Clipper Larry Van Es s Krabbenkutter Cux 87 6

7 By Don Dressel Old Salts in Port: John Bakker, Steve Jones, John Vanderneut, Yas Komorita, Greg Wilcox, Don Dressel, Guy Bell. Ship in Port: U.S. Picket Boat No. 1, USS President, U.S. Picket Boat No. 1, La Réale De France, King of the Mississippi, HMS Triton, Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde. It was a nice sunny Sunday afternoon again at John Bakker s home as the group got together to discuss specific ship models and other things nautical. John had plenty of chairs for everyone (some of which are VERY comfortable the early birds get the best seats) and provided the necessary coffee and cookies. Other drinks were available upon request. John did indicate that he DOES NOT want any money left on the table to cover the costs of the coffee and cookies he is providing that free of charge. Frequent use is also made of the computer in the meeting room to look up things nautical and answer some possible questions. There are many build sites on the computer and you can find almost any model kit made being written about and discussed on the computer. A lot of preliminary information is passed around before the actual discussion of the individual models begins. Reference is also often made to the small library of nautical books that John has in the meeting room. The meeting started off with John Bakker talking about his completed Model Expo model of the U.S. Pick Boat No. 1. John indicated that it was a fun build and relatively easy to complete. The engine actually works, although John was advised to put a drop of glue on it anyway so things would not slip apart. John was not sure about the mast in front toward the bow and decided not to install it. The material supplied was all basswood. John then described the events of the action which made the boat famous. The picture shows the very nice craftsmanship that John displayed on this model. 7

8 John also discussed his La Réale De France. He has made additional progress on the model since he brought it to the SMA meeting last Wednesday, having basically completed the additional seats. He still had a lot of questions with the instructions and spent some time going over the drawings and plans with members of the Mayflower Group. He also discussed the problem with making the oars one on line build indicated how they made all 60 oars. If you make the oars first, then most of them will not fit onto the model! He devised a way to take the oar apart, fit it, and install the part that was taken off. To man the 60 oars, there were 360 rowers, along with 45 oar officers, 35 officers, and 110 soldiers. She had one 36 pounder cannon mounted in the center of the bow flanked by two 8 pounder and two 6 pounder cannons on either side. This Corel model is much more difficult to build. Don Dressel presented a model which was started by Dick Roos, a past SMA member who has developed a passion for RC plane construction in the last few years. Dick contacted Don and let him know that he had some ship modeling things he would be willing to part with. One of these was the 1:47 scale Euro kit model of the Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde, which was partially built. Rather than see such fine craftsmanship disposed of, Don purchased the model and the parts of the kit and plans to eventually complete the model. The Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde, a German frigate, was built between 1660 and 1661 in the shipyard of Pilau Princpauté by Mr. G.C. Pickelhering. It s length was 125 feet, the width 32 feet and the tonnage about 900 tons. The ship was designed with 50/60 guns and a crew of 250 men. The ship made several trips in 1685 from Pilau to Emden, in September 1691 from Emden to Shetland Islands under the command of Captain Jean Le Sage as an escort for the Derfflinger. On July 25, 1692, along with a large fleet, the Friedrich Wilhelm sailed from Emden towards Guinea. During the trip it and the Salamander won a victory over a French ship. At this time in history, Brandenburg was at war with France. In the night of October 30/ , three French ships fought the ship. With the first cannonades, Captain Jean Le Sage was killed. The ship was set on fire and destroyed. 8

9 John Vanderneut brought in his USS President to show the progress he is making on the model. He is in the process of making the 64 gun hatches (top and bottom) for the hull making sure that they fit the cannon. He is also working on the cannon and anchor chain. He also indicated that he would only rig the cannon and carriages that will be visible when the model is completed. He also cleaned the copper plates on the hull using acetone, which turned out to be a mistake, since some of the copper plates are now falling off! John is experiencing some of the hazards of working with an old model. made the vastness a little less lonely. Greg Wilcox brought in his ongoing effort on the King of the Mississippi, a model of a legendary American riverboat. These ship riverboats were a jack of all trades and many of them were very luxurious for the passengers. They served as the lifeline for cotton and inland trade, towed barges and ferried railroad trains across the river. As passenger boats, they helped to shrink the vastness of America, and as showboats, they Greg has planked all the decks and cabin but has to rework all the windows and doors to fit the way they should. He has made new railings for the forward stairs and used his fine craftsmanship to make many of the parts using the materials supplied in the Artesania Latina kit. He is also working with an older kit, so many of the improvements that Artesania Latina has made in their new kits is not evident in Greg s. Greg will also be interested to learn that in the new Artesania Latina kit there is now one walkway at the bow instead of two and there is more detail provided. The pilot house, railings and other details are yet to be completed. The kit today is available for about $190.00, 9

10 Guy Bell brought in his large scratch built 1:48 model of the HMS Triton on his home made surf board a flat board with wheels at one end and a handle at the other to facilitate moving the model on its permanent building board. He is now fairing out the interior of the frames, which are now all set in the keel and straightening the frames as he goes. It is a large learning effort for Guy using eh ModelShipWorld site on the internet. Built in 1773, the ship has only one powder room located in the stern. The model is made using maple wood exclusively, which Guy finds very good to work with, as it sands well and keeps a sharp edge when required. The model is looking GOOD! Once again, I would urge all SMA members to take advantage of the opportunity to attend the Mayflower Group meetings and bring any and all questions you may have to the meeting along with your current ship model effort. Generally speaker, there is a lot of knowledge on ship model construction and rigging in the room during this Sunday afternoon with probably over 100 ship models having been built by the collective group, both kit and scratch. Ship modeling plans and construction methods are constantly discussed. As the old saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. This is ship model mentoring on a one to one level! Beginners are more than welcome! 10

11 Famous Museums: Musée National de la Marine Part III Don Dressel A continuation of the French maritime museum article from the last two months is necessary, since this museum includes museums locations throughout France. Part III is on the maritime museum at Toulon. The museum is located on the Place Monsenergue, on the west side of the old port. It s only a short walk from the Hotel de Ville (city hall). The museum was founded in 1814, during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon. The main entrance of the museum is actually located behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in The building that houses the museum and with the clock tower next to it, are two of only a handful of buildings along the port and in the arsenal which survived the Allied bombings during World War II. There are presently plans to move the museum to a nearby location which has more space and was the old rope walk building, I think. A model of the rope walk building as it existed when still in operation is shown in the accompanying photos The naval museum houses a collection of large eighteenth century ship models which were once used to teach seamanship, as well as models of the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, mastheads from 11

12 old ships, antique weapons and ancient artifacts. Also included is a very fine collection of ship models from the sailing era as well as carvings and carved statues. Although the museum is not large by the standards of the one in Paris, it offers a unique look at the naval and maritime history of France, including a fine example of a galley, and its displays are well worth the trip to the museum. The City of Toulon has a number of really nice museums, but the Museum of the French Navy Musée National de la Marine is a must see. There are a number of real cannon on display, along with a Gatling gun pictured here, which is of great interest to those who are into ordinance. I did not take pictures of all the ordinance that is on display in the museum, but have included a couple of good examples. Center stage when you enter the museum is two very large ship models, which were actually used as indicated earlier to teach French seamen and officers. Quite a bit of time can be spent studying these models in all their intricacy. These are both pictured below and can show more than I can try and explain. Also shown is another picture of myself between the two models to indicate their size. 12

13 It was a great experience for me to have been able to see these two models as well as the privilege of having a personal guide to conduct us around the museum and tell us all about the backgrounds of the various models on display. The personal guide was a good friend of Michel Mantin, an honorary SMA member, and my good friend. His name was Patrice Decenciére and he really knew the details of all the exhibits in the museum. I would like to thank him, as he made my day. There is also a great collection of wooden carvings of individuals something I have never seen in any other museum. The picture of these carvings is again worth more words than I can express. They are highly detailed and really gives an excellent idea of just what the French gentlemen looked like, as well as the identification of each individual at the base they are standing on. My wife Liz is standing next to the carvings (maybe sculptures would be a better word) to give an idea of the size. Other carvings were also on display and well worth studying in their own right, as they also were very well done. Space does not allow me to show all the photographs that I took at this museum of all the wonderful carvings (sculptures), ship models (from early 17 th century to modern) and other maritime artifacts that were on display. I will endeavor to include in this article a number of additional pictures of various displays in the museum of the many models, most of which had an individual story to tell. This is a museum very well worth going to for any ship modeler or patron of the Maritime arts. There are even Submarine models! 13

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15 Yoshiya Okumura Memorial It is with deep regret and sadness that I have to report the passing away of the very first honorary member of the Ship Modelers Association and an accomplished modeler Yoshiya Okumura. I just received information from the President of the ROPE, Mr. Taketoshi Tanaka, informing me that he had passed away on Saturday, June 28 th, 2014 due to bleeding within the brain. Yoshiya was 90 years young. He was a mainstay of our sister club, the ROPE, in Tokyo, Japan and one of the original organizers responsible for the attendance of many ROPE members at our Western Ship Model Exhibits and Conferences. His memorial service was held on July 4 th in Tokyo, attended by Mr. Tanaka and many of the ROPE members. He will be missed by both the many members of the ROPE as well as members of the SMA. Mr. Tanaka told me that Yoshiya went for a walk in the morning and was fine, but later had problem moving his right arm and started to lose his speech in the evening. An ambulance was called, but it was too late and he passed away. He will be remembered as a staunch supporter of both the ROPE and the SMA. A fine modeler, he will be missed by all who knew him. Below is shown his last model, the Higaki Kaisen, which he built in 1:72 scale based on a Woody Joe kit. It took him 7 months to build the model, which was exhibited in the ROPE Exhibition #39 in April of 2014 A ship model builder for his entire life! Please see next page for the Who s Who in the SMA, drawn by Jack Moffett and printed in the SMA Newsletter a number of years ago. 15

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17 Book sales All members who attend the SMA regular meetings on the 3 rd Wednesday of the month will be able to appreciate the book table that Steve Jones has set up. Books are continuously on sale, many of which have been donated to the club. Also available, for a limited time, will be a small selection of ship model kits as well as a few other items. Check out the sale table every month for the various available products. All proceeds go to the club. Ship Models All members of the SMA should consider bringing in their Works in Progress for the enjoyment and enlightenment of the membership. This is what makes our meetings so enjoyable, so bring in your models, especially if they are under construction. Japan in 2015 The ROPE in Tokyo, Japan will have a very special Exhibition #40 next year in Japan. The SMA is a sister club of the ROPE, and as such, I would like to have SMA members think about going to Japan next year for their 40 th Exhibition as well as bringing a model. We can get a VERY good financial deal for each person who desires to do so. Please consider this opportunity. Contact Don Dressel if you are at all interested. The date s are April 12 through April 19, 2015, which includes a special event on April 19 th. Treasurer s Report Our esteemed SMA Treasurer, Mike DiCerbo, indicates that the current balance in the SMA treasury is $1, as of June 4, Web Manager s Report Above is the chart of the hits experienced by our SMA web page through the end of June

18 Paul Carter s Sovereign of the Seas Donald C. Dressel 908 W. 22 nd Street, Upland, CA Next meeting Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 PM, Hillcrest Park Red Cross Building 18