subject: Ship Modeling FAQ, Part 05/15 (Q.15-20: 27K)

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Archive-name: ship-models-faq/part05
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Expires: Fri, 2 August 1996 00:00:00 GMT
Last-modified: 1 June 1996

This is the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ (part 05) on ship modeling.

Obligatory Disclaimer: The information contained in this message was
contributed by individuals, who, unless otherwise indicated, speak
only for themselves and not the institutions or businesses they are
associated with.  The author(s) and editor(s) of this material make no
warranties as to the correctness of the information provided.

This material should be considered copyright by the author(s).  This
material may be redistributed for non-commercial use without explicit
permission of the author(s) as long as the text is used exactly as is
(except for reformatting) and the author(s) is given full written credit
for the material.  Commercial use requires explicit permission of the
author(s).

The questions being addressed are listed in part 01 of the FAQ.

        ###############################################

15.     How do you drill the mast holes in a solid-hull ship model?
    A:  There are several ways you can try.
         For the mast holes, you could jig up the hull so it's
        perpendicular side-wise and inclined to the mast angle, and
        drill the holes using drill-press (assuming you have access to
        one).
         A second possibility is to recognize that a drill will tend to
        follow a smaller hole, and a small hole is easier to drill and
        align -- make one template with short "legs" that will sit on
        the deck and has a center-line drawn on it;  make a second
        "triangle" for the angle between the mast and the deck (NOT the
        base).  Use these to drill the "Pilot hole" for the mast, and
        then drill it out to size using successively larger drills.
         A third possibility recognizes that the real ship did not have a
        "tight" hole for the mast to go through - they made the hole
        over-size and then used wedges between the sides of the hole and
        the mast to move the mast into position.  You can do the same
        thing by drilling a small hole and making a "stub peg" on the
        bottom of the mast, and then enlarging the upper portion of the
        hole so that the mast is a "rattling" fit to it.  The peg will
        then locate the bottom of the mast, and wedges can be used to
        bring the mast - at the deck level - to the correct position.
         The "mast coat" will hide these.  The bowsprite is a different
        problem.  Much depends on whether the bowsprite heel is "buried"
        in the hull, or rests on the deck.  If the latter, simply drill
        a small hole and enlarge it with a rat-tail file.  If the
        former, you might want to consider either drilling a series of
        increasingly larger holes as in method 2 for the mast, or making
        the final hole undersize, and then trimming the heel of the
        bowsprit to fit.  (John Kopf)
        ***Drilling oversized holes is closer to the real way of doing
        things than is a tight fit, at least for American built ships.
        Charles G. Davis describes the setting of a mast in "The Ship
        Model Builder's Assistant" speaking to the hole being larger
        than the mast, the bottom of the mast from the step to a little
        above the deck being cut to an octagonal shape, and wedges
        being hammered in between the mast and the edges of the hole to
        stabilize the mast in the hole. ( The mast also had a tenon in
        its foot that fit into a mortice in the mast step, also for
        stability).  The hole and mast was then fit with a skirt of
        sail cloth and lead sheathing at deck level to seal it against
        the weather.  Ergo, you can really screw up drilling the hole
        and claim it was for "historical accuracy".
         In model building though, you usually can't get at the part of
        the mast below the deck to insure that it's held by more than
        just the deck, so the usual plank on bulkhead builders method
        is to put a solid block between the bulkheads where the mast
        goes through and rely on a pretty snug fit between the hole
        drilled through the deck and block to hold the mast.  Given I'm
        too chicken to do it "the real way", absolutely the best method
        I've come up with for dealing with the setting of the masts is
        as follows:
         (1) Build a wooden box with open tops and ends that is about
         as long as the hull and at least as high as the widest part of
         the ship's sides are when sitting on her keel.  The unassembled
         bottom should be a couple inches wider than the widest part of
         the hull since the sides will be mounted on top of the bottom.
         (2) Tack some battens on the bottom of the box to receive the
         keel, one batten on each side of the keel, snug enough
         together so the keel fits between them, but can't walk around
         on you.
         (3) Put the ship into the slot for the keel, then glue the
         sides of the box on so that they sandwich the hull in, and in
         an attitude that is plumb to an imaginary vertical line drawn
         through the center of the deck and keel.  A round bubble level
         like is used for leveling kitchen applicances, bridged up on a
         couple of pieces of strake stock set equal distance from the
         center line of the deck helps if your eye isn't good enough.
         Also slide a block of wood under one end of the box to help
         center the bubble fore and aft if the drag of the keel keeps
         the bubble too far off center.  I put the sides on dry, then
         tack them with super glue when I have them where I want them.
         (4) If too little of the sides of the hull touch the sides of
         the box to stabilize it, put some wedges in between the hull
         and the box sides, out toward the stem and stern.  The whole
         point is to get the hull stabilized and plumb, port to
         starboard.  Once in the box, the hull shouldn't move at all.
         (5) Buy a drill press.  I kid you not.  A passable drill press
         can be bought from one of the chain "Builders Square" type of
         store for less money than a decent (and not so) ship kit costs,
         and certainly cheaper than a fully scratch built hull
         calculated at minimum wage.  And you can do lots of other stuff
         besides setting masts, like small turnings, with it if you
         have enough imagination and some sharp wood carvers chisels.
         (6) Use a soft pencil with a good point to mark a cross where
         the center of each mast should be on deck and an awl to dimple
         the deck at the mast hole centers.  Check your references,
         Davis is good, because masts are not usually evenly spaced,
         and if you set them up like pickets in a fence, the end result
         may not be worth the effort.  If the plans are good, I trace
         the deck and mark the mast positions on a piece of mylar, then
         cut it out so it fits inside the bulwarks.  Makes it easy to
         transfer the center point of the masts with an awl.
         (7) Also check your plans for the amount of rake each mast
         will have relative to a straight line drawn to the average
         fore and aft line of the deck (your base line).  Typically,
         the rake increases as you move aft, and starting with a slight
         exageration to the rake is usually a good idea since the stays
         will draw them forward if you follow the usual sequence of
         setting the standing rigging from the bow working aft. A
         protractor based on the deck base line of the plans at the
         base of the mast and read on the center line of the mast will
         give you the right reading.  I've gotten reasonably good
         results, at 1:36 and 1:50 scale, by adding one degree to the
         measurement I took off the plans.   If you really want to get
         picky, the rake should probably be measured from the waterline,
         particularly if you're working from a table, rather than plans,
         but I've gotten by with a somewhat arbitrary base line.
         (8) Set the boxed hull on the drill press table and tilt the
         table until the deck is level, fore and aft.  The bubble level
         helps here too, but make sure you put it on the deck at a
         place where your base line and the deck are parallel. Record
         the measurement on the protractor of the drill press at this
         point. This is your base angle for the masts.  Note: If you
         took your angles from the waterline, you have to adjust for
         the difference in angle between the waterline and the base
         line.
         (9) Add the rake of the foremast to your base angle and adjust
         the tilt of the table accordingly.  Make sure the adjustment
         moves the bow in the right direction for the rake you're
         trying to get in the mast.
         (10) Clamp a fence to the table top so that when the box is
         pushed against it, the drill bit hits the center line of the
         deck and the center line is square across the table.  If
         you're off on this, the resulting angle of the hole will also
         be off.
         (11) Using a drill bit approximately 1/3 the diameter of the
         final hole, and with the drill press set at a slow speed,
         drill the center of the foremast hole.  Before you touch the
         drill bit to the deck, turn the drill on and look at how the
         bit is turning.  If there's any wobble at all to the drill,
         reset or replace it.
         (12) Stick a dowel into the hole and see how it looks.  This
         is your last chance before you blow the whole exercise.  Make
         sure you check both perspectives, fore and aft rake when
         viewed from the side, and plumb when viewed from the bow and
         stern.  If the bow/stern perspective is off, there's something
         wrong with the set of the hull in the box, your fence isn't
         square to the table, or there's something seriously wrong with
         your drill press.
         (13) Work the size of the hole up to the final size with a
         drill 2/3 then 3/3 the final size.  If the first or second
         hole shows some splintering of the deck planks, buy a new
         drill bit and/or tape a square of masking tape over the hole
         before you move up to the next sized drill.  A shredded deck
         doesn't add a whole lot to the finished product.
         (14) Move on to the next mast hole, keeping in mind that your
         measurements of the angle of rake is relative to the base
         line, not the last place you had the drill press table set to.
        I've been trying to sort out a clamping jig that I could
        substitute for the wooden box, but haven't sat down and really
        tried to work it out.  The box goes together in five minutes so
        the incentive hasn't really been there, and the left over box
        makes great kindling for my wood furnace.
         Also, any legend that has a better method, or is willing to
        let the rest of us in on how this might be done without
        investing in a drill press, go for it.
         Also 2, are the tables published by Davis on rake of mast
        really relative to water line or have I missed something in my
        reading?  (Jack Silvia)
         ***I built the "Swift" years ago. It was my first plank on
        frame effort. What I did wasn't even close to what Don
        described, except that I did use a drill.  I used a cardboard
        template to guide an extremely long 3/16" bit to drill the pilot
        hole. The template was cut to the fore/aft angle, the port/
        starboard angle was held by eye. I put the hull, minus deck
        cabins, into a vise and leveled it. Using the template to
        describe the right angle I gently drilled the pilot hole to the
        proper depth. I then made sure that this hole did in fact have
        the right angles by sticking 3/16 dowel in the hole and
        measuring.  Seeing this gave me the angles I was looking for, I
        increased the drill bit dia. to 1/4" and "reamed" the hole
        larger. I then went to the drill bit closest to the mast dia.
        and made my final cut. Very acceptable results!  (Michael Long)

                        DETAILS
                        =======

16.     Should models be painted or left natural wood?
    A:  Indeed, it is an artistic decision that must be made by the
        builder.  In the same category is whether to paint brass parts.
        Very, very few parts on a real ship were brass (bronze, maybe,
        but not brass).  So, one thing to consider would be consistancy.
        Not painting because of the beauty of the construction material
        may say no paint on either wood or brass parts.
         This is one advantage of building older ships.  Many older
        merchant ships, and warships earlier than mid seventeenth
        century were painted only in a few areas, oiled on top, and
        various tallow mixtures applied below the waterline (that stuff
        is really ugly if scale!).  A similar "artistic choice" is how
        to depict rigging. Many modelers do not add sails for two
        reasons.  One, it is hard to make good sails, second, some feel
        the sails hide some of the detail.  Yet, the running rigging
        adds much detail to ship.  So, many people display (particularly
        on warships) model with yards raised and much running rigging
        displayed, but no sails.  Actually, there may have been times
        when this was done for a review or special ceremony, but was not
        normal.  (Don Stauffer)

17.     I'm looking for a source of sheet copper about .001 or .002 to
        plate the hull a ship model?
    A:  Call up your local auto parts store (NOT the fuzzy dice dealer
        chains) and get a price on shim stock. You should be able to
        find it in just about any thickness you want, but it won't be
        cheap (sheet copper never is). {mailto:[email]}
         ***Another possibility:  Bare Metal Foil - has added copper to
        their line of adhesive backed foils.  These foils are amazingly
        thin - you'll have to have the plastic/wood as smooth as you
        want the metal surface to be, but its probably a lot easier to
        work than even .001 shim stock. Look for ads for Bare Metal in
        your favorite hobby mag. (Don Schmidt)
         ***Ask your dealer to order you a sheet of Bare-Metal Foil,
        Co.'s Copper Foil.  It measures 6"x12" and works WONDERFULLY for
        coating the hull.  (I recommend ordering one sheet (which runs
        $6-$8) so that you can try it before you go all the way.)  It
        usually takes 3 to 4 sheets to cover the entire bottom.
        However, I put it on my U.S.S. Constitution and it make all the
        difference in the world.  It is "wafer" thin, so all of the
        surface details on the plastic show up.
         BTW, if your supplier can't order it, and you can't get it
        through mail order, their address is:
         Bare Metal Foil, Co.
         P.O. Box 82
         Farmington, MI 48332
        (William Blakely)
         ***I've used copper sheathing tape, which is extremely thin and
        comes in 1/4 and 5/16 inch widths. If you can't find it, Model
        Expo sells it in 15 ft. coils for about $5. Works fine.
        (William Nichols)
         ***Stores that deal in stained glass supplies carry a copper
        foil tape in various widths and thicknesses.  Already has
        adhesive, so just cut to length, peel off the backing, and
        apply.  (John Kopf)

18.     How is the copper applied?  I'm about to copper my first ship
        and have some questions:
         1. What is the best glue to use on the plates
         2. How to I age the plates.  I wants to make the coppering
            look old rather than shiny
         3. Do I copper from the waterline down or the keel up (ship
            is  British circa 1800
    A.  According to Harold Underhill's "Plank On Frame Models", the
        copper was supplied in sheets 48" long and 15-18" wide. It was
        laid brick-work fashion, in three "goring belts", with each
        piece overlapping the ones below and theone aft. The objective
        was to conserve metal, NOT to look pretty.
         On a model, coppering looks best if the nail pattern is
        somehow embossed into the individual plates -- un-embossed
        plates are visually much less interesting. The coppering also
        hides the planks, which frankly looks more interesting than the
        plating will.
         The first step is to apply the copper to the stem, keel, and
        sternpost, "running length-wise along them, the side sheets
        being turned down round the outer faces...all of which were
        then covered by a wrapper plate extending down the front of the
        stem, along the length of the keel, and up the aft side of the
        sternpost, put on in 4' sections of course".
         Next, successive rows of copper are applied parallel to the
        keel and running up the stem and sternpost until about half way
        up to the waterline.
         From the top of the belt at the bow and stern run a fair
        batten around the bilge, and mark this line on the hull.
        Continue the first belt up to this line, cutting the individual
         plates along this line as necessary.
         Lay out a second line parallel and below the waterline, two
        strips wide (three wide for larger ships).
         Begin the second belt as before, starting at the top of the
        lower belt but with the individual plates full size. Continue
        this up until the top row the plates as necessary at this line.
         Finally, install the two (or three) upper rows to form the
        third goring belt ending at the waterline.
        You will now have three "belts" of plating; the first at the
        bottom, the second above "cutting off" the lower belt, and the
        third (top) belt again "cutting off" the middle belt.
        (John Kopf)
         ***I use contact cement, particularly Walther's Goo (available
        wherever model railroading is sold). I have never had a plate
        fall off of this.
         Are you starting with individual plates or a whole sheet of
        copper.  A good way to start making the copper look different
        is by heating each individual plate with a propane torch (or
        similar device).  The plate will discolor and each one will
        appear different.
         Some washes of white and green over the copper after it is on
        the ship will go along way to making it look weathered.  Apply
        the washes in a downward motion so it streaks from top to
        bottom.
         Copper the keel, stem, and stern first.  Then copper from the
        waterline down, fore to aft.  Make sure you overlap the plates
        slightly.  (Dave Loseke)
         ***I don't know about putting the plates on or which way to go,
        but for the weathering, The following worked on a plastic model
        with a Copper Metalizer paint.  I filled a container with warm
        salt water. It must be big enough to set the model in up to the
        water line, and I used table salt.  I then placed the model in
        the salt water up to the waterline. It sat in the water for
        about 3 minutes. The model was hung over the bathtub and
        allowed to drip dry stern down. This was repeated every other
        day for one week.  When finished, the hull had been dipped 4
        times. I mounted it to the base and continued with the
        construction of the deck fittings, masts and rigging.  This
        took appx 90 days to finish, working about 4 to 5 evemings a
        week.  By the time I had completed the model, the natural
        oxidation of the saltwater on the copper finish had produced a
        very worn and greenish looking lower hull. The chemical action
        had apparently stopped working by the time I finished the
        model, as I did not notice any further color shifts over the
        following two years that I had the model in my possition.
        (John Huggins)
         ***why do modelers want to make a copper hull green? did you
        ever see a copper hull? When it is new and first done it is of
        course copper color. So if you want your model to look new,
        leave it copper.
         On the other hand, if the ship has been in salt water, and you
        remove it, it is a very bright copper color. It only turns
        green after its been hauled out and exposed to air for a long
        time.  An active ship, with a copper bottom has a bright shiney
        copper color.
         A ship out of the water, high and dry, like maybe CUTTY SARK
        will be green. and old model, not properly cared for will be
        green.  (Ron Ginger)
         ***I was going to recommend Bare Metal's Copper Foil as well,
        but I didn't know if it would work due to the fact that
        everything sheet of foil I've seen except for the chrome finish,
        is somewhat wrinkled all over, and I don't know if it will lend
        itself to chemical weathering, I don't ship model, however, I
        liked the propane torch, and salt water tips, very clever.
        However, there is a product available (somewhere) that
        'antiques' copper to a streaky black finish. I used it in Jr.
        High School years ago to age a copper sheet that had been 'awl
        punched' with a design. This stuff smells like rotten eggs, and
        for some reason, I think it contains ammonia, and possibly
        sulfur. (David Cooper)

19.     How do you paint and mask camouflage detail?
        Okay:  How do you do it?  I can see that once I assemble my
        1/350 DD, BB, and CVE and add all the details, adding the
        camouflage measures will be very difficult.  How do you mask
        fine photo-etched details without breaking them?  Is it
        necessary to cave in and use a brush (which will reach around
        some of the obstructions)?  I am a new air-brush user trying to
        plan ahead, and I'm darned if I can see how it's done.  I want
        to add three- and four-colored 1944 camouflage measures to a
        Fletcher DD and a Casablanca CVE but I cannot see how to do it
        without marring the result, either by over-spray or by pre-
        spraying sub-assemblies and then "touching up" after final
        assembly.  Please, a few hints for a newbie from some of the
        more experienced hands?  (Rob Robinson)
        ***I don't do modern warships myself, being more the sailing
        man-of-war fan, but from what I have read in magazines, etc. on
        the subject, I guess that the best thing to do is to complete
        the basic structure of your model (hull, funnel, superstructure,
        gun turrets and so on) and camouflage it *before* adding all
        the fancy detail.
         Of course, this leaves you with the problem of painting the
        fancy details...:)  (Staale Sannerud)
        ***Pretty easy, you paint the "fancy details" with a fine brush
        after you've airbrushed the rest.  (Paolo Pizzi)

20.     Does anyone have any experience and/or tips on how to use slide
        cover glass to make windows? I have read about using microscope
        slide covers to model windows. This sounded great until I tried
        to figure out how to cut the pieces to the proper shape. Every
        time I try, I just end up destroying the delicate little square
        of glass.  (Dan Sullivan)
   A.   I have not specifically tried to cut slide glass but I have a
        stained glass company and at times we have been called on to
        repair lead light windows 1mm thin.
         Use a good quality glasscutter & make sure the wheel is well
        lubricated (dip into thin oil or kerosene if it is not the type
        with a reservoir in the handle). You will also need a pair of
        grozing pliers obtainable from any specialised glass shop.
         For such thin glass make sure it is well supported, like on a
        thick wad of newspaper. Glass is a solid but has the properties
        of a liquid and will break irrationally if there is uneven
        pressure.
         Mark with a felt tip where you want to cut (can be straight or
        curved). Make one even score preferably without stopping. Never
        go over the score twice. Exert just enough pressure to hear a
        faint scrunching sound. You are not trying to cut the glass,
        just to break the surface tension.
         With score facing up, hold the glass in one hand and snap off
        the piece you have scored with the grozing pliers by placing the
        squared off jaws parallel and close to the score. The pliers
        have a right and wrong way up. Instructions are usually on the
        back of the pack or ask the assistant to explain as wrong way up
        will break the glass unpredictably. The movement is downward
        away from the score.
                         score
                           |
              hold         V            pliers
         ------------------v-------------------
                                           |
                                           |      break
                                           V     downward

         This is very hard to explain without a pen in my hand so if you
        don't come right please send a fax number and I will sketch the
        above. Or contact a local Tiffany or stained glass manufacturer.
        You can also buy little glass saws like a miniature bandsaw but
        they are pricey and we don't use them as the above method works
        fine with practice. (Paul Wilson)
        ***Place the cover slip on a piece of glass, score lightly with
        a diamond tipped pencil and break abruptly over the edge of the
        glass. Usually works. Any little peninsulas can be ground off
        with a small diamond or abrasive wheel in Dremel tool.
        (Clayton Feldman)
        ***Try cutting the glass underwater. I know that this sounds
        strange, but it works. The reason that glass shatters is the
        breaking of the glass sets up vibrations in the glass that are
        transmitted throughout the glass. These vibrations cause the
        glass to shatter. If the glass is underwater, the vibrations are
        damped out and the glass will not shatter. Believe it or not, I
        once cut a piece of glass with a pair of sissors! The cut was
        not clean, but the glass did not shatter.  (Tim Philp)
        ***The best and easiest technique that I have seen and used
        successfully is contained in an article by N. Roger Cole,
        "Seaway's Ships in Scale", Vol. VI, No.1, page 15.  The pattern
        is drawn on a piece of scrap wood, the roughly cut coverglass is
        secured to that pattern with double sided sticky tape and then
        the glass is finished to final shape with a disk sander.  Wear
        eye protection, avoid brerathing the glass dust.  (W. Hannan)
        ***I just use 10 thousands plastic sheet for windows. Works
        great.  (Ben Lankford)
        ***Put the glass on a very hard surface (I've used a steel
        plate) and scribe with a diamond or similar point...then finish
        the edges smooth on a fine carborundum paper...you'll still get
        a lot of "scrappers".  You'll find that, when putting them in
        place, a fleck of sawdust in the frame may be enough to crack
        the glass.
         I now use mica instead; it's flexible, can be split to any
        desired thickness, can be cut with scissors, and - being a
        mineral that is already millions of years old - is unlikely to
        decompose.  Unfortunately, it's hard to find - check out your
        local "rock-hound" shop.  (Many of the admiralty models were
        glazed with mica, and it's lasted hundreds of years.)
        ***Please be very careful when grinding the edges of glass with
        an abrasive (diamond or carborundum) Eye protection is an
        absolute must.  (Peter Law)
        ***Thank you all for many excellent suggestions. After some
        experimentation, I have found that the "scribe and break" method
        works very well as long as the glass is well supported (I have
        been using a steel rule as a base). I use the edge of a sharp
        chisel pressed along the desired line to support the glass from
        above.
         Lacking either a diamond scribe or a Dremel, I resorted to
         using the tip of a needle file (the hardest tool I have) to do
         the scribing. With care,  this makes a nice sharp line, and the
         glass breaks off very cleanly.
         I would never have figured this out myself; thanks again for
         all of your inputs.  (Dan Sullivan)


author: John Kopf

subject: Ship Modeling FAQ, Part 06/15 (Q.21-32: 27K)

text:
Archive-name: ship-models-faq/part06
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Expires: Fri, 2 August 1996 00:00:00 GMT
Last-modified: 17 June 1996

This is the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ (part 06) on ship modeling.

Obligatory Disclaimer: The information contained in this message was
contributed by individuals, who, unless otherwise indicated, speak
only for themselves and not the institutions or businesses they are
associated with.  The author(s) and editor(s) of this material make no
warranties as to the correctness of the information provided.

This material should be considered copyright by the author(s).  This
material may be redistributed for non-commercial use without explicit
permission of the author(s) as long as the text is used exactly as is
(except for reformatting) and the author(s) is given full written credit
for the material.  Commercial use requires explicit permission of the
author(s).

The questions being addressed are listed in part 01 of the FAQ.

        ###############################################

21.     I am currently assembling a steam ferry boat model which, as
        one can gather from the FAQ, doesn't come with "complete"
        instructions.  I have been provided with a brass tube for the
        ship's smokestack, and brass flat wire to make bands around the
        stack.  The plans tell me to rivet the ends of the flat wire to
        the stack.  Rivets were not included in the kit.  I have
        managed to locate 1/32" X 5/32" copper rivets to accomplish
        this task, but have no idea how to actually do the riveting.  I
        do have experience with larger rivets (patching holes in my
        car) but the scale rivets look nothing like the larger ones I
        am used to.  The scale rivets appear to be nothing more than
        straight copper pins with a round head on one end.
         I would appreciate any help in riveting the bands to the tube.
        (Mark S. Wheeler)
     A: Riveting with solid rivets is simple supporting the "head" in
        the proper sized holder. If it is a rounded head (I'm using
        simplistic terms here, so no smart ass remarks from other metal
        workers, please.) you need to support it in a rounded recess in
        a steel block to keep from deforming it.  Once this is figured
        out you either hammer the other end causing it to bulge. Or
        squeeze it. Vise grips are good for squeezing rivets. Ideally
        the part of the rivet that sticks through the material to be
        riveted should be about one and a half times it's diameter. A
        properly set rivet should measure one and a half diameters
        round and half a diameter high.
        (Woody Vondracek)
         ***A tip in a recent Scale Auto Enthusiast suggested using a
        mechanical pencil to cut tiny disks out of aluminum duct tape
        (this is actually adhesive backed, heavy gauge aluminum foil -
        NOT silver plastic tape - find it at the hardware store).  The
        details were:
         - sharpen the outside of the pencil barrel with a file.  BTW,
           you can readily find mech pencils (at an art/drafting/
           stationery store) in 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 mm diameters, so
           you have a choice of rivet sizes.
         - put the "tape" on a slightly soft surface, like a piece of
           foam, cloth, etc.
         - make sure the lead is retracted into the pencil, then punch
           it through the foil with a slight twisting motion.
         - apply the "rivet" with the pencil, clicking the lead out a
           tick to eject the rivet, and as a bonus adding a nice indent
           in the center.  (Don Schmitz)
         ***Sounds like it might also be useful for punching porthole
        "lights" as well.  (John Kopf)
         ***A clever way to make rivets is to use old fashion (very)
        teletype tape as a template. Teletype machines were used in the
        50's to transmit messages over phone lines. You typed a message
        at one end and the machine at the other end typed out the
        message. I believe that beside the military they were primarly
        used by the news services hence the name wire service. They
        used a paper tape on a reel ot record the message you were
        typing out and the tape had a series of small round holes down
        the middle so the tape could be tractor fed. Using this tape as
        a template and either white or carpenter's yellow glue
        (depending on wether not the model will get wet) uniformly
        sized evenly spaced rivets can be made. Tape the teletype tape
        down and put a small glob of glue over each hole. Before the
        glue completely dries lift off the TTY tape and you are left
        with a row of neat rivits. Now comes the hard part -- where do
        you find TTY tape? I would suggest surplus stores that deal in
        electronics, somebody at a local IPMS chapter may have a source
        or possibly a hobby shop thet caters to scratch builders of
        plastic models.
         Good luck. If this technique intrerest you and you find a
        ready source for TTY tape be sure and post it to this list.
        (Pete Law)

22.     What is "lead sickness"?
    A:  Model fittings which contain lead have a bad reputation of
        frequently "decaying" after 10-20 years.  Current thinking is
        that the cause is the presence of Antimony in the alloy. This
        metal is used to make the molten metal more fluid.  Apparently,
        it crystalizes out of the melt as the metal solidifies;  the
        result is that on the crystalline level dissimilar metals are
        in contact (if they didn't separate, the metals would be mixed
        at the atomic level).  The result is that in the presence of
        water (or other chemicals) a galvanic reaction is set up (a
        tiny battery is formed) which causes chemical reactions to
        occur; the lead oxidizes into lead monoxide PbO, accompanied
        by the formation of antimony hydride SbH3 (stilbine) which is
        a gas and escapes into the atmosphere.  Most "soft" solders
        and "type metal" contain both lead and antimony.
         An alternative is "Brittania metal" which is 93% tin, 5%
        antimony, and 2% copper.
         "Traditional" Pewter can contain up to 7% antimony, 20% lead,
        4% copper, and the rest tin.  Modern Pewter is sold as "lead
        free", and so probably doesn't have the problem.
        (This description is based on a letter by William G. Webb in
        Model Shipbuilder #87.)  (John Kopf)
         *** for some reason, many lead compounds commonly used in
        making model ship fittings deteriorate after 5 to 20 years,
        actually turning to a powdery substance.  Therefore, almost
        every maritime/naval museum I have had contact with specifies
        that no lead alloys may be used in construction of models.
         Preferred substitute is called "Britannia Metal," and no, I
        don't know the make-up, but Bluejacket, among others, advertise
        parts in this metal.  (RAlcorn824)

                        RIGGING
                        =======

23.     What can be used for fine rigging line?
    A:  Traditionally, linen thread has been proven in use for hundreds
        of years.
         ***I went through the same thing and finally found *the* answer:
        nylon monofiliment fishing line. Use 1lb test and drag it across
        the top of a permanent ink marker to blacken it, then attach
        it w/super glue. You get the tension, it won't pull loose (well,
        not easily) and it looks *great*! (Alexander Ishii):
         Mono fishing line is available in different colors, including
        "black" (no real need for using the permanent marker).
         Generally, however, the various colors are more expensive than
        regular fishing line; particularly, if the color is only
        available as "tippet" material (a particular kind of fishing
        line).
         ***You can also use fine wire.  One source I've found locally
        (silicon valley) is a "pulse transformer"...these use copper
        wire .005 (more or less).  They are frequently encapsulated in
        epoxy, but the shell can be broken off and the wire salvaged.
        I've not used it, but I understand that tungsten wire is made
        for light-bulbs in sizes down to .0005 inch!  I also understand
        that it is dangerous to work with, because it is so strong that
        the possibility of amputation is very real!  The ultimate in
        "paper cuts".  Anyway, one might be able to get a couple of
        feet of this from a light-bulb manufacturer and try using it.
        Of course, how do you CUT it?  (John Kopf)
        ***Yesterday I went to a fly fishing store to get some rigging
        material. They carry a product called "Tippet line" or something
        like that. Its a monofilament and you can get it in various
        widths. I bought two spools; one was .003" (8X) and the other
        .005" (6X). The spools at the place I went (Kaufman's Streamborn
        in Seattle) cost US$3.75 each and carry 30 meters of line per
        spool. In other words: enough.
         I wandered around the store some to see what other things might
        be good. I found lead wire of various diameters there also. I
        bought two spools of that; one .01" the other .02" for US$1.50
        each.
         Check out your local resources or Kaufman's has a mail order
        service. You can call them at 1(800)442-4359 or FAX (503)
        684-7025.  (Stephen Tontoni)
*NEW*   ***There is not one supplier of ship model rigging line that
        sells appropriately sized line for ratlines; it is all too
        heavy!  The only source I have found for ratline material are
        the shops that cater to the fly fishing folks that tie their
        own lures.  There is a thread on the market that is composed of
        a synthetic fibre that comes in varying diameters down to .004.
        It also comes in a variety of colours inclusive of black and
        ecru. The brand name to ask for is UNI-THREAD.  It makes great
        looking ratlines and is pre-waxed.
         Over the years there has been much discussion about the use of
        silk thread for the rigging of ship models.  It was always the
        same old story; it will rot, decompose or deteriorate.  Until I
        found out about this new UNI-THREAD, I had been using silk fly
        tyers thread for ratlines.  This is about 35 years of dead
        serious and active ship modeling!  Not once did I ever have a
        problem with fibre deterioration!  If you have an opportunity
        to pick up some fine silk thread for ratlines and seizings,
        don't hestitate, It will serve you well.  (Dana McCalip)

24.     How does one assemble rigging?
    A:  Normally, one does the "standing rigging" (that which holds up
        the masts, etc.) FIRST, and then the "running rigging" (that
        which works the sails -- these lines are the ones with PULLEYS).
         Because of the complexity of the rigging, it's best to start at
        the bottom and center and work your way up and out...if you put
        the outer lines on first, then you have to work THROUGH them to
        reach the inner lines.
         When possible, it's best to apply as much rigging to a mast on
        the workbench BEFORE actually mounting it on the model, and
        then finishing it off.  "helping hands" are useful for such
        tasks as putting strops around blocks, but not much help when
        working on the model itself.  A couple of hemostats (I find mine
        at the local flea market) are useful, but I tend to use them
        most to attach to the end of a line as a weight to keep it
        straight while working on it.  Tweezers are also useful, and
        a couple of other tools you can make yourself out of knitting
        needles and dowels for handles:
        take a needle, mash one end flat, and file a V in the end --
        useful to PUSH ropes;  Take another, mash the end, and drill a
        small hole through it -- useful to thread a line through the
        hole to work a line through the rigging; Take a third, flatten
        the end, and file a hook on one side -- useful to PULL a line
        through the rigging.
         ***Some of the best little tools I have ever used on boat
        rigging came from my mom's sewing basket!  Needle threaders are
        invaluable for threading the rigging through eyelets.  A good
        pair of tweezers is a help, but the best kind are the
        "reversable" tweezers, the kind that apply pressure when you
        are NOT gripping them.  Great for guiding tricky threads.
         Finally, a good pair of manicuring scissors for the fine
        cutting and clipping needed.  I have a pair with points so tiny
        on them that it is hard to see the cutline they make.
        (Aaron Taylor)

25.     How do I install ratlines?
    A:  My current practice is to install the masts without the yards
        but including any masthead platforms.  After installing the
        shrouds in a prototypical manner, I use the "smallest" gauge
        needle I can lay my hands on to sew the ratlines through the
        shrouds.  In any reasonable scale the prototypical knots will
        be virtually invisible if you are using appropriately sized
        thread.  After the tedious sewing job is done I brush a semi-
        gloss black enamel to simulate the tarred seizing of the
        shrouds.  This also cements the ratlines into place permanently,
        so make any needed adjustments before reaching for the
        paintbrush!
         Stretching the thread and soaking it with a thin wash of white
        glue and letting it dry will stiffen it, which may be an
        advantage (but real ratlines were NOT straight -- they hung in
        curves between the shrouds).  (John Bonnett)
        ***Here are some things I have picked up over the years.
         Most shroud/ratline jigs, or preformed shroud/ratline sets,
        don't really work all that well.  It is very hard to get uniform
        tension when installing them.  Go for true, independent shrouds
        and ratlines.
         Get a book on rigging - several books on model ships in my
        local library have sections on rigging.
         Tools -
                Several sets of tweezers, including; long set, and
                "normally closed" ones.
                A hook.  Something like a crochet hook (I make my own
                out of coat hanger wire, pound the end flat and file
                in the hook).
                A fork, about same length as hook, made same way.
                Both hook and fork should be six to eight inches long.
         Work sessions.  Do not work too long at any one time, even
        when more experienced.  If I have not been doing ship rigging
        for awhile, I limit myself to 1/2 hour sessions.  Never more
        than one hour at a time.
         Simplify rigging.  For a novice, concentrate on standing
        rigging.  If you are not going to be adding sails, the ship
        would appear as in port, or at anchor for an extended period.
        One can then omit much of the running rigging.  If you do a
        fair job at the standing rigging, adding just a minimal running
        rigging can result in a very nice looking model.
         One problem on plastic models is that you cannot put as much
        tension as you might like on lines.  So getting EVEN tension is
        important.  HOWEVER, if you look at photos of sailing ships in
        their day, only navy ships were all square and nice.  Masts
        were really askew on many merchant ships.  So if your masts
        look more like corkscrews, just claim it is prototypical.
        (Don Stauffer)

26.     Do ratlines extend beyond the futtock shrouds to the lubbers
        hole?  Is the futtock shroud tied directly to the main shroud.?
    A:  Futtock shrouds are terminated at lower ends in a variety of
        ways,  depending on which mast, and how large a ship.  For
        larger masts they  usually were NOT tied to shrouds of mast
        below.  (Don Stauffer)

27.     How can rigging line be made to hang naturally?
    A:  Try washing the thread in warm soapy water, rinse it out, and
        hang up to dry with a weight on the end so it doesn't develop a
        lot of kinks.  This will remove any "sizing" that makes the line
        stiff.  The alternative is "spinning" your own rope from fine
        threads -- this is a lot of work but results in very "limp"
        rope.  If neither of these work, you may also be able to mix up
        white glue and water with a drop of detergent (as a wetting
        agent), soak the thread, and while still wet apply it to the
        model;  then let it dry in place using a piece of scrap as a
        "form" to give it it's shape.

28.     Could someone 'in the know' give me advice on how to build small
        blocks for model sailing ships? I'm talking about blocks about
        1/16 - 3/32 inch in size. What's the recommended technique, what
        type of wood is best, etc?
     A. Get a long piece of strip stock the same cross section as your
        block should look.  For instance, if you want a block to be
        3/32 high and 1/16 wide as viewed looking straight through the
        hole then get a piece of 3/32 x 1/16 x 12 strip stock (or cut
        your own!).  Round the edges of the strip with sand paper.
         Drill the correct number of holes into the stock from the end.
        Drill only deep enough to cover the depth of a couple of block.
        This will insure that the hole(s) run true.  If you try to do
        too deep the holes will wander off center.
         Now for each block (I usually do 3 - 5 at a time) make a score
        around the strip stock to create the groove for stroping the
        block.  What you are doing is working down the strip stock
        creating a few blocks at a time.  It is easier to work with
        them on the strip.
         Now cut each block out seperately and round with sand paper.
        Finish with stroping of your choice.
                            v   v   v   grooves around strip for strops
        ------------------------------
                            !   !   ! |
                          ==!===!===!==  < hole
                            !   !   ! |
        -----------------------------
                            ^   ^   ^ cut here when grooves are cut
         This is a very simple method but it works for me.  If you can
        get the hole to run true you can mass produce a number of
        blocks at a time this way.
         Boxwood is a nice wood to work with but I have has success with
        basswood using this method.  You need a fine grain so the wood
        won't splinter when you drill the hole.  (David Loseke)
         ***Personaly, I cheated and bought the ones for my model of
        HMS Victory from  Model EXPO.  They list single sheaves down
        to 3/32.  I found that 1/8 was the right size for a 1/98 scale.
        (George Wallace)

                        OTHER STUFF...
                        ==============

29.     What is meant by "Museum Quality" ship models?
    A.  This topic has been discussed regularly in the Journal of the
        Nautical Research Guild.
         Edward P. Von der Porten, former director of the Army, Navy,
        and Coast Guard Museum near San Francisco says "A museum
        quality ship model is whatever a museum director accepts for a
        museum collection". In general, the model (or artifact) must be
        able to convey part of a carefully thought out STORY to a
        thoroughly analyzed AUDIENCE.  If the exhibit concerns ship
        "crafts", sailor-built models, half-models, and ships in bottles
        may have a role, even if inaccurate.
         In a diorama (for example, in the 2-MILE section of Omaha Beach
        to be displayed aboard the Jeremial O'Brian, using 1:1200
        models), a uniform scale is important (for this example, detail
        is not).
         On the other hand, Dana M. Wegner reports that the standards
        used by the U. S. Navy and Smithsonian have been relatively
        unchanged since 1945:
        o It is reasonable for a model to last 100 years before
          deterioration becomes visible.  Resistance to actions of
          temperature, humidity, and light is essential...some recently
          developed model-building materials and techniques should be
          avoided until sufficient time has passed to properly evaluate
          their longevity...It is advised that fiberglass resins,
          styrene, expanding foams, casting resins, and cyanoacrylate
          glues be avoided when other materials can possibly be used.
        o 'Workmanship shall be in accordance, in every respect, with
          the best model-building practices.  Hulls shall be smooth,
          fair, and symmetrical; without blemishes, sap pockets, or tool
          marks, and shall be scraped and sand-papered to smooth surface.
          Machined parts shall bear no tool marks.  Castings shall
          contain no visible mold marks.'
        o Any item with any SCALE dimension of 1/8" or greater must be
          reproduced...work must be consistent [no super-detailing of
          one part of the model contrasting with lesser levels of detail
          elsewhere].
        o A great deal is specified about acceptable and required
          materials (e.g., 'Propellers should be cast in bronze...
          Plastic propellers are not permitted').
        o 'Painting of models shall receive careful attention...All
          parts of the model shall have a surface treatment representing
          the actual vessel if reduced in scale...models shall be spray
          painted with opaque lacquer.  Paint shall be applied thinly
          and evenly so that fine detail will not be obliterated.  The
          use of metallic paints such as silver or gold is discouraged.
          The use of white enamel or natural varnish is not permitted'...
          'Wooden parts shall be sufficiently filled and primed so that
          when rubbed down, the wood grain is not visible.'
         { The full set of specifications can be found in:  Department
        of Ship Model Scales and Service. Ship Model Classification
        Guidelines [Mystic, Connecticut:  Mystic Seaport Museum Stores,
        1983]  It was also published in part in Ships in Scale 6-34
        (March/April 1989)} -- what this all boils down to is that the
        purpose of a ship model is to support a coat of paint of the
        correct SHAPE!  (John Kopf)
         *** Write the Mystic Seaport museum.  Their definitions are
        pretty close to universal, from my experience.  By the way,
        they also sell your ship models "if" they meet the standards.
        Basically, Kit bilt, kit modified,, kit-bashed and completely
        scratch.  Restrictions also on materials, adhesives, etc.  It's
        worth the stamp for the information. check your local library
        for the mailing address. "directory of American Museums") --
        (RAlcorn824)

30.     Where can I find plans for the Frigate (HMS) Rose?
    A:  There was some interest expressed a few days ago in using the
        modern reconstruction of the eighteenth century English frigate
        "Rose" as a subject for shipmodeling. My caution is that since
        the Rose is a reconstruction rather than a  replica (that is,
        a general rather than an exact copy), she is not a good subject
        for modeling. It would be better to go back to the builders
        original research materials, starting with the British Admiralty
        plans of 1756, obtainable from the National Maritime Museum at
        Greenwich.
         For a very interesting article on the building of the
        reconstruction, see "HMS Rose and Providence, Some Lessons
        Learned the Hard Way", by John Fitzhugh Millar, in "Seaways",
        Vol. II, No. 5, Sept-Oct 1991.  You can find out about the
        modern ship (or even book passage!) at:
          HMS Rose Foundation                   (203) 335-1433
          One Bostwick Ave
          Bridgeport CT 06605
         ***On the net, try: http://www.synergy.net/homeport.html .
        (Clayton A. Feldman)

31.     How do I get a ship model appraised (for insurance purposes)?
        ("The Gallery" in Galveston buys and sells only ship models.
        The director was the only  person I had success locating that
        appeared to be able to make an appraisal and issue a certificate
        that an insurance company would honor.  They appear to be a
        reputable outfit and have advertised for quite some time in
        "Seaway's Ships in Scale" magazine.  IF he is qualified to
        perform this duty via photos, I would rather spend $50 and know
        my ship is insured than not.  I was hoping to hear from others
        who may have references for other appraisers and their
        respective fees, etc.  Although I have never had a model stolen,
        I have had plastic models destroyed in moves.  The government
        only paid the cost of buying a new model, not for the time and
        other expenses involved, which is understandable.)
  A:    Most appraisers are NOT familiar with ship models!  As a result,
        their "Appraisals" must be taken with a grain of salt.  There
        are specialists who can do a good job, but they're hard to find.
        Several are listed in the FAQ, and if they are not conveniently
        located they may be able to steer you to someone in your area.
        The fee for an appraisal varies, but is frequently some
        percentage of the appraised value.  (John Kopf)
         *** Tricky question, because it's not a heavily populated field.
        I would suggest more or less in order the following:
          1) curator(s) of the nearest maritime or naval museum.
          2) curators of other such museums.
          3) Southeby's or other international auction houses. ((Expect
             to pay a bill around 10% or the appraised value))
          4) Owners/operators of specialty shops in the area
             (particularly if you live or sell in a maritime area like
             Annapolis, Baltimore, Boston, Charlestown, ...San
             Francisco, etc.)  If there is a 'port' or 'maritime museum'
             nearby, someone has experience selling models.
          5) A bank located near a port or historic port area - offer
             them one as a 'visual enhancement' to their lobby, etc.,
             and find out what the traffic will bear.  (RAlcorn824)

32.     I'am looking for a tried and true sub plans, preferably, but
        will accept any info or suggestings on model subs. All info
        will be appreciated.
    A.  OK, model subs... As with everything else, depends on what
        you're after.  There are very few polystyrene kits of US WWII
        subs (Revell Lionfish) and several 1:700 scale modern subs of
        both US and Soviet (Russian) build.  There are a few
        polystyrene kits of WWII U-boats, type VII and XXII.  Both of
        these are available with internal components that are displayed
        through cutouts in one side.  In resin, MB (Blue Water) makes a
        series of kits including WWII Gato class, S boat, and a number
        of modern subs (SSN, SSBN and Russian Kilo diesel boat).
         Supposedly, Tom's Model Works is going to release a resin of
        WWII diesels that can be built as Gato, Balao or Guppy versions.
        Also a rerelease of the Nautilus (SSN-571), in polystryrene.
          If you want to do your own through plans or get a really
        large size hull (1:96), contact the Floating Drydock in
        Kresgeville, Pa.  They stock plans for a large selection of
        subs and fiber glass hulls (not cheap) for building your own
        WWII diesel boat. (Tom Dougherty)
        do?  Just drive around under water, not kowing where the sub is
        or what it is doing,  until you decide to surface again?
        ***This is one of the two most often asked questions about R/C
        submarining, the other being "How does it receive radio signals
        below the surface?". First, depending upon the clarity of the
        water you can easily see the sub at periscope depth (one reason
        why we usually have raised scopes), and even lower depths close
        in to shore. If you go under too deep then you either surface
        (if it's an "active ballast" boat) or you "plane" it to the
        surface using either bow or stern planes. In either case, if
        the sub stays down too long you want to "blow" ballast, or if
        it's a dynamic diver, just stop the motor and let the positive
        ballast bring it to the surface.
         Second, depending upon the chemical composition of the water,
        the boat will receive signals down to as much as ten feet below
        the surface if it's fresh water, and 3-5 feet it it's salt
        water or chlorinated pool water.  (Kerry David)


subject: Ship Modeling FAQ, Part 08/15 (Q.38-43: 25K)

text:
Archive-name: ship-models-faq/part08
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Expires: Fri, 2 August 1996 00:00:00 GMT
Last-modified: 18 June 1996

This is the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ (part 08) on ship modeling.

Obligatory Disclaimer: The information contained in this message was
contributed by individuals, who, unless otherwise indicated, speak
only for themselves and not the institutions or businesses they are
associated with.  The author(s) and editor(s) of this material make no
warranties as to the correctness of the information provided.

This material should be considered copyright by the author(s).  This
material may be redistributed for non-commercial use without explicit
permission of the author(s) as long as the text is used exactly as is
(except for reformatting) and the author(s) is given full written credit
for the material.  Commercial use requires explicit permission of the
author(s).

The questions being addressed are listed in part 01 of the FAQ.

        ###############################################

38.     I have a 24-inch wood scale model of a Baltimore clipper that
        has accumulated a layer of dust, etc, over the past three
        years.  Is there any way to clean this (full rigged) model.
        One way I was told was to immerse the model in warm soapy
        water, then in warm rinse water.  However, I have used non-
        waterproof glue in building this model.  Any one out there have
        alternative suggestions? Thanks {mailto:[email]}
    A:  NO NO!  Don't immerse it!  There are three main regions you
        need to clean, and each requires a different technique.
         1) Hull.  This is usually not the worst anyway, but a damp (not
        wet, damp) rag with just a drop of soap is fine here.
         2) Decks, Deckhouses.  If you have an airbrush, use it with
        just the jet of air.  Simultaneously, sweep surfaces VERY
        carefully with soft camel hair brush.
         3) Rigging.  Use airbrush as above.  Only very reluctantly, use
        a small brush for any really stubborn pieces of lint or dust.
        But be even more careful than for deck areas.
         If you do not have an airbrush, go to a photo store and buy
        one of those cans of compressed air used to clean negatives
        before printing.  (Don Stauffer)
         ***I have been watching conservators working on ship models in
        the museum I work at.  They use one of the cheapest cleaning
        fluids available - saliva.  Basically, you use a cotton swab on
        the end of a toothpick (Q-tip), roll it on your tongue and wipe
        the model gently.  It takes a while, but you will find it works
        amazingly well.  It also will prevent water from destroying
        your wooden model that may (probably will) happen if you
        immerse it in water.  I would say that a few hours of
        saliva/cotton swabs would be well worth the effort if the model
        is valued by you and I bet it is.
         These are my views and not the museums. {mailto:[email]}
        ***I would be concerned that the enzymes in the saliva  might
        eventually do harm to organic materials...remember the 5th
        grade science demonstration where we were each handed a cracker
        and told to chew it up and then hold it in our mouth for 5
        minutes?  The enzymes started turning the starch into sugar.
        Might not the same thing hold for cellulose (perhaps working
        slower)?  (John Kopf)
        ***The enzymes in the saliva break down relatively quickly.
        When you use this technique, you only use a "very" thin layer
        of saliva.  (I'd hate to see a big old greener on the ship).
        The saliva dries in a matter of seconds and leaves only minute
        quantities of enzymes.  The enzymes themselves only attack
        starch molecules and convert the starch to simple sugars.
        Saliva should not pose any harm to wood if used in application
        I described earlier.  As long as the paint is not water based,
        (or used starch) there should be no damage.
         Interesting comment though.  I might see what our conservator
        has to say about about a lot of expectorate on a wooden ship
        model. {mailto:[email]}
        ***Just a reminder:  Few if any animals have cellulose. Both
        bovines and termites depend on microorganisms in their gut to
        turn cellulose into simple sugars. The likely problem with
        using saliva instead of water (deionized or distilled) is that
        a dried mucous film may make the next layer of dust cling a bit
        more tenaciously and tap water (like the hard water here in KY)
        may leave a mineral haze. {mailto:[email]}

39:     In the past I have left sails off my scale ship models because
        I have yet to find a suitable material to make them out of.
        If anybody has any suggestions, I would appreciate hearing
        them.  (Chuck Cowman)
     A: A traditional material is "drafting linen"; fine linen cloth
        'sized' with starch...just wash the Heck out of it and iron it
        flat.
         Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to find these days,
        having been replaced by drafting mylar.  (John Kopf)
         ***We static modeling type use drafting linen. Should just be
        perfect at pond scales. The sizing needs to be scraped off
        after boiling, though. The linen can be lightly spray-starched,
        cut into bolt-wide cloths and sewed together full-size fashion.
        It's great stuff.  (Clayton A. Feldman, MD)
         ***On really small scale ships Tissue paper that you find in
        shoe boxes can work well if your really careful. You fix them
        to yardarm jig, turn on a fan, and set with a clear lacquer.
        In larger scales I've used fine linen hankys with some sucess.
        These can also be set on a yardarm jig.
        {mailto:[email]}
         ***I think I just found a solution to this very problem. In my
        case it was a set of sails for a RC schooner.  I couldn't get
        the sails right.  I used a tight weave cotton, pure white.
        Then to get the ribbing I traced the lines I wanted  with a
        pencil and sewed along them.  Then I dyed the lot with some
        stale coffee to get the right color.  They really look great.
        The only part I'm not satisfied with are the edge seams which I
        did with a hem stitch.  When I find a way around that, they'll
        be perfect, but for now I will say that they look really good.
        There is also a guy in rec.models.rc.water who makes sails for
        people...you can look him up.  (David Shein)
         ***You forgot to tell what scale your sailing ships are; that
        makes a lot of difference. For actual pond sailing models
        (about 30") of Gloucester fishing schooners I have had good
        success with some plastic cut from shopping bags - not the
        opaque white or colored stuff but there are some made from a
        transluscent (not transparent) sort of gray, tough plastic that
        is quite thin. The nice part is that you can use cement rather
        than sewing. I lay a bolt rope around the edge and cement a
        folded over hem leaving cringles at the corners. Such sails can
        be reefed when desired, are light, do not absorb water and
        avoid making the boat top heavy.
         For ships in bottles, of course, nose tissues work well, can
        be stained with tea, stiffened a bit with thinned shellac, and
        can be drawn upon.
         Unless you are working on a very large scale I expect it would
        be hard to find a fabric with fine enough weave and then sew it
        finely enough to avoid getting out of scale.  (Albert P. Rauber)

40.     ***The following section is contributed by Jon Warneke:

                USN Camouflage Measures

        The U.S. Navy of WWII developed numerous camouflage measures
        for its ships.  These were numbered from 1 to 33.  These
        measures were contained in a manual known as SHIPS-2,
        distrubuted by the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R),
        USN.
        1. SHIPS-2 was first distributed in January 1941, containing
           Measures 1 through 9.  The colors used for these measures
           are as follows:
            Light Grey 5-L (replaced Standard Navy Grey of the prewar
                     period)
            Ocean Grey 5-O
            Dark Grey 5-D
            Black #82
            White 5-U
           All of these colors were mixed from base colors of white
          and black, forming greys of varying hues.  The measures which
          used these colors are as follows:
           Measure (Ms) 1:  Dark Grey System.  All vertical surfaces
          Dark Grey 5-D below the funnel tops, Light Grey 5-L above the
          funnel tops.
           Ms 2:  Graded System.  All superstructure parts 5-L, hull
          graded with 5-L the top band, 5-O the middle band, and 5-d on
          the bottom band.  Each band is to be of equal width.
           Ms 3:  Light Grey System.  All vertical surfaces Light Grey
          5-L.
           Ms 4:  Black System.  All vertical surfaces Black #82.
           Ms 5:  Painted Bow Wave.  To be used with Ms. 1, 2 or 3, but
          not Ms. 4.  Upper edge of the wave is to be painted in 5-U,
          and the body of the wave in either dark blue or 5-D
           Ms. 6 through 8 were to use paint to made a ship look like
          another (i.e. a Omaha-class CL look like a four stack DD)
          with the color of the deception to be the opposite of the
          general color of the ship (i.e. the ship painted in 5-D would
          use 5-L for the deception).
           Ms 9:  Black System for Subs.  Paint the entire area above
          the waterline black.
        2. SHIPS-2 was revised in September 1941 after testing found
           that blues were more effective in camoflauge than were the
           greys of the Jan. 1941 edition.  The new colors were as
           follows:
            Haze Grey 5-H
            Ocean Grey 5-O  (not the same as above)
            Sea Blue 5-S
            Deck Blue 20-B
            Black #82
            White 5-U
          The colors were mixed from 5-U and tinting material known as
          5-TM (Author's note:  I am unaware of any references
          available to the modeler of the actual tint of either 5-TM or
          20-TM, which was used for making Deck Blue).   The measures
          which were authorized under the Sept. 1941 edition are as
          follows:
           Ms 1 through 8:  Discontinued
           Ms 9:  Same as above
           Ms 11:  Sea Blue System.  All verticle surfaces Sea Blue 5-S
           Ms 12:  Graded System.  Paint hull 5-S to the level of the
          main deck (Carriers to the level of the hangar deck).  Paint
          superstructure to the tops of the funnels Ocean Grey 5-O.
          Above the funnels Haze Grey 5-H.
           Ms 13:  Haze Grey System.  All verticle surfaces Haze Grey
          5-H.
           Ms 14:  Ocean Grey System.  All verticle surfaces Ocean
          Grey 5-O.
         In all measures except Ms. 9, the decks were to be painted
        in Deck Blue 20-B.
        3. In June, 1942, SHIPS-2 was again revised, and new colors
           were introduced, using the same ingredients as the Sept 1941
           edition.  The colors authorized were:
            Thayer Blue 5-B
            Haze Grey 5-H   (not the same tint as above)
            Ocean Grey 5-O  (not the same tint as above)
            Navy Blue 5-N
            Deck Blue 20-B
            Black #82
            White 5-U
           The measures authorized under this edition are as follows:
            Ms 9:  Black System for Subs.  Same as above
            Ms 10:  Gray System for Subs.  Paint all surfaces above
           waterline 5-O
            Ms 11 and 12:  Discontinued
            Ms 13:  Haze Grey System.  Same as above
            Ms 14:  Ocean Grey System.  Same as above
            Ms 16:  Thayer System.  For use in arctic regions.  All
           vertical surfaces White 5-U with patterns of Thayer Blue 5-B.
            Ms 21:  Navy Blue System.  Paint all vertical surfaces Navy
           Blue 5-N.
            Ms 22:  Graded System.   5-N from the waterline to an
           imaginary line parallel to the waterline which runs through
           the deepest part of the main deck, 5-O from this point up.
        4. In March, 1943, SHIPS-2 was again revised, and new colors
           were introduced again.  The colors authorized were:
            Pale Gray  5-P FS 35526
            Light Gray 5-L FS 36320
            Haze Gray 5-H  FS 35237
            Ocean Gray 5-O FS 35164
            Navy Blue 5-N  FS 35044
            Deck Blue 20-B FS 35042
            Dull Black BK  FS 37040
          (The FS numbers are estimates based on the author's
         comparison of color chips to FS chips. The new Floquil Marine
         colors provide the builder with accurate representations of
         these colors.)
          The Measures which used these colors are as follows:
           Ms 21:  Navy Blue System.  Same as above
           Ms 22:  Graded System.  Same as above
           Ms 23:  Light Grey System.  Paint all vertical surfaces
          light grey, and paint the undersides of all overhangs White
          5-U.
           Ms 31:  Dark Pattern System.  Paint all vertical surfaces
          with patterns of 5-H, 5-O, and BK.
           Ms 31a:  Dark Pattern System.  Same as Ms. 31, except that
          5-N replaces BK.
            2 color schemes used 5-H and 5-N
            3 color schemes used 5-H, 5-O, and 5-N
           Ms 32:  Medium Pattern System.  Paint all vertical surfaces
          with patterns of:
            2 color schemes used 5-L and BK
            3 color schemes used 5-L, 5-O, and BK
           Ms 33:  Light Pattern System.  Paint all vertical surfaces
          with patterns of:
            2 color schemes used 5-L and 5-O
            3 color schemes used 5-P, 5-H, and 5-N
          Measures 31, 31a, 32, and 33 were used with various geometric
          patterns that were assigned design numbers reflecting the
          pattern and what type of ship they were created for.  Thus
          "Measure 32/18d" would use the colors of Measure 32, be
          geometric design number 18, and have been designed for a
          destroyer ("d").  Decks were to be painted in 20-B, but many
          Ms. 31 and 32 designs also had patterns of 20-B and 5-O on
          the decks.
           Also authorized under this edition were green colors for use
          on ships.  These colors corresponded with the blue colors
          and were:
            Pale Green 5-PG
            Light Green 5-LG
            Haze Green 5-HG
            Ocean Green 5-OG
            Navy Green 5-NG
            Deck Green 20-G
           These colors can also be found in the Floquil Line of Marine
          Paints.  The greens were interchangable with the blues in the
          measures, but were mostly used on amphibious force units and
          coastal forces.
        5. Upon the end of the war, most of the dazzle measures were
        discontinued, and those ships were repainted in Ms. 13.  Other
        ships in Ms. 21 and Ms. 22 remained in those mesures until
        about 1947 or 1948 when they were also repainted in Ms. 13.

*NEW*   ***I cannot give you FS numbers (The colors were of a type that
        don't fit the FS well) but I can give you some info.
         Deck Blue 20-B Stain is of the same color as Deck Blue 21-B --
        Well Matched by Humbrol's #79 Blue-Grey or available in
        Floquil's new Military series.
         Navy Blue 5-N, Ocean Gray 5-O, and Haze Gray 5-H are all
        available in Floquil's series, or can be mixed.  I've used the
        mixes I got from a Scale Models series, which are given here
        with new Humbol designators.
        --Navy Blue:  2 Parts #104 Oxford Blue to 1 Part #176 Neutral
                Grey/Lt. Grey
        --For Ocean and Haze Gray, mix a stock of 2 Parts #104, 1 Part
                #67 Tank Grey, and 1 Part #34 Matt White.
        --Ocean Grey 5-O: 1 Part of Stock + 1 Part #34.
        --Haze Grey 5-H:  1 Part of Stock + 4 Parts #34.
         I use disposable Polyethylene transfer pipettes as droppers,
        which I buy from a scientific supply house in my area.  I mix
        in the bottles Testors sells five in a package.
         Colors you didn't mention are:
        --Sea Blue 5-S (and Blue Flight Deck Stain #250):  Mix 1 Part
        Navy Blue 5-N to 1 Part Ocean Gray 5-O is the best look I've
        gotten.
        --Markings Stain Gray 251:  Same as Ocean Gray
        --Light Gray 5-L:  1 Part of Stock + 10 Parts #34
        --Pale Gray 5-P:   1 Part of Stock + 25 Parts #34
         Sea Blue was a prediscesor of Navy Blue.  CV-2 Lexington was
        in this color when sunk, the CV-5 Yorktown's lower hull was
        still painted in it at Midway, and so forth.  It was starting
        to be replaced by a darker color in the Atlantic even before
        Pearl Harbor, the darker color becoming Navy Blue 5-B officially
        in June 1942.
         The lighter flight deck stain was introduced in October 1941.
        The Markings stain was used with it in solid lines, but often
        Chrome Yellow (FS 13538 - use 33538 for scale) was used in
        blocks, giving the dashed look familiar in photos.  Later in
        the war you will have to look carefully, since Chrome Yellow,
        White, and 251 stain were all used on the carriers' flight
        decks for the markings.
         Light and Pale Grays were used in the dazzle camouflages of
        the 1943-44 period, along with Dull Black, Navy Blue, Ocean
        Gray, and Haze Gray.
         All of these colors would fade rapidly, and be hard to paint
        back on the hull regularly.  For fading effects, the blue hue
        was lost fairly quickly, leaving a lighter, grayer tone.  The
        black faded to a medium gray over about 6 months, though it
        stayed the darkest color in the camouflage, just to give a
        point for relativity.  (Mark Shannon)

41.     What is accurizing?
     A: Accurizing is the achievement of a level of detailing and
        accuracy which the model kit does not provide. In most cases,
        it means things like:
         - Drilling out all the openings and gun barrels
         - Making thin parts thin (aircraft cowl flaps, tank fenders,
           ship railings, etc.)
         - Getting square shapes square and round shapes round (this is
           harder than you would think)
         - Getting dimensions right, even if it means scratchbuilding
           95% of the model (rare but there are times when it is the
           only way)
         - Getting angles and proportions right
         - Getting surface detail right (with tanks and ships, this
           means adding nuts, bolts, and rivets; with aircraft and
           cars, taking them off)  (AMPSOne {mailto:[email]})
         ***Basically, accurization kits attempt (and usually succeed)
        at correcting some deficiency in the injected styrene kit.  In
        some cases, the accurization kit is maybe a bit of resin or two
        and some photo-etch.  For instance I've bought a DML
        accurization kit for M-48/M-60 tanks that fits this description.
        In the realm of photo-etch this usually makes a lot of sense.
        Replicating sheet metal vents in 1/72 or even 1/35 in injected
        styrene is all but impossible.
         When large amounts of resin gets involved, the accurization
        kit is tackling a much more ambitious problem with the kit.  A
        woefully inaccurate profile of an aircraft nose, or totally
        incorrect pairing of turret with tank chasis (for a particular
        variant).
         The only problem with these accurization kits is that most of
        them are as expensive as the original kit.  So in a measure of
        accurization, you can easily double the price you pay for
        building a particular kit.  I'm not claiming that accuracy
        isn't a good thing.  Its just that I built more models per year
        when I just built things out of the box.  Admittedly, what I
        was building were starships made by a company that only
        believes in making toys, not accurate replicas.
        (Andrew Madison)

42.     I've got a 1/350 IJN Yamato that I am redoing to match a
        different configuration than that provided by Tamiya.  This
        involves hacking out a half-dozen gun tubs and restoring the
        deck.  Unfortunately, Tamiya saw fit to build the deck in two
        pieces and to place parallel ridges in the deck area where the
        original was wooden.
         This leaves me with problem of somehow adding ridges to the
        areas where I am restoring the deck, and trying to make the
        ridges match seamlessly across the spot where the deck halves
        join, or to somehow remove all those ridges (which would
        probably not be visible in reality anyway).
         My questions are:
         Does anyone have experience with or suggestions for restoring
        such ridges?
         or:
         What is the best way to remove them without damaging the rest
         of the details?  (Some of the wooden deck area is located down
         behind various superstructure elements and would be extremely
         difficult to reach.)  (Robert Robinson)
         ***If it were me I would do the whole deck in brass!!!!!!!.
        (MikeBishop)
     A:  ***1. Since the ridges are supposed to simulate the space
           between wooden deck slats, sand down the ridges and scribe
           the cracks.  Plan to finish sometime after 2000 AD.
        2. Use very thin stretched sprue or invisible thread.  Use CA
           glue sparingly to stick the thread down where the ridge
           was removed.
        3. Use progressively finer grades of sandpaper to remove all
           ridges.  After painting the deck, use a straightedge and
           a very fine technical pen to draw the slots.  (Bob Marek)
         ***I'm doing a Montana and replaced the deck with evergreen
        scribed sheet.  This can be found at railroad hobby shops.
        It's used to make wooden buildings from scatch.  Find the
        sheets with the narrowest scribing.  You won't find it's to
        scale but looks pretty good. (Steve {mailto:[email]})
        ***An interesting idea I've tried with startling results...
        Replace the entire deck with real wood.
         Model Railroad shops sell scribed basswood sheet that can
        easily be cut to fit the hull. Cut the superstructure components
        from the model's deck and cement them onto the new deck. Many
        of the smaller deck details will have to be scratchbuilt, but
        if you're already doing a major conversion this implies you
        have the skills necessary.
         Before the new deck is glued in place it should be antique
        stained. Then give it a coat of tung oil. You will be pleased.
        (Dave Wilke)
*NEW*   ***Try adding a bit of green and or grey to deck tans.  Teak
        bleached in the sun fades like anything else.  I've seen
        elaborate masking jobs painting alternate planks in various
        shades of the same base color, but I've never been up to that
        task.  Dry brushing and washes for raised or recessed details
        with black or black/green is my staple but does leave much to
        be desired.  (Gary Newman)

43.     Does anyone have any really good ways to get the fuzz on model
        rigging (silk, nylon or cotton) to lay down and smooth out
        without varnishing the threads so they become stiff and shiny?
        (Robert Godfrey)
     A: The traditional method is to draw the lines through a lump of
        beeswax; this will bond all of the fibers to the line.
         On the other hand, if you're talking about lines ALREADY on a
        model, that IS a problem.  You might want to try dissolving
        some beeswax in turpentine, and paint it on the lines.
         Beeswax can be found in fabric / sewing stores - used to
        smooth and lubricate sewing thread.  (John Kopf)
         ***Your friendly neighborhood notions shop (i.e. Jo-Ann
        Fabrics, So-Fro, or any others of that ilk, to include Wal-Mart)
        sell a bee's-wax applicator just for waxing thread. It takes
        off the fuzz, gives it a semigloss shine rather than a bright
        shine, and leaves the thread pliable and fuzzless. They run
        less than two bucks. (Cookie Sewell {mailto:[email]})
         ***The conventional way is to run the line across the edge of
        a beeswax block, For very bad line, run the line *quickly*
        through a candle *flame*, then do the wax treatment.
        (Clayton A. Feldman, MD)
         ***How about pulling the threads across a wax candle and then
        running them between thumb & finger?
        (Simon Craven)
         You could try Armor All or a like product.  It has worked for
        me when cleaning up older uncased models.  (J. J. Gordon Jr.)
         ***You can also find wax at any store selling fly fishing
        equipment. It is also used for waxing the thread when tying
        fishing flies.  (Sten Ekedahl)
         ***Well, what about "painting" each line with a diluted
        solution of white glue?  This should "harden" any fuzzballs to
        the point where they'd be easier to trim, and any shininess
        could be defeated with dullcoat.  (John Beaderstadt)
         ***Thanks for the several responses and  good ideas.  As John
        Kopf observed, I was talking about rigging already on a model,
        which, as he says, is quite a different matter and more
        difficult problem indeed.  For example, I don't know about the
        burning off fuzz with a candle flame on the rigging of a
        finished model, although the idea sounds good if one were
        compelled to use fuzzy line so bad beeswax wouldn't smooth it
        down.  (Robert Godfrey)

Final notes:  If you build a model for display or sale, always sign it
in a hidden or at least non-obvious location.  Never sell yourself
short.   Log your hours building.  Never charge less than 3xCurrent
minimum wage per hour plus materials.  If your work is quality, it will
sell at those prices, and usually at a premium. If your work doesn't
meet standards (retail, decorative or museum) you will never sell
regularly.  Document sources and techniques on everything you build for
(possible) sale or "prestigeous" display. Good Luck  (RAlcorn824)