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 40th 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

Newsletter

Volume 41, Number 7, July 2014

Contacts

President: Larry Van Es (7140 936-0389

E-Mail larry@uswheel.com Vice President: Bill Schultheis

(714) 366-7602 E-Mail: bsmath@yahoo.com

Secretary: Paul Payne (310) 544-1461

Treasurer: Mike DiCerbo (714) 523-2518

15320 Ocaso Ave, #DD204, La Mirada, CA. 90630

Editor, Don Dressel (909) 949-6931

908 W. 22nd Street Upland, CA 91784-1229

E-mail: roebuckdres4@gmail.com Web Manager: Doug Tolbert:

(949) 644-5416 Web Site

www.shipmodelersassociation.org

Meeting – Wed., July 16, 7 PM, Red Cross Building, 1207 N. Lemon,

Fullerton, CA. 92832

Officers meeting –Wed., Aug. 6, 2014, 7 PM, Bob Beech’s house, 130 Clove Pl., Brea, CA. 92821 –

(714) 529-1481.

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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,

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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 18th 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

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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 18th 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 13th 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 three-decked 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 1522. Ninety guns were ordered but as launched guns numbered 102. In total the guns added an additional 155.9 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.

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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 www.grandtline.com. 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 1952. 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 10-12 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!

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     Burt Goldstein’s  Craneship Hartmut Riedman                                    John Simmon’s Speedy        John Bakker’s La Réale Des France                                          Paul Carter’s Sovereign of the Seas 

          David Okamura’s Monterey Clipper                                     Larry Van Es’s Krabbenkutter Cux 87 

 

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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. 

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  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 30/31 1692, three French ships fought the ship.   With the first cannonades, Captain Jean Le Sage was killed.  The ship was set on fire and destroyed. 

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  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. 

  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 

made the vastness a little less lonely.   

  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, 

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  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! 

 

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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  1738.    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 

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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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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  17th  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! 

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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 28th, 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 4th 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. 

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Book sales All members who attend the SMA regular meetings on the 3rd 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 40th 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 19th. Treasurer’s Report Our esteemed SMA Treasurer, Mike DiCerbo, indicates that the current balance in the SMA treasury is $1,684.80 as of June 4, 2014. Web Manager’s Report

Above is the chart of the hits experienced by our SMA web page through the end of June 2014.

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Paul Carter’s Sovereign of the Seas

Donald C. Dressel 908 W. 22nd Street, Upland, CA. 91784-1229

Next meeting Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 PM, Hillcrest Park Red Cross Building

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