Subject: SMML15/08/98VOL272 Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 21:05:46 +1000 (EST) shipmodels@wr.com.au --------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://warship.simplenet.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Bismarck turret colors, again 2: Re: Cost of injection moulding 3: Tribal Class Destroyers 4: Round Russians 5: Re: ALASKA camo 6: Re: Humbrol Paint Mixes 7: Fwd: 1/350th Aircraft Now Available! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: USS Chicago 2: Russian Kit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: DKrakow105@aol.com Subject: Bismarck turret colors, again Hello Met a Kreigsmarine veteran yesterday, a former CPO on board the Prinz Eugen from commissioning until the summer of 1942. An alert spry old fellow of 85 who joined the Reichsmarine in 1932 and trained aboard the original Gorch Foch. He also served aboard the cruiser Leipzig during the Spanish Civil War and the ship of the line Schliesien during the invasion of Poland. His battle station on the PE was the rear AA range finder. From that vantage point he saw the Hood go down. He said that it went down so quickly and at such a steep angle, he thought for a moment that they had sunk a submarine that got in the way. Among other questions, I asked if he could remember the color of the Bismarck's turret tops during Operation Rheinübung. He said they were overall grey. He remembered helping to paint over the PE's zebra stripes in Norway. On the other hand, he didn't remember the Prinz Eugen's turret tops ever having been painted red, and of that there is photographic evidence. I will meet more Prinz Eugen veterans at their annual reunion next month and conduct a survey on the turret color issue. If anyone has any specific questions they would like me to ask, please indicate! (yeah, yeah, I already asked how he managed to stay so healthy at 85; start excersising and eating lots of grains and vegitables.) David Krakow Frankfurt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Cost of injection moulding >> I know this question has been alluded to in one of the very early SMML. How much does it cost to develop a plastic injection kit? For a 1/350 scale modern destroyer, what would the cost look like? Cost of master pattern Cost of injection mold Cost of plastic Cost of packaging Man hours to design kit Man hours to manufacture kit << Of course all of these factors concern the cost of an average injected molded kit. But by far and away the most expensive part of an injected kit is the tooling of the mold. Making the master "tool" or mold can be properly done by very few companies in the world and they are backed up with business all the time. Since there is such a shortage of of good tool cutters thier services go for a premium. A Monogram rep. once told me (take this for what it's worth) the cost of a 1/350 scale tool just to get to production (incl. manufacture, plastic, tool, R&D, masters etc.) runs almost a million dollars! Most of that goes into the manufacture of the mold. It's a solid stainless steel cube that weighs about a ton (depending on the model). At that cost that's why you don't see the big model companies producing rather obscure subjects. They have to sell a lot of kits to get back thier investment. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Tom Dean Subject: Tribal Class Destroyers Gentlemen: This is the first time I have posted to the list. I mistakenly erased the instructions that were sent to me so if I have not done it correctly, I am sorry. Regarding the request for drawings of the Tribals you might want to try the following. HMCS HAIDA gift shop carries detailed plans for making 1:96 models of her as she appeared in April 1944 operating in the Channel, and another set of plans as she appeared at the end of her long career in 1964 in Destroyer Escort guise. Although made for the modeler they are lovely drawings and I suspect made use of the originals. These plans are also available from the "Hobby Centre" on Banks St in Ottawa or through their mail outlet "Vanguard Model Marine". If the gentleman wants he can contact me off list and I will give him the various addresses. As far as getting the copies of the originals it is next to impossible now. Everything that use to be at DND in Ottawa is changed or moved. I have been trying to get information on Prestonian Frigates with little success. Tom Dean Hamilton, Ontario Canada ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Burl Burlingame / Pacific Monograph Subject: Round Russians The Russians had some sort of perfectly round river "forts" or ships around the turn of the century. Anybody got a lead on drawings or data for these? Thanks... Burl Burlingame Pacific Monograph, 1124 Kahili Street, Kailua HI 96734 A historical interpretation company. Visit our web site at http://www.PacificHistory.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: ALASKA camo John Warneke wrote that ALASKA and GUAM quickly changed to Ms.22 upon entering Pacific service. I don't know what constitutes quickly, but there is an oft-repeated piece of film of a kamikaze making a run on a CV in which the camera, panning to follow the plane, catches one of the CBs along its full length, and it's still in dazzle; that seems to indicate that they didn't repaint all THAT quickly. Incidentally, I've read reports that one of them was painted in the 1945 neutral grays, while the other was in the earlier purple-blues, and that was the easiest way to tell them apart quickly. John Snyder ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: Humbrol Paint Mixes Jens: You can find Humbrol mixes for USN colors in back issues of Plastic Ship Modeler. These were developed by Randy Short, my partner in developing a set of USN WW2 paint chips that allow the modeler to mix and match using their favorite/available paints. I'm not comfortable with posting the mixes here, since it is now copyrighted material. However, PSM's publisher, Dan Jones, is a list member of SMML, and I'm sure he'll jump in and tell you how to obtain those back issues. Dan...? John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises 9175 Kiefer Blvd. #224 Sacramento CA 95826 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Henry Subject: Fwd: 1/350th Aircraft Now Available ! >>From: "Liberty" >Subject: 1/350th Aircraft Now Available ! As seen in the new Tom's Modelworks Essex kit !! 1/350th SBD's, Avengers, and Hellcats !! Beautiful lightly engraved pewter castings, with photo-etched props, hubs, landing gear, and tailhooks !! Also includes the 'STAR' decals !! For more info, send SASE to: Liberty Model Productions P.O. Box 204 Sharpsville, PA. 16150 You'll also receive info on our sharp new line of 1/350th detail parts; 20mm, 40mm, 3", 4", 5" deck guns, liferafts, gun directors, quad 1.1" guns and more !!! (over 25 different parts sets available) Thanks, Liberty Model Productions << ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: USS Chicago Dear CGNer's The Naval Base has the Monogram kit in stock. The price is 19.95 plus 5.00 for shipping, our address is: http://www.navalbasehobbies.com Thanks Shaya ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: Russian Kit Dear Sir, Maybe sometime you should try the Naval Base we usually have these kind of esoteric things. There is another SHIP MODEL STORE in the world besides the Pacific NW Price 13.95 + 5.00 shipping you will find us at: http://www.navalbasehobbies.com Thanks shaya@erols.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume