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Member Projects => Garet's Projects => Topic started by: Oceaneer99 on January 26, 2009, 09:23:23 PM

Title: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 26, 2009, 09:23:23 PM
I started a run of Wilkes/Clemson class destroyers.  These are also known as the "four stackers" or "four pipers" destroyers.

The plans are in the January 1932 Popular Science (USS Leary, Wilkes class), with some help from the much more detailed plans for the USS Preston (Clemson class) in the Dec 1930-April 1931 issues.

I think Ray is building two of these, in different scales, at least it looks that way from a photo I took of his workshop last year.  See:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceaneer99/1934795497/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceaneer99/1934795497/)

My initial intent was to build the USS Leary in 1/350 scale to match the scale that Lou uses (and I have some PT-10 parts at that scale).  However, all three of my children wanted to make one, and thought that 1/350 was too big but 1/700 too small.  At 1/500 scale, the overall length is 7-1/2 inches.

I cut four pine wedges to match the thickness change between bow and stern.  First, I ripped 3/4-inch pine to 1.25 inches wide, then I drew the correct wedge shape and cut the wedge using a scroll saw.  By making the pieces a little long, I was able to find the correct thickness on the wedges after planing by hand.

I printed out the deck plans on cardstock and glued this on each wedge at the appropriate place using thinned white glue.  We'll leave the cardstock on to help position the parts and will paint it later.  It will help hide the grain of the pine on the deck.

The next step will be to drill angled holes for the stacks and masts, and straight holes for davits and other parts.  Then, I'll cut out the top view of the hull.

I plan to mass produce the guns, torpedo tubes (you know how those go!) and other details so that the children can shape the hull a bit, fold the main deckhouse from Bristol board, then glue on the details and paint.

We'll probably choose different ships so we can have a whole fleet.  Something like this, perhaps:

(http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h42000/h42538.jpg)
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-t/dd142-k.htm (http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-t/dd142-k.htm)

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on January 27, 2009, 12:43:41 PM
An excellent project to include the children. Will you be posting the plans to SMM?

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 27, 2009, 06:36:59 PM
Yes, I can post the plans.  I have made some modifications to them to add approximate details for deck houses, etc., that were not detailed on the original plan.  I need to do a little more clean-up, but will certainly post them after that.

If anyone is itching to go, I can e-mail the plans as I have them now.

By the way, thank you for the additional drawing of this class destroyer.  They built a lot of them, and many of them underwent significant modification during their service, so it's been difficult to find useful drawings.  The one you sent match the simplified plans from Popular Science fairly well.

A number of these ships went to the Royal Navy, so there is even the possibility of reflagging your model!

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on January 27, 2009, 08:49:54 PM
Thanks garet, I would appreciate a copy of your plans. If I build it will more than likely just be an ID model.

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 27, 2009, 09:19:00 PM
Good, that's about their level of detail.   ;) 

I have the plans on my computer at home and should be able to post them this evening.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on February 12, 2009, 07:42:26 AM
I shaped the hull, tapered the masts (turned bamboo skewers in a drill while sanding), and cut the stacks to length. I still need to work on the deckhouses and bridge.

Guns and torpedo tubes were placed on the deck for the photo.  And the masts are parallel, though they don't look that way in the photo.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_WickesClassConstruction.jpg)
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2478 (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-2478)


Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on February 12, 2009, 11:24:30 AM
Great work Garet. I did some work on the structure but I have nothing worth photgraphing yet. Keep is up to date on your progress.

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on September 15, 2009, 11:26:04 AM
Any progress in the naval shipyards. I hear the recession has hit there also.

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on September 16, 2009, 05:56:29 PM
I need to re-do the superstructure.  I have new Bristol board, and a new laser printer that has a straight-through path, so I'll see how well it prints the cutting outlines.

I've been looking at some 1:1200 plans from the Popular Science series (such as the article with the submarine USS Pompano, which also has three different destroyers), but I figured I'd better finish this model first and get the other Leary hulls into parts kits.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on September 16, 2009, 06:11:19 PM
I made my superstructure using thinned out baseboards material. A chisel and some sand paper helped out. Looking forward to the completed project.



Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on September 16, 2009, 07:01:41 PM
Lou,

I've considered using thin wood instead.  I'm not entirely satisfied with the plans, which are not historically accurate, and leave out the exact shape of some parts.  Part of the reason I'm stalled on this is in deciding whether to build to plan or build to scale.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: dave_t on September 16, 2009, 09:38:59 PM
Garet,
    Put everything else away and build this first...
(http://newsolidmodel.googlepages.com/polaris-nuclear-sub-lg.jpg)
http://newsolidmodel.googlepages.com/polaris-nuclear-sub-lg.jpg (http://newsolidmodel.googlepages.com/polaris-nuclear-sub-lg.jpg)
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on September 16, 2009, 10:07:55 PM
Wouldn't that be dangerous at the local YMCS pool.

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: R.F.Bennett on September 17, 2009, 01:45:30 AM
I sense another Kayak project coming along  ::)  :o  :P
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 19, 2010, 05:21:27 PM
Dave, you are correct, the original Leary model was supposed to be 8 inches long.  I found my notes in the margins where I decided on 1/500 (my son suggested it, because he was planning to build one and thought 1/350 seemed large).  Most of the Popular Science plans are 1/600 scale (at least Gommi's series of ships are).  That's twice as large as 1/1200, but not a common scale.  Most common these days in North America seem to be 1/350 and 1/700 (North America, Japan), though a check at my local hobby store reveals other scales as well, including 1/600.

Well, last night, I made a THIRD superstructure for the Leary.  This time, I stretched out the pattern a bit before I printed it onto true Bristol board (I cut a 4x6 inch piece and put it in my inkjet).  I think this one is a charm.  It fits up against the edges of the hull like the real superstructure (the article shows it slightly narrower, which doesn't match photos and drawings of the ship). The Bristol board is heavier than the cardstock I tried before, so it should hold up better. I cut out the bridge windows and started to fit the bridge decks, making a tracing so I have a pattern for future use.

I'll be cutting out the cabin parts next, and then need to cut out some ship's boats.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on January 19, 2010, 06:11:35 PM
I completed my Wickes Class Destroyer 18 Feb 09 and neglected to post a link in this thread. http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=286.0
As I mentioned earlier, it is a lot of fun to do group modeling projects.

Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 19, 2010, 07:30:31 PM
Lou,

Thank you!  I looked at your photos for construction details and inspiration.  Plus, I'd forgotten we had a cook-up going on.  I think the total launched is two, right (yours and yours/Ray's)?

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 28, 2010, 12:30:12 AM
I've been working on the superstructure of the USS Leary:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_USS_Leary_with_Deckhouses.jpg)
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3733 (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3733)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_USS_Leary_view_into_bridge.jpg)
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3734 (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3734)

After these were taken, I puttied the joint between the superstructure and the hull (they should be even with each other).  The Popular Science plans for the Leary show the superstructure to be inset, which doesn't match historical photos.  I widened the plan for the cardstock superstructure so that it would match the hull better.

I did figure out after I photographed the model that I need to extend the bridge deck (where the house goes from wide to narrow) aft to an aft rail.  I have a plastic model kit of the USS Ward, and while the superstructure is different that the Leary, the basic bridge deck looks like it should be the same.  I took a piece of Bristol board, held a metal rule against it, and bent it 90 degrees on the workbench. After trimming, I glued this extension piece in place.  I need to do a little bit of putty work, but it looks like the extension will work okay.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on January 28, 2010, 03:11:53 PM
You are doing great. Even at 1/500 you managed to get the windows cut out.
Lou
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on January 28, 2010, 05:56:41 PM
Thank you, Lou.  I definitely needed some X-Acto practice for that one.  The deck extension is now painted.  I test painted the hull and found that I didn't use enough sanding sealer, so it now has a coat of thinned putty; I'll sand it down and put a layer of lacquer sealer over that.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on February 16, 2010, 10:26:22 PM
I put in a burst of work on the USS Leary, ending up with many of the detail parts painted and glued on.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_USS_Leary_Progress.jpg)
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3813 (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3813)

I carved the three ship's boats and then made a plaster mold of each one.  I'm not sure that the molds will work, as the plaster texture is more than I had expected. 

After this photo was taken, I painted most of the parts I added and also found the stick on rhinestones that I was going to use for the searchlights (it took me two days of searching the workbench before I found them in a stack of plans).  I glued the rhinestone to a dowel and then turned the searchlight to shape using sandpaper while the dowel was spun in an electric drill.  I ended up shaping the rhinestones and used several grits of moist wet-or-dry sandpaper. The end result is a slightly frosted dome that has an odd glow to it, since light bounces off the reflective back like a cat's eye.  It is a cool effect.

The screw guards are made from bent pins inserted into holes on the hull.  Then I ran a piece of copper magnet wire through a hole drilled completely through the hull, and wrapped and glued these to the pins.  The key with the copper wire was to stretch it (making it straight and a bit work-hardened) before running it through the hole.

The searchlights are per plan, but obviously too large for scale.  I also figured out that my bridge house is far too tall (the lower section near the deck).  The plans had one size, the patterns another.  By the time I noticed, it was a bit late.  I could probably fudge things a bit by moving the breakwater down a bit, but it is in the correct position relative to the upper decks.  Oh, well.  By the time I'm done, I'll have a nice set of corrected plans.

Left to do: 

Lifeboat davits
Anchor windlass
Mast details and Rigging
Final painting
Paint details, numbers, etc.

I'm learning that my average ship takes longer than my average airplane.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: Oceaneer99 on March 11, 2011, 05:50:48 AM
My USS Leary model is complete, my first model for 2011.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_USSLeary.JPG)
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pid=5452 (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pid=5452)

Total building time was 23 hours over a period of 2 years.  Some of the time was spent making five sets of gun, torpedo tubes, and rough hulls.  I'd planned to make kits for family members, but the construction was more difficult than I'd anticipated.  Paint was Dolphin Gray craft paint by Delta Ceramcoat, thinned with Paint Easy, a product used for paint sprayers.  It worked really well, and I didn't have trouble with brush strokes.

Garet
Title: Re: 1/500 scale DD-158 USS Leary waterline model
Post by: lastvautour on March 11, 2011, 01:24:24 PM
Garet, she is a great ship. Working at 1/500 scale is quite tedious with so many tiny pieces. Congratulations on a very fine build.

Lou