Revell 1/240 HMS Campbeltown, Need Info.

[sammuel]

Guys;

Hope this email finds you all well. I have been putting some killer hours in at work. My building has been limited to about 30-40 min a day. I will have more time to put into my building after the next week. The Akagi is done and hope to have the wife post some photos and also would like to bring it to the next meeting.

I'm working on the air wing right now and just have to add some decals to the plans and then mount them to the deck.

My Dauntless project has stalled and put on the back burnner for a bit.

I was given a project from a friend that a family member served on a Wicks four stacker and would like me to build it for the member. I have the kit and also picked up the GMM PE set. I have been doing my research, have the hull together and sanding the deck to make it a true "Flush Decker". The kit comes with a deck scribbed with wood planking. The Flush Deckers didn't have wood decks.

The help that I need is a set of line drawings for the deck. Some items had to be removed while sanding and will have to be scratch built. I know that there is a book on the Campbeltown, but I don't wont to buy a book. I have plenty of info, just need a line drawing.

I hope someone could help. Thank you all for your help and support.

Sam

[Daniel C]

Hi Sam,
I'll take a look for some deck drawings....
I'd like to see this kit built with the p/e. My Grandfather served on a couple of the Wikes class as well as the Navy's first destroyer the Bainbridge.

I have the kit as well, but not the p/e. I just learned about the steel decks recently thru CASF.
I looked at the build Willie did on the cASF he pointed you to.... that guy can scratchbuild! Have you seen his Perry class FFG build?

If you get a good scan of the deck can you forward it to me?? ;D

[sammuel]

Daniel:

Thanks for the help and will do the same for you. My main concern is location of deck hatches and lockers. As you can see on the deck model......just a bunch of gray box like formations with no detail. I just want to add more life to them and I would like to know what they are. I think it is a great kit, nice size to practice some scratch building. The deck guns have to be re-built. The ones that come with the kit are bad. You can get a set of aftermarket guns from B&D.
I will try to scratch build them as Willie did. I will mainly follow his build except, I picked up the PE set from GMM. It was the most to date that I have spent on a PE set. For $45, it looks great. This is another project that will be a long one.

Willie has mad scratch building skills!!!! How does he get his sanded plastic so smooth and shinny? I have plenty to learn on this one.

Thanks

Sam

[sammuel]

Group;

Just spent a half hour sanding the deck. Plenty more sanding and cutting to come. This project will be on-going. Came to the understanding that you pretty much have to sand everything off the deck and scratch build deck items if you want a good model.

Any advice would be great.

Sam

[Daniel C]

Hey Sam,
I have been looking thru the Wickes class pictures on Navsource.... www.navsource.org/ Not much of the deck. If you go there and take a look at the USS Little DD-79, USS kimberly DD-80, and Israel DD-98. there are some pictures that might help in your build.

I have also learned that there were 3 different sub-types... so far...
What ship are you building?

[sammuel]

Daniel;

Thanks for the info and I have been using navsource for the past few days. I looked at every Wicks class they had. Not much for deck photos. I don't know what one I will build, but I'm leading towards and escort type
Just doing some more research on her. I will have the deck all sanded by next week. I have the hull halfs together and worked on the seam line. I should have the deck on her by next week and then I start cutting plastic and building the deck back up.
No line drawings yet.


Thanks
Sam

[Daniel C]

I see in the stats on navsource that their armament had 2 x 1pdr AA guns. I have only located the forward one in the pictures, do you know where the second gun was?

After looking thru the first 30 ships pictures, I can see I will end up building a "generic" 4 stacker, and add a name and number that I like. The problem I found with the pictures is, most seem like they are from the bow or starboard side, at least the ones with good, clear details. At least the pictures of Little show some good close ups of some detail shots of the forward 4", and the view from the crows nest is good. Stern pics are easy to find, as well as shots of the bridge, and there is one of the midships 4" in the Kimberley file. But a clear overhead...... I haven't found one yet.
I saw some interesting markings too, some ships at one time had some type of marking (maybe a squadron icon) near the bow number..... during WWI the number was small and just below the bridge on the side.... and at one time the big bow numbers were in white with no black shading to them.... things I didn't know before.

[sammuel]

Its funny, that it was a very popular ship for its time, but not alot of tech info on her. This is a subject that could modeled in all types of scales and periods. Did you notice also that alot of the ship also had clutter all over the decks? It would be great to build some of the clutter and add it to the deck to add life to her.

Im going to really study Willie's build photo's. I think he has the best one I have seen. I may have to break down and get a book on the ship.

I will keep you posted.

Sam

[Daniel C]

The kit is big enough that I might try to put her under "sail".... I see a lot of these photos with all the canvas up.
I think with the size of the kit, you could still see under the canvas to enjoy the detail.....
USS Babbitt "under sail"

[sammuel]

That would look very cool. I was thinking the same. Did you notice that many other photos of the Flush Deckers, has them under sail in different sections? Must have been very popular. The decks I bet would get really hot under the ocean sun.

In the photo you have posted, did you notice that two of the stacks are covered? Check out the bow area also. The location of the anchors. That will be tricky to scratch build.

More sanding and cutting tonight.

Sam

[Daniel C]

As I have been going thru NAVSOURCE photo archives for detail pictures of Wickes class (and Clemson class) DD's. I found something evil......... something that makes me want to get out my Revell kit right now...... why oh why!!!!

2 ships were completed with TWIN 4" 50cal gun mounts....
USS Hovey DD-208


and USS Long DD-209


From the photo's they look pretty much the same as the other ships except instead on 4 x 4" they have 8 x 4" in twin mounts!

[sammuel]

I'm still working at it and decided to just make a new deck out of plastic card. I'm cutting all the parts I will need off of the original deck and scratch building the others. Way to much sanding and you may damage some parts.

[sammuel]

I have the new deck on. The fit is pretty good and looks good. I will start cutting the parts off of the old deck that I will need. I will make sure I pencil to location of parts that are cut from the old deck to the new.

I photo copied the deck and will use it as a guide. This will be a slow build and with my work load, I'm estimating that it will take about a year for me to complete this project. This will be the base work for my scratch building skill builder.

This kit will just be added to my office so unless I get to a meeting and get some photos up soon, it will be used only as a practice build. I will keep you all posted on this project.

Thanks
Sam

[Daniel C]

For your enjoyment......
Sam sent me this picture of the new deck to his 4 stack DD....


Looks like a good start!

[mexmarine]

That looks like a lot of work

The end result should be really good