ArnoldAmbrose

Me too. My shoddy workmanship is now much more visible, my mistakes will be much easier spotted. 🙂 This new system is similar in some ways to another site I post on, although there are differences. Overall I think I prefer this new system over the old, although I wasn't a member here for long before the change. Regards, Jeff.

Yeah, that looks like the case, although I haven't timed it. When I submitted my most recent post the edit function was available, but now it's gone. I usually proof-read my posts before submitting them for spelling and grammar but mistakes still sometimes get by me. No big deal, you can all think of me as an illiterate oaf! 😁 Regards, Jeff.

Gidday and thanks Sailorman. Your wish is my command, as they say. 🙂 The next stage was the bridge structure, and for this I was able to use some of the kit parts, although a lot of scratch building was needed here too. As can be seen in the first photo (SHEFF240) the first level, which was B-turret deck was entirely scratch built. Most of the next level up was too, although I used a kit part here. The grey part to the left is an unmodified part from another kit, to illustrate what I did to the kit part. You can see that I removed some molded-on features, plugged some holes, narrowed it a bit and chopped off about 2mm from the rounded front. I still had to add the sides to this level. These two levels when combined form the hangars. This photo also shows the V-groove and plain styrene used for the foc'sle deck. The second photo (SHEFF380) shows more of the bridge superstructure. The hangar roof level has the next level added to it, plus some tubs for 20mm Oerlikons and pompom directors. And moving up (towards you in the photo) is a level with two sections that had a walk-way between them. This is incorrect for Sheffield but I didn't realize it at this point. Later I bridged the gap by adding 'sides' to this level. And at the very top is the compass platform/open bridge. This bit was also modified but after the photo was taken. Both of the top two levels had the rounded face removed. As you can see, I like to paint as I go. And I paint as I did 50 years ago, enamels troweled on with the hairy stick. I don't have an air brush. The third photo (SHEFF400) shows the bridge levels fitted together, the top level modified a bit and the rounded bridge face removed. That thin vertical strip down the front is to form the 'slightly' curved bridge face that the batch-1 ships had. The unpainted hangar rooves will later have quad 2lb pompom positions glued there later, hence the lack of paint. The fourth photo (SHEFF410) shows the slightly curved bridge face done. As usual, close-up photos show my rough workmanship. And the final photo for this post (SHEFF450) shows the hangar doors and bulkheads being done. I used Evergreen V-groove for the roller doors too. Some of those internal styrene bits are to make the hangar sides conform and match each other, they didn't all glue perpendicular to each other. I think this will do for now. Thank you for your interest. Regards to all, Jeff.

Gidday All, let's see how this new format works. One thing I'm having trouble with is inserting photos between blocks of text. The photos appear at the bottom of a post. No big deal, I can work around that. The first photo below (SHEFF180) shows the hull decks and extension of the foc'sle deck. Due to the molded-on deck houses and guide pieces on the Belfast kit decks that were very different to those I need for Sheffield I decided not to use them. Instead I made my own decks. For planked sections of deck I use Evergreen V-groove sheeting, and plain sheeting where planking is not required, in this case under B-turret deck. The difference is not very noticeable in the photo. On the main deck abaft the catapult you can see the deck houses drawn, which are very different to those of Belfast. So again I made my own. That section of deck is inverted in the photo, to show what I've done underneath. The grey decks are kit parts, not used. You can also see that I've increased the height of the turrets with thin styrene sheet and added thicker tubing to the turret rotating pins. This is due to my method of fitting large turrets (cruisers and battleships) to the hull, locked in but removable if required. The next photo (SHEFF210) shows the hull decks dry fitted, B-turret deck started and the next level of the aft superstructure made. Those square-section styrene lengths glued to the decks are guide pieces to fit the deck houses correctly later. I like to paint decks and deck houses separately before gluing them together, to cater for a nice sharp delineation between the two different colours. And I think this will do for now. I'll try to add the two photos. If they're not visible please let me know. Regards, Jeff.

Thanks again. I don't know whether to be pleased or even more confused. Others don't seem to be able to see the first, and not all see the second photo. As a moderator do you see photos that others can't? Regards, Jeff.

Thanks Ratch, even the first photo over five hours ago? It shows the port bow and superstructure of HMS Jamaica from an elevated angle. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday, I'm not sure yet about new threads, I haven't tried one. As you probably know (and have guessed from my posts above 🙂) my interest is in ships so I experimented by clicking off other topics, and as I did those relevant posts/threads disappeared, eventually leaving only the ship related topics. But others came back as I re-enabled the topics. It's early days, and I am definitely NOT computer/forum savvy but I think this change is a positive. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday Dominic, I can read your text but no picture in the post immediately above. But I agree, I like the instant post-with-photo now, so I can live with the photos at the bottom of the post and not in amongst the text. I'll just do one photo per post. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday Heather, I think we've met elsewhere. You probably know me as ArnoldAmbrose. Yes your photo above is visible to me. And regarding all topics mixed together I first thought as you did, all munged (is that a word?) together. But if you want to only see a particular category I think you can 'disable' the other categories and those posts will become invisible to you. For example disable all but the aircraft. Afterwards you can enable them again and they reappear. I think this new system has potential but I guess a little fine-tuning (or education) on our part is needed. Regards, Jeff.

Bottom of the post again, if it's visible to others. Oh well . . . Regards, Jeff.

Gidday Sailorman, and thanks. About 5 hours ago I tried my first photo by simply copy and paste from my computer. I thought that worked because I could see the photo but Hangarman could not. Then an hour ago I tried again using the 'choose files' below. It showed the starboard side of the ship, on a slip-style display base and with a label. And then to try to fit a couple of photos in amongst text I did the two, but they appear at the bottom of the post, the two photos that you can see. I'll try another. (WL410) This should be of HMS Welshman, and I uploaded it before typing this current line of text, although the photo appears (as I type) in the bottom left corner of the window. Let's see what happens when I hit 'submit'. Regards, Jeff.

Thanks again, this is getting very confusing. I might need to sleep on it. Regards, Jeff.

Thanks. Which two please, two singles in separate posts or the two in the last post?

Thanks DoubleD, can you see three photos of the ship or four?

The photos should have been in those two gaps in the text.

OK, so the photo came up big, to me anyway. Can anybody else see it? Next I've got to work out multiple photos with text in between them. And a bit of text blah, blah, blah now I'll try another photo. Can anyone see these? Regards, Jeff.

Gidday Hangartime, I can see your Spitfire, bubble canopy, red and blue spinner, five-bladed prop. And you've got this thing about foxes and dogs. 😁 OK so I've got a different photo of HMS Jamaica in the bottom left corner. I'll press 'submit' and see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Gidday Hangartime, I just clicked on your attachment and got a message "Dangerous download blocked" so not sure what's happening. Can you see my photo three posts up? Regards, Jeff.

Another question - do I need to log out when I leave the site. I got out (well, I thought I had), then came back in without having to sign in again. This is the situation with two other sites I'm in, which I find quite convenient. I just want to know if I'm doing things right. Sorry about bombarding you with questions, but I'm a bit of a technological Neanderthal. Ratch can confirm that. 😁 Regards again, Jeff.

Gidday, that post above was simply a copy and paste from my computer. Is this the way to do things now? I got some message about being 'text rich', whatever that means. I disregarded it. If I'm doing things wrong, then HEEEELLLLP. BTW, the photo is a model of HMS Jamaica in 1/600 scale. It uses an Airfix Tiger hull, Belfast turrets and other assorted fittings, and a LOT of scratch building. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday, this is a test too. I'm not sure what I'm doing here, trial and error I guess. Probably error.

Gidday All, my current build of an Airfix kit is the conversion of the Belfast kit into HMS Sheffield (C24). This ship was one of the first group of Town (Southampton) class cruisers, commissioning on 25th August 1937, was the last to be decommissioned and scrapped in 1967, and between those dates had quite an eventful career. She was one of the first ships to be equipped with radar, was one of the first to fire her guns in anger in WW2, hunted, shadowed and was fired upon by Bismarck, survived a 'friendly' torpedo bomber attack by Swordfish aircraft, was Burnett's flagship at the Barents Sea where she engaged the Hipper and sank the destroyer Eckoldt, and fought the Scharnhorst off North Cape to name a few highlights. I've chosen to model her as after her refit in 1941. This conversion required two major modifications to the hull. It had to be shortened by 11mm and the molded bulges unique to Belfast had to be removed. I chose to do the shortening first, a fairly simple task. I simply removed a section from amidships and rejoined the two hull halves. Before I removed the bulges I decided to pack the insides of them with styrene strips to maintain reasonably thick hull sides, and I did this in three layers. The first layer was made up of thin strips cut from a 0.4mm thick styrene sheet. By laying them along the hull they also helped to reinforce the hull cut-and-join. SHEFF50 Then I cut wider strips and ran them vertical. SHEFF70 And then I repeated the first layer. In hindsight I think it would have been better to use thinner styrene, maybe 0.25mm thick, and taken more care to pack them better into the hull bulges. I ended up with void spaces between my packing and the original ship's side, which ultimately needed filler. Here's the hull after I removed the bulges. Well, almost removed as you can see by the lines of filler. I removed the bulges by gouging, filing and sanding. I possibly could have taken more off but I didn't want to break through the original hull more than I already had, in case there were more void gaps. SHEFF80 Then it was time to drill out the hull scuttles (port holes). The pattern of scuttles changed during her life so when I decided what pattern I was going to use I marked them out on masking tape, applied said tape to the hull and then drilled with a pin vise. SHEFF100 My personal taste is to drill the scuttles partly though the hull, not all the way. SHEFF110 After this it was the decks, but I'll leave that until the next post. So thank you for your interest. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday All, here's the third and probably final post on my HMS Glamorgan conversion. Continuing on, the boats and davits are fitted. No big deal but this is also the best photo of the screws that I made, a five-bladed handed set. GLM350 The twin Seaslug launcher is a collection of rails and such, not the box-like structure that comes with the kit. So I made my own from trimmed styrene strips, about 60 of them. It's still a bit crude though. GLM400 When I made this kit as a kid in the 60s/70s I didn't know that two Seacat launchers were included but they are. I've seen some basic parts it the past but those Seacats supplied with this kit were about as basic as you can get - each was a small rectangle of plastic with a pimple at each corner. Again I made my own but I took an easy way out with the missiles themselves. I made them 'under covers' protecting them from the weather, hence I could simply use square section styrene for them. I've been informed that they could be launched like this so I think this is still authentic. Again they're a bit rough but a great improvement I think on the kit parts. The port launcher was blasted over the side when the Exocet hit her. GLM410 Nearly at the end, the yards and antennae are fitted to the masts and funnels. GLM440 And here she is, HMS Glamorgan as I think she appeared at the Falklands, just before the Exocet missile hit her. I've also made and fitted two 20mm Oerlikon cannon, two Corvis chaff launchers, fairleads and bollards plus sundry assorted fittings. Other than the boats I don't think there's much I didn't modify or replace but I think she's an improvement. Those of you that can use PE I'm sure will be able to do even better. HMS Glamorgan 1982 jm2 HMS Glamorgan 1982 jm4 HMS Glamorgan 1982 jm5 HMS Glamorgan 1982 jm7 Thank you for your interest. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday All, the last photo in the post above also shows that I removed the turret 'barbettes' and the molded guides for the superstructures. Below is a photo of more work on the superstructures. The raise platform on the forward structure between the fwd funnel and the bridge is the GDP, gun direction platform, and between it and the funnel is the flag deck. The bridge wings are made but not attached yet. The grey structure is the aft superstructure. I can use it but it needs modifying, the aft funnel raised for starters. Those white squares on the ship's deck are there as positioning guides for when I finally fit the superstructure to the hull deck. The forward superstructure will be positioned by pins through those holes you can see. GLM140 More work and additions to the aft structure. I can use the main mast but it needed additions behind it. GLM190 Some paint has been applied but the superstructures and turret are dry fitted for the photo. On the wood block you can see the kit foremast, platforms for the SCOT domes, the double bedstead radar scanner I made (the kit comes with a single) and that tube is the barbette for the turret. The foremast was quite accurate for an early Devonshire but not for a 1982 Glamorgan. GLM220 More parts fitted and more parts made. The double bedstead radar scanner has been painted black, which was incorrect so I later repainted it grey. I've made the STWS triple torpedo tubes, directors for the 4.5-inch guns and Seacat missiles, a foremast (compare it to the kit foremast) and the Exocet assembly. The Exocet canisters come with the kit as an added sprue but I had to make the blast deflectors and the platform they sit on. The boat davits in the foreground were also molded in a damaged condition so I had to build them up also. GLM260 The Type 901 radar needed upgrading. GLM270 I also made my own screws. The ship was fitted with outward-turning five-bladed screws while the kit came with three-bladed screws, both left-turning. The completed screw you see was an oversized trial - I didn't use it. GLM310 And another progress state. GLM340 I think here's a good spot to wrap up this post. Thank you for your interest. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday PMM, I'll try typing this again, this site keeps throwing a spatz. I've read the book quite a few times, got two copies myself and read the story again a couple of times just before doing the model, taking notes as I did. Maclean served on HMS Royalist I believe, as a Leading Torpedoman (Ralston's role) so I imagine he knew what he was talking about but he does contradict himself a couple of times. Some of the events in the book did occur on other ships I believe. The camo schemes I've done use the same colours on both sides but the patterns are different. That on the starboard side is based on a painting of HMS Black Prince, that on the port side is based on a painting of HMS Uganda, a Colony class cruiser. His comment of "slanting diagonals of grey, white and washed-out blues" suggest to me that the camo scheme on the starboard side is more likely. I've done some escort ships but no carrier to date. I haven't done Hipper but I've done the Airfix Prinz Eugen kit twice- once as Prinz a couple of weeks after the Channel Dash and the other as a sister-ship Seydlitz but with her originally intended main armament of twelve 15-cm guns. Her camo scheme is based on that of Hipper about mid war. Anyway, thanks for your interest and comments. Regards, Jeff.