USS Zellars completed

Beautiful job! The photos of your build are great, I've scratch built a couple of ship models but never bothered to document all the tens of little "jobs" that make up a finished build. I always enjoyed the looks of a FRAM'd destroyer, I recall we used to moor outboard of them in Gitmo back in the early 1970's. Again, you did a great job on the ZELLERS and the documentation of the build.

Warm regards

Mike M. USCG (RET)

Thanks Mike,

I am glad I documented everything. I can look back on it and remember what I did for future projects.

   Beautiful scratchbuild!!! I am impressed!  this picture is Zellars, anchored in Valetta harbor, Malta. I don't know exactly when though. 

   You mentioned that you referenced USS Laffey DD-724, as she is at Patriots Point. I've been aboard her there. She no longer carries her VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) on the fantail. Having served in USS Lowry DD-770, also a FRAM II Sumner, I see a number of very minor detail absences, but the overall quality of your work is excellent. The VDS rig, however, is a signifigant piece of detail, which could be added at a later date if you choose to do that.

This stern shot of USS Dehaven, shows the VDS rig a little more clearly.

This antenna is the compacted AN/SPS-43 dipole array for the AN/SPS-29. The transmission line for this was semi ridgid coax, about 5" in diameter.

And this is the AN/SPS-10 Surface search antenna. This radar's transmission line was waveguide, about 1/2" X  1-3/4".

   Sorry, my old brain doesn't function as quickly as it used to. These could be of use to anyone else who wants to take on a FRAM II Sumner.

Pete

Thanks sumpter250 and all of you for your kind words. Regarding the VDS I have a photo of my brother who served from 61-63 standing on the fantail of the Zellars and there is no VDS. Thats why I didn't add it. 

My brother is on the right and his budy is holding the gun.

I did find those antenas on-line myself and did the best I could to recreate them. There are a lot of little variances, like the bridge windows being taller then normal for this scale. The WTD don't have any dog-legs, the life line stanchions aren't perfect. I even had one person tell me the hull shape was wrong...I paid pretty close attention to those hull lines. There is spot at the bow where it should come closer to an edge or sharp point, but that was a happen stance of construction.

While I am not in the market to sell my model I am interested in what some of you think would be a fair market value?

photo of my brother who served from 61-63 standing on the fantail of the Zellars and there is no VDS.

  I served in Lowry from 62-65, and the VDS was on board. I most certainly will not argue with a photo. Speaking of photo, I was pleasantly surprised to see, in the full starboard side photo, that you had the aft refuelling rig kingpost, modeled in the up position on the DASH flight deck. That's a detail not too often seen in photos of FRAM II Sumners.  Selling price? If it were me, I would ask no less than minimum wage for my hours. That said, a model of this ship, may have a limited market. Sailing ship models will sell as "designer pieces", but I don't know how well received models of modern warships would be.

sumpter250,

I have had several people ask me about the VDS and I have to get out my photo and show that it's not there. I was going to put in on but when my brother showed me the photo, I didn't add it.

I added the kingpost because in another photo I have, brother is down on the deck holding on to the refueling line.

Thats a good point about the modern warship having a limited market. It took me 15 months to build her. I can't tell you how many hours but I am sure quite a few. I which I had kept a better record of them. I have all my reciepts for materials and such so I have some idea of cost.

Thanks again.