Should I, shouldn't I? —Advice needed for purchase of very old Revell model

can always try these. https://www.bnamodelworld.com/hobby-tools-supplies-hobby-knife-blades-trumpeter-models-tr-09924?zenid=dde2a0b588132c607fdd32c3a7d9f00e

Tanker-Builder

Guess what? Some of those puppies can be fixed. The ones in tight areas can be fixed too. It's by careful( Very Careful) applications of C.A. You can build it up in layers like they do resin lakes in and on Model RailRoad sites. The whole trick is, Do NOT use Accelerator!!!

Thanks for the tip. I've managed fill most of the sinkholes with putty, at least enough to hide them. The big challenge was finding a small enough X-Acto-type chisel blade to smooth filled sinkholes that are in very cramped spaces on the deck. Next time I'll try C.A. 

Bob

Hi;

 Guess what? Some of those puppies can be fixed. The ones in tight areas can be fixed too. It's by careful( Very Careful) applications of C.A. You can build it up in layers like they do resin lakes in and on Model RailRoad sites. The whole trick is, Do NOT use Accelerator!!!

I'm near the point of painting the hull of my model S.S. Hope, which I am building as the hospital ship U.S.S. Repose (the subject of this thread). The instructions call for the lower part of the hull to be red. I have a rattle can of Tamiya Pure Red (TS-86), which is very bright, if the cap is any guide. Is it a reasonable plan to lay down an undercoat coat of black (following the primer) and then spray a light coat of red over it to simulate a darker-red, weathered look?

Bob 

GMorrison

I should clarify. I didn't mean to be flip; actually there is some use to gluing down details over casting flaws that cant be fixed. As long as one is systematic and not too excessive in application, it can be a "sell" as superdetails.

Bill

It didn't occur even occur to me that you were being flippant, Bill. Nor did I understand that your comment was a suggestion. Now it all makes sense, and such "super details" are a great idea, especially since I think those sinkholes are going to be difficult to camouflage.

After filling them all with putty, and noting that one application wasn't enough, I realized that at least some of them will be hidden by the overhang of the ship's upper decks. Still, I have a lot of them to deal with. This red dots in this photo show the location of the sinkholes that aren't hidden by the superstructure (and I may have missed a couple):

Since the kit's detailing is pretty poor to begin with, some fake-but-believable detailing should help to make the model seem more realistic.

Bob

Bob,

I should clarify. I didn't mean to be flip; actually there is some use to gluing down details over casting flaws that cant be fixed. As long as one is systematic and not too excessive in application, it can be a "sell" as superdetails.

Bill

Bobstamp

The bigger problem is presented by the many sinkholes. I'm filling them, but the putty and sanding will obliterate some of that fine detail.

Ah, the "joys" of older (and elderly) kit building.

You could scribe your own planking lines.  To scale is probably out of the question (would be a blizzard of lines) so, you'd want to decide on a representational width, say 1/16 or so, after all the pothole filling.

Or, you could ger a coat of paint down, and use a 4H pencil to get lines in, which would obviate using a wash.

Or not, this is yours to build.  We are but spectators.

GMorrison

Bob, that's what scale crates of medical supplies are for!

Bob, that's what scale crates of medical supplies are for!

CapnMac82

Is there any tesxture on the deck at all?

Base of Radome Tan, perhaps, with a wash or uneven over spray of Deck Tan.  Possibly with an Umber oil wash to bring out details.

Then, hand paint the details as required.

That's my 2¢

@CapnMac82:

I took a closer look at the deck, and it does have barely visible planking on portions of all decks. It's such fine detail, however, will probably be hidden by even a thin coat of paint, but perhaps a darker wash would give the illusion of detail. The bigger problem is presented by the many sinkholes. I'm filling them, but the putty and sanding will obliterate some of that fine detail.

Bob

...

No detail at all, smooth as a baby's bottom except for about 20 sinkholes that will have to be filled. Thanks for the suggestion.

Bob

Bobstamp

I’m open to suggestions about the wood tones.

Is there any tesxture on the deck at all?

Base of Radome Tan, perhaps, with a wash or uneven over spray of Deck Tan.  Possibly with an Umber oil wash to bring out details.

Thne, hand paint the details as required.

That's my 2¢

I guess one of my first tasks in building S.S. Hope as U.S.S. Repose will be painting the decks as realistically as possible, medium grey for the main deck and helicopter pad, “blond” tones for the upper decks, and grey again for the flying bridge. This is one of the best pictures of Repose’s decksthat I’ve seen:

I’m open to suggestions about the wood tones. On such a small scale model, it would be silly to try to try for a wood-grain effect, so it’s mainly colour plus, perhaps, a bit of weathering.

Bob 

leave the railings on til after you glue the decks to the hull as the bottom of the railings hid the edges of each deck level.

Bobstamp

"Should I, shouldn't I? —Advice needed for purchase of very old Revell model”

No more "Should I, shouldn't I?" because I did!

The model of the Haven-class ship model SS Hope arrived today in good condition, and I have to say I'm quite excited about building it to represent USS Repose, the hospital ship I was evacuated to after I was wounded in South Vietnam.

I knew that the model's quality wouldn't be up to 2020 standards since the original molds were used to make it, and it is indeed clunky: Some details don't seem to have been part of the original Repose at all. The fit is iffy — there's lots of flash and some sink marks, and two of the deck sections are warped in opposite directions, but that’s what tape and rubber bands were made for. 

I’m undecided about what to do about the railings, which are way too large for the scale, but too small to open up. I’m pretty sure I’m not ready to get into the fine detail that photo-etch parts would provide or the finicky work that attaching them would entail. (I’m wondering if painting the openings between the rails and posts to simulate “open air” would be effective or even possible. I may try that, and if it doesn’t work and the rails get too messed up, I’ll fall back on the back-up kit that I’ve purchased. I firmly believe in the old maxim, "If you screwed up once, you'll probably screw up again!)

I’ve read quite a bit about the experiences of other builders of Revell Haven-class models, but I’m certainly open to more advice.

Bob

don't worry about my somewhat kitbashing as these are my models & those are yours. look at my General G.O. Squier link as i'm using the Hope hull there.

Just found these very nice models of USS Haven, built from an SS Hope kit. The web page has no information about the build itself or contact information for the builder. The deck colours seem to support some of the posts in this thread. I'm really beginning to look forward to building my SS Repose! I'm a bit concerned about ddp59's comments about scratch-building the decks, but the model shown in these pictures, built straight from the Hope box, seems to be sufficiently realistic looking for me.

Bob

just correcting the sides of the hull so that they are parallel to each other instead of angled away from each other from the hull bottom. because of the correction, new decks & superstructures have to be made. hull is not touched at all except for the removal of all the railings. i do this all the time.

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=165137

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=165105

Bobstamp

The "green stripe," I'm thinking, is actually an age-toned dark grey stripe. I don't think it was painted like the "red" crosses — the stripes' edges are perfectly straight and parallel. (During the Vietnam War, Repose didn't have any stripes on the hull, red or green.)

Ah, no, the Green Stripe is mandated by the Hague Conventions of the Laws of Armed Conflict as a required marking for hospital ships.  As are the number and size of the red crosses.  That's whiy the absence is striking.

Navsource generally only uses "historical" photos with attributable info.  So, generally only first-source photos that have not been doctored or altered except on the original. 

Now, that does not mean that variances in computer monitors, the resolution of the source and display, and the like, do not create anomolies.  Even the film stock used for the photos matter.  So, we generally have to take a grain of salt or two with such data.

So, the early B&W photos certainly suggest wood upper decks from at least the 01 or 02 and up.  The color does not suggest teak, though; more of a redwood color to me. Or not. 

Marine wood decks are typically made up of 4x4 about 20' long set on "Z" sleepers over the metal base deck; the wood is generally for traction, andor to add stiffness to thin (1/4") shell plating decks.

Now, since 1947 or so, Auxillary ships like hospital ships were operted byt the US Merchant Marine, and embarked with USN BuMed personnel as needed.  So, the wood decks might have been  covered in linoleum of a yellowish-red-orange color.  Or one of the various Deck paints might have been applied.  Linoleum was used on USN ships in areas that might need more traction--signal platforms and searchlight flats.

Those are all generalities, sadly.

ddp59

To make the hull sides perpendicular, all new decks have to be made which means new superstructures.

I think I'll have to get the model in hand before I fully understand this. It seems from your description that you are going to kitbash the kits so much that you'll essentially be building them from scratch, which is not something I'm ready for. 

Bob

there is no newer kits as they used the original molds as used on your models & mine.  the width of the hull at the main deck on the models are wider at 5cm when it is supposed to be 4.5 cm. the scale of the model when measured calculates to 1/482.484 scale. the real ship is 520' long by 71.5' wide. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/12/1215.htm

model is 32.85cm long by 4.5cm using the above scale. the reason for the 2 different width dimensions has to do with the mold as they have tapered sides to allow parts to be extracted easier then perpendicular sides.

to make the hull sides perpendicular, all new decks have to be made which means new superstructures.

ddp59

good. what did you pay for the 2nd 1? i'm doing 2 of mine for 2 different time periods as with helo pad & without. mine will have all new decks & superstructures due to the correct beam of 4.5cm instead of almost 5cm.

 

good. what did you pay for the 2nd 1? i'm doing 2 of mine for 2 different time periods as with helo pad & without. mine will have all new decks & superstructures due to the correct beam of 4.5cm instead of almost 5cm.

I went ahead and ordered the model of Hope that was listed on eBay. And then, moments later, I got a message from Modelma'am saying that he had just mailed the correct model to me. In an earlier email he said he didn't need me to return the Long Beach model.

I actually like having two examples of models I've decided to build. Twice now, having a second model has saved me the trouble of trying to obtain replacements for broken/lost parts, and one of the second models has served as a useful test bed.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and information.

Bob

amphib

Navsource has a series of pictures taken on commisioning day for the Repose. These show a wood deck on the level that had the whelen davits and perhaps others. As to the color, it would appear that the steel decks were painted white and perhaps the wood as well.

2nd that motion as could do a dispute with ebay backing you as you never got the model you paid for.

Bob,

  Message Modelmamm as soon as you can.  I was curioius about that kit being listed again. I sent him a message about it but he never replied.

  He has relisted it yet again, this time with a bidding option.

Unless he told you he has an EXTRA kit, you will want him to remove the listing and send you the kit.  Guess you will have to return the Long Beach.

It is the best deal I have seen on ebay for a Revell Hospital ship.

If it were me, I think I would just buy it for the Buy Now of $27.00  and figure out the other issue later. ebay will cover you i bet.

     Jim.

Navsource has a series of pictures taken on commisioning day for the Repose. These show a wood deck on the level that had the whelen davits and perhaps others. As to the color, it would appear that the steel decks were painted white and perhaps the wood as well.

CapnMac82

Here's Haven, whih what appear to be Deck Gary decks

Then, this one, of Repose, seems to show the 100 and 01 Decks in Deck Gray, and the 02 and above decks in tha "wood" color.  (Which, frighteningly enough, seems to resemble the Sand Yellow + Rust color recommendation by Revell--unless those aew redwod decks, maybe?)

All of these VN era photos of Repose show here without the green stripe, which is curious.

I think there's are explanations for the odd colours in these photos.

The photo of Haven seems to me to be a black-and-white photo that has been rather badly coloured by hand or perhaps with a computer. If you enlarge the photo, you can easily see that the red crosses are not even close to being "squared away":

You can even see parts of the cross that weren't covered by red, and look tan; I think this is an old photograph, "sepia-toned" by age, that someone has tried to "accurize". In addition, there is a very blotchy cross midship on the topmost deck, and an odd "Christmas tree" antenna "decorated" with red blotches that are apparently supposed to be lights.

The "green stripe," I'm thinking, is actually an age-toned dark grey stripe. I don't think it was painted like the "red" crosses — the stripes' edges are perfectly straight and parallel. (During the Vietnam War, Repose didn't have any stripes on the hull, red or green. Other Repose photos, from the 1950s show only the crosses, too.)

Before the advent of inexpensive, accurate colour printing, there were professional artists who used watercolours and oils to colorize black-and-white photos. This photo of the Haven wasn't coloured by a professional! 

Now about that Repose photo: There are no obvious, distinct shadows, so the day was probably lightly overcast, which is excellent for photographing high-contrast subjects. The upper decks are well lighted by the sky, whereas the lower decks are lightly shadowed by the overheads and therefore appear darker than the upper decks.

I'm sticking with the "theory" that Repose's decks were wooden.

Bob

P.S. I've now seen a similar image of Repose similar to the one at the top of this post. I'm now convinced that some postcard company hand-painted a black-and-white photograph of Repose so they could publish "color" postcards. That technique is not at all uncommon, although it's usually done with more finesse.