Salem colors

USS SALEM (CA 139) https://www.navsource.org/archives/04/139/04139.htm

The Salem wasn't commissioned until 1949 so you won't find her in WWII colors.  As early as February, 1945 the  Navy obsoleted the purple/blue pigments used in the early war (cost & availability) and went to neutral grays.  The first gray was called Gray 27 and I believe it ended up being called Haze.   Gray 26270.  You may choose to go a bit lighter, but that is the tone range you want to be in

There are some color photos on Navsource, FWIW. There's a very nice one that's an aerial taken in 1951 in Venice Italy.

She's overall light gray, probably haze gray.

The main deck is unpainted wood except at the peak where the anchor gear is.

The stack top is black and so are the blast bags on the main guns, or maybe they are deck gray.

Other photos much more recently show the turret tops and most of the 5" gun house tops are dark, probably deck gray.

It's probable that all of the bridge and other superstructure decks are deck gray.

The airplanes would be shiny dark sea blue.

Bill

Liftrafts would have been painted the same as their location on the ship--but, for modeling purposes, a lighter shade of gray "scans" better.

Sky Type S is pretty handy for fire hoses.  Life rings will be an off-white (the current museum ship has red ones).  The museum ship's decks are a faded white maple sort of color; deck tan likely will serve for a 1949 appearance.

Bill has a good description of the general look.  We had a thread here, ages ago, with a spiffy description of Model Master paint colors.  Using Neutral Gray FS27260 (or 37260) for verticals is generally good.  Then, metal decks/horizontals generally in Gunship Gray FFS36118.  Flight decks are all over the place, from an Anthracite gray to NATO Black.

Oh, and do not use "Hull Red"--especially not Tamiya's, as that's an IJN color.  USN antifouling was(still is) a bright red sort of color.

What type aircraft did she use and what colors?  

no aircraft except maybe a helicopter as no catapults installed.

Then what is that crane looking thing on her stern for?

Found this on the museum website:

Originally designed for 4 floatplanes, two catapults aft with hanger in hold, accessed by elevator. The aircraft were obsolete by the time the ships were completed. Salem was never fitted with catapults. In service, she carried one utility helicopter.

Guess that's what it was for.

Gary

Thank you for responding, all of you.  Now, if there's anyone else wantint to respond, I will keep reading.  In the meantime, To quote a certain Captian, I have a ship to attend to, arivous.

ikar01

Then what is that crane looking thing on her stern for?

 

I forgot to ask, what would be the most likely type of copter to be used and is there any available in that scale?

ikar01

I forgot to ask, what would be the most likely type of copter to be used and is there any available in that scale?

HO3S-1 like as not, for Salem.

There may be aftermarket for those, dunno.  Paint will be overall Navy Blue (Aviation Blue).

The Bell HSL-1 is possible, but not that many were made.

The other possibility would be a HUP-2

Which might be in aftermarket.

Interesting choices, I'm betting on the first one.

I started working on the ship.  There are many little piecesand more sprues that I figured on.  The numbers on thesprues ar very small and I need a magnifying glass to read them.  There is one piece that I have yet to find for the back of partof the superstructure.  It shows in the instructions but has no number, I may have to fake it.  There are several small intakes scattered around as many even smaller parts just waiting to be lost.

The aft part of the hull was warped and had to be forced into place and re-inforced to keep its shape.....I hope.  Overall fit so far is a little bit above fair

As work slowly progresses on the Salem, one again I find a problem.  This time it's with the waterline.  There have been problems with using tapefor the red and grey colors and I think I need to find decal sheets to make the sepreation line.  The problem is, I can't seem to find any.  Does someone have a solution to this problem?

fundekals  fd99002  miscellaneous tab at fundekals.net

Yes, but... 

Decals work for the greater part of the length, howver at the bow, and most importantly at the stern, the angle of the hull from vertical inreases. The boot stripe or topping, whatever it's called, maintains a constant datum at the top and bottom but increases it's true dimension in those areas. See crude sketch.

That might mean aligning decals for the top and bottom edges and then filling in the gap with more decal or paint.

Just my two bits.

Bill

Hey! 

       Now you see why I tell everyone I am teaching to do this. Take some LEGOS or other stuff and make a jig base that puts a #2 drafting pencil at the upper waterline.Then slide the rig from bow to stern gently leaving a nice line behind. Then, Lower the pencil to where the Bottom of the line would be and draw that line too. NEVER let the pencil push to hard or too light .Those lines are where you tape for top and Bottom.There is the Fact that Bill mentions and the jig will help you there.When you look at the lines drawn you'll see what he is referring too!

       When you measure from top to bottom do so at directly Midship.That way the lines will be accurate! I do this also. I will sometimes, Using A very flexible plastic rule or cheap auto striping tape, Put this on the top and bottom of the lines. Then Very carefully and not with much pressure, Draw the backside of an X-Acto knife along the stripe. That way, when you get ready to Paint you will have a fine line to follow with your tape.

        To make a seasoned stripe (been at sea for a while.) Paint your line Coal Black. Then mist the bottom color slightly over the lower edge. This will give the effect of Salt Water Erosion of the painted surface. If it's (The model )1/350 or smaller don't bother, just paint the line Charcoal, otherwise it will be to stark against the other paints. Also, Based on what Capn'Mac said. When you peint the bottom there are two colors you can use.Good old Testors Rust. Or, The Same, Tinted lighter with a bit of white.

      What I do is take an eyedropper (Glass.) and draw about one inch into the dropper, Carefully let as much as you can, go into a mixing cup or palette. Then using a clean dropper(Glass) take about a sixteenth of an inch of  the color Insignia White(flat), and drop it into the Rust. Then Mix well, Stir till you have a nice pale shade of rust with NO streaks. Thin the amount you need, transfer to the airbrush cup and spray. 

Hey Tanks,

What do you guess the boot might be on USS Salem?

I would guess around 6 feet at midship. At 1/350 that's 0.20 inches.

 Do you prefer the hull deck side up or keel up? I find that the latter works well as you can rest the hull on cross blocks that the bulwarks rest on, so long as you shim one or the other to get the keel level.

Bill

Bill

Hi!

      Bill, I usually make sure the Keel is absolutely level with the work surface, Deck up if you will. I learned to do it this way many years ago on my R.C. and R.C. Sail vessels. I always seemed to get it right that way. With a good Scale ruler Midship shouldn't to hard to set. It just takes patience and care. I was gifted with eight scale rulers someone bought me on line. That has helped tremendously. Yes, that is a small distance but it should be do-able!

     As you know most of my vessels are now, 1/87 (H.O.) Or 1/160 (N) scale I still do a lot of larger and smaller ones as the Lightbulb goes off. So I am not trudging along on any one ship for too long I find, that although that leads to clutter in the shipyard, it staves off boredom. I do quite a few in 1/100 because that way I can fudge on Museum displays as well. I did one in 1/48 for a client in California. I ain't never gonna do that again!! Especially since it was a model of the U.S.S.Hornet) Now a Museum Ship in Alameda, Ca.).

      Keel up-Deck up? I think I will let it be said that what works, do it. I do in fact do it both ways if the little ship permits it. There are some that at 1/350 I have put keel down, But getting them Level, Port to Starboard was a downright B*&#H,  that is the biggest problem with Keel-Down. But easier to fix than you think. A spirit level at midships can be found that is light weight and you just place it on the hull Dead Midships, after leveling fore and aft and then stabilize and draw!

Tanker-Builder

A spirit level at midships can be found that is light weight and you just place it on the hull Dead Midships, after leveling fore and aft and then stabilize and draw

Bill

Flashes:

     What ? Are you kidding me? I have been doing this for years! LOL.LOL. Remember if it floats, That's what I would Rather be building! Besides, Remember your Atlantis conversion? Now, that would have been an excersize in drawing a Boot line. I do know this though.The Captain on my ship wouldn't let us Bunker up till we painted a deeper Boot line on our Gearing. Then, When we bunkered up, No Red or Yuk showed. So we looked Ship-Shape and Bristol fashioned when the Brits nested up near us! In One of the last trips I ever took to Hong Kong!

GMorrison

What do you guess the boot might be on USS Salem?

From how she sits in Quincy at present, 6 foot (72" 1828.8mm) is probably dead on.

Cruisers often has the largest displacement ranges in wartime, from expending fuel, provisionts, and ammunition.  So, a wartime boot of eight or ten feet might not be out of line.

Des Moines did get close to expending 50% of her magazines while o nthe gun line in Viet Nam, though.

As far as HO3S-1 helos (I agree that's the most likely for the time frame you're doing), Shapeways is your friend. I scored some 1/600 HO3S-1s for my USS Missouri in Korean War-era build, and I think they were offered in 1/350 as well.