Jeff's 99% Liberty Ship

Chris Friedenbach

Member since
January 2005

Posted by Chris Friedenbach on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 8:23 PM

Troop carriers yes, assault ships no. Tom’s Modelworks has had a conversion to model the John W. Brown (a Liberty troopship conversion) in the works- I am not sure if it has been released yet.

Regards,

Chris Friedenbach
Crewmember, SS Jeremiah O’Brien

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diggeraone

Member since
July 2003
From: Ozarks of Arkansas

Posted by diggeraone on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:20 PM

Nice build Jeff,do you know if these ship were used as troop carriers and assult ships.If so is there any add ons for this kit to make them an assult ship?Digger

Put all your trust in the Lord,do not put confidence in man.PSALM 118:8 We are in the buisness to do the impossible..G.S.Patton

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 8:21 PM

Jeff:

I am working on two figures now so the Liberty ship is on the back burner for about a couple of months. Then back to her in earnest.

Dick Wood

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Ron Smith

Member since
May 2005

Posted by Ron Smith on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:48 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jeff Herne

Ron, here's the link to the PDF that contains that rigging diagram. I got it from Dick Wood, a fellow NYer.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14067_ch4.pdf

PS: Thanks to Ron Smith who gave me those Sculptor photos in the first place. This is all his fault.

JH

Thanks, downloaded the page. Luckily my customer for the SS John Muir wanted the booms up and stowed so my rigging job is simple. All that's left is the 20mm's, scratch a 4"-50, light weathering and rigging.

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Ron Smith

Member since
May 2005

Posted by Ron Smith on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:44 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Raverdave

Ron, it not so much the cost as to the actual work that is put into smoothing over what should be a simple join, that is the top half and the bottom half of the hull. And while I am on the subject of putty, I'll quickly hi-jack the thread to state that in my view both the Squadron and the Tamaya puttys set far to quickly.

Polyester putty is a two part compound. Mix a small amount, apply it and in 20-30 minutes you can sand it. Unlike the solvent putties it does not soften the plastic which you then must allow to reharden before sanding, the softened plastic and sanding too soon is what gets most people with solvent putties. I have 5 solvent and two polyester putties I use depending on the fill and final surface needed, I also use different colors of putty for each layer. I work mostly resin hulls so I don't have to worry about softening the underlying plastic but it can take 4 or 5 putty applications to get a hull perfect.

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:37 PM

Grrrrr...

Do you know how many projects I have to do??? I... can't...even...begin....to...count...

1/200 Takao
1/200 Myoko
1/32 S-100
1/72 USS Essex (CV-9) cross section (turret to turret long, island down to the keel high)
1/16 Tiger I
1/16 Tiger II
1/16 SU-100 (T-34 conversion)

With the exception of the armor stuff, everything else is scratch.

Pfffftttt!!! Yuck [yuck]

JH

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ddp59

Member since
April 2005

Posted by ddp59 on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 12:21 PM

excuses, excuses, excuses!!!!

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:34 AM

Yea, I know it's not Myoko...I got her framed up and then the project got sidetracked.

Ron, here's the link to the PDF that contains that rigging diagram. I got it from Dick Wood, a fellow NYer.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14067_ch4.pdf

PS: Thanks to Ron Smith who gave me those Sculptor photos in the first place. This is all his fault.

JH

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 11:33 AM

Yea, I know it's not Myoko...I got her framed up and then the project got sidetracked.

Ron, here's the link to the PDF that contains that rigging diagram. I got it from Dick Wood, a fellow NYer.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14067_ch4.pdf

PS: Thanks to Ron Smith who gave me those Sculptor photos in the first place. This is all his fault.

JH

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scottrc

Member since
December 2003
From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W

Posted by scottrc on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 9:26 AM

Jeff, funny, doesn't look anything like the Myoko or Takao Big Smile [:D]

Still, it looks like you have a fine build.

Scott

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 4:58 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ron Smith

QUOTE: Originally posted by Raverdave

Perfect timing ! I have just started on my second ship which is also the Trumpeter Liberty ship. So far I am still working on the hull. It seems that it takes for ever to putty and then sand the join line for the full hull version, give it a quick blast of surface primer then see all the mistakes that have to be re puttied and sanded again.

Ah Grasshopper, pick up some polyester putty at an autobody supply house, you want the professional grade glazing grade. You do not want the cheap autoparts store Bondo. Personally I prefer Evercoat. Tamiya polyester putty works just as well at 5 times the unit price.

Ron, it not so much the cost as to the actual work that is put into smoothing over what should be a simple join, that is the top half and the bottom half of the hull. And while I am on the subject of putty, I'll quickly hi-jack the thread to state that in my view both the Squadron and the Tamaya puttys set far to quickly. Disapprove [V]

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Ron Smith

Member since
May 2005

Posted by Ron Smith on Monday, August 29, 2005 11:26 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Raverdave

Perfect timing ! I have just started on my second ship which is also the Trumpeter Liberty ship. So far I am still working on the hull. It seems that it takes for ever to putty and then sand the join line for the full hull version, give it a quick blast of surface primer then see all the mistakes that have to be re puttied and sanded again.

Ah Grasshopper, pick up some polyester putty at an autobody supply house, you want the professional grade glazing grade. You do not want the cheap autoparts store Bondo. Personally I prefer Evercoat. Tamiya polyester putty works just as well at 5 times the unit price.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 29, 2005 7:53 PM

Perfect timing ! I have just started on my second ship which is also the Trumpeter Liberty ship. So far I am still working on the hull. It seems that it takes for ever to putty and then sand the join line for the full hull version, give it a quick blast of surface primer then see all the mistakes that have to be re puttied and sanded again.

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Ron Smith

Member since
May 2005

Posted by Ron Smith on Monday, August 29, 2005 3:07 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jeff Herne

I must confess, I'm not a Liberty ship expert, so I can't verify the boot topping on Maritime Commission ships.

Here's two pics of the actual Sculptor taken in 1944. Again, I'm not an expert in Libertys, but I did notice that the trumpeter kit lacks the mast on the superstructure, which is quite obvious in the photos.

I wonder where you got those pics...;)

Most MC ships did not have boot tops as you said. All USN Liberties had them, most of the USN ships have RG-19 photos and every single one has a boot top. On AK's, AKN's and AKS's the boot top could be 14-20 feet wide to cover the entire draft range. This did vary somewhat based on the camo scheme. AR's, ARG's and IX's tended to "normal" width boot tops as they were repair or special purpose ships with fairly constant drafts.

If you're using either the L'Arsenal or Trumpeter kit for a USN ship you need to study photos for the extra rafts, guns, ready storage ammo lockers, antennas, stern mods, bridge mods and mast mods.

Can you send me the full res of that rigging diagram?

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 6, 2005 3:16 PM

mfsob,
Dad was a radio operator on Victorys too. I'll ask him which ones. Wouldn't it be a coincidence....

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 6, 2005 2:44 PM

So - at the end of mission, will this beautiful ship look like she never ever spent a day in the water - a la - a perfect model for a perfect world and a perfect build-article...

Or...

Will she look like she worked her *ss off in the sustainment of liberty's defense - weathering, rust, dents, paint chipping etc...

do tell...

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mfsob

Member since
March 2005
From: West Virginia, USA

Posted by mfsob on Saturday, August 6, 2005 1:12 PM

I agree with that, Dickeywood, if you feel a personal connnection to the model, somehow it makes some of the @#*(#)($^(*#^$(*#&%$(*&^ problems easier to bear ... such as the itty bitty photo etch parts on a 1/700 Victory ship.

But when it is all done, and the deck cargo is installed, and the tanks and trucks are painted and decalled, it will be a faithful representation of the S.S. LaCrosse Victory as she was in mid-1945, when my Dad made more than a few trips back and forth across the big pond, taking German POWs and returning with jubilant, but generally very, very seasick, GIs.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 6, 2005 12:31 PM

Onyx:

She looks sweet, and I hope you keep building ship models. Thanks for the backround on your dads ship, somehow it makes a model oh so much more personal and historic.

Adm Loco:

Sir. The ship will be ready for full inspection and will start her shakedown cruse in Feb .as you have ordered.

Captain [4:-)]

Dick Wood
columbuspac

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Saturday, August 6, 2005 12:07 PM

Looks great!!

Sir Wood...I will be doing an Admiral's inspection on your vessel at a date to be determined, most likely in February in Ohio.

Sincerely,

Adm. Loco
FSMPAC Pirate [oX)]

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 6, 2005 9:16 AM

This is my 99% Liberty. I just finished the rigging last night. By stowing the booms in their cradles I simplify things. No vangs and preventers etc. I guess I asked the bosun to stow all that stuff for sea Blush [:I]

This is the first model I've done in about 10 years and the first time for using PE parts. I used the Tom's Model Works set.
I tried for a generic Liberty just out of the yard in wartime configuration (name painted out etc)
My dad was on a Liberty, the SS Frank O. Peterson, but it was a specialized "boxed Aircraft transport" and I couldn't find any pics. He recalls it was modified somewhat from standard Libertys.
Sorry about the poor quality pics.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 6, 2005 6:50 AM

Jeff and Gang:

When I look at a ship model several things draw my attention, and I don't know why. First are the funnels, are they drilled out and nollow, do they have splitters inside them, and is it nice and bussy with ladders handrails, and has lots of bussy stuff on them.

The second is the rigging. The more the merrier. I think rigging some how adds to the delicaticy of the model. Plus it brings it more towards realism. Maybe that is one reason I don't like building modern ships that much.

Jeff once your finished she will look nice and sharp with all that rigging. And since your going full out, so will I...Darn I have created a monster!!!
As a former comic strip Pogo said.." Weve meet the enamy, and it is us!!"

Dick Wood

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Friday, August 5, 2005 11:39 PM

Oh boy...I'm gonna flunk this one for sure...lol.

I broke out the monofilament and starting adding rigging tonight. Didn't get much done, but I've got the first set of booms almost rigged...this ship is going to look like a spider's web when I'm fininshed.

Jeff

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ddp59

Member since
April 2005

Posted by ddp59 on Friday, August 5, 2005 11:26 PM

only a test, i figure a full blown exam should be applied!!!

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mfsob

Member since
March 2005
From: West Virginia, USA

Posted by mfsob on Friday, August 5, 2005 9:43 PM

*slides Jeff his last, his very last, Extra Strength Tylenol* You're gonna need this, buddy ...

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 3:52 PM

Jeff:

There will be a written test next week on this. And it is not a open book test!! Evil [}:)]

Dick Wood

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Friday, August 5, 2005 1:48 PM

Have you seen that rigging diagram? It's enough to make my hands shake...

Jeff

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mfsob

Member since
March 2005
From: West Virginia, USA

Posted by mfsob on Friday, August 5, 2005 1:40 PM

Regarding the cargo boom rigging, I am soooooooooo not going to go there with my 1/700th Victory ship. It's hard enough just folding and securing the photoetched block and tackle included with the kit!

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Jeff Herne

Member since
January 2003

Posted by Jeff Herne on Friday, August 5, 2005 11:43 AM

Yea, but being a New Yorker myself, you know I can't leave things well enough alone!!

Ferrgittaboutit!!

Jeff

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 11:30 AM

Jeff:

Being a native New Yorker, and knowing where you are from, I just wanted to keep you honest Approve [^]

!!

But seriously, you don't have to go to the extream. She looks great as she is right now. I add the link as I think this pdf has some great info for modelers.

Dick Wood

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