The 5"38 project was delivered successfully.
I Spent three hours at the Battleship New Jersey. We were able to drive right up to the ship just steps from the elevator on the pier.
From there we (my nephew and I) were able to bring the model directly into the Officer's Ward Room Lounge where the 16" model also resides. This avoided carrying the model down a ship's ladder to Ryan's office as we did with the first model. At that time, Ryan didn't have a final place for it.
I spent time in the lounge talking with Ryan and other docents from the New Jersey. They were very happy with the models and had lots of questions about their construction.
From there we headed to Engine Room #3. #3 is only partially lit as it is not on the public tour route. Engine Room #2, however, was, and we should have started there. We did get there later, but by that time my phone was just about out of juice. I was using a new 3D scanning program, Polycam, which is an energy hog. I did get some scans, but I'm not so sure how valuable they will be. My nephew took about 100 pictures as well. The success (or failure) about this project is going to come down to the quality of drawings I find at the National Archives.
Ryan gave me a wonderful book "A Visual Tour of the Battleship New Jersey" by John M. Miano. John created a beautiful work showing details that I didn't even have when doing my models. I contacted the author and we've shared some communications. I suggested we collaborate since I need all the help I can get doing a 3D model of the engine room. He told me that the drawings he found had blurry details. After further probing, I learned that these WERE NOT the original drawings I'm expecting to examine, In fact, he was unaware of sets of originals at the Archives. That lifeted my spirits. Right now, my wife and I are thinking about a trip to Washington DC in October where I can review the drawings.
Right now, the selected spot is on this small end table. I originally thought to have it next to the 16" model on the bookcase. This may not work because the base is deeper than the bookcase and it sticks out over the edge. We were unable to put it in final position on the bookcase becasue the 16" model is screwed down. It may still end of there. It's Ryan's choice. We were waiting on an extension cord to get its lights on.
Here I am explaining something about its construction showing images on my iPhone to one of the docents.
Walt, our guide was scrutinizing the model. He was a boilerman on a Forrestal class aircraft carrier. He knew his stuff! The only problem with having the model so low is having to get on one's knees to peer inside the magazine. The kids will love it.
You can see the 5"38 base extending out past the bookcase edge in this image with me explaining something to Ryan Syzmanski, the NJ's curator. It may still end up there, especially if the bookcase can be moved away from the wall a little bit.
The engine rooms are reached from Broadway. This is the widest, longest and straightest passage in the ship. It connects all the propulsion spaces and magazines and is on Deck 2. The boiler rooms and magazines are reeched directly through passages, whereas the engines rooms are on deck lower and reached via ship ladders in side compartments. Broadway's walls are lined with damage control stations. It has a heavy beam lining the ceiling where 16" projectiles can be moved from turrets at the ends of Broadway. Sections of the beam areemovable at watertight doors to seal the spaces.
This is the hatch down to Engine Room #2.
The engine rooms are massively complex. There is no place where you can visualize the entire space making it very difficult to use images to lay out the space. I believe I can successuflly model the specific operating units. I am not so sure about modeling the room's structure and the piping. Even with over 100 pictures, it's still very difficult to discern what you're actualy viewing. I'm not a novice with machinery and understand what I see, but it's still going to be hugely challenging.
Engine room #2 was well lit. The diamond plate flooring is not how it was during wartime. Underneath is a grating floor. Diamond plate was used for better foorting for public visitation. I believe I can print grating and will use it, if I can. i know I can print diamond plate. The foreground ladder is the one leading from deck 2. The engine rooms occupy 2 levels: Deck 3 and the First Platform. On the left side of the image is the Main Reduction Gear and Low Pressure Turbine. In the center are the degaussing generators, and on the right is one of the two auxiliary turbo-generators that produce ship electric power. Engine room #2 is air conditioned and the open duct is seen on the right. Engine Room #3 was NOT, and it was hot and smelly. All that was lacking were screaming turbines and lots of electric pumps. It was a hearing protection area when alive. This view also shows some of the original floor grating behind the ladder.
This is a detail shot of one of the Turbo-generators showing just how complex the model could be. Modeling all the insulation that wraps all the hot areas is not going to be easy. It may require other modeling techniques such as hand modeling with epoxy putty. Lots of decisions coming.