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📝 HMs aJAX
7 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Tragic. The Model Shiptard guy has retired! Does anyone know who stocks studlink chain?
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
25 days ago by ToraDog (
 Midshipman)
Here is the list of war modifications, according to raven and Roberts.
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
25 days ago by ToraDog (
Midshipman)
The rigging plan, as built, shows her carrying her boats, port and starboard aft of the Ttubes's. Makes sense because they would be under the crane. The plan by Raven and Roberts shows the same circa 1941, but with a quad 0.5 mount MK II in place of her catapult, date Mid 1941 @ Alexandria or Port Said. I have the list of war modifications made to her. I'll scan it and post it later this evening. Need to go cook, for the cook.
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
25 days ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Have yet another problem!! Anyone know what would have been in the area aft of the torpedo tubesLogic says AA guns but not so.
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
1 month ago by jacko (
 Lieutenant)
have a look at this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202743645100?hash=item2f347683ac:... 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
1 month ago by JOHN (
 Warrant Officer)
hi there
You may already know about this site, but, this is the Dock Museum Website - this is where HMS Ajax was built and, although, the photographs are a bit small they may still help you out. Be warned, you can spend many an hour on this website - just looking at images :-) . http://collections.dockmuseum.org.uk/mwebcgi/mweb?request=re... John 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
1 month ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Thanks for that. The only rigging plan I have is on a set of drawings produced by a Polish company. Sounds as is you have those from National Maritime Museum?
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
1 month ago by ToraDog (
Midshipman)
Three inches sounds reasonable. The rigging plan(as fitted) labels it as a Riga Pine Jackstaff, if that is any help. Actually, on second glance, it may be bigger than 3" The dressing line, galvanized steel, attaches to that staff a foot above the braces. Also, the plan notes that the jackstaff fits into the jackstaff stanchion.
Hope that helps. 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
2 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Bow flagstaff. I assume it would be about three inches diameter? Anyone's opinion would be welcome. Pic is current state of play, and the bow staff i obviously too thick.
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
6 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Doug,
Purchased chain, ten links to the inch. Hope it is small enough! Another query. I have all the info needed to build her plane, but nothing on the catapult, and there doesn't seem, to be much on the web, Who would have drawings? 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
6 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Hi Doug, thanks for the tips. Have e-mailed them all,it being Saturday. Never realized before just how huge a range of parts you can buy! Have a friend here who builds beautiful models, and uses nearly all purchased fittings. Makes me wonder why I spend so many hours making deck fittings and ladders etc etc!
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
6 months ago by RNinMunich (
 Fleet Admiral)
Here's another one in UK
https://www.maritime-models.co.uk/acatalog/studded-anchors-c... 😎 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
6 months ago by RNinMunich (
Fleet Admiral)
Hi Norm,
Here's a source of model SLC in various sizes straight from a French manufacturer - https://www.newcapmaquettes.com/Stud-Link-Anchor-Chain.html Including the one that Cornwall Model Boats offers. 😉 Search 'model stud link chain' in Google and you should get quite a few 'local', i.e. US / Canadian responses. Bon chance mon ami, 🤞 Cheers, Doug 😎 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
6 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Still looking for chain, but plenty of time before it cab be a finishing detail. Had some fun making her crane.
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💬 Re: HMs aJAX
7 months ago by RNinMunich (
Fleet Admiral)
Hi Norm,
Cornwall Model Boats do an excellent range, check here- https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?pag... Krick also do some, I believe that there is a Krick dealer in the US. Have a look here at their fittings page and then check for a US dealer. https://www.krickshop.de/Zubehoer-Ersatzteile/Zubehoer-fuer-... Many other of the better model boat suppliers around the world do chains, maybe Dumas in the States as well? Cheers, Doug 😎 PS You'll need to scroll down a bit on those links, but stud link chain does turn up eventually😉 👍 Like
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📝 HMS Ajax
7 months ago by Gdaynorm ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Some progress. Searchlight platforms on funnel difficult. In attached drawing section, I assume the marked are ventilator grills.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Thanks again. Your comment about the funnel makes sense. Those three sets of vents are spaced exactly as you would expect three funnels to be. Some details on the Haynes model surprise me. White anchor chains and fairleads? That model makes me wonder why I do it.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by JOHN (
Warrant Officer)
hi there,
here are a couple of scans from a book that I have. Once shows inside profile drawings of HMS Ajax - and you will see all 3 boiler rooms are connected - and emerge into the funnel - thats why she has a weird shaped funnel. I believe originally these vessels were going to have 3 independent funnels when first conceived, a bit like HMS Suffolk. Next scan you will see is from the same book - you can see the intake vents clearly - sorry for the quality of scan though, as its a big book to fit onto this little scanner. John 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by ToraDog (
Midshipman)
My two cents, for what they are worth, I agree that those are probably boiler room air intake vents. I am not sure of her configuration, but my guess is that she had a set of boiler rooms forward of the funnel as well as aft.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Thanks, nice confirmation. Surprise the director/rangefinder in that shot in the dockyard. Had a look at the pics of John Haynes model. Wow! What scale was it built to?
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by JOHN (
Warrant Officer)
Hi ya Norm
It is my strong belief that these are Intake vents for the engine room and other compartments of the ship. I will have a look later on today on the Norman Ough plans that I have - to verify this - but, for the time being here is a bit of a poor picture of HMS Ajax in 1943 when she went over to America for a refit and, if you look closely, you will be able to make out one of the grilles. I will see if I have any more information - but - I must confess it is over 25 years now since I built my model of HMS Ajax. Have you been on John Haynes' website? If not. John made a model of HMS Ajax - its in his portfolio section. There are some very clear pictures of the grilles there - hopefully this link will work. Hope also that this may help you. https://www.johnrhaynes.com/hms-ajax/ John 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
7 months ago by Martin555 (
Fleet Admiral)
Hi Norm
Could they be vent filters ? Martin555. 👍 Like
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📝 HMS Ajax
8 months ago by Gdaynorm ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Half the requirement at 192 scale is patience. She has 207 portholes, and of course 207 eyebrows, maybe a few more to come. Together with 8 fairleads and eight pairs of bollards which together have taken a lot of hours and according to my wife, some audible frustration. The portholes are easy enough, but getting the eyebrows straight is time consuming. I am rather afraid the fairleads are oversized, see pic.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
8 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Just have to re-make them. Strange thing is they only look oversize on the bow. Now have a beaut pic of the focsle taken from the bridge. Shows the bollards completely different. It also looks as if the deck is corticene covered forward of the planked deck. It was taken when the ship was passing through the Panama Canal.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
8 months ago by Newby7 (
 Vice Admiral)
The portholes do look good .Do agree that the fairlead's look big will you be able to make smaller or find smaller ones.
Rick 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
8 months ago by Martin555 (
Fleet Admiral)
Hi Norm.
My Site signature says "If it looks right then it probably is" So maybe you are right about the bollards. The port holes have come out great. Martin555. 👍 Like
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📝 HMS Ajax
9 months ago by Gdaynorm ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
This project proving tricky, as drawings I have and photos tend not to agree. I think the ship had some major alterations with each re-fit. My build is as she was at the River Plate - hopefully.
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
8 months ago by ToraDog (
Midshipman)
I understand the challenge you are facing. During the War ships were modified faster than the crews could learn their ways about them. The USN was equally as bad. Trying to find truly accurate plans of a given ship at a given time is a real battle. Photographs are, in my opinion, the best documentation available. It is just finding ones that illustrate what you need.
"British Cruisers Two World Wars and After" by Norman Friedman has a nice plan by A.D.Baker showing Ajax in 1936, unfortunately the scale is quite small. If it is any help to you let me know and I'll scan it and send it off to you. 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
9 months ago by Gdaynorm (
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
Simple. Just thin card. Biggest change I think was moving the torpedo tubes aft and extending the outer plating. Happy New Year
Hooroo Norm 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
9 months ago by RNinMunich (
Fleet Admiral)
OK, Plan checked out, it shows Ajax in 1940, so after repairs following the River Plate action.
I'll have a shufti through my archive pics of Ajax at various stages of her career, see if I can detect any changes/upgrades after Rio de la Plata. Catch up with you soon. Like the hull plating you've done👍 RU gonna let us into your secret??? Cheers, Doug 😎 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
9 months ago by RNinMunich (
Fleet Admiral)
So far so very good Norm, as I had expected👍
I'll check on the origins of that plan, see if I can determine what status (year) it depicts. Cheers, Doug 😎 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
9 months ago by RNinMunich (
Fleet Admiral)
Hi Nick,
Hadn't realised that you were that old!!😁 Which ship were you on? 😎 👍 Like
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💬 Re: HMS Ajax
9 months ago by nick (
 Able Seaman)
If I remember she got a fair bit of modification just outside the River Plate.
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