Members Harbour
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(Naval Ship) HMS Illustrious
Waterline model to scale 1/192. Model is really a hybrid of the ship during her commissioned lifetime (1939 - 1956). She served mainly in Mediterranean and Far East. Seriously damaged on several occasions, resulting in numerous modifications, which is why I had so many problems settling on a model true to any one date. (5/10)
Gdaynorm
6 years ago
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(Other) MV San Demetrio
Model was built waterline to 1/192 scale as wedding present for daughter. Now has pride of place atop piano. (5/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
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(Other) MV San Demetrio
Model was built waterline at 1/192 scale as a wedding present for my daughter. Now pride of place on piano in Buckingham. (5/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
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1 Photo
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(Other) SS Ohio
This is a waterline model, now in our loungeroom. Built to 1/192 scale, using very basic drawing and photos. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
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1 Photo
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(Naval Ship) HMS Erebus
Scratch built using Admiralty drawings from Greenwich and miscellaneous photos. Hull carved from basswood, as are her boats. Guns turned brass, main armament mount in basswood turret. Bridge tower anf funnel tinplate, rigging and aerials steel guitar strings. Sails well and steers remarkably easily considering her beam. Logged hours on construction 611, not including research. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
8 Attributes
1 Photo
3 Likes
(Ketch) Irene
Scratch built using drawings in book 'Goodnight Irene' by Leslie Morrish, who restored the vessel which had lain rotting for years. Sails well , likes plenty of wind. in light winds tends to 'go her own way' and cause anxiety to controller. (5/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
2 Attributes
1 Photo
2 Likes
(Naval Ship) HMS Nelson
Scratch built using Admiralty drawings from Greenwich and miscellaneous photos. to 1/192 scale Hull carved from basswood as are boats. Guns turned in brass in basswood turrets. Rigging steel guitar strings. Sails well. in rough seas tends to ship it green over bow. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
8 Attributes
1 Photo
2 Likes
(Naval Ship) HMS Ceres
Scratch built using Admiralty drawings from Greenwich and miscellaneous photos. Hull carved from basswood as are boats. Rigging and aerials steel guitar strings. Flage halyards thread. Sails very well and remarkably stable for such a narrow ship due to bilge keels. Hours logged on contruction 885, which includes research on line. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
8 Attributes
1 Photo
2 Likes
(Naval Ship) HMS Valhalla
Scratch built using Admiralty drawings from Greenwich and miscellaneous photos to 1/96 scale. Hull carved from basswood, as are boats. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
8 Attributes
1 Photo
1 Like
(Other) SS Great Britain
Entirely scratch built to 1/98 scale, from builder's drawings from Greenwich and photos of ship in Bristol. Hull carved in basswood, deck planked. (8/10)
Gdaynorm
7 years ago
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Members Blogs
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HMS Amethyst
Just starting on 1/96 waterline model, as she was at the Yangtse incident. Have good drawings from two sources - N A Ough and Les Brown book. Bit short on photos from above. One problem. Was her plating butt welded or overlapped and welded.
Gdaynorm
1 year ago
5 Posts
6 Followers
11 Likes
HMS Ajax
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.
Gdaynorm
2 years ago
13 Posts
0 Followers
19 Likes
HMS Dreadnought
Decision made. 1875 battleship Dreadnought to 1/96. Hoping for NMM drawings. Have two photos so far off Wikipedia. Wish me luck.
Gdaynorm
5 years ago
5 Posts
1 Follower
5 Likes
HMS Illustrious Aircraft carrier
Aerials and signal halyards fitted to main mast etc. My Norman Ough drawing shows aerials strung between the four a side masts. Would they be permanently rigged to all of them?
Gdaynorm
6 years ago
1 Post
1 Follower
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HMS Erebus
Royal Navy Erebus class monitor, launched 1916. Decided on this ship as rather a strange looking ship. Scratch build, hull carved from basswood. Hope to have her 15" guns firing. Currently cutting out the hull templates.
Gdaynorm
9 years ago
Recent Posts
π HMS Amethyst
6 months ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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πstill have problem, as my model is of the ship as she entered the Yangste. If the structure is for gun crews, there must be guns, so probably more oerlikons. War museum never very cooperative I have found. None of the pics I have found on the net have clarity on that section.
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π HMS Amethyst
6 months ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Hi Everyone, Have a problem. Have many photos of HMS Amethyst, but not one of them is clear enough to see just what is on the platform aft of the funnel, apart from what i think is a huge locker or small possibly radio shack. I would have expected there to be maybe pompoms and a searchlight, as I cannot see one anywhere else. Ideas very welcome!
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π Detail
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Hi,
Christmas and travels finished. Tried photobucket but came up 'cannot open'!
Have no info as to ringed sections in attached pic. Anyone have ideas please?
Will make another launch!
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π¬ Re: Boats
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Here is how I hope i have depth charge racks and throwers in place. Lot more detail to work out, control cabinets etc.
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π¬ Re: Boats
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Thanks again. But I am still puzzled! See the pic I am attaching, and you will see what I mean about depth charges, racks and throwers. Definitely before they started work on her. That pic of yours makes the shipyard maties in Hong Kong pretty incredible. Ship looks new! Did you ever give up on a project?
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Damon, Should have got back to you ages ago. Yes, I am currently building, though have been rather inactive through the summer. I am trying to show her as she was as she went up the Yangtse Kiang before being attacked.
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π¬ Re: Boats
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Thanks Doug. That pic is a beaut. I think it must have been when she was first commissioned? I modelled that launch from the Ough book page of detail boats etc. Took a while! Your pic doesn't show the minelaying racks or throwers just forward of them I've made the racks, though I am not happy with them. I think I have the dimensions about right, but they seem too clumsy. The launch in that looks to be more than 24 feet.
Maybe when I get all the other stuff around them and guard rails etc they'll be acceptable, but I am not holding my breath.
The whalers must have had only a foot or two clearance when swung inboard. I have had a devil of a job getting the main superstructures positioned right. I have a very good book of original drawings of the class, but they had so many refits with seemingly major structural mods it's easy to get lost!
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π Boats
1 year ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Hi everyone. Does anyone know what boats Amethyst actually carried? I have assumed she probably had a motor launch - 24 foot, and a couple of whalers. She had davits for four I think, from various photos. I doubt she had a cutter, as from what I can see no photo showing sufficient room to hoist a 32 foot boat inboard. Even 27 foot whalers are a squeeze.
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π¬ Re: Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Having a real problem with windlass, mainly size as do not have any drawings, only indistinct photos. I have made as per picture, but it seems a bit large, but to get the chain realistically around the drums, can't get it much smaller. As usual, your opinion will be welcome!
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π¬ Re: Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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She had what I can only describe as a short bulwark, see pic. Seems strange but the there had to be a good reason for it. Any idea what was behind it?
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π¬ Re: Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Doug,
Hopefully mast finished, apart from gear on the crowsnest. See pic. Looks okay from three or four feet!
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π¬ Re: Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Only made the main uprights angle, the rest flat about 30 thou wide. The really perceptive might be able to criticize as there is some discrepancy there - no way could I cut better part of four feet totally accurately! One way to save previous soldered joints is to do the first one with standard solder, then low melt after. Problem here in Canada is can't find low melt! Making the angle was not too hard, just time consuming. Crowsnest next, with guard rails - steel guitar strings.
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π¬ Re: Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Doug,
I've hardly ever used styrene. I think I have a reasonable result, using steel cut from a body shop paint thinners can. See pics. Took a while.
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π Lattice masts
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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HMS Amethyst had a lattice mast. Does anyone know if this was constructed using tube or bar and angle steel. It is a difficult thing to make whatever the format.
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π HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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She must have undergone some pretty extensive work, especially aft from photos I have. From pics I have her decks could be anything from very dark grey to similar shade blue, grey or even brown corticene. Ideas welcome! Pic is as she is now. Guns detail inside the turrets missing. Having scoured the net for hours, I still have not found one pic looking into the turret!
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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She's starting to look like a ship. She almost certainly had corticene decks. Question is, dirty dark green or blue or even brown?
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Damon,
Thanks, that would be great. I thought I had already replied, twice, but maybe I'm not clicking the right spot. email is gdaynorm@sympatico.ca
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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End of story. Shortly to be moved to permanent location.π
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Well thanks for trying. They look like shots taken in Malta grand harbour? Difficulty is dating photos to what stage of modifications a ship underwent.
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Damon.
Yes thanks. The more pics the better. Have you ever noticed there are very few shots taken from above the stern of any ship? My e-mail is gdaynorm@sympatico.ca
Are you currently building?
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π¬ Re: HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi, thanks. Yes, from the photos I have they are definitely not riveted. The Ough drawings show the plating in detail, individual plate by plate. I have taken a punt as attached pic shows. I have always done my plating with card, which has the advantage of when damp being slightly mouldable where curvature is complex. It is slightly over thick, but by the time it has a couple of coats of paint, sanded and finish coat it works well.
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π HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Just starting on 1/96 waterline model, as she was at the Yangtse incident. Have good drawings from two sources - N A Ough and Les Brown book. Bit short on photos from above. One problem. Was her plating butt welded or overlapped and welded.
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π HMS Amethyst
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Does anyone know of a source for photos of HMS Amethyst?
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Jonathan,
Yes received the aerial drawings okay. Thought I had replied already. Maybe I didn't hit the right button to send/post. Well on the way to rigging them.
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Thanks mate. Will watch.
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Hi Jonathan,
Yes thanks, much appreciated. I had already fitted them as halyards. Your drawing shows what has to be aerials, but does not show if they are single or multi strand. From the River Plate Veterans website I have read an account by a radio tech that he repaired her aerials during the battle, aerials in the plural. Weβre they multi strand like those on V & W destroyers or several separate strung between the masts? Maybe Doug would know - his field.
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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Wire problem. Ajax's aerials. I assume there were several strung between the masts. Any idea which of the lines from the yard arm were aerials and which signal halyards. I have not got even one photo clear enough to show anything between the masts.
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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I would have thought WW2 cruisers would have been popular to model, as they were mostly rather elegant. I did HMS Ceres to 1/96 RC, sails beautifully.
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
Warrant Officer)
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Thanks. Greenwich e-mailed me a small version of what they have, but it is pretty basic. I am not going to re do the main mast, which I think is pretty accurate. Big problem is the signal halyards. I have taken them to the back of the bridge which seems logical. There are also four each side astern too. Trouble is they hardly show on digital photos onthe net.
If you care to send me that drawing, best by e-mail.gdaynorm@sympatico.ca
Where are you geographically?
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π HMS Ajax
2 years ago by
π¨π¦ Gdaynorm (
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looks pretty nice to me. What scale? They were just about enlarged destroyers. I did HMS Ceres and she behaves exactly the same as my Valhalla, including the bow wave.
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