The Ship Model Forum

Hank,

I doubt that clear resin prints will be transparent. There will be jaggies and other irregularities that will make them translucent at best. You may be able to polish the cured resin but getting a smooth surface will be difficult.

I suspect it would be easier to get clear plastic sheets and use a heat gun/hair dryer to bend it around forms to get the desired shapes. I found some large (24" x 36" ?) thin (0.1") acrylic sheets at the hardware store that are used for storm windows. I have used some of this for making decks and structures on models.

****

The cranes are interesting. I was studying the aircraft cranes on cruisers and found there were (at least) two different styles. One had the structure made up of a triangular lattice of pipes. The other used metal sheets with holes to get the structural strength. It turned out that different shipyards used their preferred methods to construct the cranes, regardless of the original BuShips designs. By studying the cranes in photos you could tell which yards the ships were built in even if you didn't know what ship was in the photo.

_________________
A collision at sea will ruin your entire day. Aristotle

Phil,

Thanks - that's a shared opinion regarding clear resin. I did look up clear resins and the photos posted in the description show objects that are, as you mentioned, translucent rather than clear. I may go to Lowe's and see if their clear acrylic sheets might not be the way to do this. At the least, I can build something that would give support to the crane and possibly in the background suffice as the "space" where the machinery levels were located. These two areas were basically round, so perhaps a thin sheet of plastic can be rolled into the proper size and then glued to make a cylinder that could be cut to proper height. All sorts of possibilities.... theoretically speaking

Re. cranes in general - I think most of the kit manufacturers get these wrong, at least to some extent. As I found while building my NEW JERSEY (from the 1/200 Trumpeter MISSOURI kit), the aircraft crane on the fantail depicts the crane as the ship was built, not as it had been modified during the 1950's. The original cranes in the '40s all were basically tubular construction. This evolved to tubular with steel sheet added between the tubes to reinforce the entire structure. These modifications were also applied to the boat cranes, as well. My guess is that by war's end, both the scout planes (weight) had changed, as well as the boat requirements for BB's, cruisers, etc. and the cranes were modified accordingly. I have one photo of NORTH CAROLINA in mothballs that shows the port crane boom - it too had been reinforced with gussets between the original tubular framework.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

I've been redesigning & printing some parts that weren't exactly what was called for in the drawings, so now I'm beginning to get the various platforms & equipment in place. Here are a couple shots of the kingpost with the rotation unit in place and also the control platform with motors, elec. panel box and head tank in place, as well as the arrangement drawings that show what goes where -



I have a bit of touch up painting to do and then a light coat of clear, flat spray. But that will be after all the equipment is in place. Slow going, but progress just the same.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

So, referring to the drawing in my last post (above), I've printed, painted, and assembled the kingpost with the various platforms and base on one unit (I'm making two of these), using the parts that are satisfactory but not "great" as the prototype model -



Once I have this unit completed, I'll begin assembling the second unit. The drawings provided have obviously been a great help although it would have been better to have had scaled paper prints rather than simply printed out reduced copies which still left a lot to be desired as to accuracy. However, compared to my first attempt at this crane, this is miles ahead of that version!! This first unit will only be the crane - I've left off the superstructure deck section and will probably not enclose this unit. I will leave all that for the second crane unit. I've also realized that beading wire is too stiff to work with this particular size of model - I will used either black or dark gray cotton line for all the cables. One item that I made that came out great (and a bit hard to see) is the safety chain between the stanchions on the control platform. These are actual 3D printed chains (separate links) that came out really nice - it took two print runs to get the scale correct for this model. They are slightly visible in the first photo.

I've now got most of the equipment correctly sized & printed for both machinery platforms and once another round of paint is delivered, I will be able to get these parts painted and then assembled in place. The second unit will also reflect corrections I may find as I am assembling this first unit.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hank:

A triumph of research and persistence. The deck blue looks very bright? Maybe just the photos. A fun side trip into interesting ship board equipment and further development of your drafting and printing skills!

Cheers: Tom

Thanks, Tom!! I haven't done a flat, clear overcoat yet and that may explain the brightness of the blue. Also, those photos I filtered with "Punch" instead of the original photo which added a bit of brightness overall.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Continuing on with a bit of redesign on a couple of the lower inside level machinery and starting to design/print the hydraulic piping that connects the various pumps & motors. I've been assembling the first (prototype) unit and have some progress -


As I'm printing/painting (2) of each part, I've got another print run to set up for tomorrow. The design and printing of these parts is rather tricky since my drawings are not to scale. Once I established the correct size of a couple dimensions, I could calculate the sizes for all the parts based on those numbers. I've created the upper inside platform file and then added the kingpost and other equipment. If those parts don't fit, they are rescaled and then new .stl files are created and then printed, etc. I've now gotten both upper & lower platform files created with the appropriate equipment located on each level. I usually turn all the equipment parts OFF before saving the file as I don't want these to become part of the platform and this is a possibility as I've not yet figured out all the nuances of this design program. I have somewhat learned the COMBINE function where the various pieces of a specific item can be combined into one element and then renamed to what that is (i.e. - hyd. pump, electric brake, etc.). This comes in handy as you don't want your component list to have nothing but "solid" or "surface" listed.

Tonight, I also began cutting the clear acetate sheet that will form the lower-level bulkheads so that these interior machinery levels can been seen.

Today however, The Admiral & I spent the majority of our time watching PBS Memorial Day military shows recounting some of the worst fighting in WWII. A time to remember those who we owe our lives to for giving theirs in the service to their country.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Last night I created a "composite assembly" of the entire crane - it was almost an all nighter! I left out a few parts that wouldn't be visible as this is mainly for viewing purposes only. Here are a few shots of this assembly -



At present, this design file is just over 32 Mb in size - a HUGE computer design file!!! So far, it hasn't crashed. Not everything is in place yet, so there's more to add!

I've also created a jig to bend my sheet acrylic for making the curved bulkhead that the machinery levels reside in once I've got this whole unit in place -

As The Admiral was occupying the kitchen today, I'll probably not try bending plastic (using the stove's large cooktop burner as the heat source) until after evening chow, and the "mess decks and galley are secured" for the night. In Medieval times this would have been known as "The Rack"....!
Now, back to painting parts and assembly, etc.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hank:

Should be an interesting addition, all I can say is good luck, could take some experimentation! Good idea though!

Tom,
Yes indeed! We shall see soon if this works. I have another small print run of small items this morning, including a revised Clevis end socket that connects the end of the Topping Hoist wire rope to the top of the kingpost - plus a few other reprints with new printing orientation for better results.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Over the last month I've had issues with my Anycubic Photon Mono 6K printer. The build platform mounting bracket which travels up/down on the two vertical rails got stuck. I would not move more than 5mm in either direction. I realized that it probably came down to lack of proper lubrication, but then that opened up a whole can of worms once I got into this problem.

The user manual included with the product has very little to say about this issue. Online, the Anycubic support page points to Z Lead Motor failure and replacement. The only written (and printable) instructions for lubricating these parts is only for one of their other model printers, not this one specifically. After a short discussion with Tom F in Fairbanks, we decided that the two Sliders needed to be moved and after using some high viscosity gun oil and a bit of light tapping with a wood block & mallet, I was able to get both sliders moving again. I then turned the machine on and verified that the motor was indeed intact and operating and ran the Mounting Bracket up to a high position on the rails where it could be removed allowing the center Z Lead threaded shaft to be properly degreased/cleaned and then fresh grease applied from end to end. I discovered that one rail had some slight corrosion on the face and using very fine crocus cloth, I was able to remove the corrosion and smooth the metel face. I then removed the mounting bracket and ran it up to the top where it could be removed. Here is the printer with repositioned sliders:

Later that evening I saw a You Tube video from a guy in Australia who ran through the whole lubrication process AND pointed out two grease fittings which the manual never mentioned. This DID catch my undivided attention and I've followed his directions with complete success. Well, up to a point. Even purchasing a "mini-grease gun", the tip is insufficient to properly insert into the spring loaded grease fittings and properly lube the two sliders on the rails. Here is a photo of the sliders with grease fittings:

The grease fitting is the object in the center of the bottom of the slider unit. By this time I had already sent a service request to Anycubic and had (within 24 hours) received a reply from one of thier support techs. Again, not really understanding the problem as I described and leaning towards motor replacement. During a 2nd reply session I mentioned the grease fittings and the sliders and he did caution NOT to try to remove them as there would be "beads" all over the place. I think that this is the term the support guy in China uses when we could properly call these "ball bearings" - which is what they actually are. Needless to say, I left the sliders in their current position and once my grease and grease gun were in hand, set about trying to grease the sliders. As mentioned above, the tip on this grease gun is not small enough to push the fitting in to apply the grease. I may have gotten a small amount in by holding the tip tight against the fitting, but I doubt much went inside. I did grease the sides and front face of the rails and then once the mounting bracket was in place, I ran it up/down several times, regreasing the surfaces a couple times to hopefully get enough grease where it needed to be. Here is a photo of the Z Lead Screw after degreasing and cleaning (I used Simple Green Spray Degreaser/Cleaner):

I then reassembled the printer parts and ran the mounting bracket up/down a couple times to make sure everything was in order. I then proceeded to re-Zero the build platform, put resin in the vat, and ran a test print. All was back in order. This whole process took about a week and a half with wait time for getting the correct grease (2 kinds) and mini-grease gun.

My takeaway from the Anycubic Support team is this - 1) they aren't able to fully understand English and thus can't make a bonified judgement as to what the problem is. 2) Even when you explain in detail what the problem is, the language barrier prevents any real understanding of the issue. 3) their included and online manuals are improperly written in that they fail to give a basic Exploded View of the entire printer and its parts so that the owner can understand how it is put together and can be disassembled. 4) the included manual does not mention vital instructions on maintenance that are critical to keeping the printer operating past the initial 1-year guarantee period (mine had just gone over the 12 months by a week or so!). I did find that the video I watched was very important in directing me to the actual problem with my printer and enabled me to resolve the issues.

The printer is back in action and I'm slowly assembling the crane and revising/reprinting some small parts as I go along. I did receive a follow up from Anycubic Support asking how their response was - I gave them an honest THUMBS DOWN and then explained why in detail.

I hope this helps any other 3D printer owner/users out there who may be experiencing movement issues with their printers. They are all different, but similar in how they work and are designed.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

At this point I've been able to finish the Prototype 2 and I'll leave it at that. Here are some pix of this revised version (see original model at beginning of this topic for comparison) -




While I achieved what my goal was (to show the machinery levels below the exposed part of the crane), the execution of creating a clear plexiglass shell did not come out as well as I'd hoped for. That, plus small amounts of glue that got on exposed surfaces have made this somewhat diminished in quality, thus leaving this a "protytype" rather than a finished model.

At the present time I've got to get my USS NEW JERSEY modified with several 3D design/printed parts I've made for her and I have about 1.5 weeks to do so prior to the Aug. 9-10 model show aboard USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) in Wilmington, NC. So, evenings are the only time I'm able to work in the shop due to lack of suitable a/c in these 90+ days.

I will say that without the crane drawing provided to me by the curator at the museum (BB-55), I wouldn't have been able to design & build this model. While not full-size prints and not to scale, they did give enough information to be able to create the needed parts and allow someone to see what used to be there when the ship was in commission.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Outstanding research and execution!

Cheers: Tom

Thanks, Tom - much appreciated!!

I think at this point the research outweighs the execution. However, as I mentioned to you recently, I think a 1/24th scale model of this would really be quite interesting - with redesigned parts and more detail, it could really show additional mechanical items as well as perhaps electrical circuitry & boxes (something I did not attempt here). That would, of course, require more drawings from the BB-55 museum and this time the complete set, not just odds & ends, etc.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

at 1/24th scale, would it be big enough to have actual electric motors for the rotation of the crane & winches for the cables?