1/144 Scale USS STODDARD (DD-566) - Kitbash, Revell FLETCHER

[BB62vet]

Hank:
You might be disqualified from a TED Talk when NPR discovers your history as a passer of destructive weapons to be fired at an innocent coastline? We won't tell anyone!
Keep up the good work! Tom

- I'm s-o-o distraught......NOT!!!!!! By the time I drove back home the day I retired in April 2019, NPR had become so damn left-wing oriented that when I arrived home, that was the last time I've ever listened to them. I used to enjoy their science, nature, human interest stories - now all inundated with their left wing, socialist, cry baby politics from end to end.

But thanks for the encouragement!!! Onward Ho!!!

Hank

[Timmy C]

A reminder to try to keep obvious political commentary off the board to avoid the inevitable offtopic derailments, thank you.

[Fliger747]

My Fault, sorry!

[Fliger747]

Hank:

I sent you a printed version of your file of the stack antenna assembly. The main idea here is whether of not a higher resolution printer will or will not produce a stronger item (in the thin areas) due to more layers. Be interesting to see your evaluation of the difference. In this case both were printed with the same Rapid Black resin.

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

Hank:
I sent you a printed version of your file of the stack antenna assembly. The main idea here is whether of not a higher resolution printer will or will not produce a stronger item (in the thin areas) due to more layers. Be interesting to see your evaluation of the difference. In this case both were printed with the same Rapid Black resin.
Cheers: Tom

Tom,
Yes, they arrived and look great!! I think your printer (being a higher resolution model) was the key on a successful print! I hope to get some PE grating cut to size and installed and then I'll spray them flat black.

Probably won't do model work for the next week or so - Admiralty projects involving full time yardbirds in the back deck area - you know what I'm talking about

Hank

[Fliger747]

Ah yes, drafted for 'Yardbird" duty, good luck with the project , though maybe this is more a project for a CB Battalion. If they show up examine their orders carefully, you might end up overnight with a new airstrip complete with PSP in the yard.

Yes rapid evolution in technology tends to result in rapid obsolescence. The commercially printed parts from a couple of years ago in some case became superseded before you got to install them. I've in several cases gone back and updated elements with greater detail.

Looking forward to your next updates! Tom

[BB62vet]

The major portion of my "yardbird" projects are complete with only deck painting left to do (at this point, who knows what The Admiral will come up with next )

So, today/tonight I've been working on designing the after stack AFT yardarm, antennae, and supports. Here's a progress shot -

The object in purple is a rendition of the after stack & bottom of stack cap from the kit parts for sizing, etc. I've actually gotten a bit further but haven't made an update photo as yet. I had already created/printed the two NT66131 antennas separately, but decided to go ahead and add them to the yardarm and print everything together since I had good luck doing the same on the forward yardarm. Can't argue with success, right!

The printer is currently in the maintenance shop for minor overhaul (sort of like pier-side availability in the real NAV!!! ). I hope to have it up & running in a day or so. Of course, this is as long as The Admiral & her Cat are not out cruising to give me a bruising

Hank

[Fliger747]

Another great add-on Hank:

It's rather amazing what can print when the stars are aligned!

Best regards: Tom

[BB62vet]

Another great add-on Hank:
It's rather amazing what can print when the stars are aligned!
Best regards: Tom

Tru dat!

OK, so here is the final version (at this point, that is!) -

The purple objects will not be printed (obviously )

See what happens in the next day or so - printer is still in maintenance mode.

Hank

[BB62vet]

Currently working on designing the Steam Whistles & piping for the Forward Stack -

This is incomplete but shows the basic unit - to modify the kit supplied part to the 1960s version would probably end up with several broken pieces and I, like Willie, prefer to make my own and include a few things the kit parts don't. Whether these all print out is another thing, but I'm adding the steam valves and so forth so we'll know soon enough whether they print or come out as a blob

I may get this finished in time to add it to the print file with the after stack aft yardarm, etc.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Always worth pushing the limits, one never knows. I was surprised at how well 1:500 Quad Bofors and 3" 50's came out.

Good Luck! Tom

[BB62vet]

Hank:
Always worth pushing the limits, one never knows. I was surprised at how well 1:500 Quad Bofors and 3" 50's came out.
Good Luck! Tom

Tom,
Yes indeed! I was glad that you got good results on your first attempt with the 1:500 parts.

I've finished the design for the Steam Whistle & piping -

It's been added to the Chitu print file along with (3) of the Aft Stack After Yardarm Assemblies and perhaps I'll get the printer back online this weekend and see what happens. always an experiment at this stage of the game!

Hank

[Fliger747]

It should print! I need to replace my FEP for larger prints, right in the middle there is a frosted section of FEP . Smaller items I can print around the sides. This is a much larger FEP so I'll have to see if I have a big enough piece, hope so! I printed the 1:500 weapons in Goopy grey, I expect they would have been slightly better in Rapid BlackResin. The challenge with these is sometimes de platforming and mounting with out breaking them.

Have heard of steam whistles being stuck on with some types of battle damage, very distracting!

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

It should print! I need to replace my FEP for larger prints, right in the middle there is a frosted section of FEP. Smaller items I can print around the sides. This is a much larger FEP, so I'll have to see if I have a big enough piece, hope so! I printed the 1:500 weapons in Goopy grey, I expect they would have been slightly better in Rapid Black Resin. The challenge with these is sometimes de platforming and mounting without breaking them.
Have heard of steam whistles being stuck on with some types of battle damage, very distracting!
Cheers: Tom

Tom,
Indeed - wasn't it Steamboat Willie (Walt's 1st animated short?) who was piloting the riverboat and the whistle got stuck?? Well, hire a mouse instead of a Pilot....duh, a no brainer

Will hope to print the yardarm & steam whistle soon - a bit cooler here and the shop more tolerable during the day!

Hope your FEP stock is large enough to do the trick - otherwise, you'll be dialing Amazon for a delivery!!!

Hank

[BB62vet]

While looking for one of the sprues to the kit for only one part, I realized that I've either lost or misplaced it. However, after reviewing a couple of photos that I and Ens. Shutte took of STODDARD in 1968 that showed the after stack from the back, that the kit part would not be correct, so it wasn't all that much of a problem. So, tonight I designed the corrected vent pipe that has an offset that wasn't there in the '40s. So, one more part to be printed; don't know if it will fit on the file I've got ready with two other parts aforementioned -

Of course, I have no doubts about it printing, but it may need some tweaking on the angled legs at the bottom. This was a pretty easy part to design, unlike a lot of them that are real bears.

Hank

[BB62vet]

All parts printed out very well and are now drying. I'll cure them later this evening and then start to build the stacks as I "think I've got all the necessary parts printed that will be needed for construction.

With Admiralty projects pretty much completed, I hope to get a bit of actual model construction done this fall. We'll see....nothing is every certain these days

Hank

[BB62vet]

While contemplating the further construction of the stacks, it occurred to me that using the Edward PE sets that I have for additonal detailing would involve "iffy" at best locating and cementing of miniscule parts to the kit stack cap - and I decided to go ahead and design/print them myself including the hand grabs and rings that would need to be added as a one-piece unit. So, here is the effort that is now on the printer -

This will be typical for both stacks so no need to do a 2nd one. If this prints out ok, then I may go ahead and add a couple other additional details that will differentiate the fore & aft caps. Having the actual parts handy to take exact measurements from certainly helps in designing so that the cap fits the top of the stack as neatly as the kit parts fit together. Adjusts can always be made!

Hank

[BB62vet]

The stack caps printed with only a minor adjustment to be made on the 2 curved frames at the top. I've made the adjustment -

And the new version (2) are now printing. I also beefed up the antenna support rods on the aft stack after yardarm and it is printing, as well.

Should know in a couple hours how these came out. As I've mentioned before, this is a trial & error development project - nothing is guaranteed.

Hank

[Fliger747]

As a note, the rails and hand rungs as seen in Design Spark mechanical look quite hefty, but in the actual printing come out quite fine and airy. Should look good Hank!

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Yes, they come out ok - however, the last print run (2) the lower rings came out "sort of" - so, I've slightly increased the diameter, reoriented at a slight angle from dead flat, and will now print the 4th rendition (2.5 hours).

Here's a shot of the existing cap and steam whistle -

I've got six on this next print run, so I should have more than enough - the one I've got may work but doesn't have the front break in the lower hand ring which may be necessary.

Hank