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

[BB62vet]

Hank:
Good luck on the tripod mast, a moderately complex piece. I fully expect there will be a learning curve in producing this item. I had good luck with masts and booms printing them hollow and reinforcing with steel piano wire. Looking forward to seeing how this adventure turns out!
Cheers: Tom

Tom,
Yes, certainly a learning process. The tripod I believe I left hollow for inserting steel rods but am not 100% sure - I may have to copy and dissect to see how I originally created those legs. The upper works above the main platform will be printed separately and those are all solid pieces as they are very small diameters. I think I can print the lower tripod as one piece, but again - not positive on this. I'll worry about that when the time comes.

As for the hull/main deck - I think I may take off the deck tape and cover the hull and paint the main deck first, as the closed chocks will now present a problem with masking properly if they are painted first. Any deck items (bitts, etc.) will be added as they are all deck gray anyhow (except for the barrel ends).

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

I haven't tried this yet, but I think you can hollow a tube by (1) making a plane normal to the axis and making a pull circle for cutting along the axis (2) select the axis and key "K" which disects the tube along the axis. Then make a cutting box to rotate around the axis, being sure to have some sticking out of the end to select.

Getting the angles perfect for printing as one piece is tricky, as any shrinkage will alter the geometry slightly.

Good luck! Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

I did design the front leg as hollow, the back two legs are solid. Different diameters involved. I've finished the design and have a Chitu print file set up - 13 1/2 hours print time. Here's a few shots of this effort so far:
Design file shot of the entire tripod structure (minus all the various RADAR antenna and other instruments, etc.) -

Next, here is how the structure is broken down for printing:
Lower tripod mast -

Upper RADAR Service Mast & Platform -

All the individual antennae & so forth are already printed as separate pieces to be added later.
So, tomorrow we'll see if this prints, and if so - does it print complete or a dismal failure.....

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank!

An ambitious piece, I hope it prints in a completely satisfactory way. Smart to have some of the difficult pieces as separate entities. You are getting good enough at this that a first time success is certainly probable.

Good Luck! Tom

[BB62vet]

Hank!
An ambitious piece, I hope it prints in a completely satisfactory way. Smart to have some of the difficult pieces as separate entities. You are getting good enough at this that a first time success is certainly probable.
Good Luck! Tom

Thanks Tom! but it has some problems -

Yes, it printed but with various problems - a jog in the tripod just below the horizontal bracing and various other small defects. However, it does prove it will work (eventually). I've since redone several items in the lower and upper parts (not shown), beefing up thicknesses and so forth. I've got two new print files ready but they will take 13.5 hours and 8.5 hours each to print so a couple days - I may get the longer one started tonight (like I did last night) and then follow it up with the 2nd smaller file. My deck vent and antenna trunk printed very well but my trunk was a bit long so I've corrected that and have it also on the smaller print file. We shall see - 2nd edition may get me closer! I also angled the lower mast as you suggested although only fwd/aft, not side to side - size does restrict the angling consideration.

Hank

[BB62vet]

I just removed the 2nd edition Lower Mast from the printer. At this point all seems to be in order!!! Nothing out of wack that can't be fixed with a bit of careful trimming with the scalpel! So, here is a shot of the 2nd edition lower tripod at the drying stage:

Angling the part and also creating a "raft" for it to sit on were two important things to do. The raft keeps all the individual support legs on one baseplate rather than a separate item (this is an option in the program for setting up the print). Angling the part also slightly reduced the printing time but also made sure there wasn't another jog in the printing process. So, the upper part is now printing (2nd edition) and should be finished around mess call this evening.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Good progress Hank! Persistence seems to be a big factor for success. Good results are a result of experience, experience is a result of bad results!

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

Good progress Hank! Persistence seems to be a big factor for success. Good results are a result of experience, experience is a result of bad results!
Cheers: Tom

Thanks, Tom!!
It also appears that my upper mast part (2 items) has successfully printed today, as well. These are now drying - I'll take my phone w/me tomorrow a.m. and get a shot of them. So far, the modifications seem to have worked on the entire structure - orientation, supports, and slight beefing up of diameters all contributed to a successful print run. My modified antenna trunks also came out excellent, as well.

Hank

[BB62vet]

As it turns out, the lower tripod mast is still giving me fits, so I've printed 3 editions and have the 3rd edition reoriented for a 4th printing of that version but I'm holding off as I can use 2 out of the 3 units as is, it's just that it isn't "perfect" or thereabouts in my opinion. the back legs have issues, the platform and all the components came out fine.

In the meantime, I've got the hull painted and will round up all the necessary decal info and so forth in order to get them put on properly. In addition, I've designed & printed 1st/2nd edition of the forward Jackstaff and supports - STODDARD's in the mid-60s was a bit different than other FLETCHERs and I've designed this one based on a photo of the ship in 1968 when I was aboard. Here is what this looks like:

Comparing this to the kit supplied staff, I'm within a mm of that part's height and I designed mine based on the 1968 BoGP. This picture shows the 2nd edition with thicker posts, etc. although the 1st edition came out fine, just looks a bit weak.

Summer is upon us and there are other things (outdoors) that need my attention, so shop time will be somewhat lessened.

Hank

[BB62vet]

I've been working on design/printing of the fore tripod mast and have evolved thru 3 editions and various prints. All of these have taken a minimum of 10 hours at least and have, to a varying degree, come out quite well although not 100%. My last attempt is currently printing and will run somewhere around 16 hours due to the orientation of the part on the building platform. I don't know whether it will come out complete or run out of height before finishing. My fingers are crossed that this will be a complete part as from what I can see so far, it's printed well on both of the lower rear legs which is the area I'm concerned about.

Here is a shot of the design part to illustrate what the overall part should look like:

So far, I've had the upper portion print very well on 2 of the 3 prints I've made so far, but the lower leg portiions seem to have issues, therefore the additional time, resin, frustration with trying to get these correct.

Hank

[BB62vet]

I've got a successful print, as far as I can tell!!

It will dry under the fan for the afternoon and this evening I'll cure it and see how it's doing. The only part that is somewhat "iffy" is the front ladder on the front leg and it may or may not straighten out with drying. If not, I have a good one printed a week ago as a separate part that I'll have the yardbirds weld into place!

The orientation of this part for printing seems to be the critical aspect - and with this version I had the back legs straight with the front leg angled - it took more time but who cares? This afternoon will be spent either Skylarking or working on wood shop items in my garage.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Congratulations on printing the mast. I am really quite amazed at how much a wavy ladder, when it comes out of the soup, will straighten perfectly with a thorough drying. Stoddard has many unique parts which you have been able to replicate. Having personal photos certainly assists. Having my dad's photos certainly assisted in the ARL construction in which his ship differed considerably from available plans.

Perhaps in a future century NARA will be able to provide some of the data contained within. Send me a photo of the mast if you get a chance!

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Thanks - here are a couple photos of the mast - you're right!!! The ladder DID straighten out and I think it's a keeper

After evening mess I'll salute The Admiral and then head to the shop to cure and then remove a few of the supports.

Hank

[Iceman 29]

Very well done, Hank!

Indeed the very thin elements can be deformed after printing, especially the ladders and the railing.

Thicker supports also bring stress on these parts, so I remove the supports before drying and a possible passage to UV depending on the case and it returns to its original shape by magic!

[BB62vet]

Pascal,

Thanks for the nice remarks! Yes - I love magic also - and isn't it amazing that we can combine ship modeling with magic???

I'll remove the outer supports this evening and then cure with the legs still supported underneath. I'm also amazed that once I had found the right diameters on all the yardarms and struts, that they've consistently printed w/o a problem.

Hank

[BB62vet]

This evening I did get this mast cured under the UV lamp and then removed the supports & printing raft. Here's the final result:

All that's needed now is a small amount of cleanup of support nibs and so forth and then stashing this away until it's needed for installation.

Back to hull/deck work!!!

Hank

[Fliger747]

Good Job Hank! A complex and major feature of your Stoddard. Often when working near the limits of our currently technically feasible, several developmental trials will be necessary, though we are slowly upping the percentage of success on the first date as it were.

Regards: Tom

[BB62vet]

Good Job Hank! A complex and major feature of your Stoddard. Often when working near the limits of our currently technically feasible, several developmental trials will be necessary, though we are slowly upping the percentage of success on the first date as it were.
Regards: Tom

Much appreciated, Tom - Thanks!! Yes, this was a complex item to design - the legs were modified 3 times and the platform & components also went thru at least 1 modification in dia. increases where applicable in order to print correctly w/o looking out of scale. The upper mast unit is still (after almost a month) a bit "rubbery" but once painted will do fine as long as you don't mess with it. I will probably add all the various antennas to it prior to painting with the exception of the SPS-6C and SPS-10 as they have been sprayed individually and only need to be installed w/CA. But, that will come later when the time's appropriate - everything now goes in the cabinet for safe keeping.

Hank

[Willie]

Hi there Hank and all,

It seems it was ages ago when I showed up here for the last time. 1/1 scale life has interferred with advanced modelling once more, as usual during the school year. Who says a teacher? life is easy.

Your 3D printing abilities seem to have improved lots since last march. With the Mk.63 directors and the other elements you have done an excellent job, probably as good as can be done. I scratch-built mine, and I am happy with them, but yours are definitely two steps ahead of what I did. I also deleted all the closed chocks, and carved my own. They took time, but also give the decks a completely different look.

The radars are a completely different story. Your results are surprisingly crisp and delicate, and honestly I will never be able to achieve such quality with my scratch-building in all the years of my life. Fine rounded elements have always been my personal nightmare.

It would be wonderful if you put together all the elements that you have already made, so that we can have a general look of your construction.

In the meanwhile, keep the good work and nice going from the other side of the Atlantic,

Willie.

[BB62vet]

Willie,

Thanks so much for your positive feedback!! Always a boost to actually hear from someone who viewed the posts/pix, etc. Well, we've each chosen a different medium to follow to achieve similar results - can't say one is better, simply perhaps more in line with current situation. I'm glad you like what I've been able to achieve at this point and it's been a learning curve throughout. However, the parts that I have replaced that began as scratch-built items simply do not compare with the 3D printed items in detail and also correct size. Some of these items I've worked in concert with Tom Falley and we've sort of arrived at a common point where the part satisfies the need in both our minds.

Re. the Mk. 63 FCD - this began with Tom, and I sort of embellished what he had sent me after the purchased parts on my end either broke or simply weren't suitable. Many of the 3D Shapeways parts I had purchased in 2017 are now simply "dinosaurs" as he & I have both learned to make much more detailed parts - and using very basic software and printing tools to do so.

Re. the two main RADAR antenna (SPS-6C & SPS-10) - I have not found a commercial product for the SPS-10 antenna so having made a metal version by hand for my 1:200 scale USS NEW JERSEY 8 or so years ago, I decided this is something that COULD be done 3D and basically accomplished that goal. No, neither of the antennas have the very fine background mesh, but then neither do the commercial version (SPS-6) that's available. So, I felt in the case of the SPS-6C that I could produce something more detailed and finer in final printing than the commerical version I had bought. I believe I've already posted those items in a prior entry. I sought Tom's help in printing as his new printer has 50% more capacity for details than mine and then redesigned both antenna to achieve similar results on my printer - this I did accomplish. In the case of the SPS-10, I took an entirely different approach to the design to begin with and was able to successfully complete the part and print it on my printer - I have a couple of his versions as spares.

As for the tripod mast - that was (in comparison to the dual 3"/50 gun mounts) quite complex in its design and took a couple different iterations of leg diameater increases to achieve a print that is close to 100% correct. All the small lamp (globes), instr/communication antennas, and so forth are yet to be added. THAT will be a test of patience as these mast poles and yardarms are rather fragile, although also quite bendable due to the type of resin that I used. I will post further photos as I get this entire mast unit put together but it won't be real soon - other things in the queue. I may do a composite 3D design file with everything located and take a snip of that for posting which would show how the finished mast will look when completed.

Once again, thanks for the nice comments and I hope with school coming to another close, you'll have time to update us all on your build!

Hank