[SkyFire]

Good luck with it Dave.

[berth44]

Some time work is a pain Phil and you get those 'big' days, honest, I know what it's like....cough cough cough!!! A big day for me would be if the internet dirt itself, then I would have nothing to do!.... I'd be twiddling me thumbs for 8.5 hours, 'the word 'big' would therefor (in my case) refer to getting through it......."ach.....sigh!!"
Anyhoo, you turn up Phil, that's what's impotant....and less of the 'old pal' pal, you're only as old as the boat that you're building...."huh??"....wait a minute...that's old...very old..."god!!" I am old...sorry Phil...I will from this day forward accept the fact.... "oh sigh".....bugger me!!!!!
"Yip herr Phil"....one could say, I was having a wee bit 'bother', anything that taxes me brain is 'bother', that's why I gave it a rest last night and did nothing, just 'thinked quietly' (while sleeping on the couch!!)
A couple of things sprung to my attention though..the 'origininal Booms' from the kit had the 'plastic' 'Z' girder section of each boom (not the stay) replaced with two pieces of 'X' section girder from the 'Trumpeter brass detail set' (supplied with kit)
My new 'new set' reverts back to 'Z' sectioning for these parts and I don't know what is correct as I cannot find any' up close' detail of an actual boom, I've never read anything, nor has it been mentioned on line or on any forum. 'X or Z???'........"Hmmmmm".......
Anyhoo, I'm thinking I'll go with the 'new stuff', all that 'extra' detail work of finer girders and rivet detail are just enough to sway me plus my means of 'fixing' the afore mentioned 'problems' (previously) will work, but my commitment to this must be 100% as I'll need to 'break' the plastic booms to remove the 'hooks and pulleys'...... I'll decide tonight...."oh"..I also discovered that I put one of the boom 'stays' on upside down, probably wouldn't have noticed either if I were not replacing it!!!!.........Dave

[berth44]

"Oh!!!"....thanks Anthony!!!...........Dave

[bluedot0]

A break is a good thing Dave.....you can rearrange your thoughts, give the eyes time to readjust and sleep on the couch........then get back into it.

From the few pictures I have seen of her cranes on the Net, the boom's are in the Z pattern.....it was, from the look of other ships the "standard", but you may find reference photo's by Google search for the USS Pennsylvania, her sister, they apparently were almost identical.

Check this out a few piccies here, www.jamesaflood.com/_mdpenn.htm

Phil

[bluedot0]

Some interesting photos on these pages of the Pennsylvania
www.navsource.org/archives/01/38g.htm

And there's one photo on this page that looks very much like the artwork on the Trumpeter box (image 013829)
www.navsource.org/archives/01/38d.htm

This page shows an Arizona crane, it looks very much a box type...
www.navsource.org/archives/01/013910b.jpg

This is the main site page, I find lots of info here....
www.navsource.org/archives/01idx.htm

Phil

[berth44]

Thanks Phil, I cant see anything that appears to be conclusive, the 'jamesaflood' Pennsylvania model is pretty good and it looks as if the boom has the 'z' pattern, but I cannot get the photo to enlarge. The booms were a 'box' girder type structure, it's the 'in-between' section on the lower 'arm' is inquestion.......Dave

[berth44]

I managed to get into the 'Fine Art Models' site Phil (usually blocked) and there was the Arizona model (1/192) These builders put out the best ship models..at a premium price of course, it's like buying a new car for some of their models!!
Anyhoo, I got a half decent view of their version of the boom and it shows quite clearly the 'Z' pattern on both the 'top stay' and the 'lower part' that I'm interested in.
I reckon that'll do it for me as the credits list that the model was constructed from the 'correct' plans of the ship..and further references are taken from 'other reliable' naval sources, and the 'clincher' extensive use of the 'Paul Stillwell Book'...build on McDuff!!!........Dave

[bluedot0]

Excellent you've done well, the site has some very nice models, but way outta my league on price......I prefer to build them myself, but it has the info you need.....and for free!!!! so it must be right....Phil

[bluedot0]

No I'm not going to put it up again...........Phil

[berth44]

I'm just going to get on with it Phil,when it's done?..it's done...no more changing!!..Dave

[berth44]

The 'new brass' for the 'booms' are done Phil exactly as I said I would do them, the plastic jib and stay came away from their fixture points to the 'tube',(plastic part) because (luckily) I hadn't glued these in place!!, the 'new brass parts' fit easily to this 'tube' (as per the plastic ones)and I will glue these in place securely when the whole thing is completed!
There is no real requirement for any of these parts to move Phil, but the way I've put the jib and 'stay' together allows them to be permanently joined together and move, and by drilling through the bottom of the 'jib' part (where it attaches by 'plastic brackets' that are still affixed to 'the pole') means that I can have the whole crane temporarily fitted together as one unit as I work on it as required.
I now need to make up new 'pulley wheels' from plastic sprue of a similar diameter ...(I've got nothing else!?)I'll 'chop' these into fine pieces using the 'best' to act as 'new wheels!!' Cable will also be required, this will have to be fashioned into 'loops' probably made from fuse wire to replace the 'P/E' cable that once was attached to the crane hooks and 'looped' round the pulley wheels...a modellers work is never done!!......Dave

[bluedot0]

It sounds like these cranes have sapped a bit of energy from you my friend....I can understand that...you've been busy with them for a little bit now, but it sounds like Percy has been needed.......

I had a break on the weekend as well, some of the finer brass bits were getting to me, so as you did, Saturday, Sunday were very much "dolittle" days.....I think much of this week will be too.....Phil

[berth44]

Well Phil, they are doing their best, but I'll get over it....as long as there is a fix!
I was looking over 'my work' as one does...doesn't one?, and I spied this long black thing in one of the 5" gun tubs.. it was the part that I broke off the funnel a week or so ago! If the part that I made doesn't want to budge, I'll just leave it..no big deal!!
I'll probably just quietly work away each night (if I feals like it Phil) finishing off the booms, I think it's going to be quite trying......Dave

[bluedot0]

You'll be fine, your tougher than the haggis that roams the Scottish Highlands......but you've got it right, a little bit at a time.

A lucky find in the gun tub, I imagine the part you made is fine, leave it on, only you know it's story and with all the detail your putting on her, it won't be noticed on this most excellent of builds.......Phil

[berth44]

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm" Haggis....love the stuff Phil', I could go one now!!!...'A haggis supper and chips?'...my mouth is watering at the very thought of it!!!!..........Dave

P/S ,'the part'...It's a wee bit shorter than it should be, I guessed!!, but like you say, I only knows the story, we'll see...and it's 'slow as she goes' .....no hurry!!