Newsletter Volume 41, Number 11, Nov. 2014 Contacts Work in Progress President: Larry Van Es (7140 936-0389 October 15, 2014 E-Mail [email protected] Reporter: Bill Schultheis Vice President: Bill Schultheis The SMA members are reminded that (714) 366-7602 our annual SMA Auction will take place this E-Mail: [email protected] month, November, so bring the items you wish Secretary: Paul Payne to auction off. More details to follow in this (310) 544-1461 Treasurer: Mike DiCerbo newsletter. (714) 523-2518 15320 Ocaso Ave, #DD204, As 1900 hours approached (7:00 pm for La Mirada, CA. 90630 landlubbers), apprehension mounted. The fleet Editor, Don Dressel had not yet arrived. Lookouts were posted at the (909) 949-6931 crosstrees (actually the front door of the Red Cross 908 W. 22nd Street building) and no ship approached! Upland, CA 91784-1229 E-mail: [email protected] For the first time in forty-two years, the Web Manager: Doug Tolbert: (949) 644-5416 SMA meeting started with no models for the Web Site “Works in Progress”. There were a few www.shipmodelersassociation.org announcements to be taken care of and it looked like it would be a very short meeting. Your Editor Meeting – Wed., Nov. 19, 7 PM, knew the NRG Conference would have an impact Red Cross Building, 1207 N. on the SMA meeting, but did not dream it would Lemon, Fullerton, CA. 92832 be so extreme!! Officers meeting –Wed., Dec. 3, However, Roy Roberts got up to share with 2014, 7 PM, Bob Beech’s house, the club. He explained that getting to the 130 Clove Pl., Brea, CA. 92821 – (714) 529-1481. meetings was getting harder and that he would probably be attending meetings less often in the future. He wanted to express his appreciation for the club and all its members. Then he explained why we never saw any models from him. 1 He has been building models all his life, but he cannot bring them in to meetings due to the fact that they are too big. You see, his models are in 1:1 scale. He worked on two brigantines in San Pedro that were rebuilt by volunteers. He started by painting blocks. Then he graduated to the Sampson posts, installing planking, and just about everything else that was done on the ships. It was a great deal of fun. He also met many fine people along the way. For instance, there was an Irish guy whom the crew paired with Roy. His language was unintelligible to the English speaking Roy and the crew had a good time seeing the non-communication in action. However, Roy and he did belt out a decent rendition of “Danny Boy.” He replanked the Argus for the Boy Scouts. He also worked on the Pilgrim which is now in Dana Point. Then he built a Sabot and donated it to the Boy Scouts. How did he gain the experience and skills to build these 1:1 models? Well, he apprenticed in a wooden boat building shop in Maine back in the thirties. He had always wanted to be a naval officer and then a buddy of his was appointed to the USNA. Since Roy didn’t have any connections he joined the Navy Reserve in 1938. He was appointed to Annapolis but was not taken since he was one- half inch too short! However, he was commissioned in May 1941 and spent a few months on the East Coast. Then he transferred to Hawaii to work on several ships that needed some extensive repairs after the attack on Pearl Harbor. One of his projects was fixing the 16” guns on the USS Wisconsin. Now that is some 1:1 scale model! There were some smaller models through the years. Someone gave him a kit of the Jylland, a ship that is now in Denmark. He appreciated the gift but hated the looks of the ship. (Could it possibly be the fact that it was a Billings Boats model that contributed to his dislike?) 2 Finally, Roy saved the day as he reached into his pocket and brought out a model of the America’s Cup “Ranger” in a bottle. Now we had a model at the meeting and didn’t have to accept the dubious honor of the first model-less meeting of the SMA. Larry Van Es then got up to say a few words about how he also had a desire to go to Annapolis. He didn’t pass the physical so he spent a few years bouncing around job to job. Then he married his wife and after a Hawaiian honeymoon returned home to find himself drafted. He declined the offer and things it was a good thing, since he is so easily sea sick. Steve Lund related that he has been working on a San Salvador model this last month. He took a trip down to San Diego to get some photos of the 1:1 scale model being built there. He was in luck as all the scaffolding was down and he got some great pictures, which he shared with the club. This picture is taken from the San Diego Ship Modelers Guild Newsletter – my apologies to Chuck. The model is 12”:1’ scale, under construction. According to the San Diego Modelers Guild Newsletter, the model is scratch built by Dr. Ray Ashley (multiple builders) for the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Steve brought us up to date on the San Salvador’s progress. The spars and masts are all complete and the crow’s nests are finished. They project to launch the ship in a couple of months or so. Before the launch the ship, however, they will 3 temporarily install the masts to make sure everything fits correctly, then will remove the masts and launch the ship. Of course, they will again install all the spars and rig the ship! The ship is very impressive and is built to USCG standards so there is more headroom below the decks, as well as a power plant and radar. However, even though the historical accuracy is less than perfect, it will be a magnificent addition to the historical sailing community. David Okamura represented the SMA at the recent IPMS show held at California State University Fullerton earlier this month. The SMA sponsored the ship model trophy which went to a well-done model of the battleship IJN Nagato. Speaking of the IPMS, we should be seeing more of their president and fellow SMA member, Sean Fallesen, since the show is now over and he will have so much time on his hands…….. Doug Huntzinger then talked about a trip to Australia where he visited a person who made BIG models, about eight feet long. He was so succinct in his presentation that by the time we realized he was starting, he had finished. Bill Lindhall was going to present a letter of appreciation to Bert Goldstein; however he did not attend this meeting. It seems Burt had done a presentation of how to make cardstock models to a group of amputees. He was a great hit and it 4 looks like we may be getting some new members. What a great guy. Larry then wrapped up the meeting with a little talk about the state of the world’s maritime museums. He mentioned how they were reducing their collections and were concentrating on more modern ships as well as more interactive displays. The displays are generally well done but the tall ships will be missed. Nevertheless, there will always be some older models as well as the few 1:1 scale models such as; HMS Mary Rose, HMS Victory, Cutty Sark, USS Constitution, Charles W. Morgan, the Ship of Cheops, etc. Never fear, ship models are with us for all time. Post Script: We thought the meeting was over until someone spied another ship model that had sailed in unnoticed. It was a paper model that was brought in by David Okamura. There was no scale and the boat was unnamed. We can be pretty sure it was scratch built! Your editor wishes to thank Larry Van Es and Bill Schultheis for filling in for him while he and Dave Yotter were attending the NRG Conference in St. Louis. They did a very fine job and the meeting was covered very well by these two gentlemen. REMEMBER: November’s meeting is the AUCTION meeting!! Don NOT bring your Works in Progress, but instead the many maritime items which you wish to part with. For those who desire, bring your money. We are sorry, but there is no credit card capability. Cash and checks only, thank you. 5 By Don Leyman Old Salts in Port: John Bakker, Steve Jones, Don Leyman, Guy Bell. Ship in Port: USS Rattlesnake, HMS Pegasus, Cutty Sark, Reale De France. On Sunday, following the Wednesday SMA meeting, the Mayflower Group meets to alk about the details of “How to Build Ship Models”. From Beginners to advanced modelers, everyone contributes their knowledge in solving problems members are having with their models. This month, with several members in St. Louis for the NRG Conference, there were only four attendees but we had lots to talk about. Buy Bell brought in his 1:64 Mamoli “Rattlesnake” kit, which he hasn’t started but looks it will be a fun project. We had a discussion on whether he would be able to bend a supplied cast metal decorative transom into a curve to fit the stern of the model. Steve Jones suggested that he thought Guy could bend the metal by heating it to about 200 degrees (F) in water and then gently applying pressure in repeated steps.