Here are a few photos that I got from the National Park Service, Boston National Historical Park. Since I'm building the Fletcher, I thought they were interesting.

USS Cassin Young DD 793 in a drydock period 1979-80, Boston.











Regards
Steve

I'm presently DIW until i can figure out a base for this thing. (don't want to be thinking about a base after it's done............ )

Gonna have to go scrounging in the hardware and hobby shops.

Regards
Steve

OK.....got the engine running again and no longer DIW. Got a coupala plans in the works for my stand.

Since i already yakked about this in the "Carpenter Shop" I won't here. Just a pic.



Regards
Steve

After almost 2 months of working on my Fletcher, I have just yesterday glued my first two kit pieces together.

I have joined the two hull halves together. Liquid glue, doublers, Kit Hull braces, and then the not so pretty interior contraption for the holding of the display stand. Half a bottle of CA on that. Not pretty inside but solid as a rock.

I was careful with all the joining being done from inside so there is very little exterior cleanup. The seam does need a little sanding.

Regards
Steve

The Stand mounting hardware was a bear.

Still have some fine details to work out. Bic pen is the outer sleeve mounted securely inside the hull. The larger dia brass tube slides snugly inside the plastic Bic tube, will be CAed permanently. Small brass tube will be either Option 1. inserted INSIDE the Lamp Riser where i cut off the male threads and drilled it out. or Option 2. Slid OVER the sanded off male threads on the riser. This will be able to fit snugly inside the larger brass tube and yet be removable.



Regards
Steve

Looks good those brass stands.

Cheers/Jan

The last update for the stand hardware.

A solid "no shake" stand. I ground down the male threads on the Brass Riser. Fitted and CAed the smaller brass tube to that end of the riser. The larger brass tube is CAed into the White Bic plastic pen........which is very solidly attached to the inside of the hull.

You will note from the photo that I had thoughts of drilling out the Brass Riser and either slipping in the smaller tube or a long bolt. Went through several brass risers in this testing process.

I THINK I have something that will be solid, yet allow me to remove the hull from the stand. If i had not wanted to make the stand removable i would have omitted the smaller tube. It would then have fit onto the male elnd of the riser.



Hull Inner Supports for brass tubing:



I'm ready to get back to the ship now..........

Regards
Steve

Great set of posts (pun intended) and pictures, Steve - all the way form the first oil-canning to the brass risers. I'm really looking forward to seeing more. Including details like the hull fittings makes a great difference in the finished model, I think. Keep up the great work. Barry

Thanks Barry,

Appreciate the comments. I have followed your Ellyson build also. I have that one in my stash. In fact, it's the best darn ship kit I have EVER seen.

Regards
Steve

OK, one last "Stand" photo and I'm back to work on the ship. I have attached a "Temporary" build stand. The display stand later. It's not hard to see the belly intakes sitting elevated like this. No brass parts have been CAed as of yet, but the photo showing it being lifted shows that the fit is tight and it's not really going anywhere. I had to cut down my bolts as I recessed the heads into the wood base.





This stand/base has taken me an abnormally long time since I've never made a ship stand before. At least now i have the steps down. Next ones will be much simpler.

Regards
Steve

I was looking over the hull with the decking dry fitted, looking to see if anything needed to be done.

Well, I just couldn't get past the midship 20mm gun tubs......or splinter shields that are molded onto the main deck. Over a 1 foot scale thinkness. They had to go. Working on that now. I think that if i do well with the tub it will make a "delicate" addition with the drainholes at the foot. I tried very hard to NOT do this..........but i was forced.

Photos when I get something going on the replacement.

Regards
Steve

Finally an update with pictures. I got the waist 20mm Gun Tubs done. I scraped off the old thick ones, sanded, and polished the deck. I built the tubs out of thin styrene (I don't remember the thickness).

References are all over the page on just what these things look like. I checked the plans and I checked photos. Those drain holes are all over the place.......reference wise. What I have done is come up with what looks plausible according to the references that i do have. They are certainly better than the originals. I'm happy with them.

First photo shows the sanded and polished deck along with the tub pieces.



The finished product. The rib around the tub "appears" to be a stiffening piece. You can just about see the old molded tub laid on the far side inside the new tub. Little out of focus there.



Regards
Steve

Hi Steve , just dropped in to see how the build goes . Like what you came up with for the stand . How many tubs to you have to do ?

Hello Terri,

Long time no see. How many tubs? Those are the only tubs on the main deck. Don't have a clue as to upper decks. I'm not there yet. I'm just looking at things as I come to them and decide then. I'm not in ANY hurry. I'm doing a LOT of cogitating. Hugh put me onto that term..........I like it.

Now when that wingnut comes out with their 1/32 D VII..........I'll be back.

Regards
Steve

Hello Steve

Your gun tub looks nice. Like I told you,I just thined out the ones on mine,and added the braces.

Right now I'm still waiting for the PE from Nautilus. And working on the new Wingnut kits of the LGV,SE5a and the Junkers J1. Have a production line going for them,until I have the PE for the Fletcher.

I hope Nautilus comes out with the other deatails in PE that James has shown me on my posting on Steel Navy. The sckuttle ahtches and hand wheels for them and other details.

Great work Steve.

Keithi

Un-Exciting update: Waiting on the Nautilus PE set to arrive. I'm also looking closely at the different decklevel bulkheads for molded on detail...........whether to scrape off or deal with. I'm also in the final training push for an upcoming bicycle trip. The build might get a bit interrupted for a couple of weeks.

Regards
Steve

Exciting Fletcher Update for a change.........exciting in that I finally got my copy of the Nautilus Models Fletcher PE set.



This set is going to delay the build in that I have some thinking to do. I "THINK" I'm going to open up several deck hatches. A few of them are large enough where you will be able to see some "stuff" inside. The PE set hs the hatches and i have a few references as to what they look like "opened".

So far I'm just on the Main Deck.......no farther up that that.

Regards
Steve

Steve , are you MIA still ? How was the bike trip ?

Hey Terri,

MIA eh? Well, I'm recovering from the bike trip. Lots of miles and I was pooped!

But I'm back and "thinking"..........I want to remove all the escape tubes and install tubes to have the hatches open on at least a few of them. The issue is that they are oval and only a few are round. The round ones could be plastic drink straw. Oval? Dont have a clue.

But your correct.......I need to get back to work. I cant do anything really until I get those tubes figured out.

Regards
Steve

So all pooped out hey ! How many miles did you end up doing ?

The drinking straws might do well for the round ones , but the oval ones ????

Only thing that comes to mind is rolling/shaping some styrene sheet to the shape needed . Either .10 or .15 or you could use tubing slightly heat and flatten some what .With a final sanding to shape .

Hey Terri,

300 miles. Hey.............for me thats a long way.

Your mention of rolled styrene...........don't think so as these things are about 1/8th inch circumference....BUT.........that brings to mind the rolled PE barrells of machine guns....why not make a wooden pattern and roll some heated PE around it? That just might work.

Thank you for the idea. I think i have a wooden dowel I can shape into the oval.

Regards
Steve

300 miles !!!!! WOW , I would be lucky to make 100 maybe 150 before my legs tell me different .

I like the idea of rolling PE sheets , sanding wouldn't take long and the metal will hold the shape better the a drinking straw would or sheet sytrene .

Oh Yeah ! Glad to see back

Is Steve lost at sea ??

Blub Blub.............

I'm getting back to work on it...................it's just .............SUMMER

Regards
Steve

Hi Steve, I'm the new kid on the block and just read this article. WOW! Great work so far and very inspirational to boot. I am stitting out her in the flat-land desert of West Texas trying to do everything by Internet. I would kill for a set of plans showing the hull information and details you used to start your build. None of my references come close in detail. I have this kit with intentions of building DD-661 The USS KIDD in her 1944 Measure 31, Pattern 10-D. I have been collecting references on it since 1987 and have visited the museum a couple of times for photo opps. I just got home an hour ago from getting plans reduced and enlarged to 1/144 scale. I have been collecting detail parts in resin, brass, steel, etc preparing to build. I'm also waiting on that beautiful turned brass mast you were looking for. If you are still looking for it I can tell you where to find one.

Time to get back to work,
Keith