Hi folks!

I've finally plucked up the courage after all these years to start a build log after watching so many great builds on this website for several years now.

I'm going to be building Trumpeter's SS Jeremiah O'brien in 1/350 with Gold Medal Models Photoetch.

Any thoughts or comments are most welcome and if anyone can recomend any good references for this one, it'd be appreciated.

I'm by no means a rivet counter, but i'll be building in the museum style as it suits my space restrictions and my style. Hopefully I won't take too long between posts either, but no promises!

Now if I could just figure out how to upload photos....

I too have that kit, won it at the monthly model club meeting. Usually build aircraft carriers, but this looks like a nice one to do. I'll be following your build. I'm a returning modeler after a 50 year hiatus, so my skills are somewhat lacking and it takes me some time to get anything done. However, If you don't mind, I think I'll break out the box and try to build along with you. Need to get some PE for it though.

Should be fun.

EJ

Welcome Aboard Eugene! It'd be great to work alongside you on this one, so yes, please join in.

I too am slowly regaining my skills in the salty side of the subject after a long hiatus with far too few builds of ships under my belt in recent years.

Russell,

Can't wait to see your Liberty build. Those ships were so ugly they were dowwnright beautiful... tons of mast and rigging detail, great fun! The Jeremiah O'Brien is home ported in San Francisco, and I've been lucky enough to have seen the ship in person. I took pictures; let me know if you get stuck and maybe I can help you out. There are also quite a few pics of the O'Brien posted online, so research documentation for your build should be no problem.

A suggestion before you begin: the 1/350 Trumpeter kit is nice, but L'Arsenal has one in resin that is absolutely awesome. They also offer a photoetch and resin upgrade set for the Trumpeter kit which contains some of the parts from their own Liberty kit. I don't know the cost or even if it is still available, but the parts in it are excellent and offer a simple way to help you take your Trumpeter Liberty to the next level.

Anyway, best of luck with your build!

regards,
Tim

Hi Tim!

All i can say is: Wowwww! I looked in on the L'Asenal website and you're right! Their Liberty kits are works of art! Unfortunately out of stock and sorry to say out of my budget. But, we soldier on!

Thank you so much for the offer of the resource material-I'll keep that in mind if I start to struggle with info. I noticed that the Jeremiah has a facebook page too with lots of pics on that might come in handy.

One question that does come to mind whilst I wrestle the hull into something decent: Is the black and white boot strap on the hull correct for WWII fit or is it something added more recently? I've seen many resources that suggest all liberty ships were simply grey with a red hull below the water line.

Okay folks:

Lets see if i can get some pics up!





So far I have assembled the main hull pieces. Everything was dry fitted, taped up and then Liquid Poly'd together to get the correct fit, but the general fit and shape of the parts is pretty awful!



No doubt I'm going to be wrestling with filler and wet 'n' dry sand paper for a bit yet. I haven't decided upon a base yet, but once i get the all the mismatch sorted, i'll remove the bilge keels and replace them with the photo etch and possibly replace the hawse pipe holes as the molded ones are distorted to allow them to be molded.



Thank Goodness the Liberty ships were fully welded. I'd hate to lose all that lovely plating detail present on some models these days.

Russell if you use this Link it may help you with your Colour Questions........Cheers mark

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shipmodels.info%2Fmws_forum%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D51%26t%3D16742%26start%3D20&ei=3p12UOb5JOuyiQeT0YDICg&usg=AFQjCNEj7xmhDvFYuREO1JwMKOZ1Jwp76Q&cad=rja

Hi Mark!

Thanks for the heads up! Seems to confirm my suspicions bout there being no bootstrap on these ships

Russ

So far, so good Russ, she seems to be shaping up nicely, even with the fit problems.

I remember seeing her in Tampa for years while she was undergoing her renovation. While she was in dry-dock I recall they did put the black boot stripe on her
But more likely than not that was just the restorers
Since I have wanted to add the Jeremiah O'Brien to my collection, I shall watch this build with much interest!

Later

Hi Russ.
Will be following with interest as I built one of these many moons ago OOB and have a second one with PE etc to build.
My research indicated that the boot lines were applied to the ships at various times, but not when production was at its height. They were losing too many ships to be worried about niceties like pretty lines around the hull.
I found the kit to be an easy build with no real problems OOB.
Good luck mate!
Cheers
Warren

I've been working on the Trumpy Liberty ship also...I've got two hatches open and will have the ship's cargo booms disgorging some armored vehicles. One question: where were the hatch boards stored while the hatch was being worked...also, where were the transverse hatch beams placed after the boards were removed. I served on an AKA in the USN, and we just put them stuff in a convenient place...maybe they did the same on the Liberty ships. Any thoughts? I'm really stumped on how to rig the shrouds - and how to attach them to the kingposts and deck.

Looking forward to watching your build Russell. I have one of these in my stash also.....Cheers mark

Hi Warren, yep, I think i'll go with the lower water line as per WWII and avoid the boot strap altogether.

Doug, I'm not sure on any of those things yet, but if i found any out as i go, i'll post something here.

Had a couple of weeks off, due to commitments, and illness so hopefully i'll have something to show soon.

Real life comes first, but we're glad to hear you're doing better Russell

Thankyou Jeremy It's a long weekend here, so hopefully i can crack on a bit and gets some progress shots up this week.

Russ

Glad to hear that you are back on Deck Russell and look forward to seeing your Build of her.....Cheers mark

Thanks Mark It's great to be back on the tools! Time to upload some progress pics: I wasn't too keen on how the original hawse pipe hole looked, as the toolmakers have obviously made some concessions to allow the part to mold.


So i removed it and replaced it with brass wire along with drilling out the holes.


After several rounds I've managed to wrestle the hull into something decent almost ready for primer.




The deck seams are all but hidden now:





The original bilge keels are removed, ready for the photo etched ones, a few spots of filler still to sand.


and slots have been cut ready for the accomodation ladders to be added later on.



More soon

Just a minor nit: the term is Boot Topping, a.k.a. Boot Top or Boot Stripe.

See here: http://www.history.navy.mil/books/nnv/abc.htm

V/R,

Andrew P, PBFHS
Chesapeake, Virginia

Alrighty then! It's about time I posted some progress pics. I know I'm a notoriously slow builder, so my apologies

First up are some pics of the hull prepped and ready for primer. The first PE has been added in the form of a bildge keel The molded on keel having been removed prior.





The blue tape is there to hold the keel in place until the glue cures.







a quick coat of primer



Does anyone know if the bow shape is correct? It doesn't seem quite right to me just below the stem. Correcting it would take a lot of work though so that's how it's gonna stay









More soon.

PS. duly noted Andrew

Nice work Russel,nice and smooth looking hull.
Cheers,
Julian

Thank you Julian. Good thing there was no rivetting or plating to worry about on this one. Let's just hope the Trumpeter Prinz Eugen that's lurking in the stash doesn't have the same issues

Very nicely done so far Russell and good to see you are still building her.....Cheers mark

Thanks Mark!

Work's continuing slowly, but I should be able to get a fair bit done in the next few weeks, as I'm planning on some serious time in the man cave over the Christmas Break!


PS Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year to everyone!

Time for an update: Started getting the deck fittings sorted out and ready for painting.









Added a fire hose from the PE set prior to topcoat



and a coat of 5-0 Ocean grey to the hull









and anti fouling red to the bottom of the hull





The masking looks like a pretty cool disruptive pattern methinks


Best wishes for the new year everyone!

Nice progress Russell,
PE looks excellent.
Cheers,
Julian