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 Author  Topic: Revell P.T. 109 w/WEM PE
David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 5:20am
Weathering can be a tough thing to duplicate and a very personal choice. Here's some examples of these boats after exposure to the tropical sun. There's a number of ways to achieve the look from pastels as Frank mentioned to lightening up panels like the guys do with airplanes by introducing white or light gray (my preference) to the base color. Trust me, you could write a book on the subject. As you can see with this particular example some brown tones are in order as well.



Same deck and same boat with water on it.



Another view showing how chalky the paint can become.


Again I think it's a personal preference and like any artist it's up to the modeler to choose which method they are comfortable with and provides the results they find pleasing.
Dave



David Waples

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robtmelvin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 6:19am
Duplicate post. See below. Thanks for your patience.

Bob

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robtmelvin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 8:56am
David, thanks for your kind comments. First, let me express my thanks to you for your unknowing help on this build. I used your P.T. 109 in the modelwarships gallery as my guide and inspiration in this build. While my 109 is not up to the standards of yours, you did provide me with much guidance and no small amount of inspiration in my build. Particularly, your work on the shielding around the cockpit was a great help to me in modifying the kit parts to reflect the correct configuration.

Unfortunately, my scratch building and weathering skills are pretty basic at this point. I came back to the hobby about 3 years ago after over 35 years away and I still have so much to learn. I felt that, within the limits of my skills, the best way to show the weathered deck, considering that the 109 was a battle scarred veteran even when Kennedy took command, and that she was subjected to the harsh climate of the Solomon Islands, including exposure to salt water, and a lack of maintenance that would have been common to boats in advanced areas like Tulagi and Rendova, was to shoot the paint in such a way as to give it a rather rough appearance. It may not have been the best approach, but we have to work with the skills we have.

As to the paint color, I selected WEM's Tropical Green after consulting with the folks at White Ensign. Since they produce the most accurate line of paints for USN World War II colors, I was inclined to defer to their suggestions. Also, there is really no hard evidence as to the colors she wore at the time of her loss, a subject that has been heavily debated on this and other forums.

My biggest disappointment in the way she turned out was the way the cord securing the 37 mm turned out. I actually found some hemp cord, which I felt would be a good representation of the hemp rope used at that time. The main problem is that it is just too large for the scale and I would like to replace it with something more appropriate. May I ask what you used to replicate this on your build as shown on the modelwarships gallery?

Like you, I can only imagine what would have happened if they had tried to fire that thing the way it was lashed down. I suspect you are right about the significant remodeling of the chart house, at a minimum.

Thanks again for your nice comments. They mean a lot to me coming from you! Any advice you could give me on a replacement for the cord securing the 37 mm will be greatly appreciated.

Bob

Currently building: P.T. 596 (Italieri 1/35); and U.S.S. Laffey (Dragon 1/350).

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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Feb 14, 2012 - 10:21am
I'm not sure that the 37mm was lashed to the 109 with the intent of being able to fire. More like an anti-theft measure. Geary Sims of pt108lilduck.com researched the gun mounting and is the reason I think this. Per Geary:

Reference the 37mm gun: Doing extensive research on PT 108 which also had the same 37mm gun, I found there are some myths. One, the 37mm anti-tank wasn't found, in fact there were 8 to 10 boats that had/were to have this mounting. It was an experimental mounting to see if the 37mm gun was effective against the Daihatsu barges. The guns came from and were mounted by members of the US Army 25th Infantry Division. From conversations with Dick Keresey and some of the 108 crew, Kennedy may have been the one who came up with the idea for the mounting.

Secondly, the newer mountings were not salvaged from P-39's. They were adapted by the Navy and the Elco plant to fit the PT Boats. The 108 received one plus the roll-off torpedoes.

The 109 was slated for the mounting of the 37mm on her return from that mission. That is why she had the lumber lashed to the deck. Didn't want to leave on the dock for it might not be there when they got back.

This page lists some good model ship rigging sources Bob:
http://www.mysite.verizon.net/ELLshipmodeler/thread.htm



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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 15, 2012 - 5:13am
Hi Bob,
I used some Manila Hemp ships rigging that I bought from Model Expo. It's a little stiff but if you wash it and break it down a little it's very workable. A tip I got from my friend Jerry Beasley. I don't remember which size I used though.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/search.asp?SKW=cat1_MR%20cat2_3@

David Waples

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Feb 15, 2012 - 6:02am
Hi Bob,
I used some Manila Hemp ships rigging that I bought from Model Expo. It's a little stiff but if you wash it and break it down a little it's very workable. A tip I got from my friend Jerry Beasley. I don't remember which size I used though.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/search.asp?SKW=cat1_MR%20cat2_3@

David Waples

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robtmelvin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 15, 2012 - 7:00am
David, thanks for the tip. I'll check into getting some of the hemp you used and replace the stuff that's on there now. I think the biggest problem with what I used is that it is simply too big. It was also pretty stiff.

Bob

Currently building: P.T. 596 (Italieri 1/35); and U.S.S. Laffey (Dragon 1/350).

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FRANK

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of FRANK  Posted on: Feb 18, 2012 - 11:03am
Ahoy there Robert-

I have to agree with ol' Frankie Andruss, the "string" that you used to secure the 37 to the bow is way oversized. That looks like a hauser rope for a tug boat. I would go with a smaller type of tan thread, wax it first, then add to the finished model.

As for the weathering, it's an art in itself. Put on too much and it's overbearing, too little and it's hardly noticeable. Can I make a suggestion to you! Pick up a Micro Mark catalog and order yourself a set of DOC BROWN'S weathering powders.

I have used these powders on the PT 374 project vehicles for Frank Andruss's museum quality model. You can find pictures of the project bylooking through the back pages of the message board.

The neat thing about these weathering powders, is that it's almost foolproof. If you make a mistake, the powders wash off with sudsy warm water. You can apply the powders with a a "blunt" brush, a brush with rounded bristles or wet with water for a washed and streaked effect. A little goes a long way.

For wood models I use a product called WEATHER-IT also available from Micro Mark or a really good hobby shop might stock it as well. You'll find it with the model railroad stuff. Once again the Weather-It is foolproof BUT you can only use it on unpainted wood.

Check out the shots of the PT-374 project and you'll see my custom made shacks which were weather with this stuff.

Lot's of luck modeling, and I hope these tips help you out some what!

Frank Ryczek, Jr.
Modeler/ Friend PT-169 " ZEBRA SNAFU" RON 10 Base Tulagi

HIGH TIDES ALWAYS!

YOUR FRIEND THROUGH SCALE SHIP MODELING AND PT BOAT HISTORY!

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