HG Watkins 1977 USS Tennessee

**Papercut** · #1 01-04-2009, 08:26 PM

As many have already read my last build thread came to a sudden halt. I just am not up to again at this time tackling 1:700 scale anything and I will @ later date re-do the Dreadnought build, albit: a much scale up version. Enough, time to move on. My next project is supplied to me by a good friend that just happens to live in Tennessee which is the root for my family as well. I also think her lines were beautiful, you have a ship passing from one era into another, yet she did her duty. I have re-scaled and have come to a size I believe to be to around 1:250 maybe a little smaller. My printer could not handle the work to scale to 1:200 which I would have rather done her in. This is a waterline and as the Dreadnought help me hone my skills, this one will do the same, just in a larger size.

**Don Boose** · #2 01-05-2009, 02:00 PM

I just noticed that Floating Drydock is advertising a new Squadron Signal book on the Tennessee: http://www.floatingdrydock.com/update.htm

It would also be available form the Squadron Signal site and elsewhere, but there is a lot of other good stuff on that update page that is worth looking at, including a plans book for the Admirable class minesweepers in case anyone want to really go wild on superdetailing/converting the Digital Navy model.

Don

**eibwarrior** · #3 01-05-2009, 03:50 PM

Papercut, I'm flattered that I could give you a hand. I hope to see some updates soon. :D

Here's a shot of the completed Watkins Tennessee that I did a couple years ago...

**Papercut** · #4 01-05-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boosed

I just noticed that Floating Drydock is advertising a new Squadron Signal book on the Tennessee: http://www.floatingdrydock.com/update.htm

It would also be available form the Squadron Signal site and elsewhere, but there is a lot of other good stuff on that update page that is worth looking at, including a plans book for the Admirable class minesweepers in case anyone want to really go wild on superdetailing/converting the Digital Navy model.

Don

Don, thanks for the heads-up on the book, will for sure look into. Thanks, Rick

**Papercut** · #5 01-05-2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eibwarrior

Papercut, I'm flattered that I could give you a hand. I hope to see some updates soon. :D

Here's a shot of the completed Watkins Tennessee that I did a couple years ago...

You have been a good friend to me since I came aboard, and I hope I do her justice as you have. I will start laying out the keel, formers and bottom tonight. Just got in the mail today a fist full of card board from Papermodels. Oh, you noticed I said keel I bet, I intend to do a few mods as I go to bring up to today's standards. These are great old kits, but they require a little extra to make them sing, and you did that w/yours eibwarrior. Thanks, Rick

**Golden Bear** · #6 01-05-2009, 06:24 PM

Hmm. Might want to be careful with that ordered card stuff. I did that - once - and discovered that it comes out too fat for most fitting. My experience has shown me that for 1mm (finished) I do: 2 layers of Bristol paper (art supply store) and the printed layer from the kit. This comes out just a shade under 1mm and works perfectly for any kit. Most of us have these conversion systems to get to where we want and I know this is not the only way to do it. Some folks swear by cardboard from cereal boxes. I just don't like the color. Just a heads up to be careful with the purchased stuff. My wife uses my pieces for laying out parts for her quilts now.

Carl

**Papercut** · #7 01-05-2009, 08:06 PM

Golden Bear, thanks for the info, what do you think of printing on Bristol Paper. I was provided this kit from a friend and copied it on the Bristol paper. I use cardboard for the frame work only. The idea of laminating the 2 layers of Bristol + print as from kit will be my next method to try. To tell the truth, the down loads I have worked on were printed on Business card paper and or Bristol. I believe I have made a discovery, depending on the type paper, my copier results in different hues of gray? Does the make up/finish of the paper have anything to do with this. I am honored you responded, I look at your work and I am at odds as how you get paper to look as good as you do. Thanks for the tip, Rick

**Golden Bear** · #8 01-05-2009, 10:36 PM

Nothing wrong with printing on Bristol. It is a little on thick side compared to Staples, etc., card. It is much whiter which is nice. I was talking about laminating to get your thicknesses correct in my previous post. I'm a big fan of the two-layers-of-Bristol+overlay in order to get 1mm. It is very much part of my comfort zone. I use the Staples/Office Depot white (not particularly white if you ask me) for my normal parts. I use HP Bright White for small details.

For colors when you print your own parts there can be a lot of difficulties and I don't want to go into all of them right now. My job is to design printheads (pens) for THE major inkjet manufacturer - initials of the company are similar to IQ, heh. I have a lot of experience with inks, papers and print modes. Probably too much for most folks here since I can rant on and on.

Back to the point. When you print, make certain that you select the paper that you want to print on and the print mode each time. Many/most printers nowadays have some sort of sensor built in that guesses (they aren't particularly accurate) at the paper you have loaded and uses a DEFAULT - i.e. defined by a team of knowledgeable people and then screwed up by marketing and management a#$es - print mode. For example, I always set my paper to HP Bright White and my print mode to Best before printing. In this manner I can get my ordinary paper and card to come out to be the same color. Does this make any sense? If you want particular help then PM me with your email address.

You should be able to get the same color on every media that you use but you need to understand the foolishness that underlies the printer drivers.

BTW, I don't know why you quit on Dreadnought since I was enjoying the build and thought that you were doing well. OTOH, I don't see anything wrong with switching to something else in midstread - do it all the time myself.

Carl

**whulsey** · #9 01-06-2009, 12:57 AM

Carl, thanks for the info on printing. And on using Bristol board. I have pads and pads of the stuff from my graphic arts days and was wondering about it. Thanks for letting me temporarily hijack your threat Papercut. By the way really like your Tennessee, you guys are going to get this landlubber to do a ship yet.

**Don Boose** · #10 01-06-2009, 05:34 AM

You have quite an informative thread going here, Papercut! I look forward to seeing Tennessee under construction.

Carl -- I've saved your info on printers and paper and tucked it away with other valuable tips I've gleaned from you over the years.

eibwarrior -- Your overhead shot of Tennessee really shows off the results of the rebuild: compact superstructure, 5"/38 DP guns, and the wide torpedo bulges that must have made for a stable gun platform in the Surigao Strait and -- if I'm not mistaken, made it impossible for Tennessee and California to pass through the Panama Canal.

I also like your Rodney? Nelson?

Don