USS Juneau CL-52

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

There are not many pictures this week. That is because most of the week has been spent drawing and testing to see if what has been drawn can be assembled. The good news is that the searchlights on the stacks were assembled and glued in place. These are shown in photos 1r and 2r. Much of the drawing time was used on two forty two foot cutters, which were probably located below the crane. There were also two smaller launches nested in the cutters. They are very difficult to draw because the stern area is flat like a barge, but the area forward is rounded. There is also some question about which, if any, were still aboard ship at the time of its sinking. That's a chronic problem with movable objects. Then there were the binoculars. Oh yes, the binoculars, ten of them, six above the bridge forward and four mounted aft of the rear stack. Perhaps two more near in the bridge tubs. The drawings were done and one example was test built, six parts, very tiny, much time fumbling around looking for dropped pieces beneath the work bench and thinking vulgar thoughts. It's a lot like looking for a particular grain of sand on a large beach. What fun! Photo 3r tells all. But, it's possible. Nine, maybe eleven more to go.

Regards, rjccjr

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

Being in full procrastination mode about those binoculars, attention was turned to the large boats below the ships crane. One of the photos taken on October 26,1942 shows that boats were aboard at that point in time, but it is of such poor quality that it's difficult to make out for certain, whether there is a thirty five foot motor boat nested on top of a forty foot motor launch, or not. In any case the larger boat is there. At the start of this project the idea was to do a mock up version of CL-52 and then the prototype. The same idea was employed here. A simple two piece mock up was made to test the placement below the crane. Photo 1r shows the test. Photo 2r shows the first, fifteen piece launch next to the mock up. Photo 3r shows two launches. Photo 4r shows them sitting in position on CL-52. Photo 5r is a side view, which shows that the size and proportion is correct, but the mounting chocks need revision. Photo 6r is a top shot, which looks ok, but the insides of the hulls need to be gray. The last shot is a general arrangement, which doesn't look bad at all. After the launches are revised, the next job is to design and construct the thirty five foot boats using the same system.

Regards, rjccjr

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

When you are undertaking a project like this, you come to understand that research goes on forever. About half, perhaps more of the project, consists of learning. It's what keeps you young. The original drawing for the motor launches was over scale when tested for fit. It was because the drawing was for a forty foot launch, which would be 2 1/2 inches in 192nd scale. A quarter inch smaller would fit. So, the hunt was on. "Catalog of U. S. Navy boats" was searched on line. The menu showed a manual on line from The San Francisco National Park Association. Navships 250-452 lists every navy boat from nine to 135 feet long, up to the year 1967. One of them was a thirty six foot launch. BINGO! Of course, every answer leads to more questions. One was, what were the other boats nested on CL-52. Back to the catalog. There was a thirty five foot motorboat and a thirty six foot picket boat in there. Now I have one drawing to correct and two new ones to draw. That's the way things go. That Museum has all manner of manuals as well and booklets of general plans, a researchers dream. Photo 1r shows the development. The revision is on the left. The rounded stern is a result of research. Photo 2r is a frontal shot. The inner railing is added. Photo 3r shows side views with the revision in the rear. Photo 4r is a closer shot of the revision. The last shot shows the revision sitting in place on the model. It will need to be replaced because the seats are bent. The drawings for the nested boats are well along and a test build in the next step.

Regards, rjccjr

[shipbuild]

Wonderful progress ! The fleet in your workshop is very impressive ! Lets hope for a mild winter. I'm in New England also.

Bill

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

At the start November, it was time for the annual visit to the dermatologist who determined that my face was a disaster area. There was a cream called Fluorouracil prescribed. One takes it daily for two weeks. For a few days nothing much happens. Then it does. Just finished the prescribed course. It itches like crazy and the face tends to send pit bulls running the other way. Then, along came a head cold to boot. Well that departed and left coughing spasms behind. How does this affect CL-52, you ask? Try concentrating on a project while in agony. Today is the first day since Thanksgiving, that I've been able to concentrate enough to focus on this project and actually get anything done. Hey! It's the golden years.

Now back to the four boats. Photos show two motor launches on the bottom of the nest. The motor boats were stowed on top. Photo 1r shows the two launches and the motor boat to the right, the major parts of the picket boat on the left and a small pair of surgical clamps in the center. Photo 2r shows from bottom to top, the outer keel, the hull with lower deck set in, the main deck and the cabins. Photo 3r shows the clamps and picket boat hull. The hull is one piece. when cut and shaped the transom is glued at the stern and left over night to dry. The bow section is not trimmed and is left to be glued and clamped tightly right at the front and left to dry. The clamp is left in place until the lower deck is installed and dry. Photo 4r shows the hull upright with the bench seats installed. The clamp is removed. A hole has been cut in the main deck so the seats will be visible. Photo 5r shows the inverted hull with the keel and mounting chocks in place. Photo 6r shows the inverted hull and the cabins. The last picture shows all four boats complete, but needing some paint to break up the contrast.

Before attaching them, a little more research had to be done. Upon studying Navsource photos 0405228, 0405229 Oct. 26, 1942; 11:54 AM. The nested boats are clearly aboard. This was eighteen days before she sank. There are a couple of interesting notes. First: the original range finder over the bridge appears to have been removed. Second: the paint scheme on the hull aft of the first stack, is distinctly lighter than the superstructure above it. The same phenomenon is observable on a stern photo taken two days later. It is not a trick of shadow. It's a different color. Now it's time to make a list of what still needs to be done to complete the prototype.

Regards, rjccjr

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

Recent work has centered around details in the bridge area. Photo examination from eighteen days before USS Juneau was sunk lead to a suspicion that the original range finder atop the bridge had been removed shortly before the ships demise. Since documentation isn't conclusive, it was decided to include the assembly anyway. Photo 1r shows the range finder, two small searchlights and six pairs of binoculars added to the top of the bridge area. Photo 2r shows the front. The range finder assembly is a poor build and thought is being given to scrapping it and going around again. Photo 3r gives a good view of the binoculars. Each pair contains six very tiny parts. Photos 4r and 5r give a decent view of the searchlights. The stack lights are considerably larger than the ones on the bridge top. The last shot is from the bow. The area is still far from finished, because there are several other instruments to be installed on the top and more to be added to the bridge wings. Yeah, that range finder is definitely going to go.

Regards, rjccjr

[rjccjr]

HI All;

OK, so what got done during this session? CL-52 has gotten to the, so many small parts that if I didn't itemize them you'd never know what got done, stage. Well first the range finder was redrawn and replaced as shown in photo 1r. A set of signal lamps was installed on each side of the fire director. After staring at different interpretations these, this made the most sense, since communications between ships at close range at night was essential in the waters around Guadalcanal. A binnacle with compass repeaters was installed between the foremast and forward funnel, as shown in photo 2r. Several more items are to go in the open bridge area, but it has yet to be determined exactly what they are. What appears to be installed in the bridge tubs are a pelorus in each forward tub, a 20mm director with binoculars in each center tub and a mechanical director, maybe for torpedoes, in the aft tub. CL-51 and 52 were built in New Jersey. CL-53 and 54, the nearest sisters, were built in Fore River. They were close in configuration for the first two years of the war, but after 1943 refits became very different. The difficulty is that the instruments in those tube are obscure in photographs.

Happy Holidays to all, rjccjr

[CMDRTED]

Looking great. This is the kind of work that pushes me to do more than the basic, excellent work

[rjccjr]

Hi All;

With the tumult of the holidays, house guests and flying grandchildren not a great deal of time has been available for pursuing the project. However some difficult work did get accomplished. The instrumentation in the side bridge tubs was installed. Photo 2r shows the portside installations. Forward is a pelorus, middle is a director with binoculars on top and aft is another director. USS San Diego and San Juan initially had the same bridge layout, but it was altered sometime in 1943. Photo 2r is a starboard view showing the instruments in place. Photo 4r shows the port side. Photo 5r is a general view from above. The last is a broadside view of the model. Up close it drives me nuts, because the tremors won't allow me to do the build much justice. Standing back from it lets CL-52 look pretty good at this point. I just have to accept what I still can do. Happy New Year.

Regards, rjccjr

[aansorge]

I know grandkids are special, but yours can fly?


the ship does look really nice.