1/72 scale in the southeast?

I like the added selection of ships, as well as the added detail on the 1/72 scale stuff. Is there anyone in the Eoutheast who is playing in this scale, or would want to play in this scale? If so please speak up. If there isnt a club already here maybe we start up a group or something. I will still be doing 1/144 fast gun but I have a disease, I like variety. If you only knew how many planes I've built, bought, and flown over the last 20 years. Gotta be close to 200. But I will not have that many ships at once, Wow that would be insane. Most planes Ive had at once is around 30, most flyable at the same time was 16. It gets to be too much work to maintain them all. lol.

 

Not even a hint of that scale. Closest is 1/96th

 

Ok, well is anyone interested in building in this scale? I was donated a set of plans for a Z boat as well as a set for the Missouri. May someday build the Mo, but I made a promise to build the Z boat if I was given the plans. So I am going to build one. Would be nice to be able battle it without having to go all the way back to where I grew up every time, lol. California is a long drive.

 

Just like we do here in No. California, our primary combat scale is 1/72, but there is a number of us also doing Fast Gun. I would encourage you to be the catalyst that introduces the East Coast to the larger scale option. We use to also do Big Gun, but as you read here on the forum you will find that reliable sources for guns are hard to come by unless you want to run a single shot torpedo gun ship.

I would recommend that you build a 1/144 Fast Gun ship first so you can get into the game which is very important. Make the Z-Boat your second ship.

 

That was the plan Gary. And thanks again.

 

Well, since I have acquired a Frence cruiser, the Edgar Quinet in 1/144 scale, I can now forge ahead on the 1/72 Z boat. Hopefully I can get it on the water before the end of summer so I can take it to a few battles down here and see if I can either drum up some excitement, or at the very least shame a few guys into building something for me to sail her against, hehe.

 

Once the 1/72 ships are completed and detailed out, they sell themselves. The scale is large enough that you can add a lot more to the ship that makes it more than a combat ship. No, they are no museum quality, but to be honest they are far from some of the 1/144 embarrassments that are run here locally. Not all 1/144 ships are run this way, but our local Big Gun club allows the ships to compete 1/2 incomplete, with major portions of the superstructure or turrets missing. We do require our ships to be "complete" and presentable. Since most of the ships are just 1, 2 or 3 gun, they are no more difficult to make than the rest of the air system in the ship. If you have trouble, we will help. As for the various calibers vs. BB's, yes they are more difficult to come by. You can't go to the local K-Mart and buy a box of 5,000, but you can just as easily order them direct from several places around the country.

If you post photos here of your construction; ribs, deck, superstructure, etc.and I will send you a bag of all the detail parts you will need to put on the ship. Below is a photo of the AA gun I make for the guys building the Z-Boats.

 

Those look nice Gary. Resin cast?

 

Yes. I take parts from plastic models and some lead parts I have and make rubber molds of everything. Many of the parts I got from Queen's Own members and just duplicated. Here's a Z showing a lot of detail, but prior to when I started making the AA gun for the front upper deck below the bridge. He's added a lot of detail to this ship since this photo.

Hope you don't mind, but I hate Z-Boats. I run allied with an Allen Sumner Class destroyer and I fight against the damn things all the time.

 

Why would I mind? Everyone has their preference, mine just happens to be the Z boat, haha. Let me know what all you are willing to make up for it and a price. I will be happy to pay for the parts.

 

When we started up, the nearest club was 600 miles away. Just to show we are not just a one trick pony, below is a photo of my Fast Gun North Carolina rebuild. It was a Steve Reese ship that I acquired from his estate and though a rebuild would be quicker than starting from scratch. I should have started from scratch since I have a second fiberglass hull, but at least this ship has a history. I ended up gutting it and fitting new decks. Next will be superstructure as I have the internals redone.

I also had to install two new outside shafts and retrofit the skeggs in under the remaining two. The outboards were just glued on and the inboard were just hanging there. The rudders were wood, so I remade them in brass so they can't eventually fall off.

Around here we do 1/72 as our primary combat/modeling scale and Fast Gun as a fun distraction. Most are converted Big Gun ships. So all it takes is a little interest and before you know it you will have a few ships on the water playing during Fast Gun down times. My next Fast Gun ship will likely be to use a fiberglass Cleveland hull I have.

 

I was just joking about the Z-Boat dislike. I have to like them since our club has about 5 of them I get to fight. I mentioned no price, since I would not be charging anything. Our club mostly covers my expenses for making the parts and I give them out. I know I can't do this for the entire country, but for an old Central California Combat Club member and friend of Dan Rygasewicz's I sure can.

 

That's mighty nice of you.

 

I often get accused of being the club drug dealer. Give ya the free samples; get ya hooked, then start charging the big bucks. Eventually you'll be selling your house to get more. So far people have donated enough cash or trade that I can do it and not charge. Most of the cost is making new or maintaining the existing molds. Sounds like Tugboat is close enough to where you ive. Get him hooked and have him build an allied ship. If he does, I'll send him parts to.

 

Trying, but he is resisting lol.

 

Sounds good, so when ya gonna start on her? lol.