http://www.strikemodels.com This is the person that purchased Swampworks. I didn't see that the link was posted anywhere already. I am also not sure if there is a links section on this site. Mikey
The first thing they've added to their product lineup, beyond what Swampworks originally had, is Big Gun ammunition. I just lugged a 50-lb box of 7/32" diameter ammunition home from the Maker Faire, where I bought it from Stephen. That's 30,000 rounds of ammo. I hope it'll be enough for the year I've got an idea or two about what else will be coming, but I'm not authorized to say anything yet...
This is Keri Morgret, wife of the guy (Stephen Morgret) that bought Swampworks, and co-owner of Strike Models. Stephen's not on this Yahoo group yet, so I'll give his standard brief introduction. We're updating the website daily at this point with more information and available products. We're working on getting the entire line of Swampworks kits and accessories into production and then quickly expand into the big gun specific items. Hulls are already being laid up and parts are being made. I figure that we have some unique skills to add to the hobby, and buying Swampworks was an excellent way to get in. We just got some of the critical red tape taken care of today (tax stuff), so we can get this company formally moving. We're looking forward to being able to help all of you with the existing line as well as improved items down the road. We're local to the Western Warship Combat Club in San Jose, and attend all of their events. Stephen is also planning on attending NABGO and MWC NATS in July. Keri and Stephen Morgret http://www.strikemodels.com Just forwarding some info. Mikey
Nice to see they are hitting a few of the NAT's for different clubs. I would recommend they try and make it out to as many as they can each year and if not all of them, try and rotate what ones they attend.
The site is gradually being put together. I'm tempted to buy something just for encouragement...but I've got too many projects as it is!
Keri and Ralph, I you want some excellent hull molds I'm getting out of hull making (mainly due to unavailability of insurance from shippers to the US) and have a few left. The Hood mold is for sale - see Mike Deskin's (froggyfrenchman's) photos of his Hood built from one of my hulls. This is a professionally built mold made from my plug by a fiberglass molding company I'm also selling the mold for HMAS/HMS Albatross, a WWII seaplane carrier that can be used as a convoy ship or Class 1 combat model (see photos of the hull and a link to a 1/1250 Neptun model in the photo section), and the mold for WWII HMS Vanguard, my best hull to date. Grey Wolf Squadron makes excellent main turrets for Vanguard and is working on the secondary turrets. The mold for HMS Furious is for sale. The hull can be used for the WWI battlecruiser, hybrid CV/BC and CV versions. The dimensions are correct and 'combat legal' for the WWII carrier version though the bulges had been extended upward by then. All molds are in excellent condition with only 1-4 hulls being made from all except Hood's. (The prices are very reasonable and my wife wants the molds out of the basement!) Bob
I can vouch for the hulls from Mr Pottle's molds; they are excellent. I owned his HMS Courageous for a few years and have seen Mike Deskin's Hood up close. They are of the very highest quality. Detail is outstanding, possibly too much for the hobby if anything.
Bob, could you email Stephen and myself offline? keri@strikemodels.com stephen@strikemodels.com Thanks! Keri
Yes, we are making and selling props. We don't have them up on the website, but email Stephen at the address above and he'll get right back to you. If you are by chance in MWCI, Stephen will be attending NATS next week and can also bring orders there.
I'll see you at MWC Nats in CO. By the way, I'm up in Reno so depending on your travel schedule we may be able to convoy. Shoot me an email if you're interested. :-D
Stephen will be flying in, if you were talking about a convoy with him. But I know he's interested in seeing if others are coming in to the airport at the same time. I'm not sure when he'll be selling the fire control, but he will bring the prototype with him to NATS.
I believe he will be selling props from what he said at NABGO. He is also going to be at MWCI Nats in Denver. He brought a lot of exciting new products for testing and comment to NABGO, including a new, lightweight regulator that is a replacement for the Williams. I liked it a lot, and the battlers ho used it also liked it a lot. It is still in revision, but may be available in one version shortly. He also has some new servos (imagine a 6 turn sailwinch servo in a standard servo size, for instance, and a 21 oz/in metal gearted microservo about 1/2? the sice of an 'HS-55 as a couple of examples) he is considering carrying, some new batteries, that should prove highy valuable in a smaller warship (figure a 3.2v 10Ah cell about the sixe of a couple of D cells - one in each side's bilges to give ytou a 6.4v 10Ah system, or 2 in each bilge for 20Ah). And a Ship Controller System based on a PS2 cxontroller that operates on 2.4gHz and will coordinate targeting on 4 or more turrets (yeah, this is more of a Big Gun dream), but operates 16 servos, including steering, has builin in 50A pump controller, 30A ESC, and 4 firing solenoid drivers (plug and play, with diode protedtion built in). May not work on ships overdriving multiple 550 style motors, but for many ships, might be a nice deal. The smarts, by the way, live in the RX box, in the ship, not in the controller. Or, an HPA system that, other than using HPA is plug and play with our normal CO2 systems (none of that carfpon-fiber stuff, real aluminum tanks). Battle testing proved the current gage less waterproog than desired (it leaked a tad of water into the dial after 24 hours submerged at about 10'. He also had a twin 7/32" turret, but it is currently undergoing a long-term submersion test out at the lake, which will end when/if we find it Lots of other plans to make it easier for the newb to get in to the hobby, and he left us lusting for all of it. His hulls, by they way, are being laid up by a shop that does precision Radomes, among other things. The Arrizona hull he brought, as a sample, was gorgeous. We really enjoyed Stephen at NABGO, and look forward to their entire product line to evolve. Keep watching the strikemodels.com page to see what pops up. Cheers,
Not really, many fast gunners would love to have this operation... don't think I'd want to focus on 4 targets, but having simplified turret rotation based on our rules would be stellar. "There is a target [right there], please bring all legal & available guns to bear on it" Fast gunners have more complex rules about how many guns can fire in to which area around the ship. So many just choose not to rotate as it can get really really confusing. However, automating those rules with a [emphasis]FAST[emphasis] rotation into a point and fire system would be a sure winner. Note the FAST emphasis... fast gun ships move much faster that big gunners, concequently slow big gun cannon rotates aren't fast enough to get a 'lock' on crusiers, etc.
The turret rotation on the Baden (as soon as I get it back and put back together) happens a lot faster than than most hacked servo gun rotations. I use a low gear ratio and the servo is strong. Neil's mentioned he's pretty scared of doing torpedo runs on the Baden due to the speed at which I can bring all eight guns to bear. Stephen
I'm pretty sure this is illegal in all of the small gun clubs, as it could be considered an automatic tracking and ranging system.
