This project is coming along better than we could have anticipated. Matt has provided the hull, plans (2 sets), turret covers, and deck/sub-deck. Mike M. has provided the cannons. Mark is working on the superstructure Several other captains have offered to provide more assistance. I am standing around looking over everyone's shoulder cracking the whip on them all. And looking good while I am doing it (if I might add).. And Nikki says that she is a great swimmer. So we will no doubt let her retrieve the ships from the watery depths when it is full of water. Haha. Well. She did say that she wanted to hold it. Just kidding around with you Nikki. The plan is to have this new ship in combat at the conference. Mikey
Mikey, I said i was willing!!! The Cruisers I know i can But the Battleships I don't know about!!! Mike M, How do you make, the Cannon, There Neat!!! Nikki
Phew. Making cannons is time consuming and labor intensive, Nikki. Each interrupter takes around 25 minutes each to make ... a Foster breach and a barrel probably takes around another 10 - 15 minutes each. Add in the magazine cap and magazine ... a person could spend upwards of 50 - 60 minutes per cannon. I'm not much of a mass producer, so it takes more time for me to make them than say, BC would. The ones for the club project are a mix of S&M (Stalnaker & Mangus) interrupters with BC breeches I had laying around. Two of the cannons have Foster breaches from a semi-mass produced run. I didn't make the magazines, thinking that the crew up north might want to decide what size magazines the ship would have and make their own. Overall, I made 12 cannons total in a couple days. 6 for the club project, 1 for Mark in exchange for some CAD work, and 5 for the Richelieu. Sometime in the next month, I'll make another small batch to retrofit the Verite and for another ship currently under refit.
Mike M, How Is Richelieu Doing!!! Like I said Ohio is looking great!! It's going to be cool to see her when she's totally finish!!! I know i cant hold her, but it would be fun to get a photo with her!!! Nikki
The Richelieu refit is moving along. Last night the battery wiring was finished and the brushless outrunners test ran. Got to say that the motors sound awesome. Heh.
I have a Montana hull and plan to start work on it after my Maryland is on the water. Can you post a photo of the windows with some info on the ribes and stringers. Victor
The Ohio will have 6 or 7 cannons. All 50 round mags. Two sets of twins (off to each side) for sure. Probably a pair of stern cannons, and a 2 unit pump. Or perhaps triple sterns, and a full-unit pump. Although I personally like the idea of some bow (chase) guns. Mikey
Some up-to-date photos of the USS Ohio. The hull is taped off for cutting of the windows. And holes are drilled in all of the corners of the windows in order to reduce the chances of cutting into the ribs with the dremel tool. The blue tape along the upper edge of the hull is for the deck/sub-deck, and is 3/8" thick. The upper edge of the blue tape along the lower part of the hull marks off the 1" below the waterline. In the stern it marks off where the hull turns past the 45 degree mark. The blue tape in the bow marks off the 2" of solid following the contour of the bow profile. The blue tape in the stern marks off the 1" of solid from the extreme stern. The waterline is marked off with a fine-tip black marker. This marks off the center of the 1/4" waterline. The upper black pinstripe tape marks off the stringer for the edge of the armor belt. It is 1/8" thick. The lower black pinstripe tape marks off the curve of the ships bulge. It is also 1/8" thick. There are 34 ribs. All are 1/4" thick, and pretty evenly spaced. Mikey
That looks good and helps me out with my planning of my build. I will be doing the modern look as if she was here today. But I have to complete the Maryland first. One ship at a time. Thanks for the info.
I decided that epoxy, or screws holding the skegs in place would not be strong enough for this large boat. So this is what I came up with. I cut the center where the shafts runs through the inner piece of plywood out, and the outer plywood pieces will then be glued in place. Then I can take out the screws, and re-enforce the braces on the inside of the hull. At least that is the way it is supposed to work. Hopefully, I will be able to install then tomorrow, and then paint the rest of the hull. The outer shafts will be non-powered, so that should be pretty easy to install. I plan to keep the upper hull grey, and the lower will stay red. Mikey
