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The main armament was a 3-inch 20 cwt Mark 1 in a Mark VI high angle mounting, with the unique addition of a splinter shield fitted only to those guns mounted on the SGB's

 

John Lambert's drawing L/O/17 shows the detail but not the splinter shield, which the drawing references as shown on another dwg (L/S/1) but I can't find a copy, that's going to be made in copper from a card template once the rest is done 🤞.

 

This 3 inch gun was designed in 1914 as an anti-aircraft gun for naval and home defence, actually an anti-zeppelin gun in those days.  Here is a picture of the one that is preserved at Dover castle

 

259c3-dovercastle24-05-15-17

 

The fourth etching sheet really only contained the gun mount frame which went together OK in the end.  The next stage is to turn the gun barrel and make up the breach, then I can start to sort out how the double spring recoil carriage breaks down into parts I can make from brass.  I want to do as much as I can in brass, seems important for guns somehow

 

 

DSCN1859

 

Anyway, a start has been made on the final gun at last.  BTW, I'm keeping them all in brass until they are all finished so I can photograph them together before painting in case anyone wondered

 

Steve

 

 

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1 hour ago, JohnWS said:

Have you seen this 1/72 version of the 3" gun

Thanks John, I'd not seen that model, I'll take a careful look and compare to the picture.  Appreciate the thought

 

Cheers

 

Steve

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It's only by making it that you realise just how huge the 3 inch barrel is, way larger and heavier that the 4 inch guns I made for Medea.  Don't know if that was because it was originally intended as an antiaircraft gun, but it is a monster, nearly 12 feet long...

 

Basic turning and shaping of the breech complete, a lot of filing there, resting in the base here below

 

DSCN1860

 

Steve

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What are the odds?  As part of my research onto S-boats, I bought "S-boats in action in the second world war" by Hans Frank, and there on page 111 in the chapter on invasion is a picture of Grey Fox, similar but not identical to a couple available on the internet. 

 

So I scanned it at 600 dpi and here it is, actually the best picture I have

 

SGB 4 Grey Fox 1a

 

A few things are apparent from this view, the funnel rear was painted dark grey (I've just noticed...), she had twin .303's mounted on the rear of the torpedo tubes, the mysterious box outboard of the tubes is still mysterious and she is carrying (probably) 2 depth charges abeam the rear blast screen not smoke floats...

 

9 months in, still learning

 

Steve

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More progress on the 3 inch gun.

 

Milling the breech slot, don't know another way to cut this, lucky I have a milling head on my Unimat

 

DSCN1861

 

Here is is with the main recoil assembly on the gun installed and the trunions in place, still some way to go but taking shape now

 

DSCN1865

 

Certainly starting to look the part

 

Steve

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11 minutes ago, gunzo said:

If my maths is correct that gives a scaled up displacent of around 220 metric tonnes, just about mid range of light and deep displacent condition!

 

les

Yup, its spot on, funny how these things work out

Steve

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Quick post, worked on the 3-inch splinter shield today.  Combination of studying photographs, that shapeways model (which I think is wrong in a few places), but thanks v much John for posting, it really helped.  I think I've got the width right, it has to provide working room for the crew so ends up quite wide.

 

Anyway, here is where I've got to with it, 0.4mm copper plus brass, interesting shape as it definitely comes in slightly at the bottom, will have a go at the mounts tomorrow so I can see it on the gun.  Seems a pity to paint it..

 

DSCN1866

 

Steve

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Last post for a couple of weeks, we are away, but here is the splinter screen temporarily fixed to the mount.

 

DSCN1867

 

The angles look weird in this picture, the side cut  in angle is actually only 10 deg but here it looks more, the front skirt is vertical, sort of an optical illusion.  Still, I'm OK with it, the pictures do show a cut-in on the sides, its a keeper no matter...

 

And here is the 2 pdr power mount with the printed ammo box added so if the Germans show up, at least it can fire back

 

DSCN1868

 

That little printed box/cabinet on the breakwater appears on a couple of the pictures, I think it may have been stowage for shackles etc, both unpainted at the moment.  I love the really little details and the clutter that will come towards the end

 

Back in two weeks

 

Steve

 

 

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ref. your Unidentified Deck Object, on page 25 of the Almark Publications 'Battle Class Destroyers' there is an oblique overhead photo of what are described as "- two small (stacked) 'catamarans' which are used as floating fenders between the ship's side and a wharf wall."

 

Apart from plan size, these look very similar your UDO.

 

les

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Hey Les, that's really interesting

2 hours ago, gunzo said:

two small (stacked) 'catamarans' which are used as floating fenders between the ship's side and a wharf wall."

Any chance you could scan that picture and post it?  Any information most welcome.  Makes sense given their location that they are some kind of fender

 

Cheers

 

Steve

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Steve

 

Having looked more closely at a blow-up, the image is of two 'fenders' side by side so it may well be that just one of these is what you seek. I've messaged you for an email address to send the scan as I don't have a suitable URL for posting here.

 

Les

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, back from a nice break and locked at home for 2 weeks, still, I've not been out much since March so no real pain there....

 

Two more solid days work and the 3 inch gun is basically complete bar painting.  I think this is the trickiest idem I've ever attempted, the etchings could have been far better and way more comprehensive.  Making something allows you to understand it in a way drawing can never do.  Now I know how to draw the right etching sheet, but it will still be devilish tricky to put together.  However, the lack of etched parts is a good challenge every once in a while, to see if I can still build up from basic sections.  I think its OK, no where near perfect, but it is certainly good enough for this model.  I stopped counting the brass parts at 100, there is a lot of detail to overcome...  All of this is soldered with the exception of final component assembly (10 sub-assemblies)

 

DSCN1869

 

DSCN1870

 

And here it is with the gun splinter shield fitted (temporarily), it will come off to paint

 

DSCN1871

 

DSCN1872

 

And the view from the top, showing the gun sight and recoil assembly well

 

DSCN1873

 

Compares reasonably well with this shot of the same gun (minus shield) on HMS Royal Oak

 

Q 18493

 

And so finally, the ships profile is complete

 

DSCN1874

 

Tomorrow, I'm going to take some pictures of the 5 guns together in brass and then prime them. 

 

This a key milestone, all major components now made (OK, I still have to make a couple of anchors...) so I can start to work through the final painting, weathering and varnishing sequence, on the home straight now

 

Steve

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Just looking at all the brass and I was thinking that is going to use a lot of brasso to get it shined up so much detail on show great to have you back Safe and sound 👍

 

beefy 

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2 hours ago, longshanks said:

Cracking job ....

 

 

2 hours ago, beefy66 said:

Just looking at all the brass and I was thinking that is going to use a lot of brasso to get it shined up so much detail on show great to have you back Safe and sound 👍

 

2 hours ago, JohnWS said:

Awesome, Steve! :clap2:

Thanks for the nice comments, it's a bit wonky from the front (and if you look carefully, I've adjusted the screen to fit...) but honestly, I was just relieved to get it done.  You start these things and then realise that the whole project relies on the weakest component. 

 

I left this to the end because it is so intricate and I wasn't sure I could do it justice.  I'm relieved it's behind me so I can get on with not doing the paint job as well as Its should be  :wink: 

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