1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

UPDATE 65

Still feeling stupid...

Anyway, I decided to go ahead and model the periscopes in the hopes that Pavel’s new 3D printer will print them. If they can’t be printed, so be it. At least it will improve the looks of my virtual model. Once again the pictures from Tom came in very handy. Here’s a clip of the best one.




I started with the forward, search periscope, doing the typical lofting of circles.



I used an extruded rectangle to start on the business end of the periscope.



I then sliced the bottom off at an angle and rounded the edges. To blend it to the top, I used the same rectangle as I used to loft the main body, rounded the corners at the same radius as I rounded the edges (I could have saved some time had I done this before I extruded it, but such is life), and lofted it to a half circle of the top.



Next, I capped it off by lofting to a smaller circle…



…And recolored it.



Essentially the same steps were followed for the aft, attack periscope, although the picture doesn’t show it as well so I winged it a little.







As long as I was at it, I decided to at least make the SJ Radar, even if it was basic, just to improve the looks of the virtual model again, because I think I am going to use PE on the real model. I made the whole thing using just a couple of pictures, before I recalled that Tom D had sent me information on the radars, so I located the folder I put the files in and lo’ and behold, the goodies included some nice plans for the SJ Radar. I was going to post the steps I took to make it, but since I am going to redo it using the plans, I will save that for later. But here’s the one I made.



It would probably suffice for the virtual model, but since I have plans, I can’t resist trying to make it. At this point I decided to put all of the items that may or may not get printed, that I have been coloring red, on a separate layer and color them gray. The following images show the model from the fairwater up, as it now stands.





Now to try the SJ proper.

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

UPDATE 66


Good Evening Guys!

As I said in my last post, Tom D. had sent me a good set of plans for the SJ Radar, so I decided to use the plans to make one, even though I suspect that I will use PE for this on the model. Below are the plans I used.



So, the first thing I did was import the plans into AutoCad and scale them, so that the 30” long line was 2.5’ because my model is on feet, I wanted to be consistent. I then started drawing circle on the main shaft…



…Rotating them and lofting between them.





After that I drew the outline of the radar support bracket…



…And extruded it.





Next I traced the pivot thing-a-majiggy and extruded it…



…Then did the same for the radar attachment pin.



At this point I was finished with the side view plan, so I copied the plans, then moved and rotated them for the top view.



This allowed me to trace the outline of the radar dome(?)…



…Which I then extruded. I then did as before to get the rear view in position, and sliced off the ends to round them.







You may have noticed a problem with this design, but I didn’t at the time, so I proceeded to cut out the center notch in the support arm…



…Which I did.



At this point I noticed the problem with the design. The radar dome was flat and not parabolic like it is supposed to be, so I redid it, and instead of extruding the section up, I copied it up, joined the two with a curve and lofted between the two sections using the curve as a guide. As you can see, it looks a lot better.





Next, I did the back support ribs, beginning with the inner most two. Of course I just traced it and extruded it once, then mirrored the second one.



The remaining ribs were next, again doing one side and mirroring it to the other.



The spine was next.



Joining everything and recoloring it gray was next.





That left only attaching it to the ship mast, which proved to be a perfect fit.









What to do next?
Hmmmmm…..

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

I'll bet some of you know what' wrong with what I just did.
I just realized it.
Can you guess what it is?

[salmon]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Radar dish backwards? Not sure.

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Strike one!

[scott t]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

The stiffeners should be inside the curved piece?

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Perhaps, but strike 2.

[salmon]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

I do not know, is it the correct overall scale, would the antennae dish hit the scopes as it rotates?

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Well you went down swinging, but it's none of those.

It's the wrong SJ. This is the early version. It just shows what a poor student I am. Tom had provided me with great information including the image below. If I had paid better attention... I'm not changing it though. Very few will notice and as I said, I will probably be using photo etch anyway.

[salmon]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

I get your point, as she is displayed, she has one version earlier and was not upgraded to the last version used. Did not even think that, even after looking at the photos I took. Good catch sir!

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

UPDATE 67

Well, it was a bobbled catch Tom and the runner advanced, but better late than never. It wasn’t until after I made the old version and knew it pretty well, that I noticed it didn’t match the pictures. Still, it was fun doing it, and if I decide to make the right one, I will always have the older version should I need it in the future.

As you guys know, I haven’t been playing with Batfish for some time now, because I am making accessories and a model for Admiralty Models, in exchange for 3D printing. So far I have made, or am making 3 accessories and a ship. The accessories include the Goalkeeper CIWS I posted earlier, a WW2 era Moto-tug…



…And two configurations of WW2 Tilly cranes, raised…



…And lowered.



My latest endeavor for AMW is a bit more challenging, the USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750), that is going to take a while to finish.



In return for this, Pavel is printing parts for me. A win, win, win proposition.

Even though I haven’t made any visible progress on Batfish, I haven’t forgotten her. I ordered and have received (from Free Time Hobbies) the White Ensign Models 1/144 USN Mk. 3 40 mm single bofor…



…And the WEM 1/144 USN .50 Cal. Watercooled Machine Gun.



I also hope to order the WEM Air cooled .50 Cal (because I think that is what was on Batfish, rather than water cooled), the 1/144 White Ensign USN 5"/25 Submarine Deck Gun and the WEM Gato Class Submarine Photo Etch set, but all three are at least temporarily sold out.

I have also been looking at the docking plans with the idea of doing the propeller guard next. Below is the pertinent part of the plans.



I think I will play with that now.

CHEERS!!!

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Greetings Everybody!

After my post last night, I started looking at the propeller guard, with the purpose of figuring out how best to make it. Well, one thing led to another and I ended up staying up all night, finishing at 0600. It took me approximately 7 hours to complete, start to finish, including screen dump time to document the process. So, here is what I did…
First, in addition to the plans that I mentioned in my last post, I also had a couple of good photographs, including the one shown below.



To begin I opened my “Batfish-Part10-Hull10” part and saved it as “Batfish-Part24-PropGuards”. I then imported the “Docking Plans” I have into AutoCad, aligned it with the reference datum and scaled it to size. Next, I traced the outline of the guard using a polyline…



…That I filleted the corners of.



After this I added lines for the lateral bars and extruded a circle with a diameter of 0.5’ (6 inches). This is twice (or almost twice) what it appears to be in the photographs, but 0.5’ converts to 0.042”, which is about as small as I think I can make it and have it be both printable and strong enough to handle for construction.



Next, I imported and scaled another section of the plan sheet showing the guard facing forward and traced the bracket with a lines. I then copied these (red) lines to 2 of the 3 (green) lines that I previously drew for the lateral brackets.



These copied lines were then rotated 90 degrees about the z-axis…



…Then again about the y-axis, as may be seen below, in an image that has been rotated with the plans layer turned off.



Once again 0.5” diameter circles were extruded to make the lateral supports.



At this point I copied everything from the plan drawing to the profile drawing at the correct height.



Rotating the image allows better visualization of what is going on, as you can see below.



With the guard positioned correctly vertically and horizontally, I next copied it to the hull.



Next I copied the hull part out of the way, once again using the reference datum for proper positioning.



This allowed me to subtract the hull from the guard so that I would know where the lateral supports intersected the hull.



Knowing this allowed me to start the next step, making the flanges connecting the supports to the hull. In the image below, you can see the process I used to make these flanges. I first drew a circle at the end of the support, copied it once laterally and twice longitudinally.



The initial circle was then deleted and the two circles copied longitudinally and joined to form a somewhat elliptical polyline that was lofted with the circle to form the flange.



This flange was then copied easily to the end of the other perpendicular support…



…Copied and rotated to the ends of the other supports, and everything was joined together.



At this point I once again copied the hull into position…



…And subtracted it from the guard.



The angle supports were added next.



…Followed by guidelines for the cleat seen in the photograph of the guard.



The cleat was made using ellipses lofted along an elliptical arc. One was made then mirrored to make the other one.



At this point I turned my attention to mounting it to the hull. Although I might change it later, for the time being I used extruded circles from 4 of the 8 supports to make male pins to stick into the hull.



With the pins added, I mirrored the guard to the other side.





Then I copied the guards off to the side and subtracted them from the hull, leaving the female holes for the guards to mate with.





With everything completed, I moved the copied guards back into position and took some screen captures of the resulting guard and stern section.









As I said earlier, the guard supports are about twice the diameter they “should” be to provide extra support, but the effect, in my opinion, is not overwhelming and the guards look good.

CHEERS!!!

[tom dougherty]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

Just FYI, prop guards were often taken off during war patrols.

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

I had heard that they removed them Tom, possibly from you, and they probably did it to eliminate another potential source of noise. That is why I wanted to make them a separate piece, so the builder (I guess just me) has the option of building the sub with or without them.

Have a great day!

[rdutnell]

Re: 1/144 Scale USS Batfish (SS310)

TRIP TO BATFISH - 8/1/2013

Hi everybody!

Although I haven’t been making any progress toward completing Batfish, I haven’t forgotten about her. In fact, Grand River was at flood stage, so that I was unable to collect the data I went to eastern Oklahoma to collect. Instead of coming home, I asked my helper if he would mind taking a diversion to go see a submarine. Sean (Xiaodi Yu) is a shy young graduate student from China who seems to have lived quite a sheltered life. He said that he had never been on a submarine and agreed to go. So today, on my 55th Birthday I finally got to take the long awaited tour of Batfish, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my Birthday. And Sean paid for it as a present.

I loved it, starting with the preserved Batfish that “was carried on the submarine while she was in service during WWII.”

The pictures that you guys have given me are so complete that I didn’t need to take many pictures, although I did, until my battery light started flashing. I really enjoyed being on the ship that I have come to know and love (if that doesn’t sound corny), and seeing the various features I have already made, and those I have yet to make. Being in her was exceptionally cool and I understand better now what an accomplishment and honor it is to earn dolphins. There are so many valves and controls that I can see why so much time must be put in to learning their purpose and function before being submarine qualified. My hat is off to any of you who may be reading this who have earned your dolphins. CONGRATULATIONS!

The other thing that I kept thinking about was how cramped it must have been. 78 sailors in that space (which would have been even less with torpedoes and supplies on board) for a month or two is unimaginable to me. Hell, anyone who survived a peace time cruise with that compliment deserves a medal in my book. I can’t even fathom what it would be like with the added stress associated with being at war. Again, my hats off to you guys, and if it isn’t considered rude or offensive for a civilian to salute, I salute you as well!

Simply Amazing!

Anyway, although I thoroughly enjoyed touring Batfish, the main remaining question I have regarding the ship details is still unanswered, and now I have a few additional questions. The detailing question is on the bridge, in the area immediately behind the venturi. Unfortunately, the fairwater and bridge were inaccessible, although I did climb up on the fairwater (using the things I suspected to be vents in Update 33, which they definitely are not, and are possibly exactly what I used them for, steps) and took reached up to take pictures of the area as shown below.







You can see why my question remains unanswered. The fact that there are loose bolts lying around and holes in flanges without bolts makes me think that the items (whatever they are) are not in the correct positions. Rats!!

I probably could have gotten my new questions answered at the museum had I thought to ask, but I didn’t so here they are][/url]

There are two more items that I don’t know what are. One is a sloped sheet of metal that I suspect may be associated with loading torpedoes. Is that correct? If so, I assume that it would be stowed while underway, true?



The other unknown item is a vertical pipe forward of the bridge and fairwater on the port side. What is this item? Was it on the ship when she was in service? If so, was it fixed or removable?



My last question is perhaps a stupid one and is about the aft escape buoy, which is elevated above the deck. IS this for display purposes? Would it be flush with the surface while Batfish was in service?



If you know the answer to any of my questions, I would really appreciate hearing it.

On the way out I bought a temporary tattoo of (one of(?)) the Batfish logo. It is backwards of course, but I scanned it and flipped it, and it looks pretty cool. I was thinking that I may be able to use it for a decal on the base I will eventually make for it.



Expect some progress updates over the next few days, as I plan to suspend work on the USCGC Bertholf, pending the answers to some questions I have posed to Pavel, and play with Batfish.

CHEERS!!!