Thursday 13 January 2022

A Frigate, a pair of Sloops and an Ironclad Gunboat


A Union ‘old navy’ frigate, a ‘new navy sloop (soon to be getting some more guns) and a City class gunboat. I shall be adding a further one of each of the above - mainly because I can!

As the DEFCON status gets cranked up - Laurel is having her pre op Covid swab on Monday so we are then isolating until ‘Der Tag’ on 20th January - I have been making best use of the unexpectedly spare time I seem to have. There is not a lot of it to be fair but it is better than nowt and I need to strike whilst the iron is hot so to speak.

Aside from some long outstanding bits and pieces of parcel packing (I am fortunate in having some very patient friends….) I have also managed to complete the labelling of my Command and Colours Samurai Battles game which I am hoping to give a run out over the weekend. I have also been looking again at the the ACW naval collection and, perhaps inevitably, making further plans.

At the last time of asking I had more or less settled on the remaining types I would be building and indeed,  seven of them are currently under construction. I had worked out what the final two models would be which would bring the collection up to sixty models.

That was the original plan but….

I am going to add a further four models to the set up. With this in mind a small order was sent to Warbases for some hull templates and other bits and pieces. The plan is to now build three extra models for the Union and one for the Confederacy. The Union will gain a frigate, a modern sloop and a further City class gunboat (I have already built a pair of these) whilst the CSA will gain a further commerce raiding sloop.


The Confederates will be getting another one of these for commerce raiding.

Of the four additional vessels the one I am least looking forward to building is the City class gunboat as building casemates using my technique is an onerous task and involves rather a lot of filing. When built though, she will bring the strength of the Union river ironclad contingent to six vessels - three City class, the U.S.S. Benton, U.S.S. Essex and the soon to be built U.S.S. Ozark. The Union blue water fleet will have a a pair of frigates, two old and two new sloops.

Project creep? Moi? You may think that….but I couldn’t possibly comment….

7 comments:

David Manley said...

Lovely work as usual. I can't help thinking some Russian and Turkish ships might look good too :) Best wishes for the 20th - see you on the flip side :)

David Crook said...

Hello there Mr Manley,

Thank you old chap!

These are the models already built and I put the pictures up just to show what the additional four would look like, more or less. The City class need a new pilot house (I have a selection of octagonal shapes to use for this) and the pair of plain black hulled sloops need some more deck artillery.

Russian and Turkish ships are never far from my mind! The only problem I have is that when you add up the various ‘small projects’ I have in mind it can represent a pretty substantial effort….

We shall see what we shall see.

Many thanks re the 20th - the pre op Covid swab is booked for Monday and then we are isolating for three days until ‘Der Tag’.

All the best,

DC

Steve J. said...

Really good to see these ship again as they do look rather lovely:). Project creep really should be a medically recognised condition for wargamers as we all invariably suffer from it on and off over the years!

Good luck for 'Der tag'.

David Crook said...

Hello there Steve J,

Thank you old chap! I think I tend to suffer with project creep more on than off….

Thank you for the 20th - we are crossing digits in the hope that there is not a further postponement.

All the best,

DC

Aly Morrison said...

Project Creep… sounds like a band from the 90’s…
I like to think of it as broadening your horizons…

I am working on crossing my toes… it doesn’t impair my work as much.😁

All the best. Aly

David Crook said...

Hello there Aly,

I believe Project Creep were a drum and bass band - at least they should have been as the effect on my head would have been similar….

Please do not try standing up with crossed toes - you may fall over….

All the best,

DC

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Love your naval ACW crafting of these ships