Saturday 3 October 2020

Naval Plans? MDeFinitely!


“I have a cunning plan....” 

It has been a fairly productive day although not quite in the way that I would have chosen! I was hoping to get a game in but a combination of circumstances put paid to that but I have managed to make some progress with my naval plans as well moving the block armies along.

I rather like the idea of building some assorted ironclad types that could be used on an ‘imagi-navy’ basis so not following a specific historical fleet. The ships I am planning will be based on the templates you see in the picture above but I would draw your attention to the next shapes I shall be looking to get cut out - if possible - from Warbases. Although not showing on the diagram above I am also looking to get versions of the full length hull section (A above) with holes pre drilled for masts.

Drawing around the hull shapes that I have - specifically the large one in this case that is 5” x 1 1/4” - I have carefully marked out the shapes that I am after. The naval gamers amongst you will no doubt recognise the hull form (the shapes I want are in bold print) and so with a couple of layers of this on top of a plain hull will give the appropriate look for a central battery style ship.

It is worth mentioning that these models will not be super detailed and historically accurate per se; rather I am looking to model the type of ship so that on the tabletop it will be recognisable as such.

I have several ideas along similar lines and will share them as I get them on paper.

10 comments:

Steve J. said...

Really looking forward to seeing how these progress David. As mentioned before, this sort of scratch built stuff appeals to me and is perfect for Bob Cordery's naval rules. ACW ironclads are on my list of things to make at some point and mdf would be a great base material to use.

David Crook said...

Hello there Mr J,

I have a couple of ideas I am playing around with and the inspiration has come from some unlikely places! The plan is to use the models along with the block armies for something ‘imagi-nation’ based.

There is a cunning plan afoot....

All the best,

DC

Archduke Piccolo said...

Hi David -
I'm toying with mini-navies myself - almost as if I didn't already have some. But my 'Jono's World' navies are too WW2-ish, and the 6-8-inch fellows too big for fleet action. I'm thinking of 4-inch long battleships/ cruisers and 2.5-3-inch torpedo boat destroyers possibly modelled on the Greek and Turkish navies c.1900. Maybe. Probably done 'cartoon' style.

Just some thoughts and a few sketches on paper and a very interesting website to which Bob Cordery was good enough to direct me...
Cheers,
Ion

Jim Duncan Wargamer said...

Did someone say 'cartoon style'?

Have a look here:

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.com/2012/02/cotton-wool-ball-battleships.html

Archduke Piccolo said...

Jim Duncan -
Wonderful looking navies! Vaguely similar to what I have in mind, but I hadnpt thought of the colours, nor the portholes. Food for thought there!
Cheers,
Ion

David Crook said...

Hi Jim,

They look absolutely wonderful! Great choice of names as well....:-)

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi Archduke,

The ships I am planning will be quite simple to put together and will most certainly not be ‘high quality examples of the model makers art’! I am aiming for generic looking types - battleship, armoured cruiser, protected cruiser, torpedo board etc for the later types whilst for the 1860s to 1870s there will be monitors, ironclads of various sorts and smaller gunboats, spar torpedo launches and similar.

Currently on the stocks are some ACW types - two types of monitor and two types of casemate ironclad.

I hope to have them ready in the next few days.

All the best,

DC

David Crook said...

Hi Archduke,

Jim’s ships certainly look the part and portholes is not something i would have thought of!

All the best,

DC

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Watching with intense interest

David Crook said...

Hi Geordie,

There are certainly some plans afoot!

All the best,

DC