Tuesday, 6 October 2020

The First of a Dozen or So


Pretty much at the final pre painting stage the flagship of the Confederate Blackwater River Fleet

This was not the post I had intended writing but I was feeling so chuffed with myself I thought I would share the feeling with you all!

Pictured above is the first of a dozen models I am looking to build for the ACW project. This is the large Confederate casemate ironclad and she will be accompanied by a pair of smaller versions which will be next. I used the large MDF hull template - 5” x 1 1/4” - with the casemate made from craft sticks over a Jenga block former. The gunports are plastic card and the funnel is a piece of dowel rod. I have used a circular 10mm MDF base (3mm thick) for the cupola/pilot house.  Both the funnel and the cupola are not fixed in place yet to help with the painting. The next step will be to seal the model and then I can get to work on the painting.

I had forgotten just how much fun ship building is but it did take me a while to get back into the groove and to remember some forgotten tricks from yesteryear.

As it stands at the moment I plan to build a dozen ships in all for this project before moving on to the next lot which will be more ocean going in its outlook.


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10 comments:

  1. Steve J.6 October 2020 at 20:04

    A great start David! I'm really looking forward to seeing this painted and also the other ships that are planned.

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  2. Robert (Bob) Cordery6 October 2020 at 20:05

    David,

    I like your latest model casemate ironclad, and using the MDF hull from Warbases must have speeded up the process of building it.

    What colour are you going to paint her?

    All the best,

    Bob

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  3. David Crook6 October 2020 at 20:21

    Hi Steve J,

    Many thanks old chap! I will be building the two other Confederate ironclads over the next day or so and will painting the three simultaneously. The three Union Monitors will be built whilst the paint is drying!

    All the best,

    DC

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  4. David Crook6 October 2020 at 20:34

    Hi Bob,

    Many thanks old chap! The Warbases hull saved time for sure and having a uniform template to work from is going to be really handy going forwards.

    The hull and casemate will be a shade of grey, the decks will be wooden and the funnel black.

    Similar to my original models from way back when!

    All the best,

    DC

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  5. Jim Duncan Wargamer6 October 2020 at 21:07

    Good start.

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  6. Archduke Piccolo6 October 2020 at 21:32

    Hi David -
    It looks as though you have found a fine 'production line' method of construction. The ironclad pictured is looks fine. With three broadside ports instead of four, and I reckon we'd be looking at CSS Arkansas.
    Cheers,
    Ion

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  7. David Crook6 October 2020 at 21:55

    Hello there Archduke,

    The construction technique is pretty much the same as that I used several years ago except on a larger scale. I built an Arkansas years ago as I was modelling specific ships at the time. This new lot however, aside from being bigger overall will be far more generic looking so all this is is a ‘large casemate ironclad’. There will be two smaller versions to join the flagship shortly.

    I am really enjoying getting back to ship building and only wish I had started it sooner!

    All the best,

    DC

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  8. David Crook6 October 2020 at 21:58

    Hi Jim,

    Thanks old chap! I am quite pleased with her and am itching to get the other two built and the three of them painted.

    All the best,

    DC

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  9. Geordie an Exiled FoG18 October 2020 at 00:01

    I can sense your enjoyment
    Well done

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  10. David Crook18 October 2020 at 14:37

    Hi Geordie,

    It is a lot of fun for sure and I fully expect that to continue!

    All the best,

    DC

    ReplyDelete