It is the Fort that counts….Part 4

Despite a bout of the dreaded ‘white varnish on a newly painted model’ syndrome, I have finished the large coastal fort for my American Civil War collection! It has been the most ambitious scratch build I have undertaken within the context of the project and I really enjoyed the process - even the angles.

The model is not based on anything in particular, it is more like a ‘Coastal Forts of America during the 19th century’ greatest hits kind of idea - so based upon and purely representational it is then! The pictures will do (most of) the talking.

The landward side of the fort with the Confederate flag - the seaward side features the early war naval ensign.

The view from the seaward side

Looking across one of the seaward angles….

….and from one of the landward.

The model used six and a quarter Jenga blocks, eight cocktail sticks and a copious amount of cardboard squares and rectangles. The angles were packed out with balsa wood wedges and then covered with filler. The battlements were fashioned from 5mm square wooden strips, cut to size. I used Vallejo Iraqi Sand for the walkways, Vallejo Sea Grey for the walls, Humbrol Matt 29 enamel for the doors and gates, a mixed Sea Grey and White (equal parts) for the gun carriages and Black for the gun barrels and flagstaffs.

I now have a pair of floating batteries to build and that will be it for the time being - I have a game to plan for and guess what? The fort will certainly be featuring!