The first of five boxes worth of laser cut MDF bits and pieces used in my warship models
As part of my return to scratch building ironclad warships, I decided to carry out a modest reorganisation of my supply of the laser cut MDF pieces I use for the models. This would serve two purposes. Firstly, I would be able to see if there were any pieces that needed restocking and secondly, so that I could tidy up the five boxes full of bits and pieces.
The box you see above now contains all of my turret pieces, as well as the two key components I use for assembling masts.
A selection of turreted monitors and the U.S.S. Keokuk (top left).
I have turrets available in four sizes - 1”, 20mm, 15mm and 1/2” - and I am quite sure that it must drive poor Mr Murray at Warbases to distraction as I quite happily mix metric and imperial measurements for the pieces I require!
For the turrets, the central layer with the gun embrasures is 3mm thick. For the layers above and below this I usually use 3mm but have a selection of 2mm thick pieces to use if required. As mentioned previously, using the 2mm thick ‘lid’ means that the gun embrasures appear to be higher from the deck. An illusion to be sure, but a welcome one.
The mast ‘fighting tops’ are all 3mm thick and whilst circular it would be simple enough to get some rectangular versions cut. From what I have seen of ships over the ironclad period the fighting tops seem to be mostly circular so that is what I have gone with by default. On my models their function is to provide a ‘sleeve’ of sorts to the joins in the masts. They provide an extra surface on which to apply glue, thereby making the join really strong. The full circles with a central hole are used for ships that are running with a cut down sailing rig.
I was pleased to have sorted this particular box out as it gives me a much clearer idea of what I have and what I need going forwards. Once turret designs move away from being circular I will need to order some other shapes but the basic three layer assembly technique will still work for them - I will definitely use the 2mm ‘lid’ though!
6 comments:
That is a very nicely organized box of bits David - definitely inviting the viewer to roll up his (or possibly her) sleeves and start making stuff.
That's an awful lot of mdf bits...lots of turret potential!
Hello there Maudlin Jack Tar,
It is nicely organised now but it was a bit of a mess beforehand! If It encourages anyone to have a go at building simple model warships I will be delighted, especially as there is a lot of fun and satisfaction to be had doing so.
All the best,
DC
Hi Jim,
The irony is that I am not actually building many ships that had turrets for the Ironclad era. However, there is a cunning side hustle planned that will make use of these and of the spare MDF hull components I have amassed.
All the best,
DC
Always a joy to see your lovely scratch built ships. Good to see that you have plenty of parts for more and now so easy to find the right one!
Best wishes, James
Hello there James,
Thank you kindly sir! I learned through bitter experience that checking to make sure that one has the requisite materials - and of the correct size - in stock before embarking on a build is always a wise move!
Nothing is more frustrating that running out of a key component at a crucial phase - and trust me, I know!
All the best,
DC
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