Puttering about with the ACW models

I've been puttering with the 1/600 ACW ship models. Did some detailing on Union Casco class "torpedo boats" as well as work on some other models. Below are a few pictures of what's going on on the workbench. It's mostly slow work.

The big accomplishment was getting the primer coat on a couple of models. I'd had trouble getting Gesso to adhere to some of the the resin that Bay Area Yards used. I gave the models a couple of baths in warm soapy water and even tried CRC contact cleaner (don't try this at home kids!) to cut through the mold release agent.

Fortunately, with the recent spell of warm, dry weather, I could go to the old reliable method of using $1.50 a can gray spray paint from Wally World as a primer coat. I had no trouble getting the primer coat to stick to the models. 

Bay Area Yards CSS Texas with a primer coat applied.

CSS Texas is a new model in the Bay Area Yards lineup. The model seems to crouch on the table with the severely sloped casemate. I've got the model based and should be able to get this finished quickly.

Bay Area Yards timberclad USS Lexington.

I had a little trouble with the stacks on the Lexington. Sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy. One of the stacks was out of true, so I tried to bend it...and snapped it off right at deck level. I was able to reattach it, but the stacks are a bit out of true and look a little goofy. We'll see how it looks later with a coat of paint.

The timberclad in front of the Thoroughbred Figures model of USS Tyler.

I do like the variety in models we can access these days. Way, way back in the past, we were lucky to have one model of a timberclad from Peter Pig...now you can get detailed models of the Tyler, Lexington and Conestoga from multiple manufacturers.

Union Ellet ram Lioness from Bay Area Yards

Last up - an Ellet Ram. Ever since reading Chester Hearn's book on the Ellet Brigade, I've been hooked on the whole concept of the rams on the Mississippi River. Fortunately, I was able to add the sternwheel ram Lioness to my collection before it dropped out of production. I like Lioness because this is a rare model of a sternwheeler and makes a great addition to your model fleets of sidewheel rams from Thoroughbred and Peter Pig. I'm not quite done with this model. It needs another top coat, then some weathering and finally a little touch up on the base. Should be able to join the fleet by November!