ACW Naval status update - week 12

A quick post for this week. Good progress was made this week. Several models moved through the painting queue fairly rapidly. Rigging continues for USS Pawnee and a new unit joins the fleet!

What's completed
 One new model joined the squadron ready for action - USS Eastport. This model, from Brown Water Navy Miniatures, is a 3D printed model available via Shapeways.com.
 

Overhead view of the Eastport, base is styrene covered in Woodland Scenics Flexpaste and painted.

In this image you can see the deck planks that are printed into the model. A bit large for 1/600, but a nice effect.

More of a broadside shot. There are two gunports in the starboard broadside under the pilot house. The paint scheme used on this model is an effort to capture the Western Gunboat Flottila regulations for all upper works to be painted white. The muddy brown river is an attempt to model the Mississippi and the Red River waters - the typical environment in which Eastport operated.

 
What's in Progress
 Lot's of items in progress. Nothing left to assemble, so the work is either  painting or modelling rigging (which could count as assembly, but it feels more like finishing details.)

Painting of the Bay Area Yards model of USS Calhoun is underway.

Overview of CSS Calhoun. In hindsight, the cabin walls should have been painted before assembly. Thinking that the hogging beam needs to be repainted in a darker color.

USS Kearsarge is getting a little bit of paint. The interior walls need a second coat of white.

The twins are getting painted. Both are Bay Area Yards models of Lackawanna and her sister should be done in a week or two.

Another model from Bay Area Yards. CSS McRae is moving along. A little touch up work, then it's mount the guns and rig the masts. McRae sees service with the Mississippi River Defense Fleet at New Orleans and Head of Passes.

USS Pawnee is sucking in the wire. When done, there will be close to three feet of wire in the rigging.

This really shows off the wire rigging.

USS Pawnee is one of the many models of Union warships available from Bay Area Yards.

After languishing for years (yeah, that's right - years) USS Susquehanna is advancing toward completion.

The mizzen mast needs to be mounted in place.

USS Miami (Go Miami!) Getting her paint on. the paddle wheels may get a coat of red to celebrate the colors of her namesake university.

The model shows off the space reserved for the bow and stern semi-pivots. Most images of the Miami only depict the single mast forward. It looks a little odd, but steamboats in combat mostly relied on the steam engine for propulsion.

What's New? 
Not much - what's new with you? At this pace, the naval project may be finished by the end of April. The good news is there are two more big projects in the backlog - 25-28mm Anglo-Sikh War and the 15mm Sci-Fi / Traveller. It's a toss up as to which is next in priority. Leaning toward Sikh War if only to support a game for the fall convention season.

ACW Naval - status update week 11

Another somewhat slow week in the yards. The week started off with a bronchial-sinus cold that sucked away the will to do much work. But towards the end of the week, the weather cleaned up enough and my energy levels bounced back enough to accomplish a few things.

What's Completed
Good news everyone! Three models can be marked as finished - CSS Patrick Henry, CSS Jamestown and USS Sassacus all have the rigging installed and are ready for the game table. Huzzah!

CSS Patrick Henry

CSS Jamestown

USS Sassacus

What's in Progress?

A fair amount of activity this week. Basically a lot of small tasks that are not yet gelling into tangible results.

CSS McRae is slowly getting painted.

USS Susquehanna had the masts assembled and mounting holes drilled out this week.

A big side wheel frigate. A nice model from Bay Area Yards.

The post from the aft mast is smaller than the other two. I drilled to hole too large and the mast rattles around a bit.

USS Miami also slowly getting painted.

USS Calhoun getting a little pigment laid on. I'm thinking a mostly gray palette for this one.

Bit of a mess right now. Painting the superstructure is a pain with the hogging beams in place.

USS Eastport getting the base coat applied. Thinking white upper works and tan/gray decks.

USS Kearsarge with a dark gray hull color applied.

Slow work on USS Pawnee. Doing a good job on the rigging adds a lot of time to the modeling process.

A Milestone! 

The two Lackawanna class sloops. The one in back is the last unassembled model in the queue. At this point every model is assembled and at least primed! Huzzah! Huzzah! 

While I was laid up this week, I spent some time reading Donald L. Caney's book Lincoln's Navy. I wish I'd read this years ago. This book is loaded with great tidbits on ship's ordnance, ship handling and rigging that all influence how a model would appear in action. Knowing what I know now, I'd go back and change details on almost every model.  Grab a copy if you find it! 

ACW Naval status report - week 8

Well. Almost forgot to post an update for this week. And it's been such a great week!

Not much moved to the 'done' column this week. but lots of progress in the other areas.

What's Done?

Finished up painting the rigging on USS Varuna and got the matte coat of varnish applied.

What's almost done?

Good progress on the CSS Thomas Jefferson and CSS Patrick Henry. Both had their ordnance installed and the rigging is coming along. Finding some odds and ends to paint as this progressed. Should be done in the next week or two. (Did I mention that rigging in a pain?)

 

CSS Patrick Henry from Bay Area Yards.

CSS Thomas Jefferson with the guns mounted. Rigging is underway.

CSS Patrick Henry with the bow and stern pivots mounted. Lots of work left on the rigging.

 


What's 'In Progress'?

We had a gorgeous day on Saturday almost like early summer. Highs in the 70's, sunshine and dry air - spray painting weather! Several hulls that were ready for a primer coat got painted as did a whole mess of guns from Bay Area Yards.

CSS Calhoun. Good shot of the detail that went into this model. It's a great piece.

CSS Calhoun from Bay Area Yards.

USS Easport from Brown Water Navy Miniatures (Shapeways).

USS Kearsarge from Thoroughbred Figures.

USS Miami from Bay Area Yards.

Typical double ender. Big heavy semi-pivots mounted fore and aft.

Miami had a very different hull form than did the Sassacus or John Paul Jones class double enders.

In addition to the priming work, some general painting was done to CSS McRae and USS Lackawanna.

CSS McRae from Bay Area Yards.  Working on the block painting before starting the detail work.

The masts cleaned up nicely!