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rcmdrvr

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  1. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from GrandpaPhil in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    As mentioned, I have been working on this model for a few evenings so I will make a few posts to bring you up-to-date on my progress.  The first step was to clear coat the wooden decks.  I used a gloss coating by Createx and brushed it on.  I did have some gloss coating by Tamiya in a rattlecan but I was not sure that they would be compatible with wood.  I coated the decks while still attached to the "fret" so it was quite simple.

  2. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mbp521 in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    I have been away from this forum for a few years.  I put my wooden shipbuilding aside and for a few years I have been working on plastic modelling and building some simple dioramas.  Lots of fun and you definitely improve your airbrushing and painting skills.  I have have had an interest in history for years and have read several books on the Civil War including biographies of Sherman and Grant.  Both mention the "naval" battles along the Mississippi.  I remembered purchasing a couple of model kits for Civil War ships, the Monitor and the USS Cairo; both from BlueJacket.  Sure enough I searched my "stash" and located the USS Cairo kit.  I jumped into building this model about a week ago.  During this first week of building I discovered that what appeared on the surface to be a simple model (low parts count and no planking required) was actually going to be a bit challenging for me.  This brought me back to this site to see if anyone was building the same kit.  I came across the log by Cathead who had just started on the kit.  His comments lead me to start this log.
     
    I want to warn any readers of this build log.  I am not an experienced ship builder so as I stumble my way thru the build my solutions to encountered problems may not be the best.  As you read, if you know a better way or got better results; please don't hesitate to comment.  I also hope that when I do encounter problems, the fact that I have started this log will discourage me from just "setting it aside".  Finally, we (my wife and I) own an RV and love to travel; so there may be some breaks in the progress of this log.
     
  3. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from yvesvidal in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Here is a photo of the all the hull and casement photo etch attached.  Now I have to get to the gun port hatches.

  4. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mbp521 in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  5. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mbp521 in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The first major gluing task is to adhere the main deck to the hull.  At this point the edges of the main hull have been sanded to a sharp bevel (except for the aft most section (wich is sanded to a 90 degree angle) and the paddle wheel tunnel.  During this process I test fitted the main deck to insure that there was some overhang all away around the hull.  This is ensure there will be enought material at the edges of the deck to sand to a sharp bevel once the deck has been glued.  I had decided to use a spray contact cement to glue the deck down.  Because it is sprayed, it tends to get everywhere so I masked all areas of the hull and deck that I did not want to get sprayed.  Finally, I clamped the hull and deck and left it to dry overnight.  Following are photos of the deck being fitted to the hull before gluing; the masked hull and finally the hull clamped for drying.  I used some small wooden boards to ensure that all areas of the decked were sufficiently clamped to the hull.
     



  6. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mbp521 in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The next task was to do some small shaping of the aft end of the hull and build the paddle wheel tunnel.  I then gave the hull a good sanding with 220 grit sand paper.  The following is a photo of the paddle wheel tunnel.
     

  7. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  8. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from GrandpaPhil in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  9. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mtaylor in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  10. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from yvesvidal in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  11. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Paul Le Wol in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    Continuing this hull gluing process I had to glue the upper hull (which is referred to as the casement) to the main deck of the lower (main) hull and then glue the upper decking to the top of the casement.  This actually took a bit more effort than I initially thought.  I measured the plans to determine the placement of the casement on the main deck and used masking tape to mark where the bottome edges of the casement should be placed and then marked the centerline on the tape fore and aft.  Next I checked the placement for the upper deck.  The instructions indicate that the upper deck should overhang the top of the casement.  Side to side this was no problem but fore and aft the top of the casement was substantially longer than the decking.  I had to increase the slope of the fore and aft ends of the casement to shorten the top of the casement without shortening the length of the bottom of the casement.  I used a table top disk sander to accomplish this.  Took my time to insure that I did not introduce any unwanted curves in to the fore and aft casement sides.
     
    As with the previous gluing I masked everything before spraying.
     
    Below is a photo of the clamped hull, casement and upper deck.  Also a photo of the model as it now sits.  This log is now up-to-date.  I will continue to post as work continues.
     
     


  12. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The first major gluing task is to adhere the main deck to the hull.  At this point the edges of the main hull have been sanded to a sharp bevel (except for the aft most section (wich is sanded to a 90 degree angle) and the paddle wheel tunnel.  During this process I test fitted the main deck to insure that there was some overhang all away around the hull.  This is ensure there will be enought material at the edges of the deck to sand to a sharp bevel once the deck has been glued.  I had decided to use a spray contact cement to glue the deck down.  Because it is sprayed, it tends to get everywhere so I masked all areas of the hull and deck that I did not want to get sprayed.  Finally, I clamped the hull and deck and left it to dry overnight.  Following are photos of the deck being fitted to the hull before gluing; the masked hull and finally the hull clamped for drying.  I used some small wooden boards to ensure that all areas of the decked were sufficiently clamped to the hull.
     



  13. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The next task was to do some small shaping of the aft end of the hull and build the paddle wheel tunnel.  I then gave the hull a good sanding with 220 grit sand paper.  The following is a photo of the paddle wheel tunnel.
     

  14. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mbp521 in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    As mentioned, I have been working on this model for a few evenings so I will make a few posts to bring you up-to-date on my progress.  The first step was to clear coat the wooden decks.  I used a gloss coating by Createx and brushed it on.  I did have some gloss coating by Tamiya in a rattlecan but I was not sure that they would be compatible with wood.  I coated the decks while still attached to the "fret" so it was quite simple.

  15. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from GrandpaPhil in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The first major gluing task is to adhere the main deck to the hull.  At this point the edges of the main hull have been sanded to a sharp bevel (except for the aft most section (wich is sanded to a 90 degree angle) and the paddle wheel tunnel.  During this process I test fitted the main deck to insure that there was some overhang all away around the hull.  This is ensure there will be enought material at the edges of the deck to sand to a sharp bevel once the deck has been glued.  I had decided to use a spray contact cement to glue the deck down.  Because it is sprayed, it tends to get everywhere so I masked all areas of the hull and deck that I did not want to get sprayed.  Finally, I clamped the hull and deck and left it to dry overnight.  Following are photos of the deck being fitted to the hull before gluing; the masked hull and finally the hull clamped for drying.  I used some small wooden boards to ensure that all areas of the decked were sufficiently clamped to the hull.
     



  16. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from GrandpaPhil in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The next task was to do some small shaping of the aft end of the hull and build the paddle wheel tunnel.  I then gave the hull a good sanding with 220 grit sand paper.  The following is a photo of the paddle wheel tunnel.
     

  17. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    As mentioned, I have been working on this model for a few evenings so I will make a few posts to bring you up-to-date on my progress.  The first step was to clear coat the wooden decks.  I used a gloss coating by Createx and brushed it on.  I did have some gloss coating by Tamiya in a rattlecan but I was not sure that they would be compatible with wood.  I coated the decks while still attached to the "fret" so it was quite simple.

  18. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    I have been away from this forum for a few years.  I put my wooden shipbuilding aside and for a few years I have been working on plastic modelling and building some simple dioramas.  Lots of fun and you definitely improve your airbrushing and painting skills.  I have have had an interest in history for years and have read several books on the Civil War including biographies of Sherman and Grant.  Both mention the "naval" battles along the Mississippi.  I remembered purchasing a couple of model kits for Civil War ships, the Monitor and the USS Cairo; both from BlueJacket.  Sure enough I searched my "stash" and located the USS Cairo kit.  I jumped into building this model about a week ago.  During this first week of building I discovered that what appeared on the surface to be a simple model (low parts count and no planking required) was actually going to be a bit challenging for me.  This brought me back to this site to see if anyone was building the same kit.  I came across the log by Cathead who had just started on the kit.  His comments lead me to start this log.
     
    I want to warn any readers of this build log.  I am not an experienced ship builder so as I stumble my way thru the build my solutions to encountered problems may not be the best.  As you read, if you know a better way or got better results; please don't hesitate to comment.  I also hope that when I do encounter problems, the fact that I have started this log will discourage me from just "setting it aside".  Finally, we (my wife and I) own an RV and love to travel; so there may be some breaks in the progress of this log.
     
  19. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from yvesvidal in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The first major gluing task is to adhere the main deck to the hull.  At this point the edges of the main hull have been sanded to a sharp bevel (except for the aft most section (wich is sanded to a 90 degree angle) and the paddle wheel tunnel.  During this process I test fitted the main deck to insure that there was some overhang all away around the hull.  This is ensure there will be enought material at the edges of the deck to sand to a sharp bevel once the deck has been glued.  I had decided to use a spray contact cement to glue the deck down.  Because it is sprayed, it tends to get everywhere so I masked all areas of the hull and deck that I did not want to get sprayed.  Finally, I clamped the hull and deck and left it to dry overnight.  Following are photos of the deck being fitted to the hull before gluing; the masked hull and finally the hull clamped for drying.  I used some small wooden boards to ensure that all areas of the decked were sufficiently clamped to the hull.
     



  20. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Canute in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The first major gluing task is to adhere the main deck to the hull.  At this point the edges of the main hull have been sanded to a sharp bevel (except for the aft most section (wich is sanded to a 90 degree angle) and the paddle wheel tunnel.  During this process I test fitted the main deck to insure that there was some overhang all away around the hull.  This is ensure there will be enought material at the edges of the deck to sand to a sharp bevel once the deck has been glued.  I had decided to use a spray contact cement to glue the deck down.  Because it is sprayed, it tends to get everywhere so I masked all areas of the hull and deck that I did not want to get sprayed.  Finally, I clamped the hull and deck and left it to dry overnight.  Following are photos of the deck being fitted to the hull before gluing; the masked hull and finally the hull clamped for drying.  I used some small wooden boards to ensure that all areas of the decked were sufficiently clamped to the hull.
     



  21. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from yvesvidal in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    The next task was to do some small shaping of the aft end of the hull and build the paddle wheel tunnel.  I then gave the hull a good sanding with 220 grit sand paper.  The following is a photo of the paddle wheel tunnel.
     

  22. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from yvesvidal in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    As mentioned, I have been working on this model for a few evenings so I will make a few posts to bring you up-to-date on my progress.  The first step was to clear coat the wooden decks.  I used a gloss coating by Createx and brushed it on.  I did have some gloss coating by Tamiya in a rattlecan but I was not sure that they would be compatible with wood.  I coated the decks while still attached to the "fret" so it was quite simple.

  23. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Canute in USS Cairo by rcmdrvr - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    I have been away from this forum for a few years.  I put my wooden shipbuilding aside and for a few years I have been working on plastic modelling and building some simple dioramas.  Lots of fun and you definitely improve your airbrushing and painting skills.  I have have had an interest in history for years and have read several books on the Civil War including biographies of Sherman and Grant.  Both mention the "naval" battles along the Mississippi.  I remembered purchasing a couple of model kits for Civil War ships, the Monitor and the USS Cairo; both from BlueJacket.  Sure enough I searched my "stash" and located the USS Cairo kit.  I jumped into building this model about a week ago.  During this first week of building I discovered that what appeared on the surface to be a simple model (low parts count and no planking required) was actually going to be a bit challenging for me.  This brought me back to this site to see if anyone was building the same kit.  I came across the log by Cathead who had just started on the kit.  His comments lead me to start this log.
     
    I want to warn any readers of this build log.  I am not an experienced ship builder so as I stumble my way thru the build my solutions to encountered problems may not be the best.  As you read, if you know a better way or got better results; please don't hesitate to comment.  I also hope that when I do encounter problems, the fact that I have started this log will discourage me from just "setting it aside".  Finally, we (my wife and I) own an RV and love to travel; so there may be some breaks in the progress of this log.
     
  24. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from Cathead in USS Cairo by Cathead - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    I have not been actively participating in this forum for quite a while.  I retired a few years ago and got involved in building plastic models and dioramas.  Decided to get back to wooden ship modelling a short while ago.  I rummaged around in my stash and recovered this model of the Cairo that I had purchased several years ago.  I am a bit of a Civil War history buff and have read a bit about the "naval" battles on the Mississippi river.  I started this model a couple of nights ago and find that while it appears simple (low parts count, solid hull, etc.) it is turning out to be a more challenging project than I thought.  I guess I should count myself lucky, however, as I have not run into any "Huh" parts yet.  The instructions are not as clear as I would like and photos of steps would be more helpful than sketches.  It also looks like fit is also going to be a challenge.  Us old plastic modelers expect perfect fit with no seams.  Finally, a list of terms would help.  I had no idea what a "casement" was until I looked it up on the internet.
     
    While I did not expect to open a build log; I will if I can figure out how to do it.  Had a few logs a few years back so I should be able to work through it.  Cathead, as we move along; perhaps we can help each other and learn from our mistakes.  I will also send for those marked up plans.
  25. Like
    rcmdrvr got a reaction from mtaylor in USS Cairo by Cathead - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:192   
    I have not been actively participating in this forum for quite a while.  I retired a few years ago and got involved in building plastic models and dioramas.  Decided to get back to wooden ship modelling a short while ago.  I rummaged around in my stash and recovered this model of the Cairo that I had purchased several years ago.  I am a bit of a Civil War history buff and have read a bit about the "naval" battles on the Mississippi river.  I started this model a couple of nights ago and find that while it appears simple (low parts count, solid hull, etc.) it is turning out to be a more challenging project than I thought.  I guess I should count myself lucky, however, as I have not run into any "Huh" parts yet.  The instructions are not as clear as I would like and photos of steps would be more helpful than sketches.  It also looks like fit is also going to be a challenge.  Us old plastic modelers expect perfect fit with no seams.  Finally, a list of terms would help.  I had no idea what a "casement" was until I looked it up on the internet.
     
    While I did not expect to open a build log; I will if I can figure out how to do it.  Had a few logs a few years back so I should be able to work through it.  Cathead, as we move along; perhaps we can help each other and learn from our mistakes.  I will also send for those marked up plans.
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