Canute

Matt, that mortar looks great! Well done.

You might look at Birchwood Casey and Bluejacket to blacken brass and pewter metals. Paint adds a layer on top of the metal; these color the metal. They both make blackening liquids for some different metals. You may find the Birchwood Casey stuff at a gun shop; they're gunsmithing supplies.

Build the pinnace. Excellent planking tutorial by our own Chuck Passaro. Read the build logs on this site.

That's the reason a bunch of us follow your work. Honest assessments and willingness to "experiment". I like it.

Pumice and rags for Droopie. Wax on wax off for that ne'er do well.

Jay, can't you view pages there without being fully logged onto the site?

Cathead, thanks. All my ACW in-person viewing has been in PA, MD, VA & NC. Need to check out the West.

I would think that since Cairo was built as an ironclad from the keel up and meant to be used occasionally as a ram, the hull was over braced, with all the extra frames. For a transport, I'd surmise the frames were much further apart.

Matt, I'd leave them in brass. Seems appropriate for those piratical squirrels. Lots of "Flash".

Cap'n, excellent work on the "iron works" and your hull framing. I'm waiting with semi-bated breath to hear of your "toy-box" additions.

Nice little mortars and carronades you've turned there, Matt.

Guess those pirate squirrels can be a little touchy; may have to make an example of one or else the blighters will take over and you'll be "walking the plank".

Jay, have you checked out Jeff Staudt's work over on MSB? He's done up a magazine section model and cited a list of 4 references for powder magazines. Another reference, here on MSW, is EdT's Naiad build. Just trying to help, mate. You scratch-builders are my heroes.

Nice planking on the pinnace, Mick.

What's your technique for the glue squeeze on the inside? The reason I ask, I have that happening on my Bounty Launch, so I'm scaling back on the glue, but I do have some glue blobs to be removed. I have some narrow chisels and a tool meant to scrape molded on details from plastic railway cars.

You might check the model railroad paint racks for a shade called SP Lettering Gray. It's dull pale bluish gray. Looks like weathered galvanized iron.

Jay, Connie's AOTS shows these spaces on a profile drawing on p 48-49 and the scuttle locations on the Orlop deck plan view/framing on p 72-73.

Well done. I really like the chocks in the framing.

Cathead, check out Gene Bodnar's build of USS Cairo, an ACW brown water ship, here: http://www.modelshipbuilder.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?5406

Another almost flat bottom (well, it does have a keel) build of a War of 1812 row galley, with an interesting build gantry idea: http://www.modelshipbuilder.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?4335

It looks to me like maybe either a) a gazebo base or a pivot gun platform. This weapons guy likes b.

Matt, the decking looks great. My compliments to the Nutz brothers. And Uncle Salty is starting to look like a groundhog or gopher. Get him back to work!

As another with a model railroader (MRR) background, I agree with Andy. It's important to define, if we are going to an IPMS or NMRA event, when you have to categorize the models for a contest. As an occasional contest judge and model evaluator for model railroading, I've been in the cross hairs of some irate contestants. It's a tough spot to be in. I try to avoid contest judging nowadays, but still help to evaluate folks' work, normally in their homes. Can't haul your layout in to my place to look at track-work or scenery, can you?

We don't judge here, we support and offer constructive criticism. Big reason why I'm here. For our purposes and  usage, super-detailing and kit bashing are equally valid terms and the MRRs here will occasionally slip and call these kit-bashes superdetailing. Let's not fall on our swords over a little semantic issue. C'est la vie!

Rick, where'd you get those glues? I've seen Duco around, but those other must be from Europe?

Okay, I'm in too! Looks like you have some really interesting mods going on here.

 

Oh, and for the record, I don't have OCD..................... I have CDO...............'cause the letters really should be in the correct alphabetical order!

  I have two mates who have the same affliction. And when they get together it's an installment of "The Bickerson's", nattering back and forth on some detail. They're a hoot!

This will be a most interesting build.

Nicely done. The deck looks great!

I've been interested in the Brown Water naval activities of the American Civil War for years. This steamboat is a good project, since a number of those ACW boats were converted transport types. I applaud your choice and will follow along, too.

Nice work, with those stun'sails flying!

Try it before you jump off that pier, Cap'n.

Cathead, excellent tip. I've got those pieces ready for the rest of the planking.

Don't see why it wouldn't work. Don't leave tape on too long after you're done or it will pull up the paint edge.