Cathead

Having been a model railroader for a long time informs my perspective on detail. 
 
For example, there are people who build super-detailed model railroads where every square inch is filled with some kind of "thing". Clutter, figures, mini-scenes. These layouts are like Where's Waldo pages. You can never stop looking at them, there is always more to see. Here is an example:
 

 
There are other people who build layouts which are realistic but sparing with detail. They use empty space and careful focus to draw the eye to specific things while allowing the brain to fill in the rest. Like this:
 

 
I am of the opinion that too much detail can be counterproductive. I feel that the eye has a natural tendency to fill in missing information, and that part of the art of modelling is to fool the eye into seeing what it wants to see. I much prefer the latter form of model railroad, because it tends to look more realistic to me.
 
The former may actually be more realistic in terms of the amount of visual clutter in the real world, but my eye at least sees the modeled version as "too much", whereas a spare but careful use of accurate, quality detail looks much more realistic to me overall. The eye is very, very good at picking out things that don't belong, whether it's details out of scale, plasticky-looking figures, etc., but also very good at filling in empty space. 
 
I agree with those who list priorities, and skill, as important factors. If you like making super details, and can use them in a consistent way, go for it. A good example of excellent super-detailing is the Bounty Launch by matt.s.s. which I recently followed to completion. It has superb detail without overwhelming the visual impression. But you can also eliminate many details and allow the viewer to fill them in naturally (or not notice their absence), through the judicious use of proper detail.
 
In literature, one might call this the difference between Dumas, Dickens, or Hugo (extremely detailed but sometimes ponderous) and Hemingway (precise but spare). I actually enjoy all those authors, but tend to be a Hemingway when modelling. Yet to each their own, as long as you and your intended audience are pleased with the process and results.

Thank ye all fer the well-wishin's. I hope to finally be gettin' some work done on me Connie, for a change.
 
As fer work done thus far, the above be bringin’ ye all up-to-date with what CaptainSteve has actually accomplished. Plans have been afoot for sometime as to what he doth intend to do with the sternal region … but, thus far, nought hath been achieved – except fer many new additions to me bone-yard.
 
 
Indeedeth, George, Our Hero doth intend to use the kit supplied stern frames. He be intendin’ to be a-modifyin’ them to create an open (and viewable) area beneath.
“To go-eth from six frames up to seven (thusly allowing fer six windows),” he explained, “wouldst be-eth a most simple matter. It just be meanin’ that I be needin’ to make one additional copy of the central (larger) frame.”

 
But problems a-plenty didst plague CaptainSteve whence he were to try cut-ething out the body of the kit-frames.

 
Wi’ much wailin’ and gnashing of teeth, were Our Hero to discover the pieces be a-breaking up on him.

 
Essentially, what he be trying to achieve wouldst be to removeth the bulk of the material, to leaveth him something like in this sketch below.

 
Having spat-eth out his pacifier many a time, more work remains for Our Hero with regards these.
“Mayhaps,” he were heard to mutter, “after I hath picked up a Scroll Saw.”
 
When he doth, eventually, get these cut and sized, then CaptainSteve has plans for how he wouldst like to see the Captain’s quarters (and stern galleries) to be a-takin’ shape.
 
“It be nought but mere conjecturin’ at this point in time,” he postulated. “But, I wouldst like-eth ye to check out the work of a couple more muses which I has been following of late.”
 
First up, wouldst be Siggi52 with his HMS Dragon build. If you haven’t already seen this log, then do-eth yerself a favour and spend-eth an hour or two in amazement. Secondly be NenadM’s Cutty Sark build. Here, Nenad has actually shown Our Hero precisely how he can go about achieving the look that he wouldst wish-eth.
 
“I be a-figurin’’, he were to close, “on riding the coat-tails of these two fine gentlemen in order to have me stern quarters come-eth to life.”
More work doth remain …

Now, as ‘tis widely known throughout the land, CaptainSteve be aiming to do an 1812-ish build of his USS Constitution.
“This”, he didst start to explain, “be a-dictating that I shall need to totally reconstruct-eth the stern details o’ me Model Shipways kit.”
 
O’course, as any naval historian worth his salt will tell you, this couldst be-eth in reference to the before/during/after effects o’ any one o’ the numerous actions which this fine ship be involved in during the War of 1812/Barbary Pirates era.
 
“Ahem !!” coughed Our Hero. “This be jus’ mine own opinion, but-eth fer certain details, in particurly the physical matterings,” he didst try to explain-eth, “I be most in favour o’ the Hull modellin’.”

 
As always, he were to go-eth on, “I jus’ be not understandin’ how sailors on the ship at the very time o’ the Guerriere encounterings couldst not know-eth how many windows there be-eth astern !!”
 
(Ahh, CaptainSteve. But you do-eth ignore that it be highly possible Connie went from 5 windows to six, sometime after their first encounter (aka the Great Chase, and before their final, fated duel.)
 
But since days long gone afore, Our Hero hath fond memories from his youth of spreading waaaaay too much glue o’er all the pieces of his Revell plastic kit o’ Connie.
(“In my defence,” CaptainSteve were heard to mumble, “I were but twelve years o’ age !!”)
 
Firstly, Our Hero were to be considering the counter piece. To begin-eth with, he were to take-eth up his knife and began to hack-eth away at his counter piece.
 
After levelling out the top, yet maintaining an external curvature, the total area for the stern cabin is 4” x 1½”.

 
CaptainSteve has, so far, only planked the counter-piece. More plans are afoot.

 
“Hmmm,” Our Hero be a-ponderin’, “that band-aid hath found its’ way back into me picturin’s.”
We noticed, CaptainSteve. What on earth be that all about … ??
 
‘Twere around abouts this point that he were to be going off the rails a tad …
 
“I be seein’ a picture in me mind,” Our Hero announced blankly, “O’ how I be a-wanting this section to appear-eth.”
 
That be all well and good, CaptainSteve. However, whilst there most likely be plenty o’ room fer seating inside your head, that really be not much help to those poor people trying to follow along with you.
 
“More soon … I doth promise !!”

Arrg-eth !!
CaptainSteve doest wish to apologize most sincerely to the assembled Horde fer his tardiness in posting an update o’ late, but he has been somewhat distracted with life.
“Well, firstly an’ foremost”, Our Hero began. “May I just be saying, thank ye very muchly fer your concern there, Nigel (an’ everyone else what has asked.)”
“In truth an’ most verily,” he didst attempt to explain-eth. “I be not a-wanting to bore the bejeezus out of those o’ ye who be only here fer the saw-dust with e’ery minute minutiae.”
 
Howe’er, he doth be slowly getting himself ship-shape and back into action with Connie.
“At least this girl cannae be unfriendin’ me on the FaceBook.com !!”, he were to mumble-eth into ‘is beard.
Ahem (cough cough) …
 
“Anyways, as noted, you lot be here fer the sawdust. So let’s get back to the ship modellin’.”
 
And so, whence last we left him, CaptainSteve had made some grandiose promises. The first of these matters which he didst wish to deal with, was to be lookin’ to a-strengthenin’ and a-re-inforcin’ his ‘ull.
 
O’er the past few weeks, CaptainSteve hath spent many a moment a-starin’ at his shapely rear end. “Err, that be Connie’s shapely rear end,” he didst state, by way o’ clarification.
 
Even though the better part o’ the past two years hath been devoted to learn-ething as much as he couldst about the real Connie, he didst give-eth narry a thought unto how those details may affect-eth the actual construction of his model !!
 
Verily, ne’er afore hath Our Hero added blockage to the POB kits what he has done-eth. “That be-eth true,” he were to say, “but I doth wish to do this build justice to ‘er name.”
 
Indeedeth, CaptainSteve didst draw inspiration from a goodly number o’ the wonderful builds here on MSW. Two of these would be by MrHollom and JesseLee.
 
And so, first up he didst spend-eth some time installing filler blocks to go betwixt the bulkheads.
"Here be pictures !!", was all Our Hero would say, in closing.

Peter, I agree on the inherent appeal of nice lines. When deciding on a future ship build, Mrs Cathead was unconvinced of several ships I found historically interesting (Beagle, Charles Morgan, Endeavour) because they looked to stolid and square. When I showed her a few schooner rigs she was hooked.

Peter, I agree on the inherent appeal of nice lines. When deciding on a future ship build, Mrs Cathead was unconvinced of several ships I found historically interesting (Beagle, Charles Morgan, Endeavour) because they looked to stolid and square. When I showed her a few schooner rigs she was hooked.

Peter, I agree on the inherent appeal of nice lines. When deciding on a future ship build, Mrs Cathead was unconvinced of several ships I found historically interesting (Beagle, Charles Morgan, Endeavour) because they looked to stolid and square. When I showed her a few schooner rigs she was hooked.

Thanks for the feedback, B.E. As you say, all sorts of rigs are possible. Upon my first look at the Pickles kit I had the impression that the masts were too close together, maybe the foremast positioned to much aft. Then I found that the masts positions coincide with those of other schooners. My reduced height now corrects that first impression.
 
You could call it only intuition, but I find, that the eye adapts to a suitable balance of sails or a successful  hydrodynamic (or aerodynamic) form and finds it pleasing. And for me a ship model with hundreds of hours invested into the build should look fine (this also helps in possible discussions with the admiralty). That's why I will relinquish to build a model e.g. of the Endeavour. That ship is extremely interesting, well documented and there are excellent kits on the market but the prototype was a rather coarse workhorse built mainly to transport large volumes of coal at the lowest costs (not unlike the Short Skyvan - which is a flying oxymoron - an ugly aircraft).
 

 
Cheers to beauty and elegance (not in me - absolutely hopeless - but perhaps in some objects I tinker)
Peter

Good stuff, Ken, thanks. The previous extent of my knowledge on this topic came from visiting the Cairo in Vicksburg. BTW, that link doesn't work as entered; it needs an http:// in front of it, at least in my browser. Just a note for anyone else who tries to follow it.

Good stuff, Ken, thanks. The previous extent of my knowledge on this topic came from visiting the Cairo in Vicksburg. BTW, that link doesn't work as entered; it needs an http:// in front of it, at least in my browser. Just a note for anyone else who tries to follow it.

Good stuff, Ken, thanks. The previous extent of my knowledge on this topic came from visiting the Cairo in Vicksburg. BTW, that link doesn't work as entered; it needs an http:// in front of it, at least in my browser. Just a note for anyone else who tries to follow it.

I've been a fan of the Brown Water Navy and the combat along the various rivers during the "late Unpleasantness" known as the Civil War. The boats were mostly paddle wheel or stern wheel. Some of the US Navy ships, like Farragut's USS Hartford, were screw powered, but they couldn't navigate in the shallower waters inland.
Check this site for some more info: http://users.wowway.com/~jenkins/ironclads/ironclad.htm Some of his links may be dead, but it's a start for getting to some basics.

Just discovered this, and my mind is blown, knowing nothing about this kind of model. And the prototype is pretty unique, not a riverboat I'm at all familiar with. Thanks for taking this on and expanding my horizons. I remember doing some origami as a kid, but this is something else indeed.

Just discovered this, and my mind is blown, knowing nothing about this kind of model. And the prototype is pretty unique, not a riverboat I'm at all familiar with. Thanks for taking this on and expanding my horizons. I remember doing some origami as a kid, but this is something else indeed.

Just discovered this, and my mind is blown, knowing nothing about this kind of model. And the prototype is pretty unique, not a riverboat I'm at all familiar with. Thanks for taking this on and expanding my horizons. I remember doing some origami as a kid, but this is something else indeed.

Just discovered this, and my mind is blown, knowing nothing about this kind of model. And the prototype is pretty unique, not a riverboat I'm at all familiar with. Thanks for taking this on and expanding my horizons. I remember doing some origami as a kid, but this is something else indeed.

Just discovered this, and my mind is blown, knowing nothing about this kind of model. And the prototype is pretty unique, not a riverboat I'm at all familiar with. Thanks for taking this on and expanding my horizons. I remember doing some origami as a kid, but this is something else indeed.

Holy moly, almost a month since the last update.   I wish I was doing some useful stuff, but....
 
I dd get a few parts glued up, like the bow, paddlewheel housing skeletons and the lookout platforms that go on top of the paddle wheels. I've got a compass with a knife blade to cut the larger circles, but anything under about 3/8" 10mm is out. I'm looking for some small metal templates, as suggested by Mark, to make those smooth circular cuts.
The hull skinning continues at a snail's pace. The glue tabs need some trimming to fit around the bulkheads. The stern piece is a bear, since it is more like a half of a hemisphere, curving in 3 dimensions. And its about a half inch across and 1/4" high. A tad tough for my meat hooks to fold crisply and emplace.  
Thanks for reading.

Picked up a set of cool grays and black Faber Castell Pitt pens and promptly went to my shipyard to color some edges. Thanks for the steer, Slog. They look good. I touched up all the parts I had previously used the Chartpak pens on.
 
Continued gluing up the hull skins and still puzzling over the stern pieces. I think I have a fix, but I'm going to try it with some re-positional glue first.
 
Also began the paddle wheel housings.
Paddle housing support
 
Paddle wheel attachment point, bottom of support
 
Exterior paddle housing.
 
The white semi-circle gets another overlay, but its both an inside and outside cut. I'm looking for a good, smooth semicircle here, with a flat at the top of the paddle. There will be an observation platform perched on top of each paddle wheel housing. The red 52 on the housing is the location for a 3 piece bump-out, glued over that spot. The instructions aren't text, just pictures with numbers and arrows pointing in approximate locations.
 
Thanks for reading.
 

I colored the edges of the hull skins with a Cool Gray #5 I have.

There are 10 different cool grays (bluish tint) and 10 warm grays (brownish tint). They get darker with higher numbers. Looked OK when I first did it, but after it dried it looked too light.   
 
The edge stands out, though not as bad as a white edge.
 
Glued up the first 4 hull skins, on the bottom only. I'll glue up the sides when it's all one piece.
You can see how the marker, which is alcohol based, bled into the paper.
On the printed side it's not obvious, but it is too light. I think I need a #10 cool gray or a black marker.
 
Also started gluing up the compartments that sit between the paddle wheels. They even have five separate doors.
Only the far, inside, end is glued, so far (the visible 17c end).
 
Still studying the stern parts; not yet ready to apply any glue to those 2 parts.

Finished slicing and dicing my hull components. Some of the cutoffs looked like the debris from punching holes in an old IBM card.    Upon further review of the beta build , I realized the hull sections were glued together and then attached to the bulkheads. Looks doable, except for the small stern segment.

I have to figure out how to bend, curve, glue and fit into the hull section ahead of it.The little black projections on the section in front of the stern are the rudder attachments. That section will have some fun curves. The tab on the stern section somehow fits under the rudder attachments. The blue-gray segment on each section is the part of the hull closest to the deck.

These are the segments at the stern. I may have to trim some of the gluing tabs to get the hull skin to fit around the bulkheads.
I plan to touch up the cut edges with some  cool gray Pantone markers I have. Cool grays are bluish, so it should work on the armored areas.They've worked real well for me in the past on wood as a stain. I'll test before I take a flyer with them, however.

Ken,
 
DNA imprint is mandatory as Mark said, so don't be to picky on that. It's the only way to prove you are the builder(!) It's your builds fingerprint.
 
About the segments ... both methods have their pros and cons. Glueing it up up front might be easier, because you can handle the different pieces more easily, but you may not get correct 'in line'. Attaching the segments individually, could be harder as you are forced to confirm to the hul's shape. However, you follow the hulls line. The chance to deviate is far less compared to the first method. It's mainly a question of preference/choice and whatmakes you feel at ease ...

George, I could re-glue the thicker,laminated parts, which I did with one deck on the paddle wheel housing. If I flub with a piece printed on the heavy paper, I can reprint the sheet. Some archival tape may work, but I don't know where I'd get any, short of mail order. The cost of a sheet of 110 lb. paper and printer ink is low, so just reprint your part. The "kit" is a download on your computer, so once you have it; it's yours.
 
I like to think I'm fairly safe, although I did have a trip to a hospital ER after slicing open my had while cleaning up a pour stub on a boxcar kit Took 4 hours, four stitches and two tries at getting a Tetanus shot. My left hand bears a few scars from sharp objects over the years.  
 
As for Choctaw, I'm not sure if I should glue up all the hull segments first and skin the hull or attach each segment individually, stern to bow.

Went to cut out the hull skins with my new scalpel with the curved blade, a #12 I believe. Worked really well cutting into the corners of these pieces. The skins appear to go on like shingles on a roof, since they have  uncolored tabs along the axis of the hull. Looks like I skin this boat from stern to bow.
 
Origami skills needed.
Glue tab on the near side of the part.
 
I had laid the skin sheet on a light table so I could mark where the curves go in pencil, before I cut any of them out. You can see the lines in the top picture.
 
I did up four sections out of 10, so far. The stern piece will need some judicious molding to cover just above the rudder. each section's mounting tabs get folded inboard to glue the skin to the decking. I lightly scored the backside of each part so I could fold them. I used the backside of a #11 blade. Score it, don't cut it.
 
I got into one of the curvier parts and decided I could free hand the curve. Dug in too deep and pulled the blade back, mostly away from me. I did anoint the hull skin with some type O+, but no further bloodshed followed. Nipped up to the bathroom, pulled out the ointment and a Band-Aid and I was good to go.
 
Twas naught but a scratch, Ma!
 
Thanks for reading.

As promised, the overall superstructure base:

Here's the front casement:

And the paddle wheel housing:

A little more detail on the aft end of the paddle house:
Looks like one of those floating hotels.
I glued the formers/bulkheads to the underside of the hull. Not very many.

And a closeup of the bow formers

 
This ship was built as a ram, although they couldn't get going fast enough to be effective. So, after I skin the hull, I have to make up the ram. Some of these parts are pretty curvy, so I'll be having fun keeping on top of the cut lines.
 
Thanks for following along.