JohnB40

Hi Glen, I was at my library's book store this morning and purchased a book on Charleston during the civil war. There is a chapter on the ironclads attack on Fort Sumter. Here are a couple of pictures of the Keokuk from the book.....

I have used a soldering iron type of plank bender and a compact hairdryer for plank shaping in my builds. I have had my iron type for nearly 20 years of reliable service. When I had to form quite a few planks for the bow of the Confederacy,I remembered GaryKap's note in his log about using a one pound coffee can/tin ( a hard thing to find in this 12 oz world) for the 6" radius. Attached the can to my work bench. Soaked the planks for 10 minutes in a tall jar. Clamped one end of the planks to the can and using the bender worked them around the the can until the point where they matched the curve + a bit for spring back. I then clamped the other end at that point. Finally used the hair dryer to completely dry the plank. The can also heats up and drys the opposite side. I also use the electric iron to twist bend the planks for the stern runs. Wet the planks, clamp to bulkhead at the start of the run,heat and form to shape required.

Stunning work Danny....... I'm a retired Jag mechanic,so I have had a long love/hate relationship with V12's. I used to go to the Reno air races and there is nothing like the sound of a Merlin hammering full throttle overhead.

Hi Dennis, I can't believe I have somehow not found your build of The General till now. I have enjoyed catching up,very nice work. I have read books on the "chase" and it is interesting to see a detailed view of the locomotive. John

Nice one Danny.

Very nice Danny....Looking forward to the Merlin build

Another outstanding build Greg. Again,your attention to detail in that tiny scale is second to none

I've been busy lately,but now have some time to get back to hobbies...Spent a fair bit of time prepping the cast parts for the kit. I have removed all flashing,reshaped and painted them with matte black primer. I have finished some with matte black top coat,but many need drilling before assembly ,so I will wait until that is done to finish off the rest. I have now assembled the wagon bed. The kit supplies laser cut wood panels and nails to simulate the screws holding the cross braces in place. For some reason I painted the heads instead of using Brass Black. The nails are pushed through with a tiny drop of CA applied on the shank. They are then clipped off as close as possible and then filed flush with a mill file and sanded. The cross braces were aligned to the bed using brass rod through the corresponding laser cut holes and bonded together. I stained the wood with General Finishes water based golden oak. It is my first experience with water based stain after years of using Minwax oil based. I like the results. I am thinking of using it on the Confederacy build as I have only used oil based stain on the counter,so any slight difference in shade will not be noticed. The bed was finished with Dulcote. The seat assembly comes next....But I need to do a little more hull planking on the Confederacy before.

Hi, If you email John Garcia at jgarcia@modelexpo-online.com I'm sure he will send you another figure head. Get the part number from the parts sheet.

The first thing on the agenda is cleaning up the castings. There is a lot of flashing and general roughness to take care of. With the larger parts such as axles etc I used small amounts of JB Weld to fill in voids and imperfections. When cured,I cut it back with files and fine sandpaper. Then the castings are then cleaned in alcohol and sprayed with flat black primer. When all the cast bits have been through this process,I will use a finish of flat black enamel. I am unsure if I can use the cast rails for the seat/bed,or will have to make my own like Dan did on his stagecoach build. It will take a bit of time to get through all these small pieces. I will use Brass Black for the PE parts.

Greetings to all I needed a break from the hull planking on my Model Shipways Confederacy build. I really enjoyed building Model Trailways Chuck Wagon during my last hiatus and wanted to try another "wagon of the west". I always liked the look of MT's Buckboard,so when I saw it on sale I ordered it. The kit is nicely put together with good plans,instruction book,laser cut wood parts.photo etched parts and cast parts.

Well done! I have thoroughly enjoyed following your build and find your work second to none. You must have amazing eyesight to achieve that level of detail in that small a scale....I would be blinded if I attempted the same.

It was also my first plank on bulkhead model ship I made.....That was in the last century!

Buckler's Hard in Hampshire is where HMS Agamemnon was built. Nice museum and a very lovey part of the New Forest to visit. It is west of Portsmouth not far off your route to Cornwall. I hope you will visit HMS Victory and HMS Warrior in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. You could easily spend a complete day there with its superb museum and other Admiralty buildings.

Welcome to MSW Nick, Le Hussard was my third build. It is a very nice model and I think a good one for your first attempt at constructing one. It is double planked which makes it easier to rectify mistakes in the first layer of planking,before adding the outer finishing planking of the hull. The instructions certainly look more comprehensive and easier to follow than the older version. Go slowly and walk away for a bit if it gets frustrating. Any problems or questions will be gladly answered and helped to resolve by the forum members. One thing I try to keep in mind that this is a hobby and not a job. Work at a pace you feel comfortable with. I don't want to admit how long I have been working on my present build! John