USS Kearsarge by SteveA - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 1:96 - Sloop-of-war

[SteveA]

I’m starting a new build of the Civil War era USS Kearsarge as she appeared in the battle of Cherbourg on June 19, 1864, at least that is what Bluejacket was shooting for with this kit.

 

Here are her specs from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships:

 

Displacement: 1,550 tons

Length: 201’ 4”

Beam: 33’ 10”

Draft: 14’ 3”

Speed: 11 knots

Complement: 163

Armament: two 11” Dahlgren, four 32-pdr., one 30-pdr. Dahlgren

 

So far I’ve put together the bulkheads and sub deck, and glued it to the building board.  I just started faring the hull for planking.

 

This is my first Bluejacket kit and it looks like it will be a challenging build.  They rank it as an advanced kit with previous building experience recommended.    There appears to be a nice focus on detail as there are a lot of very tiny parts.

 

I went ahead and ordered the optional copper plates, so this will be my first coppering attempt.   

 

The kit gives you the option of including a frame reveal section showing the iron cross bracing and chain armor, I will include this feature in my build.

 

[Azzoun]

Looks like you're off to a good start.   

[SteveA]

I thought I’d provide an update on some work done on this model after a long hiatus.  The hull has been planked and some initial sanding and filling has been done.  The bulkheads have also been installed.  I decided to plank over the frame reveal.  I was on the fence whether to include this or not and in the end decided against it.  I thought having a complete hull would make the copper plating process go smoother as I would not have to work around a hole in the hull.  This model will be my first attempt at installing individual copper plates.

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2024 by SteveA