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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:30 pm 
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Here is the completed smokestack and coaming assembly basecoated in Floquil Weathered Black. Best I can figure out, the upper smokestack was just held on top of the armored coaming with four attachment rods. It would have made for easy replacement. The two little hooks appear to have been provided for hanging the centerline ropes for the awnings.

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And the assembly in position on the deck with a primer coat applied to get an idea of what the finished product will look like. I have to redo all the bolt holes because I originally used scale 3" diameter holes (the rivet head size on Monitor) and then discovered information that the flush headed bolts used on Keokuk were actually 2" diameter. The 3" holes are visible on the deck outer edge, which I haven't replated yet. I like the look of the new cambered deck - it no longer looks like it's caving in. What a difference 1/32" can make!

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:47 am 
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I continue to be impressed with this build. It also makes me feel better to know that there's someone out there who's even MORE nuts than me about getting the details right on these ironclads.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:57 am 
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Devin wrote:
I continue to be impressed with this build. It also makes me feel better to know that there's someone out there who's even MORE nuts than me about getting the details right on these ironclads.


Thanks Devin. For me, doing the research is half the fun! Rework is an inevitable outcome of continuing to research once I have a subassembly finished. I often comment that I have built Keokuk at least four times on the same keel!

I just wish I had more conclusive information on some areas, like the armor cladding, so I could be sure I have it at least close. But there just isn't that much information on Keokuk out there. I don't understand why virtually every Monitor model available has a conventional brickwork lay of the deck plates with domed rivets when there is so much conclusive evidence (including high definition photos) that the plates were laid in a triple-staggered pattern with either flush headed bolts or ground rivets. I would KILL for a photo like that of Keokuk's deck!


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 pm 
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Well after all that work installing the grating, I came to the realization that the intake did have a cowling over it. After a couple attempts at guessing the proper shape for a cone pattern, I decided to just turn a master out of wood and vacuform it. I don't expect a problem with heat on this component, but just in case I flattened it out and made a spare out of annealed copper.

Image

And here is the cowl installed on the stack. There was no information I could find about how it was attached, so I guess and made it from four riveted pieces installed around the stack. I suspect that it was probably held in place by gravity. It bums me out that all the work on the grating is hidden, but at least it can still be seen down the stack and I now know what's underneath those cowls!

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:01 am 
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Devin wrote:
I continue to be impressed with this build. It also makes me feel better to know that there's someone out there who's even MORE nuts than me about getting the details right on these ironclads.


Devin, have you gone through this book?

http://books.google.com/books?id=calFjI ... &q&f=false


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:18 am 
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Say, that's a new one! Haven't seen that one yet. I'm surprised how often things like this just pop up. I find "new to me" titles at least a few times a year.

Thanks for the link. I'm always up for some new ironclad porn!

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:52 pm 
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Devin wrote:
Say, that's a new one! Haven't seen that one yet. I'm surprised how often things like this just pop up. I find "new to me" titles at least a few times a year.

Thanks for the link. I'm always up for some new ironclad porn!


There were supposedly 5000 copies printed and I just picked one up in the original House of Representatives binding. Yes I can read the whole thing online and blow up the type to where I can actually read it, but for me there's nothing like holding a real piece of history in my hands. I have original copies of about all the issues of Harpers and Frank Leslie's newspapers that have Keokuk articles in them.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:43 pm 
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Thanks, Glen, for the link. It's fascinating reading...Dupont was a prickly one, wasn't he?

Yours,
James D. Gray


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:14 pm 
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Suvoroff wrote:
Thanks, Glen, for the link. It's fascinating reading...Dupont was a prickly one, wasn't he?

Yours,
James D. Gray


He never lived down the abortive attack on Charleston. It ruined his career and he was replaced by Dahlgren. I didn't realize that he brought up Alban Stimers on charges for allegedly making disparaging comments about him until I found the court martial transcripts in this book. Stimers was the engineering expert on Union ironclads, but apparently not much of a tactician if he thought the monitors should have tried a second attack.


Last edited by Glen the Rotorhead on Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:58 am 
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Bunches of things I've never seen at this site, especially photos. Unfortunately they aren't captioned on numbered and I don't know how to copy them for enlargement!

http://www.civilwarnavy.org/


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 2:07 pm 
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Devin asked about copper hull paint and whether Keokuk had boat cradles. I thought others might be interested in what I have found, so here is my response to him:

See page 217 of the link below on the history of anti-fouling. It says in the 1860's copper oxide or sulphate was added to tar or mixed into lacquer as an additional anti-fouling treatment and even mixed with soap. It is discussed in terms of an "over and above" contract change for Keokuk in the Whitney claim, and at $200 (including labor) to paint the entire bottom of the ship, it was clearly not a solid copper or metallic green color, but a tint to whatever was used to paint or tar the bottom originally. Likely all of the iron-hulled ships would have this treatment, especially since they would be sitting still a lot in saltwater while on blockade duty. The only question in my mind is whether the tint would have been copper, green, or both. I'm no chemist, but IIRC, copper oxide and sulphate are green. UPDATE: I found out that they are not both green - sulphate is a screaming blue. So having the choices of copper oxide (olive green) or sulphate (bright blue), I am going with green. For one it looks more military, and another it was more common, which I internalize as cheaper. I will use an Antique Copper tint to provide some metallic sheen.

https://darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org/bit ... equence=20

As for whether the boats were stowed on deck, does this answer your question? :-)

Image

IF my measurements are correct and IF No. 1 Whaleboats were carried as per Roanoke in 1855, IF the boats were stored on cradles, the crew had to go below to pass from one end of the ship to the other, which is highly unlikely because the after hatchway was in the Officer's ward room! It appears that there is room for the davits to be turned in and the boats could have been lashed together for protection and stability. I will be able to test that when I install the davits. Also note that the Corbett drawing indicates 28' double ended whaleboats with sternposts were carried, unlike all of the commercial Keokuk models out there with square transoms. His drawing is not specific enough to determine if they were clinker style, so I may take the easy way out when I finish them and go with carvel hulls, since the Union Navy was using both. There might have been room for the crew to snake around the boats if they were on deck in cradles, but Corbett doesn't show any cradles so I'm not putting them on.

DOH!!! :doh_1: I re-measured the Corbett drawing and it appears that Keokuk carried No. 2 whaleboats, which are slightly narrower and shallower. So now I get to redo the master plugs. On the bright side, I didn't photograph all the steps on the first one, so now I can.


Last edited by Glen the Rotorhead on Thu Apr 17, 2014 3:28 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 3:07 pm 
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Well, that makes a good argument for a green undercoating, in my opinion. It makes sense as up to that point the traditional anti-fouling was copper plates, so a variation on that is logical. The earliest mention I could find of red anti-fouling was at the launch of the USS Atlanta in 1884. I did find multiple mentions of red and white lead being used during ship construction during the period, though.

Good point on the boats. Drat. I really wanted to sit on the decks. Maybe I'll put BOTH of them in the water! And, yes, the Verlinden kit has single-ender boats. I won't be changing those out, either. I'm trying to make this a simple build of what's in the box.

Thanks!

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:55 am 
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Devin wrote:
Well, that makes a good argument for a green undercoating, in my opinion. It makes sense as up to that point the traditional anti-fouling was copper plates, so a variation on that is logical. The earliest mention I could find of red anti-fouling was at the launch of the USS Atlanta in 1884. I did find multiple mentions of red and white lead being used during ship construction during the period, though.


If you read about copper plates in the Woods Hole paper, it was found that when applied to iron hulls there was an interaction that caused increased corrosion of the iron, so it was only feasible if a protective layer (rubber, sealed canvas, etc.) was applied between the hull and the plates. That of course proved to be more trouble than it was worth. They also tried a zinc coating but as anyone who has dealt with zinc anodes and saltwater knows, it didn't last very long!

As far as red oxide, I read someplace it was being used at least in the 1860's as bottom paint. Maybe earlier.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 3:24 pm 
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Here are the no-foolin' completed engine modules with the center section, which carries the common exhaust system and serves as a spacer to keep the modules aligned with the propshafts. These are what I am taking to sea trials. Both of the boilers have that fitting down on the side by the aluminum side rail. Those are there to add piping for refilling the boilers in the ship while still under pressure. I will add a pipe up the side and across the top with a check valve, globe valve, and piping disconnect fitting. To that I will attach a hand pump and external water tank. that will happen if I find it's so much fun to operate that I can't wait to cool down and de-pressure the boilers so I can refill them. The gas and water capacities are almost perfectly matched for a full hour run time on a single fill with the pressure regulators set at 20 psi.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:08 pm 
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Okay, now I quit modeling... :eyes_spinning:


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:26 pm 
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Forward gun deck fitted over the propulsion system with the firing system under the deck. I wound up with at least 1/8" to spare in vertical clearance! Not sure what to do with it. :smallsmile:

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:40 pm 
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That's so freakin' awesome!

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:05 am 
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You have GOT to film her maiden voyage and put it up on YouTube! :thumbs_up_1: :heh: :cool_1:

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On the ways:
1/200 Trumpeter HMS Nelson
1/700 Tamiya USS Yorktown CV-5

In the stash:
1/35 Italiari PT-109
1/35 Tamiya "Pibber" Patrol Boat
1/350 Trumpeter USS Yorktown CV-10


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 4:43 am 
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Wow this is really great, I would also love to see a film of her maiden voyage


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:48 pm 
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Thanks for the kind words Gents. And yes, I will be filming all of the sea trials. When you combine about 8 ounces of liquid butane, black gunpowder, and open flames inside a wooden ship model, there is no guarantee that it will make it back to port!


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