Steam corvette BAP Union (1865)

[MichelB]

I've received my order of turned brass masts to create the.. well.. masts and spars. Here are the masts so far. I've added the second-tier shrouds to the mainmast only with a dab of glue at the top, just to get a feeling of how they complement the mast structure and the platforms.

[MichelB]

Short update: i have made a mold and succesfully cast a copy. My method to deal with the gun ports - upon removing the hull from the mold, I push away the silicone from the hull, pulling and stretching the silicone that went through the port; I then cut that strand with a knife, thus severing the 'loop'. In casting, not even a thin film of resin formed in the ports and they were cast reasonably well.

More importantly - I have three weeks of vacation in which I aim to get as much progress on this little ship as is possible!

[MichelB]

Progress: i've redone the masts and am now working on the spars, assembling them from two turned brass masts each, the lower two (the biggest) at least. The top spars will be done with smaller diameter brass rod. I will install them last, after fitting the ratlines.

Added the "boilerplate" if you will: the top of the engine room, and the funnel. Not sure yet if this is realistic, but I recall some images online showing it, with four vents on each corner. It does seem to constrict the movement of the four guns next to it: these were muzzleloaders after all and would have to be drawn back in. Maybe I should delete it? (is just affixed with a dab of glue)

I've been working on the gun tracks for the big centreline guns. After a long slog with Paint, I printed the lines onto clear decal film. (getting my printer to recognize the off-scale paper was a headache). Now the bonder is drying.

One question that I hope you guys can help me with: what kind of protection on the edges would there have been on the poop and forecastle deck? I get very little from the drawings or the scant photographs. Would there have been a sort of bulwark? Would there have been a railing of sorts? I have no idea, leaving it all bare would seem strange/not OSHA safe .

Images now via imagehosting!

[maxim]

I guess that at the ends of the forecastle and poop are rails - already older sailing ships (18th century) have rails there.

The part above the boilers appears to restrict the movement of the guns - I am not sure, how far back they would go, but probably they would collide with that part.

[MichelB]

My builder's block is failing, like a sand castle before the tide, shattered by the timely arrival of the Samek USS Wyoming, and now poor old Union is reaping the benefits. Progress over the past few days:

1. masts, spars and ratlines ready for mounting, once all the deck clutter is in place.
2. Guns have been molded and casts, allowing for uniformity and possibility of replenishment should they be eaten by the carpet monster. They are seriously small and an easy prey.
3. Deck gratings recreated with a PE flight barrier from WEM's Ark Royal set.
4. The process for the gun rails has been work out. Below are two sets laid out on a test hull. Pitfall were many: my first attempts looked like someone had put down carpeting on the deck: it obscured the planking and had nasty edges. I decided to clip along the lines with a sharp knife, basically isolating them. These rails were often flat and inlaid in the deck, so elevated representation (like on the Independencia) is in retrospect not a very sharp method. One learns with every build.

[moomoon]

Nice ship and model! Now that you master molding stuff, no excuse not going on !

[MichelB]

And here she is, after a full day of working while bingewatching the final season of BSG.

First two masts and ratlines placed. That may have been premature, but something forced me to take that measure, to bring her to live as it were, to move from assembling subassemblies to building an actual ship.

[MichelB]

More progress today. Main mast installed. Hull painted. I simulated the horizontal lines by masking and adding several layers of paint. Now working on the armament and various other deck fittings, such as the four vents. Pretty pleased so far: she's now a real ship fitting out.

[mabmanu]

La suite please ...

[MichelB]

As we speak, I'm casting 12 broadside guns, one after the other, in a tiny 1x1cm mould, with a drop of slow-setting resin at a time. Painstaking and sloooow.

Merci pour vos encouragements!

[MichelB]

Well, la suite est arriv�e.




Added the guns. Will need some light drybrushing or capillary seepage to make them stand out more. Added the four funnels, placed them a little closer to the funnel. Added the bowsprit and the catheads. She's looking like a real fighting lady now. The bridge is also under contruction as we speak.

[maxim]

Zeer elegant!

[MichelB]

Thanks!

It has been far too long since I got some work on her done. This was a good day.

Maar, eh, sinds wanneer spreek jij Nederlands?

[maxim]

Google vertaler spreekt Nederlands

(if it used to translate into German, it makes some of the typical grammar mistakes, which many also many do, which do not have German as their first language - does it the same with Dutch?)

[Ziga]

Beautiful! Dean will be happy to see that his drawing was used to create such a great model.

[mabmanu]

Hello
Nice boat .
La suite de la suite (french in the texte)...

[MichelB]

It has been a long time. But now the modelling gods smile upon my work again, and with renewed vigour, I will see this ship through! Here, additions, such as the bowsprit and the davits and the railings at the focsle and poop can be seen. And of course, a sunday afternoon filled with modelling passion is the perfect moment for my black paint to run out... No touching up there...
Boats, spars and sundries are under construction/painting off screen and will be added soon...

[maxim]

Good to see progress with this beautiful ship!

[Peter Rathgeb]

I agree, great to see your progress! And what a beauty she is!!!
Cheers, Peter

[Pieter]

Strak gebouwd. Je zou er zo mee weg varen...