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After 30+ years absence I've started building again. I started with the Model Shipways 1:16 Napoleon Model 1857 12-Pounder. I hiked around Shiloh National Military Park as a Boy Scout more times than I can count and always wanted one of the old Civil War cannon that are there.
Most of the pre-paint assembly is completed. I still need to trim the worm, sponge, and scoop wooden dowels down to the correct length and cut down the width on the axle a little as there's just too much play between the wheels and the hub caps.
Overall the kit was good quality molded metal with very little flash. The trail (the wood beam that forms the center strucure of the gun) came in two halves and I had to do quite a bit of sanding to get the seam to disappear. The only gripe is the instructions are one single diagram. I have a good section of brass chain that needs to be mounted both on the right side of the trail and at the braces that hold the barrel to the trail and a very poor diagram of how it's supposed to be mounted.
I plan on using Sophisticated Finishes from Triangle Crafts to add an actual oxidized copper finish to the barrel. I'll update as I make further progress.
F.D.N.Y. Box 55-8087In Memory of Brothers in Battle
And . . . I just dropped the box as I pulled it off the shelf to take additional photos for the thread. Top came off and it went everywhere. I don't think I lost anything to the carpet monster. The axle did however snap off right where the left wheel meets the square axle center.
Nice work so far.
It's been a bit since I've had time to work on this (honey-do's). But I pretty much finished the assembly, sanding, etc. and got the primer coat on. I also stained the dowels for the sponge / rammer, wormer, and ladle and attached the tool heads.
The one part I was a little worried about was sanding away the wood grain on the trail (the structural member that rides on the axle and mounts the barrel). But I think I managed to scribe the grain lines back in after I got rid of the seam.
That's looking really good. The tools are excellent.
Griffin
Thank you sir!
Thats different, looking really nice. Really nice look to the wood.
I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so
On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3
Much appreciated Bish. Kinda dragging this out until I amass the tools I need to do the Panther Ausf. D and Challenger 2 I have waiting in the wings.
O,nice, will be watching out for those 2. Which Chally 2 kit do you have.
She's coming along great so far. Looking forward to how the copper finish works out.
"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen
Bish O,nice, will be watching out for those 2. Which Chally 2 kit do you have.
It's the 1:72 Trumpeter KFOR kit. A buddy picked it up for me trying to convince me to do 1:72 instead of 1:35. Assembly is 90% completed (only took about 3 hours) and that quickly taught me one thing: my eyes can't do a scale that small but the carpet monster was hungry that day!
Anyway, I'm going to use it to practice my wash, airbrush, drybrush skills before I tackle the Panther.
Gamera She's coming along great so far. Looking forward to how the copper finish works out.
I do 72nd aircrfat but much prefer 35th armour. But still will be nice to see the Chally. Amazing tank.
Once I get the airbrush and start working in earnest on it I'm going to create a thread and post up photos.
Well started on the painting the wood components. I'm planning on doing a wash on it after I retouch some of the black painted metal straps and hardware. The only thing I'm having trouble with is the metal strap around the wheels. I'm finding it difficult to get an even edge deliniating the green painted wood and the black. I've tried taping it off but there are small grooves giving texture to the wood and capilary action is drawing the paint into it. Any ideas gents?
Well, this any another other projects are on hold for a while. My fiance got a promotion and we're moving to Florida. So we're neck deep in getting the house ready to put on the market and pack. I'd like to point out that painting popcorn ceilings su-hucks!
Looking good!!!
And good luck with the move.
Fine looking model from a grand old kit. I built the original Marine Models version many years ago. It came with a genuine turned brass barrel in those days.
One point about the iron tires. If you're modeling a gun displayed on a modern battlefield, black is certainly appropriate. But a gun in service would get dragged around over all sorts of surfaces, from grass to dirt to cobblestones to gravel, and any sort of paint would get scraped off pretty quickly. One way to reproduce the effect is to "polish" the bare Britannia metal with extra-fine steel wool, and spray it with some sort of finish (like Dullcoat). Scratched-up Britannia metal actually looks just about like scratched-up iron.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.
That's a point I've actually been debating for a while now. Do I build it as one of the guns currently on display at a National Military Park like Shiloh or build it as a Civil War piece in service? Certainly if it was artillery currently on display it wouldn't have the tools. Frankly most that I've seen have no chain anywhere on them and they sure don't have the bore brush, rammer, wormer, etc. But then if I build it as a period piece does it have the oxidized barrel? I talked to a retired U.S. Army artillery officer friend of mine and he feels they probably wouldn't have been polished. Especially since oxidation on bronze doesn't compromise the structural integrity as would be the case with any iron alloys.
End result, I haven't really decided. And given the impending move and the fact that all my model stuff is already packed away I'll have plenty of time to mull it over. But I appreciate the advice on how to achieve the worn look. I may end up making it a period piece and weather it a bit on top of giving the metal wheel band the wear it would have from carting it around the Southern U.S.
Replicating the patina would be an interesting challenge.
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