Model Expo's "Cannone Da Costa Americano" Finished !

Donnie,

I am just finishing the English caronade and have enjoyed it a great deal. The kit is a relatively quick build which I wanted for some short term gratification during the course of a another long term build.  Rather than just scribe the planking, I cut strips for the deck from beech veneer and used black thread for the caulking.  I used oak veneer strips for the hull planking.  I think it really added to the overall result.  The barrel took a bit of filing to get rid of the seam but I painted it Tamiya NATO black, which has a greyish hue, and to my eye that was a good color.

Good choice and enjoy the build.

Bruce 

You guys have got the best imagination. I was going to just build this one straight from the box, but all the while I was thinking to myself howcome they did not just include some type of deck. But I guess this model is just a quick build for a light display.
I guess that it is good that this model leaves room for an expeienced modeler and woodworker to play around with some great ideas.

Donnie

That looks like a fun build. Take a look over on  http://forum.drydockmodels.com/

If you look under group builds, there is a section on a scratch built battle station. There are plans for a simple section of deck. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

I've never been a fan of Mantua kits, but this one does look reasonable.  The shape of the gun muzzle looks a little odd, and the turned details on the barrel probably are simplified compared to any real gun of the period.  But the proportions look about right, and the price is reasonable.

Several other companies make naval guns, some of them in diorama-like settings that can be a lot of fun.  Here are a couple that might be of interest.  Smaller scale, and cast resin rather than metal, but the prices are right - and everything from Verlinden that I've ever seen has been a first-class product.

http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=VE1898

http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=VE1904

Here's a page from the site of the Saratoga Soldier Shop, distributor for the fine, long-established American military miniature firm of Imrie-Risley.  These are white metal kits, which need to be assembled and painted. 

http://www.saratogasoldier.com/irkits_seamenbritish.html

Unfortunately there don't seem to be any photos of the naval guns on the site, but if you navigate from that page to the home page there's a link to order the company's printed catalog - which does have pictures.   I/R has been in business for a long time (close to fifty years), and its products do vary in quality, but my recollection of the naval gun series is that they're quite good.  I built the carronade quite a few years ago; it was a fine, well-detailed, accurate kit. 

It's a shame that no plastic kit company has seen the potential for historical cannon kits.  The only ones I can think of are the Napoleonic guns from the French manufacturer Historex - beautiful kits, but decidedly non-naval. 

Many, many years ago a now defunct American company called Palmer Plastics did a small range of guns, including a Civil War field piece, one from the American Revolution, a French 75 from World War I, and a generic naval gun from the sailing ship period.  My recollection is that it was pretty crude and of highly questionable accuracy.  (I do remember the "brass plated" barrel, which came in hollow halves - and presented an insoluble joint-filling problem.) 

For a while those kits were available as mail-order premiums - price:  50 cents, plus a coupon from the back of a Quaker Oats cereal box.  (Remember:  "Nutrition, flavor, and lots of fun/from these weight-watcher cereals shot from guns [BOOM!]"?)  I think they may have turned up in Life-Like boxes later; I seem to recall selling a few of them when I was working in a hobby shop in the late seventies.  But those kits are a part of hobby history that's better buried and forgotten.

 

I have just finished the Mantua English carronade and here is how it turned out.  Out of the box the kit may not be as detailed as it could be but with a little accessorizing it is a fun, relatively quick build.

Bruce

In the same range of models, here is the "bombardella a mortaio" I built some months ago :

Michel

 

thanks everyone for comments. Those are really nice cannons and adding your taste to be creative. I didn't know anyone esle out there was doing this.

Donnie

I took some advice and decided to make a deck. Went to Hobby Lobby and bought some 1/16 x 1/4 basswood and made the deck.  I have some clear Glaze that I will put on it. Then I will finish the stand later. It took me about an hour and a half to do what you see.





Donnie

ARRRGG !
I think I ran my decking the wrong way - Well, thats ok - I plan to take this to my office when I finish and I dougt that anyone will notice but me, but thats life. Thats what I get for getting in a hurry !
Oh well ! (this cannon will be either facing the fore or aft ship

Now I really want to build a cannon.  Looks like your having fun.

I know that feeling when you are done but found that you build something backwards.  I once put the yards on upsidedown and didnt realize it until I started my running rigging.

Oh well, thats modeling.

Scott

I am finding real quick that this Cannone model allows for some diversity as to the build. I guess I can still turn that Cannon around 90 degrees. It will just look rather strange, but hey, its ok.

Actually, I am not stuck. All I have to do is go and buy another stock bottom and redo it. But... I hate redoing things - if you know what I mean. I hate redoing things like Indiana Jones hates snakes !

Donnie

Additional pics of Cannon

Looks mighty nice.  And the planks aren't necessarily running the wrong way.  If the manufacturer's description is to be believed, this is a coastal defense gun - mounted not on board a ship but in a shore battery or fortress.  The decking on which it sat might well have looked just like this.

Now you've gone and done it Donnie.  You have me wanting to get this kind of kit myself.   I was thinking of the HMS Victory cannon.  So this means I'll have yet another project to work on...

Just remember Donnie.  When my wife gets on to me, I'll be blaming you... 

 

 

Grymm
your funny! 

..and thats Mr. Tilley for your encouraging words ! ... and everyone else as a matter of fact. I hope it won't take too long to finish.  If I had to guess, I figure that I have about 8 hours in it so far.

Donnie

More pics as of 4-26-06 at 10:00pm

Finished Build











Enjoy !
Donnie

Nicely done Donnie!  The cannon and the stand both look great.

Bruce

A mighty handsome model indeed!

I should have thought to mention this before, but - did you spray the barrel and other brass parts with clear lacquer?  If not, you run the risk that they'll turn green, brown, or (eventually) black from exposure to the atmosphere.  Might be worth thinking about.  At the moment, they look beautiful.

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

Mr. Tilley, no, I did not think of that. I am glad that you mention it. I guess I need to pick up some of the lacquer that you refer to. The gun barrel was (or seemed plated with a copper). I didn't like it so, I sanded it down kinda smooth, but did not get all the copper off. Ok, so I am lazy or excited about getting on with this project. I like the brass look, so I had that Testors Gold paint laying around and painted the Gun Barrel. I guess some of you may think that is real cheesy way of doing this, but - hey, what can I say. I does (barrel) look fair. I was going for the executive model look with shiny brass, etc instead of the weathered look.
Actually to satisfy my curisotiy, I looked on the web for Brass plating and it did not take me long to exit off those pages. I could not believe how expensive it is to do that process. Ok, so I am ignorant of such things, but -- now I know. Hey, I just started this hobby, I don't know it all - you know !!!

I am glad that people are admiring my models -

I decided to take this model to my office so that I can enjoy it there.

Donnie

ps
Now, back to the Wappen Von Hamburg (making the mast now)

Well, the gold paint fooled me completely.  I'd assumed the barrel was a brass turning.

This emphasizes that Testor's gold paint is actually pretty good stuff.  Carefully applied, it looks at least as bright and metallic as most of the "gilding" products sold in art supply stores - and it seems to hold up well.  I have no idea what the Testor people put in the stuff, but whatever it is - it works.

I gather some of the fittings are brass.  If so, it would be worth the trouble to brush a coat of clear lacquer on them.  It's possible to find products that are specially-formulated to protect brass and copper; they supposedly form a molecular bond with the surface of the metal.  For the relatively small parts on this model, though, regular clear lacquer probably would work fine - as long as the metal doesn't get a great deal of handling, which would rub the lacquer off eventually.  In fact a good, cheap protective clear gloss finish for brass is clear nail polish.  But you don't need to admit where you heard that.

Donnie:

That's very nice work. I think it was a good idea to add the decking. It makes for a much nicer looking model.

I have scratch built several small models such as this. Mine included a bit of bulwark with a gun port etc, but they are very much on the same idea. I like such models as they are very easy to build and yet they make nice finished models.

Russ

 

Wow ... after looking at that, I plan to get a little bottle of Testor's gold for the propellers on my current 1/720 USS Enterprise build - that looks a lot better than the brass color they also sell.

Thanks a lot Donnie for the model photo's above! They were a great help! Much nicer than those in the manual, which suggested all red.

I used your photo's to create mine including your floor. It's my first model ever! Took me about 15 hours I think :) What do you think?