Building a Revell 1/96 Kearsarge

Bill, I am anxious to see your Alabama & I know I always learn by looking. That has been about the most fun build that I have had in a long time. That's saying a lot because I have fun with them all. Some drive me a little crazier than I am. I got most of the rigging in, but I stop now if I start breaking what I have already done.

    I cut toothpicks in 1/2 & drill a hole in the end to put a piece of wire in to use to put AC glue on with. I did use a lot of the 560 white glue & it is sure nice for painted parts. 

  Steve, thank you and Merry Christmas. I would love to see your Alabama too. That is my next start, unless I get my 19.99 Monogram / Imia tomorrow

Hi Gene ;

 I got your friend request . I haven't figured out how to do it .It wasn't up in my personal stuff . Doesn't matter anyway .I consider you a friend regardless of any posting anywhere .Merry Christmas to you , Mary Ann and your family .

Merry Christmas Gary, I didn't know I had friends until I saw them on here. Figured you ought to jump in too. I wonder if anyone has made me a friend. That's why I'm not on facebook, I don't think. I better get hold of warshipguy, Nino & Don Stauffer to see if I made their friend grade. How did you like my Kearsarge I put the final on the other day. It was a really great fun build. Now I just sit & look at it & make my wife look at it & I have her programmed to tell me how pretty it is

Gene,

Beautiful build as are the rest of your models that you've let us see. I'll reference this thread if I ever get around to building my kit of the Kearsarge.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy and productive New Year!

P.S. Just because I like its looks I bought a 1/24 scale Bently Blower a short time ago. I've never built a car model and, although I know it's an old kit, it seems to have some nice reviews online. Have you ever built it? Is it worth my time building it?

Gene,

You are most definitely a very good friend!

Bill

 Thank you very much Bill. I had never gone looking at friends . I have some great guys. 

    Mikee I have 2 of the 1/24 built & one of the 1/12 . The 1/12 is really neat. I sold the 1/12 & it got all busted up from my bad packing & I still have it downstairs to rebuild. I have a bunch of old cars like that. I will find the 2 sizes if I can & mail you some pictures. Remind me as my brain short circuits now & then.

I found some Mike, I think this is the big one that got busted.

 Now you can build away. They are neat cars. The little one is just as nice. 

" G " 

 You'll see more as soon as I do two things .One -get back with Marcus and two -as soon as I can get my Camera card and download to Flickr .

Gene ,

   Your car is gorgeous.  Put some LED headlights in and a mabuchi motor and some sound effects and you could chase your cat around the house, in style!

  I had some time to look over your old postings. Man, you do inspirational work.

     You and Mary Ann have a wonderful Christmas and a Financially Great new year-to Buy and Build more models ships of course!

     Jim.

Everyone,

Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year!!!  I count all of you as friends.

Bill

warshipguy

Everyone,

Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year!!!  I count all of you as friends.

Bill

 

warshipguy

Everyone,

Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year!!!  I count all of you as friends.

Bill

 

Robert,

The feeling is mutual!  Anyway, please realize that the CSS Alabama kit has many flaws, each of which can be easily correctable.  There are several videos on Youtube that describe the process quite well.

One issue with the kit focuses on the length of the kit. Being that it was originally modified from the USS Kearsarge kit, the two models are of the same length.  Alabama was 11 feet longer if you go by the stated lengths. However, given the differences between American and British measurements the two ships were closer in length, so the scale differences are relatively minor.  Also, the armament in the kit is incorrect for Alabama, but Cottage makes a set of corrected weapons.  You will need to figure out a way to provide the necessary rake to the masts and rearrange the deck furniture, as well as to correct the rails for the centerline battery.  Finally, you will need to relocate the gun ports on the hull.

I am following one of the video series on Youtube and have begun my modifications.  I hope to do at least as well as Gene with his Kearsarge!

Bill

Seasons Greetings Gene,

I wanted to let you know thay I am really enjoying your Kearsarge build and hope it inspires me to restore my old Alabama.  It got dismasted a few years ago by a cat.  Your work is very clean and precise.  I like that.

Scott

Robert, Bill & Scottrc, thanks a lot for all the nice words. I am loking forward to all 3 of you posting pictures. Robert, you must be an old guy too if you built an Alabama 51 years ago. I have you beat because I built them both when they first came out. I'm not ahead of you much tho.. I am going to post another build with the Alabama & the Spanish Galleon. 

    It is surely a pleasure to be with a group of such great guyss & great modelers. Bill, I am not going to do a lot of changeson the Alabama. Just raked masts, ( don't know how yet) & fill in the rear openings. I am doing the deck in paint & pencil with a more wood look. The cannons I am still thinking about Cottage. 

  Bill do you or anyone know the interior colors of the Alabama? I have looked everywhere with a lot of different colors. What color is the inside of the hull, gunwales,& all the deck furniture & gun carriages? I am sprayin copper, naturally, Floquil copper. A dark metal waterline & all black outside. Does any white show outside?

   I had thought of mostly a dark grey for the deck stuff & a little lighter gray for the gun carriages & gunmetal for the cannons. Gunwales white or green or red?  I always go with a more scale color, I guess I mean lighter than full size. Maybe German Gray for the outer hull instead of black.

Gene,

The only reference is from CSS Alabama: Anatomy of a Confederate Raider by Andrew Bowcock. All deck furniture was painted black.  The lifeboats were black inside and out.  There is no mention of the inboard side of the bulwarks, so I have painted mine an olive green, much like the USS Constitution if you consider scale effect. It's a guess; black & white photos show a light color.

I hope that this helps!

Bill

Gene,

     I had a visit to the Washington DC Navy Yard 3 weeks ago and I saw their  Kearsarge and Alabama models. It is quite an impressive Museum. Too bad it is not exactly easy to visit.

     I was not there to specifically visit the Museum so I had limited time to spend inside but I did take a few photos.  I attached one here that seems to show the Alabama with a grey-ish color on the inboard side of the bulwarks.  I recall seeing Al Ross’s Alabama that he built for Blue Jacket and he used an Olive green color. I like the Green. It adds some life to the ship.

      The other colors on the model did not seem to completely agree with statements attributed to Capt Semmes. The ships boats are black but the lower masts are Buff and not all of the deck Furniture is black.  I did not see any running lights on the bridge either. 

Here's the Stern...

     I have a few more shots but there was no direct lighting on most of the models and reflections on the cases were frustrating. 

     Nino   

Bill & Jim, Thanks for the quick answer on the Alabama colors Is it the bulwarks on the inside? I used to know all this, but my brain has slowed down. I will do them in Olive Green.& most of the deck stuff like Jims pictures. They are super pictures that show just about everything I want. The canvas covers on the railings I will do too.

 Thanks again & I'm 87 today & am going to work on my ship today , all day.

Gene,

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY!             Glad we can help. 

     Did the kit come with any rings for the Spanker and Staysails? (My Alabama is out-of-sight under the bed and tightly packed with many others, like a Tetris game, so I can’t easily look.)

     I always figured I could just solder some wire together to make rings when I finally build a larger scale model that requires them. It seems all the other modelers who posted related builds bought rings. You would need different sizes for the different mast diameters. I am not ready to start a larger scale, this year, but my birthday is coming too so maybe in May I will try my hand at one of these Big kits.

     Jim.

  I didn;t see any rings Jim & thanks for the wish. Get started on a big one soon as you will find they are an easier build & even easier rigging because of size. They take a little longer on both just because of size & more detail, but are easier to work on. By 88 I want to have the Alabama, 2nd Constitution, Pirate ship, Spanish Galleon, Cutty Sark , C W Morgan, & Hannah  whats her name done. I have 6 kids that better have a house full of ships, fighter planes & cars or I will haunt them.

Gene,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope that you have many, many more!

I like the green inboard bulwarks and the buff lower masts.  As for the deck furniture, I will go with Captain Semmes rather than the model. Semmes would know, and the paint scheme was likely per his orders.  I also see on the pictured model at the Washington Naval Shipyard that the several round deck hatches that are molded on the deck by Revell are not on the museum model.  I have been sanding off the plastic deck details as being incorrect, but will have to check my sources again for those hatches.  I may have to carve and sand them off as well. However, I am surprised by the rails used for the Blakeley and Parrot pivot guns; they are a carbon copy of the Revell version while the plans in the book show a much different layout. The plans are heavily based on the underwater remains of the ship off of Cherbourg.

According to the referenced book, those "windows" on the transom were boarded over. The museum model (as well as several paintings of the ship) show them painted a light blue.  I like the effect, but I do not know if it was accurate.  It looks like even more research!

Enjoy the day!

Bill

gene

mate , happy birthday , I hope you have lot's more year's of happy modeling ahead of you , all the best for the future my friend . 

steve5

Gene, as always it was great getting to chat with you on phone the other day neighbor.  Happy B-day my friend and Happy Holidays to all and your families.  Gotta love those old photos .....   Dale

Gene, Thanks for those Bentley pictures! Looks like I'll attempt a car after all.

Happy birthday to you .. and many more!

Bill, thank you again for all the help. I have the green mixed for the bulwarks & will do most pf the deck fittings in dark gray or black. I will do the gun carriages in a gray to vary them . I am using the kit deck & it looks good. The guns I am still thinking Cottage. I will make the shrouds/ ratlines as I am getting pretty good at the rigging tools & can make them fit. 

   Jim's pictures are great & a big help. He is a treasure with the pictures & knowledge . I just bull ahead & build a model. I did do a lot of research on my train models but . Thanks for all the happy birthdays. 

Nino,

Thanks for the clarification!  After checking my sources, I have decided to keep them.I agree that research never ends!  When you check your plans for the deck, you will find errors in the layout of the rails for the pivot guns, and the deck furniture layout for the kit is equally wrong. I have sanded the rails off and am plugging the various holes throughout the deck and will place the furniture according to my source plans.

Gene,

It is my pleasure to be of any help! The Alabama is a favorite of mine. And, the quality of help from any number of members here constantly amazes me! We have a great group of friends here. God bless them all!

Bill

Bill, Gene, Steve, Nino and everyone else, I must say there is a fantastic community on this board, far better, politer, more FRIENDLY than what I have encountered over the years on other forums, and I am constantly learning. The Alabama, Kearsarge and especially the Harriet Lane are my all time favourites, I know I shall never get tired of them. The bug bit in 1964 when as an 11 year old I saw a picture of the first Cunarder, the Britannia, and got just a tiny bit obsessed with the early steamships. Then in 1966 I found the Heller "Sphinx", a repackage of the Pyro Harriet Lane and that year got the Alabama for Christmas, the hulk of which still lives in my attic. The IMAI Susquehanna is still the best quality kit I've found - all the parts fitted perfectly and the plastic is superb, far better than anything I've seen with Pyro or Airifx (whose Great Western I have attempted three times and always been disappointed). In the 1960s I went through most of the Airfix and Revell and Pyro catalogues, and eventually gave the models away to relatives. I've recently built the 1/96 Revell Thermopylae and Cutty Sark for friends, straight out of the box with not a lot of adornments, and though the recipients were thrilled with them the results fell far short of the skill you guys have. But I continue to learn and thank you all for all your info. Now, if I can only start posting photos....... 

Robert, you're not an old guy, I have a son born the same year as you 1953. Also, you did build the Kearsarge about the same time as me,1964. Do they have good hobby shops in Austraila? Do you buy thru Ebay? I buy most of my old kits thru ebay

   Jim , I just got my $13 back on the China sale for the Alabama. I knew it was a scam right after I bought it, but I had just bought a big Clipper ship for11.03 + shipping because no one bid on it. That's why I tried on the Alabama. Ebay as always been great for me in buying & selling. 

Robert

"Bill, Gene, Steve, Nino and everyone else, I must say there is a fantastic community on this board, far better, politer, more FRIENDLY than what I have encountered over the years on other forums, and I am constantly learning. The Alabama, Kearsarge and especially the Harriet Lane are my all time favourites, I know I shall never get tired of them.... "

    " I've recently built the 1/96 Revell Thermopylae and Cutty Sark for friends, straight out of the box with not a lot of adornments, and though the recipients were thrilled with them the results fell far short of the skill you guys have. But I continue to learn and thank you all for all your info..."

 

I write to Revell and Airfix at least twice a year and have done so since 2006 about the need for more quality sailing ships, always pointing to this forum, Modelshipworld, and, more recently Ships of Scale.  I know that the MSW site has over 27,000 sailing ship enthusiasts; I cite this statistic to the manufacturers to no avail.  Revell does occasionally release a new ship, but they have been very few and very, very far between. Zvesda has released a few, but they seem to have slowed.  Also, Revell seems to think that we should be satisfied with their 1/450 kiddie fare, but I have shown my angst about that.  But, I will keep trying!

Bill