CSS Wilmington

[ct ertz]

Wilmington

Twin casemate ram
Dimensions: length 224', beam 42'6", draft 9'6"
Displacement: 1,100? tons
Speed: ?
Crew: ?
Armor: Two oval or octagonal casemates
Armament: Two guns, probably Brooke rifles
Authorized: ?
Wilmington: Built at Wilmington NC. Never completed. A twin-casemated ironclad, destroyed on the stocks in Jan 65.



So...that is the info I have. I chose this ship because it wasnever completed so I can make it the way I see it. I made this basic 3-d model in google sketch up-7. So now what? How do I unfold it? Color it? Any help?

[Royaloakmin]

There is an unfolding app for Sketchup, check the Sketchup home page.

[ct ertz]

I tried that but I could not get it to work with Sketch up -7. I don't know if I did something wrong?

[mabrown]

Was it the Ruby script you tried or Waybe?

I have just started using the Ruby script on my attempt at HMAS Sydney and it does work (although in my case my hull needs a lot of work before it will unfold the way I need it to).

Avery posted a simple howto for using the script here: A very curvy lady!

There is a really good youtube tutorial here which I am pretty sure uses the same Ruby script: YouTube - SketchUp Unfold Tool Example

[NOBI]

Maybe you can try to export 3d model to 3ds or obj format and unfold in pepakura. If you color in Sketchup and export in 3ds format, you will keep information on color you paint inside and can use in pepakura.

[ct ertz]

IThanks guys. I have tried Waybe, with no luck. Iether the free waybe download will not work with Sketch up 7, or I messed something up.

I have had some luck with unfolding it part by part, thanks to Colonel-Klinks lessons on UV mapping.

Thanks to kazziga I have a pretty good idea of what the finished Wilmington was to look like, as he sent me the proposed blue print. Actually, the idea combined the best of what the South had to work with. I put the pilot houses on top of the fixed turrets like the Union Monitors, but I realize now that the Iron-poor South would have not done that. The Turrets were kept as small as practical for one pivit gun, no room for dangling platforms, so the pilot house in my model would have been as tall as a man. Too much metal would be used. In the blue print, a number of pilot houses were to be ar deck level, fore and aft, using little armor but making them strong and hard to hit, with the pilot and captin standing below deck. I do not know if the deck was armored, but as late in the war as this was being made, my guess is no. Like the majority of the Souths ironclads, I bet the deck was wood. The blue print also shows the placement of dead lights and center hatches. It looks like this ship had less area to cover, ecen with the two small terrets, then the typical casement ships of the South. The large length puzzles me, butotherwize this would have beet a pretty big threat to the Unions navy.

[RyanShort]

I'd be willing to try my Waybe on it.

Ryan

[Don Boose]

You are really moving out, ct ertz! From simple models to your own designs in just a few months. I'm impressed!

Don

[THE DC]

Please keep us posted on your progress; I look forward to seeing the ship!



The DC

[ct ertz]

OK, here is my new turret, or at least the start. I am not sure what the top should be like, so I will be adding two boiler plate hatch covers and grated top to ventilate smoke, like on some other ironclads. I am also trying to figure out the rivets or bolts. I saw on the recovered piece of Confederate armor that it was an 8 inch by 2 inch plank, with the rivet holes alternating from side to side. I have a lot to do yet, but you can see what I have in mind.