CSS Texas

**Ironcladman** · #1 01-27-2011, 06:41 PM

Hi,

I started another ironclad, the CSS Texas! I am still learning how to use GSU, but getting better. Does anyone have a autoplanker!

**Ironcladman** · #2 01-28-2011, 11:53 AM

Hi,

I made the hull formers, wow what a bagoogly it was since the hull is not flat bottomed! Building by the blue prints is tough!.... well it is on too....plankin!

**Knife** · #3 01-28-2011, 12:56 PM

I think alot of people will like the seeing your full-hull model design. Maybe you should hook up with CTErtz to provide hulls for his fleet of ironclads. The bits below the water line is where all the hard work lays.

I've been working for over two months on my Arkansas trying to get my hull right. Keep up the good work.

**Ironcladman** · #4 01-28-2011, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knife

I think alot of people will like the seeing your full-hull model design. Maybe you should hook up with CTErtz to provide hulls for his fleet of ironclads. The bits below the water line is where all the hard work lays.

I've been working for over two months on my Arkansas trying to get my hull right. Keep up the good work.

Hi,

I hope they like it, like you say it is alot of extra work. I really like waterlines, and I think CT is going to eventually make all his designs full hull. For me I like to float me boats so that is why I go with the full hull.

Shoot, your designs even have interiors too dude, that is a booger! Getting the contours right is only as good as your drawings and information a person has on a boat. Makes me mad sometimes those people back during the Civil War did not take the time to document plans and construction with their IPhones!

Well, here are some new pics!

**Knife** · #5 01-28-2011, 06:16 PM

My "tips" for auto planking: The google sketchup university has some auto-stitching plug-ins that can stitch two curved lines together (i.e. fill in the area between two different lines). I haven't played around with them, so I can't tell you how they work. For me, I use the extrude feature on the bulkheads to give them a little thickness. Then if you select the view hidden geometry feature of the view menu the individual line segments that formed the curves can be seen on the edges of the bulkheads. Then it's just a matter of connecting the end points of the individual line segments to form a triangular flat surface. Since the bulkheads now have thickness, connect the end-points from either the front of the back surfaces of the bulkheads for the entire length. Don't connect the end-points from one front surface to the next bulkhead's back surface, that will result in a wavy hull since the bulkheads are extruded in only one plane. I hope this makes sense and helps you out.

**paperboy** · #6 01-29-2011, 09:49 AM

I like your design drawing for the Texas. Too bad that the producers of the movie Sahara didn't do more research on their depiction of the Texas. But I digress. I built a full hull of the CSS Columbia from Naval archives plans and the bow is different from your bow. What did you base the prow on? Cause I'm wondering if theres new data and if My Columbia is wrong.

Respectfully

the Paperboy

**Ironcladman** · #7 01-29-2011, 02:31 PM

Hi,

First, Knife your right but I think I have gotten so use to manually building and I use high detail drawings, I can never get the extrusion to match for accuracy, but to just build fun models I extrude all the way, much simpler and faster!

Quote:

Originally Posted by paperboy

I like your design drawing for the Texas. Too bad that the producers of the movie Sahara didn't do more research on their depiction of the Texas. But I digress. I built a full hull of the CSS Columbia from Naval archives plans and the bow is different from your bow. What did you base the prow on? Cause I'm wondering if theres new data and if My Columbia is wrong.

the Paperboy

Hi, PaperMAN (anybody who builds ironclads is a real MAN!) Ok, Yep, the movie was just that a fun movie, I see that all the time in movies too where I know what something is supposed to look like but it is totally different.

The Naval Archives plans are the original design layouts, but the final design of the actual build almost always was different from the plans, (remember they were not just build copies, they were INVENTING this new technology at that time) Since we do not have IPHONE pics of the actual ship then we have to go from the plans, research information, and the style of the designers and builders. I have found that the description of what was built differs from the plan, and what the CSS Texas looked like was also different from the CSS Columbia.

Based on all available information (without me seeing what all you have), what you have COULD be correct, although (from an actual real world build that sucker and ram it into another ship) that physical layout would probably not work, it would stick inside the other vessel and snap like a twig or take them down with the other ship. (which almost happened to the CSS Virginia) It was a great idea to pierce the hull of another vessel, but after actual attempts it was found to be better to blunt and crush the side of a vessel, and the front structure of the ships were built way solid not like a spearing idea.

Now have said all this, your bow goes with the available plans and info for the CSS Columbia. From the available plans and info for the CSS Texas it would not be correct. These two ships were sister ships, but lessons learned, and lessons learned from building the CSS Columbia and available resources changed the actual layout of the CSS Texas.

Blaaaa blaaaa.....whatever! Yours looks GREAT! I wouldn't change it. Does it have micro RC stuff in it? (That is what I am doing with mine.)

Well, here is another updated pic! This is just really a first rough build to figure out how to build with GSU. I will make a "SCALE" version next.

**Ironcladman** · #8 01-29-2011, 05:05 PM

Hi,

I was just looking at my model and I rotating drilling deviced (SCREWED UP) on me rear hull! I made the length tooooo long. I can fix it!!! Get me the diiiiii noooo mite! and run AWAY!

To be continued as soon as I fix me mussup!

**paperboy** · #9 01-29-2011, 07:56 PM

I found this from the plans i talked to you about. Hope it helps.

Vern

**Ironcladman** · #10 01-30-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paperboy

I found this from the plans i talked to you about. Hope it helps.

Vern

It matches up with the cross section of the USS Texas, and actually my messup is the hull for the CSS Columbia so I think I will save it under a different name for the future. I have to change it....again for the CSS Texas though!