USS Thomas Freeborn 1:150 build

**sporticus** · #1 08-11-2012, 10:13 AM

This is a build thread for one of CT Ertz's new creations. He has kindly allowed me to build this pre-release. I will however be building the kit at 1:150 scale rather than the 1:250 scale it is designed in.

As an historical wargamer I build ships to use as playing pieces rather than models. I use 15mm 'scale' figures. These figures are between 15mm and 18mm tall normally. This is roughly (very roughly) 1:100 scale.

However, if I used 1:100 scale ships they would be massive and demand huge tables to play on. So a compromise is needed. I make models that look good, but are slightly underscaled for the figures. The scale I have decided on is 1:150.

As I am not a 'purist' I also use my own metal cannons, ships boats, vents etc for strength and speed of making.

**sporticus** · #2 08-11-2012, 10:14 AM

One of the many advantages of card modelling is that the kits can be rescaled to suit your needs. Converting from 1:250 to 1:150 is easier than the otherway round as the fiddly parts become slightly less fiddly!!

However, it isn't all plain sailing. The kits are designed to fit on whole pages, so I can't simply enlarge the page. Parts that are long will often not fit on a sheet when enlarged and will have to be broken into two pieces at a suitable point.
Luckily when I enlarged the longer pieces for this model and rotated them diaginally they just fitted on the sheets. I had to convert two pages of parts in Corey's design to five in the 1:150 version.

Lastly I stretch the cabin and wheel house pieces vertically by 20% to make them taller and more in proportion to the figures. This make a model that is slightly out of proportion but it is not massively noticeable. I also had to do the same to parts of the paddle wheel sections.
As to how I do it, well thats a whole other story! Basically I import the PDF into my art package (paint shop pro version 9). I make a blank page and then copy and past individual parts enlarging as I go and rearranging on the blank page. Then save the blank page and repeat for the other parts!

I may then apply art effect to 'weather' the model.

**ct ertz** · #3 08-11-2012, 11:27 AM

Awesome. Look Forward to seeing how you reenforce such a large model as well.
CT

**sporticus** · #4 08-19-2012, 07:57 AM

Finally made a start!

Already managed to make a mistake in the build! A true card modeller would start again just to make it perfect, however I am a lazy wargamer and will probably just carry on and fudge it!!

Although as it is a build to show of Corey's workmanship I may relent and start over!!

I built the skeleton as normal. I use 210gsm card as that goes through the printer fine and is the standard white card available from staples!
I doubled it up for the spine parts but left the deck and base single thickness. This is strong enough to carry the parts I put on it. If the ship was a big ship a double thickness might have been needed.
I glued the deck in place and then fitted one side of the hull and the corresponding sides. I glued the hull sides on first and then the top pieces. I am thinking it would be worth attaching these top pieces first with thin paper as tabs before fitting to the frame

I am thinking I will correct my mistake and this will involve redoing the sides so I can improve them.

As for the mistake.....well.....
The three photos show
1) The skeleton with deck attached
2) The mistake!!! I put the central spine on back to front! I put the pointy end at the front when it should have been at the back! The steeper edge is the bow. This means that the bow and stern did not fit!!
3) With one side of the hull attached.

This is my fault, however, to idiot proof the model might I suggest a simple alteration Corey? The word bow written ON the central spine piece so that when it is cut out it is really obvious which end is which!!

**ct ertz** · #5 08-19-2012, 10:45 AM

Wow, that's huge!
That "bow" labeling is a good idea.
Thanks,
CT

**sporticus** · #6 08-19-2012, 03:36 PM

The longer pieces just fitted diagonally on sheets of A 4 card! The squares on the cutting mats are centimeters. I have ripped it apart and am going to startt again tomorrow!

**sporticus** · #7 08-20-2012, 07:22 PM

Well I restarted. Goes together much better with the spine the right way round! I still had a few fitment issues. I think this may be down to the enlargement process and also I lost a wee bit of one end of the hull as it was off the printable section of the paper. I don't know if there are any issues with the 1/250 model, but it seemed like the stern pieces were just a tint bit short. I kinda think it would be good if they were a little bit longer so they could be trimmed to be a perfect fit.

Any fitting issues I get may be a result of a mistake when enlarging them or a mistake in my build, but I'll point them out just in case as then you can check Corey.

I found parts 5 and 8, the small cabin bits to the front of the paddle boxes to be a little small. This left quite a bit of the blue showing. I also found part 2 seemed a little small and it wouldn't cover the blue on the deck.

On the subject of the blue, a suggestion would be to have them coloured the same colour as the deck so that any bits showing are less prominent.

The wheel house has a mistake, It has 11 sides instead of the ten so I overlapped the end window section to make it the right shape!! I also used a second print and cut out a second blue 'decagon'. I glued this to the one marked on the upper deck. This made it easier to align the wheelhouse shape as it then fitted over the second decagon and this lined up all the sides. Might be worth adding one to the parts.

Took me a while to work out where part 12 went, but got there in the end!
Also not sure about part 19. It is obviously part of the wheelhouse structure but unsure how it fits?

I really love the subtle weathering effect on the top of the paddlewheel boxes. Looks really excellent. The colours are great and I think it's going to be a great little ship!

**ct ertz** · #8 08-20-2012, 09:48 PM

Thanks for the update!
Yes, no matter how many times I count it there really are 11 sides on that wheel house. Wow. Red face!
As to part 19, it goes on under the lip of the pilothouse roof. Kind of an edging.

Good luck!
CT

**Don Boose** · #9 08-21-2012, 12:39 PM

sporticus - I like your wargaming models and always enjoy it when you report on your wargames, as well as on your models.

Ah, the famous C.T. Ertz eleven-sided wheelhouse. One of the strange wonders of the American Civil War naval architecture.

Don

**sporticus** · #10 08-21-2012, 03:17 PM

Coming together now. Using aftermarket parts for air intakes, davits, dinghys and bollards! One crew member added! Need to cast a couple of guns and paint all the bits and bobs.

When I see the clutter on these ships, the rolled canvas and all the poles and wires I think about how good it would be to make a really detailed ship one day. Always more than can be added to make it 'finished'. But I have to remind me I have to make many. many things and I'm better to make 10 things at 60% off 'finished' than one at 'finished'.

Anyway, bit more to do, but I'm fairly happy with the build so far. Great little kit.....hmm...almost forgot the paddles!! Think I shall make them slightly differently than the kit. Cutting all those bits out of the sides is bound to end in tears!!