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Old 07-18-2014, 07:06 PM
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Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad

Hello All
I've been away from building paper models for awhile but haven't lost my interest. In 2010 i started building a 1/150 model of CSS Charleston after building a Palmetto State and a CSS Columbia. I think that there are build posts either here or on Zealot. That model had the basics of hull and the frames for the casemate built when work jacked up and the model was accidentally ruined. I recently found the pics on a forgotten drive and as Sherlock says " The game is afoot". Again i used the plan from P.C. Cokers book"Charleston's Maritime Heritage".It shows the lines drawing of Charleston as well as the illustration of the boom torpedo. The book also has information about Palmetto State,Chicora and Columbia. The Charleston never fought the US Navy as Palmetto State and Chicora did but apparently was moved on word that a infantry attack would be launched from the creeks near Charleston and she broke up the attack with her main battery. She was also the flagship of the Charleston squadron under Commodore Ingraham. I'll be posting pics as i get time to work on this boat in the scale of 1/96.The first pics will be of poor long lost Charleston.
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Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-charleston-overhead.jpg   Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-casemate-closeup.jpg   Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-cam00341.jpg   Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-cam00342.jpg   Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-cam00343.jpg  

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Old 07-19-2014, 02:30 PM
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On go the fore and aft decks. I'm working this weekend on the knuckle
sheathing as well as the initial hull covering. I have the stack designed as well as the octagonal casemate. i'll post pics of these as well when I get them cut.

Vernon
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Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-cam00344.jpg   Building CSS Charleston 180 ft. ironclad-cam00345.jpg  
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Old 07-19-2014, 03:03 PM
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Joe711 Joe711 is offline
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I really like it!
The texture is very realistic.
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My the harbour: http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/d...our-1800s.html
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Old 07-20-2014, 12:50 AM
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Kazziga Kazziga is offline
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Nice model so far, but the Charleston as built had a rectangular casemate.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/c...on-bisbee.html

There is a sketch made by one of CS engineers (in Still's "Iron Afloat", p. 106) which confirms that fact.
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Old 07-20-2014, 05:07 AM
rebelatsea rebelatsea is offline
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Kaz is quite correct, I am in the closing stages of a book on the CS armourclads. In many years of research I've discovered, to my cost that "received wisdom is the sandpit for an ostrich". here is my plan of Charleston completed and in service. I have consulted very many sources as Kaz will confirm.
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Old 07-20-2014, 11:04 AM
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Thats very interesting as that photo of Charleston is cropped and my desktop background. To respond to Kaz I have Iron Afloat and the drawing of Chicora and Charleston is very interesting and was considered. Since this model is for my pleasure i may build it as is or with a square casemate. I may also build the Charleston as Rebelatsea proposed ala CWC (rusted,festooned with laundry and with privys mounted at the ends of the casemate.

Vernon
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Old 07-21-2014, 12:39 AM
vikingbear vikingbear is offline
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Hi Paperboy,
Doing a great job! Just joined, Have been out of the building game for a while, just collected & compiling data for future model construction. But not anymore! (Just love it when Rebelatsea posts one of his ship drafts, can't wait for his book!).

Grizz



















sea
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Old 07-21-2014, 05:41 PM
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Thanks Grizz
I need to post the message that John sent me regarding the Charleston. It shows that a great deal more research has been done on the Charleston Squadron. I saw that painting in the old Charleston Museum way before i became interested in ironclads and paper models. Thank God it has survived to this day. Like you I eagerly await John's book about Confederate ironclads.

Vernon
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Old 07-21-2014, 05:44 PM
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Re: CSS Charleston
John I'm very interested in the research that you have on the Charleston. I always believed that Chapman had artistic details wrong on the hull of the Charleston as did other artists who illustrated CW ironclads ie the Arkansas's sloped sides and bow, The Palmetto States rounded stern and others. What makes you certain that the Charleston had a squared stern vs the pointed one and who designed it. It was my assumption based on the Graves plan from the Naval Academy collection that Holcombe, Still and later Coker wrote that the Charleston had the pointed bevelled bow and stern. Did you discover anything of the Charlestons captains design to roll barrel mines of the stern of the Charleston.

Hello Vernon.

Of course you can build your model anyway you want, nothing wrong with depicting a vessel as designed. Most builder's models do exactly that, and don't depict the vessel as built.
Unfortunately this ship is another case of "received wisdom being like a sandpit for an ostrich" We have just got an uncomfortable surprise with the oft repeated USS/ CSS Eastport drawing, which has turned out to be Phelp's USN conversion and not I. N Brown's CSN vessel.
I have a lovely 1/250 scale model of Charleston, "porter" knuckle, octagonal casemate et al , and, like you I thought this was right, although knowing that the Krenson and Hawkes 180ft IC under construction at Savannah had a "Pierce" knuckle and square stern.
The drawing to which you refer which Bob Holcombe used is correct in that it is a copy of the William Graves original 180ft type IC. There is also a version without the ram. Builders often modifed designs, and James Eason was no exception.

So far so good, and then a friend of mine LT Charles Robbins USN (RET) who is also a member of the Civil War Talk Forum asked me if I had closely examined the Conrad Wise Chapman painting ? I said no , nice painting but not accurate.

I was taken to task, as Conrad Wise Chapman painted what he saw ,and his paintings of the defences of Charleston have been found to be accurate, as his famous painting of the Hunley
Charles then kindly sent me a print of the harbour scene, pointing out that the accuracy of the background has enabled researchers to pinpoint exactly where the artist was placed.
Examined closely it shows both vessels to be underway.
Magnified examination shows Charleston to have a "Pierce" knuckle, counter stern and rectangular casemate. Both vessel's colour schemes are not actually rust - the Charleston squadron looked after it's vessels. They are painted a shade of tan brown, with pale grey stacks, the hulls are either very dark brown or black.
The level of detail is actually astonishing as you have pointed out.
Charleston is partially cleared for action, no boats on board, no rails or davits erected, except for the heads fore and aft, and the Commodore is aboard - his blue command flag is at the fore.
We have tried, so far in vain, to find an information on the torpedo laying apparatus. Interesting but unproven as I write.
Examination of Palmetto State shows that the painting was done after she became the trials ship for the triple banded 11" Brooke SB on a pivot mount, as the extra (closed) gunport is faintly visible, her two broadside guns were put ashore. She is towing one boat, one is rowing towards the observer, and the Captain's gig is on the quarterdeck, and yes it is washday! Perhaps more interestingly she does NOT have the spar torpedo fitted which allegedly all the vessels carried, also her boat davits are fixed at knuckle level
She appears to have visitors on board, and it has been suggested, because of the red coats, that they are visiting marines from HMS Rinaldo, station ship for the port. The Royal Marines had not yet adopted blue as a uniform colour, and fraternization at least officially, was supposed to be forbidden !

None of the 180ft class ICs were constructed as designed, 3 were not started, and two of those were to be a heavily modified 4 gun design by Sidney Porter, brother of John Luke.

The depiction of Arkansas to which you refer was done by Skerret (think the spelling is correct) in 1900 -1906, as one of a series. He didn't get CSS Richmond right either.
Hope this helps


Best Regards,


John.
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Old 07-21-2014, 11:58 PM
vikingbear vikingbear is offline
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Hi Paperboy,
Thanks for the post. As much as I enjoy reading these updates the always seems to be something new that drives me crazy... Like learning there were other planned ships of the 180 foot class!!!!!!
I do agree with you that it is hard to believe that so much has surrived. Understandable I guess. I read some place that Porter refused to give info about the Merrimack/Virginia to the commander of one of the navy yards (Boston?) until that USN officer gave his word that the info would only be used for historical not military use. That was in the late 1870's. I hope to be able to built a fleet of ships from the Civil war era in a scale small enough to build a number of them. (That is if I can work small pieces with my chubby fingers).

Oh well, if you talk to John again tell him thanks from me, and keep up the good work.

Grizz
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