1/100 USS Monitor - Page 8

**USS MONITOR** · #71 04-02-2016, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike1158

You mention leaving out some detail, I reckon there is a fine balance between too little and too much, you have enough. Definitely getting a 'feel' for the real vessel from your model and I think you have the balance perfectly off pat. Thanks for the pics and vessel details.

Mike--
What I mean is that FRD, the designer, has his very rich artwork on the entirety of the frames/bulkheads, even that below the decks in the bilges, showing the construction detail in areas that get covered by the decks. I was considering cutting away part of the deck to reveal some of that detail.

**FRD** · #72 04-02-2016, 10:30 AM

There are a lot of construction details that are eventually covered or concealed.

Detail is maintained below decks, the purpose was to familiarize the builder with the actual construction of the vessel.

This model is detailed throughout.

**USS MONITOR** · #73 04-04-2016, 01:36 AM

Worked a lot in the crew compartments this weekend. The captain's quarters are almost done. That's his bunk in the upper right. The eight other officers' cabins are much more complex, mostly due to the tight quarters.

**USS MONITOR** · #74 04-04-2016, 04:21 PM

Progress on the officers' cabins. Worked from the outside pairs inward. The outer ones were tricky, as the pieces have to be folded up and threaded down in between the walls, stanchions and diagonal braces, then unfolded into position. But they worked fine. I finished a set of rooms before adding the next wall in, giving more room to maneuver. You can see the washstands. The innermost walls will be those of the central wardroom.

**USS MONITOR** · #75 04-06-2016, 01:23 AM

The crew compartment and officers' quarters are essentially done as of tonight, except for 4 support columns in the captain's cabin and two ladders in the crew compartment [one to the outer deck and one to the turret]. Those items I consider to be too fragile and exposed to bumping to put in at this stage.

**eatcrow2** · #76 04-06-2016, 05:40 AM

Fantastic modeling!! Really enjoy seeing the updates..

**FRD** · #77 04-06-2016, 07:23 AM

I see you got the captain's head in...

**USS MONITOR** · #78 04-17-2016, 02:52 PM

First view is of the empty engine room and galley area, before they start to get crowded, and divided.
The coal bunker walls were quite an ordeal, to say the least.
The original boiler pieces were all white. Being the biggest features in the hull, I wanted some more variation to them, namely their faces and stacks to look iron, and the inside of the stacks to be pure black, instead of white. Black paper is laminated on the reverse of the stack pieces. The white on mine represents a blanket of insulation.
The aft engine platform was originally white. I remade it to match the metal plating of the main deck.
I am currently working on the condenser, which will go on the platform's rectangular footprint.

**eatcrow2** · #79 04-17-2016, 03:53 PM

Can never get enough of seeing updated photos of this beauty!!

**FRD** · #80 04-17-2016, 05:11 PM

Glad to see you got the bunkers straightened out, they look great!

I can say with absolute certainty that the engine room decking was blue, I cannot however say what color the engine deck was.

Consulted by Jeff Johnston, project specialist with NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary during the recovery, retrieved was the engine room decking and it was quite a puzzle.

I have in my possession a photograph of Jeff kneeling aboard ship holding a piece of the engine room decking, as the wreck was inverted it was one of the first things brought to the surface.

Most noteworthy was the fact that it still had blue pigment visible but also that it had the raised, diamond pattern of a non-skid surface.

It was thought to be one of the earliest forms of a non-skid surface.

Jeff was puzzled by this, he had no idea why the decking was blue.

An explanation of this was provided by Ray Morton, an expert on the U.S.S. Constitution, on small boats, marine pigments, flags and banners.

Ray said that he encountered a similar feature on the Constitution's small boats where the lowest interior place had also been painted blue.

He attributed it to a naval mandate that stipulated;, "The lowest place to put a man's feet should be blue, the color of the mid-day sky over Washington (D.C.) in summer time"

It may not be the actual explanation but it's the only one I got.

With the pigment, "vermillion" being found on the raised engine, the bunkers being white and the decking being blue, it was Jeff who brought it to my attention that overall the engine room was, "Red, White and Blue".