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Slow but steady progress on the CSS Arkansas. I spend a lot of time trying to get everything flat so the texture will "take" onto the surfaces. There's a lot of trial and error (mostly error) learning going on, so my next project should go smoother. I threw too many lines onto the model in the beginning, and I'm paying for it now when I try to flatten the design out. I'm learning the devil is in the detail, lines only one pixel off won't combine and the program will treat every line as an independent item. I'm concentrating on getting a waterline 1/250 scale model out just to have something to show for my efforts. Then I will tackle the full hull version and a larger (1/93 or 1/87 or 1/72 size) version. I'm using the Cottage Industries model as inspiration, but I'm changing the bow deck to match the plans I have.There will be a windlas on the fore and aft deck, and a wooden structure for the anchor chains to run over on the fore deck. I'm also changing the direction of the front and back casemate walls' railroad track armor from vertical to horizontal. This is based on my opinion that rebel forces rushing to finish an ironclad would go with the design that would minimize the number of pieces and cuts required. Also, as an engineer, it would be stronger if riveted to the main structural timbers rather than a bracket, and the only way to do that would be to lay it horizontally.
I took a quick picture so you can see the size comparison between the Arkansas and the CSS Columbus and the CSS Wilmington, all projects on my building board. The white sections on the Arkansas's casemate are the areas that I haven't yet been able to flatten properly so the texture doesn't export. The first photo shows page one of the parts sheet, notice I have restricted the work area to allow the model to be printed on both American standard 8 1/2" x 11" paper and the World standard A4 size paper.
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