CSS/USS General (Sterling) Price

[ct ertz]

Thanks Mike, but I get a whole lot of help on these things.

Here is the re-cut of the stern.

[Hudsonduster]

Ahhhh. It is just so satisfying to see this coming together.

Corey, I'm gonna mark up some photos this morning & Email 'em to you--I suspect there's the barest remnant of a Texas up top. Also, what few pictures I have show the pilothouse roof nearly dead-flat, maybe just matching the hurricane deck's camber. What do you think?

The best pics of the boat are from after she was raised and refitted by the Union. As she's originally listed as having four 9-inch smoothbores, I worry that the big Parrott rife on the stern is a later addition. (But it's beautiful! I WANT it!!) Might be interesting to offer options, maybe; easier for you if the four were all carriaqe guns. I will dig around a little today while doing laundry.

'Duster

[ct ertz]

OK, so this will be a two for! On early Confederate version and one later USN version. Dose anyone have any idea where the other two 9 inch guns were on the Confederate ship? no room on the bow or stern deck. May be off set from each other in the casemate, like the waist guns on a B-17?

I am adding the retirements of the Texas deck and planking the Union version over. Any other obvious differences between the two? How about color? How long was the ship submerged, and was it repainted? So many questions.

CT

[ct ertz]

Here is a visual. In position one, recoil would be limited and that puts a lot of weight on the fantail. In position two, the wieght of the guns would be supported in part by the superstructure of th ship and reinforcing beams underneath, and providing nothing was in the way, a good amount of recoil room. However, any real training would be limited do to the closed in side to side area, again, limited recoil. Any thoughts?

[Hudsonduster]

Hm. Well, what's inside, back there? The paddlewheels get supported on their outer ends by pillowblocks in a big A-frame, which is suspended at front & back by cables running diagonally down from the ridge of the hog frame. All that stuff is enclosed within the parameters of the paddleboxes, and still you could carry some mass out a few feet behind that bracing. So geometrically I bet you've got room you can fill between there and the bulkhead out to the rear deck. I'd stuff a couple of carriage guns in there.

I looked a long time at the picture below, big grainy blowup and all, & I swear pixels are shedding off my eyes and dropping into my coffee right now...and I've convinced myself that the Texas runs right across between the paddlebox sides. What do you think? The two bright lines that I'm interpreting as cross beams seem to run out to the visible side.

I think you've got at least four treads on the companionway ladder up to the pilothouse, & logic would argue a couple up to the Texas--but that don't show in the only reliable pic. Those may be to the right, hidden behind the locker spanning the rear of the paddlebox, which would be a good arrangement for moving around up there.

Here's something I oughta keep my mouse shut about: colors!
What I know of paint is, any mix of coal tar in linseed oil was what passed for general-usage outside paint from this period right up to WWI (where they were applying it like fingerpaint to make "camo" on fighter planes!)--and the amount of coal tar defined the darkness. You could have anything from oiled oak color down to deep brown-black. I wouldn't argue that this vessel was ever a showpiece, even less so in her USN refit, and real pigment is something she hadn't seen in years. So all the artsy fun here is in the weathered dirty details.

If we assume a difference between the boat's two lives (and why not?), I vote for a lighter brown in the CSN version and a darker coat later. So, dark oak-gray under dirty white before, darker weathered-brown-black under dirty white after. Decks are decks: oily and messy below, more uniform above and kept holystoned if the captain's fussy, but likely weathered as well.

'Duster

[ct ertz]

I am holding off going any further until I get some addition info from a friend. I do not know if it will change things of shed light on my questions, but we will see.

[Hudsonduster]

A bump up--Corey, I'm wondering if you've got at all itchy to continue this one? I seem to remember the layout was pretty much set, & it was down to the fiddly bits. I'd love to see it.

'Duster

[ct ertz]

Yes-I was adding the little vents in the upper casemate wall lastnight. I think they were for letting in some daylight as well as venting. I have also added the scrapped out portions of the Texas. I will get some more done and pictures up soon. Actually it is nearing unfolding time. Many of my questions are going be in the instructions with it up to the builder for final layout. I will supply what I know in the notes and leave it up to the builder for things like broadside gun placement and so on. More soon!
CT

[Hudsonduster]

Good to hear. I know I'M itchy!

[ct ertz]

Some small progress.