USS ALEXANDRIA Beta Build

[Hudsonduster]

Well, the insanely small guns are probably doable. Maybe not pleasurable, but doable. Sort of.



Proper punches might give something like a field-carriage wheel in this scale, in paper; I finally gave up and printed a set out on some clear plastic. All else is 110# card, soaked with CyA. For once, the camera is unkind: the excess flash around those wheels jumps right off the photo, until you consider the wheel is .180" in diameter...once the rest of the deck is all fussied-up, the eye will just blur over it.

Gonna take my time with the rest of the details, now that I've reassured myself I'm up to the task--I may set some of the small bits up a little differently than the painting showed, and I want to do my homework first.

'D

[ct ertz]

Wow, it's all good but that boat howitzer on a field carriage came out great. Until people see it printed out on their paper I do knot know if they will fully appreciate the smallness of these parts! This looks great! I can hardly wait to see more.
CT

[Joe711]

Nice work!
The wheel is made that (gun)?

Sincerely, Joe
Sorry, google translator

[Hudsonduster]

Thank you, Joe, your skill inspires me.
The wheel is painted on a disc of plastic.
'D

[Zathros]

I like this, I like this a lot!! No more Hiatus for you.

[Hudsonduster]

Yah, well, it was gettin' cold out there in Hiatusport, and the ferries weren't running regular anyway.

Working down to this size requires better tools than I possess at the moment; tweezers, and press-clamp (reverse) tweezers in ultra-small sizes, most needed. I may make some: find some small stainless wire and bend tiny spring clamps and fixtures.
That'll wait 'til next week when I'm back at work. This week, remembering the skills (and particularly the waiting-skills) I've forgotten.



Here's the 24# Dahlgren, without the smallest bits to be added at final.
The picture here is enlarged enough that you begin to see the raggedness in the little pieces, and at that it is roughly twice the size you would be looking at it with your naked eye; set the model on the shelf and the small guns just look like guns, so I'm pretty satisfied. I'll still carry lessons forward from here, though.
Next time I do this, for instance, I'll wet-form the breech dome (breech? it's a muzzleloader, there's a back, not a breech!) and paint it...but tonight I lack the paints, and the watercolor pencils, and and and...
...I need to re-tool.
Hiatusport is sadly lacking in good hobby supply shops.

Setting this gun out on deck, I am even more suspicious of the mast and davit blocking its forward shot. I've mentioned to Corey, I believe the painting this model's derived from is a "dockside" portrait, done up on the spot from a quick sketch and then sold to locals and sometimes the boat's sailors (although they'd be more critical of the inaccurate details)...well, there's gear shown in the painting that makes little sense otherwise, such as that davit.
I declare I have no knowledge of the origin of the painting and shouldn't make such a broad statement, but there's enough that doesn't make perfect sense that I'm gonna present my own take on the boat's appointments from here on, just for arguments' sake. (Hey, jmr248: if the paint's not dry on that target yet, can I borrow some of it?)

'Duster

[Hudsonduster]

I've been thinking about what it is I'm presenting in this build, aside from proving-out the .pdf. Maybe a little clarifying's in order.

Online hobby blogs have a pretty consistent demographic: ~20% regular posters, mostly experienced craftsmen within that; another 20% enthusiasts posting less-regularly; about 12% interested newbies doing the necessary homework in the craft and working up their skills and confidence; and the other half, lurkers of all types.

As a lifelong craftsman and, to be frank, a paper noob, I'm mostly doing a journal of the "12%" as written by one of their number--with the understanding that this 12% is constantly moving up into the next level and being replenished at the other end, and that the information these guys're looking for needs to be re-presented every six months or so, to handle that turnover.

I mean, most of you guys who've done some models know how to approach & achieve a clean joint; it's the guy who--as I saw elsewhere the other day--writes, "Why don't you include tabs on the pieces?" that needs some empowerment. With that in mind, I'm putting out the procedures I use as they occur to me, hopefully to catch the eye of the one or two guys that will need it at that moment.

Likewise, if there's something that needs addressing or re-addressing, please chime in.

That's my plan, anyway.
'Duster

[Don Boose]

Excellent stuff and a pleasure to read and view. I always enjoy detailed building reports, including what may seem to be elementary information.

Not only is this very valuable for the 12 percent, but is also useful for me as a sort of 21 percenter (fairly regular, if intermittent, poster; but not an experienced artisan). I also suspect that a lot of the experienced folks just enjoy reading about how some other person approaches a build.

Don

[Hudsonduster]

"21%"--better than my "Occupy Wall Street" percentile by a long shot, and if we're candid it's prob'ly the reason we spend a lot more time HERE!!

[Hudsonduster]

Okay, I haven't even got up on deck yet with the really fiddly bits, and Corey sends me an Email: "You want another micro-build, Dust? Go ahead, it's small, how tough can that be, HehHehHehHeh..." Yah, I can just see him hitting "send" & going, "Hey, Tera honey, y'oughta see what I"m getting 'Duster to do--Lordy, the man is SUCH an easy mark..."

All true.

HERE is the original discussion on the craft (1/96?? Pffffttt!). I'm wanting to do two or three of this and a couple-four other divers watercraft, heading toward a diorama setting evoking (not replicating, not enough data) some morning wharfside off Vicksburg or whatever and featuring a sampling of Confederate warcraft.

That's the plan, anyway.

'D