USS Cairo & CSS Arkansas

1950lemans

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 23, 2013
Location
Connecticut
Now that I have a bit of time, I'm going to build these two 1/600 pewter miniatures. The painting is more than anything. Assembly is very simple. Models are by Thoroughbred.

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What I find interesting are some of the similarities between the old ironclads and the newer stealth ships of the U.S. Navy. Lower profiles and sloped surfaces. Of course one was done for the deflection of cannonballs and the other is reduce the radar return signature.
 
Unusually for Thoroughbred, the model of Arkansas is wrong! a great shame when accurate drawings of the ship as completed have been published many times.
THE ARKANSAS  AS  COMPLETED.jpg
 
I checked @rebelatsea schematic with my model. I also looked at my Thoroughbred model with other CSS Arkansas models. Some of the doors and hatches do not matchthe schematic above. Also some details are missing on the Thoroughbred model but, to me, that's acceptable because of the tiny 1/600 scale. It's the larger scales that add more detail.

For someone who hasen't built a model in two decades, I'm not too concerned with a vent or hatch. I'll live with it. But I do appreciate this being brought up because I purchased five Union ships and two Confederate ones. Now when I start one I'll check for details.
 
I checked @rebelatsea schematic with my model. I also looked at my Thoroughbred model with other CSS Arkansas models. Some of the doors and hatches do not matchthe schematic above. Also some details are missing on the Thoroughbred model but, to me, that's acceptable because of the tiny 1/600 scale. It's the larger scales that add more detail.

For someone who hasen't built a model in two decades, I'm not too concerned with a vent or hatch. I'll live with it. But I do appreciate this being brought up because I purchased five Union ships and two Confederate ones. Now when I start one I'll check for details.
Sadly it's not just "the odd vent or hatch" the whole model is wrong.
 
That the model isn't a copy of the real thing shouldn't stop you from putting it together and painting it. After not doing any modeling for years, nothing helps you to get back into the hobby like actually putting a model together.
What kind of paint are you using?
You're working in such a small scale that it's hard to add detail, but I like to paint in a realistic way. By that, I mean I want my model to look like what the real ship looked like when it was in use, rather than what it looked like when it was first built. If you feel the same way, then you could try various techniques like adding some washes to bring out the decking, or some rust streaks, etc.
 
That the model isn't a copy of the real thing shouldn't stop you from putting it together and painting it. After not doing any modeling for years, nothing helps you to get back into the hobby like actually putting a model together.
What kind of paint are you using?
You're working in such a small scale that it's hard to add detail, but I like to paint in a realistic way. By that, I mean I want my model to look like what the real ship looked like when it was in use, rather than what it looked like when it was first built. If you feel the same way, then you could try various techniques like adding some washes to bring out the decking, or some rust streaks, etc.
I'm using Testors enamel paints. I did try streaking and rusting and it became frustrating. The other ships are bigger so I might try it again. The bigger ones are Essex, Benton, Cairo.
What I might try for some of them is keep them in pewter color but use india ink to highlight all the tiny details. It's not realistic like many modelers like; instead it's more "artsy". I'm pretty sure india ink will work well because I've used it to refurbish some of my favorite belt buckles as they became worn.
Lastly, concerning the one I'm working on now, when I'm done should I spray it with a clear matte finish or just leave it alone?
 
I'm using Testors enamel paints. I did try streaking and rusting and it became frustrating. The other ships are bigger so I might try it again. The bigger ones are Essex, Benton, Cairo.
What I might try for some of them is keep them in pewter color but use india ink to highlight all the tiny details. It's not realistic like many modelers like; instead it's more "artsy". I'm pretty sure india ink will work well because I've used it to refurbish some of my favorite belt buckles as they became worn.
Lastly, concerning the one I'm working on now, when I'm done should I spray it with a clear matte finish or just leave it alone?
I would leave it alone , but a clear Matt finish would be OK . Since it appears to be white metal , did you prime it before painting ?
 
I've never been a model person, but looking over the Thoroughbred model site, two ideas occurred to me:

1. Use one of the schooner models to build a desktop model of a Republic of Texas Navy vessel.

2. And maybe my favorite, a desktop model of Fort Hindman with three so-call City Class ships for a small picture into that battle. Not the whole battlefield, just the fort, water and lead ships of the flotilla that bombarded that fort.

This little thread has led me to ideas I've never had before...
 
OMG!!! Look what I found in the bottom of the box.
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The entire Timberclad Mississippi fleet: Lexington, Tyler, Conestoga. In 1/1200 scale.

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The Union Mississippi Ironclads: Cairo, Essex,Carondelet. 1/1200 scale. All made by Stone Mountain. Lots of flash on these. This is going to be interesting. I think I'll coat these with one color or something like that. I think these are game pieces. Not sure.

The good thing about these models is the warning; "Do Not Chew or Swallow Castings". I'm glad that's there. Sometimes in the evening I get a hankering for chips, nuts, popcorn, etc. I will now know to stay away from pewter castings when I want a snack.
 
Are they old enough to be worth leaving untouched? I got silly money for old Airfix kits unmade. still in their plastic bags.
Funny you should mention that. Over time I had collected models to build in retirement. I find that over time my interests have changed and I've been selling the kits on line for the last two years. Made some good money.
I pulled out a container of metal ships (which we are discussing on this thread) and also metal military figures - all unmade. As I write this they are at my feet and I was going to start researching them to put them on eBay. I already checked the ships. The Thoroughbred models can still be bought today and I could really not make any money on them. I checked. That's why I started to built them.
 
I'm using Testors enamel paints. I did try streaking and rusting and it became frustrating. The other ships are bigger so I might try it again. The bigger ones are Essex, Benton, Cairo.
What I might try for some of them is keep them in pewter color but use india ink to highlight all the tiny details. It's not realistic like many modelers like; instead it's more "artsy". I'm pretty sure india ink will work well because I've used it to refurbish some of my favorite belt buckles as they became worn.
Lastly, concerning the one I'm working on now, when I'm done should I spray it with a clear matte finish or just leave it alone?

I use acrylics, so I can't help you with how to use various techniques with your enamels. When I stated painting figures years ago I went with acrylics to avoid the use of solvents that's used with enamels (smell) and the "sheen" on surfaces that don't have a glossy look, like a wool uniform. I think the best thing about acrylics is their ease of use; A little soap and water and the brushes are clean, and they dry pretty fast, so it's easy to paint one color over another without bleed through. The paints last forever. I've got some paint that I've had for 25 years. Every once in a while I'll add a drop or two of water to the paint and they're good for another 5 years.
Indian Ink would work as a wash, you might want to water them down a little first to thin them out. And in addition to a wash, you could try some dry brushing to bring out some highlights. And I agree with Kurt that you probably don't need a matt finish, as long as you don't handle them too much. If you were to use the figures for war gaming, then a matt finish would probably be a good idea.
 
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