Css. Ironclad keel is laid down (1 Viewer)

[steveemmo]

The yankees are getting the upperhand and Confederate forces have held out as long as they could, CSS Albemarle had fought valiantly and even with her weaknesses and design flaws had nevertheless had shaken and held off the Northern river squadrons so much that the Northern government planned and successfully executed a daring nightime raid to sink her, but Albermarle had proven to be such a successful design that a similar ship would be built along her lines, but this time they would get it right ! Oh what the heck ! it`s only a toy !

 

[steveemmo]

bearing in mind that sloped armour was supposedly invented by the russians in the second world war work on Building and positioning the casemate begins, then she`s going to the armour plate factory for a first fitting.

 

[steveemmo]

Fitting the armour plate, strictly speaking Confederate Ironclads had wooden upper decks including the new css Texas, the only noteable exception of this was the CSS. Albemarle which was covered all over in armour plate, this made the ship practically indestructable, but had the drawback of weight, which strained her engines and made her very difficult to navigate, she had in fact to drift stern first down stream towing her anchor chains to keep the vessel under control !, but as this Ironclad under construction is a toy version i have decided to give CSS. Texas armour plate decks too.... for now at least wooden decks are a really nice feature :rolleyes2:

 

[johnnybach]

Attaboy Steveemo - she will soon look like this. jb

 

[steveemmo]

Attaboy Steveemo - she will soon look like this. jb

That looks like the CSS. Albemarle...my favourite Ironclad, more than the others i wish i had kept this one

 

[johnnybach]

That's the one - just thought others might like to see how she will look once you've finished her. Here's another famous picture of her being rammed - which did her no harm at all. ^&grin jb

 

[IXEC]

Major firepower ....^&cool

Armament of the CSS Texas...original drawing....from the Library of Congress

 

[steveemmo]

View attachment 101104

Major firepower ....^&cool

Armament of the CSS Texas...original drawing....from the Library of Congress

I usually make the gun cariages for my cannon, in my Ironclads album there are a couple of fuzzy pictures of the CSS Albemarle crew hauling on ropes getting the gun into position, i think i put five figures in there the gun carriage is wheeled and shaped similar to the above photo, it was only when the ship was finished that it dawned on me that they would never be seen ! but i still put the gun carriages in there seen or not..... having said that the CSS. Texas will only have fore and aft ports open and the rifles will be on blocks for effect only.
steve

 

[IXEC]

Good photos and information about Civil War Ironclads is somewhat hard to come by.

But I do have these books on the subject....

The Photographic History of the Civil War....Vol.3, Forts & Artillery, The Navies.

Arming the Fleet....U.S. Navy Ordnance in the Muzzle-Loading Era, by Spencer Tucker

History of the Confederate States Navy... by, J.Thomas Scarf

Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War....by, Warren Ripley

Civil War Navies. 1855 - 1883.... by Paul H. Silverstone

Of course I'm always looking for more good books on this subject....anyone have more book info?

Cheers

 

[johnnybach]

Good photos and information about Civil War Ironclads is somewhat hard to come by.

But I do have these books on the subject....

The Photographic History of the Civil War....Vol.3, Forts & Artillery, The Navies.

Arming the Fleet....U.S. Navy Ordnance in the Muzzle-Loading Era, by Spencer Tucker

History of the Confederate States Navy... by, J.Thomas Scarf

Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War....by, Warren Ripley

Civil War Navies. 1855 - 1883.... by Paul H. Silverstone

Of course I'm always looking for more good books on this subject....anyone have more book info?

Cheers

You might try - " The CSS Albermale and William Cushing: The Albermale Confederate Ironclad and the Union Officer who Sank it" - by Jim Stempel ( Sept 2011). published by Mcfarland - at 246 pages long. jb

 

[maddadicus]

Warships and Naval Battles by Tony Gibbons...Illustrated including a number of the oddball ships that never saw completion..Mchael

 

[johnnybach]

Another one you might try to find is:

"Duel of the Ironclads; USS Monitor and CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads, 1862 - by Angus Konstam (2003). I haven't read it - but the "blurb" suggests it might be of interest. It's an Osprey publication - and I see that Amazon have a few inexspensive second-hand versions available (in the UK). jb

 

[steveemmo]

Warships and Naval Battles by Tony Gibbons...Illustrated including a number of the oddball ships that never saw completion..Mchael

i think i could write a book on odd ball ships that never get completed too ! i`ve startedand never finished dozens of them
steve

 

[steveemmo]

i think i could write a book on odd ball ships that never get completed too ! i`ve startedand never finished dozens of them
steve

heres one odd ball i wish i had stuck with and finished, HMVS Cerberus ?, if i remember correctly, a victorian ironclad, and still visible sunk off the coast of Australia somewhere ? and in the background the unfinished and disposed of Melik yet another regret.

 

[ostrein]

I really love this thread. :smile2:

Please show us how you're doing the cladding. What materials are you using? I'm very interested to see how its done.

Thanks
Oliver

 

[steveemmo]

I really love this thread. :smile2:

Please show us how you're doing the cladding. What materials are you using? I'm very interested to see how its done.

Thanks
Oliver[/QUOTE
Hello Oliver the cladding on ACW. Ironclads was either plate or flattened railway track the latter more so for confederate boats, i use corrugated plastic sheet and if you cut off a single length turn it over mark out your desired rivet pattern and then with a blunt or rounded end punch and using a very light hammer tap the punch along the marked out plastic sheet against a softish piece of wood, you then end up with iron bracing to bolt down the main armour plate, double strips again turned over and bent to the require angle hides unsightly corners. you can see the bracing on these pictures of the CSS. Tennessee, USS Monitor and CSS Arkansas the main armour is made the same way as the bracing straps and bonded with plastic weld fluid the main armour is also glued down the plywood structure with evo stick, use very thinly as it tends to melt the sheet too much and its ruined just enough gives you a great wrought iron buckled and dented effect

 

[steveemmo]

I really love this thread. :smile2:

Please show us how you're doing the cladding. What materials are you using? I'm very interested to see how its done.

Thanks
Oliver[/QUOTE
Hello Oliver the cladding on ACW. Ironclads was either plate or flattened railway track the latter more so for confederate boats, i use corrugated plastic sheet and if you cut off a single length turn it over mark out your desired rivet pattern and then with a blunt or rounded end punch and using a very light hammer tap the punch along the marked out plastic sheet against a softish piece of wood, you then end up with iron bracing to bolt down the main armour plate, double strips again turned over and bent to the require angle hides unsightly corners. you can see the bracing on these pictures of the CSS. Tennessee, USS Monitor and CSS Arkansas the main armour is made the same way as the bracing straps and bonded with plastic weld fluid the main armour is also glued down the plywood structure with evo stick, use very thinly as it tends to melt the sheet too much and its ruined just enough gives you a great wrought iron buckled and dented effect

this last photo will give you an idea of what goes on inside the hull