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Wednesday, 28 March 2012

HMS Empress joins the fleet!

I managed to finish painting HMS Empress this morning, and she is now about to join my 'fleet' of toy-style warships. The model is only 4"/10cm long ... but despite that she does look quite impressive in her traditional Victorian livery of black hull, white upperworks, and buff-coloured funnel.









I think that I will take a short break from building model ships for a week or two (it pays not to get too jaded, and this can easily happen if one concentrates on only one project for too long!) ... but if I look back over the progress I have made, I find that I went from this ...


to this ...


... in only a month.

Not bad, eh?
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16 comments:

  1. PatGWednesday, March 28, 2012 4:51:00 pm

    Just like her namesake - to quote Hibbert via Wikipedia: "...stout, dowdy and no more than five feet tall—but she succeeded in projecting a grand image."

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  2. David CrookWednesday, March 28, 2012 5:11:00 pm

    Hi Bob,

    Very nice indeed! I can just picture her bombarding one of the Queen's enemies. Certainly further proof (if any was needed!) that the cartoon concept works extremely well!

    All the best,

    DC

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  3. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, March 28, 2012 5:53:00 pm

    Pat G,

    What an apposite quote! It exactly describes HMS Victoria and her queenly namesake!

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  4. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, March 28, 2012 5:58:00 pm

    David Crook,

    Many thanks for your very kind comment.

    I thought she looked quite good before I painted her ... but now she is in her full war-paint I can barely wait to see her in action.

    Roll on more 'cartoon' warships!

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mad PadreWednesday, March 28, 2012 6:16:00 pm

    I wouldn't want to say she looks cute, exactly. Buxom? Capable? Certainly impressive.

    Do you ever consider filling up your bathtub and putting your toy ships to sea? I could see that, somehow?

    Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, March 28, 2012 7:07:00 pm

    Mad Padre,

    Thanks for your kind comments about my model ships.

    Of the options, I will go with 'impressive' as a description of HMS Empress.

    Unfortunately the models I build are glued together with PVA ... which is water-soluble! I could imagine what they would look like in my bathtub, but they are not going to get their feet wet I am afraid.

    All the best,

    Bob.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dr VesuviusWednesday, March 28, 2012 7:22:00 pm

    So when can we expect to see some of these ships in action, Bob? After all this hard work, you deserve to treat yourself to playing an actual wargame.

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  8. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, March 28, 2012 7:33:00 pm

    Dr Vesuvius,

    I plan to run a game at COW2012 in July, so I will need to get some more models built and the rules written by then. In order to meet that deadline I will need to start doing some play-testing in a month or so's time ... so expect to see some battle reports around then ... I hope!

    All the best,

    Bob

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  9. Peter DouglasWednesday, March 28, 2012 8:04:00 pm

    Bob

    I think she's all of the above. What do you plan for her opposition? There were some wonderful monstrosities in the French fleet. Or maybe a Dandolo look alike?

    Cheers

    PD

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  10. Robert (Bob) CorderyWednesday, March 28, 2012 9:32:00 pm

    Peter Douglas,

    I have lots of ideas for designs - both British and foreign - that I would like to build, including some along the lines of the Caio Duilio and Enrico Dandolo.

    I would love to get on with building them ASAP ... but I feel the need for a break, after which I hope to have the 'drive' necessary to build a lot more model ships.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  11. Corporal_TrimThursday, March 29, 2012 2:32:00 am

    Well done, Bob !

    I like that you turned back the time machine for this one. The toy style suits the still experimental era of ship design quite nicely.

    Regards,
    Steve

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  12. Robert (Bob) CorderyThursday, March 29, 2012 8:22:00 am

    Corporal_Trim (Steve),

    Many thanks for your kind comment.

    The Victorian livery really does suit this ship, and I hope the same will be true of any other models I build of warships from this era.

    I like this period because of the 'one-off' nature of so many of the ships built. Even some sister-ships had quite pronounced differences.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  13. The Angry LurkerThursday, March 29, 2012 10:17:00 am

    They are quite amazing!

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  14. Robert (Bob) CorderyThursday, March 29, 2012 6:09:00 pm

    Angry Lurker,

    Thank you for your kind comment.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  15. telemachusThursday, March 29, 2012 6:42:00 pm

    Bob,

    Outstanding! Any chance of a shot with it next to a 15mm figure?

    Ben

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  16. Robert (Bob) CorderyThursday, March 29, 2012 7:00:00 pm

    Telemachus,

    What an excellent idea!

    I will try to take a photograph that show HMS Empress with some 15mm figures later tonight.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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