Just to put the minds of my regular blog readers at rest ... I have not taken up farming and this is NOT going to be a blog entry about sheep!
The rams I am writing about are two model ships that I have built to use in the play-test battles for my as-yet-unnamed Ironclad vs. Ironclad rules. I could have used two of my existing model ships, but I have had the modelling 'bug' ever since I began converting my toy train set locomotives and rolling stock, and I decided that I would like to build some additions to my existing 'fleet' of model ships.
As I wanted to get these rams built as quickly as possible, I decided to use the hulls of two unmade wooden model ship kits as the basis of my models. The ship kits were bought in Hobbycraft and are supposed to be used to build models of the RMS Titanic.
I had previously used the hull one of these kits to build a model destroyer/torpedo boat some time ago, and that had turned out quite well.
This time I cut the hulls so that they were 4-inches/10cms long. (This is the face-to-face dimension of the Hexon II hexes that I intend to use in my play-test battles.) In one case I cut the hull 4-inches/10cms from the bow of the model, and I had to reshape the wood so that the model had a rounded stern. On the other model I cut the hull 4-inches/10cms from the stern of the model and had to reshape the wood so as to form a pronounced ram bow. The two models were then each fitted with two broadside guns (these were represented by a length of thin dowel sticking out from each side of the model close to midships area), a fore and aft gun (these were made from small blocks of bass wood and thin dowel), a funnel, and a single mast. In the case of the model with the pronounced ram bow I also added some low bulwarks to the bow. These were made from parts of the original Titanic models.
The resulting (and as yet unpainted) model ships looked like this:
I am rather pleased with the results, and I am looking forward to seeing them painted and taking part in several naval battles.
The rams I am writing about are two model ships that I have built to use in the play-test battles for my as-yet-unnamed Ironclad vs. Ironclad rules. I could have used two of my existing model ships, but I have had the modelling 'bug' ever since I began converting my toy train set locomotives and rolling stock, and I decided that I would like to build some additions to my existing 'fleet' of model ships.
As I wanted to get these rams built as quickly as possible, I decided to use the hulls of two unmade wooden model ship kits as the basis of my models. The ship kits were bought in Hobbycraft and are supposed to be used to build models of the RMS Titanic.
I had previously used the hull one of these kits to build a model destroyer/torpedo boat some time ago, and that had turned out quite well.
This time I cut the hulls so that they were 4-inches/10cms long. (This is the face-to-face dimension of the Hexon II hexes that I intend to use in my play-test battles.) In one case I cut the hull 4-inches/10cms from the bow of the model, and I had to reshape the wood so that the model had a rounded stern. On the other model I cut the hull 4-inches/10cms from the stern of the model and had to reshape the wood so as to form a pronounced ram bow. The two models were then each fitted with two broadside guns (these were represented by a length of thin dowel sticking out from each side of the model close to midships area), a fore and aft gun (these were made from small blocks of bass wood and thin dowel), a funnel, and a single mast. In the case of the model with the pronounced ram bow I also added some low bulwarks to the bow. These were made from parts of the original Titanic models.
The resulting (and as yet unpainted) model ships looked like this:
I am rather pleased with the results, and I am looking forward to seeing them painted and taking part in several naval battles.
Looking well there Bob. Will they be taking to the seas of the Portable Wargame?
ReplyDeleteConrad Kinch,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your very kind comment. The ships will certainly be appearing in the forthcoming play-test battles of my Ironclad vs. Ironclad rules ... and are also suitable for use with my Portable Naval Wargame rules.
All the best,
Bob
Yes, nice bit of wooden "kit-bashing"!
ReplyDeleteFitz-Badger,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for the compliment. I was pleased with the way they turned out ... and I still have several unmade kits left to 'bash'!
All the best,
Bob
Cute, serviceable and attractive. Good enough for combined ops?
ReplyDeleteArchduke Piccolo,
ReplyDeleteI have just finished painting these models ... and I think that they look great.
Whilst I was painting them I remembered a mini-campaign scenario I wrote some time ago (The Amber War) and these would be ideal warships for that little war. As the scenario revolves around the possession of an island, there may well be a landing or two.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThese are indeed cute, serviceable and attractive. I like the original torpedo boat as well.
Bill.
William Stewart,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. I think that they look even better now that they are painted ... and if you haven't seen any of my earlier wooden model ships, have a look here, here, and here.
All the best,
Bob