"With a Sharp Knife and a Clear Conscience": Homemade Ships

[bamaswampmonster]

I like to scratch-build, so when I picked up Trafalgar I immediately began salivating over various types of ships, and didn't want to wait until payday to get them. Here is how I knocked out several as my first try.

Behold, the Mary Ellen, a middling-size Merchant ship running rum in 1/1200 scale:


Dolphin Sticker:


Top view:


I had to pay at least 3 1/2 cents for the materials so far. The hull is carved from one block of balsa, masts and ship's boats are whittled from toothpicks.


Next step is to blast her with spray seal and let it dry, so that the wood won't drink up all the paint.

[bamaswampmonster]

The undercoating/wave-simulating spackle stage. The Mary Ellen cruises alongside some French Chasse-Marees (Luggers):


Sinister little things, aren't they:

[bamaswampmonster]

Hoist the sails! These are cut from printer paper:

[bamaswampmonster]

I block in the main details with thick white paint and also give the paper sails a coat to stiffen them. The idea is to let it dry then stain colors over it.

I also lay down a blue undercoat for the sea. I will add some green and highlights but for right now let me tell you that after years of WW2 gaming, it is great to paint a color that is not some shade of brown.

[bamaswampmonster]

Next step: Stain-paint the ships' hulls, use a tiny brush to draw the rope-a-dope stuff on the sails, and add more green to the bases:





Monster From the Deep quickly categorizes the Mary Ellen as "Not Food":

[mattban]

wow....dedication

[bamaswampmonster]

99% done, finishing the rigging and putting on some jib sails. I paint the bases with a little more "moving water" detail.

[bamaswampmonster]

I make the ocean shiny, and I am calling it a day. These are finished. I may add pennants at some point, or I may not just so I can use them in multiple fleets:





I got the shine effect with gloss spray sealer. I got away with spraying it because I held a heavy piece of card in front of the ship so the spray could only go on the base. If you do not do this, the sealer will glob up on the rigging and make it look like a haunted Ghost Ship. Some shine got on the side of the hulls, but I figure if you can't model a ship to look wet, what can you make look wet.

[Tommy]

Absolutley fantastic.

Why would you need to buy any

[scrivs]

Very clever. Nice work!

[Mark B]

WOW! Impressive. The problem is you have given me ideas!

[Firelock]

Very nice indeed . .'Hearts of oak are our ships . . .'

[Coel Hen]

Hearts of balsa...

Amazing work indeed.

The bonus is if you like scratch building and have such great results win/win ist , Ja!

Thanks for the progressive feast of snaps also.

Sanders

[bluewillow]

excellent work,

I have done ships with green stuff before (ACW ironclads), never thought to do them in balsa.

cheers
matt

[KeepOnTruxtun!]

OUTTASIGHT!!!

[bamaswampmonster]

Thanks all.

[KeepOnTruxtun!]

Kindly whittle me the Santissima Trinidad please Uncle 'Bama...