I have not seen anything like this in FSM for a loooong time. I know the cannon could be aged darker and with more bronze, but I hope everyone likes it anyway. This was something I was working on in between stints on the Arizona.
Comments welcome… Ben
Fantastic! Tell us more.
Hi Jeff, thanks for the intrest…
I’ve had this kit for many, many years. The parts were in a segragated bottom box along with an exploded instruction with some written instruction. I bought the kit I believe from Model Expo when they use to send out flyers in the mail. I think the manufacturer was Mantua or Mamoli or something like that (?).
I believe it is suppose to represent a British Naval Cannonade and I think it is 1/24 scale. It is a stick build, not a new style lazer cut job. There are three types of wood (cherry, black walnut, and popular), brass, copper, plastic, other metals, and rigging. The keg and water bucket are pre-molded items in some kind of resin/plastic; everything else was assembled. I still have a few spare black walnut deck boards and some very, very, small brass pin nails.
I wish I had the original box to identify it further, perhaps somebody in the forum can better identify it for me. I’ve googled it over the years but cannot find any kind of image of the exact build-up. I stained the deck with dirty (dark) thinner and wiped it off (kind of like staining).
It was a really fun build though…taking about two weeks of a few hours here and there.
I will definately build something like it again.
Ben
very , very nice ben . your a clever man .
I know I’ve seen something similar to this recently but I can’t remember where. It was one of the wooden ship manufacturers but who is lost in the fog. You did a great job and I’m glad you shared it.
I think I have the French version in the stash. I’ve had it for years as well.
Looks good been, and working on it during the Arizona construction is impressinve.
That is lovely.
Question: is it a breech loader?
Bill
That Reminds me;
Maybe it could be an Artisania Latina. Before they were well known here. Or there were some kits offered through Gentlemen’s magazines for stuff to decorate " Your Den" -Mancave?
Bronze cannons aged quickly to a gray with green patina. Brits went to iron cannon earlier than most navies. But the carronades (I think that that is what is shown) were iron from first, so it would probably be black.
The brass is a decorative touch as a desktop item.
Simple historical stuff: Triangular shot racks were a French & Spanish thing. Traingular racks were fine in the sheltered waters of a port, but were less than handy at sea in a heeling ship–18 or 24 pound solid iron spheres are not a nice thing to have loose underfoot in a good blow.
Brit practice was to have shot racks along the hatch combings where they could be refilled from below decks quickly. This also kept the shot nearer to the CG.
Later, and at a similar time to US and Dutch practice, shot racks started appearing at the spirketting, between the guns.
Drawings of carronades are all over the place on details. But, typically, the man manning sponge and ram were the same, so the tools ought be racked on the same side. The powder ladle usuallt winds up there, just so the gun captain can sight inventory is and the rest. There’s debate on how the linstock (if used) and quarter-spike(s) were stowed.
Now, as to the model–that’s a naexcellent build, tidy, neat, well assembled. I would not change a thing. I would merel hope to be as good, and probably not, as I’d get distracted in minutae–as I always seem to.
Very nice. I did a naval cannon years ago. Very fun working with different materials. I also built a .44 Philadelphia derringer black powder pistol from a kit. That one fired!
nice job. I like the deck section.