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TexReb
11-06-2012, 10:47 PM
Ok, I know this doesn't exactly fit the letter of this forum but, I reckon it's in the spirit of it and it's not like it's been that busy around here lately...http://static.yuku.com/domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/eyes.gif I believe I can justify it to a large extent by allowing how educational this has been for me.

I found these metal, yep, metal not plastic, models. It's made of what they call "Britannia metal." Something like modern pewter I believe. They looked to be well made and nicely detailed so I got some. What I had in mind was a complete gun section. I found out that that would be a gun and limber along with a caisson and it's limber.

Well, I have got one limber and the gun finished. (Well, I still have to make and wind on the prolonge.)

The limber was pretty straight forward build with few problems. Along the way I decided to add a little detail that didn't come with the model. I worked on it's innards putting in trays and barriers. I also found one pair of parts on the box art were installed upside down. The instructions were rudimentary at best. Now, the other limbers I'll build with this set I won't go to all that interior detail. The limber lid on the original limber chests were covered with copper sheathing to prevent sparks taking hold. I could not for the life of me find a paint that looked right. So, I got some adhesive backed metallic copper tape and put that on the limber lid. Worked pretty good I think.

There is one glaring fault with all the models. The wheels. They were molded flat. But! Artillery wheels spokes (and many other vehicles for that matter) tapered outwards to the wheel so that the rim was outside the hub. I found a piece of PVC pipe the same diameter as the wheel and put it in my vise pressing the spokes and hub outward. Britannia metal is soft and it stretched just fine.

Concerning the placard in the lid of the limber chest. I copied an image of an original placard. But, reduced to this size the printer just rendered it into the gibberish you see here. Not sure what to do about that.

Now the gun. The GUN! That was a challenge. I had to refer to photos and period manuals such as the "Manual for officers on Ordinance Duty." As it happened, what I found on line was a Confederate version of that manual and had notes pertaining to specific differences relating to Confederate equipment & service. On the limber, pretty much every thing had a place and went there. Not so the gun. I had to do quite a bit of modifying to make it work. The cheeks would have been all wrong if mounted to the trail as intended. For another thing, the model gave me one piece of 'chain' for all the chains on the gun. Of course, they were not all the same size. Also, the given chain links were round, circular. That just wasn't right either. I wound up buying a cheapo kids jewelry chain set in black plastic at Wally's. Other than that they were shiny, they worked pretty good. I also had a few links of brass looking chain that was perfect for some of the gun chain too. I painted the brass chain flat black and sprayed the shiny stuff with clear matte. That gave me a more appropriate variety of chain.

Another fault was the hand spike. For one thing, they only supplied one. Wrong size, wrong shape too. I got some bamboo skewers and spun them in a drill sanding them down to shape. Then I flattened a piece of copper electrical wire to make the 'iron' band that went around the hand spike for the hanging ring. Now the round links of the provided chain worked great for that. See pics for a comparison of provided part to my made ones. Also in the line of misnumbered parts, they provide two buckets but the above mentioned manual only specifies one bucket to be carried on the carriage, the sponge bucket.

One major thing of note is that, by dint of the fit of the trunnions to the tube, this should properly be considered a Confederate gun. It seems that Confederate guns had the trunnions tend to blend to the tube. (I know I am probably "preaching to the choir here but, just in case somebody reading this is not aware of the details or perhaps I am mistaken in what I think I know, then I can be corrected.). As I understand it, virtually all Union guns had a turned shoulder and the joint of the trunnions to the tube. Another thing is that Union guns tended to have the trunnions situated on a line either (depending on the gun) above or below the center-line of the bore. CSA made guns tended for the most part to be made on the center-line of the bore and that is how the model's tube is made. So the model is technically a Confederate gun though they did not mean to make it as such. There were also other variations typical to Confederate Napoleons I decided not to represent. For one thing, many lacked the muzzle swell. I chose not to remove mine but I did reduce it. Some CSA Napoleons were made of iron and some even had a reinforcing band as seen on Parrot rifles.

My final accomplishment of note (by my ken) was defining the tools hung on the gun. One of the hanging hooks was wrong and I had to modify that. (The one on the left, facing you in the pic.) They provided a ladle which was not even used on field artillery. For the worm, they offered a piece of copper wire and suggested just winding it around the pole. Not! It took several tries but, look at the pics and tell me what you think of that worm! (yes, it fits the bore too.) Oh yes, the Bore! The gun's bore was out of scale and the muzzle face shaped all wrong. See the comparative pics. I also had a heck of a time deciding on the tube paint. You would not believe how many cans and bottles of gold and gilt paint I have around here. I know that isn't quite right for a bronze tube but, the closest I could get.

My next problem was carriage color. What to use? According to the model notes, Confederate guns and other artillery vehicles were painted light gray. I could not find any references supporting this statement. Just the opposite. Both North and South painted their artillery the same color, something called "artillery green." Now, that is open to interpretation as to exactly what that does, did look like. Most modern references describe it as comparing to "olive Drab." (Of Confederate equipment, depending upon what was available, anything might be seen. There were also instances of Confederates oiling the wood when paint could not be had.) In reviewing color charts, I found examples of colors called "artillery green." That was laughable there was so much disparity. Some examples were nearly mustard yellow. However, there was one example that closely matched a Testors brand model paint that also seemed to me to closely match remaining paint on original examples including one carriage claimed to be CS with original paint. This model paint was simple "flat green" and what I used.

That pretty much sums it up. Comments, advice, and criticisms welcome.

Here go pics, lotsa pics... (Whoops! Only 5 images per post. Posting the rest in the following "replies.)

TexReb
11-06-2012, 10:50 PM
More pics...

TexReb
11-06-2012, 10:56 PM
And the last. One note on the staffs. They provided one metal rammer end and one metal sponge though the shafts they provided were wood. I made the rammer ends of wood since the originals were and the sponges I rolled strips of felt torn from pads for cushioning furniture.

John Holland
11-07-2012, 12:03 AM
TexReb,

Having played around with model building off and on since sometime in the mid 1950's I can really appreciate your attention to detail....Well done! I especialy like your treatment of the wheels, very clever and they look good.

Thanks for sharing!

John