Friday, August 7, 2009

Ship Model Builder's Assistant


PACKET ships and clipper ships had distinctive characteristics by which they could be recognized at a glance from that little heard of but more numerous type of plain, common, everyday merchantman that constituted the bulk of the American tonnage. Packets and clippers had a pedigree of their own, as it were, and the newspapers gave long, glowing descriptions of them and their records were given columns in the newspapers, while the rank-and-file would be dismissed in a line in the marine column, reading—"Ship Betsy, Sharp, from Madeira." But there were dozens of Betsies and Sallies to one clipper. They were the common wall-sided, flat-floored, bluff-bowed and heavy, squarctransomed ships with which everyone was so familiar that they were just ships and nothing more. Today, looking back and reviewing all the different types of ships, those little, three hundred ton ships, of about 1820, with their decks laid out with the same simplicity that characterized the schooners and brigs, are a novelty. They had one big, main-cargo hatch just forward of the mainmast. Fiferails, of course, were around each mast, at the deck, for belaying the gear.

Military Modelling 12 1995


Towards the end of last year I was fortuitously introduced to an enthusiastic fellow modeller, one David Love. He had, for many years, been engaged in collecting and painting 54mm scale figures and had progressed to constructing scenic bases to contain various groups of these figures. He felt, however, he had arrived at a point where there was a strong urge to develop his hobby, particularly regarding 'scratch building' and developing more individualistic figurines. For my part, owing to unforeseen circumstances, I had been absent from the modelling scene for many, many years, although naturally following events monthly in Military Modelling magazines. Dave's exuberant enthusiasm soon had me back in the 'grip' of the modelling fever. Suffice to say after further meetings the outcome was an agreed plan to create mutually a small diorama. The subject was to be a Catling gun and Royal Naval Brigade team during the Sudan campaign.