Another Launch: USS Julia

Finished the second vessel I have been working on: The USS Julia, armed merchant topsail schooner (1 long gun, 32-pounder).   

Tomorrow I begin working on two more of the armed merchant schooners: USS Fair American and USS Asp.  

First Off the Ways (Gustine Naval Shipyard Update)

My first major shipbuilding effort came off the ways of the Gustine Naval Shipyard last night.

Karen and I have been very busy of late preparing our home for sale, so this project has taken longer than I would have liked, but it is finally done.

The vessel is the USS General Pike, frigate, 26 long guns (24-pounders).  From her launch in late July, 1813, she served as the flagship of the USN squadron on Lake Ontario and was the most powerful warship on the Lakes to date.  At her mainmast, she flies the broad pennant of Commodore Isaac Chauncey, commander of the Ontario squadron from late 1812 until war's end. 

The 1/1200 scale kit is from Langton's Miniatures, ordered through Waterloo Minis, and the acrylic base was made by Old Dominion Game Works. 

Although the exact paint schemes for the Lake Ontario squadron are unknown, the black hull with white gunwales was a standard USN paint scheme at the time, and both squadron supply invoices and contemporary images from several sources indicate it was probably adopted. 

I used the following colors for this project, and will use the same for the rest of the squadron, as well:

Vallejo Black (70.950)
Vallejo Ivory (sails) (70.918)
50/50 blend of Vallejo Iraqui Sand (70.819) and Vallejo Ochre Brown (70.856) for the deck, masts, spars, etc.
Testor's Model Master Flat White (FS 37875) for the gunwale line

I decided to depict standing rigging only, as running-rigging would be too much at this scale.  For the rigging, I used Sew-ology black, 100% cotton thread at 40/3 weight, and waxed it prior to use.

It is all held together by Loctite Gel Control Super Glue, a product which should have earned the developers a Nobel Prize for Chemistry, in my opinion.

As you can see, it is far from perfect.  As mentioned before, I am not a modeler by heart, but I think this turned out fairly well considering it's been decades since I last tried anything like it.  I have learned some things along the way, and there are some areas that need more practice (like keeping the rigging taut after placement, and giving more realistic bends to the brass sails).  Regardless, to me these will always be game pieces for miniatures rules, not hyper-accurate scale models.  I did the best I could with the skills I have, and I am content with it as a first effort. 

Currently on the ways: USS Julia and USS Asp, armed merchant topsail schooners, 1-32 pounder long gun each.