Agamemnon on the blog

[Brian Weathersby]

Well I cut it close, but did manage to get one blog post in this month.  The HMS Agamemnon is up on the blog.  Who knew that summer would be a distraction to painting, photographing and blogging?

BWW

 

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Mike]

Is there a link for your blog sir?

[Brian Weathersby]

Oops, sorry.  It’s 3:25 AM here, and I’m getting a little punch-drunk.  It is:  https://mymodelsailingships.blogspot.com

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[kyoteblue]

Love your work.

[Rory McCreadie]

Very nice, it’s the hard ones that become your fav’s on the table. Good or bad luck she will always bring a smile.

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

KBB,

Thanks.  As I said somewhere (maybe here?), I’m not vain about a lot of things in life, but my ships are one of them.

Rory,

Man, I hope you’re right!  Given how many battles she was involved in over the course of her career, she’s going to get a lot of opportunities to gain some karma.  According to Wikipedia (I know, but good enough for discussion purposes) she was in the following fleet battles:

Battle of Ushant, 1781
Battle of the Saintes, 1782
Battle of Genoa, 1795
Battle of the Hyères Islands, 1795
Battle of Copenhagen, 1801
Battle of Cape Finisterre, 1805
Battle of Trafalgar, 1805
Battle of San Domingo, 1806
Battle of Copenhagen, 1807

That’s a lot of miles.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[kyoteblue]

Sounds like a campaign is in order…

[Brian Weathersby]

I’ve been working on a set of campaign rules for quite some time, actually.  I want them to fall between the “follow one officer’s career” and the “you are the Admiralty” views that most AOS campaign rules fall into.  The idea is that you are a theater commander, although that really isn’t a term that was used at the time.  Think Nelson in the Nile Campaign, or the Russian and Turkish navies in the Black Sea.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Volunteer]

Great looking ship Brian. I built the Davco Agamemnon. Funny how all four manufacturer’s (Langton, GHQ, Davco, Navwar) Agamemnons are so different? I have the Langton and Navwar Ags, unbuilt as yet. I will use them as other 64’s. I also have two Navwar HMS Africa 64’s, and they look different from the Agamemnon, which is supposed to be the same class if I’m not mistaken. Indefatigable was also the same class. She was razeed, cut down a deck, not shortened. Langton modeled her shorter than Agamemnon,  as did Navwar but longer than Africa. It’s enough to give an OCD detail person like me apoplexy!

Vol

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Brian Weathersby]

Vol,

That’s an area I’ve tried to stay away from, but find myself getting into more and more.  I’ve always justified my Langton ships by saying that, since they started later than the other manufacturers, their research must be better.  I don’t know how much longer I can use that to justify my preferences, though.

You’re right that Agamemnon and Indefatigable are sisters, both of the Ardent class.  Africa is of the Inflexible class, but the statistics are almost exactly the same.  Agamemnon is 160 feet on the gundeck and 44 feet 4 inches in beam.  Africa is 159 feet on the gundeck, and 44 feet 4 inches in beam.  That difference is only 1/4 millimeter in 1/1200 scale.  So all of them should at least be roughly the same size, if not exactly alike.

Where it starts getting to me are on the Spanish ships.  The plans for the Montanes class are online, and clearly show the row of grates that partially cover the waist along either side of the gangways.  I know from reading your blog that the GHQ Montanes class hulls are correct.  Thing is, Langton makes that hull but apparently sells it as a generic 74 (based on my last order).  The generic 74 I got in a later order was indeed the correct one for a Montanes class 74/80.  I realize that I could probably use Langton mast and sail combos with GHQ hulls, but that then makes the little buggers more expensive than they already are.  Besides, the GHQ hulls are smaller and daintier enough that the Langton masts just don’t seem to look right in them, in my opinion.

I realize most of the players in my games aren’t going to know the difference, and I’m not going to point it out to them.  It does sometimes bug me, though.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Volunteer]

I still use GHQ sails, I just replace the lower masts with .47 music wire from Hobby Lobby. That stops the bending and allows for taught rigging. I also raise the hulls a bit to match Langtons. It’s easier than grinding down the Langton hulls to where they are supposed to ride in the water. I will also make the base a little deeper on some of the more egregious Langton hulls to bring the water line up to a reasonable level. The way they ride you would think they didn’t have a single gun or any stores at all.

Vol

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Rory McCreadie]

I’m very lucky,

I only see a 74 gun or a 64 gun etc, on the table. I’m so glad I do not see the ships as you both do. For me as long as the Agamemnon is a British 64 gun model I would be happy. As Vol knows I am doing 1-2400 scale ship now. So how they look is not so a big problem as long as it’s a 64 gun.

I have cut-down a Airfix Victory. Water-line and its bottom gun deck, and shorten her to to make her look like a 74 gun. She does look different from the 3 deck Victory, but I think you two would have kittens if you saw her. Sorry! I try to make my ships right, but to the way you both must.

Tried again to post photo’s, No joy?????????

 

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Vol,

That’s what I did with some of my Langton hulls that looked like they about 12 feet of freeboard, instead of 4.  I built up the water on the base with Sculpey, but that kept warping the wooden bases I used then.  Now that I’ve gone to the new type of material for bases, I don’t think I can bake it in the oven so as to set the Sculpey.  I honestly don’t know how I’m going to handle it the next time that problem comes up.

Rory,

I’m not quite as picky in real life as I sound online.  Also, you cut down a 1/2400 scale Victory?  How hard was that?  And no,  probably wouldn’t have a cow if I saw it.  In fact, I dare say I wouldn’t say anything to you about it.  When you hear me make the sorts of criticisms about the Langton ship types that I have, those are about my ships and my “plank counter” mentality.   What I point out about the bigger models bothers me more from a collector’s standpoint than a gaming one.  I make it a point not to criticize other people’s miniatures in that regard, because I don’t think that’s right.  Also, I would love to see some 1/2400 scale pictures.  I decided not to go with those because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference on the table.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Volunteer]

Rory’s cut down 74 is a Airfix 1/500 scale plastic model. I’ve seen pictures and it came out pretty good. I think he has started another one.

Sadly I’m not working on anything in the shipyard now. I was working on some ACW steam frigate hulls Stone Mountain Minis sent me a few months ago, but gave up on them. I only got the hulls. I figured out how to make everything but the boats: stacks, funnels, flying bridges, davits. I just don’t know where everything goes. The few photos of these ships are wrong angles and not detailed enough. GHQ boats are too small. These hulls are not consistant and range from 1/700 to 1/1100 scale based on the length/name of the actual ship. So I got frustrated and gave up a month ago and have syarted nothing since. Ah, but it is summer! 

Vol

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Brian Weathersby]

Yeah, those ship miniatures from Stone Mountain were originally from Lyzard’s Grin (I think), back in the day.  They are notorious for not being a consistent scale, much less 1/1200 scale.  I bought some of Thoroughbred’s 1/1200 minis and those monitors are tiny.  I keep meaning to buy more ACW stuff, but just haven’t yet.  I do have Forts Jackson and Saint Philip from Pithead Miniatures, and they will be the topic of a future blog post.

As for Rory’s Victory, it doesn’t matter what scale the conversion is in, at least he tried.  I have a 1/1200 scale Nimitz class carrier from Revell that I want to convert into a waterline model, and am just too afraid to take a drill and saw to the hull.  I think it would make a nice comparison model for the sailing ships, just to show how small the things really were by our modern standards.  I just haven’t worked up the guts to do it, so good for you Rory!

I don’t believe in bashing other people’s miniatures, because we’re all doing the best we can.  Being ugly accomplishes nothing, and makes you look like a jerk for doing it.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

All my photos are now classed as “Paint” they are so big I cannot see them!!!!!! I use windows 7 for my photos. How I got to “Paint” I do not know? How I get out of “paint” I don’t know? If I can get my photos back to normal size that would be a start. Then how too get them on this site.

I like to hear what people think of my ships. It helps me make them better.

I will get them on this site!

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Volunteer]

Rory sent you an email for picture help

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Volunteer]

Rory sent you an email for picture help

Rory’s latest 1/2400 74’s

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Brian Weathersby]

One of the nice things about 1/2400 ships (or so I’ve always thought) is that you don’t have to do as much, if any rigging, to make them look nice.  Or, I guess you don’t.  I mean, I don’t own any so can’t really say for sure.  They look great though, and since a nautical mile is only 30 inches in 1/2400 you can fight battles in a lot smaller space.  I would suspect that transport is a lot easier too.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

Thanks Vol,

Just got your e-mail about M.S. Office 2010. I’ve replied. Hope to be posting Photo’s soon.

I am am a very sad person Brian. I can not see a sailing ship and not rig her. If it is only one or two bits of thread over a yardarm. No you do not have to rig 1-2400 scale ships. BUT I DO HA! HA!

Be safe

Rory 🙂

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Rory,

I readily admit that my comments about 1/2400 AOS models are based on the ignorance of not owning any.  That being said, if I did have any I would probably try some rigging on them as well.  So, if you’re a sad person then come and sit by me because we will be sad together!

The photos are small, but it looks like your ships have the ratlines cast onto the masts, correct?

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

Brain,

Yes Tumbling Dice ships come with rat-lines. This makes the ships very strong and good for handling on a table. They do not need to be rigged. I miss rigging my 1-1200 scale ships. It’s not the same, but I had to do some rigging on the smaller ships.

I did one 1-2400 scale ship with full standing and running rigging. But that was too much!

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Author]

Posts