I just threw myself full force back into modeling. It really helps with my stressfull career and life. I have been doing plenty of small out of box builds to get my skill s back up. I would like to try a scratch build. I look at it this way.....Its only some plastic....glue and a bit of time.

Seeking to buid the Iron Clad USS Monitor (American Civil War). Seeking some real easy basic plans I good get my hands on. I may have to draw them up from scratch and photos. Would like to make it a large scale...maybe 1/72 or larger.

Any input would be great. I have plenty of time on my hands so I want to make it large and detailed.

Thank you

Sam

Well, there's nothing you can't scratchbuild, man! Pick up some Evergreen plastic extrusions and sheet, some glue, a ruler and a subject to model. It's actually harder to start that to accomplish. More people are afraid of the idea of scratchbuilding than the actual doing of it.
Pick something small and uncomplicated for your first scratch. A Jeep trailer or the like. Find your measurements and start cutting and gluing.
If I may suggest, in August, I am hosting the ACUTR Scratchbuilding campaign. It's designed to use the collective skills of more experienced scratchers to help the less experienced scratchers find and use techniques.

Just jump right in, man. You'll find it more...satisfying than OOB stuff. And, in that sense, it will solve certain problems some find with trying to fix OOB kits.

Cuhail

Thank you for the advice. Cuhail, I have been following your builds and I hope I could build as well as you someday. It's a great hobby and I find very rewarding. Once I get my plans and research all together, I may throw my hat in the contest.

Sam

Sammuel, I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to try to slap you out of this one. It is for you own good. Repeat after me (as a mantra)" I don't want to start scratch building", " I don't want to start scratch building", etc., etc...

Once you go there you will never go back. I can't just put together a model anymore. Its like a disease- "what can I add, what can I make better". "It doesn't matter that this model is crap, I can make it better, I have the technology" (and if you don't have the technology you know where to find it). You will start saying things like "NOOOOO, don't throw that cup away!! I can use it for..." Even going the the normal stores will take on a new twist - you will start looking at things you have never looked at before "can I use this", "can I use this", "can I use this". My wife has actually asked me what I was doing looking at hairpins and the like....

Have fun and welcome to the dark side...

Thanks Brian, it has already started with the OOB kits. I can't get enough of it. My wife is a graphic artist, so she is just happy it keeps me busy and calms me down. I do look at every thing now and see what I could make use of it with my kits.

Hope to start real soon.

Sam

Yep, when you start looking at everything around you in terms of how you could use it to scratchbuild something then you've got it pretty bad. No cure by the way. You'll likely end up as many of us do, wandering the earth and grabbing odd bits and saying "OOOuh, cool!.. this could be part of a....".

Welcome!

Jim
Large Scale Armory

Hi Sam

Also remember,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, measure twice ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cut once

:_| And after you have screwed that piece of plastic up find another piece and check your measurements again and measure twice ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cut once

And shave a bit ,,,,,,,,,,,,slice a bit ,,,,,,,, damn I wish I knew how to do it Like BARV did

then like I have to do ask the experts on here how they do it too

A real great bunch of lunatics ,,,,,,,,,,, I mean masters of plastic !!!!!!

Nige

Hi Sam,
Once you start scraching (models that is) you will see that nothing is imposible.

Just have a look at my late dad's (BARV) projects and see.

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f329/BARV/

Welcome aboard

Steve C Jnr

Sam,
There are commercially available plans for the USS Monitor (can't seem to find the link though ) something like USS Monitor Foundation.
Anyways heres a few links that should set you on your way to discovery:
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~jenkins/ironclads/ironclad.htm
http://www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/USNavy.html
http://www.ijnhonline.org/volume2_number3_Dec03/article_fuller_filipstad_dec03.htm
http://walternelson.com/historia/2007/03/building_models_of_civil_war_i.html
this link has the connection to the PDF format book "Modeling Civil War Ironclad Ships by Steven Lund & William Hathaway, well worth downloading (it's free, 4.80Mb).
and heres some links to a French site that has other Monitor types - in the first link just type in Miantonomah or Kalamazoo in the search box and it will pull the various plans for these boats, or use the second link and have a troll:
http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/02fonds-collections/banquedocuments/planbato/atlas/central.htm
http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/02fonds-collections/banquedocuments/planbato/atlas/rec.php#
hopefully these links work, I often have a few problems with chucking links on here .
Otherwise just chuck various word combinations in your preferred Search Engine (things like Civil War Ironclad, or Civil War Monitor etc etc)
Best of luck with the search and project.

Roger.

Edit: Not sure whats up with the first link but the rest seem to work OK.

Hi Sammuel,

you are on the right path man...
I did start scratch (though with metal but there is not really a great difference fxcept for the tooling and study) some 50 years ago and still love it.

George

Hi all,
don't wanna hijack the thread but I'd also like to try scrachbuilding stuff. I've never scratchbuilt anything before, so being on a tight budget at the moment I'd like to try, I'll need to get some plastic card & other stuff that I'll need so any help with a minimum of what materials I'd need would also be helpful.

1. I'm not sure of scale thicknesses so any help there would be great
2. For tanks I was thinking doing more interiors than exterior. Maybe the schurtzen, fenders etc.
3. Can you buy any books on scratchbuilding or can you get easy reference here or online? Plans of WWII tank interiors & possibly newer tanks?
Also I'd also like to try making my own decals so if anyone can help me or point me in thwe right direction I'd appreciate it.
Many thanks,
Kenny

At a minimum, sheet plastic in several thicknesses from .010" to .040". A good 6" and 12" steel ruler, marked in decimal inches and metric if you can. Liquid glue and all the other tools you use to build a kit, knives, files etc. That's all you really need. Other things like clamps & squares are really useful, but not necessary at first. If you keep at it, you'll quickly establish what you need in your tool box.


Don't worry about scale thickness for things that are closed like stowage boxes and the like. I'd be opening up things like that only after you have the exterior building down pat. For building purposes:
- .030 or thicker is great for main structural components like hulls & turrets.
- .020 is good for small parts & small open bins or boxes.
- .010" is a real bear to try to build 3D shapes from at first and requires things like squares & jigs to make sure it all bonds up square & straight. Great for building flat shapes & details
- .005 is for flat details parts only and you have to be really careful with the glue or it melts to nothing.

If you do a lot of scratchbuilding, you'll build up a big collection of Evergreen strip as it is the handiest thing in the world for structrual shapes.

Good luck and welcome to the fraternity of model makers (as opposed to kit builders) [obligatory effete scratchbuilder's remark! ]

HTH

Paul

@ Kenny-
I have to say, Paul (tankmodeler) has summed it up, nicely. Plastic extrusions from Evergreen and Plastruct will accumulate over time. You'll buy a pack for one rod and have 6-7 left over for the next few projects. Sheet plastic too. Kitbashing seemed to help me out because scratchbuilding is a practiced skill, but, kitbashing is altering a manufactured kit. Kitbashing will help hone skills and not require the intense monetary slam of just jumping into scratching.

H2H,
Cuhail

Hello to all scratchbuilders around here....Incredibly, I only noticed this forum today...

Anyhow, if you haven´t noticed yet, take a look at my most recent "madness":

https://modelshipwrights.kitmaker.net/forums/132203&page=1

.