Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: herrmill on May 04, 2008, 01:48:24 am
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As a few of you already know, I've taken a liking to some older subjects & have started building USS Tecumseh (&/or Manhattan), a Civil War era Canonicus monitor that gave Adm. Farragut reason to give us that famous quote, "Damn the torpedos, FULL SPEED AHEAD!" CSS Tennessee will follow & both will be equipped with air soft guns from Heng Long for some spirited battles in the pond outside my office.
I first have to say thanks to Steve Lund of Old Navy for his valued assistance & suggestions. If anyone is interested in Civil War ironclads & haven't already seen Steve & Bill Hathaway's book, you'll want to download their free book Modeling Civil War Ironclad Ships http://walternelson.com/ironclads.pdf (http://walternelson.com/ironclads.pdf). Its referenced over on an earlier post with photos that I put up on their group The Old Navy (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=791840&highlight=civil+war+ironclads) .
My son was to bring over my wood supplies last month, but left them behind due to concern over the TSA & Northwurst's baggage policy, so I ventured into Shanghai to meet up with fellow member & noted schooner enthusiast TigerTiger & scoured the LHS for balsa & basswood. Luck was with me on the first store we visited, so I spent yesterday afternoon cutting out, trimming & gluing the hull sections. I'm doing a very simple built-up balsa hull which will be glassed with raft & deck then covered in Steve's riveted plate skins. Since ironclads are not meant to be speed demons, I'll either use a modified servo to drive the single prop or gear down a 380 motor.
Here are some photos of what she's supposed to look like along with a few of mine I took this evening while letting the glue dry. From all accounts, this looks to be a very fast build & easy lesson in scratch building for this neophyte while I continue on with finishing Yamato.
For you Brits, I'm already giving thought towards how best to cap off this small Civil War fleet & have already contacted the archivist in Birkenhead to get plans for the Laird Rams that were confiscated by Britain & served in the Royal Navy as HMS Wivern & Scorpion. Its between these two or the armored ram, CSS Stonewall, that was built in France & commissioned too late in 1864 to be used against the US blockade; she eventually was purchased by the Meiji government as Japan's first ironclad warship.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/USS_Tecumseh.gif)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/USSTennessee.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-02.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-09.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-10.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/HMSWirven.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/CSS_Stonewall_1.jpg)
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Hi Hermill.
That is going to be one very interesting build. A fascinating subject. Thanks for the post and keep them coming.
Barry
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Thanks Barry. I've posted a short history of the subject matter over at SP http://www.subpirates.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=4109&p=37034#p37034 (http://www.subpirates.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=4109&p=37034#p37034)
Here are some photos of the hull layup. I can't find thick balsa or even waxpaper here so am having to improvise with laminated planks for the hull bottom & using aluminum foil to keep from gluing all to my build board.
I'll cut it to shape, carve the stern blocks from foam & attach the hull sides this evening. The raft will be made of 1/8" door skin & balsa sides. Again, with all the construction in my new neighborhood, half of the boat will be made of scrap I find on the street. :D
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Canonicus1_72Section.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9969.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9972.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9974.jpg)
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Hi Chuck
I got silicon paper (or something similar) as food wrap paper roll in Carrefour, stocked next to the aluminium foil.
TT
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Thanks. I'll look for that next time I run into town on my pijiu run. :P
Chuck
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As is usually the case, construction was delayed due to customers' needs taking priority over playtime, but the hull sides are on & I am carving the stern; will get this fitted tonight along with the corner fillers & then start carving & sanding to shape. I already see some need to fill & will be sure to double check my dimensions before cutting to size for the raft... what's that old saying... measure twice, cut once. :embarrassed:
As you can see from the last photo, my apprentice isn't helping much... he seems to have acquired a taste for Gorilla Glue. What's with Chinese kids these days & substance abuse?? >>:-(
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9982.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9985.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-9987.jpg)
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Never seen this type of consrtuction before....Fascinating amigo--
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Barry,
Its very simple & geared directly towards my skill set... call it Monitor Building for Dummiesİ. You'll find in Steve & Bill's book that they rely heavily on this method for the simple hulls found on most Civil War ironclads, especially those on the Confederate side. CSS Richmond offers an excellent description on how to build in this manner.
Should you have interest in building an ironclad for those sunny Spanish waters, I'd be happy to put you in touch with Steve. He sent me a note today stating they've seen a large increase in downloads recently with over 3,000 in total, so someone else must be building out there. O0
Chuck
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To show there's interest outside the colonies for Civil War ironclads, here are several examples from my fellow TF72 members.
Allan Pew built USS Choctaw, the smaller CSS Savannah in front left is by Russ French & I'm not certain who owns the two Dumas models, CSS Virginia & USS Monitor.
Chuck
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Where can we purchase those Feline wood bending devices?
Martin ;)
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Where can we purchase those Feline wood bending devices?
Martin ;)
I believe they also bend ALMOST completed plastic warships as well. ::) {-) {-)
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Thanks, its nice to see something different! Years ago MB published a one-page drawing of a Civil War (the one between the states) blockade runner, looking something like the Tennessee, but with a central wheel towards the stern. I built one about 6" long and it went quite well. I seem to remember the motor pulley was a .22" air rifle pellet!
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Coming from British/Welsh ancestry (with a little Dutch & Swiss thrown in), I am very proud to say BangBang is a full-blooded British Shorthair that hails from Shanghai's HongKou district. The only thing that concerns about the breed is that they mature slowly which means I've got another 3 years of mischief to worry about. I can't even keep a water glass beside the bed as he likes to wake me up at ungodly hours of the night by dipping his paw in the glass & flicking water on my face. >:(
As TT states, he has an affinity for chewing on plastic models as well, & as a good patriotic Britisher, with a particular fondness for anything related to the Axis fleets... Yamato is his current target. Perhaps it has something to do with the screensaver I have on my PC downstairs that includes a collection of propaganda posters. ???
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/GBWarAgainstJapan.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-62.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-63.jpg)
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A very interesting + unusual subject - I'll be definitely following this thread with interest! One question, what scale is the model - 1/96?
Is Allan Pew's USS Choctaw (surely the weirdest-looking of all the Civil War ironclads, which is saying something) model paddle-driven, like the real ship was? If so, how well does it run (and steer)? It certainly doesn't look like the most manoueverable of designs!
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I'll build these in 1/72 which is the largest scale I use, aside from patrol craft, for warships. Besides USS Techumseh (Manhattan) & CSS Tennessee, I am considering building one of the riverine ironclad gunboats such as USS Cairo, a City Class paddlewheel gunboat used to great success on the Mississippi & other western rivers.
Allan's is a faux paddlewheeler & actually powered by a single screw. Choctaw's strange design as well as another similar gunboat, USS Lafayette, were due to being conversions of existing riverboats that had been acquired by the War Department & neither lived up to their intended design as armored rams, both being too heavy & underpowered.
Steve Lund has built Choctaw using a Dumas Mt. Washington kit as the starting point that has working paddlewheels run a dual drive setup. You can find this, as well as another paddle wheeler, Bill Hathaway's scratchbuilt USS Osage, in their book. Again, its a free PDF download via the link I posted above & is a great start for anyone interested in Civil War ship modeling. By the way, Steve is quite happy with the performance of USS Choctaw, even to the point of entering her in course competitions. If anything, it certainly makes for one heck of a conversation starter on the model pond! O0
Another good reference that is quite easy to find & inexpensive is the Osprey Publishing New Vanguard series: Union Monitor 1861-65, Union River Ironclad 1861-65 & Confederate Ironclad 1861-65.
Chuck
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Spent the past several days traveling to TT's future stomping grounds in Henan Province, so just had today to do some enjoyable work. Got the raft fitted today, so now its time to fit a few filler planks, sand the hull into shape & start glassing. Am really enjoying this stage when it starts to look like something besides a pile of scrap. Tennessee will be an easy one after this with its angular design.
I did get to catch up on lot of reading while on the train to Luoyang; one book focused on James B. Eads & his contribution towards building the Union's Western Gunboat Flotilla. I've always been interested in the rivertine boats, but now may build one of his Milwaukee Class monitors with their turtle deck & dual turrets once I finish with Canonicus & Tennessee.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10085.jpg)
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Hi Chuck
She is coming on nicely. I am looking forward to see what you do with that wierd screw arrangement. Or will it be a mock screw?
Looking at the hull form again, she is like a big armoured barge.
Hope you enjoyed the Peonys.
TT
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Tiger,
Thanks. Yes, I did see a few peonies while in the area, & with the program we're developing in the neighborhood, I'll probably have the chance to see even more in the coming months since I'll plan to fly as much as I can instead of taking that 16 hour train journey to Luoyang. :(
Canonicus monitors, as well as CSS Tennessee, were driven by a single screw, with all Union single turret monitors using the same simple inline drive coupled to a 9' Ericsson propeller like shown below. The larger dual turret monitors were equipped with 2-4 screws. That last photo is USS Monitors screw which was recovered off the North Carolina coast & now on display at USS Monitor Center, The Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/MonitorProp-02.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/MonitorProp-03.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/MonitorProp-24.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/monitorprop_conserv_650.jpg)
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You Brits are too polite! :angel:
If this was a US-based site, it would have been hijacked last week. {-)
Chuck
That's why Mayhem is probably the best boat site in the world.......................................probably.
(should do this in the voice of Orson Wells)
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Sorry, no pics today but got the hull pretty much finished, stuffing box installed & motor/servos placed. At this point I am stalled looking for Lexan for the deck which I'll do this week while in Shanghai - its about the only thing besides the balsa & detailed rivet plate skins that can't get from the workers doing all the apartment decoration in neighborhood.
Have printed my templates for Tennessee & have already started cutting out the parts for the hull, deck & casement, mostly from 1/8" ply & balsa. I expect to start building later this next week.
USS Chickasaw, a twin turret Eads monitor slightly larger than Canonicus, will be next after both Canonicus & Tennessee are finished. Poor Yamato seems neglected for the time being.. :(
Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!
Chuck
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Here are some overdue photos from earlier last week that show the simple built-up construction for the hull. I still am not satisfied with the sheer, especially towards the bow & have been sanding & filling for what seems to be the past week.
Resin coating & fiberglass work begins tomorrow if the weather holds - have been told by the boss that I'll be sleeping at the office if I attempt to do this inside my shop. >>:-( {-)
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3415.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3418.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3416.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3417.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3446.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3423.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3422.jpg)
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While I wait for my detailing material & fittings to arrive from States, its time to start work on CSS Tennessee.
I'm using a Bill Mahmood papermodel http://members.aol.com/WFMarabknt/ironclads.html (http://members.aol.com/WFMarabknt/ironclads.html) for the templates which have been scanned up to 1/72 scale & will go with the same built-up hull technique as I did for Canonicus. Construction will be of balsa & 1/8" door skins, with basswood planked decks; she'll have exposed rudder chains just like the original. Armor plate will be Evergreen .040 V-groove sheet spaced at .125 interval.
As with Canonicus, my Tennessee will be equipped with smoke & sound effects & with the available space inside the casement, I plan to have at least 4 working "airsoft" cannon from for "pond combat".
As you can see, my assistant has helped himself to the paper reference model once my back was turned, so I can only guess what his motives will be with the larger model. I wonder if anyone has ever successfully defanged a cat before... :rolleyes:
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3439.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Last12Months-3445.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/72.jpg)
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Here's an update from the weekend.
Canonicus' hull & raft have been coated with resin, but I've had to delay the fiberglass work with all the rain we've been having - looks like the Plum Rains have started early. I'm in no hurry since I've got enough to do; also found the local West System dealer at this show this Saturday & already have an order in with them. Started on the turret(s) this weekend using 80mm pipe couplings which are laminated with thin balsa to build up the proper 95mm diameter. I'll continue working on these while I start in earnest on CSS Tennessee.
Tennessee's hull keel is laid with bottom planks glued together, & I've cut out the parts for subdeck & casement structure. I've been waiting for my new scroll saw to arrive to cut the bottom from the local logistic idiots & then start with the hull build up this evening. Rest of the casement & upper hull parts will be ready for an initial fit as well.
As you can see, my capable assistant does his part by helping weigh down the planks as they cure. He has taken a liking to sleeping on my templates, but that's another matter... :x
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10385.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10391.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10394.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10402.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10398.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10405.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10410.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10407.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10408.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10399.jpg)
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Here are a few reference photos I received from Steve of his USS Canonicus that show some of the details found on the finished model.
We'll see how close grassshopper can get towards the meeting master's work... :eek: ;)
Chuck
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I received my detailed rivet & bolt plate skins in yesterday's mail & am getting back onto detailing USS Manhattan.
Here are a few photos to show the accuracy of Steve's tooling that he did to get as close as he could to the original Ericsson bolt patterns.
Chuck
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I wanted to share a few illustrations that show the monitor classes built throughout the war along with more detail of the turrets that carried 11, 13 & 15" smooth bore cannon. Canonicus carried two 15" Dahlgrens that weighed 21 tons EACH firing 450 pound solid shot!! :o
Canonicus was the 3rd generation of single turret monitors designed for better sea-keeping qualities with a longer hull using the same turret as Passaic. Turrets were topped with iron rails which was covered with plating prior to battle. One can only imagine what hellish conditions these would have been during combat
Here's an excellent article on Ericsson's monitors & the massive Dahlgrens: http://www.ijnhonline.org/volume2_n...pstad_dec03.htm
Chuck
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Interesting to see that the two cannons were of different caliber!
How where they reloaded?
Love the elevation adjuster, bet that left a nasty mark on the parquet flooring!... looks like something I would have thought of!
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Martin,
Both Passaic & early Canonicus class monitors were armed with mixed bag of 11", 12" & 15" cannon until sufficient quantities of the 15" were available. A 20" smooth bore was developed & tested in the later years of the war but never saw service.
The cannon were smooth bore muzzle loaders, set on tracks which allowed the crew to run it to rear to load. Gun ports were protected with a heavy shield which was closed after firing to protect the crew during the reload procedure while the other gun was run out to fire. Average turnaround cycle was 8 minutes to reload & prepare for the next shot.
Chuck
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interesting to see the barrels end within the turret.
All sorts of potential issues with shock waves.
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Tiger,
The guns were run out to the ports before firing so concussion & blast effect was minimal, but still probably not the best for preventing long-term hearing loss. The shorter 15" Dahlgrens had to be used with smoke boxes to keep gases out of the turret; Tecumseh & later monitors got the longer cannon which protruded out the port during firing.
Since the turrets were open steel perforated plates were laid on top of the iron grating prior to engagements to protect the gun crews from falling shot & splinters.
Chuck
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ere are a few photos of the turret. I had started doing the roof grating with 2mm styrene bars to keep in scale but soon grew tired of gluing my fingers together; besides, the grating will be covered with a perforated deck plate for battle conditions.
No, that's not a cupcake sitting next to the turret, but an example of why I never got above a C in in shop class when we did auto bodywork. :embarrassed: Once I take a file & sandpaper to it, the pilothouse will have a rounded dome before adding some rivet plate like used on the turret. Am really looking forward to getting back to work with a pin vise on deck plate. :D
Got my styrene sheet yesterday & started cutting deck plates this morning. Assuming my wife doesn't surprise me with other plans, I hope to have USS Manhattan out on our local pond for trials this weekend before getting back to Tennessee.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10636.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10638.jpg)
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(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10642.jpg)
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Hi Chuck,
Are you planing any working features on your monitor?
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Martin,
Yes, they'll have both smoke & sound effects. Am trying my hands at a homemade glycol smoke generator now & looking at some local sources for the sound to try to stay within my $75 budget per ironclad. I would love to use the new Model Solutions units due out next month but that will probably be reserved for other projects in the pipeline like Yamato or the S-38.
I originally wanted to equip them both with airsoft cannon, but at this scale the monitor's turret is far too small to hold the 1/24 VS gun. They'll fit in Tennessee's casement without any problem so I may opt for more a one-sided battle & let the Confederacy win for a change. IR would work, but that won't be nearly as fun as watching small black bbs plink off the armor. Of course, it probably would not be too good for the neighbor's koi in the office pond... ;)
Chuck
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Hmmmm..... airsoft guns...... I wonder if they one ( or 8 ) would fit in my Bismarck?!!? ::)
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Martin,
I doubt the 6mm VS units would be suitable for the scale you're building. The VS unit is 11x5.5x7.8cm (LxWxH) & can be modified to 9x6cm (LxH) & uses an 11.5cm inner metal barrel.
Again, great idea for larger scale models like Steve Neill's BK1125.
Chuck
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Here's a couple from the past week before I did the final sanding & sealing as I prepare to plate the deck & raft.
Hull still gets one sanding & some fill before primer & paint. It won't get float tested today as I wanted, but we'll getting closer.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10653.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10654.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10656.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10655.jpg)
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Am working at a snail's pace, but have decided to finish both ironclads at the same time; am 95% done with Manhattan's hull & expect to have Tennessee's ready for paint this evening.
My buddy from Germany arrives in another 12 days & asked that I have something new to play with on the water this time around, so the pressure's on. :lol:
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10678.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-10677.jpg)
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Looks like you're making very good progress!
What materials/techniques will you be using for the rivets + plating on the hull of the Manhattan? (Apologies if you've already mentioned this)
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Ed,
I'm using styrene vacformed panels that Steve Lund tooled to properly depict the Ericsson bolt & rivet patterns. You can see some a photo of the sheet above.
The rest of the plate, as well as that used for Tennessee's casement & hull armor, is .040 styrene sheet.
Chuck
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Was hoping to have more done at this point, but now have to leave it for a 4 day business trip. Deck is mostly laid, turret, pilothouse & main stack plated. I'll post more this weekend when I finish the deck & add the raft plating, prop skeg & rudder.
If anyone has read Paul Theroux's Riding the Red Rooster, that will be me for the next few nights as I attempt to set a new record for 3 overnight train trips in 4 days. Am taking some small parts with me to work on the trip. Thank heavens I've got my Old Spice to take along! :(
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/LastRoll-4.jpg)
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Between business travel & with getting 6 sailboats rigged for our gang of local sailors, I've had little time to work on the ironclads but am almost done with the decks & just starting on the plate around the raft. Once I get a prop made, its time to finish the running gear, paint & do some testing... hopefully this weekend.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/8d4c2264.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/35063bd7.jpg)
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Another week has almost passed with little time to build, but I wanted to post a few photos to show its still coming along, abet slowly. Once I seal the last of the decks edges, the raft plating will be glued in place filled as needed & primed for paint.
A buddy of mine from NZ was kind enough to send me a scale lifeboat to get some prospective of what an uncluttered deck will look like before my fittings, boats, davits, etc.. arrive.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/66a5d249.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/4829f615.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/514acd6f.jpg)
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Howdy gents,
To show that it hasn't grown moss or been covered by other projects on the bench, here's a photo of Manhattan before I do the final detailing & get some paint on the old girl over the weekend.
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/f443655d.jpg)
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Looking very good!
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Been awhile since I've posted here but Manhattan finally got her bottom wet this past weekend.
As you can see she didn't have enough ballast for the maiden & still needs a better prop but at this point I'm just happy she didn't sink! :-))
Chuck
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-13094.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-13095.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p292/herrmill/Library-13098.jpg)
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Looking very nice!
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can i just say wow! those models look brill, i was wondering what to build next and seeing you work has inspired me to dig out my c.s.s virginia which i built a few years back, she was four foot long and had it full of lead so you couldn't lift it, and sailed her once, had trouble with the steering and promised i would sort it out, but other things came up, and now she sits collecting dust, now i know what i am doing over the weekend, thanks again for great build, keith
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You could try using the fire work from a party popper Makes a nice bang and if you put some talcum power on top you get a good puff of "smoke" I seal the end of the muzzel with a blob of wax which carries 1 or 2 yards and makes a nice splash (or a dirty mark on someones sails) its easy to rig,, you can use a survo an elastic band or even a spring to pull the firing string which runs out of a small hole in the breach of the gun... party poppers cost $1.50 for a bag of 50 in Tesco's It's Easy, Fun, Cheap, and Noisy,
for reloads carry extra barrels or make loaded nserts from brass tube
Freebooter
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Thanks guys. I'm still playing with Manhattan as I work on a few other projects along with getting back to finishing Tennessee. She now wears a nice coat of grime & rust just like the real monitors did back in their day.
Great idea using party poppers! Haven't seen them in our local Tesco in Hangzhou - live frogs & turtles are more common & easier to find there. {:-{
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Alternately you could use the workings from an airsoft gas blow back pistol. They have a reservoir of gas, which drives the slide of the pistol back, the expanding gas comes out of the barrel, and you can get 12 - 13 shots from one reservoir. However if you substituted the reservoir with something like a sparklet's cylinder then you'd probablyget more.
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Re-party poppers.
As suggested you could pack a little talcum powder or carbon black in with the wadding.
Talc would stain less than carbon, but cannonicus will start to smell like New Orelean's tarts hankerchief. :kiss:
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Its been some time since I last posted but wanted to show some photos of Manhattan finally getting her bottom wet today in a shakedown cruise. Yes, that is a privy hanging off the stern. ;D
I need to add more ballast to bring her down to proper waterline & work out the devil that's in the drive servo that shutdown after less than 10 minutes of use.
At the rate I'm building, I'll be lucky if Tennessee gets on the water by fall.
Chuck