Cristiano
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Thank you Hans! I appreciate your compliments! Both! I used "not noble" materials for this decorations. The small heads of the catheads has been made completely with green stuff (Kneadatite, commonly used in plastic model making). The big heads have been made as follows: -main body wood made and loosely carved; -painted with spray primer; -details (fur, ears) made with green stuff; -again painted with spray primer before painting it with common acrylic decoupage paint. The first layer of primer is mandatory, since the green stuff can be modelled on the head only if maintained lubricated with a small amount of water. If the wood is not protected, it become wet and the green stuff detach from it (a big problem). The stern decorations has been made in the same way: a wood frame primed, glued to the stern and later I added the green stuff on it. Something can be seen in some old posts. I know that is a untraditional way of proceeding, but for me at the moment is the only way to preserve the...fun on the work I am doing!
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Hello Hans, very good technical approach, I appreciate it. Regarding the colour problem, as for as I know, the only contemporary colour paintings of ships are the ones in the Pompei frescos. Unfortunately they were all related to "Naumachia" games, so probably the ships were highly coloured for games purposes. in the attached files, the photos, coming from: -Casa dei Vettii; -Tempio di Iside; -Terme suburbane.
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Thank you Row, it is exactly this!
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Sometimes the english terms that I use are not so clear. the linseed oil is the type "cooked" (hope the term is right). the type "not cooked" doesn't have the same effect. it can be find easily in the Supermarket, since is used for maintain the wooden forniture. the oil is very light and in few minutes is completely absorbed by the wood. The wood remains completely dry, so i can glue something else on it. it gives a dark yellow tone to the lime-tree strips and darken the walnut strips. generally it exalts the wood grain.
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This time I focused on the stern deck. I rebuild the upper part of the rudder, as it can be seen in the photos. In the meanwhile I prepared the railing of the deck, with the related belaying pin rail (hope the terms are right). I made all the holes needed around the mizzen mast, too. Well, I worked a lot around the stern deck. But again, since no drawings are available, the largest part of the time has been passed on thinking and evaluating............. I stopped at the moment the cannons rigging, since I am definetly bored by that part. I started to make the gunports, and I am almost halfway of the complete duty. Before gluing cannons on the deck, I painted everything with linseed oil, which exalt the wood characteristcs and darken a bit all the type of wood. now the deck colours are more "warm". All the photos are made after the oil treatment. In the meanwhile I prepared all the yards of the main mast, as it can be seen in the last photo. now only the mizzen mast and related yards remain to be made. I have no excuses anymore, I must focus on cannons rigging and gunport, for proceeding further!
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This weekend has been dedicated to....thinking. I never been completely convinced by the utilization of the whipstaff in this type of ship, since in my hopinion is too small to justify such steering method. In addition, it is a ship with only one poop deck and nothing more, so the rudder can without problems reach the upper deck. In addition, the steering mechanism when the whipstaff is used remove too much precious space in such ship. We must consider that the cabin can host two additional cannons too, so the space must be used wisely. Since the rudders enters directly in the cabin floor, it must excluded the "purchased drawings" hypotesis, shown in the photos. it remains two ways of steering: directly, with the tiller on the poop upper deck and with the whipstaff, but with the tiller forced to be placed near the cabin roof. it cannot be placed near the floor, since it doesn't allow the cannons to be operated. I excluded the second option and chosed the first. So I modified the upper deck accordingly, as it can be seen in the photo. now I must make a tiller and the second part of te rudder. In this weekend in anycase I made the needed cleats for the ship (only the big ones), see the photo. more to be made. I started to make the gunports, but are not yet finished.
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Due to the decision to lower the quantity of kevels in the ship, I made some modifications to the rigging plans that I made. In the attached drawings can be seen the kevels and cleats theoretically present, after yesterday modifications. Other cleats are present, around the masts and in other positions of the ship, but are of smaller size. I have still the doubt if the kevels number 64 and 28 can be technically useful. But I though that in anycase there must be always some spare positions for emergency use. At the moment I will follow this arrangement. That means use 10 out of 12 of the prepared kevels. But now I need to prepare some big cleats. This ship belong to a rather “mature” period of the sail rigging technics (1750), so nothing strange or odd or specific can be imagined for their sails. We should consider that in the XVIII century the Venetian Republic has got a good exchange of technical informations with the Great Britain (British naval architects worked for the Venetians, too) and Holland (due to their common problems of depth of sea) for improving its own ships. So I suppose that some type of rigging for squared sails of a Venetian ship will be the same of more or less the other Countries. The exchange of informations with countries like France was not so good. Any comments or critics to my hypotesis are always welcome.
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I proceeded further with the pedestal. I almost finished the basement. In the photos can be seen the result. It is a simple approach (I am lazy ), but with a simple pedestal the eye attention is only for the model, so it fits the purpose. The pedestal is not yet glued to the basement, since the basement has not yet been completed with its frame. The reason of starting now the basement is due to the fact that I want to paint it with mahogany essence. The essence smell will disappear only after several weeks, so I need to start everything now. After the essence, I will paint it with transparent varnish (again some weeks of bad smell). After the above operations, the pedestal will be placed in my home's cellar (?) until I will be sure that even the traces of bad odour are disappeared. Theoretically the final result should be like the pedestal of my Halifax (see photo). Additional note: The development of my model theoretical rigging is continuous. In the past I prepared 12 kevels, 6 for each side of the ship, but I decided that only few of them will be used. Technically are not needed so much "heavy duty cleats" in that ship, even if the "purchased drawings" showed such quantity. At the moment I decided for 4 kevels in the poop deck (2 for each side) and 4 kevels in the main deck 2(2 for each side), placed between the main mast and the cabin. Eventually I will reduce the poop deck's kevel to 2. The others positions will be filled with standard horizontal cleats. But probably I have not the ones of the right size, so I must build them... Now I go to prepare my DAILY cannon (my daily dose of pain )!
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Thank you Steven, I appreciate your compliments. The painful/boring part is composed by 16 cannons, on which I must attach the related blocks and the cable for the recoil. In addition, other 48 blocks to be made and to be attached to the ship for securing the cannons. In addition, 18 cannon port lids yet to be made. At the moment I "prepare" around 1 cannon per day (average)... At least half of them must be attached to the ship before proceeding with the rigging of the foremast. So I am forced to do them now... Well, just like drinking a bitter medicine.... I think that is the only boring part of the construction that remain to be made.
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Well, many things changed during these years in Bologna. The best is to make a virtual tour by feet using Google Stree view: https://www.google.it/maps/place/Bologna/@44.4935289,11.3431311,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJpliyLAeo21TalpwSvN6Rw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x477fd498e951c40b:0xa2e17c015ba49441 (hope the link works) from there you can eventually check if the restaurant still exist...
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Due to lack of time, during the week I didn't worked often around the model. I made the rigging of two cannons, but other 14 still needs to be arranged, so it will become a nightmare... When all the cannons will be ready I will place them on the deck. I can proceed with the rigging of the foremast only when the cannons are definetly placed, since it will be difficult to do that before. Making the cannons rigging is rather boring and a slow duty. I don't yet find a fast way to do it. In the meanwhile the weekend arrived and so the "noisy days"! Saturday and sunday are the only days when I can really make noisy operations, so again I concentrated there the crafting of many components, that more or less will be used many weeks later. this weekend has been very profitable: -I attached the various bitts of the bow section; -I made the wooden pedestal of the model; Later I will add a basement, with a lenght that cover the largest part of the ship. The pedestal and related basement will be later painted with a mahogany essence. - I made the belaying pins support of the mainmast; Before doing that I needed to decide the correct positions of the various blocks and rings around the main mast. That decision was needed due to the fact that the related holes needed to be done before (as usual). Sadly I noticed that the mainmast basement zone will become very "crowded". Probably a more accurate study was needed and the manole needed to be moved a bit more far from the mast. Now it's too late... the two bilge pumps needs to be placed between the manhole and the mast, so it will be a tricky affair place them. The belaying pins are placed just for the photo purposes. I used the "noisy days" in a wise way, so remained time for making the main mast! That is a single piece mast, as can be seen in many drawings, paintings and models. It will not be glued in place for the moment. It has been placed just for photo purposes.
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Hello Ronald, Check this previous topic, where more informations regarding the differences between De Agostini kits and traditional kits are explained. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/7993-artesania-latina-hms-surprise-148-deagostinimodel-space-vs-artesania-latina-hms-surprise-148-age-of-sail/
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This week has been dedicated to the construction of accessories fo the deck. Specifically: "boring accessories"! I made 12 kevels, each composed by three pieces, as can be seen in the photos and later I painted them with light walnut colour; I made all the customised blocks needed for the standing rigging of the foremast (in the photos can be seen before and after the treating with dark walnut color). I made the "multiple blocks" (I don't know the english term ) for the halyard of the lateen sail of the foremast. I made 10 bitts for the bow section. I made minor accessories related to the main-mast, too. In addition I made all the holes needed for attaching to the ship the rigging of all the cannons. I finally installed the foremast and its "lantern" or "calcese" or....(it is called in many ways), painted black. So, really, it has been a very very boring week! But the pain it is still not ended. Before proceeding further I need to prepare and attach all the rigging of the cannons, otherwise I have no idea of the available space for placing the other "materials" on the deck. Unfortunately, working without a commercial drawing force me to give priority to some boring steps. So the next week will still be a boring one....
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A substantial update: I finished the decorations and everything related to the bowsprit. It lacks some bits, rings, hooks and standing rigging of the bowsprit, but the most important part has been done. I finished the two wolf's heads of the catheads, and the two small decorations of the bowsprit. In that way I had the possibility to add the rope that secures the bowsprit to the bow (see related photo). Honestly I was rather bored of all these decorations... But at least 90% of the ship's decorations has done at the moment. Now before proceeding further i need to: -make at least 10 up to 12 customised kevels; -Make at least 8 customised double blocks (in italian, violin type) for the standing rigging of the foremast; -Make at least 10 bitts for the bow section of the ship. So a lot of "boring work" is waiting for me... This work is a "noisy work", so it will be difficult to proceed during the week, but mainly during week-end.
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Thank you Mark, finding the right nautical term in english language is not always easy for me. I usually try to reduce everything to masts, bitts and sails but this time is not possible!
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I solved the doubt related to the cleats that are placed between the cannons, and that are mandatory, in order to keep clean from ropes the cannon area. I found an original drawing of the "San Michele Arcangelo", which was a Venetian Ship dated 1749. In the attached photo can be seen the overall ship drawing and the detail where the cleat type is showed (se the red arrrows). Obviously they have drawn only one of them, since it was an example. Its description says "Tavogi (?) che si dà volta i servici" (the first word which is not clear is the venetian name of the cleats). It means "Tavogi (?) a cui si danno volta i servizi" and in English: "cleats where the rigging is tied" (but in a more technical way) in ancient Italian. So the cleats will be like the one in the drawing I made, which is the same present in some ships of the same period, including the Hermione replica. In the attached photos can be seen similar (just similar) cleats, present in the replicas of the ships "Batavia" and "Shtandart". I want to thank Fam (Andrea), which has given to me in PM more informations that are helpful to clarify the rigging and working of the foremast sail. Since we wrote in Italian (because we were not so familiar with English nautical terms) I will later make a small resume, since will be surely helpful for anyone interested in this kind of ships.
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Now start the more complex part of the ship. I am studing the most correct rigging for this ship and this is not so an easy task. The foremast rigging evaluation has been completed. Well, all the rigging of the polacre has been completed, but that one has been refined better. The showed one is the MINIMUM rigging to be installed on the foremast. It includes running rigging coming from the main mast. Unfortunately I don't know if some additional rigging can be necessary, but for sure this is the minimum that MUST be present, considering the hystorical period. It is not present the rigging related to the bowsprit... I am still puzzled regarding the "Hollandaise type cleat" that has been drawn in the "purchased drawing" (showed in the photo). For sure some type of cleat must be present in those positions (between the cannon), since as it can be seen, some rigging must be secured there. Surely the standing rigging of the foremast, which is placed between at least three cannons. But I am not sure regarding the utilization by the Venetian Republic of this type of cleats. The "Hollandaise type cleat" (which is the one present in the "purchased drawing") has the benefit that the exceeding rope can be secured on it, so it doesn't make any interference with the cannon servicing. If the definition of this cleat type is wrong, please correct me! The normal type cleat doesn't permit this, so the gunners must service the cannon with a lot of ropes around them... In addition there is the problem of the shots racks of the cannons, but I consider them at the moment as a stright type, placed along the wall, instead of the box drawn in the "purchased drawings". All the above considerations are related to the needing of making the holes on the deck for securing the blocks or ring. That must be done NOW (unfortunately), at least for the foremast zone. But like in other past situations, I cannot think eternally around some doubts, so soon or later I will take a decision and proceed further.
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Thank you Carl! Theoretically I added "tiny objects" in "small quantities" on the model, so I defined it a "small update".... Now the clear and rather defined part of the construction is almost ended and it starts a "muddy" and "foggy" section, since the original drawing informations ends here. I have defined at least the 90% of the standing and running rigging, but some details are still not yet defined and my work on the model will suffer for this. Before proceeding further I must make all the involved holes on the deck with the drill (for placing blocks, rings and so on), because if I make it in a later stage it can become very complicated. But I must know how many holes make and where make them, so I must define around 100% of the rigging of the ship. The above condition is not yet satisfied... In the next days I will clarify my project in terms of rigging, but I must prepare the drawings I made in a more "decent" way.
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another small update As can be seen I am proceeding (very slowly) with the ship painting. In the meanwhile I finished the stern deck railing, which will be leaved with its natural color (maybe with some oil addition to exalt the walnut colour). I am starting to "fill" the main deck with its accessories. That is a rather complex part, since the informations are scarce and I must use other sources and books to complete it. I added the two main walnut strips that limit the central zone of the deck. There will be secured the rings for the cannons blocks. These strips are present (more or less) in the original drawing,too. I draw red arrows to show them better. They limit (in the drawing) a grey zone were probably a different and more reinforced planking is present, specifically near the main mast and foremast. I placed the foremast bitts and related belaying pins. I am still studing how to complete the deck accessories trying to be historically correct, but it is not so an easy task.
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A small update: I nearly finished the painting process of the transom. I added the two ventilation ports near the rudder, too. It must be noted that the transom itself is not complete, it lack still many accessories and rigging, mainly related to the mizzen lateen sail. I reached the conclusion that painting the overall ship will take a lot of time!
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Thank you Carl! I use this tape (the common paper tape used by painters) very often, since it provide a "delicate pressure" to the component to be glued and can be used in positions where the clamps cannot be placed. In addition, it doesn't generate any damage to the ship.
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An update that apparently is a bit chaotic. I can make "noisy operations" around the model only on the weekend, so I must concentrate there all the crafting of components that involve the use of drill and saw, even if I will not use them immediately. This weekend I prepared the foremast, as can be seen by the photos, the lateen spar, composed by two pieces, and other details. In addition, the terminal part of the foremast. I don't know the English terms, technically this is an "albero a calcese" (like the one of the xebecs) and the "Cavatoia" is the terminal part is the one where the pulleys are installed. I prepared this terminal part (other photo),too. It resemble loosely the one that can be seen in a photo of an original model of Venetian galley (other photo). Since it is a model of at least 100 years before this polacre, I added the additional pulleys (holes here) for the additional regulation of the lateen spar. Later will be black painted. In the meanwhile I continued with the decorations. In the photo can be seen the small wolf's head for the cathead (the green one in the photo). In addition, I completed the modification of the other wolf head for the bowsprit, but I don't like it, so I don't know if I will install it (It appears misplaced, or not projected for this purpose). In the meanwhile I started the railing of the stern deck. Definetly a chaotic update!
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It was a Company that made wood ship model kit probably in the late sixties and seventies years. So consider that the level of the kit can be disappointing for a new modeller, since are absent the laser pre-cut components and sometimes the metal cast accessories. In addition, the wood will be very old. The Companies: Augusto Carta, Tris Model, Aeropiccola has ceased to exist since many years. They belong to the "pioneer period" of the wood kit models. When those above Companies closed, some of their projects were purchased and used by Mantua and Corel, too (and upgraded).
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Thank you Antony! Keep following, since we are just at half of this voyage, which will be rather long! To be onest the most tough part of this project is the one that is not seen... The informations available are very scarce and building something historically decent force me on doing a lot of research and generates a lot of doubts and headaches... Sometime the answer is obtained only in an indirect way...
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I am proceeding with the painting. It will take a lot of time to complete this step. in the photos can be seen the painting in progress. nothing that can be seen is finished, so many painting errors are still present. it is just a brief view of the colour scheme that will have the ship. I am puzzled by the colour of the sides of the ship (where the gunports are installed), which actually is just "light sand", but probably had a more yellow tonality. I have not yet find a solution, but probably it will remain as it is.
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