testazyk

Thanks very much guys--great discussion.  The challenge I've got (and I think EJ too) is that we've installed the windows and doors in the bulkhead so ladders and threads aren't the best option--you need to be a chess player  and think 12 steps ahead with this kit instead of the usual six or so.  I know it will be totally incorrect, but I'm thinking of a hatch in the poop royal behind the port door with a ladder going down to the poop.  I have no idea what would have been housed in that room (officer's dining?  probably no one's sleeping quarters) but it would be a logical solution from a building perspective if not from a ship layout perspective.  

Hi EJ--I think some decorations under the channels would look good--maybe some little fleur de lis? 

Also, I have my question of the week.  Do you know how crew would have accessed the poop deck so they could work with flags, lanterns, etc.?  I would have expected there to be ladders up from the deck below, but the plans don't indicate any and I've never seen any ladders in any of the photos of other builds I've seen.  With the doors and windows all across the bulkhead below the poop deck  I can understand why the kit doesn't include a ladder, and there certainly wouldn't have been a hatch into the cabins below.  Looks like you are not including a ladder but I'd be interested in your thoughts.  Thanks!

Tom

On 1/13/2019 at 4:40 PM, EJ_L said:

The bulkhead under the forecastle was much like those towards the stern for the officers quarters. They provided compartmentalized space for private rooms or storage or to get out of the weather. I cannot say for certain if this feature was on SR but, I have seen it on many similar ships and figured it may well have been there. 

 

With any bulkhead on a gun deck, they could easily be removed by the carpenter and his mates when the decks were cleared for action. As you said, the sailors would need to have clear space for easy movement during a fight so the cabin bulkheads were designed to be held in place with pins that could be removed when needed. 

 

 

Hi EJ--That makes a lot of sense.  I know that they had movable screens in the stern cabins to open up the gun decks.   But it seems like a lot of unnecessary bother to have one under the focsle--and why did they put trap doors in it?  Anyway, it's an interesting feature.  Thanks!

Hi EJ--I agree with you about the rewards of ship modelling and learning about ship history and design.  Which raises an interesting (at least to me) question about the Soleil Royal.  I've been wondering why they had that wall with the small doors on the upper deck under the focsle deck.  It effectively limits movement on the upper deck.   All other ships I've seen have the entire upper deck (and all gun decks) unobstructed (except for pillars, capstans, etc.) and I always thought that was so the crew could move to any guns during battle.   I haven't looked very hard but haven't been able to find any explanation and wondered if anyone might know.

Thanks! Just what I was looking for and some good ideas too!

Really looking good and you're way ahead of me.  What technique did you use when you carved the bitts?  Did you use a template to keep them uniform?

Tom

Keep going and make a set for me! 

An amazing achievement--looking better all the time.

Daniel, I congratulate you on how far you have come so quickly and thank you for making these great kits available again.

That comparison really shows you made the right decision!  And I like the way you've been able to make modifications to make your build even more unique.  Well done.

That comparison really shows you made the right decision!  And I like the way you've been able to make modifications to make your build even more unique.  Well done.

Nice work on the forecastle--great planking work and the stringers look just right.

Thanks EJ--Appreciate your thoughts.  

Hi EJ--Looking good!  I had a next steps question for you.  When you did the upper quarter gallery it looks like you planked over the vertical frames to create the raised surface for the carving.  I'm just getting to that step and I'm wondering, based on your experience, would you do it that way again, or would you carve a piece of wood to create the shape instead?  And what are you planning to do for the lower section which also requires a raised section?   Just wondering thanks!

Thanks!

Tom

I agree with Henry--they needed to be readily accessible.

I agree with Popeye--it's the old debate about historical accuracy vs. artistry.  You've hit exactly the right balance.  Anything else would take attention away from your amazing stern work.

Funny you should mention health and safety--a very common comment from people who look at my ships is that they wouldn't want to lean against the stern rails for fear of taking a dive.  It's absolutely no proof, but I've seen a lot of paintings of old ships that make it look as if they floated slightly lower at the bow which made the stern railings more perpendicular to the waterline.  But that would also have made the poop and gallery decks steeper so I'm not sure if that theory has any validity. 

Hi EJ--Your build continues to look great and I know you have your hands full with the stern, but I wanted to get your (and anyone else's) thoughts on the installation of the head rails.  The kit comes with these clunky brass castings which can be made to look fairly good I think but clearly require some degree of bending (so that the aft end is flat against the front of the forecastle by the cat davits and the forward end is flat against the bowsprit.  I'm at the point where I'm putting in the small deck under the bowsprit where the heads are and I've been test fitting the headrails to make sure everything is straight and has clearance, etc.    I have visions of breaking the brass headrails when I try to bend them (which will force me to make my own which I should probably do anyway) and I'm wondering if you've given any thought to how to bend those things without coming to grief.  My only thought is making a jig, heating them on the stove and molding them to the jig.  I'd be interested in your thoughts.  Thanks!!

Hi Hubac & EJ--  Interesting discussion about the stern design.  I'm thinking through the some of the same issues and hoping to get my stern a little more interesting than what the kit provides.  I came across this picture which uses very subdued colours but along the same lines that Hubac is referring to--thought you might be interested.   

Yes I've heard of the little cover slides for microscopes being used and that probably makes most sense for this build so that the interior details will be visible thanks to the lights. 

Well done and well worth it!  Are you going to leave the window panes open or fill them in in some way?

That's a tough one!  If you don't do the rebuild, that's the only thing you will see when you look at the ship in the coming years.  So my vote is to do the rebuilt.

I think I asked you this before, but how are you going to fill in the window panes?

Hi Michael--I just caught up with your log.  Your craftsmanship is dazzling!  I've bookmarked it and any time I feel tempted to take a short cut I'm going to look at your build and remind myself of the standards I should be shooting for.  Thanks!

Looking really good!  You've convinced me to go with a darker blue on my build too--definitely more "Royale!"

On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 7:14 AM, EJ_L said:

Haha! Honestly I hadn't thought of a display stand out of Legos but now I am!

 

That wale has been bothering me also. It is one of dozens of issues that are annoying me. I made a bad decision early on and that was to trust in the false keel and bulkheads to be where I needed them to for the kit bashing I wanted to do. I found out quickly that there were going to be problems and I worked them out one at a time in small picture views, (one row of gun ports or stern view etc.) instead of the entire ship. Had I really stepped back and looked more fully at the overall project I would have made the decision to do away with the bulkheads as they were given to me and instead I would have cut them out to resemble actual framing. I also would have done the same to the false keel so that the entire interior of the ship would have been hollow. This would have forced me to design my own framing for the decks but, it would have allowed the decks to sit where they are supposed to be.

 

I'm not saying the kit is no good. On the contrary, this kit can be made into a great model. What went wrong was when I started to detail out the interior cabins. The kit was never designed with actual interior decks in mind. Therefore the gun port layout and the wales positioning were not as important. When I designed the interiors it forced the exterior of the model to conform to actual interior spacing. This wouldn't have been such a big problem except that the false keel and bulkheads restricted where my decks could be placed which in turn has caused the gun ports to be re-positioned many times as well as the wales adjusted again and again. Hind sight being what it is, in order to build the ship the way I wanted to, I should have simply used the kit for materials and not relied on it for structure. This should have been basically a scratch build more than a kit build.

 

I'm trying to fix these bad spots that have developed. Some will happen others, it may be too late. It will come down to how much I am willing to spend on materials to make it right. In any event, this is definitely the end of using plank on bulkhead kit framing as is. I like detailing the interiors and it has now firmly set in that in order to do that, I will need to build the interior decking and framing myself. Whether that means I take the leap fully into scratch building or if my kit bashing becomes more intensive is yet to be seen.

You just totally described my experience with bashing this same kit!  I started the project in 2009 and am not yet where you are.  I do think that the plans Sergal provides make it difficult to get an overall picture, but the biggest problem as you say is trying to retrofit the pieces you are going to use from the kit into the structure you want to create.  As the saying goes, if I knew then what I know now--so just think how good your next project is going to be!  Keep going and it's going to be beautiful.