Dilbert55

This is my 1st build log on MSW and 3rd build to date. The kit was a gift from my wife who apparently found a print-out lying around in a strategically visible place. Intent going in was to follow the detail instructions provided on DVD, be as clean as my noob skills allow, but be creative with how the ship is finished. Not attempting to produce a faithful reproduction of the actual Hermoine. Experimented with a dark brown shoe cream on the gun deck. No big issues during planking, pics are after initial sanding. This was my 1st build without a 2nd finish layer of planks so made more effort to get tight joints. Was a bit nervous following the instructions and not having the keel installed during planking to be able to see if I was getting a nice fit with the keel. On my last kit, deviated from the instructions and installed the keel ahead of where instructed to. Decided to see how the hull turned out stained, could always paint over if not satisfied. Happy with the results at this point. If I was going to keep the stain it needed satin poly and my master carpenter brother in-law told me to use Scotchbrite rather than sandpaper between coats. Had to order online so made the mistake here of going ahead fabricating and installing the gun port moldings, too impatient for the Scotchbrite to arrive. Pic below is after 5 coats of poly. After 1st visit to the hobby shop and art supply big box store, came back with Naphthol Red from Golden for the port moldings but after doing the ports on the open gun deck didn't like the color. Re-painted with Red Oxide (shown) so had to paint over the already installed moldings on 10 ports. Not that clean, guess I will just have to live with it and learn. As my deck is a darker shade, used Titan Buff on the quarter round moldings. Was my 1st time using Artesania's micro-shaper for the moldings, it was easy to use and worked well. Might also use the Buff color on the cap rail moldings, will decide after installing the final additional planks on the upper hull.

Will go take a look a Philos log now, have been preparing for a vacation to the Caribbean on the weekend so have not had the time to start my log yet, will try to do it before I leave.

Perhaps you should proceed based on your best calculated scenario and see if it is tracking to plan after planking 3-4 lines on each side of the ship? Must admit I followed Artesania's DVD instructions that included planks that come to a sharp point (ex: page 02-11). Only watched Chuck's planking video after finishing the planking so didn't try to avoid sharp ends. As I'm not attempting to be fully representative I'm not upset with my results, though I will attempt to calculate on my next build.

Weez the boz dat builds da boats... Welcome aboard canuck.

This ship, now in real life, most likely will have students, etc. on board as part of the crew so the insurance company probably forced them to add the screening. Your earlier version (before the rebuild) only had real sailors on it, the insurance company didn't care so much about them!

View from the instructions DVD (13-2) of the current Hermoine kit that Messis and I are building. We have some gun ports on FWD deck.

Incredible, beyond words and sure gives us noob builders a splendid high bar to reach for.

Hello MSW members, Been lurking around viewing for more than a year now and as I've started posting recently, I had better introduce myself. My name is Bob, I'm a retired "ship" builder who started modeling in plastic as a boy and graduated to Billings Toulonnaise by the time I was a young man. Had completed and painted the hull but then life and family happened so it got stuck in the closet. It was eventually badly damaged during a move so sadly was never completed. My son gave me Artesania's Virginia as a gift which was returned to him as a housewarming gift once completed. Currently building the Hermoine, which I hope to start a log for shortly. The "ships" I built during my working career were of the flying variety, specifically the interior portion for corporate jets. Started working with my hands as a sheet metal mechanic and ended it as an engineer. Have seen some amazing craftsmanship over the years and see it here again in all of your build logs.

I used to have to deal with color matching in my business before I retired but was not expecting it in scale modeling. :-) My hull was also white to begin with. What you see now comes from 5 coats of walnut stain which I'm currently overlaying with satin poly. Bob

Thanks Messis. Not sure why Artesania chose to deviate from the historical color scheme on their previous Hermoine kit version that is shown on Philo426's kit box (post #47) as a largely unpainted hull. I prefer that scheme only as a personal aesthetic preference. It was great work that you were able to get the details on the real original colors, hope you can find them in real paints that can be air brushed. The red paint I found locally that was the closest match for the gunport moldings and bow deck planks looked too much like lipstick (to me) when applied so I went with a softer color. Not sure I like what I chose now that I see it in pictures. Have not made a decision yet on upper hull lines, though I like the blue. For me so far in my short modeling career I'm not attempting to do full reproductions as my skill level is not there yet.

Note: I prefer the old finishing scheme (yours) more than the current kit (matches the real re-build ship). Find it difficult to put paint over wood, whether it be on ships or whatever. Apologies to Messis for using his build log for this chatter.

Hi Philo, If your Kit was from Artesania Latina and included the nails then it may not have been from before the latest upgraded version of their kit? Did your kit come with this DVD?

Can't see pics in post 50 or post 46, screen shot of what I see in post 46 shown. That being said, great idea with the pillow for planking Ken!

There were only a few nails provided in the kit and they were not called for in the detail instructions. Given the instructions call for painting the hull suspect this was intentional. I'm in accord with Messis, would not have used nails on this kit if they were provided.

You'll find that the quantity and quality of skilled and helpful people on this forum is inexhaustible.

Do you have an estimate of how many cycles (up/down) your model may experience per/day at the museum? My parents would have had to drag me away from something like this when I was a kid and now that I'm retired, my wife has that job.

I'm just a bit ahead of you on the same kit which I think was recently updated by Artesania. Perhaps it previously had a second (cover) planking? It's the first kit (3rd for me) that came with digital instructions on a DVD and was a challenge to plank knowing there wasn't any error covering second layer. Currently deciding if I continue to finish or paint.

There is no second exterior planking on this ship. There is a bit on the interior on the second deck only.