Elijah

Created the lower and upper wales  a while back and painted the top pieces black. I had some acrylics from past projects. The paint is Mars black #1200-2 series 1 from Golden acrylics. 
 
They will each be in two layers to build up the thickness. Upper wale is 4mm, lower wale is 6mm and the space between them is 8mm wide. Created a 'wale template' by laminating 2 pieces of walnut strips of 5mm thick and 8mm wide. Glued the first layer of both wales to the hull, put the template between them and lamented the second layer of the lower wale on top of the first layer. 
 
It is a bear to bend them without breaking them. On one side at the bow there is a small gap between the hull and the wale which I will fix. 
 
I am overall happy with all of the results. I have made lots of mistakes in the process and have learned from it by redoing it. 
Marcus 

Re sanded the keel area. Wasn't curved enough and took about 10 millimeters away (yes, that is a lot) and looks much better now.
Furthermore, created the deck beams with a curve and they are dry fitted. The little area of scrap wood is where the steps come down. Once steps are in place and you look into the area of the hull, I want it to look neat. I may just add a mirror with furniture. 
Marcus 

Hey Group,
 
I am excited to announce my next project - a fully framed build of the French Frigate La Renommee in classic 1/48 scale.  After a couple of false starts (Le Gros Ventre in 1/36th and a 74 in 1/48 - I have deleted those logs) I have fallen in love with this ship.  This will be a 6500 hour plus build as I intend to mast and fully rig her.  
 
I have spent several years amassing the amount of tools necessary not to mention building out a workshop to handle a project of this degree.  The reason I chose her over Le Gros Ventre and the 74 (I love both of these ships) is she embodies the best elements of French Naval architecture (extreme tumblehome, elegant sculptures, inner oblique planking and racy lines) and is scalable for a first fully framed build.   Boudriot's Monograph of La Renommee landed last week (it took less than a week from when I placed the order from France to arrive at my door) and its spectacular.  The figurehead and stern is intimidating and right now I am by no means a "carver".  But this is a skill I want to master - and done right, in my opinion La Renommee's sculptures are some of the most beautiful in all of naval architecture.  
 
For reference I have volumes 1-3 of Boudriots 74 Gun Ship Series and David A's The Fully Framed Ship Series for "how to" techniques.    
 
My goal is to build the construction board/site and begin work on the keel by year end.  Stay tuned....

A detour to make sails, which I've decided to add. The oars will be stored.
Need to address this before beginning the rigging, as the sails will need to be rigged to the yards prior to erecting the mast and adding the standing rigging. Will also need to order a few more blocks and more line as the model is not equipped for sails.
Also noted on the Smithsonian plans there is a boom to which the lower end of the mainsail is attached, so need to make that.
At this scale going to use cloth instead of silkspan. Dyed appropriate cloth with coffee and a few drops of black paint, and cut them out.
Will be doing some experimenting with the admiral on hemming them - she has a sewing machine foot that rolls and stitches a small seam, but we're not sure it will handle this thickness without fraying the edge. If the experiment fails, will turn and iron a 1/8 inch seam and likely sew it rather than use fabric glue like I did on the Morgan sails.

Finished and (temporarily) mounted the rudder with the tiller. Almost forgot to add the nails. That was a bit of a pain.
Added details to the forward cockpit which I felt might not be terribly accessible once I start the rigging. Glued the stove in place with a couple of implements, and added a number of half barrels and a box containing bar shot and balls, as shown on the Smithsonian plans.
For fun, added some fake water in the bailing well along with the water scoop also shown in the Smithsonian plans (which apparently were drawn to guide the construction of the replica).
Now, on to the rigging.

Really great work. 
Steve

Back from a great Mediterranean cruise on the worlds largest ship with sails.
Back in the shipyard today -
Finished the stove. Bricks made with sculpy formed in the sheet the kit "bricks" of basswood were in. Modeling paste for mortar. Set up a charcoal fire in the stove. Suitably sloppy brick work!
Also added the pintels to the rudder.

Bruce,
 
Thanks for the info. As I said I will be watching with great interest to see what I can pick up. I might go down to Model Shipways next week ( I was actually planning a trip there today but found out they are closed on Fridays) and pick up my kit and follow a few steps behind you.
 
Go and enjoy your vacation and we will see you when you get back.

Hello. My name is Rob Robinson and I am from Victoria British Columbia Canada. I will be building the AL Bluenose II over the winter. My wife and I are snowbirds and since I don't golf I need something to keep me out of trouble for five months. Years ago when I was much younger, impatient and less handy I attempted a Bilings Cutty Sark. Disaster. Did not even make it through the planking. A lot has changed over the years and I feel this build will be better. I hope to complete the project by May so that it can be entered into an auction for sick kids in Victoria.

Will
Feel for you started mine 2013 on the final page of the rigging was making too many mistakes working too fast. Started another build and am going back and forth sometimes you just need a break. Think of what you will have when completed it will be worth the effort. Good Luck.

my victory started in 2007, love it hate it and all the bits in between 

I am guilty of doing exactly what most of you have warned begginers to not to - picking hard kits to built. Started a few Polish Shipyard paper sailing ships ( i was mesmerized and obviously wanted to try) failing misserably, but learned a great deal. With paper its easy, i build from copy (original kept for retirement) so printing replacement is easy. For the wooden kits i went for deagostini victory. Thats my current build. I have sodomised the hull, but have managed to rectify most of the offending bits up to one: the hull is twisted. Not badly but its there. That i cannot fix as i would have to start again and frankly, i cannot be bothered. This kit is for learning. I spen only about GBP200 to get it so it doesnt bother me. As a side build i picked 18century long boat... and that is a mistake. Even though its well documented kit, has been finished plenty times i cannot get further than starting to plank. Its too flimsy for me. So put that aside, the whole experience also depends on how big your fingers are

Noel, the stain was a mixture of 2 Minwax stains - Gunstock 1/3 and something darker 2/3. Can't find the can at the moment. Stains were suggested in the Ships in Scale series, and I liked how they looked. He was trying to match the look of the reproduction Philadelphia.
Art, to this point most of my additions have been cosmetic - I have added nails (fake, see above) to all planking and fake bolts (see above) to everything attached to the hull, such as the knees, the cathead, and so on. None of this is necessary for the build - I went into this looking to detail alot. The deck in the kit is in several large pieces which I cut into planks and (due to subsequent material loss for each cut) had to fabricate some extra material along the edges. Again, not necessary to the build and requires a precision saw.
Also, as has become my practice, I replaced all the blocks and line with material from Chuck's Syren Ship Modelling. Not necessary but I like the look.
I spend so much time building these that I don't mind spending extra to dress them up, but the stock model material would make a perfectly adequate model.
Added some cannon balls (not in the kit) and some small plastic hinges for the lockers (not in the kit).
I'll be fabricating stuff, such as making bricks for the stove from modelling material rather than the wood pieces the kit provides, as well as bailing scoop in the aft well, and equipment for the guns. Got some barrels too. All of this is eye candy and not necessary for a good looking model at your stage. That was my stage when I started with Picket Boat #1 and then the CW Morgan. I fell off the wagon when I made the Morgan's blubber rendering stove out of 2x3mm individual bricks with spacers for mortar.
The main thing is to have fun!

Nice planking B.E!

I like the stain you have used on the outside. Was it an Oak biased?
 
Building this from the Smithsonian plans at the moment, the kit looks pretty accurate to their drawings

I am watching this with great interest as I am considering it for a future project. How much detail would you say you have added over and above what is provided for in the kit. I was initially considering this for my second build due to the limited amount of hull planking. But after watching your progress I am not sure I am ready for anything this detailed yet.

Finished up the cap rail, the catheads, and the tholes, bits, and mooring bit. Put the cleats on the cap rail as well.
The forward facing 12 pounder sits a bit crooked in its carriage as you can see - I'll be fixing that later.
I'm going to depart from the instruction book sequence because I mean to do some detailing on deck supplies and equipment visible on the original Smithsonian plans, and that will be easier without working around the rigging and the canopy supports. So next will be the rudder hardware, the stove, and some other deck stuff.
Meanwhile tho I've tidied everything up and put the tools away as we are leaving on a 2 week vacation. Nice place to pause, as I've finished 5 of the 7 parts of the Ships in Scale series on this build.
Thanks for all the likes.
Does anyone have a favorite very thin cotton material for sails? Silkspan is not appropriate for this scale. Will probably use the same material for the awning - I don't like the stuff that came with the kit.

Thanks, Don. Glad I'm starting off in the right direction and not messing it up from step 1!

Enjoy your vacation and I look forward to see this come together when you return.
 
Robin 

Very cool Elijah. I don't know what it is called but you can see they used the 'other' way to belay the ropes. They pull the end of the coil thru the loop then over the top of the coil and that's what gets belayed to the pin. The coil itself is hanging in front of the pin. There is a lot of debate as to whether this method was used or if the whole coil was laid over the pin. There's even a few that say you do a couple of figure 8's around the pin and the remainder is semi coiled and left underneath on the deck (this one I kinda doubt). From what I gather, the method shown in your pic is how it was supposed to be done, but once out of the harbor is another thing.
 
The more I look at your pic it appears something is out of scale on my build. I think it may be the spacing of the pins. I don't think I could get that much of that size rope and have it look decent. The pins are just too close.

The rake on those masts is astounding. 

Hello Austristan, looks like this should be a nice project. That is quite normal for thicker panels, take your time and use a sharp blade.

This is my very first build and excited to get started. Did a full check of the pieces today and was missing a couple of items (update: great service from Nic at Blue Jacket with the one missing piece and one damaged piece having replacements on their way already). Heading off on vacation tomorrow but looking forward to getting stuck in once I get back.
 
Is it normal for thicker pieces of laser cut pieces to require more significant cutting with the Xacto knife to get it out of the template? I was starting to get the stand out and it was taking a lot of time. Decided to hold off to make sure I was attacking it the right way before ruining step one of the build.

Hello Mike! Here is a picture I found of the Niagara replica's fife rail. 

Hello Mike! Here is a picture I found of the Niagara replica's fife rail.