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Hubac's Historian

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  1. Hubac's Historian
    I've finished making the backing cleats for the stern extension pieces, and I've glued them onto the extensions, themselves. One difficulty of thinning the aft edge of the extension pieces - as was the case for the lower hull halves - is that it is difficult to control depth of cut in two directions. The result is that, while I can guarantee a consistent plank thickness for my plank butts, I cannot simultaneously create a perfect ledge for gluing the transom plank ends to. On straight runs, I could do both, but the arcs of the lower and upper counter were difficult to gauge. I decided to kill two birds with one stone by making my joint-re-enforcement backer, also my plank ledge, which is set back from the aft edge of the stern extensions by the same thickness as the styrene strip that I will plank with. The notches you see are to accommodate the existing deck ledges for the middle and main decks. Depending upon how I decide to deck the model (it will be with actual wood strip or scribed sheet), these deck ledges may have to be lowered, or reduced. Back here, at the stern, the location of the last quarter inch does not affect anything important, so I decided to scribe around their existing location. These backers will make for a sturdy joint without altering the run of the hull in any way. A little time consuming, but I consider it time well spent. Following that, I could not resist a simple experiment to see whether my idea to widen the stern by the missing 6th stern window would work. As you know, Henry (Popeye2Sea) sent me an additional stern plate from an old kit that was defective. The whole build and modification of the stern revolves around widening the hull to accommodate this missing window. The easiest thing to do was to make two photocopies of the stern plate, and then cut out three windows from one copy and three windows from the other - including the central access doors on both, and a missing pilaster on one. Although it is certainly arguable that a home photocopier is not the most reliable reproducer, at scale, I was very pleased to see how neatly these cutouts fit within the parameters of my drawing. The camber of the windows is not disturbed by adding the 6th window. I may yet keep the double access doors on the middle and upper balconies, but they will have to disappear altogether on the lower level because this will no longer be an open stern balcony; thus the creation of the stern extension pieces, in the first place. I'm sure that I will also be able to use the 7th and 8th windows, from the lower level, in my quarter galleries. I won't need the outer windows, though, from the middle and upper tiers. The plan is to carefully cut out the tiers of windows, and then heat bend them (with a curling iron, perhaps, or heated sand) to follow the new round-up of the framed stern. Fortunately, I will have plenty of spare window frames with which to experiment with heat, so that I don't make a molten mess of my project. I will then glue the three tiers of windows in place, along with their access doors, and then plank in between them with styrene strip. The time savings this affords me - to be able to recycle the beautifully detailed Heller window frames - is enormous, and frees me to concentrate my artistic efforts into other aspects of the build that can't be kit-bashed, like the shortened tafferal carving of Apollo and his horse-drawn chariot, or the altered cyma curve of the tafferal, below the figures of Europe and Asia.
  2. Hubac's Historian
    Your cathead support looks very good, Michel. I like the textured surface in the middle-ground of the carving. It off-sets the beautifully carved acanthus leaves nicely. Are you using some kind of micro, rotary burr to acheive this?
  3. Hubac's Historian
    Surfing through Pinterest today, I found this highly fascinating screen shot from Heller's 1974 catalogue, in which, they introduce the Soleil Royal kit, and outline a bit of what was involved in it's development. Imperfect though it may be, Heller did go to some lengths to fill in the blanks left by Tanneron. However, as anyone can well imagine - when it comes to a money making enterprise, one does have to draw the line somewhere. I still think it is the best kit of it's epoch. Anyway, I thought this was cool. ---- I'm still working on the stern extension pieces. I've thinned the aft edge and scribed in the plank butts. Next, I'll make a new mounting ledge for the transom/stern planking. Finally, I'll mount them to the hull. Pics to follow.
  4. Hubac's Historian
    I also think your finish work looks really good, but what I particularly like is the satin finish at the tops and mast heads, painted black. The finish really pops over the black and the quality of your finish prep becomes even more apparent. As I've said a number of times, Ken, your willingness to work and re-work various aspects of the build have resulted in a truly first-rate build. Ingenious block tumbler, by the way.
  5. Hubac's Historian
    Ken, you are a man of many talents. That second image could be a contest winner! Love the photography! Oh, and the ship is pretty great too.
  6. Hubac's Historian
    Tonight, I managed to shape the upper stern counter profile into the starboard stern extension piece. It took a little doing, and a lot of checking back to my digital drawing, but I was finally satisfied with the shape. Before fixing it in place, I will thin the back edge and scribe in the plank butts, as I did for the lower transom. Once the pieces are glued, I will re-enforce the back of the joint with sheet styrene and epoxy.
  7. Hubac's Historian
    Having finally completed the drilling of the nail holes in the lower hull, I decided it was time to start tackling the first major modification of my kit-bash program. Rather than start with the widening of the bow, which presents a few tricky considerations, I thought I would first extend the stern by the 3/8" that I need to satisfactorily render Berain's quarter galleries, while simultaneously closing in the lower stern balcony, at the middle deck level. The first step was to true up the outboard edges of the hull, just above the counter. I did this on both the cut down hull that I am using, as well as the extra hull that Henry sent me: For the hull that I am using, it was essential to sand the edge straight and square because this will be the mounting surface for the extension piece. I applied the same care to Henry's hull, so that I could accurately mark out the 3/8" (+ an extra 1/64" for fitting loss) I needed with a try-square: Then, I used a really sharp coping saw to cut within a heavy 1/64" of my marked line. Here are the rough-cut blanks: Then, I sanded those faces to my line - offering up to the joint frequently, in order to be sure that the extension wasn't skewing inboard or outboard, but remaining true to the run of the hull. Here's a dry-fit extension piece: As I had hoped, the extension is short enough that the run of plank lines and wales remains continuous, without any tell-tale steps. Back here, it really won't matter as most of this will be completely covered by the quarter galleries, themselves, but this is encouraging for the bow. The repeat of moulded grain detail is negligable and hardly worth worrying about. The next step was to sketch in the new shape of the stern counter (which, previously would be an open, wrapping stern balcony on the stock kit). The reverse curve, here, is so subtle that it is difficult to draw on the uneven surface with any fidelity: Experience tells me, though, that I will have better success "drawing" with the tools. The pencil line, here, is merely a guide. I have decided, though, that I am too tired to give it the full focus that profiling requires, so I will postpone cutting these shapes until another night. The Dremel is out of juice, anyway.
  8. Hubac's Historian
    Thanks, Michel! The first two pages that I have read, so far, are certainly enlightenning.
  9. Hubac's Historian
    The lines are so true and the curves are so fair. This truly is a masterwork. When I consider that this is your first scratch-build - and your first forray into woodworking - I just scratch my head at the wonder of it! But Marc, you tease us with just the smallest glimpse of the poster on the wall above SR. This is a new addition to the workshop decor? Please show us the poster. And, yes, some day I will make it back to France. We had hoped - my sister and I - to bring my father back for one last visit on his 83rd birhday, his past summer. This isn't a sad story. My father is still alive and well. It was just the cost that was prohibitive. My children are also young, and once the school year begins, our finances go south 😔. But some day, I will get back there, and I will be all too happy to finally meet you and Michel. P.S. I am very impressed with your framing of the octagonal ports.
  10. Hubac's Historian
    I would love to meet up, sometime, Bill. As are you, I am learning quite a lot from our French contributors, as well as the rest of the MSW community, and am very happy to have so many avid enthusiasts of the ship, talking about her in one space, in multiple excellent build logs. I will send you a PM.
  11. Hubac's Historian
    Michel, do you have this document in it's original form? Sometimes the translators make a jumble of it. I might have more success translating it directly. Or is this included in the same PDF document that Cedric just referenced, in which case I will find the passage eventually.
  12. Hubac's Historian
    Wow - what a treat to find your build! A magnificent work and tireless attention to detail. I'm in!
  13. Hubac's Historian
    The end product looks crisp and clean, Dan, but WOW - what a journey! I'm glad it all worked out so well. 'Had to laugh about your political commentary.
  14. Hubac's Historian
    Feel better, Dude!
  15. Hubac's Historian
    Headrails look superb, Michel! She is rounding into Berain's vision quite nicely.
  16. Hubac's Historian
    I have read the Vichot letter, and it is just exactly as Michel has explained. The letter resurrects an older question for me: the original decor of 1669 was initially designed by Peter Puget, and later refined by Jean Berain in 1668/69 for the refit. Do Puget's drafts for the original decor still exist in any way shape or form? At the Louvre, Brest or Toulon, maybe?
  17. Hubac's Historian
    And, so, it begins in earnest! Great start, Cedric!
  18. Hubac's Historian
    Michel, I do not feel slighted in the work that I have done, but I know well that you can't look past the inherent flaws in the kit. Some of these flaws have been addressed, so far, and many others will be modified as I go. While now, in large part thanks to you, I know the difference between what the Heller kit is and what it should be - my experiments, here, are purely for the fun in making and to see what is or isn't possible with a plastic kit. The end result, I promise you, will be a much better facsimile of a French first-rate from the latter half of the 17th C. However, by the very nature of the build, it won't be the perfect picture. Just a better picture. Dramatically better, even. Thank you for this letter from Commander Vichot. I will have to translate this later, on my home computer, where I can tile screens and transcribe directly into Google Translate.
  19. Hubac's Historian
    I believe that the correct interpretation of the Berain drawing, that is my avatar, would be a closed middle deck level of the quarter gallery; an open walk that wraps to the stern at the main deck level of the QG; and a shallow amortissement at the quarter deck level of the QG. The Berain design of the QG (my avatar), however, is quite a different animal than the one portrayed on the Tanneron model, which as you mentioned before Bill, likely represents the second SR of 1693. There is another Berain schematic for the QGs (which agrees very closely, from side view to stern view with the known Berain drawing of the stern) from which I believe that Tanneron derived his concept of the ship from, and which in my opinion, represents a likely refinement (and a paring down) of many of the same motifs from the re-fit of 1689 into the re-construction of 1693. photo credit: Michel Saunier It is known that when Foudroyant of 1693 was re-named Soleil Royal in the midst of her construction, her ornamental scheme was also re-done to reflect the glory of the previous ship. This is merely my opinion, however, I am fairly certain that the above stern drawing dates to 1689, and corresponds very closely with the first QG (as I have described in detail, earlier in this build log). This same ornamental scheme for the stern was very likely recreated for the second SR of 1693 because it is truly a masterpiece of design. Again, this is my educated guess based on the undeniable agreement between the stern and the second QG. The second QG drawing does not exactly mirror the Tanneron model, however, there are striking similarities, nonetheless. This second QG design (IMO) appears to reflect the progressively more austere approach to ornamentation that begins in the late 17th century until it's disappearance altogether in the 19th century. I am probably wrong, but this is what I think to be the case. As to the question of whether the QGs had open walks, throughout, this seems to have been a feature of ships from the First Marine of Colbert, of which, the pre-re-fit Soleil Royal would likely have possessed, but not the Second Marine ships from 1693 onward. As there are no reliable representations of the ship, prior to 1689 (again, my whole theory revolves around my belief that the first QG represents the re-fit decor), it is un-known what she really looked like in her very first incarnation.
  20. Hubac's Historian
    Thank you, Bill. You are correct that the Tanneron model is of the second SR, ex Foudroyant. The issue you raise about the sheer of the lower wales, particularly at the bow (where they rise too sharply) is one that I do not feel is worth the effort to correct on the Heller kit. In a full scratch build, of course, one would be free to correctly lay out the gun decks, the port openings and the position of the wales, relative to the waterline - as have NekO and Michel. With this sort of thing, though, one does have to draw the line somewhere. I appreciate that you are enjoying the build, Bill .
  21. Hubac's Historian
    Well said, Vic! Thanks for that.
  22. Hubac's Historian
    Thank you Michel. I appreciate where you are coming from, however, I have discussed at length why I am doing what I am doing with this kit, so I won't continue to justify it. Follow along, if you like, or not. It is, of course, optional.
  23. Hubac's Historian
    You can start sending me stuff, anytime Cedric. It's good, actually, if it comes in smaller blocks of text that I can work on between breaks at work.
  24. Hubac's Historian
    Earlier this week, I received a box of spare parts from Henry (Popeye2sea) from an earlier attempt to model the ship. Despite his excellent paint work, Henry found that he couldn't overcome the badly warped section of the port bow. So, he eventually started from scratch with a new kit and is in the midst of an excellent and highly detailed build-log, of which a number of you are already familiar. Henry sent me more parts than these, but these are the primary components with which I will perform some of the more substantive modifications of my build. Henry quartered the hull for the sake of easier shipping, which is fine with me because I only really need small sections of the lower hull, at the bow and stern, in order to broaden and extend my hull. O Above, you can see the extreme warping of the port bow. The boxed model must have come in contact with intense, direct heat at some point before Henry bought it. The upper bulwark pieces will provide me with all of the arched main deck port openings that I need, in order to straighten the run of these ports on my model, as well as the 3/8" extension I need at the stern. The stern plate enables me to broaden the stern and include the missing sixth stern window of the Berain design, without having to build all of the window opennings from scratch, or cast extras from my existing stern plate. Likewise, the beakhead bulkhead should enable me to broaden the bow. And the tafferal figures of Europe and Asia may be useful for lengthening the ones I have so that I don't have to model these figures from scratch. All in all, these parts represent an enormous time savings and I am extremely grateful to Henry for making this happen!
  25. Hubac's Historian
    Tremendous progress, Vic. The masting and rig look spectacular. I can't wait to see her on the water!

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