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Hubac's Historian

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  1. Hubac's Historian
    Thank you, John! I’ll be interested to discover what parallels you discover between French Baroque art and French ship ornamentation. In large part, that is what the German text Uber Den Wellen was attempting to do, with regard to the ornamental program of the Royal Louis of 1668. Unfortunately, this text was almost un-intelligible to Google Translate, and I barely grasped much of what the book had to say. Interestingly, Versailles Der Meer translated beautifully. I have corresponded with Lemineur on a number of issues relating to ships of the period. He has convinced me that the scheme he shows on the St. Philippe is much more likely and representative. That being said, my upper bulwarks will still have a lot of blue. There will be a wide band of red ocher, along the main deck guns, connecting the red of the beakhead bulkhead with the red of the quarters and stern. Just above that, the inset frieze ovals that frame the lowest tier of fleurs will be ultra-marine. This will set them off nicely, while highlighting the rakish layout of the frieze. The frieze backdrop above that will be the lighter Cerulean blue. I look forward to your build-log. They are invaluable tools to the build, particularly because they boost your own investment and motivation in the project.
  2. Hubac's Historian
    That looks very good, indeed, Kevin! I’m also glad to pick up a new vocab word in fettling.
  3. Hubac's Historian
    Thanks, T_C! I like “absence of proof is not proof of absence”😀
  4. Hubac's Historian
    Thank you, EJ! I hope that presenting an alternative scheme will spark debate. Before the Vasa was found and fully re-constructed, popular depictions of the ship were only approximate in structure and the ship was always shown in the Swedish national colors. While the structure of the Vasa has been understood in my lifetime (1973), I remember how astonished I was to discover that her topsides were red, and later - that her sculptures were a riot of colors. This fundamentally changed the way that I thought about the appearance of the Baroque warship. If we accept that the galleons of the prior epoch were vividly painted in geometric forms, why would the affinity for painted decoration disappear in the Baroque period? If anything, the increase in ship size presented a larger canvas for artistic expression, and that is what the Baroque period was about, as it related to warship design; being impressively magnificent, or as young people say - being “EXTRA!” Warships were always expensive to build, and the cost of gold leaf - if used on the scale that we, as modelers, are accustomed to thinking it was used - would quickly match or eclipse the overall cost of building the vessel. I have read about an early process of approximating the appearance of guilding with some form of metallic-appearing undercoat, with a varnish topcoat that prevented oxidation. Perhaps, the truth of the 1670s was a mixture of real gilt work, this other faux process, and vivid color work. Hyatt’s description of the Royal Louis of 1668 (in 1677, if I remember correctly) does seem to indicate that she was leafed extensively. Because both the RL and SR were only intended to be port beacons (Levant and Ponant, respectively) of the wealth and might of the crown - perhaps the crown truly spared no expense on those two vessels, and leafed them much more-so than any others. Even if that were the case, though, I still think it is highly probable that their sculpture work would be a vivid riot of colors. By 1688, as France was preparing to directly engage the allied forces of England and Holland, the cost of extensive gold-leafing would be prohibitive. Making sure that there were cannon to arm the ships would have taken top priority, especially considering the lavish costs of re-furbishing so many of the ships, at this time. What I am doing is highly conjectural, of course, but I think plausibly debatable.
  5. Hubac's Historian
    This build is just ripping along, Dan - looking very fine, indeed!
  6. Hubac's Historian
    It’s been a good weekend for painting. The primer coat is always a pretty solid indicator of how uniform your surface prep was: I love the primer coat because it homogenizes all of the different materials. A few pics of the process: My initial thought was to take the cerulean blue (Utrecht artist acrylic, heavy body), and add yellow ocher to arrive at a more greenish blue; a light blue with a greenish cast would be a more period-correct, common blue that would have been derived from copper salts. What I arrived at was teal, and while I like the Charlotte Hornets uniforms, this is not quite the look for Soleil Royal! So, I went back to my cerulean base. After all, the following Corvette model was largely my inspiration for my color scheme. I really liked the way this light blue relates to the yellow ocher, even if it is a more stylized choice for my period: My cerulean base-coat looks like this: Here’s the rest of the process: Et, finalement: I spent quite a lot of time dialing-back the walnut ink distressing so that it wouldn’t be too much. I think the walnut ink does dial-back the blue enough to be plausible for 1689. I also switched from my self-mixed Tamiya yellow ocher to Vallejo’s Mars Yellow, which is pretty exactly the shade I want right out of the bottle. While I still have to go over the work 2-3 times for the color saturation I want, the next coat doesn’t lift the previous coat, as with Tamiya. This characteristic of the Tamiya paint makes it extremely frustrating to work with. Considering the sheer volume of ocher paint that is going onto this model, a change to something more user-friendly was imperative. This is probably the best window into what the general paint scheme of the stern will be. Ultra marine will make very selective appearances. I thought about painting an oval of ultra-marine around the shells, but I didn’t like the only partial framing of moulding. It’s obvious, I suppose, but worth re-iterating how much easier it is to paint these ultra-detailed surfaces, off the model; you can find whatever angle you need. As I consider it now, I’m really starting to dread the paintwork I have waiting for me on the lower stern. At the time, though, I couldn’t see any other way forward than to construct the stern in-place. Tomorrow, I will start the waste-pipe rosettes. As ever, thank you for the likes, comments, and for stopping by!
  7. Hubac's Historian
    Thanks EJ! I tried moulding the edge and then “ripping” it off with a straight-edge and matt-knife, but my rip cuts were always uneven, and with raised lips. With wood, and a miniature tablesaw, this method would be much more effective. I have been turning the problem of how to make these QGs over, in my head, for a long time. So far, this approach seems to be working with minimal headaches, fortunately. Just slow. Last night, I thought I was going to cope-in the bottom moulding on the starboard side, tape and prime the four QG sections, and prep stock for the waste-pipe rosettes. That was my plan! Instead, I spent 2 1/2 hours coping that one moulding into place. It does sit sweetly, though, and I’ve managed to minimize the disparity between a simplified version of the much more involved stern counterpart moulding. Future pics will elucidate that much more clearly. All the best, Marc
  8. Hubac's Historian
    Your scarfed spirketting looks like individually carved plank - Beautifully done!
  9. Hubac's Historian
    Gentlemen, thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. I can not overstate how much I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me, from the early stages of the project, up until now, when it is finally rounding into form. I am, of course, equally happy to see new faces here. A hearty welcome to you all! If I had truly understood just how much effort would be involved in getting this far, then I may not have ever started. Going on this journey has really increased my appreciation for all of the modelers who make every last thing from scratch; to do so, and maintain a consistently high standard - as so many of you do - is a true test of commitment and perseverance. I have learned every bit as much from your logs, as you have from mine. Thank you!
  10. Hubac's Historian
    Awesome video - thanks for posting!
  11. Hubac's Historian
    The first transitional moulding I needed to master runs just beneath the false windows of the quarter gallery. I was unsure, at first, whether I would be able to successfully recreate the turreted appearance of the moulding, above each pilaster. The difficulty has to do with the fact that moulding scrapers do not get into inside corners very well. Ultimately, I found that I could clean to those inside corners with my 1/8” straight chisel and my #11 EXACTO. The moulding is actually made up from two layers, laminated together. The thin, under-layer has a tiny cove cut into it’s edge, and it is stepped-in, slightly, from the upper layer. The piece, below, marked “template” is a card pattern I made for the under-layer: The trick to all of this was to try and cope this side moulding into the overhanging ends of the stern shelf-moulding that the Four Seasons will sit upon. It took a good deal of patient fitting, but eventually I got there: Once I had fit the upper layer, I could cope-in the lower layer and then laminate the two: A few pics to give a sense of this section: After I make and fit all of this for the port side, I will make up the transitional moulding for the underside of the seats of ease. The connection with its counterpart, at the stern, is a little funky, but the answers will become clearer as I work my way through it. Thank you for the likes, your comments and for stopping by.
  12. Hubac's Historian
    Maqnifique!
  13. Hubac's Historian
    Good questions, all. No good answers from me, though. I appreciate the discussion, nonetheless.
  14. Hubac's Historian
    Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back!! (pop-culture reference, intended!)
  15. Hubac's Historian
    Every last superlative applies, here, FC. You have really created a masterpiece, and it has been a pleasure to become acquainted with your work. I can’t wait to see what your next project will be!
  16. Hubac's Historian
    Nice recovery J11!
  17. Hubac's Historian
    Joe, you are doing a fantastic job with the Heller kit; it is difficult to build, without modification, as few parts fit together easily. I really appreciate your kind compliments, and would like you to know that my project is the beneficiary of time; I have almost a life-long obsession with this vessel and my patience in building her knows (almost) no bounds. The main thing about any of this hobby, in my opinion, is to take your sweet time - as you have, so far. Keep on going! Don’t be discouraged by the ambiguities and fit problems of this kit. You will get there!
  18. Hubac's Historian
    Tremendous precision, Mike!
  19. Hubac's Historian
    Thanks, EJ! I have found that when I “fight” the styrene sheet by trying to cut through it, I tend to slip. Also, the blade raises a lip around the cut, which is just more work to level. The Dremel makes quick work of a perforated cut line. I’ve done so much of that for this project that I can hear and feel that the Dremel bearing is about shot. It was well-worth the small investment, though, and I won’t mind replacing it.
  20. Hubac's Historian
    Those carvings are spectacular - they fit the space perfectly!
  21. Hubac's Historian
    I know these setbacks must be incredibly frustrating J11, but hang-in there, Dude! You are doing an amazing job! This is always the problem with these old plastic kits. I dread the eventuality, myself, as the pressing of SR I am making is about as old as I am; 47. Keep going, steady as she goes - you will get there, and we will all celebrate!
  22. Hubac's Historian
    The stuff does look good, John! Thanks for the reference. The lower-finishing pieces are now ready for prime and paint: I have yet to make the waste pipe rosettes that mount to the aft overhang of these pieces, but I will tackle that shortly. Today was a very productive day spent trimming out the next level up - the functional seats of ease. The first order of business was to clear away the wales and let the forward edge of this section into the wales, as neatly as possible. My goal was not to disrupt any of the paint that will remain visible, as the touch-ups were such a pain: The pre-shaping on the scrap hull created a good mating joint: I am quite satisfied with the subtle outward, billowing shape of the piece. One thing that dawned on me, here, is that the aft end of this section should follow the round-up of the stern. The picture, above, reflects this, however - before, the back ends were square to the mating surface, which created a weird back-angled appearance, considering that the ship sides taper inwards, at the stern, like a wedge. This is one of many small details that are not immediately apparent, if one hasn’t first made a full set of drawings. One benefit of altering this profile into the roundup is that it enabled me to bring the side profile of the stern counter into more of a vertical plane. The difference is slight, but an improvement, nonetheless. A montage of the paneling process: There is no substitute for the gradual process of arriving at a line; draw, erase, repeat! I still need to add the rail pieces, between the pilasters, which will create the sunken panel effect. I also have to cast a series of fleurs for these panels, but this has been a very satisfying step in the project. Thank you for the likes, your comments, and for looking in!
  23. Hubac's Historian
    This is a lovely model you are making, Robert. I remember seeing the English galleon in the hobby store, when I was a kid and being completely captivated by it. I had done an absolutely terrible job of building the Spanish Galleon, and thought that one day I might try the English version with its bonaventure mizzen. Anyway, it's nice to see such good, clean work.
  24. Hubac's Historian
    Thank you so much, John, for taking the time to read through the whole log. It is extremely gratifying to me that you have taken such an interest in the project. I will be interested to see what you do with the kit, so please start a log, if you haven’t already, and I will gladly follow along. I’m pretty sure that the St. Philippe monograph has a plate showing the grand chamber of the Royal Louis, along with a schematic of Soleil Royal’s paneled ceiling. These would he highly instructive for your efforts to fit out the interiors. I briefly entertained the idea, myself, and decided against it because I knew how labor-intensive the exterior would be, and I would like to finish this project, at some point. I am also thinking that the tafferal with Apollo’s horse-drawn chariot would likely have been a more colorful affair. I have some ideas about what I might like to do, there, and will probably use one of my spare, stock stern plates to do a mock-up - even if the proportions will be entirely different. I will have to look up HisModels. I have never heard of that company before, but it certainly sounds worth a look. My gun modifications were extremely time consuming, but ultimately worth the effort. Mr. Delecroix did plant that seed in my mind that the Heller representation of the trunnion support is laughably ridiculous. He is, of course, right about that. I have yet to see whether correcting that problem will place the barrels too low in their port openings. Maybe it might be worth swapping them out - we will see. Anyway, I’ll be looking for your work, and happy to help out in any way I can. I have personally benefited tremendously from the knowledge, advice and spare parts of so many here. All the best, Marc
  25. Hubac's Historian
    A while ago, I was researching greenmen for a furniture project I was designing when I discovered Mr. Gibbons. He sure did some truly fabulous work! Thank you for sharing these.

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