Hubac's Historian

Although I haven't been busy on here, I have been busy.  On the software front, I was initially dismayed to realize that older versions of Corel Draw are not compatible with MACs, and I didn't feel like spending big bucks for the most current CAD version of Corel, which is compatible.  However, on Amazon I found a NIB edition of Adobe Illustrator 7, complete with discs!  Non-software person that I am, it was a revelation to me that you generally no longer get discs with your latest and greatest software upgrades.  So, that's on its way, and should be here in a week, or so.  In the meantime, I've been watching YouTube videos to figure out how, exactly, to use the AutoTrace tool bar.  All good.
 
I found out, through sources in direct contact with J.C. Lemineur that the photos of the 90-gun first rate ship that I posted earlier, from NAVEXPO 2012, are indeed the subject of a new monographie that should be released some time toward the end of 2017.  The ship is Le Saint Philippe, of 1693.  While her construction corresponds more directly with the second construction of Soleil Royal (following the loss of the first at La Hogue), I believe there is much to be gained, architecturally, from a close study of Le Saint Philippe.  I look forward to adding that to my collection, once it is available.
 

 
I've poked the Musee to see whether they had made any headway on my questions, but so far, I have not heard back from them.  Perhaps they feel that I am wasting my (and their) time even bothering to ask about the first SR.  However, as they say, it never hurts to ask.  I will continue to prod, gently, until I hear something.
 
Having fulfilled my Brother-in-Law's Secret Santa wish for the cordless micro Dremel, I was delighted to discover that this - as opposed to the flexi-shaft - is light in the hand and small enough at the finger grip to allow your full range of fine motor skills.  So, I'll have to place an order for that sometime in the coming weeks.
 
Yet, I still have time on my hands, so I decided it was time to jump in and get started with the hull detailing!
 
One of the things that always bothers me about plastic ship kits is that when you look through the gun port openings, the hull looks exactly like what it is:  a boat-shaped shell that lacks the sort of wall thickness that can stand up to a 36-pound shot.  In pursuit of realism, in this build, one of the first things I wanted to tackle was adding the appearance of frame thickness to the gun port openings.
 
On the first gun deck, I'm using .125 x .125 styrene strip to frame the sills and stiles of each opening, flush with the inner lip of the gun port opening.  On the middle deck ports, I'll use .100 x .100 strip to simulate what would be a slight narrowing of the framing on this higher deck.  I also feel that the upper bulwark rail thicknesses are too thin, but I'm not sure whether I will go so far as to plank, and thus thicken, the inner walls of these bulwarks. 
 
The first step was to level the inside faces of each opening with a 100-grit rubber block (an eraser with sanding paper double stuck to it, actually) because the hull pressing left a crown around each opening that would make it more tedious than necessary to close the joints between my sill and stiles.  One of the nice things about this build is that, for quite a while, there will be a nice contrast between the black pressings of the kit and the white styrene add-ons, as much of my modification will happen before I get anywhere near the first spray of paint.  Here are the early returns:
 

 

 

 
Whether or not the dimensions of the added stock exactly scale out to the real thickness of the full-size hull at corresponding locations, is not of so much importance to me.  The graduation in thickness and the appearance of depth more than make up for whatever scale discrepancies may exist in my approach.  Once they're painted that deep matte red that we associate with port openings, this small addition will seem well worth the effort.  At least - that's what I'm telling myself.
 
Finally, I found a close-up of SR's stern, from the 20th Century painting that I posted earlier:
 

 
This image, more than anything, re-affirms my idea about the arrangement of SR1's stern balconies.  Yes, the artist is modern, but as I stated earlier, I believe the clues to SR's stern are to be interpreted from the subtle shadow clues in the Berain drawing.
 
It has also, lately, been helpful to me in deciding how I will portray the quarter galleries.  The enlarged photo, above, illustrates one possible reconciliation from the stern to the quarter galleries, which interestingly, is supported by Tanneron's damaged model of the smaller rated L'Agreable and also, in other small ways, by Le Brilliant.
 

 

 
I will devote a separate post to this when I get closer to drawing it in Adobe

Hello All,
 
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and is looking forward to the New Year.
 
Tonight, I had a chance to draw in the decorative filigree between the knees of the head.  The forward end will join the tail of the figurehead.
 

 
This addition, as well as the head rail support stanchions are an absolute must for this re-build.
 
I am thinking about adding the horse head and angel to the aft end of the head rail, without modifying the head rail itself.  I'll have to play around with it a little to see whether it will work.

Off to a great start EJ!

Off to a great start EJ!

Hello Mr. Delacroix,
 
Thank you for relating Mr. Lemineur's thoughts, which are particularly helpful, as they answer a number of the questions I posed to the Musee.  One question for Mr. Lemineur that is of particular interest to me concerns the dust jacket artwork for his book, Les Vaisseaux Du Roi Soleil.  My operating assumption, so far, has been that this artwork represents the original decor for the SR of 1668, and that it corresponds, directly, with the black and white stern schematic that is attributed to Berain.  Is that, indeed, so?  Also, I wonder who is responsible for creating these color draughts of the bow and stern.  Were they simply proposals for the decor, created by Puget, perhaps, and refined by Berain?  Or do they represent an actual contemporary portrait of the ship, after she was built?  Is the artist known?
 
I'm aware, from my meager efforts at translating his book, that there are wide discrepancies in the arrangement of the guns between the first and second SR.  As I mention, earlier in this thread though, this problem of the number and arrangement of guns is not one that I intend to tackle with this build.  I am also mindful of the problem of draught with this Heller kit, which is why I have decided to dispense with the lower hull, altogether, and make it a waterline model.
 
What I'm after is an impression of period correctness.  Will my model be an academically rigorous and faithful recreation?  Unfortunately, that is not possible at this time.  As a side note, I should mention that I chose the screen name "Hubac's Historian" because I was an English major and am fond of alliteration.  It just sounds good, doesn't it?  I am not so proud to think, though, that I can unlock the mysteries of early French naval architecture.  Nevertheless, I can appreciate Mr. Lemineur's frustration with the Heller kit.
 
I just want to see whether I can turn it into something that resembles his dust jacket artwork, because whatever version of the ship that represents - it is a remarkable work of art, in itself.  It is grand, and completely over the top and awe inspiring!  I only hope to understand what it is that I'm looking at.  For me, the fun is in attempting to reconcile everything that isn't shown between those two bow and stern drawings.
 
In an effort to relieve you, Mr. Delacroix, of your role as intermediary, you can forward my email address to Mr. Lemineur:
 
benchmarc_woodworking@yahoo.com
 
I appreciate, very much, the time you have taken to explain these things.  As always, I'm very appreciative of everyone who visits this thread, weighs in, or takes any interest in this project, whatsoever.

Although I haven't been busy on here, I have been busy.  On the software front, I was initially dismayed to realize that older versions of Corel Draw are not compatible with MACs, and I didn't feel like spending big bucks for the most current CAD version of Corel, which is compatible.  However, on Amazon I found a NIB edition of Adobe Illustrator 7, complete with discs!  Non-software person that I am, it was a revelation to me that you generally no longer get discs with your latest and greatest software upgrades.  So, that's on its way, and should be here in a week, or so.  In the meantime, I've been watching YouTube videos to figure out how, exactly, to use the AutoTrace tool bar.  All good.
 
I found out, through sources in direct contact with J.C. Lemineur that the photos of the 90-gun first rate ship that I posted earlier, from NAVEXPO 2012, are indeed the subject of a new monographie that should be released some time toward the end of 2017.  The ship is Le Saint Philippe, of 1693.  While her construction corresponds more directly with the second construction of Soleil Royal (following the loss of the first at La Hogue), I believe there is much to be gained, architecturally, from a close study of Le Saint Philippe.  I look forward to adding that to my collection, once it is available.
 

 
I've poked the Musee to see whether they had made any headway on my questions, but so far, I have not heard back from them.  Perhaps they feel that I am wasting my (and their) time even bothering to ask about the first SR.  However, as they say, it never hurts to ask.  I will continue to prod, gently, until I hear something.
 
Having fulfilled my Brother-in-Law's Secret Santa wish for the cordless micro Dremel, I was delighted to discover that this - as opposed to the flexi-shaft - is light in the hand and small enough at the finger grip to allow your full range of fine motor skills.  So, I'll have to place an order for that sometime in the coming weeks.
 
Yet, I still have time on my hands, so I decided it was time to jump in and get started with the hull detailing!
 
One of the things that always bothers me about plastic ship kits is that when you look through the gun port openings, the hull looks exactly like what it is:  a boat-shaped shell that lacks the sort of wall thickness that can stand up to a 36-pound shot.  In pursuit of realism, in this build, one of the first things I wanted to tackle was adding the appearance of frame thickness to the gun port openings.
 
On the first gun deck, I'm using .125 x .125 styrene strip to frame the sills and stiles of each opening, flush with the inner lip of the gun port opening.  On the middle deck ports, I'll use .100 x .100 strip to simulate what would be a slight narrowing of the framing on this higher deck.  I also feel that the upper bulwark rail thicknesses are too thin, but I'm not sure whether I will go so far as to plank, and thus thicken, the inner walls of these bulwarks. 
 
The first step was to level the inside faces of each opening with a 100-grit rubber block (an eraser with sanding paper double stuck to it, actually) because the hull pressing left a crown around each opening that would make it more tedious than necessary to close the joints between my sill and stiles.  One of the nice things about this build is that, for quite a while, there will be a nice contrast between the black pressings of the kit and the white styrene add-ons, as much of my modification will happen before I get anywhere near the first spray of paint.  Here are the early returns:
 

 

 

 
Whether or not the dimensions of the added stock exactly scale out to the real thickness of the full-size hull at corresponding locations, is not of so much importance to me.  The graduation in thickness and the appearance of depth more than make up for whatever scale discrepancies may exist in my approach.  Once they're painted that deep matte red that we associate with port openings, this small addition will seem well worth the effort.  At least - that's what I'm telling myself.
 
Finally, I found a close-up of SR's stern, from the 20th Century painting that I posted earlier:
 

 
This image, more than anything, re-affirms my idea about the arrangement of SR1's stern balconies.  Yes, the artist is modern, but as I stated earlier, I believe the clues to SR's stern are to be interpreted from the subtle shadow clues in the Berain drawing.
 
It has also, lately, been helpful to me in deciding how I will portray the quarter galleries.  The enlarged photo, above, illustrates one possible reconciliation from the stern to the quarter galleries, which interestingly, is supported by Tanneron's damaged model of the smaller rated L'Agreable and also, in other small ways, by Le Brilliant.
 

 

 
I will devote a separate post to this when I get closer to drawing it in Adobe

Although I haven't been busy on here, I have been busy.  On the software front, I was initially dismayed to realize that older versions of Corel Draw are not compatible with MACs, and I didn't feel like spending big bucks for the most current CAD version of Corel, which is compatible.  However, on Amazon I found a NIB edition of Adobe Illustrator 7, complete with discs!  Non-software person that I am, it was a revelation to me that you generally no longer get discs with your latest and greatest software upgrades.  So, that's on its way, and should be here in a week, or so.  In the meantime, I've been watching YouTube videos to figure out how, exactly, to use the AutoTrace tool bar.  All good.
 
I found out, through sources in direct contact with J.C. Lemineur that the photos of the 90-gun first rate ship that I posted earlier, from NAVEXPO 2012, are indeed the subject of a new monographie that should be released some time toward the end of 2017.  The ship is Le Saint Philippe, of 1693.  While her construction corresponds more directly with the second construction of Soleil Royal (following the loss of the first at La Hogue), I believe there is much to be gained, architecturally, from a close study of Le Saint Philippe.  I look forward to adding that to my collection, once it is available.
 

 
I've poked the Musee to see whether they had made any headway on my questions, but so far, I have not heard back from them.  Perhaps they feel that I am wasting my (and their) time even bothering to ask about the first SR.  However, as they say, it never hurts to ask.  I will continue to prod, gently, until I hear something.
 
Having fulfilled my Brother-in-Law's Secret Santa wish for the cordless micro Dremel, I was delighted to discover that this - as opposed to the flexi-shaft - is light in the hand and small enough at the finger grip to allow your full range of fine motor skills.  So, I'll have to place an order for that sometime in the coming weeks.
 
Yet, I still have time on my hands, so I decided it was time to jump in and get started with the hull detailing!
 
One of the things that always bothers me about plastic ship kits is that when you look through the gun port openings, the hull looks exactly like what it is:  a boat-shaped shell that lacks the sort of wall thickness that can stand up to a 36-pound shot.  In pursuit of realism, in this build, one of the first things I wanted to tackle was adding the appearance of frame thickness to the gun port openings.
 
On the first gun deck, I'm using .125 x .125 styrene strip to frame the sills and stiles of each opening, flush with the inner lip of the gun port opening.  On the middle deck ports, I'll use .100 x .100 strip to simulate what would be a slight narrowing of the framing on this higher deck.  I also feel that the upper bulwark rail thicknesses are too thin, but I'm not sure whether I will go so far as to plank, and thus thicken, the inner walls of these bulwarks. 
 
The first step was to level the inside faces of each opening with a 100-grit rubber block (an eraser with sanding paper double stuck to it, actually) because the hull pressing left a crown around each opening that would make it more tedious than necessary to close the joints between my sill and stiles.  One of the nice things about this build is that, for quite a while, there will be a nice contrast between the black pressings of the kit and the white styrene add-ons, as much of my modification will happen before I get anywhere near the first spray of paint.  Here are the early returns:
 

 

 

 
Whether or not the dimensions of the added stock exactly scale out to the real thickness of the full-size hull at corresponding locations, is not of so much importance to me.  The graduation in thickness and the appearance of depth more than make up for whatever scale discrepancies may exist in my approach.  Once they're painted that deep matte red that we associate with port openings, this small addition will seem well worth the effort.  At least - that's what I'm telling myself.
 
Finally, I found a close-up of SR's stern, from the 20th Century painting that I posted earlier:
 

 
This image, more than anything, re-affirms my idea about the arrangement of SR1's stern balconies.  Yes, the artist is modern, but as I stated earlier, I believe the clues to SR's stern are to be interpreted from the subtle shadow clues in the Berain drawing.
 
It has also, lately, been helpful to me in deciding how I will portray the quarter galleries.  The enlarged photo, above, illustrates one possible reconciliation from the stern to the quarter galleries, which interestingly, is supported by Tanneron's damaged model of the smaller rated L'Agreable and also, in other small ways, by Le Brilliant.
 

 

 
I will devote a separate post to this when I get closer to drawing it in Adobe

Although I haven't been busy on here, I have been busy.  On the software front, I was initially dismayed to realize that older versions of Corel Draw are not compatible with MACs, and I didn't feel like spending big bucks for the most current CAD version of Corel, which is compatible.  However, on Amazon I found a NIB edition of Adobe Illustrator 7, complete with discs!  Non-software person that I am, it was a revelation to me that you generally no longer get discs with your latest and greatest software upgrades.  So, that's on its way, and should be here in a week, or so.  In the meantime, I've been watching YouTube videos to figure out how, exactly, to use the AutoTrace tool bar.  All good.
 
I found out, through sources in direct contact with J.C. Lemineur that the photos of the 90-gun first rate ship that I posted earlier, from NAVEXPO 2012, are indeed the subject of a new monographie that should be released some time toward the end of 2017.  The ship is Le Saint Philippe, of 1693.  While her construction corresponds more directly with the second construction of Soleil Royal (following the loss of the first at La Hogue), I believe there is much to be gained, architecturally, from a close study of Le Saint Philippe.  I look forward to adding that to my collection, once it is available.
 

 
I've poked the Musee to see whether they had made any headway on my questions, but so far, I have not heard back from them.  Perhaps they feel that I am wasting my (and their) time even bothering to ask about the first SR.  However, as they say, it never hurts to ask.  I will continue to prod, gently, until I hear something.
 
Having fulfilled my Brother-in-Law's Secret Santa wish for the cordless micro Dremel, I was delighted to discover that this - as opposed to the flexi-shaft - is light in the hand and small enough at the finger grip to allow your full range of fine motor skills.  So, I'll have to place an order for that sometime in the coming weeks.
 
Yet, I still have time on my hands, so I decided it was time to jump in and get started with the hull detailing!
 
One of the things that always bothers me about plastic ship kits is that when you look through the gun port openings, the hull looks exactly like what it is:  a boat-shaped shell that lacks the sort of wall thickness that can stand up to a 36-pound shot.  In pursuit of realism, in this build, one of the first things I wanted to tackle was adding the appearance of frame thickness to the gun port openings.
 
On the first gun deck, I'm using .125 x .125 styrene strip to frame the sills and stiles of each opening, flush with the inner lip of the gun port opening.  On the middle deck ports, I'll use .100 x .100 strip to simulate what would be a slight narrowing of the framing on this higher deck.  I also feel that the upper bulwark rail thicknesses are too thin, but I'm not sure whether I will go so far as to plank, and thus thicken, the inner walls of these bulwarks. 
 
The first step was to level the inside faces of each opening with a 100-grit rubber block (an eraser with sanding paper double stuck to it, actually) because the hull pressing left a crown around each opening that would make it more tedious than necessary to close the joints between my sill and stiles.  One of the nice things about this build is that, for quite a while, there will be a nice contrast between the black pressings of the kit and the white styrene add-ons, as much of my modification will happen before I get anywhere near the first spray of paint.  Here are the early returns:
 

 

 

 
Whether or not the dimensions of the added stock exactly scale out to the real thickness of the full-size hull at corresponding locations, is not of so much importance to me.  The graduation in thickness and the appearance of depth more than make up for whatever scale discrepancies may exist in my approach.  Once they're painted that deep matte red that we associate with port openings, this small addition will seem well worth the effort.  At least - that's what I'm telling myself.
 
Finally, I found a close-up of SR's stern, from the 20th Century painting that I posted earlier:
 

 
This image, more than anything, re-affirms my idea about the arrangement of SR1's stern balconies.  Yes, the artist is modern, but as I stated earlier, I believe the clues to SR's stern are to be interpreted from the subtle shadow clues in the Berain drawing.
 
It has also, lately, been helpful to me in deciding how I will portray the quarter galleries.  The enlarged photo, above, illustrates one possible reconciliation from the stern to the quarter galleries, which interestingly, is supported by Tanneron's damaged model of the smaller rated L'Agreable and also, in other small ways, by Le Brilliant.
 

 

 
I will devote a separate post to this when I get closer to drawing it in Adobe

Alright, so I spent the evening initiating myself into the world of bitmap conversions into vector drawings, via line tracing function of various software packages, as demonstrated in a number of tutorial videos on Youtube.
 
Most software packages I looked at are Windows based, however, Adobe Illustrator is Mac compatible and disc software for Illustrator 9 is still available on Amazon for about $70, used, plus shipping.  My layman's understanding of this is that I could use something like Adobe Illustrator (largely ignoring 90%, or likely more, of the software's capability), to import my JPEG, or my PDF file format, into a new document.  From there, I can apply specific formats within the Image Trace tool bar, perhaps "line art," to automatically trace my ship image into a vector based, and grouped image.  From there, I can ungroup the image, and select specific groups for copy and paste, such as my various gun port sizes/styles, and then place them where I want them.  I can then import artwork for the quarter galleries, and various elements of the stern, and repeat the image tracing procedure.  Also, by unlocking the image, I can manipulate lines within a grouping to better suit my purposes and design intent.
 
So, assuming that's the basic gist of what I need to do, here, is Adobe a workable platform for the complete novice, or would I be better served finding something more basic?
 
I am still very uncertain, for example, how importing what is a relatively large drawing will appear in the Adobe active screen.  In all of the tutorials of various imported imagery and artwork, the graphic artist is shown corner dragging the image after import, generally, to increase it's size. However, for something large, would I first have to reduce it's scale to, say, 50% just so that I could work on large continuous details, like the wales, without having to break the image into a series of tiles that are then stitched back together later?  Does anyone use Adobe for their ship modeling design purposes?
 
I'm also curious as to how detailed the auto line-tracing functions are, with consideration to the many intricate filigree details of a baroque warship like SR.  If it is going to be necessary for me to go in and hand trace the stern gallery railings, for example, with a pen feature - with all of the attendant curves and reverse curves and mouldings, and etc - then it seems like hand-drawing and scaling would actually be faster, if equally frustrating.  Or, perhaps it's easy to do that, once you get the hang of it.  Is the trick to increase the scale and select, say a stern railing, from within the larger scan of Berain's stern schematic, for example, so that the railing is large enough for the auto-trace feature to pick out the intricacies of the design?  No experience = no clue.
 
Any input into these matters is greatly appreciated.
 
All the best,
 
Marc

Hello All,
 
I am having a different problem.  For my current build - an extensive modification of Heller's Soleil Royal - I have been hand-drawing a scale field, or outline that matches the moulded profile of the kit's lower hull and upper bulwarks, which I will be using to save the time of a full scratch-build.
 
I sketched in one, each, of various repeating elements and a few specific ornamental details that were easier to draw by hand, in order to match the kit parameters.  On the advice of several members, here, I intended to digitize the pencil drawing and import it into Corel Draw, where I could trace over what was there, and add in all of the other missing details.  Ultimately, the objective is just to see what all of my additions and subtractions will look like in relation to each other, and to make it easier to layout the complicated frieze of the upper bulwarks, which would be a nightmare to do by hand.
 
Today, I digitized the paper drawing onto a flash drive in JPEG, PDF and PNG file formats.  Here is my hand-drawn plan in PDF format. For whatever reason, the site would not allow me to upload the JPEG drawing, here, and I don't even know what a PNG file is, but I was able to upload the PDF:
 
20170102130746616.pdf
 
Everything was going perfectly well until I came home tonight, ready to download Corel 7, only to realize that most early versions of Corel are not compatible with Mac computers.  Corel makes a very current CAD software that is Mac compatibile, but I'm not sure I need CAD software for what I'm doing.  I'm not lofting frames, or in any way trying to create a three-dimensional hull shape.  I just need a compatible 2D drawing software that will allow me to import, re-trace and manipulate the various ornamental elements that make up the ship's decoration.  I'll also be dropping the main and fore channels down to the upper, or main deck and will need to draw in the mast locations and layout the shrouds, so as not to interfere with the guns.  This drafting exercise is really just about laying things out so that I can be sure that everything lines up nicely before I start cutting things away.
 
Not long ago, I updated my OS to 10.11.6, El Capitan.  I'm a complete novice to computer drafting of any kind and am looking for something that is relatively easy to learn and use.  I'm frankly overwhelmed by the volume of drafting software, which seems more sophisticated than what I need.  All suggestions are welcome.
 
Thanks,
 
Marc

From what I can tell on the rake from the plans that I have, it is only a degree or two off perpendicular. I have not yet seen any written instruction one way or the other yet but, honestly I have not really looked for it either. I am building mine with just a slight rake as that makes sense to me and is what I have seen on all the prints I have looked at but I could easily be wrong.
 
As an update, I managed to get a lot of work time in this weekend. Finished up ratting down the main mast shrouds and got the main forestay installed. That being done, I have switched back to SR for a little while and when I return it will be time for the mizzen mast construction. 
 
I will try to take some more close up pictures also in the coming days. Forgot all I took were overall pics.
 
 

Happy New Year! Honestly, not much has happened on S.R. since the last update. I finished the layout and have her ready to go to start planking the lower hull. I am still planning on a two layer planking so this first layer will be out of lime wood. I intend to plank it properly but as everyone who has done plank on bulkhead builds, that can be tough as the frame spacing does not allow for the best curvature and supports. However, a nice planking can still be achieved and the practice is always good. 
 
So, to share with you all my plan so you are not kept waiting in the dark, I am building the mizzen mast on La Couronne and once it is stepped in place with stays shrouds and ratlines, I will be back to start planking. I'm hoping either this weekend or early next week depending upon how my free build time goes and how hard the crew is working after partying a little too much this past weekend. Once planking starts I plan on setting goals of every so many strakes I will stop and go work on a top mast on La Couronne. S.R.'s hull is rather big so this will still be a large number of strakes as I am thinking about 10 between breaks. I will try to photo document what I do well for everyone following along. 

Spent a little more time in the ship yard today and decided that it was time to start laying out the planking guidelines now that I know where my lower decks will be. As this is a double planked hull I know that I have room for errors in my planking but, I always try to do it right as this gets me extra practice. I will explain how I plank my hulls for anyone who is either still learning or looking for a new idea. As with most things, this isn't a right or wrong it is just my method to get the results I am looking for. This will allow you to have your planks laid down with uniform widths in a complete strake running the length of the hull with no drop planks or stealers.
 
So, to get started I established the lowest wale and marked it across all the bulkheads giving me a space to measure for planking between the keel and the wale. Next I measured the space along each bulkhead and wrote that dimension down on the wale at the intersection of the bulkhead. Repeat at each bulkhead. Next I measured the width of the planks that will be used. They are 6mm wide. I start with the widest dimension that I measured along the bulkheads. This was 155mm. I divided that number by 6mm and came up with 25.8 or 26 strakes. 155mm divided by the 26 strakes gives me a width of each plank at the widest point of 5.9mm or 6mm. Always round up as the sanding for tapers will eliminate that .1mm. Since this is my widest point, no plank will exceed that width. Once I know my plank widths I take a flexible tailor's tape measure and make tick marks down the length of the bulkhead from keel to wale line to establish guidelines for my planks. I am now in the process of repeating this step at every bulkhead on both sides of the ship. From here on out in both directions the planks will narrow. As you can see in the picture the spacing is shrinking, the number of planks stay the same and the plank widths decrease as the space shrinks. 
 
I will add more pictures as this continues. Let me know if there is something that should be shown as I can easily leave something out that I take for granted that someone may need.

Tonight, I drew in the Angel and horse of the head rails.  I've only traced in the top outline of the head rail to show how the horse wraps around the topmost medallion of the head rails.
 

 
In order to add this detail, I would only need to shave off, two leafy horns from the sides of the head rail medallions, as well as a short length of garland on the aft head rail, which doesn't connect or relate to anything else in the kit decor, anyway.  I would also lose the forward most antler escutcheon carving because the angel is now in that position, but this is a reasonable trade-off, in my opinion.
 
The angel's arm positioning isn't exactly as drawn by Berain, but I had to adjust her stance in order to reconcile the kit gun port positioning, and my new square port accents.  She's also more 20th C. Victoria's Secret angel, than 17th C. chaste angel, but I reserve license in these matters.
 

 
I think the detail is worth including because it will balance the angel figures to either side of upper quarter gallery window, and the horse head is a nice echo of the figurehead.
 

 
I think, at this point, it's time to download Corel and learn how to digitize what I have so that I can make it into a complete drawing.  There probably won't be much coming out of this post for a while.  I'm tempted, of course, to start prepping and detailing the lower hull halves, but that would only be time taken from the plans drawing in Corel.  Hopefully, I'll hear back from the Musee sometime soon.  I will share whatever I learn from them, as soon as they do.

Druxey, I am just so awed by what you have accomplished with this build.  There really isn't anything I can say that hasn't already been said more succinctly.  But, I'ma go ahead and try...
 
First of all, your presentation of a build-log was really so informative to me, who is new to the site.  You are un-failingly gracious and your log structure, for any given entry, is so perfectly focused on illustrating the particular challenges, solutions, mis-steps, and course-corrections that such a challenging build necessitates.  Your writing, also, is excellent!
 
The choice of subject was such a pure distillation of what attracts most people to wooden boats, in the first place.  Absolutely engrossing.
 
Your execution is really remarkable - even, I'm sure, under the closest scrutiny and the highest resolutions.  Thank you for teaching me so much!

Tonight, I drew in the Angel and horse of the head rails.  I've only traced in the top outline of the head rail to show how the horse wraps around the topmost medallion of the head rails.
 

 
In order to add this detail, I would only need to shave off, two leafy horns from the sides of the head rail medallions, as well as a short length of garland on the aft head rail, which doesn't connect or relate to anything else in the kit decor, anyway.  I would also lose the forward most antler escutcheon carving because the angel is now in that position, but this is a reasonable trade-off, in my opinion.
 
The angel's arm positioning isn't exactly as drawn by Berain, but I had to adjust her stance in order to reconcile the kit gun port positioning, and my new square port accents.  She's also more 20th C. Victoria's Secret angel, than 17th C. chaste angel, but I reserve license in these matters.
 

 
I think the detail is worth including because it will balance the angel figures to either side of upper quarter gallery window, and the horse head is a nice echo of the figurehead.
 

 
I think, at this point, it's time to download Corel and learn how to digitize what I have so that I can make it into a complete drawing.  There probably won't be much coming out of this post for a while.  I'm tempted, of course, to start prepping and detailing the lower hull halves, but that would only be time taken from the plans drawing in Corel.  Hopefully, I'll hear back from the Musee sometime soon.  I will share whatever I learn from them, as soon as they do.

Tonight, I drew in the Angel and horse of the head rails.  I've only traced in the top outline of the head rail to show how the horse wraps around the topmost medallion of the head rails.
 

 
In order to add this detail, I would only need to shave off, two leafy horns from the sides of the head rail medallions, as well as a short length of garland on the aft head rail, which doesn't connect or relate to anything else in the kit decor, anyway.  I would also lose the forward most antler escutcheon carving because the angel is now in that position, but this is a reasonable trade-off, in my opinion.
 
The angel's arm positioning isn't exactly as drawn by Berain, but I had to adjust her stance in order to reconcile the kit gun port positioning, and my new square port accents.  She's also more 20th C. Victoria's Secret angel, than 17th C. chaste angel, but I reserve license in these matters.
 

 
I think the detail is worth including because it will balance the angel figures to either side of upper quarter gallery window, and the horse head is a nice echo of the figurehead.
 

 
I think, at this point, it's time to download Corel and learn how to digitize what I have so that I can make it into a complete drawing.  There probably won't be much coming out of this post for a while.  I'm tempted, of course, to start prepping and detailing the lower hull halves, but that would only be time taken from the plans drawing in Corel.  Hopefully, I'll hear back from the Musee sometime soon.  I will share whatever I learn from them, as soon as they do.

Been busy working on the cabin layouts. The main problem that I have now is that to build the cabins the deck layouts do not align properly. So, now I get to redesign the decks to work the way they should. I guess when you are not planning on showing the inside, it doesn't matter if they physically line up. Maybe I am making this harder than it has to be but, I want it to make sense and look right.
 
So, here is a picture with the latest look. Basically the two horizontal strips that are clamped to the frames are where the decks should be. You can see where the false decks are designed. It really isn't bad until you get to the stern at which point nothing lines up right. I can adjust the gun ports on the false decks and shift the dummy blocks for the canon barrels for the new alignment easily enough. The upper decks and quarter decks will be a different challenge. I have a couple ideas on how to do it. More to come! 

Another advantage of working two builds at once is that I can more easily slow down and make sure I am doing things the way I want to. Just building the one ship, I kept wanting to keep on building and would settle or rush through something. Made a few mistakes that are still bugging me today on past builds doing that. Now, when I am at a slow spot do to research or waiting on supplies I still have another ship to work on that takes care of that itch to keep building. As crazy as it seems, I am more relaxed building these two huge ships than I was working on just one or even a small one.
 
Yes, there will probably end up being extensive bashing done on this build. I was already kind of thinking there would be but as I have already pulled apart work that I have done to completely redesign it and I am only on the framework, I think I will do this a lot. Truthfully, I am happy with doing it though. I would like to build a fully framed ship one day and so this allows me to start thinking of how to do that without having to do the entire ship. Scratch building something with no instructions can be frustrating but it also provides a great opportunity to learn a lot.
 
Thanks for all the support!

Well, I did it. I pulled the stern apart and cut away all the filler on the aft bulkhead so that it would more closely resemble actual framing. I realized to do the cabins the way I want to there was no way it could remain as designed. In fact, a lot of the aft portion of the ship may be getting redesigned as the decks and the cabin windows are not lining up properly. I am still trying to determine if the error is just in the supplied layout for the windows or if it is in the structure itself. I hope it turns out to be in the window layout as I am scrapping that one anyway to make my own. The reason for this is that the supplied layout is for a 5 window configuration and I am going to go with the 6 window configuration as seen in the below picture. While I do not know for certain which is correct, I like the look of the 6 window and the balcony layouts as well as the quarter galleys make the most sense to me this way. After viewing a lot of pictures of models built both ways as well as the various prints of her stern, I think I have settled on this.  
 
Ok, now to figure out how to build it.... Good thing there are a couple of holiday weekends ahead of me!

Hello All,
 
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and is looking forward to the New Year.
 
Tonight, I had a chance to draw in the decorative filigree between the knees of the head.  The forward end will join the tail of the figurehead.
 

 
This addition, as well as the head rail support stanchions are an absolute must for this re-build.
 
I am thinking about adding the horse head and angel to the aft end of the head rail, without modifying the head rail itself.  I'll have to play around with it a little to see whether it will work.

Hello All,
 
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and is looking forward to the New Year.
 
Tonight, I had a chance to draw in the decorative filigree between the knees of the head.  The forward end will join the tail of the figurehead.
 

 
This addition, as well as the head rail support stanchions are an absolute must for this re-build.
 
I am thinking about adding the horse head and angel to the aft end of the head rail, without modifying the head rail itself.  I'll have to play around with it a little to see whether it will work.

So, after re-working the banner, this is what I have now:
 

 
A quick visit to Wikipedia shed some additional insight into the meaning of this inscription:
 
While the motto relates to the allegory of the "Sun King",[2][3] its precise meaning is obscure.[4][5] Philip F. Riley calls it "almost untranslatable".[3] Historian Henri Martin called it "very pompous and, above all, obscure and perplexing".[6]Louvois, Louis' War Secretary, interpreted it as seul contre tous — "alone against all";[4] lexicographer Pierre Larousse suggested au-dessus de tous (comme le soleil) — "above all (like the sun)".[4] John Martin says "[Louis'] matchless splendour was expressed by the motto Nec Pluribus Impar - not unequal to many suns.".[7]Yves-Marie Bercé gives Suffisant (seul) a tant de choses ("Sufficient (alone) for so many things") or Tout lui est possible ("Everything is possible for him"), i.e., "not unequal to many [tasks]".[8] Louis himself wrote:[5]
 
Those who saw me managing the cares of royalty with such ease and with such confidence induced me to add [to the image of the sun] the sphere of the earth, and as its motto NEC PLURIBUS IMPAR, by which they meant to flatter the ambitions of a young king, in that with all my capacities, I would be just as capable of ruling still other empires as would the sun of illuminating still other worlds with its rays. I known that some obscurity has been found in these words, and I have no doubt that the same symbol might have suggested some happier ones. Others have been presented to me since, but this one having already been used in my buildings and in an infinite number of other things, I have not deemed appropriate to change it.
 
— Louis XIV, 1662.
 
An image search of the phrase reveals the ubiquity of its expression during his reign.  I think that this fact, alone, argues strongly for its inclusion somewhere on the model.  It may not be practical to place it beneath the chase ports, but it does fit nicely there.  I have also been thinking about what I will do with paint, to the tafferal frieze of Apollo.
 
My color scheme for the ship will include a darker royal, or French blue for most of the upper bulwarks, however, the main deck guns of the upper bulwarks will be done in a much lighter, grey/blue.  This lighter, grey/blue color will be used as an accent color for the sky backdrop of Apollo, on the tafferal.  The clouds will be airbrushed to appear greyish-white and stormy, and I've been considering a stylized halo of sunburst rays, emanating from behind Apollo's chariot, in fine lines of orange and gold.  All of the paint work will be lightly aged with a, or a series of, washcoats, and the hull will be darkened in the manner of Herbert Tomesan's ships from the Texel Roads diorama. Here is his model of Hollandia, from the Texel Roads diorama:
 

 
So much of what I hope to accomplish with SR, in the way of added detail comes from my experience of meeting Mr. Tomesan, back in 2003, when I went to work at the Batavia Werf Shipyard for three months.  He showed me his process for prototyping these large (and small) Dutch warships, and work boats, and I was absolutely floored by his ability to render carved detail in plastic, while also taking great pains to incorporate so much of the construction fabric of an authentic seventeenth century vessel.  I remember him telling me, at the time, that what disappointed him with commercial kit architecture was that these models don't really look like ships, in the way that a Van de Velde portrait paints such a vivid picture of what these vessels really looked like on the water.  It was Mr. Tomesan, in fact, who planted the early seeds for this build in my head, because he told me that he once built the Heller kit, but that he cut the ship down a bit to lower it's top hamper, and thus he made it appear more ship-like, in his opinion.  All these years later, having studied the known architecture of the period, I have come to agree with him.
 
Anyway, his diorama is absolutely enormous and mind-boggling in it's completeness and consistent attention to detail.  What he excels at, in particular, is his paint process for creating realistic "in the water" patination of a wooden hull.  I held these models right up to my face and felt like a giant holding the real thing.
 
Here is an example of the shade of grey/blue that I was thinking of for the main deck bulwarks:
 

 
The color complements the gold leaf very nicely and the contrast in blues adds further dimension to the model, while setting off the delicate lattice work of the upper frieze, in the darker French blue. The large antler/cartouche carvings, between the main deck guns, have a small oval panel that will be picked out with the darker, french blue, with the delicate raised scroll ornament picked out in gold.
 
On a side note, here's a better picture of the stern window that I decided to jazz up a little bit:
 

Hello All,
 
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and is looking forward to the New Year.
 
Tonight, I had a chance to draw in the decorative filigree between the knees of the head.  The forward end will join the tail of the figurehead.
 

 
This addition, as well as the head rail support stanchions are an absolute must for this re-build.
 
I am thinking about adding the horse head and angel to the aft end of the head rail, without modifying the head rail itself.  I'll have to play around with it a little to see whether it will work.

So, after re-working the banner, this is what I have now:
 

 
A quick visit to Wikipedia shed some additional insight into the meaning of this inscription:
 
While the motto relates to the allegory of the "Sun King",[2][3] its precise meaning is obscure.[4][5] Philip F. Riley calls it "almost untranslatable".[3] Historian Henri Martin called it "very pompous and, above all, obscure and perplexing".[6]Louvois, Louis' War Secretary, interpreted it as seul contre tous — "alone against all";[4] lexicographer Pierre Larousse suggested au-dessus de tous (comme le soleil) — "above all (like the sun)".[4] John Martin says "[Louis'] matchless splendour was expressed by the motto Nec Pluribus Impar - not unequal to many suns.".[7]Yves-Marie Bercé gives Suffisant (seul) a tant de choses ("Sufficient (alone) for so many things") or Tout lui est possible ("Everything is possible for him"), i.e., "not unequal to many [tasks]".[8] Louis himself wrote:[5]
 
Those who saw me managing the cares of royalty with such ease and with such confidence induced me to add [to the image of the sun] the sphere of the earth, and as its motto NEC PLURIBUS IMPAR, by which they meant to flatter the ambitions of a young king, in that with all my capacities, I would be just as capable of ruling still other empires as would the sun of illuminating still other worlds with its rays. I known that some obscurity has been found in these words, and I have no doubt that the same symbol might have suggested some happier ones. Others have been presented to me since, but this one having already been used in my buildings and in an infinite number of other things, I have not deemed appropriate to change it.
 
— Louis XIV, 1662.
 
An image search of the phrase reveals the ubiquity of its expression during his reign.  I think that this fact, alone, argues strongly for its inclusion somewhere on the model.  It may not be practical to place it beneath the chase ports, but it does fit nicely there.  I have also been thinking about what I will do with paint, to the tafferal frieze of Apollo.
 
My color scheme for the ship will include a darker royal, or French blue for most of the upper bulwarks, however, the main deck guns of the upper bulwarks will be done in a much lighter, grey/blue.  This lighter, grey/blue color will be used as an accent color for the sky backdrop of Apollo, on the tafferal.  The clouds will be airbrushed to appear greyish-white and stormy, and I've been considering a stylized halo of sunburst rays, emanating from behind Apollo's chariot, in fine lines of orange and gold.  All of the paint work will be lightly aged with a, or a series of, washcoats, and the hull will be darkened in the manner of Herbert Tomesan's ships from the Texel Roads diorama. Here is his model of Hollandia, from the Texel Roads diorama:
 

 
So much of what I hope to accomplish with SR, in the way of added detail comes from my experience of meeting Mr. Tomesan, back in 2003, when I went to work at the Batavia Werf Shipyard for three months.  He showed me his process for prototyping these large (and small) Dutch warships, and work boats, and I was absolutely floored by his ability to render carved detail in plastic, while also taking great pains to incorporate so much of the construction fabric of an authentic seventeenth century vessel.  I remember him telling me, at the time, that what disappointed him with commercial kit architecture was that these models don't really look like ships, in the way that a Van de Velde portrait paints such a vivid picture of what these vessels really looked like on the water.  It was Mr. Tomesan, in fact, who planted the early seeds for this build in my head, because he told me that he once built the Heller kit, but that he cut the ship down a bit to lower it's top hamper, and thus he made it appear more ship-like, in his opinion.  All these years later, having studied the known architecture of the period, I have come to agree with him.
 
Anyway, his diorama is absolutely enormous and mind-boggling in it's completeness and consistent attention to detail.  What he excels at, in particular, is his paint process for creating realistic "in the water" patination of a wooden hull.  I held these models right up to my face and felt like a giant holding the real thing.
 
Here is an example of the shade of grey/blue that I was thinking of for the main deck bulwarks:
 

 
The color complements the gold leaf very nicely and the contrast in blues adds further dimension to the model, while setting off the delicate lattice work of the upper frieze, in the darker French blue. The large antler/cartouche carvings, between the main deck guns, have a small oval panel that will be picked out with the darker, french blue, with the delicate raised scroll ornament picked out in gold.
 
On a side note, here's a better picture of the stern window that I decided to jazz up a little bit: