Zarkon

Thank you for the like and comment! Yes! I have been trying to make it a point to plank at lease one piece per day. Each row requires 2 pieces per side. Plus, Ive gotten a little quicker bending and beveling the strips. Jeff

Hey all, Here is an update. I am just continuing to plank the hull and I am on a good pace. I am glad that I will be using wood filler and painting it because it sure will need the. Filler after I'm done planking!! I have started to plank from the keel up and Its going pretty well. Im just a little worried about if the curves are correct when the last set of planks are laid. So after this section, I will remeasure the plank widths. Thanks for reading and the likes and comments!! Jeff

Dilbert, Yes. I have decided to paint the hull and the model like the kit says to for a few reasons: 1 ) The quality of the basswood provided isnt high enough to display. A.L did not provide a second hull planking and assumes the builder will paint it. I think thats why they didnt include a nice hull finishing planking. (Plus lower cost for them) 2) Since this is my first forray into trying to plank the right way with no planks ending in a point, etc, I know I will have mistakes and will learn from it. So being able to fill with filler and paint will go a long way in hiding those mistakes. 3) I like the paint scheme and I want to try my hand at painting anyway. Reasons 1 and 2 are the main ones of why I will paint it. If I wasn't going to paint, I would HIGHLY recommend either replacing the supplied basswod strips with higher quality wood (the type would be up to you) or buy a thin second planking wood strips and make sure to sand the frames/keel appropriately so to make room for the second planks. On that note, they want you to paint the inside hull planking where the guns will be. I have quite a bit of glue on the inside of the planks and its not even: So, I am going to cover both inside planks with a thin, 0.5mm planks, then sand and paint it to make it more even. Jeff

Thanks everyone for the likes! I finally finished my first section of planking! I have learned quite a bit doing this section, so the next sections of planks should turn out even better. I have now started to plank the section closest to the keel. After reading a lot of guides, I realized that the garbord plank needs to be wider than the rest because of the curvature it needs to be at the stern of the ship. Since the kit didn't come with any wider planks, I had to go to the local hobby shop and get some basswood sheets. I measured the width I needed and was able to cut it straight and correct with nothing more than a straight edge and a knife! That felt good to know I was able to make a straight plank by hand! So I cut 2 out and started to plank the second section. I have not been following the kit instructions about planking. As of right now, doing this planking makes me want to plank my HMS Victory model right afterwards just for the experience! Haha! Thanks! Jeff

Hi all! Just a small update of my hull planking. Its taking a while because of life stuff, but its coming along. Im realizing what I should have done on the upper planking which would have helped curve the lower planking more correctly. Also, I am using Chuck's technique of putting clear tape over the plank of the previous row and using a pencile to draw the correct line to then transfer to the next plank. I'm slowly getting better at it. I can already tell that my next hull planking will be much better than this. The pic above shows the curving of the planks. This was really tough to get the right curve but very rewarding. Thanks!! Jeff

I see what you mean now. Thank you for your insight! I will make the corrections now so it won't be a headache later. Jeff

Thank you for pointing this out! I would not have fitted that decorative metal piece at this time. I broke out those metal parts and test fitted them to the sides of the ship: According to the instructions, they should fit here. If this is wrong, please tell me!!! Haha! Currently, both metal pieces fit flush against the hull. I also made my first half-stealer! I realized that i didnt give the bottom plank enough height. Boo. But, this is my first attempt and the fit of the stealer to the bottom plank is quite snug. So I am happy about that part. This section will be smoothed out with wood filler anyway and painted so you won't be able to tell (I hope!). I am now reading the three planking guides on the site: Lining Off your hull for planking Planking Primer Plankingprojectbeginners Lastly, I have to say, the supplied basswood for the hull planks are not of very good quality. All the pieces have terrible edges that etch into the plank and makie it impossible to get a good fit. This piece I took out at random, has scores in it that, if sanded smooth, would make the plank way too thin. I will have to fill them in with wood filler. Also, with this example, both the top and bottom edges have many scratches as I hope you can see. With these scratches, there will gaps between planks that I will have to fill with wood filler too. Also, this is the good side of the plank! The other side of this plank has worse edges. Lastly, there is only one layer of planks. I know that this kit wants me to paint the entire hull and to use wood filler to smooth out everything, but its taking me a LONG time just to prep the plank to place on the hull. I want to practice making the hull correctly by following the guides and not have any planks end in a point, but the supplied wood is just making more work for me. Jeff

Just a small update. I have completed one side of planking that I will consider the top hull planking. The bottom two rows are smaller height wise to correct 2 things: 1) the hull planks at the bow on both sides of the ship do not match up (pic below) 2) following the planking instructions, I felt that the top rows of planks had too much of an upward bend towards the stern and needed to be slightly corrected for the bottom planking. If you look closely, the planks do not match up correctly until the last row. I cheated a little with the last row plank at the stern. This piece was a little wider than the other planks but fit well. This was to help correct the too much of an upward curve from the previous planks. I have started the other side. Once that is done, I will follow thw guides at this site to complete the bottom hull planking. Thanks! Jeff

This is my last post for this build for a while. I have started a new build here for the Artesania Latina L'Hermione kit. Thank you all for your support and kind words! They will help me a lot for my new build! Jeff

Thank you for your comment Jim! After reading over 3 planking guides here on the forums, I realized I have a lot to learn and experiment with to get the planking correct. Here is a small update to my planking That bottom plank took me 30 minutes to get into the correct shape. This row of planks will be the last of the upper planking. So I will be using the guides to help me plank the hull below the wales. Jeff

First off, I have glued the keel together since it came in 2 pieces. The oveall false keel is straight, exept the tops between the frames are bent. I was able to get around that though. This is where I decided to do the instructions out of order. I glued on the stem at this point instead way later at step 12. I then planked the second deck and glued it onto the ship. The first hull plank! The red thing in the back is my electric kettle which the steam really helps to bend the wood easily. next, I marked out and cut the gunports. I then glued on the stern transom and the hull planks underneath. I had an issue glueing the stern transom on. I thought I had bent it enough, so I glued and clamped it and left for work. When I came back home, it looked like this. So I removed the glue and put that non glued side under the steam for a minute. I then re glued that side and this is the outcome. MUCH BETTER! It made me feel a lot better after I was able to fix it. Finally, I have skipped yet another step and glued on the rest of the stern. I am now suppose to plank the rest of the hull. I am reading through the hull planking guides here, and they are very useful! I will be referencing to them a lot during this process. I am not that happy with how the instructions want me to plank the hull. Adding a lot of plank strips that end in a point. I want to get better at planking, so I will be following the guides and go slow so I can see my mistakes and learn from them. Jeff

Thank you Dilbert55! I totally agree. I have already done a few things out of sequence to the instructions. Like, for example, I glued on the stem to the keel before I did anything else. The instructions say to do that on step 12 after the hull has been fully planked. But it seemed to me it would be much easier to do it early in the build. Jeff

Hello all, Since my Victory is on hold, I decided to start something smaller and easier to fit in my busy schedule and my skill level better. I don't have much time to work on this model, (between 0 - 1 hour a day if I am lucky), so I thought the Hermione would be much better choice. First off, here is how the kit arrived Its funny how it has a big red sticker on it, and it was crushed! UH OH! As you can see, I was a little hesitant to open it. I closed my eyes and opened the box and luckily no pieces were damaged! That was a relief! I was trying to find the instructions to no avail. Then I realized that they were all in pdf and jpg format on the included cd! That isnt too bad cause at least I can zoom into the photos if I need a close up. I do like how there are MANY photos to help me understand what the instructions are trying to say. I noticed that the pictures help more than the English text does! I guess a picture is worth more than a paragraph of words! Next comes the plans. It included 1 sheet of plans which just had different views of the conpleted model. I was a little disappointed that it didn't come with plans that showed any cross sections of anything. Bummer. Pretty much all the parts are basswood and ply. The few pieces that were not basswood were the deck planks. I think the reason they didnt include much other wood was to: 1) save money on making the kit 2) pretty much all parts will be painted ,except the deck planking, so why include high quality wood if it will just be painted later? The laser cut parts are very detailed with very little burn marks. I was impressed with the amount of detail they could put into those small laser cut pieces. Here are a few of them The only pieces I have some gripe with are the basswood strips. Most of them do not have good edges like so I would say a good 30% of the strips have bad edges on all sides. I think this will make planking a little more challenging, but I will have to wait and see. I will be posting later tonight on my progress but wanted to describe the kit first. I'm already farther on this model than my Victory! So far, this is turning out to be a much better choice! Jeff

Hello all, Since my Victory is on hold, I decided to start something smaller and easier to fit in my busy schedule and my skill level better. I don't have much time to work on this model, (between 0 - 1 hour a day if I am lucky), so I thought the Hermione would be much better choice. First off, here is how the kit arrived Its funny how it has a big red sticker on it, and it was crushed! UH OH! As you can see, I was a little hesitant to open it. I closed my eyes and opened the box and luckily no pieces were damaged! That was a relief! I was trying to find the instructions to no avail. Then I realized that they were all in pdf and jpg format on the included cd! That isnt too bad cause at least I can zoom into the photos if I need a close up. I do like how there are MANY photos to help me understand what the instructions are trying to say. I noticed that the pictures help more than the English text does! I guess a picture is worth more than a paragraph of words! Next comes the plans. It included 1 sheet of plans which just had different views of the conpleted model. I was a little disappointed that it didn't come with plans that showed any cross sections of anything. Bummer. Pretty much all the parts are basswood and ply. The few pieces that were not basswood were the deck planks. I think the reason they didnt include much other wood was to: 1) save money on making the kit 2) pretty much all parts will be painted ,except the deck planking, so why include high quality wood if it will just be painted later? The laser cut parts are very detailed with very little burn marks. I was impressed with the amount of detail they could put into those small laser cut pieces. Here are a few of them The only pieces I have some gripe with are the basswood strips. Most of them do not have good edges like so I would say a good 30% of the strips have bad edges on all sides. I think this will make planking a little more challenging, but I will have to wait and see. I will be posting later tonight on my progress but wanted to describe the kit first. I'm already farther on this model than my Victory! So far, this is turning out to be a much better choice! Jeff

Thanks Dan. You have really made me feel better about my decision. I have decided to start L' Hermione La Fayette from Artesania Latina. I like all the pictures of the instruction manuals (which are PDF and I can display them on my tablet which is nice too). I already feel that I am progressing much better (I wouldn't say "faster" because it's more about feeling that I accomplished a part of the ship rather than how fast I can complete it) and it's more satisfying to build. I'm thinking of posting my progress so far. This ship is much more "doable" with the time I can dedicate to it per week and with my current skill level. Jeff

Hello All, I haven't posted in a while and that is because of a few factors: 1) No time to work on it (work, family etc) 2) A little stumped on a certain part of the build (but not enough time to be able to dedicate to figure out a way forward) 3) I feel, like some posted early on, that my skills are not quite up to the task of what I want to do with the model With that said and with a heavy heart, I have decided to take a break from this model for a while. I will come back to it, but I feel that I need to take a step back. I feel I was doing a lot of work for very little gain, or not being happy with what I did and having to rip it all up and start over (multiple times even!). Unfortunately, it was feeling more like an up hill battle than a relaxing/fun hobby. It saddens me to have to post this, but I have to be truthful with myself and give myself the opportunity to gain more experience with the hobby before continuing with this build. I have learned a LOT from all of you and through my pitfalls which is a great thing. I think for my skill level, I need to start with a smaller kit. I think this will be a much better fit for me and how much time I can currently dedicate to the hobby. I am thinking of posting that build with the intention of keeping with the kit instructions with no added details to help me get a better foundation to the skills of the hobby. I WANT to get better and make wonderful ships. Thanks for listening! Jeff

Well boo. I'm not happy with the inner walls so far. I have completed 3 rows on each side, and I feel it doesn't look very good. 1) the planks are NOT even in height: 2) the planks do NOT sit flush against the deck and other planks (small example): 3) The door frames are also out of alignment by 1mm which will affect the positioning of the gun ports: It's hard to tell by the photo, but I re measured 3 times to validate. 4) I also measured where the gun ports that go on the other decks, and realized that the ports go through the frames. Boo. So... I'm thinking of ripping off the inside walls on both sides and doing it again; and also maybe moving the top parts of the frames I made so they don't hit any gun ports. Feels like 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. My issue is, I need a good way to accurately sand off the sides of the wall strips to angle them correctly against the frames and to sit flush against the deck, the frames, and the other planks. I have tried to sand the planks manually, but there is no way I can get the angle even over the full length of the plank. Any suggestions on hoe to accurately sand planks to angle them slightly? Jeff

Thank you for the advice! I have started to build up the inside walls according the the plans in the book. I also built one gun carrage to test fit to make sure the guns will fit properly (inside and having the gun protrude enough out of the ship). I will post more of the walls once I have the time. I also will utilize your advice and add some strengtheners between the frames. I'm also adding a few nail markings like I did on the deck floor once I use the sealer, they will be a little more noticeable. Thanks! Jeff

Congrats Bob! Fantastoc job! I can only dream of having skills like yours! I'm looking forward to your next build! Jeff

I finished the other wall! I didn't realize that it would take 139 pieces to make... Not sure what to make next. Should I build the inside walls first of the middle deck? So I can make the gun ports on the inside first? Or complete all the measurements and plank the hull next? Or plank the front part of the ship where the bowsprit sits on the deck? I can't follow the instructions for the next step because it wants me to make the upper deck and then plank the quarter deck. I can't do that until the middle deck is fully finished with guns and things. I will be not planking the upper deck so you can look down into the middle deck. Here is what it fully looks like right now. Any advice would be great! Jeff

I finally finished one of the walls on the middle deck! Whew! I also made some small doors too. I know that this wall is not actuate, nor is it in the right place. But I'm not making the full middle deck and I just needed something to cover up the bare frames. I am currently working on the other wall for the other side of the ship. I positioned the doors so they are slightly open. Thanks! Jeff

Thank you everyone for all your likes! I finally finished cutting out the tops of the frames and glued them on the ship. That took a while and a few attempts using the scroll saw. I am currently working on the walls and doors that I will be placing on the deck. This is the first section and door. I know that the position of this wall and the doors aren't correct compaired to the real ship, but I'm good with that. I wanted to keep the frames from view. I hope to be able to build more of the doors and walls soon. Jeff

That is a good idea! I will have to try that next time. Thanks for thr advice John! I had already purchased the sanding sealer and this is the outcome: I like it a lot better than the varnish as its really clear and brings out the wood really well! The nails are more pronounced but not too overwhelming. I need to dust off the black pained haha! I am happy with the result. I will get better at applying it the more I use it. Jeff

About varnishing, I have noticed that some varnish leaves a yellowish hew on what I am varnishing. I don't like that too much. What varnish would you guys recommend? Jeff

Thanks for the advice Dan! I will be doing just that on the next deck. I feel that I am finally back to where I was before the accident! I finished putting on the shot garlands! Compairing it to what I had before, I think this is much better. What I didn't realize was that the space between the shot garlands were actually roughly in the middle of where the corresponding gun would go. I already had marked where the guns should be on the model and figured out that I had marked out everything correctly! That was a huge relief and 0 work had to be redone. That means the gun placement as well as the hatch placements are correct. Next, I am thinking of varnishing the deck, then remaking the bulkhead sides I removed and gluing them in place. I am not that happy with the ones I already made and think I can make them better. Thanks! Jeff