Jump to content

GrandpaPhil

NRG Member
  • Posts

    5,553
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by GrandpaPhil

  1. Incredible finish! Absolutely stunning work! This is one of the best models that I have ever seen! Happy New Year! May 2023 usher in peace and prosperity for you and yours! Stay safe! We are all looking forward to seeing your next build!
  2. All shrouds are in place: That means the standing rigging is done except for the ratlines. Ratlines will commence shortly. This also means that I am mostly done with most of the leftover parts from this model and it is time to straighten up my work area before proceeding and just leave out the yards, gaffs and sails/flags. I will be using blocks originally purchased for the Victory 2 years ago.
  3. For small scale models, I use overhand knots with thinned down white glue applied periodically.
  4. Top shroud deadeyes are in place: I am going to install the top shrouds and then rat all the shrouds down. I will start with the lower main mast because that will be the most difficult.
  5. The lower shrouds and all backstays are installed: All broken davits are repaired. This definitely went better than the last time I rigged a barque (or any other variation of a square rigged vessel), 7 years ago. This process here took a couple weeks. I still have to install ratlines, but I am going to save that for after I install the top shrouds, and tie all of them at once.
  6. Oops: Ordinarily I would upset about this, however this was a very opportune break. I dropped something on it. The silver lining is that I can now get to those two deadeyes.
  7. I have been using Mont Marte glue that I bought off Amazon for gluing parts together. It works great and hasn’t been causing warpage. I have been using Elmer’s Glue Sticks for laminating card and wood together and gluing patterns or templates down to card or wood. Once it dries, it holds through cutting and doesn’t generally delaminate. Plus, it’s easy to remove the pattern from wood if you are not keeping it on the piece.
  8. Main Mast Lower Shrouds and half of the Mizzen Mast Lower Shrouds are on: I have been working in a sort of round robin pattern to give glue time to dry. I have been installing a port side main mast line, a port side mizzen mast line, and starboard side mizzen mast line and then finishing a round with a starboard side main mast line. I have 12 lines, out of 44, to go before lower shrouds and backstays are complete.
  9. Thank you Keith. Fortunately, I am very stubborn. This model has been a learning experience and has already served its purpose for me. I only needed the hull to detail out the builder’s plans I got from the French Ministry of Defense’s Historical Office. I have learned a lot about mid-19th century ship construction and the fittings thereof. I had planned on terminating the build after the hull had been built, to serve the same purpose as a shipyard model would have served back in the day. Then my Admiral asked for this one for herself. She wanted it as a Christmas gift for her. It will be slightly late, but these models take time.
  10. Yesterday was kind of a wash. My halogen stand lamp fell on my model, yesterday, inflicting massive damage to the jib lines. There was a LOT of rework. I replaced the damaged stays. The other rigging already in place saved the foremast and the bowsprit. I also corrected the sag on the starboard double ship’s boats davits. I did manage to run 6 new lines, 1 backstay and 5 shroud lines. The backstay and several of the shrouds went through several iterations.
  11. Foremast lower shrouds and the foremast backstays are in place: They are going very slowly. I have been having problems getting behind the davits and the vertical supports for a railing type piece of rigging that will go all the way around the ship. The small size of the deadeyes has been giving me some problems, too. Many of the shrouds and a couple of the backstays so far have been replaced a couple of times, too. However, as much of a difficulty as these are, real ratlines look infinitely better than ratlines made on a loom with fake deadeyes. This part of the model has been a lesson in Adapt and Overcome.
  12. Shrouds! Slowly but surely! And, Merry Christmas to all! Happy New Year!
  13. The Solferino has masts: They all have blocks and are permanently installed. Rigging will commence once the glue (PVA) sets up and after I assemble the toy box that I bought for my newest grandson for his first Christmas.
  14. Here is the original rigging plan (Courtesy of the French Ministry Of Defense Historical Office) as approved in 1864 for the refit from a barquentine rig to a barque rig: You can’t really tell if there is any mast rake from the pictures that came with the kit. However, from the original sail plan, you can tell that rake, for our purposes, at 1/200 scale, is negligible. Now, for the Magenta, which will be 1/72 scale, that may change.
  15. The foremast getting blocks: Note: the mizzen mast is painted and awaiting sealant after the paint dries. It is quite cold here which is negatively effecting drying times. The rigging plan for this model is very simplified due to the scale, so I am only going to running about a third of the lines as in a normal barque rig, even with sails. By comparison, my Mamoli Endeavour (the Captain Cook one, not the yacht), which also had a barque rig, took three months to rig. I took holiday (vacation) next week to try and finish this model. And, due to the rigging simplification, it might actually happen.
  16. The foremast and main mast are done: The mizzen mast still needs finished. I still need to attach blocks before I glue down the main or foremasts. The stays will probably be done tomorrow. And then the shrouds. I will be honest, the shrouds are one of the hardest parts of a model for me.
  17. The main mast is partly made! I am making good use of being snowed in, lol. My Prince de Neufchatel went from a framework to a fully covered, painted and coppered hull with a deck and the head done on a four day weekend from a winter storm, lol.
  18. The foremast is made and temp installed: It still needs paintwork and sealed. I just made my own mast, but I used the kit’s mast tops and fife rail. The mast is made from a dowel rod, a bamboo kitchen skewer and a toothpick. I shaved them down with a scalpel and sanded smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. Mast hoops are made of paper.
  19. The Shipyard kits are very nice. I bought one of the 30th Anniversary combo sets and started their Mercury. The level of detail is incredible. The laser cut frame that comes with the kits is fall together quality. From there, just take your time.
×
×
  • Create New...