coxswain

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:
 

Man....!  Love it.
 
Rob

The smaller the scale, the less details  is likely to be seen on a model ship.
Here is an example:
 
How the frames sit on the keel. Boudriot give an extensive description but  How the heels fit under the frame is not so clear. It is difficult to see exactly how it is done.
So I tried to manufacture 1 set of frames.
You can see the result of this try.

THE KEY TO USE CHERRY WOOD
 
‘’My mystery partner’’ will be starting  a model of a 74 guns as soon he finishes his actual model.  He wants to know if  cherry wood could be a good wood choice for his next build? He asked to see a picture of the darkest wood avaialable. Why not show everybody the answer and  at the same time, try to demistify if this wood could  be use in a model ship construction perspective.
For  3 different batches of cherry wood that I saw, the wood grain pattern was different each time. I have been working few years up to now and if I take time to regroup the observations I made during this period, I can observe  4 main wood grain pattern for this specific wood:
 
1- Sap wood is white and heartwood is somekind of  different brown.  Time  darkens and embellish condiderably the color.
 
2- By comparison, which is often the best way to learn a subject, pear wood has no grain pattern. This gives the wood an adavantage for the model maker enthousiast.  All the planks are identical for the wood grain. He does not need to select any plank,  all the planks have the same  identical  grain pattern. From the point of view, workability pear wood and cherry wood  are similar even if pear wood  has a slightly higher density. Finally, for the sandability, both are identical.
 
Cherry wood has  a grain pattern. This pattern is different on the top and on the side of the plank. The pattern is partially governed by the annual year growth . Ideally if the rings were smaller, cherry wood could be the ideal wood to use for us, modeler.
 
When you look at a plank from side or top the pattern can be completely different, This pattern  comes back often and it is pretty nice to see but on 1 side only.
 
3- The worst grain pattern we can find is when when the growth lines come perpendiculary to the lenght of the plank. This kind is the less desirable to use. The worst  mistake I could do is to use this pattern for the planking.
 
Ideally by decreasing   the scale of a model, we should also decrease the wood pattern of the grain. For the best results, we should find a wood grain which looks exactly like oak but at a much smaller scale. Does this perfect wood exist? I do not know.  One of the nicest wood I have seen for the planking is apple wood, yet another fruit wood, our best friend.
 
4- Each wood as his own advantages. Oak has a grain pattern which goes in the same way as the plank goes. Occasionally, a cherry wood plank will have the grain perpendicular to the lenght of the plank. This is exactly this kind of situation which must be avoid. If someone succeeds to avoid this trap, it should be possible to get a good result  simply by categorising the wood, not as a selling perspective classification as on the market, but as a perspective of use in model ship realisation.
 
For the frame,  the less attractive wood grain of the batch can be use and the best looking grain is kept for the planking. 

The next step looks to be a simple one : one strip downwards and then planking entire wale area...
all the strips are equal wide to their entire lengths...

Strong, firmly, straight , precise ... these are the words to describe this construction in this stage ... Was it fragile in the beginning ? ... The first phase of the pleasent job has just been done .... The second phase is the hull planking... All planking of this hull begins with two 4mm wide strips. The first planking strip is glued so that its upper edge follows the upper edge of the main deck rail that will be attached to the deck later. Below this one follows the same one. This is the base for the top of the wale that will be attached later... instead of this combination the 3mm and 5mm wide strips could be used. The point is that this part of the wale should be 8mm wide all along its lenght ...

   Here is the first strip :

So, this photograph shows the construction prepared well for the planking... those blocks are quite well done for the modelers who have the experience in the single planking method ... The single planking method is the one MarisStella ship modelling school recommends to everyone because it is the way of planking very close to the planking in reality and it saves the time a lot ... Once You get to it, You will be doing it for all times ...
... This construction could have been filled with the blocks between all the bulkheads... that would be recommended to the beginners... The surface, prepared in that way, is actually like the first planking and the planks over it is actually like the second planking ... It is good for acquisition of experience in the single planking method ...

So, avoiding of making the blocks saves the time, but in that case bit more of experience is needed ...

Hi all
 
Very minor update. Managed to drill a hole in all the gunports to fit the dummy guns. I wanted to do that before installing the decks and wales. Hasn't come out too badly. I did manage to loose one of the guns    between counting them (and yes I did have the correct number!) and installing them. I am not too worried as I am sure that it will turn up as soon as I order a replacement. 
 
Couple of pictures (excuse the quality...)

 

 
The guns are not glued in at the moment. I'll do that at a later stage. Next step is installing the deck beams and the main deck.
 
Thanks for looking
 
Nick

Evening all
 
First of all thanks for all the comments and the likes.
 
Finally got round to taking a couple of shots with the SLR. I've sanded down one side and sorted out all the gun ports so hopefully they are all the same size (more or less  )
 
First of all here's the non sanded side for comparison.
 

 
And then the sanded side. Sanding and gun port sorting out probably took around 8 hours ish.
 

 
Thanks for looking.
 
Nick

Thanks Sjors!
 
Evening all
 
I decided to take the plunge and line the hull off according to Chuck Passaro's excellent tutorial. I didnt' want to use the wood supplied by Corel as I found it too light so decided to carry on with using walnut. I bought some 5mm wide planks and some 100mm wide sheets for the curved sections. All fine and well until I got both and realised the two didnt seem to be the same wood...   or more specifically the 5mm strips did not look like walnut
 
So ordered some more from a different source and got the same stuff... double . Given that my finances were (are... ) not illimited I decided to cut the 5mm planks from the 100mm sheets. Downside to that is that it takes a loooooong time to do the second planking. Hopefully it will be worth it.
 
First step was to break the hull down into sections:


and finally

 
And so the second planking of the hull started. As a picture is worth a thousand words...




and finally again

 
And that brings me up to date. I'm not going to be posting updates quickly from now on since I only have time to do one planking strip a week on average and I have about 35 strips left . I do like doing planking but I have to admit I'll be glad when it's over
 
I'll try and post some photos when I complete a section.
 
Thanks for looking
 
Nick

Evening all
 
The next step was to plank the bow. Not wanting to follow Corel' instructions for reasons shown below...

I tried to come up with something a bit more realistic and after getting some inspiration from the Ancre website, followed by some good tips from Danny this was the result

which you will agree (well hopefully ) is better than Corel's suggestion!
 
Next step was to mark up the frames in preparation for the second planking

followed by the stern planking

 
And then the second planking started...


and I'm sure you noticed on that last photo that I was still having issues with gun port location . Ho hum...
 
Only one more catch up post to follow and this log will have caught up with my progress.
 
TTFN
 
Nick

gun port omission (see previous post) now corrected...

 
After that it was "just" a question of applying the first layer of planking
 
in progress

 
and voila. Finished! easy.

 
However...something was amiss at the stern...

 
so drastic measures were required...

 
and the original booboo was fixed.

 
At this point can I say to anyone who hesitates in making a fix. Dont! Once you've ripped up what was wrong, well, you can't leave it like that so might as well do it properly!
Seriously I was tempted not to fix it. But I'm glad I did.
 
And finally a couple of pics of the first planking filled and sanded.


 
That's it for now. Thanks for looking in.
 
Hopefully I wont keep you waiting for the next installment too long.
 
Nick

Hi everyone
 
Since I have restarted my build of Le Mirage I thought it was time to resurect my build log from the ashes of the Great crash of 13!
 
This will be more of a summary rather than a detailed log. Lots of pictures, some words. You never know some of it might be interesting!
 
I started this build 3 years ago. Yes progress is slow but in my defence having two children in that time has somewhat limited build time...
 
Comments/criticisms/etc gratefully received. Always good to get feedback of more experienced modellers.
 
Anyhoo enough of the intro. Hope you're sitting confortably. Popcorn ready?... Good.
 
A few box content pictures to get going
 
The box

 
Inside the box


 
This is my second build after the Billing Bluenose and I have to say I was very impressed with the quality of the materials. However the bulkhead slots needed some adjusting...

 
All the bulkheads in place

 
Unfortunately I didn't notice until way too late that the first one was higher up than it should have been. First mistake (and not the last!   )
 
The slots in the bulkheads are used to determine where the gun ports are.

 
and again

 
although that didn't stop me forgetting some gun ports (told you there were more mistakes!)

 
Well that's the limit of 8 photos per post reached. Until the next post...
 
Nick

Thanks guy's,
Did a bit more work on the tops, ready for rough sanding. I think I'm getting the hang of it. A few pieces on the interior and the floor left. Really enjoying this build looking forward to starting the Santa Maria, hopefully next week.
 

 
Cheers.

Officially finished my first build.
Finished her with a Minwax wipe on poly, gave it a nice finish I was looking for.
 
She is now proudly displayed on the mantel.
Time to clean up the bench and get ready for my next build....
 

Agree 100 % Rick. :-)
 
I was woried about doing a single layer plank for my first build. I think it turned out not bad. The precision lazer parts and the quality of the wood has a lot to do with it.
 

 
I will redo the oar tholes "not a fan of exposed plywood"
 

 
3 bits and 2 oars a fine sanding and some finish and she will be done!

Allen
 
 
Thank you for your interest.
 
 
The wale is actually not parallel to the gun ports. The angle of the photos (even straight on) is skewing the perspective a bit. Also, the scale of the build (1:76.8) is an OK size but a distance of say 2" is barely 1/32" so it changes are slight. The gun ports actually rise moving fore to aft about a 1/16" of an inch as well.
 
 
The source material for the build is an acknowledged historical source(s) endorsement by a recognized and accredited organization.
 
 
The build is 9"-3/4" long, 6" high (hull) and 5"-3/4" at beam (6"-3/4") at widest point. Height when masted will be approximately 34" with a main yard (w/stunsils) at 19".
 
 
The keel in scale is only 12" deep from bottom of garboard strake.
 
 
Much work to do.............
 
 
Samuel
 

Starboard side.
 
Wales are installed. They feature a laser etched/embellished anchor stock planking detail. This will be repeated on Port. The wales, (for photgraphic detail) have been given a coat of wipe-on poly to highlight the etch. When finished they will be painted black.
 
There is one 3/16" strip installed below the wale. From that point down to planking band "C" the hull on Starboard will be left open for view of lower deck details.
 
A thin veneer was added to each bulkhead/frame face between the wale and band "C" providing a cleaner surface for finish (either paint or stain)
 
Next up: Above the wales

Thought I'd switch sides, band C is installed on Starboard.
 
As with Port, the Garboard strake is beveled from 3/16" to 1/8" length wise. It is then beveled on edge to tuck into the rabbit formed by the additional piece added to the Keel (former).
 
The remaining strakes are all at 1/8".

Well, well, I guess we shall see what we shall see and I like what I see - carry on, lad! : ^)

Well, well, I guess we shall see what we shall see and I like what I see - carry on, lad! : ^)

Well let's try to be concise:
 
Arsenal modeling is a discipline of naval modeling, the oldest and most demanding.   This activity consists of replicating to scale down the design and construction of old ships. This reproduction must be as faithful as possible in the making of the parts which constitute the framework, the arrangements of the decks, the equipment and the decoration of the original ship. The construction of the masts, the rigging and the sails are not imperative, it is a question of personal preferences.   In France this activity was practiced in the arsenals of the king since the XVIIth century, Jean Boudriot "awakened" this practice in the Seventies and the name has remained and is still used today.   The different parts must be perfectly conform to the original parts, their assembly also. Bolts, nails and treenails should be reproduced as far as possible. If a keel has four parts, these four parts must be represented and assembled as true with scarph, bold et nails.   No facility, modern materials or artifacts of manufacture are allowed in the traditional arsenal modeling unlike some models makers who make superb models but out of established conventions (absence of framework, sculpture in series (even metal), artillery in resin , etc.). For the enthusiasts who are often very cultured on the subject, these models are not part of the true model of arsenal.   The arsenal models are based on monographs or personal studies which are the representation of the real ships, they are not plans of model. These books are the result of advanced knowledge of the naval architecture in general and the ship concerned in particular (era, builder, place of construction, peculiarities, etc.). It is often a long-term process that requires a great deal of research.   Many regard it as a noble activity, close to art by the skill he asks.   GD   I do not know if the automatic translation will reflect the meaning of my talking...

Next the rabbet strip. I wanted to try an idea I had a while back for plank bending so tried it here.

I had bought a flexible curve, the sort often used for draughting (a lot in my past).

It was a cheap one but holds the bend very well and can go to a pretty tight radius.

I set up the flexi curve, soaked the bow part of the strip for an hour or so and gently bend it round the curve. I overlaid some scrap, very thin strip to avoid clamp marks then applied clamps all along.
Gotta say I’m pretty pleased. The curve held the radius completely and once dry the strip was just right.


Glued and clamped the strip to the bottom of the former. My keel clamp comes in handy already as a work holder.

Once set I transferred to bearding line on the former to the other side and tapered down to the rabbet strip both sides with chisel and sandpaper.

Here we are all done.

So, to starting the kit.

The two parts of the Bulkhead former were cleaned up and glued together. I sandwiched them between two glass sheets plus some weights to keep things straight.

Cleaned up the bulkhead slots and test fitted them for a nice tight fit.
I’m very conscious of the length of this hull and wanted to be extra cautious to avoid any warping.
So gave some thought to a keel clamp arrangement, this is what I came up with.

I sawed up a few pieces of 18mm MDF. One big bit as a base, one smaller bit as a fixed jaw and another smaller piece as a moving jaw.

I Positioned the former between the jaws with a false keel spacer below and measured/marked the bulkheads positions

Then clamped the parts together and routed out slots to correspond with the bulkhead positions. They are different widths and depths, half the slot in each jaw.

The glued the fixed jaw to the base. Drilled screw holes/slots to allow the moving jaw to be clamped tight. I left the two jaws overlapping the base along the long side to act as a lip for fixing clamps, elastic bands etc.