Nearshore

Hi Fricap, Thank you for your encourement. I checked out the link you provided and yes the figurehead would certainly be an improvement on what was supplied with the kit. I unfortunately do not have access to a 3D printer. I think that i am going to stick with the componets that were provided with the kit for now. My reasoning i guess is to try and show this kit with the stock componets for anyone coming behind me that builds this kit and what they could try and do to improve there appearance. I am impressed with you level of skill in achieving the details you are capturing. Although we are both building the same kit, your interpretation is far more impressive. There is only one other build log that i am aware of on MSW that completed this kit. Without that buid log i would have struggled to understand many of the complexities of this kit especially since the instructions supplied are vague at best. Hopefully our build logs will help others when attempting to build this kit. I saw a thread sometime ago that Chris at Vanguard Models was possibly going to release his version of the Bellona. I don't know what ever happened with that, possibly lack of public interest or copy rights???? I bet you if VM did release there version it would be far more superior then the Corel version. Good luck to you in your journey building your version of the Bellona. Cheers Nearshore

Thank you Ron. I appreciate your compliment. You have certainly set the bar for excellence though. Your Sphinx is looking amazing!!

Hello All, Happy New Year to everyone, hope the Holidays were good for you. I have been pretty busy the last month or so, but unfortunately it hasn’t been in the shipyard. I do want to provide a small update on the progress I have made so far though. I have continued fabrication of the deadeyes and chain plates for the starboard side channels. I am using the same technic that I used on the Port side channels. So far things are going rather smoothly, but I found myself losing patience and decided to move on to something else for a break. I have been following Frecap’s build log of the Bellona, and I must say he is capturing some interesting details. One of the details pointed out was whether the Catheads had knee bracing on the axial. There appear to be several depictions with and without this bracing. I felt that the Catheads on my ship were missing something, and it made perfect sense to me from an engineering standpoint to include this axial bracing. I found the angles that I needed using a piece of card stock and then used it as a template to cut out the braces. I used some leftover beechwood that I had and sanded them to a thickness of 3mm. I polished and applied a couple coats of WOP and attached them to the hull. I know I did not capture the full decorative detail of the grooving, but it matches the lack of detail I don’t have on the Catheads already. LOL It does however satisfy my eye on that element I felt was missing. I decided to continue on with the stern and install the dicast figurehead and trailboards that were supplied with the kit. The quality of the PE and diecast parts that are supplied with the kit are of very poor quality compared to what I have seen on other kits being built on MSW, especially the VM kits. To try and improve on the appearance of the figurehead, I fabricated a spear some time ago and attached it to the hand of the figurehead. It seemed to help distract from the poor quality of the casting. I cut the pieces I needed from the brass sheet that the PE parts are stamped on. I soldered them to a piece of wire that I cut from a paperclip. I shaped the head of the spear using a file until I felt I had the proper shape. It’s not perfect but I feel it does improve the appearance of the figurehead. Well, that’s all I have for now and as always, your comments and guidance are always welcome. PS The last pictures are of the tool holder my wife made me for Christmas. She designed it and used her laser to cut out the parts. It has really helped to keep the tools organized and at hand. Cheers Nearshore

I have the Ultimation sander and slicer. Both of them give fantastic results. If you google Ultimation Industries, you will be able to locate their web site. They are definitely on the pricey side, but in my humbled opinion, they are worth the extra money. I believe they are a company based in Canada, so if your ordering from the US you may experience delays in shipping according to their web site.

Welcome to MSW. This is a great site and the folks that belong to this forum are extremely helpful and polite. Good luck with your journey into thid wonderful hobby. Cheers Nearshore

Hi Frecap, I am impressed with your research into the accuracy of the Bellona. I agree with Yves that you are taking the construction of Corel’s version of this ship to another level. I am amazed at the details you are achieving at this scale. (1:100) Building the same kit myself I see areas that I could have improved on, but I am past that the point of construction and am not going to go backwards and try and (probably fail) to replicate the detail you are achieving. I agree with you that each modeler has their own vision when constructing their models. For me, I am trying to use the PE parts and cast fittings that were supplied with the kit and use the natural tones of the wood to create my own masterpiece. LOL You are certainly raising the bar with your Bellona build, and I look forward to watching your progress. I am sure I am going to have many questions going forward with by build and I am grateful to have an expert like yourself to rely on when those questions arise. Keep up the amazing job you are doing, and I wish you and your family well for the holiday seasons. Cheers Nearshore

Very well done. Looks amazing !!

Hi Frecap, Your guwales look fantastic!! I am curious on what technique you used to get the end of the gunwales to curve up. I am going to be building mine in the near future and was hoping you could provide me some insight on how you achieved this. I am assuming that you used two pieces of wood glued together and shaped the final result. I am very impressed with your work and your Bellona is really coming out nice. The paint scheme you have chosen is beautiful.

Hello All, I have a small update on the Bellona progress. I have been working on assembling the deadeyes and chain plates. It has taken me several attempts to fabricate them and come up with something that I feel looks better than what was supplied with the kit. I used a .5mm brass wire for the deadeyes and a .7mm brass wire for the chain plates. I was not happy with my first attempt, the chain plates seemed to look kind of like a paper clip. My second attempt was a little bit better, but I was still not very happy with my results. My third attempt was more pleasing to my eye, so that’s what I went with. For the purest out there, they are not historically accurate, but there are quite a few things on this kit that are not accurate. I have completed the port side channels and will move on to the starboard side applying the knowledge and skills I gained. I don’t think the starboard side should take as long as the port side now that I kind of know what I am doing. LOL I won’t get into too much detail of how I constructed these, I will let the pictures speak for themselves. As always, you comments and guidance are always welcome. Cheers Nearshore

Nice job. Looking pretty good. The veneer will more than likely have to be tapered for it to fit properly. Just take your time and treat each plank as though they were there own project. Keep up the good work.

Welcome to MSW.

Hi Ronald, You are truely a master!!! You are doing an amazing job. I quite enjoy watching your progress and your explanations on your techniques are second to none. Cheers Nearshore

Hi Captain Amateur, Yes when i faired the bulkheads I sanded the deck to be flush. I did have to add some material to a couple of bulkheads to allow for a smooth transition of the planking. Are you doing a build log? If i haven't clearly answered your question, maybe you can share a picture of what you are questioning. Thank you for the compliment. Cheers Nearshore

Hi Matt, Welcome to to hobby. looks like you picked a good project for your first build log. I look forward to watching your progress. Cheers Nearshore

Hi Frecap, I like the molding tool you made. It looks like it produces great results. i am curious about one thing. Your roundhouses seem to overhang past the bow deck. I am thinking that this may cause you some issues when the time comes to install the headrails. You may have a plan already for this, but if you don't you may want to look at their positions and move them inboard a bit. Nearshore