PUNISHERMARKO

I always go by "first paint what is lower/inside and then paint the stuff what is higher. I painted everything black and then with micro brush, I painted letters and the outside without touching the lower plate. I use this technique for everything, even when I painted figurines always something what sits lower is painted first and then whatever sits higher. But couldn't do it without proper paint brush. I believe I brush is 0.2mm the smallest one you can buy.

Just would to like quick thought. I was deciding on name plate " VICTORY" whether to use plate or lose letters, real Victory has lose letters, but I decided name plate looks much nicer. Sometimes you just have to make decision what looks better to you instead of how it looks in real life.

Not sure if it's worth starting build vlog when I am almost half way through, I might do, but my plan is when I get second Victory I will definitely start vlog. I am currently posting updates of my build on facebook ( not sure if you on facebook if you would like to add me on friend list? ) I'll put few pictures here of my progress so far if you don't mind. Maybe I'll start vlog and just put pictures there of my progress, what I've learnt and my mistakes. Very happy with everything so far, currently at 1200 hours and nowhere near finish. My biggest mistake was when I installed galleries at the beginning, I put them inside out, because I assumed that the small cut is for the "glass bit". I was cutting that clear plastic/acrylic for each individual window and now all the brass window frames are on the outside. Not big deal, but that was biggest mistake I made and lesson learnt "never assume". I was hoping I could finish within a year, but that's definitely not possible, so maybe by summer, then take 1 month break and start on new model. Especially new Assetto Corsa coming out in 2 days 😆 I do lots of sim racing and trying to fit it in with my ship building. I am lucky enough that I visited HMS Victory three times now, maybe again this year, my biggest complaint about visiting HMS Victory that it's always covered with scaffolding and 90% of outside is covered and you can't see anything other that inside of course. But they are always working on it. Maintenance and refurbishing,

I finished 1 side that took me full 12 hours to do, definitely 1 of the hardest things so far. I think front of the ship " The bows" was so far most difficult, but I absolutely enjoyed painting figure heads. Still long way to go. And I absolutely hate bending the brass profiles, I make it crazy hot and is still difficult to bend.

That definitely looks amazing with all nets finished 🙂 Well done Chris, keep up great work work ☺️. I am still working on mine. Currently on page 39 quarter galleries.

I forgot to mention, I know you said your rudder doesn't turn because you missing parts? My one turns 45 degrees to left/right. And again, out of all models I built, I am gonna say this was the best and most simplest hinges system I've seen. it's simple yet it works perfectly.

Few things I would like point out. Missing items are not normal, so like you said Chris it's backorder and they missed it, but they said they would send any missing parts for free. If you want kit with missing items just buy anything from Occre. Endless missing items in every single kit and it took over 2 weeks to get anything [ from Portugal to UK ] I live about 2 hours from their warehouse and I used 1x16mm walnut on wrong place and because of that I didn't have enough for where I was supposed to use it. I called them in a morning, they send me 2 metres of 1x16mm and received it next day cost me £2, but this was my fault. I am already planning to buy second HMS Victory from caldercraft around April/May 2025. And like Graham said your anchors are assembled wrong.

Hey Chris, really nice job. I am looking forward to see your progress 🙂 Your netting reminded of what I've done. But I am pretty sure I took idea either from your build log earlier on or someone else's, I can't remember. But, I got tulle fabric and tried how it looks and if it's easy to work with. I then stitched it and put 100% cotton inside. I tried to roll them up and then fold them like on real ship, but that didn't look good, so just roll them up tightly. Maybe sides I'll do different. That's all finished now and yesterday I started on page 27 forecastle canons. I also skipped few pages [ very last page 😄] and put pins in around the waist deck and pulled thread through just to finish the waist deck ladders. Just have to be careful not to damage them. When I was doing copper plating I decided to skip few pages and do rudder at the same time and attach it. Getting there slowly. Would like to finish 1st book by end of the year, but I don't think that's possible.

all that hard work with the lights definitely paid off as it does look amazing. Lights coming through every single window and on the deck, it looks really good🙂

Those lights look amazing, great work. I have never done lights before, this is first model I really wanted to do lights and I keep looking at my options for next model. trying to keep it simple and was looking at ARGB strips like 5-10 metres and then cut it at the points and solder cables on the connections. But someone recently mentioned Christmas tree lights and actually that is really good idea, not gonna lie. I think to keep it very simple I might get Christmas lights for next victory. Gonna be hassle to keep pulling whole 4 metre cable through holes, but it's simple and it will look good and there are many shapes of bulbs. But your Titanic looks really good 🙂

I asked my wife whether she prefers deck planking with caulking or without and she said without. That's why I did quarter deck planking without. But yeah like you said I've seen people doing with string and that's crazy amount of work, especially planking the hull and using string. Your sailing hobby makes me jealous. I am trying to do as much as I can now because in December Christmas tree will come out and ship will have to be put away for a month, unless we don't have tree and I will be able to continue. While ago I made mistake which is kind of funny. When I was working on galleries, on each window there is that little cut out for the brass later on in the build. I didn't check, I just assumed that that little cut out is for the "glass" so I spent hours cutting out that little clear plastic into each window when i just could have cut out big rectangular piece and stick it on. So they are inside out and lesson learnt "never assume". Second mistake which I will definitely do on second hms victory is I didn't do lights and I am kicking myself for it. And just wanted to show what I used to do canon rigging. I 3d printed myself little jig and do all rigging on there and once done, just transfer everything to ship. And lastly the platform around bow sprit looks very well.

Yeah, no. I wouldn't recommend occre to my worst enemy, but thats how I started this hobby. During summer I try to work on ships for 12 hours a day, wake up super early and work till 9pm sometimes. There is way too much wrong with occre for ridiculous price. I also did buy their latest HMS Victory in 2023 I believe, once again for absolutely ridiculous price with intention to return it. Cheap materials, bad drawings, lots of missing parts, bad manual and fancy packaging. Occre got me started, but soon I realized that there are far better models for similar price. And every single model had lots of parts missing and when I requested parts it took over 2 weeks to arrive. Their latest USS Missouri is literal copy of Prinz Eugen for double the price. Occre in 2020 was actually ok. Low ish quality models for fair price, but now, its even lower quality models for ridiculous price. I attached couple of pictures of my progress on Victory. The writing on the stand is design and 3d printed by me. Maybe once everything is finished I will try to 3d print some very nice looking stand, but this one is really good and strong. That's the thing with occre, stand is easier very flimsy or most of the time they dont include stand and you have to spend extra £££ to have stand...

I do agree that most of the time instructions are very clear, but I did come across something very recently put this in there. No mention about drawing or any pictures or references. I did same as you either look at the picture from the box which I still have or look at the pictures from the real thing. But from all the ships mentioned below, this one has the best instructions and drawings. I started building these beautiful boats in 2020 and since then I finished in correct order Occre: HMS terror, santisima trinidad, montanes, prinz eugen, and from Mantua - Sovereign of seas [ my favourite ] and now working on caldercraft-hms victory and hoping I can finish by summer and start on second hms victory from caldercraft. I am still new to this forums, so not sure if I am allowed to put 1 picture of my hms victory on here. Thank you and keep up good work Chris

Hey Yabuhebi, I never posted or commented here before, but just would like to make nice comment. I especially love your posts as you are just bit ahead of me, which always gives me new ideas on how to do things in future. I purchased my HMS Victory in April 2024 and I am currently on page 21 Quarterdeck fixings working on it roughly 7 hours every day, but I am enjoying it. Prior to that I finished 5 large scale ships. But anyway, I love your posts, keep up great work 🙂