pirozzi

Working on and finishing the last deck, the poop deck. This was by far the most difficult part of the build so far. Unlike all of the other decks that are supported by the bulkhead frames, this deck has no real support. The kit comes with 2 small pieces of plywood made from the same wood as the false decks. These are to be glued in a vertical position on the upper quarterdeck to support the poop. That to me was not a satisfactory option, as it offered little support to the deck.
I constructed a bulkhead for the aft end and side supports to link the forward metal bulkhead and aft bulkhead . When I planked the hull at the aft end at the level of the upper quarterdeck and above, I should have extended the planks past the last hull bulkhead by at about 100mm. I cut them off flush with the last bulkhead, which meant I had to extend them aft to support the poop that hangs over the aft edge of the upper quarterdeck for most of its length. Oh well, you live and learn.
The exact horizontal location of the deck, its height from the upper quarterdeck below, the vertical slope, and the camber all required considerable measurements between plan sheets 2 and 17. These sheets do not exactly agree, so a compromise had to be made, and I hope I guessed correctly.
The false deck and the metal forward bulkhead had to be modified considerably in length, height, and shape. Once the false deck was placed on the frame, it had to be bent considerably at both ends to provide the heavy camber and required some serious clamping.
 
Also on another note: If you are planning on using the larger dimensions for the deck gratings as the plans show and not the smaller sizes as per the cutouts on the decks, you will not have enough grating pieces. There are enough to do the decks, but not to do the quarterdeck overhang and the heads at the bow. More will have to be aquired.
 
Next up is to prepare the hull for the finish layer of second planking. Since the finish layer is only going up to the bottom edge of the metal hull decorations from bow to stern, all of the pieces have to be placed temporarily in their exact locations to mark the upper boundary for the planking layer.
 
Vince P.

Working on and finishing the last deck, the poop deck. This was by far the most difficult part of the build so far. Unlike all of the other decks that are supported by the bulkhead frames, this deck has no real support. The kit comes with 2 small pieces of plywood made from the same wood as the false decks. These are to be glued in a vertical position on the upper quarterdeck to support the poop. That to me was not a satisfactory option, as it offered little support to the deck.
I constructed a bulkhead for the aft end and side supports to link the forward metal bulkhead and aft bulkhead . When I planked the hull at the aft end at the level of the upper quarterdeck and above, I should have extended the planks past the last hull bulkhead by at about 100mm. I cut them off flush with the last bulkhead, which meant I had to extend them aft to support the poop that hangs over the aft edge of the upper quarterdeck for most of its length. Oh well, you live and learn.
The exact horizontal location of the deck, its height from the upper quarterdeck below, the vertical slope, and the camber all required considerable measurements between plan sheets 2 and 17. These sheets do not exactly agree, so a compromise had to be made, and I hope I guessed correctly.
The false deck and the metal forward bulkhead had to be modified considerably in length, height, and shape. Once the false deck was placed on the frame, it had to be bent considerably at both ends to provide the heavy camber and required some serious clamping.
 
Also on another note: If you are planning on using the larger dimensions for the deck gratings as the plans show and not the smaller sizes as per the cutouts on the decks, you will not have enough grating pieces. There are enough to do the decks, but not to do the quarterdeck overhang and the heads at the bow. More will have to be aquired.
 
Next up is to prepare the hull for the finish layer of second planking. Since the finish layer is only going up to the bottom edge of the metal hull decorations from bow to stern, all of the pieces have to be placed temporarily in their exact locations to mark the upper boundary for the planking layer.
 
Vince P.

I am starting my next build after the SOS. It is the Royal William by Euromodels. First inspection of the kit contents is impressive. The quality looks good and the plans are great. The basic instructions that come with the kit are OK, but the Euro website has what they call Interpretive and reference notes. There are literally hundreds of pages with contruction notes, color photos, and illustrations. It is organized in chapters and is actually more like a build log of the entire construction. It starts with the basic kit and opens it up for as much kit bashing as you might want. It gives several levels at each stage and allows the builder to expand in detail to close to a scratch build. I have never seen anything like this before. It is outstanding and allows the builder to add as much challenge and complexity as one could want. The basic kit itself is no piece of cake by any means, but I am going to have much fun taking this build to the limits of my building skills and then some. What I learned from building the SOS will certainly help here. I am starting the build as we speak.        
 
Vince P.

Working on and finishing the last deck, the poop deck. This was by far the most difficult part of the build so far. Unlike all of the other decks that are supported by the bulkhead frames, this deck has no real support. The kit comes with 2 small pieces of plywood made from the same wood as the false decks. These are to be glued in a vertical position on the upper quarterdeck to support the poop. That to me was not a satisfactory option, as it offered little support to the deck.
I constructed a bulkhead for the aft end and side supports to link the forward metal bulkhead and aft bulkhead . When I planked the hull at the aft end at the level of the upper quarterdeck and above, I should have extended the planks past the last hull bulkhead by at about 100mm. I cut them off flush with the last bulkhead, which meant I had to extend them aft to support the poop that hangs over the aft edge of the upper quarterdeck for most of its length. Oh well, you live and learn.
The exact horizontal location of the deck, its height from the upper quarterdeck below, the vertical slope, and the camber all required considerable measurements between plan sheets 2 and 17. These sheets do not exactly agree, so a compromise had to be made, and I hope I guessed correctly.
The false deck and the metal forward bulkhead had to be modified considerably in length, height, and shape. Once the false deck was placed on the frame, it had to be bent considerably at both ends to provide the heavy camber and required some serious clamping.
 
Also on another note: If you are planning on using the larger dimensions for the deck gratings as the plans show and not the smaller sizes as per the cutouts on the decks, you will not have enough grating pieces. There are enough to do the decks, but not to do the quarterdeck overhang and the heads at the bow. More will have to be aquired.
 
Next up is to prepare the hull for the finish layer of second planking. Since the finish layer is only going up to the bottom edge of the metal hull decorations from bow to stern, all of the pieces have to be placed temporarily in their exact locations to mark the upper boundary for the planking layer.
 
Vince P.

Working on and finishing the last deck, the poop deck. This was by far the most difficult part of the build so far. Unlike all of the other decks that are supported by the bulkhead frames, this deck has no real support. The kit comes with 2 small pieces of plywood made from the same wood as the false decks. These are to be glued in a vertical position on the upper quarterdeck to support the poop. That to me was not a satisfactory option, as it offered little support to the deck.
I constructed a bulkhead for the aft end and side supports to link the forward metal bulkhead and aft bulkhead . When I planked the hull at the aft end at the level of the upper quarterdeck and above, I should have extended the planks past the last hull bulkhead by at about 100mm. I cut them off flush with the last bulkhead, which meant I had to extend them aft to support the poop that hangs over the aft edge of the upper quarterdeck for most of its length. Oh well, you live and learn.
The exact horizontal location of the deck, its height from the upper quarterdeck below, the vertical slope, and the camber all required considerable measurements between plan sheets 2 and 17. These sheets do not exactly agree, so a compromise had to be made, and I hope I guessed correctly.
The false deck and the metal forward bulkhead had to be modified considerably in length, height, and shape. Once the false deck was placed on the frame, it had to be bent considerably at both ends to provide the heavy camber and required some serious clamping.
 
Also on another note: If you are planning on using the larger dimensions for the deck gratings as the plans show and not the smaller sizes as per the cutouts on the decks, you will not have enough grating pieces. There are enough to do the decks, but not to do the quarterdeck overhang and the heads at the bow. More will have to be aquired.
 
Next up is to prepare the hull for the finish layer of second planking. Since the finish layer is only going up to the bottom edge of the metal hull decorations from bow to stern, all of the pieces have to be placed temporarily in their exact locations to mark the upper boundary for the planking layer.
 
Vince P.

Working on and finishing the last deck, the poop deck. This was by far the most difficult part of the build so far. Unlike all of the other decks that are supported by the bulkhead frames, this deck has no real support. The kit comes with 2 small pieces of plywood made from the same wood as the false decks. These are to be glued in a vertical position on the upper quarterdeck to support the poop. That to me was not a satisfactory option, as it offered little support to the deck.
I constructed a bulkhead for the aft end and side supports to link the forward metal bulkhead and aft bulkhead . When I planked the hull at the aft end at the level of the upper quarterdeck and above, I should have extended the planks past the last hull bulkhead by at about 100mm. I cut them off flush with the last bulkhead, which meant I had to extend them aft to support the poop that hangs over the aft edge of the upper quarterdeck for most of its length. Oh well, you live and learn.
The exact horizontal location of the deck, its height from the upper quarterdeck below, the vertical slope, and the camber all required considerable measurements between plan sheets 2 and 17. These sheets do not exactly agree, so a compromise had to be made, and I hope I guessed correctly.
The false deck and the metal forward bulkhead had to be modified considerably in length, height, and shape. Once the false deck was placed on the frame, it had to be bent considerably at both ends to provide the heavy camber and required some serious clamping.
 
Also on another note: If you are planning on using the larger dimensions for the deck gratings as the plans show and not the smaller sizes as per the cutouts on the decks, you will not have enough grating pieces. There are enough to do the decks, but not to do the quarterdeck overhang and the heads at the bow. More will have to be aquired.
 
Next up is to prepare the hull for the finish layer of second planking. Since the finish layer is only going up to the bottom edge of the metal hull decorations from bow to stern, all of the pieces have to be placed temporarily in their exact locations to mark the upper boundary for the planking layer.
 
Vince P.

Hi Andy,
Excellent job on your SOS. You started and stuck with a very difficult build and did a fabulous job.  You also look very distinguished next to your ship. You should be very proud of your accomplishment.
 
Vince P.

Hi Andy,
Excellent job on your SOS. You started and stuck with a very difficult build and did a fabulous job.  You also look very distinguished next to your ship. You should be very proud of your accomplishment.
 
Vince P.

Hi Everyone,
 
It has been over a month since my last post because I have been pushing to get the Sovereign completed, and I'm happy to say if is finished. All in all it has been an enjoyable but difficult build. The kit has almost everything needed to build a beautiful model, but the instructions are practically worthless, and I thought the quality of a few of the materials was lacking.
 
Building the Sovereign is a bit of a humbling experience and has shown me how far I have come in this hobby, but also how far I have yet to go. When I see the level of workmanship of some of my fellow modelers, I shake my head in wonder. There were many times during construction when I knew I should be doing a better job, but just didn't know how. As they say about getting to Carnegie Hall: Practice, Practice, Practice.
 
Several months ago I received an email from one of our suppliers announcing a major sale on Corel's Wappen von Hamburg. It was less than half price so I bought it and stuck the huge box under my bed. After a brief break from shipbuilding, I will be digging it out and starting another major project.
 
When I first started building the Sovereign I came across the famous painting of the ship, and it's builder Peter Pett, by Peter Lely. I thought it might be fun to try and duplicate the painting with my own ship and me. Below is the result and some final photos of the model.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

The quarterdeck is complete with gratings, waterways, and gunport cutouts. The bulkhead to support the upper quarterdeck is also painted and installed.
Next up is the upper quarterdeck.
In this area and further in is where things get a little foggy with this build. There are many discrepancies between the plan drawings and the parts supplied. It is going to take some research to figure it all out. Then comes the dreaded "Round Staircase". There are so many versions out there and all very difficult to construct. I am working on a plan as we speak.
 
Oh, I got a promotion! I am now a Lieutenant Commander. Not sure what I did, but I must deserve it.   
 
Vince P.

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

The upper false quarterdeck is secured in place. Before planking it, the bulwarks that run partially on this deck need to be cut back substantially because the forward end actually falls slightly below the deck surface itself.
This is where you really have to pay attention to the plan drawings. Sheet #17 shows the run of the decks and the hull detail in scale. Making careful measurements off the drawing is needed to mark the bulwarks for cutting.
The first photo shows the bulwark before and the second after cutting back.
 
Vince P.

There is a huge difference in the dimensions of the grating opening on the quarterdeck, between the plans and the cutout provided in the false deck. As you can see by the photos, the cutout is much shorter than the frame I installed. The frame matches the size in the plans, which I chose to follow. The grating will be seperated into 3 equal sections. I also noted that the grating on the upper quaterdeck has the same issue.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

The quarterdeck is complete with gratings, waterways, and gunport cutouts. The bulkhead to support the upper quarterdeck is also painted and installed.
Next up is the upper quarterdeck.
In this area and further in is where things get a little foggy with this build. There are many discrepancies between the plan drawings and the parts supplied. It is going to take some research to figure it all out. Then comes the dreaded "Round Staircase". There are so many versions out there and all very difficult to construct. I am working on a plan as we speak.
 
Oh, I got a promotion! I am now a Lieutenant Commander. Not sure what I did, but I must deserve it.   
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.

Ok, here is what I mean by differences between the plan drawings and the provided parts. The first photo shows the false upper quarterdeck laying in place with the piece cut off of it to match the plans.
I trimmed the side edges so it makes a clean fit along the bulwarks and placed the mizzen mast to make sure it is positioned through the hole properly with the correct cant.
The deck is just laying on the frames at this point. According to the plans, the bottom of the forward edge needs to be 23.5mm from the top of the quarterdeck below. A breast beam needs to be fabricated and placed just aft of the edge to support the deck and secure the correct height.
 
Vince P.