casper1961

Hey Sherry Unfortunately no progress on the Serapis....I have a couple park benches to refinish for someone, and just bought a motorcycle. It's been a couple years since I last road so spending free time getting reacquainted as I would like to use it most days for the drive in to work while and when the weather permits. Once the park benches are out to the way, I plan to get back at it! I have one almost done, just need to sand the first coat and apply the 2nd coat of varnish. All the work is in the back yard and the weather has not been co-operating! LOL Thanks for asking...BTW nice gunports! LOL and big fingers!

Hi Pierre I think if it were me, I would buy the copper tape and roller dimpler and start over. To me all the drilling and cutting would drive me crazy. You are probably aware that there are other copper plates already dimpled and cut to size...they are pricey but a great time saver. Just a thought. Steve

Arghhhh.......I give up.... okay Sherry did all this! Happy? LOL Steve

The only thing I haven't figured out Sherry is how you modelled the giant hands and fingers? Carved out of wood? Okay what did you use for painting the skin that perfect colour? Steve (so jealous)

Russ!!! RUSS!! Break away dude! She has you in her trance!! Watch out for her voodoo ways...see she has you believing that she did all this! NUTS! It was her little teeny tiny village helpers! I hope I saved him! LOL You are killing us Sherry! Steve

Na na na na! Don't let Sherry fool you! She is trying to pull the wool over our eyes! Actually she has little teeny tiny carpenters, ships builders, weavers and glass blowers in her shop doing this for her! Nobody can do this kinda stuff without help....and I bet somewhere in her magical garden is where these teeny tiny folk live.... uh huh! You are busted lady friend! Shheeeezz! We have been sooooo gullible! Shame on you Sherry! LOL ( Inspector Steve)

BTW your ship is looking great! Steve

Hi Sherry Glad to see you posting again...I thought your garden had swallowed you up! I would agree with Russ that the time to cut out your portholes is before the final planking on the exterior. That would follow the process that I am using with HMS Serapis. I would also double check the template that I sent to your plans and see if they are the same scale. If they are, you should be able to use the template, if not, you may need to sketch new port hole locations on the template but to me, that template should be the way to go...it should be the way to go. Cheers Steve

Hey Ronald Do you intend to make the planking or buy it? I recommend buying the planking. 1. Scroll Saw 2. Dremel with foot pedal speed control and flexible head 3. Portable Drill (cordless or not) for tapering and rounding masts and yards 4. Plank bender That is all I can think of, at least that is all I use. Cheers Steve

Hey Sherry In my humble opinion...under deck #2 and at the rear of deck #3 should be the Captain's cabin (Great Cabin), the one with fancy doorson the bulkhead and windows and balcony at stern. Steve

ROFL!!!!

Hey Sherry Well the replies are just pouring in! LOL I thought you would have had more of a response than this? What are your thoughts on the Great Cabin? I'm surprised how quiet it has been lately....no popcorn, coffee or ratline comments? What's going on? Did Europe get swallowed up by a giant Kraken? I'm hobbled right now after surgery to my toe....love the Tylenol #3s though....smooth like a fine wine! Cheers Steve

Hi Sherry If I understand the layout of the HMS Victory, the Great Cabin ( or Captain's Cabin) was located at the end of the main gun deck and above the officer's cabin. If the San Felipe is similar, that would put the Great Cabin as the one with the balcony and the officer's cabin would have the covered balcony. This is my guess.... Steve

Excellent! Steve

Hey Sherry Sample # 3 for me...not based on any one else's opinions, other than my own...I like the warmth and straight grain and red-brown tone Thanks for doing this survey...it was fun! Cheers Steve

Hey Sherry Some times you can't win for trying! I totally got your Armada reference....and I have been chatting up a storm over whether the Serapis was this or that...Who says we have to build historically accurate models, it's about having fun and enjoying the build and results personally speaking. I for one, am building these for my enjoyment and what others think doesn't really matter. It's how I feel about it in the end. I hope others appreciate what I do but my hobby is my hobby. When I build for other people, of course that changes things, We as builders are entitled to build any 'ole way we want! LOL Carry on....enjoy and #3 sample for me! Cheers Steve

Hi Sherry I haven't voted yet on the pole you have posted...but from what I can make out, I like sample 3 best...I prefer the lighter red-brown tint of the wood. I found a good site for anyone interested in San Felipe plans if they want to spend money. The Cromwell Models site : http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/panart_plans.html Panart 1/75 Price: £56.05 (Including VAT at 20%) Euros: €65.02 (Inc VAT) / US Dollars: US$70.07 (Tax Free) Amati 1/78 Price: £15.84 (Including VAT at 20%) Euros: €18.37 (Inc VAT) / US Dollars: US$19.80 (Tax Free) Or Free Plans ( .tif files) Panart/Mantua http://sailboatmodel...n.php?langue=en Cheers Steve

Hey Augie Did that but it is still hard to make out #1...just saying! Steve

Me Again! When you say there were 4 varieties of walnut do you mean colour variations, grain variations or both? When you get a kit as you know it is all bundled nicely together and I would think, I don't want to assume because you know what they say when you assume? But I would hope that a good quality kit manufacturer has taken the time to screen through the selection of wood materials and has bundled according to colour, maybe not grain but at least colour. So the 2nd planking of walnut in a kit would likely be very similar in colour. To me, I don't mind grain variation as it can be nice to see the different planks as the grain variation will show that. All straight grain may not. So the grain may be more of a personal choice. Steve

Hey Sherry Is it possible to provide a close-up of each sample? It's a bit hard to make out sample #1 Are these different varieties of Black Walnut or just from different trees? Steve

Hi Pierre Thanks for all the information on the guns etc...a very informative read. If you Wiki the HMS Serapis and click on the 24 pounder or 18 pounder listed under the French armament list, you get some very interesting information about what was becoming common place in French service at 1779-1781 period and it is very likely that the numbers are correct for French service to have changed the 20x British 18-pounders on the lower deck to 24-pounders and the 22x 9-pounders on the main deck to 18 pounders plus 6 others which could have been changed from lighter 9 -pounders to 12-pounders as was standard practice...or carronades however there has not been anything said about carronades ever being used on HMS Serapis in British or French service. "From the late 18th Century, the French Navy used the 18-pounder in three capacities: as the main gun on frigates, as the battery on the upper gundeck of two-deckers." and there is also this " Three-deckers used 36-pounders on their lower decks and 24-pounders on their second deck. Until 1803, the third deck was equipped with 12-pounder guns, as a heavier gun would have destabilised the ship; after this date," So as Pierre mentioned it opens things up as to what configuration you want to build. As for the flag, well the kit supplied a British flag could mean the builder of the kit meant for this to the British version...but who knows what they used for drafting of the drawings etc... I won't say for sure about what HMS Serapis configuration was actually like because I don't think we will ever really know...anything could have been possible including overloading her to the point that in rough seas the lower decks were not usable! Yes there are standards, but these were likely guidelines and if you wanted to put heavier gun batteries in who was to stop you ...look at the Wasa, nobody wanted to tell the King he couldn't have a 3rd deck of guns...they built it anyway knowing it was unstable.. Great discussion...thanks all! Steve

Hey Sjors I'm with you, old school, no needle threader. Never heard of one other than me! LOL I use the same method of CA drop on the tip of the rope or line since ships don't have ropes! I then cut it on an angle to sharpen it and then presto!...oops missed...try again...presto! There like that! LOL Steve

Hi Sherry and Ronald305 The plans are available directly from this site as a free download. There are 2 zip files for the 1995 version of the Mantua kit 1:75 scale http://sailboatmodel.info/san_felipe/en.php?langue=en Cheers Steve

Pierre I agree that the refit by the French probably slowed her down and made here a well armed barge. It would be interesting to do a computer generated model of her to see how these changes would have affected her speed etc! Steve

Hey Pierre Just to clarify, HMS Serapis was launched in early 1779 and lost to the Americans in September 1779 but remained seaworthy and JP Jones returned her to the French where she sailed another 2 years and then lost in July of 1781 to fire. And apparently during the time right after Flamborough Head she was then refitted by the French. Cheers Steve