Jean-Pierre

Superb. Not only is this one of the most beautiful models in the MS range, but you did a great job with the provided material. In fact this is the best rendering of this ship I've seen so far. Hope to see more modelling from you in the near future!

Model ships, now model trees as well. I would guess you definitely like miniatures, don't you? Any chance you also have a chihuahua dog? Good job on your Revenge, by the way (OK, it's only a mini-compliment, but well meant!...)

I cannot imagine a shop selling kits in UNSEALED boxes. So indeed Amati should be the one to blame. But I can also imagine a shop owner being a modeller him(her)self and being tempted to have a peek into the contents. About those side decorations, Chris Watton says they are printed onto an excellent quality paper Yet to insure they won't get yellowish or the colours get pale, I would certainly apply some protecting varnish. Don't you agree? Happy building JP

I'm not sure the Royal Louis had copper plates. At least the large model at the Marine Museum in Paris does not have them, its lower hull is painted off white. Weren't copper plates introduced in the 2nd part of the 18th century, while the Royal Louis was launched somewhere around 1856? Beautiful and impressive ship to model anyway. Have fun!

I am pretty sure that how well you paint them,, the metal gratings would not look as nice as the wooden ones. Where did you buy these? Caldercraft? How does their scale compare with the etched ones? The wooden gratings that you bought look much better than the majority of similar items found in kits, where the wooden strips are much too narrow compared with the space between them (example: the Artesania and Mamoli gratings). It would be fine, as a comparison, to see the etched gratings next to the wooden items on a picture. Happy modelling.

maria is an excellent model, and this one is even more promising. Congratulations. I'll love to follow your project(s). JP

What a beautiful model indeed. As I said earlier,I also built this model, a long time ago, I'm afraid. With regards to the canopy, I painstakingly glue little lengths of gold thread, bit by bit along the edge of the plastic kit item, but in my case I used lengths that were only about 2/3 from yours, which, I think gave a cleaner result. What I also did is to cover up all edges with lengths of gold thread, which finishes the canopy quite nicely. As far as the oars are concerned, I think there were seven rowers per oar, the more amidships one using the tip of the oar, the other six using one space each in the handle. This would mean only 7 plots in total (5 intermediate plots)! I know there are a few oars from the Réale preserved in the Musée de la Marine in Paris as well as part of the sculptures, but alas, could not find pictures of them. Happy modeling to you. JP

Never heard of this particular model by Gérard Schmitt, and sure it is a pity it is no longer available, as this is a very pretty model indeed. Especially the plans will be hard to miss, I am afraid. By the way, you may be interested to google the full name of the ship, which is in Dutch Kofschip. Anyone learning the Dutch language will know that name because it is an important word in the Dutch grammar. Now I know that Gerard Schmitt models at some point changed their name into Soclaine, which is still in business today. So maybe these gentlemen still have the Gerard Schmitt archives and hopefully can provide you the necessary information. Wish you succes in your query, and hope to see your build log in a near future. JP

Great improvement to the rows. Did you make the handles yourself or is it an aftermarket product? I just would suggest that you make the holes a little deeper so that the handles protrude a little less, a little like the solid kit items. Just an idea...

My language happens to be french. For some unknown reason, my Apple computer tends to try and translate from Spanish sites into what Google wants me to recognize as a french translation. NO WAY: I always have to revert to the Spanish text to understand what is written. So googleing your message into French might be the best way to ...encrypt it!! I am definitely sure, as they operate on a world basis, that they actually know English quite well. I even thought, but I may be wrong on this, that their operations had been taken over by Airfix! I also built this exquisite model a number of years ago, and if I were to do it all over, I would try to duplicate the 7 handles on the rows: this is, I think, a fairly obvious shortcoming on an otherwise superb model. Another point that deserve attention is the masts: I of course replaced the plastic sails with cotton ones, and the masts were not stiff enough to carry their weight without bending. So, I think they are better replaced with wooden ones (as their shape is quite simple, this would not be too difficult to achieve. Or they could be strengthened with a wooden core. Happy modelling, and good job with your extra rows! JP

I built the original Entex kit which I improved with one of the first Golden Medal Models etch kit. Not a bad model at all, and still going strong under different brand names. But one in my opinion very ugly feature of the kit is the hugely deep paneling detail of the hull, that in my opinion spoils it all. I wonder if this has been corrected at some point, or if a better advised modeler was clever enough to find a way to cure this. Still it is the best kit at a manageable scale, isn't it?

I don't quite understand why you want to paint the deck. Why not leave it in natural wood colour, possibly stained with a light grey wash, and pathen paint on a few coats of matte varnish afterwards, to protect it from any later accidents? Your hull planking looks excellent so far!! Good job! JP P.S. By the way, you can find on German sites (search on the word Modellbau) linked anchor chain which will look fantastic once they are stained matte black) I found mine by chance in a model shop in Antwerp, Belgium, but here are some examples from the web:http://www.deinholzboot.ch/modellbau-shop/zubeh%C3%B6r-kleinteile/ankerketten/ or even better:http://www.hobby-lobby-modellbau.com/onlineshop/index.php/cat/c494_Anchor-chains.html

I know it's in german, but you may be interested to have a look at what I consider to be a very nice build of the Revell Kearsarge (much modified as well):http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum.de/forum/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=36813. love to see how you manage to reqt As far as the Alabama is concerned, I have had this unbuilt kit on a shelf for decades, but never started it, because I found the built up model rather clumsy: silly, drooping stem, impossible open stern, masts too short. I really will love to see if you can restore her in her former beauty. If that should prove impossible, I read that Bluejacket is issuing a kit of her... Happy modelling. I'm looking forward to your progress! JP

er of Good luck with your build. I built the same model a number of years ago, and while the project did not appear too difficult, there are still some points that will require your attention; The rigging is certainly the most difficult part of the build, and being a plastic model in a relatively small scale, the tension of each line has to be determined with care, and a block of beeswax is of great help: run each line on it to prevent later fluffing and slacking of the threads. The jib boom receives quite a few lines and definitely deserves replacing by a metal rod as it will almost certainly bend or break at some point of your ship's career. Another point to consider is the vulnerability of the guns and gun ports, especially during the rigging process. If you do not rig the lower guns, it is advisable to...nail them together with their carriage to the deck, or you may have some guns going adrift... The gun ports I would fit at a very late stage of the build. Finally, about after market products, you may want to look at some of the fantastic build logs on this site and judge by yourself if they are worth the investment. One item I would certainly buy is the decorated entry port. The chains I made with black thread and they look convincing enough to me

Am I right to think that those metal frames do not simplify the build. I wonder if a method "à la Corel" would not be easier after all?!

The bolts for the pedestals are a little of a mystery to me. I made two holes with no reinforcement, and I suspect this would be too week a system to keep the ship safe from any side kicks applied to the case. I had planned to add some kind of side supports as well. How you plan to add some seascape under the ship or in the background is of course a matter of personal taste. My idea on the subject is that a for a well built, full hull model on pedestals, a seascape would rather disturb from the overall quality of the display. Soldering is, I am afraid, impossible to avoid completely with this model; for example, for the mast "spreaders" and for the handles on the foredeck (cannot find the right words, and I am 500 miles away from the plans right now. But it really does not matter that the soldering material is of another colour than the brass, as everything really should either be painted over or tinted black. On my ship, I scored the hull battens to reproduce the plank lengths, and yes, the planks are still visible once painted: not much, just like it would on the real ship. I did not use (if I remember well) super glue on the hull, only PVA glue, which I find less smudgy for that job. Now for the caulking of the deck planks, I just ran a black felt tip on ONE SIDE of each plank (both sides would be too heavy) and the ends of the planks were just marked with a nr 2 pencil (here a felt tip would bleed into the wood). An airbrush is not my cup of tea, as there are too many things and bits to clean before and after each session. I prefer to invest in good quality brushes (but again, this is purely a personal choice. I look forward to your progress and at the tricks you will find to overcome what I see as shortcomings on this kit. For instance, Iook out at the flat brass strips provided with the kit. Although I used card for all mast bands, I had not enough of these brass strips. JP

Superb: you are a (semi?) professional indeed. I remember my planking session as a most rewarding one. I remember a few things to remember as this is a single layer planking: of course I glued the sides of planks together, but also I took care to keep planks tightly aligned between the bulkheads while drying. I finally smeared the inside with some PVA glue. Was there anything more I could have done to get a sturdy, smooth hull?

You made a great start to a beautiful model. I also started this build and learned quite a bit!. On the former forum Dry Dock Models, they started a group build which I joined a little later. One of the builders in that group had the nickname Captainpugwash, who later started this very forum. Unfortunately he stopped his build a little later on. I also "suspended" my build with a finished hull and deck furniture, while working on the lower shrouds. You have already mastered quite a few difficulties. Cpngratulations! One problem I encounetred was that the wood of the bulkheads was quite tender, and the bows that are supposed to support the foredeck broke off very easily. To avoid major problems at later stages , as planking the foredeck, I reinforced these bows laterally with planks from my spare box, but a better idea would have been to replace the kit bows by steam bowed beams. Happy modeling further on. Of course I will love to follow your build.

I am not a very qualified modeller, and the only time I had to sand a wooden surface with nails in it resulted in a fiasco, because, obviously, the metal was much harder to sand than the wood. So I would say that in this case, a rotary tool with a small sanding disc will be needed not to sand too much away from the surrounding wood. But I'm sure anyone but me will be aware of that . Nice job on a nice model. As for Ronald's concern about missing or damaged parts in his kit, I would suggest that he does not wait too long to check if all the parts are there. Mamoli being (temporarily?) out of business due to fire damage, re-ordering items may be problematic. He definitely should check if all the decorative metal pieces are OK, and if all the gun barrels are there. Most other pieces could I suppose, be bought from other sources. JP

This is an excellent build, and I feel sorry I did not follow all of your efforts so far. Your decks are wonderfully done, and I suppose you have solved the issues of how to weather, or tint, the decks. One thing I did in the past is just tone down the deck colours with a grey wash before covering with a few layers of matte varnish. I had been using just like you, different shades of wood, and that looked fine, but the contrast was too evident, which is never the case on a full size wooden deck. Your idea of using a mosquito mesh glued on an acryl sheet also is what I use for windows. I use curtain fabric (the type that looks like mosquito mesh, but, I think, is a little bit finer. This fabric I paint with a mix of aluminium and matte black paint (or gunmetal colour), and I glue the fabic with PVA glue that dries transparent. Of course, if I don't want the background to be visible, tgthen I paint the backside os the acryl sheet black (NOT sky blue as this does not look good in my opinion. I would also cut the windows diagonally like you did, but for visible windows, I would take care to cut and glue the window at an exact angle of 45°. Just an idea... I also understand that the Mamoli solution of the metal gun ports is far from ideal. For instance, I noticed that the Friesland model, if built straight from the box, has the guns sticking much too far out of the hull, due presumably to metal gun ports that are not deep enough. Of course, this may not be the case on the Royal Louis model. Seeing what the problems of correct alignment are, seeing that the metal items do not have square corners, and finally considering the possible difficulty of sanding the first plank layer nicely flush with the metal ports, I think I would choose the solution of glueing wooden strips between the bulkheads onto which the guns would be attached. Looks difficult, but I am sure this would be both simpler and faster than with the metal ports. Just another simple idea for the deck planking. If you should want to add the beloved treenails but find it too intricate, here is an easy alternative. Mark the places where the treenails should come with a sewing needle (not a pin which would damage the plank ends. Then give the tiny holes some consistancy with a sharp n°4 pencil. This should preferably be done before weathering, so that the holes will be filled with you tinting material (or wash). I look forward to seeing your hull planking. If you are like me, you will find this one of the most rewarding parts of your nuild, and certainly not the most difficult step. Happy modelling, and thanks for sharing the pics. JP

This is an excellent build. Congratulations on your job. A little suggestion: the ship wheel that is shown on a picture above: did it come with the kit? Looks quite rough, and would certainly deserve replacement, considering the overall quality of your model. Keep on the good job, and thanks for sharing it. JP

I'm afraid transfer letters will not easily be found at the requested small scale, in the colour you need (gold or white?) or in the correct lettertype (times?). I did mine (on Flying Fish) using Word Art in Windows Word, which I printed out on photo paper in yellow on a black background. I then varnished it with polyurethane varnish so the yellow will (hopefully) not fade. Another problem with very small transfer letters is that they will be almost impossible to align precisely enough (at least I couldn't) Now I suppose finding someone who owns an ink jet printer would not be too difficult

I understand you are trying to make the ship look sexier than what the kit offers. May I make a suggestion then? Your hull coppering. If I remember well, I used a mix of antique bronze as a base colour, diluted dark brown as a wash, and light touches of bronze dry brushed. The result comes pretty close to the coppering seen on Cutty Sark (before the fire) (and surely not like the ugly paint that has now been applied to the underside of Victory) Happy modelling JP

very interesting build indeed. I built this kit "one generation " ago,and there were no detailing sets available by then. Maybe the mouldings were new and a little crisper than they are now. There are two things that I regretted then. The first one was the missing admiral entry port. But as plastic ship model authority Mr J.B. Tilley stated in his review: "it is not clear if there was such an entry port in Nelson's time. But still... I can see you cut out the entry port from the hull, but cannot see any reference to a replacement item. Have you been able to find that quite elaborate item? Second regret is that I definitely should have replaced the flying jib boom by a metal item, as the kit item is by far too week to carry all the lines and sails that it should have. Looking forward to follow up your build! JP

I certainly agree with what has been said, but would like to add my little grit of salt. Italian manufacturers as a general rule, have been on the market for a large number of years and they know what sells. As a result, most of them have in their range some models that barely resembles anything that ever was afloat, or there are some blaring mistakes in their plans. But they still nice models that appeal quite a few modellers. Furthermore, the more critical modeller can still make all adjustments he wants if he wishes so. Euromodel of Como is one of them, but they have the extra bonus it seems, to have wonderful plans, and superb metal fittings (not their anchors!) On the other hand, it is true that both Caldercraft and Victory models show an overall excellent accuracy and good materials, even if there are differences between older and newer offerings. Model Shipways and Bluejacket should also range among the vey best. I'm not a fanatic of solid hulls, that are hard to correct to the right shape (and increase the despatch costs due to the extra volume and weight!), while they are not easy to make them look like real planked hulls without actually planking them over. JP By the way, it is sad that I never saw a review or a build log of what looks like an impressive model: the Redjacket clipper!? Also, I started building a Victory Ship by Bluejacket and had quite a few problems with that kit: - the solid hull showed huge chunks of wood at both ends, which were a pain to remove - the stem definitely was not the right angle, so the hull did not show that characteristic straight stem - details in the kit were very basic and the metal fittings were, say, average - my plans were a Xerox copy and as soon as something was put on the sheet, the toner would just be brushed off. Luckily, I happened to have another set of the same plans I wanted to superdetail the model to a ship on which I sailed, but the model has now been on hold for more than 20 years now.