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demonborger

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Everything posted by demonborger

  1. Absolutely! Two key points here. Batch numbers vary alot, and that is ontop of kit updates and rereleases. Quite obvious since wood is an organic product and each trees timber can vary quite a lot within a specimen and across specimens of a species. And of course the single most important issue for a manufactured kit mentioned by MarisStella.hr, do the wooden false keel, bulkheads and other laser cut wood pieces fit together as they should according to the plans, to common sense and to produce a basis for a beautiful model. A related point of course is how simple the laser cut design is to put together and stay together, one doesn't want the fit to be too tight, neither does he want it to be too loose, both will have problems that require a great deal of adjustments. It also poses the question, can processes like fairing the hull be aided by adopting or developing new manufacturing techniques at a reasonable cost? By extension what new techniques can be developed or adopted in kit manufacturing generally? It seems that laser cut parts and photo-etch brass are the most recent developments and both have been around for quite some time. Now most if not all major manufacturers have laser cut parts of some degree or another. Some are yet to adopt photo-etch details (some of the popular Italian manufacturers spring to mind here) but that may require a great deal of reworking.
  2. There are also things like rate of missing items in kits, and customer service, i.e after sales service. Then there is whether or not the promotional material, item descriptions etc match with the contents of the kit.
  3. Too many variables imo. 1) Different people place different values on different things. 2) Kit quality within a manufacturers range can vary dramatically. 3) Manufacturers and kits often focus on achieving different objectives (beginners, experts, high scratch building content, laser cut and cast parts for everything, simple instructions, complex instructions, scale, fidelity etc). Perhaps compare similar things together. Compare frigates, sloops, 1st rates, 3rd rates, galleys, galleons, etc from each manufacturer perhaps instead. Another thing to discuss and compare would be construction methods and the kits/manufacturers that use them. How many prefer the keel and ram attached to the false keel and how many like it separate? Who prefers single planking and who prefers double? Copper tape, copper tiles, imitation wood, or solid painted copper? Gunports, metal frames, metal inserts, wooden, laser cut, hand cut ? etc. To begin, I love the way Mamoli kits are structured for the expensive kits (Friesland, HMS Victory, Royal Louis) with lots of bulkheads, and a construction method of putting two 10mm blocks through each bulkhead. Providing a very solid base compared to say the Constructo HMS Prince which was both hard to use a keel clamp with and without such a solid support.
  4. Mamoli usually gives enough for the lime wood, but the walnut and "boxwood" amount is generally just on the mark or short of it... It's a shame because I actually like the "boxwood" they supply for the second planking around the gunports, it is more orange and less yellow after oiled.
  5. Same thing happened for me. When the gratings are one, and the ships boats, and the staircases, and the cannons, and the rigging and other deck furniture then it becomes an irrelevant quirk. It's because the rectangle hole in the false deck is actually a trapezium.
  6. What are you trying to say? 1: of course the deck is widest where the red arrow is 2: The tops of the bulkheads (i think 7-11, i.e the ones in the middle) are thinner than the other bulkead tops because they will be cut off after your have planked the hull, so you can then plank the inside of them. The other bulkead tops are where the upper decks will go. Between a slightly wider deck and the slightly thinner bulkheads you end up with a gap of a couple of mm. Or if you are worried about the planks bending to one side then measure the gap between them as they go on the two smaller false decks aside of the hole where the gratings will go. The gaps on the outside are ok. The problem is to ensure the width right down the middle remains exactly the same as the planking branches off each side of the where the gratings will go.
  7. If you plan on making the gallery windows clear then you should be able to see the entire upper gundeck. So plank the entire length in one effort, with special attention to getting the exposed planks (6 to 12) looking nice and pretty.. They way they have it silly, i think they were probably thinking "do the areas under the upper false decks first, add the upper false decks, then plank the exposed part of the lower gundeck" Not sure why though.... So plank the entire length of it in one application. Probably start from the centre and plank each way if it gives you a nice look there.
  8. The 1x2mm wood is used on the masts and for the railings. A wooden wheel would've been nice but in the end it is not that visible in the build anyway (it's behind the dual staircase). I wish a manufacturer produces nice slender wooden belaying pins at that size but sadly they tend to be very fat little things... Mamoli kits use older build techniques (there is almost no laser cut parts other than the bulkheads, false keel and false deck on recent releases). So no fancy gunport templates ala Occre and Caldercraft. The wood quality is ok for some and a bit raggedy for others. Some fittings are really good (the metal anchors are the nicest I've seen). One of the best things about Mamoli is they have some of the most aesthetically beautiful subjects, it's probably their greatest strength. The Freisland and Royal Louis are two of the most beautiful ship model kits on market. Mamoli kits also have a very robust construction designs with a very solid false keel and a lot of bulkheads, so will provide a great base for kit bashing (as many do to avoid the metal gunports..which aren't that bad.. ).
  9. I did the adjusting during dry fit and then glued everything together The quarter deck, forecastle and poop deck (or the upper decks generally) can all be adjusted easily at anytime. When you do them their heights are important to give the gallery frames a nice snug fit. Too tight and you will be forced to grind them down a bit, too loose and you will need to pack the gaps (i made them a bit too loose..) With the decks the main things to worry about are: 1) The quarter deck and forecastle deck are curved and not flat. For both that depends largely on the columns and beams. It is important because the galleries are also curved, and that of course it is historical practice. So that should be fine until you get to that stage. 2) The upper gundeck consists of multiple pieces and if you plan to have clear gallery windows so you can see the entire deck then you should try to get it as level as possible (it will probably have a slight elevation which is ok if not excessive), but even then you can only see so much and the columns are more important there. 3) The exposed part of the upper gun deck is the main concern imo as it is what is exposed and where the most trouble will be with the joints. Try to get it as level as possible. but remember the stairs and the cannons under them can hide small imperfections. I ended up using some filler to get the level right at the joints before covering it with the tanganyka planks. 4) getting the gunport level is probably more important again and the carriages have a lot of leeway in sizing options if you use them (they will actually probably need to be lowered on the exposed upper gundeck) The biggest problem to solve with the decks is to get the columns and beams to be at the correct heights. That can be adjusted after, it might be a tiny bit fiddly at times due to awkward angles and lack of space but not impossible. When you assemble the decks at the stern, do so with the metal galleries dry fitted, also dry fit the banisters, getting the right curvature is important, and ensuring the back isn't lopsided is vital.
  10. I bought this as my second kit and while an expensive item, in Australia it is much cheaper than the larger kits from every other manufacturer thanks to Hobbyco having some very very competitive prices. It does say 1080mm but really that number is quite deceptive. The Mamoli HMS Victory is listed at over 1100mm and the Occre Santisima Trinidad at 1060mm, both at a nominal 1:90 (less said the better about scales)...but when you compare the size of the hull of each the Royal Louis is much much bigger and far more impressive. The kit doesn't include lanterns, and when you mount the arch on the stern if you decide to use the castings then it has to be pinned from the weight. An interesting idea is to attach a lantern to the pins used to secure the arch. You're a fair way off that stage but it is something to consider.
  11. There is a few metal parts but it's not that bad imo. Some of the rigging items could've been wood perhaps. I don;t mind the metal head rails, the galleries or the fences with the belltowers - they're all quite ok. I could see some making their own head rails if they wanted of course. The metal ships wheel is fair enough imo. My kit had wooden fibre boats rather than metal ones so can't comment there. One thing to think about is the "box wood" quantities supplied and if it is enough...mine was a few short which had to be supplemented by material form another mamoli kit.
  12. I plank mine using my thighs as a clamp and as a table The surface area of the hull below the wales is absolutely huge, it gives a sense of the size of a 120+ gun first rate much better than the Occre Santisima Trinidad.
  13. It really depends on what you want. Imo browse through all the manufacturers and make a list of the one you like the most from each. Then ask again about them for opinions and details.
  14. Makes it sound like the interior details were a light blue, and that the outer hull had a more of a cream colour than orange during Trafalgar era. Possibly being mostly black prior to the rebuild? Something like that... I wish there was an officially released document into the findngs available rather than a journalist piece.
  15. I'm not sure what they did. I chose the white based upon the contemporary model of the Royal Louis and also because I love the look of white anti-fouling (I like the contrast more than with coppering). From what I can see the Mamoli and Heller Royal Louis are actually of the 1759 ship and very much based upon the model in the French Naval Museum in Paris. I think they just chose to say 1780 because that Royal Louis had a slightly more vibrant service history (Third Battle of Ushant, foundered outside Brest). The 1759 Royal Louis spent a lot of time in dry dock and due to construction failures developed dry rot. The 1759 Royal Louis had sculptures by Caffieri. In France they only began to experiment with copper on frigates in 1779. I'm not sure when they carried it over to first rates but several contemporary models of Ocean Class ships of the line had white anti-fouling paint, such as the Commerce De Marseilles model. There is a model of L'Ocean with coppering but that ship is much later than both the 1780 and 1759 Royal Louis'.
  16. Constructo makes a kit, it is a nice kit but somewhat simplified. Amati used to make a kit but it has since stopped making it. However they still sells the plans and produce a castings set of brass. It is 1:64 scale. Mamoli also have a kit of the HMS Prince but it is a smaller scale.
  17. Blue may not be historically accurate but it looks so much better than the red. The gold decoration contrasts beautifully with the blue.
  18. The variety is so so nice, the more the better.
  19. Mamoli HMS Surprise is probably like neither the historic or the O'Brien HMS Surprises. Instead it is a repackaged La Gloire, which is a nice little ship but lacking an historical basis that you'd probably be looking for. But the general hull shape from Mamoli plans might be a nice basis. The bulwarks will almost definitely need to be changed.
  20. What about the other flagship kits such as the Royal Louis by Mamoli or the Sovereign of the Seas/Soleil Royal by Sergal? The Royal Louis itself can provide a great scope for scratch building, particularly if you want to model it after the contemporary model in the French Naval Museum. The cast head rails for instance can be scratch built into wood. You can add in LED lights and with plastic windows could give you an amazingly beautiful stern. You can even try carving a new figure head if that appeals to you.
  21. Hmm I'm very intrigued at how you've designed the roman warship. From what i;ve seen many many modelers really struggle with the curvature of the bow and stern.Is there going to be any tricks in the instructions (obviously when the prototype is done) or design features that well aid the modeler there?
  22. Oh put in the supports for the gunports now (vertical strips that go on the opposite side of where it is attached,
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