demonborger

I did mine with sandpaper. The material is not too difficult.

I did mine with sandpaper. The material is not too difficult.

Nuestra Senora looks beautiful.
 
Will there be an unboxing video of it?
 
Is it possible to view elements of the construction? For example are the gunports laser cut templates?

I have had no trouble at all sanding down the Mamoli metal frames with sand paper. The metal is quite soft. Just remember to do it before second planking.

Well the main point is that this could serve as a great starting point for a kit bash. I don't think actual plans of the treasure ships exist, or written details beyond a certain generality. So the builder can have a degree of artistic license with their kit bash.
 
It won't appeal to the purist of course, but they have the realms of scratch-building to satisfy their desires.
 
Wooden dowels for the masts, scratch built sails, reworked door/window frames, 0.5mm wood planks on the hull and deck, some false guns, and some new rigging rope and you could have a relatively inexpensive ship that is exotic, if only loosely historic, won't take up much room etc.
 
It's tempting to build that kit, as well as one of the korean turtle ships.

I think solid hull is in many regards more difficult than PoB

Some matte finishing spray would fix that ebay ship's glossy coat.

Those windows aren't really visible on the finished model anyway, between the ships wheel, cannons, deck, double staircase and mast there isn't much to see.

The metal windows will probably need a fair bit of filing down to fit nicely

Those are laser cut gunports that make up part of the second planking. The U shaped things are for the handrails.

I think i'd rather just buy the Caldercraft Mary Rose outright.

I think i'd rather just buy the Caldercraft Mary Rose outright.

Extremely keen to see some details of this kit. I don't know if there is any functioning steam engine small enough to fit the model (obviously it won't be possible to be to scale) but that would be incredible and something i'd love to see. A r/c rudder and a steam engine built into a modified Billings Warrior.

The metal gunports have a bracket at the back with a hole in the middle which you attach the dummy cannons to.
 
The stern most gunport on the lower gundeck does look a bit too low i think.
 
Did you run a couple of timber strips along the length? I actually didn't use the tab system and instead glue the top strip along the length, then glued the gunport to the bulkhead and then put on a wood strip along the length of the ship to touch the bottom of the gunports, then attached a vertical strip on the side opposite to the bulkhead. It seems sturdy enough and i found it easier than lining up the tabs.

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..   ). 

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.

B

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.

 

Off white is a creamy colour. If you add black it will go grey instead which is not what you want.
 
The white paint was a mixture of various substances that created a coating that would prevent marine organisms from attaching the the hull and attacking the wood. 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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. 

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.

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..   ).